Saturday, December 22, 2007

Seasons Greetings



For all beliefs, religions and philosophies this is the season for uniting in brotherhood and love. Wishing all a joyous, healthy and happy seasons greeting from each of us to one and another.

and may all this ice melt from our driveways, walkways and sidewalks!

Thursday, December 13, 2007

TOY RECALLS & DISPOSAL OF COMPUTERS

For information on toy recalls go to cpsc.gov

Drop off your old computer at a participating Goodwill store. This free program reuses or recycles electronics, helps the environment and puts people to work. For more details go to www.reconnectpartnership.com

COMPUTER CLASSES

In addition to computer classes offered at the Ridgewood and Upper Saddle River Libraries computer skill classes are available at the Northwest Bergen Regional Senior Center located at 46-50 Center Street, Midland Park (201-445-5690)

In January they will be offering Introduction to the Computer, Navigating the Internet, Photo workshop, e-mail, Microsoft Word 1 and 2, and computer anatomy.

Depending on the subject, courses will run for 5, 6 or 8 weeks with a suggested lump sum donation at the rate of $5.00 times the number of sessions per course. Classes are limited to eight students so early pre-registration is advisable.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

USING YOUR COMPUTER AWAY FROM HOME

The source for the following is from an article by Dan Fost in USA TODAY.
To see the full original article go to http://usatoday.com

MAKE SURE YOU'RE SAFE WHEN USING PUBLIC WI-FI.

• Don't do anything you don't want anyone else observing.

• If you are trying to ensure privacy, make sure the website starts with "https" in the address bar, instead of the standard "http." The "s" means the site is most likely more secure.

• Use your company's virtual private network, or VPN. VPNs create secure "tunnels," in which all online communication is encrypted at both ends.

• Never use a public computer, like those in libraries or cafes, for e-mail or financial transactions. There's no telling what kind of software another user has installed on that machine. If someone snags your e-mail address and password, they can use that to hack into many other sites that you use.

• Use a computer and a browser that are less susceptible to attacks. Because the Windows operating system and Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser are the most common programs in modern computing, they also get attacked the most. Many security experts prefer to use Apple computers and the Firefox browser. But as these grow in popularity, they're also "getting more and more attacks," says Zulfikar Ramzan, a senior principal researcher at Symantec in Cupertino, Calif.


Unfortunately, few things expose your work to greater security risks than using a public Wi-Fi service. Most people don't realize the risks, and even fewer have the ability to perform the geeky tasks that would fix it.

Computer criminals can "sniff" the traffic in a cafe, or set up a fake hot spot that you might innocently log into. When that happens, watch out: Everything you type goes directly to the criminals computer. In that scenario, as soon as you get into your online bank account, the criminals computer is ready to grab the password.

The best advice for avoiding those situations is to tap only into wireless connections that you trust. Be wary of connections with names such as "free public wifi." Ask at the cafe for the name of its network. Even then, be aware that someone sitting next to you could have set up a network with the same name, such as "Starbucks," that you could tap into unwittingly.
Most security-savvy travelers assume the worst and don't do anything that could cause trouble if it fell into the wrong hands.

"Every packet that goes out over the Internet is observable" by a tech-savvy hacker, says Brett Levine of San Francisco.

Nonetheless, Levine, a vice president at Internet video start-up Dovetail, remains a dedicated cafe worker. He spoke from Hong Kong, at the end of a business trip in which he communicated with "nothing but my laptop. The only connections I've had were in hotel lobbies or cafes.
He just makes sure that every e-mail he sends is encrypted. And if he's doing anything sensitive online, he makes sure the site is secure.
For instance, if a website starts with "https" in the address bar instead of the standard "http," the site is most likely more secure. "Https" is the standard that banks and online trading firms use.

"If you're on a wireless network, assume it's public," says Alex Stamos, vice president of professional services at iSec Partners, a software security consulting firm in San Francisco and Seattle. "If you're trading stocks, you should be very careful and make sure you're going over the 'https' link."
Once you're over "https," you generally are safe,
though there are caveats, says Zulfikar Ramzan, a senior principal researcher at Symantec (SYMC) in Cupertino, Calif. "What 'https' guarantees to you is that whoever is receiving your traffic is receiving it encrypted. But that doesn't guarantee that it goes to the right person."
Take care in small cafes

Dave Zaytsev, a co-owner of Goliath Security in Chicago who works as a consultant for identity-theft protection company LifeLock, warns that the risks are greater in small, local coffee shops than in chains such as Panera Bread, which advertise their secure networks.
"The corporate places are locked down pretty decent," Zaytsev says. "The mom-and-pop places that are just trying to compete, like Joe's Coffee, they don't have consultants. They just go to Best Buy, buy a Linksys router and have a friend set it up."
Zaytsev has tested some cafes for local television stations' consumer news segments and has often been able to see files stored on individuals' laptops. He's also done "man in the middle" attacks, in which he scans the traffic in a cafe, then steals people's usernames and passwords. (The people in his tests were all willing dupes, he says, usually interns at the TV station.)
If you can use your company's "virtual private network," or VPN, you can feel fairly safe. VPNs create secure "tunnels," in which all online communication is encrypted at both ends. But simply using a top security suite from Symantec, McAfee (MFE), Trend Micro or others won't protect you in a cafe situation. The companies say that while those programs will protect you from viruses and even phishing scams, they can't save you from traffic that you've sent over the open Internet.

"A security suite will protect you if you did end up at a bad site that tried to install malicious software on your machine, but not if you give your credit card to someone else," says Symantec's Ramzan

Monday, December 10, 2007

THE BEST AIR FARE SEARCH YET ?

Even if you are not planning a trip at the moment you will want to visit and save this site with your favorites. Kayak.com

Of course there is still Expedia and Priceline. Your comments about your experience using these travel sites would be helpful welcome.

Friday, December 7, 2007

HAVE SOME FUN...and it's free

Source: USA TODAY

Create a free jigsaw puzzle with photos
You can pick your favorite photos and create a jigsaw puzzle to play on your PC.This is a breeze with free programs such as Jigsaw Puzzle Promo Creator and Jigsaw Puzzle Lite (both available at www.download.com), which let you design your own one-of-a-kind digital diversions by simply importing photos from your hard drive (such as JPEG image files).

Then you can choose how many pieces the puzzle will be: kids might only play a puzzle with 12 pieces that don't require rotating, while older gamers might be able to tackle 200 pieces, which also requires you to click the right-mouse button to rotate the piece clockwise for an added challenge.

Depending on the program you can also email the puzzle to family and friends to try and solve.

By Marc Saltzman for USA TODAY

DECEMBER 13th meeting 10:00 AM



Our next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, December 13, 2007 at 10:00 AM.

Our guest speaker will be Maurice Hamoy the creator of the program NOROMIS PHOTO LAB. This program permits you get professional quality prints from your home computer & printer. I personally have been using this program since its initial release and have found my home prints to be equal to or better than any local photo printing shop.

PC Magazine rated this program giving it 4 out of 5 stars "The fastest way to correct and print images, bar none. If you print lots of images or like to tweak the way they look, you need to download a trial version of this program."

Though I personally like to manipulate my photos with Photoshop before printing, Noromis PhotoLab can automatically correct the orientation, enhance the lighting, and fix red eye before printing your photos. You can brighten or sharpen a photo yourself. An auto adjust wizard steps you through each change: Exposure, Contrast, Saturation, Color Balance, and Sharpness; letting you keep, discard, or modify the correction however you choose. Just click the samples that look best, and then click Next and the program applies these changes.

Even if you do not intend to manipulate or print your own pictures it would be worth attending this meeting as Maurice is an excellent speaker and he will surly entertain you.

POP-UP BLOCKING

Recently I’m getting over-run by "Pop-ups". I’ve gotten a few suggestions but none have worked. Any suggestions?

When you click a specific link or button on certain web sites pop-ups that are authorized & activated by those specific sites will appear and we have little or no control thereof. The site itself permits or creates the pop-up.

Some software, including free music-sharing programs such as BearShare or AudioGalaxy, display pop-ups at random intervals or based on something you type into a web page. You may have these programs or others like them installed on your computer without even being aware of it. You can read a brief description of how these pop-up launchers work at: http://news.com.com/2100-1023-257592.html and http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,49960,00.html. If you are experiencing pop-ups generated by one of these programs, you may want to remove the program from your computer. One program that attempts to detect and to uninstall pop-up launchers is available at hytp://download.cnet.com/downloads/0-10106-108-63806.html.

If however pop-ups are appearing where no pop-ups have gone before, something may have changed a setting on your computer allowing pop-ups to enter.

A complete computer scan with UPDATED anti-virus and spyware programs may remove the villain that changed your settings.

Rid your system of spyware: If you get pop-up windows no matter what sites you visit or even if you're not on the Web at all, you could have spyware, adware, or other software on your computer that's launching pop-ups. To stop these pop-ups, you will have to identify the software, then remove it or change its settings to stop it from launching pop-ups.




Assuming that you are using Windows XP with Service Pack 2, Internet Explorer allows you to prevent most pop-up windows from appearing over pages you want to view while you're using the Internet.

When you install SP2, Pop-up Blocker is turned on in Internet Explorer and set to the medium setting, which means it will block most automatic pop-ups. The default settings for the pop-up blocker allow you to see pop-ups that are opened when you click a link or button on a Web site. Pop-up Blocker will also play a sound and show the Information Bar when a pop-up is blocked. You can adjust these settings so that Pop-up Blocker works the way you want it to. Windows Pop-up Blocker is smart enough to not block pop-up windows that you open deliberately by clicking a link—for example, if you were on a travel reservation site and you clicked a link to open a pop-up window containing your confirmation details, this pop-up window would not be blocked because you opened it intentionally. Also, Pop-up Blocker will not block some pop-ups with certain types of animated content or pop-ups from Web sites that are in two Web content zones: Local intranet or Trusted sites.

If you've installed SP2 and you still see pop-ups in Internet Explorer, try the possible solutions below.

Make sure Pop-up Blocker is turned on: Pop-up Blocker is turned on by default, but somehow it may have been turned it off.

To turn on Pop-up Blocker
1. On the Tools menu in Internet Explorer, point to Pop-up Blocker.
2. Click Turn on Pop-up Blocker.

To change Pop-up Blocker settings
1. Open Internet Explorer.
2. Click on the Tools menu, then point to Pop-up Blocker, and then click Pop-up Blocker Settings.

If you want to allow pop-ups from a specific Web site, type the address (or URL) of the site in the Address of Web site to allow box, and then click Add.

To block pop-ups even if they are launched when you click a link or button on a Web site
1. Open Internet Explorer.
2. On the Tools menu, point to Pop-up Blocker, and then click Pop-up Blocker Settings.
3. Select the High setting in the box near the bottom of the dialog box.

Note If you want to see pop-ups that are blocked when you have this setting turned on, hold down the CTRL key while the window opens.


You may wish to install a pop-up blocker program. Consider installing the FREE GOOGLE TOOLBAR with a pop-up blocker in the Toolbar Options menu which does an excellent job in preventing pop-ups from automatically opening when you visit a website.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

SEARCHING THE WEB ?

Rather than limiting your web search to Google, Yahoo, Ask.com or whatever search site you are currently using, try www.metacrawler.com
This site uses all of the above and gives results from all of them. They also seem to have a way to rank them very effectively. One of our members recommends this site for all but the most simple searches. Give it a try.

On-line Shopper Alert

Net surfers tread treacherous water
Cyber crooks target online shoppers with new scams

By Byron Acohido
USA TODAY

SEATTLE - A confluence of commerce and criminal activity may turn the next four weeks into the most dangerous period ever to surf the Internet.

"Given the kickoff to the holidays the increasing sophistication of cyber thieves, these may be the risk­iest days for Internet consumers we've ever seen," says Bill Morrow chairman of security firm CSldentity.

Consumers' high comfort level ordering gifts at their keyboards is translating into record traffic to websites that review, advertise and sell popular products. Re­tailers aren't the only ones trying to capitalize. Tech se­curity authorities warn online shoppers about these snares set in place by organized cybercrime rings:

Spam scams. Be wary of e-mail luring you Co buy drugs, invest in small companies or click to a greeting card or news story. Many of these are scams. Delete any e-mail directing you to type in a credit card num­ber, or other sensitive data, to make a charitable dona­tion. "E-mail is never a safe way to transmit informa­tion," Morrow says.

Fake ads. Do not click on ads using scare tactics to get you to buy Spy-Shredder, AntiVirGear, MalwareA-larm or some 40 other products with similar names. Online ads pitching fake anti-spyware increased 1,000% in October, says Don Jackson, virus researcher at SecureWorks.

In the past, such ads popped up mostly on porn sites or other obscure sites. But they've begun to appear on websites for CNN, The Economist, the Huffington Post. Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League and Monster.com.

If communications on online forums where cyber crooks hang out are any indication, there's more to come. "We've seen a big increase in that type of chat­ter on forums in the last 30 days," Jackson says.

Tainted Web 2.0. Sites that use nifty Web 2.0 fea­tures are under siege. Case in point; The personalized log-off page at lndiaiimes.com earlier this month was corrupted so that anyone who used that service got in­undated with commands to automatically click to hundreds of Web ads. This was part of an elaborate scam to earn fraudulent "click-through" ad revenue.

Web 2.0 features at a British jewelry website, an au­to-information site and a major job-finding site were identically compromised, says Mary Landesman, sen­ior security researcher at ScanSafe. Hundreds of other Web 2.0 sites are being similarly corrupted, she says."These sorts of attacks impact people who are very careful about where they surf and only go to the most reputable sites," Landesman says. "That's why the at­tackers focus so much energy on doing this, because it's a bonanza for them."

ScanSafe offers a free tool that rates the safety of websites, available at scandoo.com.

SOURCE: This article appeared in USA TODAY Monday Nov 26, 2007

Thursday, November 22, 2007

THANKSGIVING TURKEY DAY

HOPE YOU'RE ALL ENJOYING THIS DAY WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY

Thursday, November 1, 2007

SCREEN SAVER DOESN'T ACTIVATE

The following question was posed at today’s meeting. Though I set the screen saver it never activates? Why?

To rule out procedural errors please follow the steps below in an attempt to activate the screen saver. Note that the last step requires clicking the APPLY button first and then the OK button. If this does not resolve the problem please submit a comment so we can be driven crazy attempting to communally resolve this conundrum.

1. To change/set up a screen saver right click in a plain area of the windows desktop and then select PROPERTIES at the bottom of the menu that opens up.
2. Select the SCREEN SAVER tab.
3. UNDER THE HEADING Screen Saver click on the drop down arrow head and select one of the basic patterns such as Blank or Windows.
4. Select the SETTINGS button for additional options and the PREVIEW button to see the results.
5. In the WAIT box enter a time for the computer to be idle before the screen saver activates, perhaps 10-15 min. Do not check the ON resume display Welcome screen.
6. Select the APPLY button before selecting the OK button.

Screen savers can use up a lot of the computers resources (energy, memory and processor) particularly the three-dimensionally ones such as 3D FlowerBox and 3D Pipes (the processor runs at 99 to 100%) because these designs are very complex and require constant computations to maintain and update the image. If you are determined to use one of the exotic screen savers reduce the values for speed and complexity to minimize the burden on the processor.

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

There at it again!

I always thought the threat of a tax for use of the Internet and/or e-mail was a hoax, however the following appeared in yesterday’s news paper


10/30/2007 11:33:07 EST
Internet Tax Moratorium Goes to Bush By JOHN DUNBAR Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - A bill to extend a moratorium on Internet access taxes for seven years was approved 402-0 by the House Tuesday, less than two days before it was set to expire.
The House initially approved a four-year ban, but last week the Senate passed a seven-year prohibition, despite considerable support for a permanent ban.
"Seven years is better than nothing, and that's what we're doing today," said Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich, during remarks on the House floor.
A House bill that would make the moratorium permanent has 238 House co-sponsors, more than a majority.
The tax ban, first approved in 1998 and twice renewed, is set to expire Nov. 1.
Support for a permanent ban was strong in both the House and Senate, but concerns over the potential long-term impact on state and local governments forced a compromise.
The provision amounts to a moratorium on state and local taxes, said David Quam, director of federal relations with the National Governors Association. And with the Internet changing rapidly, the issue should be revisited periodically, he said.
"The implications could be pretty severe down the road if they got that wrong," he said. "It's actually a decent compromise that state and local governments and industry helped craft."
Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif. called the bill "bipartisan legislation at its best" and noted it was supported by businesses, state and local government organizations and labor unions.
In addition to lengthening the ban from four years to seven years, the legislation also contains a provision aimed at preventing state and local governments from assessing taxes beyond those levied on simple Internet access.
At the urging of Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., the legislation specifically prohibits taxation on e-mail and instant messaging services "that are provided independently or not packaged with Internet access."
The extension also exempts some states that approved taxes prior to the original enactment.
Sen. John Sununu, R-N.H., supported a permanent ban, but helped craft the seven-year compromise. "Seven years is better than we've ever done before," he told The Associated Press. "I think that's an important place to start."
The bill now goes to the White House for President Bush's signature.

Oh those energy bills are a comm'n

Tis the week before daylight savings and my thoughts turn to my upcoming heating bills.

Here’s what I’m doing over the next few weeks to reduce this winters energy bills.

I’m planning to re-caulk and install weather-stripping around windows and doors, around outdoor faucets, dryer vents, and vents for bathroom and kitchen fans etc.

Install plastic shields around basement windows to seal and reduce air infiltration. Cut and install foam panels inside the basement against the basement windows.

I’ve replaced most bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, which they say uses 75 percent less energy than an incandescent bulb. Supposedly they last up to 10 times longer (providing you’re not always turning them on and off as you might do in a hallway.) I’m told that once I put them on I should allow them to burn for at least 15 minutes before shutting them off. They do not work with certain timer devices.

I’ve already replaced my round thermostat with a programmable one that automatically sets the temperature to suit our living schedule. Why heat the house when no one is in it? They say that an Energy Star programmable thermostat will save me about $150 in the first year of operation. I paid less than $100 for mine so I’ll recover the cost before this winter is over. It’s easy to use. Installation was easy. All I had to do was reconnecting four wires from my old thermostat to the new one (I had to reread the instructions four times before I understood just how easy the installation really was.)

Though we do not have to replace our clothes washing machine they say that you should consider replacing one’s made before 2004 as new one’s with the Energy Star rating may save you more than $100 a year on utilities. Certain washers use 40 percent less energy than standard washers and about half as much water. Interestingly enough they say that you can hang on to the old dryer until it expires -- most dryers use similar amounts of energy, and none has earned the Energy Star rating.

I’m hoping that the utility company will once again offer an energy inspection service. Previously they were helpful in pointing out energy wasters in my home and suggested some inexpensive improvements and they installed an insulation blankets on our hot water heater.
* * *
Tax breaks for installing and replacing energy-efficient doors, windows, water heaters and heating and cooling systems are set to expire at the end of the year.

To encourage homeowners to buy energy-efficient components for their homes, the federal government is offering tax credits that reduce the cost of certain upgrades. But there is a time limit: The breaks expire at the end of this year.

Here are a few of the things covered.
• Windows, skylights and storm doors. Recoup 10 percent of the cost of materials, up to $200 for all qualifying windows, skylights and storm windows.
• Roofing. Install an Energy Star-certified metal roof and get back 10 percent of the cost, up to $500.
• Insulation. Material must meet the 2004 International Energy Conservation Code. If it does, you can get back 10 percent of the cost, up to $500.
• Water heaters. Certain high-efficiency models qualify for a $300 credit.
• Solar power. Install a photovoltaic system to power your home and get 30 percent of the cost back, up to $2,000.
• Heating and cooling systems. Qualified air-conditioning and heating units provide up to a $300 credit.

Monday, October 29, 2007

ICONS in the NOTIFICATION AREA

Bill Comis said...
Question??

How do I get rid of the unwanted little icons that come up at the lower right corner? I am told that the slow down start up my computer?


Though the time required for the computer to initialize on startup is affected by the number of programs starting other factors such as procedures scheduled to commence at startup (i.e. virus scans, hard drive utilities, hardware utilities, software utilities, etc.) have a far greater impact on boot up time. The time required to initialize a few software programs should not be that noticeable whereas the time necessary to scan your computer can be considerable. If your computer is taking a long time to boot up investigate the role of any and all utility programs.

Programs stealthily running will have an effect on the computers response time once you are up and running. Some of the programs (shown in the Notification Area) are insignificant users of CPU resources or are necessary. It is recommended that you first experiment by deactivate those unwanted programs for a session or two so as to evaluate the affect and/or importance on your usage. Most programs shown in the “Notification Area” can be temporarily shut down by right clicking directly on the icon and then selecting the appropriate action from the menu. On rebooting the computer these programs will reactivate and the icon will appear.

Certain programs were authorized to start on boot up (and run in the background) when they were originally installed and a shortcut to that program was placed in the STARTUP folder. To remove the shortcut from the STARTUP folder (and from appearing in the Notification Area);
1. Right click on START
2. Select EXPLORE. This brings you to the START MENU in Windows Explorer with the START MENU folder already selected in the left hand panel.
3. In the left panel, left click on PROGRAM (directly below START MENU).
4. In the left panel scroll down and left click on STARTUP.
5. In the right panel, Right click on any program you wish to delete from startup and select DELETE shortcut.
6. Exit from Windows Explorer in the usual manner.

Note that when you complete step 2 above you are in the DOCUMENTS & SETTING. In the left panel (either above or below the highlighted START MENU folder) it will indicate which computer user is being evaluated (All Users, Default User or a common name). After completing all the steps above you may wish to repeat the process for each user in case a STARTUP program is authorized therein. After step 2, click on the user (i.e. All Users), scroll down to and left click on START MENU and proceed with step 3.

To have a program automatically start on boot up, create a shortcut to that program and place it in the STARTUP file of the START MENU.

Friday, October 26, 2007

THE INTEREST OF 72

Ever wonder how long it will take to double your money at any given interest rate?

The number 72 provides a handy simple way to get the answer.

Just divide the number 72 by the interest rate {assuming that the interest rate is compounded annually}

For example; 72/8 = 9 At an 8 percent interest compounded annually it will take 9 years to double your money .

72/5 = 14.4 years to double your money at 5 percent interest. (depressing isn't it?)

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

FREE TELEPHONE DIRECTORY SERVICE

The charge will be limited your usual phone call charge.

Using either your land-line or your cell phone dial 1-800-FREE {same as dialing 1-800-373-3411}. You may have to put up with listening to an advertisement but it's better than paying as much as $5.00 for information charge.

Using the Internet go to; http://www.free411.com/

The Internet service provides additional information such as the names and address and numbers of neighbors.

Monday, October 8, 2007

LOTUS SPREADSHEET & MORE

IBM owns LOTUS and includes it in a package called LOTUS SYMPHONY.

The price is right...it's free. (Could that be why it's not on the shelf at you favorite store?)

It is compatible with Microsoft Office files and Adobe PDF and it runs in either Microsoft Windows or Linux systems. At present it does not work with the Mac but they plan to release a Mac version shortly.

Lotus Symphony is a suite of programs including word processing, spreadsheet and presentation programs. So far, it appears to be a straight forward program, simple, clean and neat with a quick learning curve.

To download the program go to: http://symphony.lotus.com/software/lotus/symphony/home.jspa

Please let us know of your experience downloading and using the program's.We would appreciate hearing back from you

Saturday, October 6, 2007

Precision when selecting text

Question?
I sometimes have trouble selecting precisely what text I want when I click and drag with the mouse. Are there other ways to select text?

Answer. To select a single word double left click anywhere within the word. Double click either side of a single letter word (such as I or a number such as 8) to select it.

To select an entire sentence press and hold the ctrl key as you single left click anywhere within sentence.

To select an entire document either press or hold the ctrl key as you press the A key.

Another way to select text one letter (or one line) at a time is to single left click at the beginning of the desired text and, while holding down the shift key, move the cursor one space at a time with the appropriate arrow key. Other variations of the use of the shift key are to combine its use with the home, end, page up or page down key. Pressing both the shift and ctrl keys while pressing some of the above mentioned keys provides other results.


Anonymous said...
I always liked the Lotus spreadsheet program but I can't find it in any of the local computer stores. Does it still exist and if so, where can I but it?




Wednesday, September 26, 2007

HOBBYISTS UNLIMITED COMPUTER CLUB of RIDGEWOOD N.J.

WELCOME TO OUR NEW INTERNET, INTERACTIVE, MEMBER ORIENTED, SITE.

This Blog site replaces our prior web site. It appears that the old web site address was highjacked by someone else.


This NEW site is interactive and we welcome and invite your comments and contributions. To participate in this blog click on the word "comments" at the very bottom of this page and type away. Have a good time but be kind.



The subjects for the meetings scheduled for the coming year are:

Oct 11th---Photo editing with Maurice Hamoy, a guest speaker and a presentation you do not want to miss.

Nov---Routine PC maintenance and clean up with Ed Collins

Dec---Networking (Network Magic Software) with Frank Dobrowolski

Jan---Blogging with Dan Parker (see how I do this stuff...you can to)

Feb---Web cam with Bob Morris (bring your smile-your on candid cam)

Mar---Internet connectivity & PC solution with our return guest, Steve Holder (certainly a program you don't want to miss)

Apr---Free programs with Frank Dobrowolski, and sharing center stage, Microsoft Office with Ed Collins

May---"On-Line" shopping, Photo uploading & sharing & Videos

Anonymous said...
this is a test comment

ROUTINE PC MAINTENANCE & TUNE-UP by Ed Collins

OCTOBER 10, 2007

The following information was presented by Ed Collins at our October 11th, 2007 meeting

Before undertaking any changes or alteration to the configuration of your computer it is recommended that you set a RESTORE point/ To set a RESTORE point START > ALL PROGRAMS > ACCESSORIES > SYSTEM TOOLS > SYSTEM RESTORE > follow the instructions.

ROUTINE PC MAINTENANCE & TUNE-UP

1. INTRODUCTION
Why do it? When to do it? How to do it?
Assumption: Your virus, security and anti-spyware update and scanning routines are setup and working properly. That has been covered in previous meetings.

2. GET RID OF UNNECESSARY "STUFF"
• First time out of the box - run www.pcdecrapifier.com to get rid of trialware
• Quarterly - run Add/Remove Program utility in Windows (Start Control Panel Add/Remove Programs)
• Annually - delete unneeded folders, documents and photos using Windows Explorer folder and file manager (Start Programs Accessories Explorer)

3. RUN A GENERAL DIAGNOSTIC PROGRAM (Specialized tools to cleanup loose odds and ends)
Many free options available -1 chose www.pcpitstop.com. I also paid $30 for a license for Optimize 1.5 which combines several scans into one. Other popular programs include www.CCIeaner.com; www.pcmech.com and www.pctools.com. Full program scans should be run monthly - recommended changes must be authorized.
Many ISPs now also offer diagnostic tools e.g. AOL Computer Checkup, Optonline PC Care.
Be aware that your system may come with some problem solving utilities e.g. Gateway and IBM provide PC Doctor that is good for running a test of a specific device if you have a problem, but not for a general diagnostic scan.

4. MAKE SURE YOUR SOFTWARE IS UP TO DATE
Make sure your automatic update is activated (Start Control Panel Automatic Updates) for security and critical updates for your Windows XP or Vista Software.
Monthly visit www.update.microsoft.com and take the Custom option. This free service scans your system and gives you the available updates to your software and selected hardware.

5. MAKE SURE YOUR HARDWARE DRIVERS ARE UP TO DATE
To update or not to update, that is a good question. There are various opinions. If you do choose to update routinely:
• For your system, visit the vendor's site e.g. www.qateway.com/support/drivers and look
for driver update tools. r
• For your printers, visit the vendor's site and look for driver updates, e.g. www.epson.com.
• General scans for drivers are also available, e.g. http://www.pcpitstop.com/.

6. TEST AND CLEANUP YOUR HARD DRIVE
I suggest running these programs monthly but Cleanup can be set up under Windows (Start \Accessories Schedule Tasks) to run automatically at any interval you select.
• Disc Check - looks for errors in your drive (Start Run chkdsk)
• Disc Cleanup - deletes the temporary files that build up over time (Start Accessories System Tools Disc Cleanup)
• Disc Def rag - reorganizes the data on your hard drive (Start Accessories System Tools Disc Defragmenter)

7. BACKUP YOUR HARD DRIVE
A mandatory monthly procedure for the entire system
If data is critical, use scheduled backup of selected data or folders
In any case, clone the entire system using the software that came with your backup drive e.g. Acronis True Image or purchase a utility such as Norton Ghost and store of f-site or in a fireproof box separate from you computer.

Anonymous said...
Ed;That was a great presentation!Bob Morris

YOUR COMMENTS

HOW TO ADD YOUR COMMENTS TO THIS BLOG

We seem to be having a bit of a problem learning how to add readers comments and posting them with this blog. Like everything else, we will eventually learn how to do it.

To add a comment or ask a question (or what ever) click on the word "comment" at the end of the blog. Type your comment in the box that opens up. Select anonymous if you wish (or provide you e-maill address etal)

HOW TO SEE COMMENTS PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED

Comments should automatically affix at the end of the blog but for some reason I haven't yet found the right key to having that automatically performed. So until I do, click on "comment" as noted above, and read the comment on the left of the widow that opens. Here's hoping that works consistantly.

Anonymous said...
Hope you get the fix to auto attach blog at the end. I would like to see many more blogs from our Club, great start

8:24:00 PM
Anonymous said...
This is a test to see if program works. Let me know results.Thanks, Ray Cheesman

6:03:00 PM
Anonymous said...
I see your two new return comments, Very good information on original notes on meeting. Hope we get a lot more comments for all your efforts