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Rick

Fix a slow loading Thunderbird (email) program

This happens when an e-mail file that gets built each time you open e-mail gets corrupted. It is: {inbox.msf}. Here's how to fix it:

  1. Close Thunderbird.
  2. Click Start –> Search (or Find –> Files and Folders in Windows 98/Me).
  3. Type: inbox.msf in the search box.
  4. Make sure you have the box checked to search hidden and system files.
  5. When it finds it, click one time on in and then delete it.
  6. Start Thunderbird again and a new, uncorrupted inbox.msf file will be created.

This may take a little while the first time. To test all is well, close Thunderbird and re-open it and it should open quickly

Andy Marken – Representing Verbatim and Migo

Andy Marken, marketing representative for Verbatim and Migo will join us today to talk about the latest news in flash drives. Prices are dropping, space and functionality are rising. Tune in and learn why!

Windows 95 lives!

Before I moved here to Colorado in 1995, I visited a large circus tent in a Seattle suburb parking lot. The tent said, "Start" in large letters at the entrance. Once inside, I was greeted by extremely cheerful, almost giddy, representatives from Microsoft. I estimated about 30-35 computers were setup with twice that many Microsoft reps showing curious visitors to the tent what Windows 95 was and how it would change the world of computing. One enthusiastic rep gleefully showed me some shortcuts with the Windows key that did impress me and stuck with me from that day until I purchased my first Windows 95 machine nearly a year later.

Time doesn’t stop in roaming areas

I went to Moab today with some folks from church. I love the beautiful drive and there are some nice places to eat there.

In addition to the scenery, I also enjoy the drive because only about half of it has cell coverage. Typically, I don't like travelling through areas without coverage, but when I am travelling with friends I don't worry so much about emergencies.

Once in a while I would think, "I wonder if anyone is trying to call me," then I would stop thinking that and enjoy the drive. After a while, I stopped wondering about my cell phone at all.

It wasn't until I was about 10 minutes from home on the way back that I decided to check my messages. I was only gone for about 6 hours. "You have 18 messages."

Chatting can help you

Over the last couple of years, we have mentioned the benefit of chatting with customer support personnel. Chatting used to be reserved for AOL customers and teens. Recently, however, many companies of all types have  found that they can reduce costs and give better service with the power of Internet chat.

Chat is a simple technology that allows two (or more) computer users to write messages back and forth to each other. It differs from email in that each computer user sees the other's messages show up immediately on a screen that lets you follow the entire conversation. 

For you, it means not having to call an 800 number and navigate through an endless set of menus of push this number and than number, then be put on hold, and eventually talk to a person who has a very thick accent. Instead, logging into a support web site for the product you need help with and starting a chat session requires far less time (often you are connected immediately). The other advantages of getting support through a chat session include being able to "talk" to the support person at your own pace and also be able to receive instructions that you can read, study and print to help you thoroughly understand what you need to do.

Send this article to EVERYONE you know…

REALLY! The health of your computer, your friend's computer, your neighbor's computer, the government computers, my computer are all at stake. Heck, economies world wide depend on the information I am about to repeat to you and you HAVE to forward it every computer user you know! REALLY!

I cleaned up a laptop today that belonged to a sophomore in college. She readily admitted that she knew very little about her computer and knew nothing about Internet security. After cleaning off some horrific spyware and a couple of viruses, I explained to her how to maintain the standard products I add to all my customer's computer:

  • AVG Antivirus
  • Windows Defender, Ewido, SpyBot Search & Destroy, and AdAware (anti-spyware programs)
  • Mozilla Firefox (an alternative browser to help prevent the problems)

We have talked and written volumes on this subject, so I'm listing for you links to the articles and tips we have written so you can brush up and educate and inform all the computer users you know.

Secret Shopper Scams

Luckily I haven't seen anyone personally who has fallen victim to this scam, but in a world where people are always looking for a "get-rich-quick" approach to wealth building, I can imagine that someone in our audience could find this information useful.

Here is an article from Snopes.com all about a new version of an old scam. This one is centered around a secret shopper program. There are several reasons that this scam can be especially tricky, not the least of which is that there are legitimate secret shopper programs. This article discusses how to know the real employers from the scam artists. 

Noises that houses make

We all have a spot in our house that creeks a little when we walk on it. It might be the front porch, the fifth stair on the way to the basement, or the floorboards next to the refrigerator, but we all have them. These little creeks and moans let me know if someone is coming to the door when I ring a doorbell. Sometimes the absence of the sounds lets me know that I'm at the wrong house.

This happened to me today at my first appointment. I made a quick check on the address in my trusty Treo, and my mind registered that the address was 2226. I cheerfully walked up to the door, rang the door bell and waited about two minutes. No answer. No noises. I waited another thirty seconds or so and rang the door bell again (I could hear it chiming through the door). Still no answer. Still no house noise. I waited another few moments, and decided to check the address one more time on my Treo. "Darn it!!", I muttered out loud. The address was not 2226, it was 2226 1/2!!

The no porn approach to computer maintenance

There are many things that can slow a computer down, but nothing does more to negatively impact the performance of a computer more than spyware. Even many viruses run undetected, but almost all spyware prevents a system from running at top speed.

Spyware comes from a variety of places, but there are three types of web browsing that will guarantee that you accumulate some of the worst forms of spyware.

Online gambling sites: Not all online gambling sites are sources of spyware, but most of them are.

Online surveys and drawings via popups and spams: Many legitimate companies ask for your opinion through surveys, but surveys can also be lures for spyware. If you get a popup or spam offering a free iPod, laptop, ringtone, etc., consider it a trick to get you to download spyware.

Time heals many wounds

Especially computer wounds.

I don't have a three ring binder full of policies for my business, but one policy I do have is that I don't answer my phone when I'm working with a customer. The companion to that policy is that I ALWAYS return my calls. Because I book a pretty tight day, I check my messages and return calls while in transit between clients which usually amounts to no more than 15 or so minutes of phone calls.

I return calls in the order I receive them which leads to some calls getting returned up to four or five hours after they were left. A significant (maybe 30-40%) of those calls have their problems resolved by the time I call. Why? Two reasons by my estimation and query: the user relaxes a little and finds the button, menu, or misssing file or they restart the computer.

These are two methods we teach in our Computer Troubleshooting class…which we will be teaching again soon so keep an eye on the site. I love when these problems get solved this way because I feel like my mission of giving computer users fishing poles instead of fish is working.