I write about Internet security frequently because I see too many breaches of Internet security every single day. And by Internet security, I’m referring to keeping your computer free of spyware, fake security software and other annoying, time consuming, and expensive ailments that can strike your computer. THESE TYPES OF INFECTIONS ARE PREVENTABLE. First, I need to exempt Mac and… Read More »7 Internet Security Tips to Save You Time & Money
Name: TERRY JAMESON
From: LARKSPUR CO.
OS: Windows XP
———————-
RICK,
I WOULD LOVE TO USE FIREFOX, BUT IT SHUTS DOWN CONSTANTLY. THE INFAMOUS BOX COMES UP AND STATES THAT IT HAS “ECOUNTERED A PROBLEM AND NEEDS TO SHUT DOWN.” I HAVE TRIED TO UPDATE IT SEVERAL TIMES, BUT IT CONTINUES TO BE A PROBLEM.
Normally, I don’t read or answer questions written to me in all caps. Not because I think the person is Read More »Email of the Week – 024
A common problem I hear throughout my week is “My computer is slow.” I finally learned to ask, “Is your computer slow, or is your Internet slow?” The computer user usually pauses, thinks and often responds that it is his or her Internet that is slow; not the computer.
When I sit down at a client’s computer, I can quickly determine the health of a computer based on how quickly I can perform simple tasks like checking background processes, determining how current and what security products are being used, free hard drive space, and how much RAM is installed on the machine. Generally speaking, if a computer was bought any time after Read More »Slow computer or slow Internet?
Ubuntu released their newest version this past October. In addition to cleaning up the code and making it boot faster, look better, and run faster, I think one of the nicest additions (particularly for beginners) is the Ubuntu Software Center. This tool allows users to easily search for and install programs and utilities with just a few clicks. Prior to… Read More »New Ubuntu Software Center – Video Tip
Lately, I have showed many people how easy, not to mention vital, it is to backup your digital photos. When a computer crashes, the first thing the computer user does is panic…unless they have a good backup routine. With photos, there is no easier, safer way to backup than using Picasa. Picasa is a free photo management utility from Google… Read More »How to backup photos using Picasa – Video Tip
If you use an iPod, iTouch, or iPhone and plan on getting a new computer, you will want to read this article! OR, if you use any of these devices and want to make sure your library stays safe, you will want to read this article!
Yesterday, I helped a customer setup a new Windows 7 computer and transfer email, favorites, and other data from his old Windows XP computer. Turns out that he also needed to move his iTunes library of more than 8,000 songs and almost 150 playlists!
There isn’t too much I panic about when I arrive at a customer’s home or office, but moving large, customized iTunes libraries is something that does get me a little nervous. In the past, I have had to open an iTunes XML file in a word processor and then use find and replace to enter the path to the storage location on the new computer. It was extremely difficult and tedious.
I am happy to report that I successfully transferred the entire 36 gigabyte library and playlists usingRead More »How to transfer your iTunes library & playlists to a new computer
Already this week I arrived at homes and a business where the computer users described being on tech support phone calls for 12, 15, and one a whopping 22 hours!! All three users had zero resolution of their original problems and as you might imagine their problems grew by the end of the call.
Then they called me.
Not all phone tech support calls goRead More »Track changes you make when troubleshooting
Windows 7 has definitely cleaned up a lot of loose ends created in Windows Vista and added some new features as well. One of the new features is a little superfluous, yet remarkably kind of fun and easy to remember. It is a new way to maximize a window. In all previous versions of windows, the most popular way to maximize… Read More »Learn how to use new maximize method in Windows 7 – Video Tip
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
Google started as a college project 12 years ago, then as a startup search engine just 10 years ago. Today, Google owns more than 60% of all web search traffic and employs close to 22,000 employees worldwide.
You probably interact with Google via their search engine primarily. However, you are missing out on some truly great services that Google also provides in addition to their fast and accurate search engine.
In this article, I will share 7 of the many other services Google provides.
When you arrive at google.com, click the link that says News at the top of the page or you can directly visit news.google.com. Google News is an auto-generated news page that refreshes automatically every 5-10 minutes and displays headlines from more than 4500 news sources around the world. To me, it is the ultimate newspaper?unbiased and unfiltered. And even more helpful, starting a Read More »7 Google services you have never tried