The most reliable way is to search your computer for *.dbx files using Start –> Search. Make sure you check the option to search for hidden folders and files. Then backup any of the dbx files.
To restore these files on a new computer or new installation, Start Outlook Express, Click File –> Import –> Messages. Follow the wizard and choose Outlook Express 6 as the type of email you are importing, then click Browse to where you saved the original files.
When you first install Picasa, it asks if you want to scan your entire computer or just your My Documents folder for pictures. If you select one option but change your mind, you can add more folders or subtract folders to the Picasa index by doing the following:
1. Click on FILE
2. Click on Add Folders to Picasa
3. Select a file then click on the "Always Scan" bullet at the side.
4. Click OK and it will scan all the given folders for photos.
If you have broadband Internet and you had the company set it up for you, it is very likely they connected it using the USB cable instead of the Ethernet cable.
The Ethernet cable has an end on it that looks like a giant phone jack and it is the most reliable way to connect your computer to your broadband cable or DSL modem.
Scanners, printers, joysticks, mice, keyboards, and digital cameras are just a few of the dozens of devices that can be connected to your computer’s USB ports. Since this is the case, you must load drivers to get your computer to recognize your broadband modem when connecting through USB.
Wireless mice are not truly wireless.
In addition to the mouse, you also have to plug in a little radio receiver that transmits and receives signals to and from the mouse.
If you buy a wireless mouse, there are a few things you should know.
1. The batteries run down. There are rechargeable varieties, but most mice use regular batteries. If you fail to change the batteries as needed then the mouse will quit working as everything else that takes batteries does.
2. If you unplug your mouse or the batteries run down, it is very likely that you will have to reconnect the signal to the mouse. This usually requires pressing a little connect button on the bottom of the mouse and on the receiver.
Often computers forget how to start up CDs automatically when you put them into the drive or they start up in the wrong program starts up.
To solve this problem go through the following steps:
1. Close any programs that are running.
2. Double-click on My Computer (on your desktop or in the right pain of your XP start menu).
3. Right-click on your CD-ROM icon.
4. Click on Explore from the menu that comes up.
This will open up a window showing the contents of the disk. From this point you can click on the "Setup" icon if you are trying to install a program. If the disk contains pictures or music, double click on the files that you want to look at or listen to.
We haven’t covered this topic since 1999!
Shareware is software that you can "try before you buy". The developer usually provides the program for free of charge with either some features disabled or a time limit on how long the product can be used. To unlock all the features or use the program past its expiration date, you must pay for a registration number. This type of marketing works quite well for developers who make good products.
Freeware is software that you can use for no cost at all. Developers providing this software usually create the program to either fill a niche or jus practice creating new programs.
Programs by small developers can be found for almost any purpose you need. Everything from organizing pictures to creating labels and from recording music to changing wallpaper. The only places I recommend hunting for and downloading freeware and shareware are:
Download.com
Tucows.com
Nonags.com
Palm Gear (for Palm Pilot users)
There are two things that make the businesses Rick and I run different from running a computer shop or working as the IT guy in a big company.
1. We see dozens of computers each week and no two of them are the same in any way.
2. Rarely is anything done by the book.
Every person has their own preference for desktop wallpaper, word processing program, Windows version, printer, antivirus, digital camera, web browser, etc.
Every profession has its tools. I have found a number of great tools that help get me through the day.
If you or someone you know tinkers with computer, here are some of the essential tools.
1. Swiss Army USB flash drive knife – This is a genuine Swiss Army knife with a built in USB flash drive, flashlight, ball point pen, screwdriver (perfect size for computer screws), scissors and knife.
2. External hard drive enclosure – this is a cool device that lets you place any hard drive into it to convert it into an external USB drive. These are perfect for transfering data from one computer to another.
I had one client today who had setup an appointment for me to get rid of a virus. Every time they turned on their computer and/or logged into their email, an error would pop up.
The error in their email was so bad that they couldn’t even read their messages.
I noticed that all of the errors were related to Symantec – the company that makes Norton.
I removed Norton and installed AVG. All of a sudden the "virus" was gone. The computer was faster and all errors were completely gone.
They said that they were going to take the money that they were saving by not upgrading Norton and apply it to a new DSL connection. I love to see people make smart decisions with their computer.
I have never claimed to be the most knowledgeable computer tech on the planet…and I never will. However, what I will promise is that I give my customers the best advice that I can for the topics that I know about and will refer them to the best possible resources for topics outside my scope.
Today, I saw a client who traded some services with another computer tech here in Grand Junction, CO. The other tech reformatted my client’s computer and proceeded to install a copy of Microsoft Office 2000. The copy was not a legal one. My client never paid for Microsoft Office and never received a CD and certificate of authenticity for the software. She was appalled that a "business person" would do such a thing. Unfortunately, this is the second time I ran into a situation like this in less than two weeks. I also happened to talk to a client of mine, recently, who took a class and was "sold" a pirated copy of some software for a substantially reduced price over the retail price of the product.