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Rick

Save yourself two or three steps

Too often I see computer users of all experiences taking too many steps to visit a web site. If they know a web site address, they first go to a search engine like Yahoo! or Google and type the address there. Then they click Search, wait for the results and click the site they want to visit.

Instead of going through all those steps, type known addresses in the long white address bar at the top of the screen and press the Enter (return) key on your keyboard. And don't forget to use favorite for frequently visited sites so you don't have to type at all. Search engines are for research not browsing.

HP Director won’t open

Yesterday, I ran across a customer with an HP All-in-one printer that would not pull up the HP Director software that controls the copy, scan and fax processes. Turns out that the problem occurred shortly after his system updated to the new Internet Explorer 7. Because so much software uses Internet Explorer in some fashion, the update causes problems for some of them and this was the case with HP Director. HP has come out with a fix, but you have to be able to HP Director up and running in order to click on it's update feature.

Here's how to get HP Director up and running:

  1. Double-click the HP Director icon. Do not click anything else on your screen until Step 2 is completed.
  2. Press the Alt key and the Space bar together on your keyboard and Click Minimize from the menu that displays in the upper left corner of the window. If necessary, click it again until HP Director minimizes.
    The HP Director software should now appear as an item on the Task Bar.
  3. Click HP Director on the Task Bar. The software opens and displays normally.
  4. Repeat the steps above each time the HP Director software is used.

This is a workaround posted on HP's web site. Once you do get the HP Director running, click the "Check for updates" icon on it and download the available updates. It will take a few moments and then ask you to restart your computer, but when it does, all will be well again with HP Director.

 

I think my settings are messed up

First, let me explain that this is not a complaint. I am trying very hard not to use HelpMeRick to vent my frustrations.

I hope that readers see this more as a humorous observation on what it is like to be a computer guy than a computer guy complaining about non-computer guys. As much as I work on computers, I prefer to think of myself as a guy who helps people rather than a guy who fixes computers.

Sometimes computer guys need a little help in figuring out a problem. Rick and I often talk off-mic about how people for some reason think that their computer should be easy to figure out. We can't figure out where this perception came from.

When do I right click?

Wow, I get that question so many times that I decided we should put up an explanation on the site. All computer mice have at least two buttons. The primary button is usually the left one and does the vast majority of the work. Follow these rules when thinking about your mouse buttons:

Left Mouse Button

  • It is your primary work horse AND the only button used for double-clicking.Left Mouse button
  • Double-clicking is NEVER required…it is always an option.
  • The only places you need to double-click (and I'll show you how to avoid it altogether at the end of this tip) are the Desktop and any Windows Explorer window where you want to open a file.
  • When clicking links and menu options on the Internet, Click just ONE TIME with the left mouse button
  • If you are moving Solitaire cards from one stack to another or files from one folder to another, you click ONE time with the Left mouse button and hold it down while moving the object. When you let go of the button, the item will stay where you put it.
  • This is the only button you will use to make selections from menus.

Right Mouse Button

Make a deep Favorite or Bookmark

This tip arose earlier today when I told a customer that he could make a favorite or bookmark to any part of a web site. He frequently needed to access one portion of a web site, but always started at the home page and then clicked two to four pages deep to get to his destination. He and many more like him never realized that a bookmark could be set at any point in the browsing process…not just the home page. He was amazed and delighted that he could save all this time for many of his sites. Browse to the portion of the site that you need to access, and then set your bookmark or favorite.

I realize many people already understand this concept, but unfortunately many do not. Share this information with them and their friends so that everyone can save a little time on the Internet. 

HP printer jam recovery

Overall, HP printers are my favorite. They are dependable, they do a great job and they are fairly economical on a price per page basis. I have seen some good things from Canon printers lately, but HPs have a much longer track record.

Every brand of printer has its problems and HPs are no exception. One of the biggest problems with HP printers is that they get caught in a loop. If you turn the printer off in the middle of printing, or the computer locks up and you have to restart part way through a print job, don't be surprised if your HP goes bananas when you turn the computer back on.

Setup ZoneAlarm Firewall to not interfere with your home network

We had a call a couple of weeks ago about configuring ZoneAlarm , a software firewall, to allow for a home network to be setup. Often times, after setting up ZoneAlarm, network communication like sharing printers and files is blocked unless ZoneAlarm is shutdown…defeating the purpose of the firewall. Here's how to add your home network to the "Trusted Zone" in ZoneAlarm so that file and printer sharing will work with ZoneAlarm enabled:

  1. Double-click the ZoneAlarm icon by the clock in the system tray
  2. Click the Firewall optionZone Alarm Settings (see #1 in the illustration)
  3. Click the Zones tab (see #2 in the illustration)
  4. Click Add (see #3 in the illustration)
  5. Click IP Range
  6. Make sure the Zone says "Trusted"
  7. Type in the lowest IP address on your network (like 192.168.0.100). You can find this out by RIGHT Clicking on your Wireless or LAN connection in the Network Connections found in the Control Panel)
  8. Type in the highest IP address on your network. Make this number about 15-20 points higher than the fourth digit of the previous number. If our example as above, then use 192.168.0.120 for this number.
  9. Type "Home Network" or something similar in the Description box
  10. Click OK
  11. Click Apply on the Zones screen
  12. Close ZoneAlarm

Cell Phone Research

We had a caller today who wanted to know what cell company worked best in a certain area. Tedd, our computer bargain guru, found two great sites that give you great information on signal strength and support. They are:  LetsTalk.com and PhoneDog.com

SmitFraud & SpySheriff Beware we have a fix!!

There is a nasty group of spyware programs out there that not only hijack your browser home page, but they replace your desktop with a warning that your computer is infected and add icons to your system tray. What's worse is that all of these items are so linked that you can't get rid of any of them unless you get rid of all of them.

Today I found a great tool that made removing these spyware programs simple. However, this tool does not replace any of the other tools we talk about on a regular basis.

The program is easy to use – just follow the prompts. I didn't even have to start the system in safe mode for it to work.