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Do you remember your password for…?

If you do any online shopping and/or banking, user name and passwords have infiltrated your life. Many of my customers can easily knock one-half hour or more off their bill if they kept track of their passwords. I get many blank stares when I'm troubleshooting a machine and need to log into an Internet service or web site and I ask the customer for their password. Often times I receive the classic, "I don't have a password."

Everyone has a password for email, their bank, any other online service you might sign up for be it banking or a community forum.

Ubuntu on the road

I continue to experiment with the Ubuntu operating system. This past weekend, my family and I made a quick trip to the South Dakota Black Hills and I took my Ubuntu laptop along for the ride. My Ubuntu laptop is an older Compaq (almost six years old) that was destined for the trash heap by its previous owner. It no longer performed well for them and required reformatting and upgrading to run Windows XP and other software at any appreciable speed. I rescued it, installed Ubuntu Linux on it, bought the cheapest wireless card I could find, and now I have a completely functional and quick second laptop.

Windows Vista Integrated Search – Video Tip

As you know, I am not thrilled will Windows Vista. However, one feature I did find helpful since Day 1 is the integrated search. Vista constantly indexes your hard drive…probably one reason it feels slower than XP. Indexing means that Windows looks through all user generated files like word processing documents, email, spreadsheets and other user files. It then analyzes the file names and the content of these documents and stores that information in massive index files. Think of it as a "Google" for your own computer. Using the integrated search, you can type in a few characters and get instant results of matching documents or programs on your computer.

I'm torn about this feature because I feel that it makes the user a little lazy in really understanding where the data actually is stored, but the speed of the search is undeniable.

I mentioned that the Vista integrated search is sort of like a Google for your machine. Well, if you are a Windows XP user, you can get this same functionality with a tool from Google called Google Desktop or from Yahoo using the Yahoo Desktop .

Watch the video below for a short demonstration of how this tool works in Vista.

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.

How much would you pay for a “simple” computer?

This will be our poll question in the newsletter tomorrow, but I wanted to give you time to consider the question.

Like Rick, I am constantly on a mission to make computers easier to use. I don't believe it is necessary to upgrade computers every few years if the system you are using now is working well.

I hate (strong word, but accurate) the direction Microsoft has taken with Windows. Most people never use all of the bells and whistles in Windows.

So, here is my question. If there were a computer that would do email, Internet, basic digital photography, document creation and standard games like solitaire, how much would you pay for it.

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. 

Simple things to check before you call your computer guy

People always apologize all over the place whenever a problem turns out to have a simple fix. Small problem or not, I typically charge a small fee just to cover the higher gas prices and time I blocked out for the appointment.

To avoid the small fee or feeling silly, here are a few things to try before calling your computer guy whether you have to pay him or not.

1. Turn the computer off and back on.

2. If you are on broadband Internet and it isn't working (You can't get Internet OR email) unplug the power from your modem then plug it back in. If you are going through a router, do the same with the router.

Mozilla Firefox Revisited

By Rick Castellini 2002. Revised by Adam Cochran 2007

Earlier this summer, my co-host, Adam, decided to do an 'on air' review of a product. The product he chose is Mozilla Firefox, an alternative web browser. Being on the radio and downloading, installing and reviewing software was a new experience for us, but the impression was instant and impressive for both of us.

Mozilla loads most web pages much faster than Internet Explorer and makes a dial-up connection seem snappier. Because Mozilla does not use any code from Internet Explorer, it is inherently less likely to be plagued by the various security holes that Internet Explorer fights against on a daily basis. The software is free and I've put together a list of features and tips that I like about this great little browser:

New service coming to HelpMeRick.com

For literally years, I have been hunting for an easy to deploy, safe remote control system for computers. I wanted a tool that would allow me to easily access customer's computers so I could help them with their problems from wherever I might be. As you know from our video tips, a picture and voice is worth a thousand words. As hard as we work to properly illustrate and write our tips over the years, the video tips have exceeded our expectations and most importantly your expectations.

Now, I am aim to bring the next step in the evolution of my business and quest to help people with their computers. Yes, it will be a part of my business and thus a charge will be involved, but I will be able to log into a users computer (the user always initiates the sessions) and actually see and be able to explain what might be going wrong with their computer. Problems that I attempt to solve through email or over the phone often result in long, drawn out affairs that don't always result in resolution. However, if I can physically see what a computer user is looking at, the problem can often be solved in a matter of minutes.