Vista Service Pack 1 – Don’t do itR...

Microsoft released the first service pack (major upgrade) to the barely one year old Vista this week. In fact, the Service Pack has been in the works almost since Vista was released last year. You will see and read it being referred to as Vista SP1. Microsoft missed the mark so badly with Vista that the company had to immediately go back to work in trying to improve an already mediocre release. Should you upgrade to...

Where to buy a book manual for your computer

“Why didn’t my computer come with a manual?” One of the most common complaints we hear is about how new computers don’t come with manuals. I am here to explain why this is the case. The sad answer is that if the computer company came with a manual, it would weigh more than the computer. “But my old computers used to come with manuals…,” Is the next comment. Back in the old days...

Linux growing rapidly

I never thought I would write about or like Linux as much as I do. If you search HelpMeRick.com for Linux or Ubuntu, you will get a plethora of information. Today, I received an email from Bill in Kentucky, who is an avid listener of our web show. He sent me links to stories of major organizations from all over the world describing the exodus from Windows to Linux. Cost is definitely a factor, but the functionality, safety...

Your hard drive is meant to hold stuff

Every week I’m out making my rounds, I hear this expression; “My computer is really slow it must have too much stuff in it and needs to be cleaned out.” Your computer can never have have too much “stuff.” Your hard drive is designed to hold tens of thousands of documents, pictures, music and more. The number of files you store on your computer has next to nothing to do with your perceived speed...

Dude! Where’s my icons? What to do when all ...

All your icons are gone off of your desktop and you can’t bring them back. It’s an easy fix: 1. Right-click on your desktop 2. Click Arrange Icons By (or something similar depending on your version of Windows) 3. Click Show Desktop Icons Wait a few seconds and all of your icons will come back. If they don’t you should get a Mac or Ubuntu computer. ...

Zonbu – Part III

This will be the fourth article I have posted about the Zonbu computer company (read previous Zonbu articles here). Since my last report, I helped setup a second Zonbu laptop and visited with my first Zonbu customer today. The second Zonbu owner bought his for his wife who enjoys mainly email and Internet and had no need for an expensive machine. He and his wife found the computer easy to operate and extremely capable for...

Slow computer? Viruses? Malware? I can help!

After almost 13 years of battling security problems on Windows machines, I’m finally seeing the light of day and recommending Mac’s and Linux for many computer users. It will be a long journey convincing people that there is life beyond Microsoft. For those who bang away with Microsoft Windows computers,and have problems with Slow Computer Disease (SCD), pop-ups, viruses and other problems, I present the following...

I use a Mac, therefore I am

Ya, don’t ask me to elaborate too much on the title of this post, I didn’t mean anything too deep by it. I picked up my new/old Mac that a reader gave me. It is an older system, but It does a great job. It’s a dual 867mhz G4 with a gig of RAM, 10GB hard drive and Leopard OS. While it may seem a little dated by Mac standards, it is every bit as fast as my dual core Pentium that I typically run XP on. I...

Zonbu – Part II

In a post last week, I announced that the first Zonbu computer (that I know of) was coming to Grand Junction. It has indeed arrived, and I am enormously impressed with the machine. Like all Linux computers, the Zonbu requires a high speed wired or wireless connection to operate. Dial-up users need not apply. The reason for requiring a high speed connection is that Zonbu provides automatic backup of files, automatic...

7 Great places to start learning

Not long ago, a commenter on the web site suggested we put up some links to our some of our best and most visited tips. I thought it was a great idea, and here are seven that I came up with. If you have your own favorite or most helpful HelpMeRick.com tips, please share them with everyone by leaving a comment below. Cut, Copy, and Paste -  I believe that this invaluable skill should be a computer prerequisite Print just...

Ubuntu/Linux – what’s the big deal?

Rick sent me a link to this site earlier in the week. I think everyone should see it as it does a great job of explaining why the average person should be interested in alternative operating systems. Here’s a link to the site. ...

Incredible deal on a fast computer

I installed a new computer for a customer yesterday that turned out to be the easiest setup I’ve done in quite a few years (with the exception of Apple setups). He bought the computer, ZT Affinity, from OfficeMax’s web site for $399. It comes with 1 GB RAM, 320 GB Hard drive, fast processor (albeit the previous generation Pentium D), Windows XP Professional, built-in memory card reader, keyboard, optical mouse, a...

Use the Task Manager to troubleshoot program probl...

While Windows is far from a perfect operating system, it does provide some tools to help deal with its imperfections. One of the tools you can use to shut down a troublesome program without having to completely restart your system is the Task Manager. For instance, if a program happens to freeze or stops responding to your mouse clicks or keyboard strokes, try this technique before reaching for the power button: Push...

How to fill out a PDF form with your computer

I fielded a call from a client today who wanted to know how to transfer a PDF (Adobe Acrobat) form he received via email to Microsoft Word so he could fill it out using his computer, save it, then email it back. My short answer was that he couldn’t do it. Technically, it can be done through a series of computer hocus-pocus, Jedi mind tricks, a great deal of knowledge about the Windows clipboard, Adobe Acrobat,...

Ubuntu client update

Today, I helped my customer who I installed Ubuntu for almost four months ago. “It has been working great so far”, he informed me. We mainly worked on fine tuning some aspects of the desktop and panels (Ubuntu toolbars). He also wanted to use a calendar, but didn’t know how to approach the included Evolution program which is similar to Microsoft Outlook. However, as I pointed out last summer during my...