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Windows

Vista Orb

Windows OrbHa, ha! I'm still laughing and smiling at this one. I've been talking a lot recently about Vista because there is so much to say and it is the current version of Windows we have now. 

Anyway, the picture you see in this article is not only the Windows Vista logo, but it is also the default replacement of the familiar start button in Windows Vista. The reason I bring it up and have been laughing for two days is that I guess the official term for it in Vista is the "Windows Orb". If you read a tip for Windows Vista (probably not on this site), that says click on the "Windows Orb", what they are referring to is the "Start" button that no longer says start, it's just the picture of the new Orb.

512mb is not enough

512mb of RAM is not enough for Windows Vista…any flavor. Vista has been out almost three months now, and I have setup almost a dozen Vista machines. Thankfully, they are rolling out slowly. All the machines I setup, until today, came with 1 GB (1024mb) or 2GB of RAM. And although not blazing, the computer's ran at an acceptable speed.

I just finished spending nearly 2.5 hours setting up a laptop with Vista Basic and only 512mb of RAM. It was painful. Normally, I can clean all unwanted and trial software (crapware) from a new computer, install and update AVG Antivirus, optimize the startup and Internet settings, shut off unnecessary special effects, setup email and test both email and the Internet all in under 1.5 hours. This little laptop required extraordinary wait times to get anything installed or uninstalled. Very frustrating.

Is this a test?

Today I had an appointment that spanned almost every area of what I do on a daily basis. The appointment lasted roughly three hours.

In that time I…

Helped setup a new iMac. She is making the switch from Windows and wanted some of the features that she was used to in her PC. I set her computer to ask for her password whenever it was turned on or came out of sleep mode so her kids couldn't get online without her permission. I also setup a gmail account and a POP3 email program that worked like Outlook Express.

  • Consulted her on ways of getting better range from her wireless network.
  • Tuned up her kids' computer and removed lots of

Photoshop Elements 5

Adobe Photoshop Elements is the standard photo editing software for consumers and many professionals. The latest edition offers many new features, but are those features worth upgrading from previous versions of the program?

First, there is no upgrade version but since the program can easily be found online for under $70, it won't hurt too bad if you do want to upgrade.

Photoshop Elements has been a solid program since its introduction. Previous consumer photo editing programs only allowed you to make alterations in steps, any fine tuning was out of the question. Elements changed all of that by offering so many professional level tools that many professionals made the switch.

Stick with HelpMeRick’s trusted security software

Some days I seem to face recurring themes. Today's was extortionware. Extortion is when someone forces you into paying money to solve a problem that the person or institution requiring payment caused. If that doesn't make a lot of sense, ask Rick to explain how his "If you want to keep your kneecaps – go get nachos for us," program works during the show on Saturday.

We have spelled out our proven method of home computer security countless times here on HelpMeRick, but just as a reminder here it is again in brief:

1. Don't use Internet Explorer to surf the web unless you have to

Windows Vista continues to tank…

Tedd, our computer bargain guru, ran across this article today at MSNBC.com and forwarded it to me. Basically, it concretley demonstrates the ongoing failure and low adoption rate of Windows Vista. Dell, due to lackluster Vista sales and monster customer demand, will give consumers a choice between XP and Vista on many of their machines.

Choose XP.

Windows Vista makes networking maddening

I setup a new Windows Vista machine yesterday on a network with two Windows XP systems. My client wanted Vista to be the main computer that shared files and printers with the other two computers. It only took me 45 minutes to figure out how to set it all up. In Windows XP I can setup a network in less than 15 minutes – probably less than 10.

One of the first complaints I had early on with Windows XP was that it was loaded with too many wizards. This only bothered me until I started using the wizards. Now I depend on them.

A wizard is a feature that leads you step-by-step through the process of a complicated task such as setting up a network or burning to a CD. The Windows XP wizards turned out to be one of its biggest strengths. They made it easy for a friend, family member, or tech support person to walk you through setting things up.

Ubuntu Linux!!!

Ubuntu Desktop - click for larger view Last week I installed Windows Vista on my fine running XP machine (less than six months old) and have been tolerating it since then and learning about its quirks and features. I have actually been using Vista since September and besides the integrated search (which can be added to XP through multiple channels for free), I honestly do not understand what the heck Microsoft did for nearly six years between operating systems. Yes, it is pretty, but who cares how pretty it is…my email is slower, programs are slower, menus, options, and preferences have all been moved to different places…

Create a docked Quick Launch bar in Windows Vista – Video Tip

One of my favorite tips to teach people is the use of the Quick Launch bar (click here for the tip for all other versions of Windows) for always having your most commonly needed files or programs at your ready. Microsoft made the process harder to accomplish in the new Vista, but it can still be done. Here's how:

  1. RIGHT Click on a blank part of your desktop.
  2. Click New —> Folder
  3. Push Enter on your keyboard.
  4. Carefully drag the new folder to either the top or sides of your screen. Once at the edge, let go of the mouse and your new toolbar will appear.
  5. RIGHT click on the new toolbar
  6. Uncheck the "Show title" option
  7. RIGHT click on the new toolbar
  8. Click Toolbars from the menu
  9. Click Quick Launch
  10. Now you can delete the new folder from your desktop.

Watch the video below to

Rthdcpl.exe – Illegal System DLL Relocation

Once in a while a Windows update comes along that causes a problem that ranges somewhere between a minor irritant and a catastrophic meltdown. I had a couple clients call today who were experiencing an error message on boot up.

The error contains the following line "Rthdcpl.exe – Illegal System DLL Relocation" The error is caused by a recent Windows update. There is a simple manual fix or you can download a small fix to fix this relocate problem.

Read all about it at Microsoft's support site Here. Or download the little Microsoft fix HERE .