Skip to content

Riding Shotgun with Rick

Reset your HP Printer

I don't remember where I learned this trick or why it works, but it  does work in many instances with some HP printers. Use this technique to reset your printer if it is hung up for any reason, can't automatically "align cartridges" or is just acting goofy.

  1. Unplug the power cable from the back of the printer
  2. Let the printer sit untouched without the power cable for at least two to three minutes
  3. Push and hold the power button
  4. Plug in the power while still holding the power button in.
  5. Keep holding the power button for at least thirty seconds after you plugged the power cable back in.
  6. Release the power button and try using your printer again.

Good luck! 

How to use System Restore

system restoreI don't know how we missed posting this tip, but somehow we did so now I'm rectifying the situation.

One of the best features of Windows XP (and now Vista) is the ability to undo many problems that we may cause ourself or the system causes through updates or other unknown situations. It is called System Restore and it allows you to roll back your system to a previous time when all was blissful without losing any valuable data like email, pictures, and other documents.

Are they doing it for the kids?

Is Microsoft producing software for the 10-19 year olds? I helped a client setup a new Vista computer today, and she mentioned that her daughter thought it was really cool and nice…looking. I asked the mom what she thought. Her response was typical of most business computer users, "It's alright, but the messages asking me to confirm everything get annoying real fast. And it doesn't seem any faster than my five year old computer." 

BINGO! I've been describing this sentiment since September of last year the moment I laid eyes on my first copy of Vista! It's slower that XP, more annoying than XP, not much safer than XP, and just about everything you knew how to find in XP has changed places, but it is prettier. My only conclusion as to the thought process of Redmond, Washington  is they could give a rip about the every day computer user and the business computer users currently pounding away at keyboards. Microsoft must be looking to the future and since a vast majority of today's 'youngins' only care about looks and fluff, then Vista delivers.

Using a computer does not equal understanding a computer

I had an interesting email topic come my way today regarding newer generations and their knowledge of computers. From experience, I can tell you that just because younger generations use computers all the time, they don't know how they work any better or how to use them more efficiently than any other generation. One of my favorite job functions is teaching people how to get the most of their computers. I see lots of business computer users and students who can 'use' a computer to produce the documents they need or search the Internet, yet they have no clue where their data is stored or how effectively they are using the software.

I made a bold statement on Saturday

Well, it was bold for me anyway. I stated (and Adam should have the audio up soon for the exact quote) that computer users who have not learned how to Copy and Paste should unplug their computers are put them on the curb for someone else to pickup. 

The statement seems a little extreme and at the time, it was meant for a giggle in the context of the show. However, the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. The ability to Cut, Copy, and Paste is an extremely useful and easy to learn tool. Tutorials can be found everywhere regarding the subject (including right here on this site). I think it is an absolutely essential tool because it can be used in almost every aspect of computing except Solitaire. 

Internet Explorer 7 Zoom

Internet Explorer 7 ZoomFor many computer users, viewing some web sites can be frustrating because text tends to be too small. Since many of you might be using Internet Explorer 7, take advantage of the improved zoom functuon in it. To access the zoom function:

1. Click Page from the menu in the upper right of the screen

2. Click Zoom from the menu

3. Choose a Zoom value from the options (I recommend trying the 125% first and then move up from there)

Woo Hoo…new feature in Microsoft Office 2007 – French Spell Checker!

I ran into a strange problem today with a client using Windows XP and Outlook Express. They had to install a new copy of Office 2007 because they lost their certificate of authenticity for their old copy (don't lose those folks). Subsequently, their spell checker in Outlook Express now only uses the French dictionary. Thanks Microsoft!! Once again, fabulous upgrade to the "new" Office 2007.

After some investigation it turns out that the only viable option for Windows XP users using Outlook Express and Office 2007 is to download a free spell checker for Outlook Express. We have been recommending this one for years . Click here to download and install the spell checker and your Outlook Express spell checking errors will be history…unless you are French.

The Incredible Wikipedia

Wikipedia

What is a Wikipedia ? In the words of the Wikipedia web site, ?imagine a world in which every person has free access to the sum of all human knowledge. That's what we're doing [at Wikipedia].? Sound amazing? It is incredible. Wikipedia, in everyday terms, is an online encyclopedia that is free to access, unlike paid services from Britannica.com and Encarta.com.

Wikipedia plays on a term from the Hawaiian language, wiki wiki, which means super fast or quick. The Internet adopted the term ?wiki? to mean a web site where anyone can edit or contribute to its content. So putting the terms together you get an online encyclopedia that is free to access and open for anyone and everyone to contribute to and

STOP BUYING NORTON PRODUCTS!!

We write a lot about this subject because we continue to see friends and family members trying to help their parents, neighbors, siblings, etc with their computer security by buying Norton security products. We have proved over and over that Norton products don't protect as well as our current recommendations of AVG or Avast Antivirus, plus they slow down computer systems tremendously and in some cases lock them up so they aren't usable.

So, PLEASE do not buy Norton products for yourself and help your tech buddies and families by recommending that they not pollute their systems with these inferior products either. 

Use copy and paste to enter long passwords

One technique I use to enter long, complex passwords (which we should all be using) is to open Notepad from the Accessories menu and type the password there. Since we only see the asterisks (*) when we enter passwords, it can be extremely difficult to accurately type in some passwords with mixed case, numbers and other characters. The problem doubles when we have to enter a password two times in a row. Here's how I use the Notepad trick to circumvent this sometimes frustrating procedure:

1.  Open Notepad from the Accessories menu

2.  Type out the password and verify its accuracy