Castellini on Computers - Computer help for beginners » Windows

5 Simple Rules to avoid SCD (Slow Computer Disease)

Rick — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:48:43 +0000

I've written about this before, but it bears repeating on occasion with new visitors to our site and long time visitors who haven't learned yet. The advice is simple: DO NOT DOWNLOAD FREE SCREENSAVERS, EMAIL PROGRAMS (Incredimail, etc), GAMES from the Internet. Unless you are WELL versed in the origin of these items, they can easily destroy your computer's ability to compute. The most common computer ailment (for Windows users) searched on the Internet is "slow computers". Sadly, "slow computer disease", SCD*, does not have to be the pandemic it is because it is 100% preventable. Here are my 5 simple rules to prevent SCD: 1. Install and keep Internet security software current. Recommendations: AVG Anti-virus, a software or hardware firewall and a good anti-spwyare program or two. Check our Links & Resources section for recommendations. 2. DO NOT DOWNLOAD FREE CRAP FROM THE INTERNET UNLESS YOU KNOW ITS ORIGIN AND SAFETY. 3. Use Mozilla Firefox or Opera as your primary Internet browser instead of Internet Explorer, MSN, or AOL. This tip alone can save your computer. 4. If you have teenagers or young adults who use your computer, forbid the downloading of free music through services like Limewire or any other shady site (refer to #2) 5. If you do suspect SCD, get it looked at immediately. Waiting for it to cure itself will only make SCD worse. BONUS TIP: If your computer suffers from SCD, Defrag will NOT help it. No matter how many times you Defrag your computer, it will NOT help SCD. © *SCD is a copyrighted term of Castellini on Computers, HelpMeRick.com and Rick Castellini. Use of the term SCD is strictly prohibited without the express written consent of Rick Castellini or administrators of HelpMeRick.com

How to print labels the EASY way! – Video Tip

Rick — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:54:11 +0000

I know I'm late for this year's Christmas season, but you can learn and start using this tip TODAY to make next year's Christmas card mailings a breeze. Too many computer users have no idea what a database is, how to use it, and how to merge it with another program to create labels. Since printing mailing labels is only a once per year activity for many of you, learning how to do it again every single year requires too much time and frustration.

Early thoughts on Windows 7

Rick — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 07:18:48 +0000

Although I’ve been testing, using and writing about Windows 7 since last year, it has only been on the market 2 weeks. In those two weeks, I have setup 8 or 10 new machines already. The setup is much faster than Vista, but I’m already getting that same ‘ol, same ‘ol feeling about it as I [...]

Should I backup?

Rick — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:14:03 +0000

Should you carry health insurance? Should you carry car insurance? Should you save for retirement? Should you eat every day? Does a bear.... Well, hopefully you get the picture. The answer is a resounding YES!!

You should backup, and depending on your computer needs and usage your backups should occur frequently (sometimes daily). Many computer users equate backing up their computers with their mother's giving them castor oil. It's no fun, but a necessary evil. What is castor oil any way?

Things you should backup on your computer include:

Deleting Programs and Files

Rick — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 20:47:07 +0000

This tip conjures up some points from older tips, but needs to be reiterated. Follow these 'rules-of-thumb' to keep your system clean and more importantly running smoothly.

Use these rules when deleting individual files:

Never delete files that you did not create.
If you can't trace the origin of the file, leave it alone.
If the file sports one of the generic looking 'windows' icons (see picture), do not delete it (again unless you created it).
Do not delete files that exist in the Windows directory, unless you created it.
Instead of willy nilly deleting files, use the Disk Cleanup tool

Use these rules when deleting programs or applications:

Share YOUR Favorite Keyboard Shortcuts

Rick — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 20:04:57 +0000

I'm always amazed at how surprised computer users become when they learn about a keyboard shortcut. A keyboard shortcut is a combination of keys that you press on your keyboard to perform a particular function. If you learn them and practice them, they can shave hours off of the tedious maneuvering of the mouse.

These are my favorite and most used computer keyboard shortcuts:

A quicker way to Rename folders and files in Windows

Rick — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:52:03 +0000

Windows XP, almost eighteen months old, already impacts the way our computers work and how quickly we can accomplish tasks.

One of my favorite new features involves the renaming of files. You can still use the techniques I outlined in a previous tip, but renaming files can be even faster with the right steps. If you have the need to rename a group of files (for example a group of freshly downloaded pictures from your digital camera), you can select them and rename them in groups. Here's how:

Select the files or folders you want to change to a common name by clicking on them ONE time while holding down the Ctrl key
Push F2 on your keyboard OR right click on any file and click Rename OR click on the Rename tool from the Edit menu or the tool bar to the left of the folder
Type the new name for your file or folder
Press Enter on your keyboard
Windows now assigns the same name to all the files and numbers them starting with #1

This method saves loads of time and makes organizing your files much easier. Look through our newly designed Tips Archive for even more Windows tips, including Windows XP tips.

Print Preview

Rick — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:34:56 +0000

Sometimes the most helpful computer utilities elude us and stay hidden for years. One such utility that I find very helpful (and have taken for granted) is the Print Preview function found in almost any program that allows printing. Because Windows and Macintosh made the WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) environment available to the masses, what we see on our screens is pretty close to what we see on our print outs. However, if you need to tweak margins, find the extra line that is creating an extra page, or determine whether a document (like a spreadsheet) will look better in Landscape or Portrait mode, there is no substitute for the Print Preview command.

How to Use the “Extra” Keys on Your Keyboard

Rick — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 03:18:26 +0000

There are roughly 50 keys on your keyboard that you use on a regular basis, but there are at least 104 total keys on your keyboard. So, what are those other keys for? Here is a list of the keys you may not be using that can make your life a lot easier - in no particular order. F1 - The F1 key is located above your number and letter keypad. In almost any program anywhere in Windows, pressing F1 will bring up your help screen. From the help screen you can look up topics and learn more about the program you are using. PRINT SCREEN (PRT SCR, PRNT SCR, etc.) - Located to the right of the F keys, the Print Screen button is handy for capturing the contents of your entire screen onto the clipboard. After hitting Print Screen, you can click on EDIT->PASTE in almost any program and an image of the screen capture will come up on the screen. TIP: Holding ALT while hitting the Print Screen button will capture only the active window.

Backup Outlook Express Email – Video Tip

Rick — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 21:10:16 +0000

This week's tip also applies to Windows Vista users who use Windows Mail...which is basically Outlook Express with a new name.

I still recommend that emailers save their important pictures and documents sent to them via email to a folder on their computer for easier backup (see my video tip on how to do this by clicking here), but many people also save a great deal of email and don't want to lose it. Outlook Express (Windows Mail) saves all email in files with a .dbx extension. The files are named for the folders you have created in your email, so you will see files like inbox.dbx, saved.dbx, family.dbx, etc. Whatever email folders you have created will have a corresponding .dbx file.

These files, unfortunately, are buried in the Windows files system. This week's video tip demonstrates how to locate these files on your computer so you can then copy them to flash drive (best idea) or CD/DVD.