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OnAir Solutions

Video Tour of HelpMeRick.com

HelpMeRick.com has a wealth of information for computer users of all experiences, but beginner or novice computer users find the information found here the most helpful. We have put together a short video explaining how our site is organized and how you can find information about computer topics that you are most interested in learning. No other web site is built on information quite like ours. We strive to make computers and technology understandable by all and a tool that will benefit everyone.

To replay this 6 minute narrated video tour of how to best utilize HelpMeRick.com, push F5 on your keyboard or click the Refresh/Reload button on your browser.

Turning off system restore

There are two ways to turn off System Restore (probably more).

Way number 1:

1. Right Click on My Computer

2. Choose Properties from the menu

3. A window will come up

4. Choose the System Restore tab at the top

5. Check the box to turn off System Restore

6. Click Apply and OK

 

Way number 2:

1. Click on Start -> (All) Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> System Restore

2. Click on System Restore Settings link

3. Check the Turn off System Restore box

4. Click Apply and OK

Changing the XP Startup Logo

Warning: If you mess something up, your operating system may not boot. 1) First, create an image that you want to use. Paint is the easiest to use. It has to be 640X480 and 16 colors(not 16 bit). Save it as “Boot.bmp“. 2) Copy Boot.bmp to the C:\Windows\ directory. 3) Right click on My Computer > Properties > select the… Read More »Changing the XP Startup Logo

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

Great online product reviews

You can become an expert in almost anything in a very short time simply by doning a little research on the Internet. Before you buy a car, computer, digital camera, or even a home, you should do as much research as research as possible.

A few of the sites we use for finding product reviews onine are:

 

To research where to buy products and do comparison shopping, try these sites:

Repair Desktop Icons

If your desktop icons aren't displaying properly, try deleting the ShellIconCache file found in the Windows folder. Use the Find or Search function find the file, then delete it and restart your computer.

Clipboard Replacement

Roger called and wondered about a more powerful way to use the Windows Clipboard. A great utility called ClipMate has been around a long time and should work great.

Create Control Panel Shortuct on Desktop

Joey called and wanted to know how to create a Control Panel shortcut on his desktop in Windows XP. Here's the steps, and they work for any program:

  1. RIGHT Click on the Control Panel icon in the start menu (or any program icon)
  2. Hold the RIGHT button down and drag to your desktop
  3. Release the button and choose Create Shortcut