I don’t do it too often, but this month I decided to hold an all Q&A (2 hours) user group meeting. It truly is amazing how many questions 30 or 40 ravenous computer users can generate. Sometimes one question leads to another, and an entire “topic” can take up a half hour. You have to be at one of the meetings to truly experience the type of knowledge and information that gets shared and explored. Some of today’s topics included:
Adam and I met this evening for one of our first strategic planning sessions in almost two months. We always make gains towards our goals of world domination in the tech help department. We looked and experimented with more web design options and settled on this one…we think. It seems to embody the things we need for the site and bring a more pleasing look to the site.
However, since we never rest until we get it right, please leave your feedback on what you think of this design.
Some computer users who work in an office or on a PC with other roomates or kids would like to password protect their email, calendar, contacts, etc in Microsoft Outlook. Until today, I didn’t know how to do that. As you know, when I learn something new, I pass it on to you. Remember, this tip is for OUTLOOK users NOT Outlook Express users:
The next time you open Outlook, you will be prompted for the password you just set thus protecting access to your Outlook data.
A geek, as I define it, is a person who lives and breathes computers. Geeks have no outside loves (outside of the computer or outside of their room). Once in a while I will get in a conversation with a geek who expects me to be like him since I work on computers all day. Alas, I he quickly discovers that I am not a geek and he is thoroughly confused.
Here are five reasons that I am not a geek:
In some cases Outlook doesn't save your password, even if you enable the option to save the password. This error is caused by a malfunctioning of the Protected Storage Space from Windows. To solve this problem, run the registry editor and navigate to the key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Protected Storage System Provider. You will find a key with a long name starting with S-1-5-21 which you have to delete (probably it's save to create a back-up of this key by File, Export). In most cases the problem is solved and next time the passwords will be saved. Be carefull: by doing this you will lose all stored passwords. Read the back-up page how to recover these passwords.
I worked with a business client today who runs their cash register computers from a "server" computer in the back of the store. Their server is really a normal computer that just shares the data about the stores customer's and products. The actual program exists on each of the register's computers. In larger businesses like banks, Home Depot's, etc, true servers deliver the program and data to the cash registers and need to be very powerful. In the situation I described with my client's system, the "server" computer doesn't do a lot of work so it doesn't have to be too powerful.
I believe Adam or I have written on this topic before, but I worked with a situation yesterday that was disturbing enough that I needed to bring this topic up again. We continually talk about friends or family members who like working with computers and then like to help out your computer. IF the help revolves around something mundane like plugging the power into your power strip or maybe changing an ink cartridge, then by all means let them help you.
Here is what we will discuss at tonight's digital photo user group:
1. How to find information in the Manual
If your camera didn't come with a manual, it is likely on the disk that came with the camera. You may also download it from the manufacturer's website.
2. How to insert and remove the camera memory
3. How to set your camera on full auto mode – this is the setting that lets the camera do all of the thinking
It may be indicated by a green square, the letter "A" or the word AUTO.
A caller recently inherited a computer with a password enabled for getting into Windows. Here are two ways to disable or delete the required password.
1. Turn on the computer.
2. Immediately begin pressing the F8 key over and over in about half second intervals.
3. A menu will come up asking how you want to boot – choose SAFE MODE.
4. Windows will come up with two user accounts, click on the Administrator account.
5. Once Windows starts up (it will look ugly, but work the same) go to Start->Control Panel.
6. Double-click on User Accounts.
This is where you have two choices:
When we vacation, checking our snail mail is either left up to a house sitter or a neighbor. However, email is something we don't usually delegate to these fine folks who keep track of our snail mail and newspapers. Did you know that you can check your email from almost anywhere in the world?
It's true and this week's tip shows you how to do it. All email is sent not to you, but first to your provider. They don't read it, but it sits on their computers until you retrieve it, thus allowing you to check it remotely. While you are away from your home computer on vacation, the mail sits and accumulates on the provider's computer. You can check in on your email by logging into your provider's web site from any computer that has Internet access and read and write email.