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PC World columnist says don’t upgrade from XP

PC World columnist, David Coursey, writes this week that the hassle of upgrading a Windows XP computer to Windows 7 isn’t worth the time and price. It pretty much mimics the exact advice I gave to Windows XP users when Vista came out 2 1/2 years ago.

Software developers build software for the future, so older computer simply cannot run the newer software as efficiently. Especially when talking about operating systems like Windows.

Bottom line: If you are Read More »PC World columnist says don’t upgrade from XP

Email of the Week – 020

Red Pillar Box
photo credit: ~Oryctes~ (away)

QUESTION

Name:  Marty

From:   Houston, TX

OS:      Windows XP
———————-
Is there a difference between the AVG trial version and the AVG free that you refer to on your site?  Is it too late to get the free version or is it the same as the trial version? Thank you.   Is it compatible with WindowsXP – SP1 only?  I still need to restore computer to SP2 but want to be protected ASAP.
Thanks.
MC

ANSWER

Yes, there is a difference between the trial and free versions of AVG. The trial versionRead More »Email of the Week – 020

How to adjust toolbars in Internet Explorer – Video Tip

I ran across a question today that could not be explained verbally or in writing. It is so visual, that a video was warranted. The question was how to adjust or restore the default toolbars in Internet Explorer. Here’s a 49 second video demonstrating the skills you need to get this done. Take a look!

Airport security may screen you with a Nintendo Wii

13/06/09 - Wii Fit Feet
photo credit: motti82

The Nintendo Wii, a gaming console you hook to your TV, became a runaway success since its release two years ago. About 9 months after its release, Nintendo released its wildly successful and popular Wii Fit with balance board. The balance board does a fantastic job of measuring balance, weight, center of gravity and more.

In the CNN article I linked below, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security may employ the Nintendo Wii to test how fidgety Read More »Airport security may screen you with a Nintendo Wii

Google discourages multiple email forwards

wall of spam
photo credit: chotda

I setup a new Gmail address for a customer a couple of weeks ago and used POP to allow her to use Outlook Express like she was used to with her old address. In less than 2 days, she called and said that her password was being rejected and she couldn’t send or receive email.

I hurried over and logged into the web interface with her credentials, but was also rejected. On the second attempt, it required me to answer a captcha and her secret question before logging me in to her account.  After doing so, I checked the POP settings in Outlook Express and sent a test message to myself and back to her. Test successful and I left.

Two days go by, and she called me again. Perplexed, I made my way back to her house and repeated the same steps as I just described. Gmail normally does not require a user to decode a captcha and answer the secret question, but I chalked it up to something Read More »Google discourages multiple email forwards

Rick Answers his Email Videocast – 061

Chalmers paid to have his question read first this week followed by questions from Radha, Greg, Briel, Violet, Sue, Betty, Donna, Gary, Marty, Howard Kristen, Ariane, Robert, and Don. Chalmer’s question concerned a very old computer, and in order, the other questions were about a programmers application conflict with Vista Aero, Ubuntu users group, changing desktop wallpaper, screen resolution problem,… Read More »Rick Answers his Email Videocast – 061

Installing Microsoft Security Essentials – Video Tip

Today, I downloaded, updated, configured and installed Microsoft’s new, free security product: Microsoft Security Essentials. It provides a significant upgrade in protection and usability over their previous offerings. In fact, the setup and administration is extremely straight forward. From the reviews and tests that I’ve read, it appears to protect PCs (Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7) quite well and… Read More »Installing Microsoft Security Essentials – Video Tip

Print Preview

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 theRead More »Print Preview

Printing Error Messages*

pagefile.sys
photo credit: pokpok313

NOTE: This tip is an off-shoot of our Print Screen tip that you will also want to read and watch.

We all have computer mishaps and end up having to call for help. One of the first questions the helper (tech support) always asks is, “What was the message you received?”

Most of the time, in our frustration, we failed to write down the content of the message. Here is a tip that will bypass the writing altogether and allow you to answer that first question from your digital helper.

When an error occurs follow these steps:

1. Before Clicking on the OK or Cancel button on the error message press the Print Screen button on your keyboard (it’s located above the Delete, and Home keys on the middle of your keyboard)
2. Close the error message
3. Open your favorite Read More »Printing Error Messages*