It’s the basics baby…5 of them

A customer of mine commented earlier in the week that he was “amazed” at my knowledge of computers. I thanked him then replied that all of my knowledge could fit in the head of a thimble. And it’s true. Many days I stew over how much more I would like to know and learn about computers, technology, programming (which I know butkus about), web design, and web marketing. One reason I have been successful in...

Internet Outages

A major fiber optic line was cut in Colorado today knocking out Internet to a vast number of customers all around Colorado. I swear that people get more riled by an Internet outage than a TV or water outage (me included). Please remember my number one rule when troubleshooting an Internet problem: If you haven’t changed anything on your system and the Internet was working fine a few hours ago or yesterday, assume that...

Ubuntu – Day 8

Week two with Ubuntu starts today, and still no shakes, dry heaves, or headaches after leaving Windows last weekend. I’m enjoying the Ubuntu and even have the spam a little more under control with Thunderbird email. Normally, I don’t play games on my computer, but I do like puzzle games that challenge my mind and help me wind down after a long day troubleshooting Windows’ problems. Ubuntu comes with a...

Ubuntu – Day 7

Today marks the one week mark that I quit using my Windows Vista machine and started using Ubuntu exclusively. I pledged to use Ubuntu only for two straight weeks to really put the operating system through the paces of daily use. After a rough start with email and fighting spam, I am almost in a groove of using this free and robust operating system. I think that Microsoft has the work cut out for themselves over the next few...

Small details make a big difference

Today I saw two clients who described their situation the same. They each had broadband Internet and could get online with one computer that was wired to the network but not with a wireless. When I got to each of these locations they were each connected to the wireless network but weren't getting any Internet. The first client was connected to the wrong network, an ad hoc connection to an HP device somewhere. The second...

Disable iChat

We believe we found the answer to how to disable iChat on the Mac.

Do you remember your password for…?

If you do any online shopping and/or banking, user name and passwords have infiltrated your life. Many of my customers can easily knock one-half hour or more off their bill if they kept track of their passwords. I get many blank stares when I’m troubleshooting a machine and need to log into an Internet service or web site and I ask the customer for their password. Often times I receive the classic, “I don’t...

Troubleshooting XP Shutdown Problems

Here are some sites to troublshoot the various problems that can cause Windows XP to not shut down properly: XP Shutdown Problems Microsoft's Troublshooting for XP Problems XP Automatically restarts ...

Does anyone remember easy printer installs?

One trend happening in technology over the past three years or so is bloated printer software. By bloated, I mean printer installations that require nearly one gigabyte (yes almost 1000 megabytes) of hard drive space! Call me old or nostalgic, but I miss the days where printers could be installed from a floppy disk and took less than three minutes ton install. The worst offender today seems to be HP. Their popular all-in-one...

A sure fire way to learn your computer this year!

When I am doing private tutoring on a computer I typically write step-by-step notes while the learner sits in the driver's seat. I think that people learn more by doing than by hearing. However, my method is really only about 60 percent as effective as it could be. The best way to learn is by learning. In other words, having someone sit next to you and walk you through the steps will stick in your memory as well as if you...

A Fourth Utility?

Water, gas and/or electricity, and telephone service have been widely available for years and present in almost every household in America. In the past few years, I have noticed that households with Internet connections now panic almost as much with an Internet outage as they would with a power outage or water leak. The Internet has truly become the a 'fourth utility'. We all use the Internet now as a communication...

Never assume it’s your problem

I think we have talked about this before, but it bears repeating. When your Internet connection stops working suddenly or seems to be acting strange, don't immediately assume it is a problem on your end. Often times it is not a problem with your system at all. If this happens to you, follow these steps instead: Turn off your computer (and high speed modems and routers if you have a high speed connection) Wait about two...

Links don’t work in Outlook Express

If the links don't work in your Outlook Express – try this tweak

Options and Preferences

I had a brief epiphany today as I helped two of my customers. When I'm setting up a computer or troubleshooting one, I am constantly in an out of the Options or Preferences of many programs. Almost all programs, from Quicken to Word to image editing software and of course Internet and email software, contain a section that allows you to customize the experience. For example, in Internet Explorer, I always click Tools...

Do I possess magic powers?

No, not really, but some people wonder… I think the wondering is actually a mixture of bewilderment, awe, and a slight hint of envy. I think the same thoughts when I watch Rachel Ray cook, an electrician wire, my Dad build stuff, Eric Clapton play his guitar, and a gear head work on a car. All these people are good at what they do because of two reasons: it's what they do, and they enjoy doing it. It amazes me that...