Tips for Fairway Computer Users

More of Rudy's Explanation of Terms

2012-01-16T06:39:00.000-08:00

Icon: An icon on your computer screen is a very small image that represents an object or program that you have on your computer. Some examples of icons:

Icon: An icon on your computer screen is a very small image that represents an object or program that you have on your computer.

Link: When you click on http://www.google.com you have clicked on a link.
A link is the address of wherever you want to go. Sometimes the link can be to a file, an image, or a video as well as a website.

Operating System or O/S: “What operating system are you running?” The first time I was asked this many years ago I felt like an idiot having to ask the tech what that meant. Simply put, an operating system (or O/S) is the main program (software) that manages the hardware and software of the computer which allows you to use it. Current operating systems include Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows XP, Linux, Windows Vista, and the new Windows 7.

PC: Your computer! This stands for personal computer.

Reboot: This means to restart your computer. Often programs will ask you to reboot after you install them (Windows Updates is a good example of this). To boot a computer means to start it the first time.

Search Engine: Sometimes when you ask someone about something particular they will tell you to “Google” it. What they are telling you is to go look it up on a search engine (in this case, it’s Google). A search engine is a program that searches for documents with information based on the criteria it is given and returns the results. For instance, if I wanted to know why my HP printer all of a sudden quit and has a red blinking light, I could go to a search engine and type in “Printer stopped red blinking light HP” and the search engine will return pages of documents where I could go to see how to rectify my problem.

There are many search engines you can use, such as Yahoo, AskJeeves, or Altavista. If you want a list of search engines, you can go “Google” one!

Upload: When you going to upload something, you are going to transfer it from your computer to someone else’s, usually over the internet. You are going to give it to someone else. When you download something, you are transferring it from their computer to yours; you are receiving it.

Link: When you click on http://www.google.com you have clicked on a link.
A link is the address of wherever you want to go. Sometimes the link can be to a file, an image, or a video as well as a website.

Operating System or O/S: “What operating system are you running?” The first time I was asked this many years ago I felt like an idiot having to ask the tech what that meant. Simply put, an operating system (or O/S) is the main program (software) that manages the hardware and software of the computer which allows you to use it. Current operating systems include Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows XP, Linux, Windows Vista, and the new Windows 7.

PC: Your computer! This stands for personal computer.

Reboot: This means to restart your computer. Often programs will ask you to reboot after you install them (Windows Updates is a good example of this). To boot a computer means to start it the first time.

Search Engine: Sometimes when you ask someone about something particular they will tell you to “Google” it. What they are telling you is to go look it up on a search engine (in this case, it’s Google). A search engine is a program that searches for documents with information based on the criteria it is given and returns the results. For instance, if I wanted to know why my HP printer all of a sudden quit and has a red blinking light, I could go to a search engine and type in “Printer stopped red blinking light HP” and the search engine will return pages of documents where I could go to see how to rectify my problem.

There are many search engines you can use, such as Yahoo, AskJeeves, or Altavista. If you want a list of search engines, you can go “Google” one!

Upload: When you going to upload something, you are going to transfer it from your computer to someone else’s, usually over the internet. You are going to give it to someone else. When you download something, you are transferring it from their computer to yours; you are receiving it.

Rudy's Information on Basic Meaning of Terms

2012-01-16T06:33:00.000-08:00

Basic Computer Terms

Until I explained it to her, my wife did not know what a browser is. The woman has been on the computer for years, yet when I said, ‘Close out your browser” the other day, she asked (a bit testily, I might add), “Is that the place where I get my mail?”

Okay, maybe some of us know a little more than that – and maybe not. There are a lot of us that don’t know some of the most basic of computer terms, and would rather die than admit it at the risk of being embarrassed. I mean, everybody knows this stuff, don’t they?

Nope.

Below is a list to help familiarize you with basic terms that you may have heard “everybody” use and had no idea what they meant.

Here we go:

Boot: To start up your computer. If your computer is already on, reboot means to restart it.

Browser: Ask my wife. Seriously, though, a browser is a program that you use to “browse” or “surf” the web. If you sit down at your computer and you get on the internet, you are using a browser. You cannot visit anything on the internet without a browser. Some examples of current browsers are Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Google Chrome, and the latest, Avant.

Desktop: Like the top of your desk, the desktop on your computer is the part of the screen that contains folders, icons, etc. It’s kind of a file system. There can be folders, icons, documents, and you can arrange them any way you like, or even toss them out, since there is a Recycle Bin (which is called a garbage can in my office)..

Download: When you download something, you are transferring data from another computer to your computer, usually over the internet. You are going to receive the data. On the other hand, if you want to upload something, you are going to give something from your computer to someone else’s.

Font: A font is the style and size of lettering. For instance, if you want to compose a letter that looks like it has been written in calligraphy, you might want to use a font like Monotype Corsiva, instead of the one I have been using here, which is called Arial. There is a huge selection of fonts that you can download for free off of the internet.

Hard Drive: Simply put, a hard drive is where all of your files, pictures, videos, programs, etc. are stored. There are different sizes of hard drives, depending on how much stuff you want to have on your computer. For example, if you are a video editor, you need a very large hard drive (videos can be very big files). If you only use your computer for the internet and to do your taxes, you don’t need a very big hard drive. When you hear about people “losing their hard drive” it means that they have lost all of the data that was stored on their computer.

Hardware: Hardware is all of the physical stuff of your computer, like your mouse, your keyboard, your monitor, your printer, your stereo speakers, etc. Software, on the other hand, runs as the non-tangible part of a computer. Your anti-virus program is software. Data, files, images, and videos are all examples of software. You need both software and hardware for a computer and its parts to run.

Jump Lists

2012-01-03T08:30:00.000-08:00

Did you know in Window 7 there is a term called "Jump List".
"Recent Files", is same thing just a different name.
Rather than search files or Your Documents, just click on the Start button at the lower left hand side, then go up and position your cursor on a program that has an arrow out to the right hand side. Example position your cursor on Word and you will see everything you have created Recently. Simple. This take less time than trying run thru your whole documents. Thus the term "Jump List", you can jump right to the file.
Click on the Start button again and on the right of your listed Programs you should have a list that consists of Document, Pictures, Music, games, Computer, Network, Control Panel, Device and Printers, just to name a few. You also should have one called Recent Items. This will show all of the files that are Recent. This file has more than one program. Could be Word Files, Excel Files, One Note,. In others words it would include files from all programs. Try it,

Happy New Year

2012-01-03T08:10:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a safe New Year's Day. My hope is next year will be more prosperous than the past year. More jobs will be created and everyone will have one. Everyone will have good health and there will be peace everywhere. Now on with the New Year 2012.

Merry Christmas to each and everyone

2011-12-24T11:37:00.000-08:00

I wish Health, Peace, Joy and Happiness to all wherever you are.
Remember our Military and their families.
Remember the Homeless and those without jobs.
Smile and say Hi to someone. It will them feel good and you also.
Have a Very Merry Christmas.

More Tips for Google Search

2011-12-21T17:32:00.000-08:00

How to search with Google
There are lot of different ways to search with Google
1. Ask a question: Example might be--What is an IPod
You will notice that Google will start responding with different queries. It will provide you with usually a list of what has been asked before, starting with as you ask a question "What is". In other words it starts as you type it starts filling in items that has been asked before. So try asking a question and see what you get.
2. You can also just put it a phrase: Example: Display Driver Stopped responding or Printer HP 2100 wont work.
3. You can just put in a word: Example: Recipes, your will get a lot of answers. Try putting Recipe for Pies, Keep going, Try typing in Recipe Pie-Strawberry. Don't like Strawberry so the "-" means don't wont to see that item in your search. Try using a "+" right after your request for Recipe Pie+Apple, see what you get.

Great Web Site for Seniors

2011-12-16T10:05:00.000-08:00

www.usa.gov/topics/seniors.shtml

This Site has just about everything a "Senior Citizen" would need to know or would like to know.

Google

2011-12-15T16:13:00.000-08:00

When you need to do a search on Google, try asking a question
Example: How to use a Kindle or
My name of Printer wont print.
You will get a lot of different sites --Pick one out and see what it says to do.
You can ask questions and google will start trying to guess what you want.
You can usually pick one of them without typing in everything. Google will start showing a list of samples of what others have asked before.

Downloading Anything Beware

2011-11-30T16:42:00.000-08:00

When you download anything, beware that most of time there is a program that is already checked to be downloaded along with the one you want. You will need to always look and usually you will want to uncheck.

Thanksgiving a Day of Thanks

2011-11-23T08:55:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is a Day of Remembering the things in our lives for which we are thankful.
Take this day and remember the Military Personal that paid with their lives so that we may have freedom. Remember the Military Personal that are still fighting somewhere in the world so we may remain Free. Remember the families of our Military that have also paid a big price. Sometime they are the forgotten ones. Those families are without their loves ones to celebrate the holiday. To the people in countries that do not have freedom, I pray that someday everyone will live in a free, peaceful, and a safe environment.

Maybe Thanksgiving is a day to reach out to someone that may be alone. Give someone a hug and let them know you love them. Give a call to that relative or that friend, you have been meaning to talk to. It might make their day a little more special and yours also.

Remember Thanksgiving is a Day to be greatful for all we have, no matter how much or how little. I know in today times a lot have less than they previous had. A lot have lost their job and just barely getting by. Don't give up hope. Someone cares. I try to remember in all of the bad things, try to find something good.

I wish everyone everywhere a Very Good Thanksgiving

Commands on the Menu's

2011-11-21T13:54:00.000-08:00

1. Commands on the Menu's are dimmed, or blurred out when they are unavailable to be used.
2. When you see an ellipsis example (....) after a Command--that will get a dialog box and you may need to provide some information.
3. Also sometimes a Command can be turned off or on, You do this by taking your mouse and pointing and Left Clicking one time. A check means it is turned on.
4. If you see an small arrow to the right of a command, the means you have options or a sub menu and have to decide what else you want to do.
5. Sometimes you will find a small arrow pointing down, that again means you have options or a sub menu and have to decide what else you want to do.

What good is the Mouse what does it do.

2011-11-21T13:35:00.000-08:00

1.The Mouse for your computer helps control the pointer on the screen.
2. Most Mouse's have two buttons, A Right Click usually used to get information and a Left Click, is one you will use the most to move around your screen.
3. You can changed the speed by which determined how fast or slow you can click.
4. Usually comes with the set up for a Righted Person, but can be changed for a Left Handed Person.
5. The Left Click is used for moving the pointer over an item you need to work with. This is called Pointing. When you do this, you will get a tip showing information about that word.
6. Double Clicking with the Left Button usually starts something or opens an item.
7. You can also Left Click and drag an item to another part of the screen and release it.
8 .Right Click to something on the screen most often will get a menu of items that are helpful short cuts.
9. Right Click to drag something to another part of the screen will get a menu which will help decide what you want to do with the item you just dragged.

Websites I like

2011-10-08T18:17:00.000-07:00

Below are some website I like to use.

www.win7news.net

www.inpics.net

www.komando.com

www.fgcu.edu/support

Rudy's Facebook tips

2011-09-15T08:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, I’ve had enough of Facebook, but I don’t necessarily want to delete my account altogether – what are my options?

Have you tried Facebook and found it just wasn’t for you? Maybe you are concerned about your privacy and no longer want an account? Or do you feel you’re become a Facebook addict and want to take a break?

There are many reasons that you may want to stop using your Facebook, but did you know that you have the option to either deactivate or delete your account? Let’s explore the differences between the two.

When you deactivate your Facebook account, all of your information (photos, wall posts, friends) vanish instantly. Your friends cannot view your profile, and strangers cannot search for you. Friends can still tag you in images, and invite you to events, however. Deactivation is a temporary action, because Facebook saves your profile exactly as it is when you deactivate. If you choose to reactivate your account, your profile will re-appear just as you left it.

To deactivate your account, select Account followed by Account Settings from the Facebook menu.

Next, on the left hand side, select the Security tab.

Click Deactivate my account.

When you scroll down, you will see that Facebook requires you to choose a reason for deactivation, and also allows you to opt out of its emails. Click Confirm and enter your password, and the process is complete!

To reactivate your account, simply log in using your email address and password. It’s that easy!

Rudy's Tips for Laptop Battery

2011-09-15T08:46:00.000-07:00

Laptop Battery

As a laptop gets older, it starts to slow down a little. You may notice that pages load slower, videos take longer to start playing, and general slowness of the machine. Unfortunately, thousands of people a year replace their laptop batteries without performing any monthly recalibration on it at all. If you want to get the best performance out of your laptop, here are a few steps to follow.

- Charge your laptop’s battery all the way to 100%.

-Once the laptop is fully charged, unplug it and let the battery drain. Feel free to use the laptop during this period, as it will help it drain more quickly. Once you see that the battery is almost empty, save your work and close any open pages. Then let the laptop shut itself off.

-Let the dead battery sit for about 5 or 6 hours, or overnight. This will help eliminate any leftover charge the battery may have, and lets the battery start over from zero.

-After you’ve let your laptop sit, plug it back in and let it charge all the way to 100% before using it again.

Battery maintenance is an important process that many people neglect. Recalibration should be done monthly (only if you are using your battery) if possible to ensure best results. If done on a regular basis, you should notice greatly extended battery life on your computer, and hopefully postpone the purchase of any replacement parts

Sept Reminders

2011-09-03T16:32:00.000-07:00

OK, are you keeping your computer healthy. I know it seems like a lot of work but---it is worth it to keep everything updated. Just get in a routine and it will become a habit. Set up a reminder for yourself on a Calendar. You will also feel good about yourself. This is a long stretch but think of how you feel after you have done some exercises. Don't you always feel better about yourself. You have done something just for you. When you update everything on your computer, you are really do something just for you. You are keeping your computer in shape, so it will work for you, when you need it.
Take care of yourself and your computer.

Too Many Favorites-Need to Delete Some

2011-08-29T09:21:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we find we have added so many favorites that we just can't find the ones we really want. It is just cluttered. It is time to do some housecleaning.
Here is how:
Place you cursor on the one you need to delete. Do not click on it, if you do, it will just bring it up.
OK, you have your cursor placed over the one you want to delete.
Now Right Click
this will bring up a number of options.
One is Delete.
OK, Click on it.
It is gone.
Be Sure you really want to delete this one.

Rudy's Tip for a Health Information Web site

2011-08-29T09:11:00.000-07:00

Welcome to a site that provides you with health information for the whole family. What I love about this site is that it is easy to navigate and provides information for everyone.

You have a plenty of navigation options! There are navigational tabs with the following categories: Home, Conditions A to Z, Women, Men, Smart Patient Guide, Parents & Kids, Healthy Living, Senior Living, and OTC Guide. Just above those tabs is the handy search engine where you can just type in what you are looking for and click the green arrow to search. On the main page you’ll find the alphabetical categories for Conditions A to Z so that you can just click the letter that the condition starts with to search for it.

And as if that wasn’t enough of a selection, you can also check out the left side of the page and find a health tip, and health tools like Search by Symptom, Dictionary, and Drug Info. Another thing I like about the main page is that below the alphabetical list, you’ll find the same category headings as on the tabs, but with subjects listed under them so you can easily figure out what topics each category contains.

http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home.html

Rudy's Tip for Planning a Trip

2011-08-29T08:53:00.000-07:00

Trip Ave

Are you planning a trip somewhere? Would you like to plan what you’re going to do there and get to know the town a little before you arrive? Well then, Trip Ave is just the site for you.

On the main page you’re greeted with a search field where you can type in your destination and then click the blue Search button to find out all about where you’re headed. You’ll also find Recent Topics, Recently Searched destinations, and Popular Destinations.

What sort of information does the search engine come up with? Someday I’m going to visit Venice, Italy. So with a lot of wishful thinking that is what I put in to test out the site. As I was typing it in, the search was already hard at work with suggesting possible matches for what I was typing. I picked the one that matched: Venice, Veneto, Italy.

The page loads with a map of the location you’ve picked, basic statistical information, images, videos, recommended travel books, and any discussions that have happened on the site about the destination you have selected.

A neat feature of the site is the ability to F-connect to Facebook. Allowing you to login to Facebook and tag your friends or comment.

This site offers a great service to anyone who is traveling and wants to know more about where they are heading. Check it out today!

http://www.tripave.com/

Rudy's Tip For Facebook Users

2011-08-29T08:40:00.000-07:00

Facebook is a wonderful tool to connect with family and friends, problem is that some of the time we’d like the things we post to only be viewable by certain people.
For example, my wife (fiancée at the time) was trying to collaborate with some mutual Facebook friends on what type of wedding cake to surprise me with. She managed to get opinions, ideas and even a place to buy a cake topper, but after all was said and done I asked:
“How did you manage to post that on Facebook without me seeing it?”
Well, here’s how:
First, get on Facebook and enter your desired post in the “What’s on your mind?” area.
Now, click the lock icon and choose Customize.
In the resulting window, you’ll see options to choose specifically who to make the post visible to, or who to hide the post from. All you need to do to hide a post from someone (or multiple people) is type their name into the box. As long as they are your friend, their name should pop up for you to select.
When you’re done, click Save Setting.

Now all you have to do is click Share and your post will go out to everyone except those you specified!

Reminder--Microsoft Updates

2011-08-11T19:12:00.000-07:00

This past Tuesday Microsoft sent out about 12-15 Updates.
You should check and make sure you have downloaded and installed these.
You may have your Windows update set to download and then asks you to install. If you see a gold shield on the right bottom side in your notification bar. then click on it. This will install the updates.

E-Mail Politeness

2011-08-10T14:51:00.000-07:00

Food for thought.
Have you ever sent a joke to someone that you really didn't know. They were just in your contacts list. Why did you do that? You should know who you are sending your e-mails to. You should know who likes to receive jokes, political information, etc. Everyone doesn't enjoy reading "stuff." If you have a contact in your e-mail list, but don't know them very well, don't sent them "stuff". Maybe you received something and then you copied other e-mail address's from the "cc" that it was address to. Maybe you thought, well you kinda of know some of the them. They may like receiving something from the original person, but don't know you well enough and don't appreciate you sending cuties to them. Just think about it and know whether you should send that joke on.

End of Support for Vista SP1

2011-08-09T11:58:00.000-07:00

Microsoft's End of Support for Window Vista SP1
On July 12, 2011, the support from Microsoft for Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) ended. Microsoft will not longer offer support or security updates for this Pack. You will need to download an update for SP2.
What does this mean to you--If you don't upgrade to SP2, you will stand a chance of the "bad guys" getting into your computer. Not trying to scare anyone, but the reason Microsoft does the updates is to try and fix holes that could cause harm to your computer.

Rudy's Tip to Restore a Missing Icon to Windows 7 Taskbar

2011-08-09T11:50:00.000-07:00

Restore a 'Missing' Icon to Your Windows 7 Taskbar

"Somehow I've lost the icon for Internet Explorer in my taskbar and can't figure out how to restore it. Might sound dumb, but I've spent hours with no results."

Doesn't sound dumb at all, Jim. As my dad likes to say, "Everything is easy if you know how." And if you don't know how to fix this particular hassle, well, nothing easy about it!

That said, you earn one demerit for not telling me which version of Windows you're running. So I'm going to assume it's Windows 7; apologies to you and other readers if it's not.

To restore Internet Explorer to the taskbar, all you need to do is find an icon for it. Any icon, anywhere in Windows. Here's one easy approach:

1. Click Start.

2. Type Internet.

3. When Internet Explorer appears in the menu, right-click it.

4. Click Pin to Taskbar.

Presto: There's your Internet Explorer icon! Needless to say, this method works for any program you want to pin down there. And if you want to remove it, just right-click its taskbar icon and choose Unpin this program from taskbar.

If memory serves, XP and Vista lack that context-menu "pinning" option, but you can just as easily drag an Internet Explorer icon from the Start or All Programs menu to the taskbar.

Internet Explorer 9

2011-08-04T19:41:00.000-07:00

Internet Explorer 9 is only for Windows 7 and Vista
XP users can not download it.
When you first download IE 9 it will look very limited. It doesn't look like 8. But with a little extra clicking you can it get back to look similar. First Right Click on the top right side. This get the Menu Bars back. Also the Star on the Top Right Hand side is the Favorites. If you want it back on the left hand side. Click on the Star, then click on the arrow at the top and that will get it back over there. Now if you want it to stay all of the time, just don't click the X after it is up. If you do, then next time you will have to start all over again. The Wheel on the Top Right Hand side is Tools. You can Print and other Commands. It also has Internet Options. Play around and see what you like.

E-Mail Subject Line

2011-08-04T19:31:00.000-07:00

When you are writing an E-Mail you should add something in the Subject Line. Don"t leave it blank. If you don't add anything the one that is receiving it may receive it in spam. The person you are sending to may not recognize your e-mail address and just delete it. I know I do.

No-No Tips from Jim

2011-08-01T17:38:00.000-07:00

Never turn a computer off while in the middle of a program or using an Internet Browser. Always close all programs. When turning off a computer, always use the Click Start and Shut Down; do not use the power switch. Never turn a computer off and on without waiting a least one minute.

Never remove a flash (thumb) drive without clicking the "Safely Remove Hardware" button located in the notification area of the Task Bar and waiting until it is safe to remove hardware.

Never remove a CD or DVD from the drive when the light is on.

Never use a magnet near a computer, Flash Drive, CD, or DVD

How to Delete a File from a Flash Drive

2011-07-26T11:45:00.000-07:00

FLASH DRIVE OR THUMB DRIVE:

NOT ABLE TO DELETE A FILE
Every now and again, for any number of possible reasons, a file can become corrupt, unreadable and, occasionally, seemingly impossible to delete from your USB flash drive. When these types of files appear, it can be frustrating attempting to rid your drive of the corrupt file(s) with no immediate success. However, with the exception of flash drives which have undergone extreme, usually physical, damage to its internal components, a corrupt file which seemingly cannot be deleted, can typically be removed via a variety of methods; it’s just a matter of finding the right one. So how do you find a method that successfully deletes your corrupt file(s)? Start by following these simple steps:
1. Think of your flash drive like your C: drive, only smaller
USB flash drives are recognized by Windows in much the same way as your built in C: drive or external USB hard drive. As such, not only will you find most flash drives listed under the My Computer section with the rest of your hard drives, but you will also find many of the same tools used to check, fix, and format standard hard drives work with your USB flash drive just as well.
2. Use any file management software included with your flash drive.
Some flash drives come preloaded with tools to help you manage the files on your drive. If your flash drive comes with this type of software installed, see if it has a file delete utility; if so, see if using it will remove the corrupt file from your flash drive.
3. Empty the Recycle Bin
If you are still unable to delete your file(s) from your flash drive, right click and empty the Recycle Bin on your desktop. Occasionally, a flash drive will not fully delete a file on your flash drive until the Recycle Bin has been emptied. This is due to some flash drives sending files to the Recycle Bin on the desktop, even though they appear to be completely deleted off of your flash drive; creating a sort of temporary file access situation between Windows and your flash drive. Clearing the Recycle Bin should fix any errors arising from this type of situation.
4. Turn off your computer
Sometimes the solution to deleting a “stuck” file is as simple as turning your computer off then back on again. Why would it be so simple? Occasionally programs continue to run in the background and access our files even when we think they have been shut off. If such a program is running and accessing the file you are trying to delete off your flash drive, you will usually get a Windows system error saying that your file can not be deleted due to another program accessing it, or sometimes an obscure “Access is Denied” error message on screen. Shutting off your computer and turning it back on will shut off any errant programs running in the background, and free the file from being accessed; at which point you should be able to freely delete the file(s) on your flash drive without any further issues.
5. Check your drive
Another option to help you delete a corrupt file from your flash drive is to run Windows built in drive error checking utility. Running an error check on your flash drive will help identify file system errors and possibly corrupt portions of your flash drive (known as bad sectors) which could be causing your file(s) to become corrupt.
To start the error checking utility, open the drive and devices listing under Computer (or My Computer in some versions of Windows,) right click your flash drive, and select Properties from the menu that pops up.
In the Properties menu, select the Tools tab and under the Error-checking option, click the Check now . . . button
Prior to starting the error checking process, you will be presented with two options: Automatically fix file system errors and Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors. When dealing with corrupt files, it would be advisable to check both of these option boxes as they will attempt to find and fix problems on your flash drive which may be causing your files to become corrupt.
After selecting the desired check boxes, click the start button and the error check will begin. Once completed, a dialog will appear with your scan results. Close the results box and now try to delete the corrupt file(s.)
6. Format
If, after trying all of these options you are still unable to delete the corrupt file(s) on your flash drive, you may have no choice but to completely re-format your drive to bring it back to it’s original factory state; prior to any files or software, including any programs that came with the flash drive, being loaded onto it. This operation will delete every bit of data on your flash drive, so if you have any files which you wish to save, back them up on your computer or cd/dvd prior before attempting a format.
Once your data has been backed up, open the drive and devices listing under Computer (or My Computer under some versions of Windows,) right click your flash drive, and select Format from the menu that pops up.
The format options box will appear. Click the Restore device defaults button, uncheck the Quick Format check box, and click the Start button.
A warning box reminding you that all data will be lost will appear.
Click OK and the format process will begin. A full format may take a few minutes, depending on the size of your flash drive. Be sure not to remove your flash drive from the computer until the process has been completed. Once the format is complete, Windows will notify you of either a successful, or an incomplete, format. If successful, your corrupt file(s) (along with any other files) should no longer be stored on your flash drive, and any space the file(s) took up should be reclaimed. However, if the format was unable to be completed, your flash drive may be defective or damaged. You will need to take it to a professional computer repair shop if you wish to reclaim any lost and/or corrupt data on the drive, or simply go out and buy a new flash drive to replace your old damaged one.
Very rarely is a flash drive damaged in such a way that it is rendered useless; therefore performing the above tips should remove your corrupt file(s) and get your flash drive running like new once again without much hassle at all.

Latest Versions for Adobe and Java

2011-07-21T10:53:00.000-07:00

It is very important that you have the latest version for Adobe and Java.
As of now you should have these versions for:

Adobe Reader should now show: 10.1.0
Adobe Flash Player should be: 10.3.181.34
Adobe Shockwave as Version: 11.6.0.626
Oracle (Sun) Java should be Version 1.6.0 Update 26

Word 2010 - How to save to a Previous Version

2011-07-21T10:40:00.000-07:00

Not everyone has new Office software. You may want to send a document you created in the new Office 2010/2007 to someone that doesn't have new Office Software. The extensions are different, so they will not able to open the document you want to send to them. This is what you need to do.
Say you are you are using Word:
After you have your document open
go File
then Options
then under Save Files to this format, Click on the arrow to the right.
this will bring up a lot of options you can save in.
Click on Word 97-2003 Document (*.doc)
Click at the bottom of the page---OK
Now everything you save will be able to send you Document to someone that is using a previous version.

Rudy's Tips on Ten Common Spreadsheet Terms Plus One More

2011-07-18T06:34:00.000-07:00

Ten Common Spreadsheet Terms Plus One More
Here is a quick list of 10 of the most common Spreadsheet terms: A handy tool for those new to using a spreadsheet program like Excel or Microsoft Works, Open Office or Libre.
1. Active Cell
In an Excel worksheet, each small rectangle or box is known as a cell.
The active cell is the cell surrounded by a black border. The black border is referred to as the active cell highlight
Data can only be entered into the active cell.
Even if more than one cell is selected, there is still only one active cell.
Use the mouse pointer or the arrow keys on the keyboard to move the active cell highlight from one cell to another.
It is also known As the Current Cell.
2. Cell Reference
A cell reference identifies the location a cell or group of cells in the spreadsheet.
A cell reference consists of the column letter and the row number that intersect at the cell's location. Note that when listing a cell reference, the column letter is always listed first.
The current cell reference can always be found in the Name Box (see below).
In some spreadsheet programs, a cell reference is referred to as a cell address.
3. Data
Data is information that is stored in a spreadsheet program.
Data is stored in the individual cells of a worksheet. Only one piece of data is stored in each cell.
In addition to being stored in the spreadsheet, the data can be used in calculations, displayed in graphs, or sorted and filtered to find specific information.
There are three types of data in Excel: Open Office or Libre. values, labels, and dates/times.
4. Formula
A spreadsheet formula is a mathematical equation that will calculate a result.
Examples of simple formulas: = A3 - C6 / D2 or = ( B4 + B5 ) * E7
In spreadsheet formulas, normally we use the cell reference of the data rather than the data itself.
In Excel, Open Office or Libre. Formulas begin with an equal ( = ) sign.
5. Function
A function is a preset formula.
Like formulas, functions in Excel Open Office or Libre. begin with the equal sign ( = ) followed by the function’s name and its arguments.
The function name tells Excel Open Office or Libre. what calculation to perform. The arguments are contained inside round brackets and tell Excel Open Office or Libre.what data or other information to use in the calculation.
For example, the SUM function is one of the most commonly used functions in Excel. Open Office or Libre. It is used to add together the data in selected cells. The SUM function is written as -
= SUM ( D1 : D6 )
Here the function adds the contents of cells D1 to D6 and stores the answer in cell D7.
6. Name Box
The Name Box is located next to the formula bar above the worksheet area.
The Name Box displays the cell reference of the active cell.
It will also show if a name has been assigned to a cell or range of cells.
The Name Box can also be used to assign names to cells or ranges of cells.
7. Formula Bar
Formula bar in Excel is located next to the name box above the worksheet area.
The formula bar displays the data or formula stored in the active cell.
It can also be used to enter or edit a formula, a function, or data in a cell.
8. Range
A range is a group of cells in a worksheet that have been selected or highlighted. When cells have been selected they are surrounded by a black outline or border.
Using the mouse, keyboard or name box, a number of cells can be selected to create a range. Commands executed by Excel will affect the entire range.
A range is identified by the cell references of the cells in the upper left and lower right corners of the range. These two references are separated by a colon (:) which tells Excel to include all the cells between these start and end points.
An example of a range of adjacent cells would be B5:D10.
9. Worksheet
A worksheet is a single page or sheet in an Excel spreadsheet.
By default, there are three worksheets per file.
Switching between worksheets is done by clicking on the sheet tab at the bottom of the screen.
10. Ribbon (Excel 2007 & 2010)
The Ribbon is the strip of buttons and icons located above the work area in Excel 2007 and 2010.
The Ribbon replaces the menus and toolbars found in earlier versions of Excel.
Above the Ribbon are a number of tabs, such as Home, Insert, and Page Layout. Clicking on a tab displays the options located in this section of the ribbon.
11. Auto fill
Auto fill is a very handy utility to use in your spreadsheet and is very easy to use. For data that falls in a “serial” category such as month names, days of the week, and consecutive numbers and dates, for example can be entered quickly using the auto fill command. Most spreadsheets recognizes certain kinds of serial data and enters it for you as part of the auto fill feature, instead of having to fill in the data one item at a time, you can enter it all at once by dragging the mouse, follow these steps to “autofill” cells.
1. Click the cell that is first in the series, for example, if you intend to list the days of the week in consecutive cells, click where the first day is to go
2. Enter the first number, date, or list item in the series.
3. Move to the adjacent cell and enter the second number, date, or list item in the series
If you want to use the same number or text in adjacent cells, it isn’t necessary to take this step, but your spreadsheet needs the first and second items in the case of series so it can tell how much to increase or decrease the amount or time period in each cell. For example, entering 5 and 10 tells your spreadsheet to increase the number by 5 so the next cell is 15.
4. Select the cell or cells you just entered data in
5. Click the autofill handle and start dragging in the direction in which you want the data to appear. The autofill is the little black square in the lower right corner of the selected cell(s). Finding it can be difficult. Carefully move the mouse pointer over the lower right corner of the cell, and when you see the mouse pointer change into a black cross, left click and hold and start dragging. As you drag the data will appear in a pop up box.

Rudy's Tip for How to Revive a Dead Laptop Battery

2011-07-11T19:02:00.000-07:00

How to Revive a Dead Laptop Battery

Bring a seemingly-dead laptop battery back to life, to a usable condition, although not quite like-new. It could be almost as good as a replacement laptop battery and a lot cheaper than a universal external laptop battery.

Using a freezer – the same place you put your frozen peas and TV dinners – you could restore a dead laptop battery.

Simply follow the instructions below and save yourself some money. It will only cost you the time it takes to complete the list below. So do yourself a favour and do it yourself.

1. Place a dead laptop battery in a completely sealed plastic bag.

2. Place the bag and battery in your freezer for between 11-14 hours.

3. Remove the bag from your freezer and allow the battery return to room temperature after taking it out of the bag, this is very important.

4. If your laptop batteries are still damp dry it using a cloth or towel.

5. Place your once dead laptop batteries back into your laptop.

6. Now completely charge your battery then leave it on to discharge it completely. Repeat this step at least 3-4 times.

7. Your dead battery should be much more usable, if not totally restored.

Rudy's Tip How to Delete Auto Complete in Outlook

2011-06-28T10:24:00.000-07:00

Delete auto complete in Outlook

This trick works in MS Outlook and MS mail and Messenger as well as gmail

Do you use auto complete for your email addresses? If you do it is very annoying for it to keep popping up an old address that no longer is valid, to get rid of it just select it and hit delete and it will no longer appear

Rudy's Tip Printing a Document with a Blank Page

2011-06-28T10:19:00.000-07:00

Does it drive you crazy to print a document that you just typed and have it print an extra blank page??

The reason that this happens is you have inadvertently added at least one character to the next page, this usually happens when you are editing and shorten up your document so you have one less page. An easy fix, just turn on paragraph marks and other editing marks, scroll down to the bottom of your article and you will see a paragraph mark on the next blank page, delete it and you won’t print that blank page.

Rudy's Tips --Super Secure Facebook

2011-05-23T19:50:00.000-07:00

Super Secure Facebook

When you do anything on the Internet via a secure connection, you’ll notice that your address bar at the top of your browser says “https:” – the “s”, standing for “secure”, obviously. Well, did you know that there’s a way you can browse Facebook with a secure connection, too?
Heck, you can never be too careful, so follow along!
First, log into your Facebook account, and click Account>Account Settings, which is located to the far right of the page.
On the next page, under Account Security, click Change and put a check mark in the box next to Browse Facebook on a secure connection (https) whenever possible. Here, you can also choose to have an e-mail sent to you if your Facebook account is accessed from another computer. Click Save when you’re done

Reminder for May 2011

2011-05-06T19:35:00.000-07:00

I didn't forget to do this, I just got busy. OK, Time to have a check up to make sure everything is updated. The usual:
Virus Protection
Spyware Protection
Clean out Cookies, Temp Files
Check your Window Updates, are they all downloaded and installed
It is very important that you check all of the above.
This only is for Vista and Windows 7 - Have you downloaded and install Internet Explorer 9. I will talk about in another post.It looks different, that can be changed to look similar to IE 8, Watch for my Post on IE 9.
Take a moment and say a prayer for all who is hurting today. Remember all the ones that have lost their lives, homes, and their jobs due the destruction caused by the weather. My heart goes out to all.

Rudys Tips - Secunia Online Software Inspector or short OSI

2011-05-06T19:13:00.000-07:00

The Secunia Online Software Inspector, or short OSI, is a fast way to scan your PC for the most common programs and vulnerabilities, thus checking if your PC has a minimum security baseline against known patched vulnerabilities.

Use the Secunia OSI to get a feel for the Secunia Software Inspector technology, then upgrade to the Secunia PSI or CSI, which covers practically all programs on your PC, whereas the OSI checks less than 100 programs.

Feature Overview:

• Detects insecure versions of common/popular programs installed on your PC

• Verifies that all Microsoft patches are applied

• Assists you in updating, patching, and protecting your PC

• Activates additional security features in Sun Java

• Runs through your browser. No installation or download is required

http://secunia.com

A Microsoft Web Page for Research Sites

2011-04-18T13:42:00.000-07:00

You need to check out this Microsoft Web Page. It says it is for students to help in research, I think there is a little bit of students in all of us. Try it, I think you will it helpful and fun. You might even want to pass on to your Grand kids. It has a good Math Site. There are 10 websites
www.microsoft.com/athome/intouch/10studentsites.mspx

Windows Updates - Vista and Windows 7

2011-04-15T12:36:00.000-07:00

Important--Important--Urgent --Urgent
This past Tuesday4-12-2011 Microsoft Windows Vista & Windows 7 released about 20 Updates XP had a couple
Everyone needs to Check and make sure these have been installed. Microsoft must be trying to patch a lot of holes.

Rudy's Tip --How to Share a Link

2011-04-10T15:29:00.000-07:00

How to Share a Link, Part 2

Okay, above we showed how to copy and paste from the browser's address bar, but how can we share links that are embedded in text on a Web page. You know, the actual link that's under the hyperlinked text, not just the text itself. The long way would be to click that link (or open it in a new tab or window), then copy the URL from the address bar. But that's more work than necessary. To copy a hyperlink, all you need is our good friend the right mouse button. In Internet Explorer, simply right-click the link you want, and then choose Copy Shortcut. In Firefox, you right-click the link and then choose
Copy Link Location. It’s the same deal for Chrome, Opera, and Safari, though the "copy
link" wording might be slightly different. Then head to your e-mail, word processor, or wherever and press Ctrl-V to paste in the link. Presto: You get the URL itself, not the hyperlinked text.

Rudy's Tip---E-Mail A Web Page

2011-04-10T15:24:00.000-07:00

Want To email a Web Page?

Some sites, like PCWorld, have an e-mail icon at the bottom of each news item, review,
blog post, and the like, but not all sites do. What's more, when you click that icon, you have to know (and type in) the address of the person you want to share it with. This could be a hassle depending where your address book is located. The most common solution is to just copy and paste the text into the body of an e-mail, but that can result in a loss of formatting and any artwork or video that might be included. Plus, it doesn't include the actual link, which is what most people want.

So, how do you share a Web page with someone? Simple: Click once in your browser's
address bar to highlight the Web address (this works in both Firefox and Internet Explorer), then press Ctrl-C to copy that address to the Windows clipboard. Now create a new e-mail message in whatever program or Web service you use, then press Ctrl-V to paste the address into the body of the e-mail. Simple as that!

Your Web browser makes this even easier. In Internet Explorer 8. Click Page, then select Send Link by E-mail. In Firefox, select File, Send Link.

Excel Short Cut

2011-04-10T15:06:00.000-07:00

Here is one I think you will like for Excel
In lieu of searching the Format Command
Do this to apply the Currency format to a cell with a short cut
Click on the cell you want to apply the Currency format.
Then press CTRL+Shift+$

Short Cuts for Word

2011-04-10T14:20:00.000-07:00

Ever have a document that you have typed a lot of information and then you look at it and realize that you have the wrong spacing. Here is an easy fix for that.
To change from single space to double space for the entire document.
First press CTRL + A to highlight the whole document
Next press CTRL + 2
and there you have double space
Now you need to change from double space to single
Use CTRL + A to highlight the whole document
Next press CTRL + 1

Internet Browsers Short Cuts

2011-04-01T20:40:00.000-07:00

Alt+ D------ This gets the cursor right to the Address Bar - How cool is that
Ctrl + B--- gets the "Favorites" and then you can do things like rename, move, delete even add a new folder.. You can not open a Favorite, just organize them, or look at what you have.
Alt + D-----This will highlight the Address Bar

Another Reminder--About Malwarebytes

2011-04-01T19:58:00.000-07:00

You need to update Malwarebytes manually. It doesn't do it by itself . If you haven't install it, here is the website. Click on the "Free" one. You need to have this installed along with your Virus Protection Software.

http://www.malwarebytes.org/

April Reminders-Updating-Java and Adobe

2011-04-01T19:41:00.000-07:00

I know this is April 1st, and of course there are always jokes being play on everyone. Keeping everything on your computer updated is not something you want to joke about. If you want to keeping your computer working, you need to keep on top of "updating". As aways check out the Virus Protection, Spyware software protection, Window Updates. Now there are a couple more software programs you need to be aware of. Every once in awhile you will see something called Java pop up down in the bottom right hand side. It will say something like a new version of this software is available, Do you want to install now or be reminded later. It is important for you to install this as soon as possible. Also Adobe Flash, and Adobe Reader will also pop up and ask, do you want to install now or be reminded later. The same thing applies, you need to install the update as soon as possible. The reason for any update is basicly-- the companies that writes the stuff for the software have found the "bad guys" trying to get in, so the will write a patch to close the hole. This is protection for your computer.

Picasa - How to download this photo editing software from google

2011-03-24T18:12:00.000-07:00

Picasa is a google download.
Go to Google;
Click on: top left "more"
then click on even more
then scroll down to Picasa, it is on the right side of page
then download the Program.

Picasa Software

2011-03-24T18:09:00.000-07:00

First of all-- The question is: What is Picasa?
Picasa is a "Free" Photo Editing Software.
Previously I talked about how to Locate the "Free" Software. It is found on Google's page.
What can you do with Picasa?
You can add your pictures, You can organize them, and you can edit your pictures. You can also share your pictures. You can upload/download, however you want to say it, the pictures you have taken from your camera.
Important to know and to Remember
Sometimes I forget and have to remind myself.
This software doesn't store/ keep your pictures
Your original pictures are always kept as they are. They are never, I said never changed. They are always in your "My Pictures" Folder. This software just allows your pictures to edited, and a good place to organize them. I will say again, your originals always stay the same.

Jim's Tips---Install Anti-Spyware Protection

2011-03-23T10:35:00.000-07:00

Download, install and run Malwarebytes and Spybot Search and Destroy
Be careful as the sites will try to get you to install other tools!!!. I also download and use Ccleaner which is not an anti-virus tool but may help clean up your system before running the Malwarebytes and Spybot programs. I run them monthly or if I suspect a problem (suddenly slower system).

Jim's Tips --Install quality Anti-Virus

2011-03-23T10:30:00.000-07:00

Install quality Anti-Virus and perform regular Scans
There are many Anti-Virus tools available that work in a similar way. So pick one and install it and make sure it is performing real time scans ( usually the default). In addition, run a Virus Scan on a regular basis. Remember don't run two Anti-Virus tools at the same time.
Free                                                                                      Paid
Windows Security Essentials (I use this one)                 Norton ( Symantec)
Avast ( Also a paid version)                                           McAfee
Avira (Also a paid version)                                            Vipre
AVG ( Also a paid version)                                            Kaspersky

Jim's Tips---Relax

2011-03-23T10:18:00.000-07:00

Jim says Relax
The Internet should be a useful and enjoyable place. Don't let fear of Virus or ID Theft keep you away. Just be careful, observant and never give out Personal Information unless you are absolutely sure who you are dealing with.

Jim's Tips --Installing Software

2011-03-23T10:14:00.000-07:00

Be careful when Installing Software.
One place where bad things can happen is free software someone offers. This can be from the Internet or from a friends CD or Flash Drive. Be sure you check these carefully. Only download and install from reliable sites.
Examples of some known good Sites:
Microsoft
Adobe
All Major Companies - Apple, Dell, Sony, HP, Toshiba, etc
All the sites from the Anti-Virus products mention in another article
Sun / Oracle (Java)
Download. com (Cnet)
Major Geeks
File Hippo
There are many others - Just be careful

Jim's Tips Surf Smart and Use Common Sense

2011-03-23T10:04:00.000-07:00

Surf Smart and Use Common Sense
To Browse the Internet Safely, it is best if you do so by using common sense. Do not click on advertisements: they probably will try to lure you into downloading or buying something you don't want. They may even harm your computer, and stay away from sites that promise "free" items, cash or other services simply by entering your Personal information, Just because a website looks official, this does not mean that it can't harm your computer.

Jim's Tips Unknown e-mail Links/Attachments

2011-03-23T09:58:00.000-07:00

Don't click on unknown E-Mail links or Attachments
When checking e-mail, delete any items from unknown people or which contain unknown attachments. If an e-mail with an attachment comes from a known contact, but seems out-of-character or unusual, the recipient should not open the attachment until they contact the sender to verify its authenticity.

Jim's Tips-- Backing up Data

2011-03-23T09:52:00.000-07:00

Everyone needs to Back up your Data
Back up all important data to an external media
Such as : CD, DVD, Flash Drive, or an External Hard Drive
If the Data is important to you consider an External Hard Drive and Backup Software.
Windows 7 & and Vista have backup software built in.
Also Remember those important pictures.

Jim's Tips---Firewall

2011-03-23T09:35:00.000-07:00

Everyone needs to use a Firewall
Windows 7 and Vista's Firewall is on by default. Leave it on!
With XP go to:
Start Menu
Control Panel
Security Center
Make sure the Firewall is on

Something for Laptops Users

2011-03-04T10:00:00.000-08:00

Will USB gadgets like the Chill Pad or Flexible light make my laptop battery wear out sooner?

In short, the answer to that would be yes. Think of your laptop battery in terms of a car's engine. The harder a car works, the more gasoline it uses and the more energy your laptop is putting out, the more juice it is sucking from its battery. A chill mat is a thin device with fans on it that goes under the laptop. The fans blow cold air up into the laptop in order to keep it cooled. You see, in all actuality, the chill pads are very beneficial. Did you know that your computer running all the time and getting warm will actually cause your laptop battery to wear out sooner? It's true.

As for the flexible light wearing your battery out sooner, all that will happen is that you may need to plug in your laptop to an alternate power source a bit sooner than usual. As with the chill pads, there are some pretty good advantages with the flexible light. It is great for those who work in the dark because they do not want to disturb those around them. It is highly portable and great for individuals that travel. No external power is needed, though you probably already know that. I love the flexible neck, which allows you to position the light exactly how you want it.

You can get the flexible light at D&D Battery!

Many laptops have a built-in mouse pad and there's no need to add an external keyboard, so your computer's battery lasts for a long period of time. However, once you start adding external devices that require battery power this will put additional strain on your battery. If at all possible, try to stay away from USB gadgets with unnecessary lights on them. The light on my external mouse is the equivalent to the flexible light that you mentioned in your question. I have noticed that my battery lasts a bit longer when I simply use the built-in mouse instead.
Provided by Rudy from TBCS. I want to thank Rudy for letting me use his wondertips on my Blog. This way even more people can benefit from his knowledge.

RudyCrawford"s Tips - Save Keystrokes

2011-03-04T09:54:00.000-08:00

Save eight keystrokes from every URL: You no longer need to type "www." or ".com" in most URLs. Instead, merely type the unique part of the domain name that you want to visit--say, pcworld--into your browser's navigation bar, and press Ctrl-Enter. Your browser will automatically fill in the "www." and ".com" parts of the address.

Provided by Rudy Crawford from the TBCS.

Task Manager

2011-03-03T19:27:00.000-08:00

You may be asking your self, well, Janet told me how to find the Task Manager, but why did I need to know that.
The reason is: someday you might find your self in a spot where maybe you need to shut a program down. Maybe you see you have a Virus and you need to shut down everything that is running. If it looks like a Virus, you don't want to click on anything in the body and you don't want to click the Red X at the top right hand side, like you normally would to get out of a page. Another example would be: maybe the program isn't working like it should and you can't get out of it. You can go to the Task Manager and you need to be under Tab called Application. Highlight the application that you want to shut down, or stop, or get out of. Then at the bottom of the page click end task.

Safety for Portable/Flash Drives

2011-03-03T19:11:00.000-08:00

Reminder to be use the "Safe to Remove the Flash Drive" Icon on the Bottom Right Hand side. Do not just pull it out when you are done. This can and will cause damage to the Flash Drive. This happened to a friend of mine. She has files and now she cannot even begin to open any of them. They are lost to her, because she was so quick to pull it out. As far as I know there is no way to open it up. It is dead, it doesn't even show that drive exists when she inserts into the computer. The reason that you need to use the "Safe to Remove" process is: It checks to make sure all of the files you were using are closed. If there are not closed, it will tell you, you can not remove. This process tries to protect us from ourselves. So maybe make a note and keep it close to your Flash Drive to remind yourself to use the "Safe to Remove the Flash Drive".

F11 Key

2011-03-01T19:38:00.000-08:00

Maybe I should have a Topic called Did you know!
F11 Key will get a full screen. Then you want to get back to your "regular look" screen. Don't Panic, just hit on the F11 Key again. There, see your screen, with all of your toolbars and everything you had before at the top are back.

Task Manager in Windows 7

2011-03-01T19:13:00.000-08:00

Did you know you can get the Task Manager in 2 different ways. Like I always say, with computers, if there is one way, there usually are more ways to get a job done. Ok here are two ways.
1. First Way
At the bottom of the screen is the Task Bar.
     Right Click on it and a dialog box come up.
      Find the Task Manager and click on it.
2. Second Way
     Try CTRL+Shift+Esc

Your choice.

Reminder for March 2011

2011-03-01T19:03:00.000-08:00

I am back this month to remind everyone to check and make sure everything is updated and running the latest versions. This includes the usual, your Virus protection, Spyware protection, Windows Update. I am adding another item that needs to be done. Have you thought about "Backing Up" everything. You never know when you could lose everything. When this ever happens, heaven forbid if it does, you will tell yourself, why didn't I take the time to "Backup".

How to Block an E-Mail Address in AOL

2011-02-06T19:35:00.000-08:00

When you are in your E-Mail, Find Settings: up in the right hand corner.
In Spam Settings - Under Spam Filter to the right, make sure it says Medium, that probably will work for most.
Under Sender Filter,
Check when it says from "Address I specify"
Type in the E-Mail Address you want to block
Click the + sign. - you can check either one.
Under Content File
Block Mail containing pic on file
or
Block Mail containing word or phrases
Then under Blocked Mail - Check either:
Permanently delete blocked mail
Or Deliver Blocked mail to spam Folder
Then Click on Save

Want to join the "Southwest Florida Pc Support Board"

2011-02-04T19:07:00.000-08:00

This is a great message board from a group of very knowledgeable individuals.
If you have a computer problem, you can e-mail this board and they will respond with an answer. They do need to know a lot about the problem. Some things you need to provide is a good subject name describing the problem.. What kind of computer you have and what you have on it. Maybe how your computer was responding to the problem. That is just an example. They will help you with those kinds of questions. They need all of this to provide you with the best answer. It is free and you do need to sign up.
E-Mail address: mailto:addressModerator@swfpcsupport.com

They do have a website. http://www.swfpcsupport.com/

I will say this-- you will receive a lot of e-mail from this message board. Could be 5-20 a day. So be prepared if you choose to sign up.
I think Doc from the TBCS is the moderator. Also Den Potts.
If you sign up and then choose you can e-mail back and say you want to get out. They will remove your name. Just a thought.

Urgent Notice on a Virus going around-Please read

2011-02-04T18:26:00.000-08:00

I received this from the swfpcsupport message board.This answer was from Den. A lot of the same people answer computer questions that help at TBCS. They know what they are talking about.
This was scary enough I thought I would pass along.

Users are being plied with a new malware Application that looks like legitimate software

The malware is labeled AVGAntivirus2011. As you can see, it unabashedly mimics actual antivirus from AVG.

Don't fall for rogue security software. If you get a pop-up for this or any other “Windows” that suggests you have Malware or Virus that needs removal, do not initiate any contact with the window. Immediately press Ctrl-Alt-Delete, and check the “applications Tab to see if the Window has a Browser Icon nex to it – if it does, highlight it, and choose to end the task by using the button thus provided.

How about Short Cuts for Word

2011-01-25T06:30:00.000-08:00

More Short Cuts. The more you use them, the more you will remember them. They really do save key strokes, which means you save time. Try using these in Word.
Copy: CTRL+ C
Paste: CTRL+ V
Page Break: CTRL+ Enter
Need a New Document: CTRL+ N
Close a Document: CTRL + W
Save a Document: CTRL+ S

Short Cuts

2011-01-24T18:46:00.000-08:00

Do you like working with shortcuts on the key board better than using the cursor.
Sometimes it is just more fun.
Try these:
Do you need to highlight everything on the page: Use CTRL + A
Want to see the Start Menu: Use CTRL+ESC
These are pretty well known, but good to have a refresher:
Undo something CTRL+Z
Redo something CTRL+Y

Logging off-- Shutting down of Windows 7

2011-01-19T20:25:00.000-08:00

Start by clicking the "Start button" on the bottom of the screen on the left hand side.
Next Click on the "Shut down button". Use this button when you are done using the computer for the day/night.
What to do if you are not ready to shut down completely. You have a number of options to use for different reasons.
1. Switch Use; This is for when others wants to use the computer for a while. You would have set up 2 user accounts. The new user would start at the Welcome screen and put in their password to get to their account. Windows will keep your work in the background ready for you to use when you get back
2. Log Off: Use this one when you are ready to quit working and others are ready to use. Windows will save your work and will return to the Welcome Screen.
3. Lock: Just what it says the computer will be lock so no one can use. Might use this one, when grand kids, kids, or if you are at work and have to walk away. You would touch the space bar and the Welcome Screen appears, and you would need to type in your password.
4. Restart: If you leave you computer on all of the time, you need to do a reboot ever once in a while. This gives the computer a chance to clear out the cobwebs.---Maybe. Also if you do leave your computer on all of the time, you need to at least turn the monitor off to let it cool off.
5. Sleep: This saves your work. This puts the computer into a less usage of power. If you have a Laptop: This option saves your information to memory. When your battery gets low, Everything goes into the hard drive and it then will turn it off.
6. Hibernate: Some laptops have this. When you use this option and It copies your information to the hard drive and turns itself off. They say this is more of a resource hog than sleep. Is usually takes longer to wake up than sleep.
7. Bottom line is: don't just turn your computer off. It is recommended that you use one of the above methods. Use Hibernate, Sleep or Shut down.
8. What can happen if you don't use one of the right ways to shut down. It can cause problems in the future with your computer.

Jump Lists - Windows 7

2011-01-19T20:17:00.000-08:00

Another new item in Windows 7 - "Jump Lists" A new Buzz Word
I find I am talking a lot about "Pinning". This also is a new Buzz Word
There are so many ways and places to "Pin". These are all ways to help you find your Recent Files/documents you use a lot.
This way is:
If you have "Pinned to the Task Bar"a program, then to locate your Recent Files, Just Right Click on the Program Icon on the Task Bar and your Jump Lists appear. Now once you have that list up, you will notice the " Push Pin" as you run your cursor over one of your files/Documents. If you want that file to stay permanent on that list, just click on the "Push Pin". Notice it shows pinned and is above the line. As you work with the pinning, to the start button, the task bar, and to your recent files, in either place, you will find what works for you. You can use one way or all of the ways. That is what windows 7 is all about. Have fun with it, and enjoy.

Pin a Program to the Start Button

2011-01-18T18:54:00.000-08:00

Right Click on the Program's Icon
A dialog box will come up
Click on "Pin to the Start Menu"
You will notice there is a small line between the items that are pined to the Start Menu and the recently opened programs. The ones that are pinned will stay until you ever want to Unpin. These others may come and go as you use programs. The purpose of pinning to the Start Menu is find them quick. These would be the programs you use a lot.
Now you know 2 ways to find Programs quickley.

Finding a Program Quick in Windows 7

2011-01-18T18:43:00.000-08:00

One of the quickest way to find a program is :
1.Click on the Start Button at the bottom left hand side
2.Then down at the bottom - where it says "search for all programs"
3.Type in the program you want to find.
As you use Windows 7, I think you will find there are a lot of good easy ways to do what you need to do. I still like XP, but I am finding the more I use Windows 7, the more I like it.

How long will XP be Supported

2011-01-18T18:27:00.000-08:00

I have heard that XP will continue to received Security Patches until 2014

Lets all hope this is true.

Spy Bot Search and Destroy - Immunize Function

2011-01-18T18:19:00.000-08:00

Have you tried to use the Immunize function key and a note shows up that says you don't have the Administration rights to perform this function. You can't figure out why, because you are the only one that uses your computer. OK here is what you do.
Right click on the icon for Spy Bot.
Click on Properties
Click on Compatibilities
Now Close to the bottom of the page - Click on Run the Program as an administrator
Click ok.
Should take care of it.

Task Bar- Windows 7

2011-01-15T09:18:00.000-08:00

The Task Bar is the area usually at the Bottom of your Screen
You can Pin to the Task Bar.
Just Right Click the Program's Icon and the Click on "Pin to the Task Bar".
You can also UnPin. Right click to UnPin from theTask Bar.
A nice feature to use. Especially when you use a certain program a lot. You don't have to hunt for it.
If You Right Click on the Task Bar and then click on properties. Find where it says Location of Task Bar. If you click on the Box next to it- you will see that you can move the Task Bar to a different location. You can move it to the Top, Right Side, Left Side, or Bottom. Wherever you decide is best for you - be sure and lock it, so it stays there. You don't want it moving around.

Backing up your Computer

2011-01-15T08:47:00.000-08:00

Back up before it is to late. You could lose all of your information. This is what you need to do it.
1. A CD or, a DVD burner or an external hard Drive.
   a portable external Hard Drive is a good choice.. They are reasonably cheap. If you do get an external one, Plug it in before you do your backup.
2. You have to be the administrator. You will usually be the only one that uses your computer so you will be the Admin.
This is What you do
1. Click the "Start Button". Remember on the bottom right hand side of the screen.       .
             Click the Control Panel. This is on the left of the screen that comes up.
             Click System and Security
             Click Back up and Restore
2. If this is the first time you have used this, Click on "Create a System Repair Disc" in the left panel.
              This is where you can burn a CD or a DVD with a program to reinstall Windows 7 with the System Image you are creating as part of your Backup. Now label it with "Repair Disc Windows 7" and put it in a safe place for when you might need it.
3. Next Click" Set Up Backup" from the Restore Window. This is in the upper right hand corner.
               It will then ask where you want to save it. You can't save to your computer. You have to use either an external portable drive, or a CD or a DVD, Flash Drive.
4. Choose what you want to save or back up and click next.
5. You will two choices
      You can let Window choose, which will back up everything, Music, Video's, Picture, Documents.
       Or you can choose.
6. Now you can choose your schedule, when you want to back up your information.
7. This might make your computer run slow or you might want to do this when you will not be using it.
8.   You will be glad you did this before you lose something that is important.

Battery for Laptops

2011-01-15T07:52:00.000-08:00

You need to know how much battery life you have left on your laptop
Run your cursor over the icon for your Battery. This would be found usually bottom right hand side of your screen. This area is called the Notification area.

How to Install a Printer Without a CD

2011-01-07T19:09:00.000-08:00

How to Install a Printer Without a CD

Instructions

1. Place the computer and printer next to each other and make sure that all the wires are connected to both the printer and the computer.

2. Turn the computer on and wait for it to boot up.

3. Plug the printer into the wall and then take the USB cord that is attached to the printer and plug it into the appropriate port on the computer.

4. Turn the printer on.

5. Click on "Start menu" and go to the "Control panel".

6. Find "Printers and hardware" box and click on it.

7. When you see "Welcome to the add printer wizard," hit "Next."

8. Installing the printer will begin if the network can automatically detect it. Otherwise, the message unable to detect will pop up and you will be prompted to install the printer manually. Click "Next."

9. Click "Automatically detect and install plug and play printer" on the add printer wizard page. Click "Next."

10. Installing the printer will begin if the network can automatically detect it. Otherwise, the message unable to detect will pop up and you will be prompted to install the printer manually. Click "Next."

11. Select printer port. Use the recommended port for best set up options. Click "Next."

12. Pick manufacturer and printer. Click "Next."

13. Type a name or confirm name if it appears in the box and set printer as default printer if wish. Click "Next."

14. Print a test page to be sure printer is set up and online. Click "Next."

15. Receive a successful completion of installation of printer message. Click "Finish."

The Above Information was provided by Jim, From the Fairway Computer Club

Up Grade for Microsoft Security Essentials Virus Protection

2011-01-01T19:14:00.000-08:00

If you are using Microsoft Security Essentials virus Protection, there is an up grade or a new version. Go to: www.microsoft.com/security_security . There is an underline between security_security no spaces . It will come up to microsoft web site. Click on download and follow the directions. This will download over the old version. The top color will be a grey black when finished. That is how you know you have the newest version.

Happy New Year

2011-01-01T18:54:00.000-08:00

I want to wish everyone a Very Happy New Year. I also wish everyone Good Health and Lot of Happiness

Page up---Page down

2010-08-19T14:13:00.000-07:00

Here are some ways to get to the Top of the Page or the Bottom of the Page. These are the Keys to use without using the side scroll bar or your mouse.
Try using the numeric key pad. You Num Lock needs to be off

Going Down
To go down slowly----use the Space Bar
or-- use the End key to go straight down
or-- use the PgDn key to go down slowly

Going Up
To go up slowly----use the Shift + Space Bar
or-- use the Home key to go straight up
or-- use the PgUp key to go up slowly

Cloud Computing

2010-08-15T18:35:00.000-07:00

Have you heard about Cloud Computing? It is the latest buzz. You may be using Cloud Computing already. You are if you are using a web based e-mail service. G-Mail is a good example of Cloud. So what does it mean. There is a lot written about it. Down and dirty explanation, its means your information isn't stored on your computer. It is stored on another computer somewhere else. It doesn't mean it was hacked into and retrieved. It means you contacted a Company or Business to store your information at their business. E-mail is usually free, and others information like Word Document, Spreadsheets,etc can be either free or a charge. Google is a free Cloud Computing Service. It has both G-Mail and Data Documents available to be used and they are free. If a place of business wanted to use Cloud they would contact a Business that provides Cloud for Clients. They then would be required to pay a fee to use the Software required. Usually a Business would use if they needed a lot of storage space to hold their information. Another reason might be they don't have to purchase new software every time it is updated. Companies might use because they don't have to purchase software license for all of their computers. A Reason for Home Use might be because of storage space. You would not have to buy a lot of storage space. If you use Cloud Computing, you can access you information anytime/anywhere you can get on the Internet. Now for the concerns about Cloud. Security and Privacy is always a big concern. Do you feel comfortable having someone else take over your important data. First of all these companies that are offering Cloud should be doing all they can to insure that your Data is secure. They have to have the trust of their Clients, otherwise they would go out of business. They would have to have all of the latest and most advanced software. They should have all of the ways to protect your privacy. Some concerns are the same ones we face with our own computers. Is the Data backed up. Do they have strong Virus Protection. Do they have an authorization format to sign in to retrieve our information. Bottom line to me is if the information is lost it is gone. Anything can be hacked into and we hear about that on the news. On the other hand if you want to do it, look for a well known company.

I send my Appreciation to all of you

2010-07-22T20:52:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been 1 year and 1 month since I starting writing this Blog. Time has went by quickly. I didn't know where this would lead when I started writing. I just knew that I wanted to help others understand the process of how computer software works. Computers and Software are forever changing. Just think about all of the New Software and the different versions that has taken place. Wow, XP,Vista,Windows 7, Office 2007 now Office 2010, Internet Explorer 8. Wireless, USB Drives, External Drives. Questions, should a person update or stay with what they have. If I get the new software, how do I use it. I hope you have found items that have helped you be more comfortable with your computer. I do appreciate the comments you have made. Your comments make it all worth while. I am still enjoying finding Topics and writing about them. I know I have slowed down a bit in writing. When I first started, I had so many Topics I wanted to share, I couldn't hardy keep up with my thoughts. Now I am a little slower in finding things I think would be of interest to everyone. With all of the new information I think I will be writing for quite a while.
So, Thanks again to everyone for all of your encouragement and good thoughts to keep on doing this.
Janet

How to Change Picture File BMP to JPEG extension

2010-07-12T19:56:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had a need or reason to change your Picture file extensions. I found I could not upload BMP files to Snapfish I needed JPEG files. This is how I did it.
Click on Start
Click on All Programs
Click on Accessories
Click on Paint, yes Paint
Click on Open to open your BMP file
Click on Save As
Click on the Drop Down File Menu at the bottom
Click on the extension you want, such as JPEG
Click on Save

Tips for Excel 2007

2010-06-26T20:03:00.000-07:00

For New, Open, Close, Save As-----Just Click on Microsoft Button, then click on the one you need, ---New, Open, Close, Save As
Save--Go to Quick Access Toolbar, then click on Save
Page Set-Up--is on Page Layout Tab. It will be in the Page Setup Group.
Print Preview---Click on the Microsoft Button--The Click Print, then click on Print Preview
All of the above were in the File Command Drop Down menu in Previous Versions

How to Download and Install

2010-06-25T20:16:00.000-07:00

1. Click on http://www.download.com/ or http://www.majorgeeks.com/
2. Click on the program you want to download

3. A Dialog Box will come up -and will say--File Download-Security Warning

From the drop down menu Click on "Save In "
Then a Dialog box will come up --Click on "Save As"

4. Create a new folder Called "Download"

How To do this---on the Same line as "save in Box" which is to the right --the third item item will say New Folder if you run you cursor over it.

The reason to create the new Folder call Download is--then you know the difference as to what you have downloaded and what came with your computer. You don't have to do this, you can just "Save" it in any file that comes up, if you want. Just a suggestion.

5. Click on "Save" at the Bottom right

6. The Download will start

Download Complete will appear

7. Click Run

8. Dialog Box Internet Explorer-Security Warning will appear.

Click on Run

9. Dialog Box will appear

It is beginning to Install
Close Internet Explorer

10. Dialog Box will appear.

This is the License to agree/don't agree
If you don't agree you can't install

11. Dialog Box

Install

12. Now follow Dialog Instruction .

Tips For Word 2007

2010-06-25T20:05:00.000-07:00

Here are more tips for Word 2007. I hope they will be useful and make this different Word format easier to use. I am trying to find the common items that we all use the most.
Save ----Click on Microsoft Office Button and then Click Save
Save As--Click on Microsoft Office Button and then Click Save As
Print Preview---Click on Microsoft Office Button and then Click on Print & Then Click Print Preview
Spell Check--You can find the on the Review Tab in the Proofing Group, then Click on Spelling & Grammar

Tips for Word 2007

2010-06-18T20:11:00.000-07:00

Maybe these tips will help you find what you need and used in previous versions of Word.
Cut---Go to Home Tab in the clipboard group and Click Cut
Copy---Go to Home Tab in the clipboard group and Click Copy
Paste---Go to the Home Tab in the clipboard group and Click Paste
Ruler---On the View Tab in the Show/Hide Group -Click Ruler
Header and Footer--On Insert Tab look in the Header and Footer Group
I hope this helps. I will try to find some more common items and post more help.

June 2010 Reminders.

2010-06-08T09:30:00.000-07:00

Did everyone think I had forgot to remind you about the Monthly Maintenance. I know I didn't do a reminder for last month, but did you get your checks done anyway.Hey way to go. See it does become a habit. Well, if not, then now is the time to do them.
Check and make sure your windows have been updated. Make sure your your Spyware Software is up-to-date, then run it. Check that your Anti Virus Protection-- is up-to-date and working. If you are using Microsoft Essentials, look and make sure you have a Green Check in the bottom right hand corner. If it is Red, then open up the Program it will tell you it is out of date and not protecting your computer. Sometimes when you first start your computer it might come up Red, but within seconds and it turns to Green, you are OK. If it doesn't turn to Green, then open up and click start to get it working again.

Microsoft Windows Updates

2010-05-05T19:42:00.000-07:00

Microsoft sends out its Windows Updates on the 2nd Tuesday of the Month. Look down in the lower right hand side and see if you have a Gold Shield. Run your cursor over the Gold Shield and it will say updates to be installed. Just click on it and it will install them. You may have it set to automatic download and install, in that case you wont have a shield. You just need to check.

Windows 7 - Windows Live Messenger

2010-04-22T18:46:00.000-07:00

Windows Messenger isn't included in Windows 7. You will have to install it. If you upgraded from XP you might still have it. Try looking by clicking on Start and type in Windows live Messenger in the search box. Still can't find it, then download it by going to www.windowslive.com

Larger Text Print

2010-04-18T18:39:00.000-07:00

Do you need larger Print on your screen. Here are a couple things you can try.

1. Here is a Web Site to enlarge Google Search. www.good50.com
This is suppose to work best with Internet Explorer 8. It may not work with older versions.
2. When you are on a page you want larger, Hold down Ctrl and click on the + sign. Also when you want to decrease the size, Hold down Ctrl and click on the - sign.
I hope this helps.

This is not an April Fool Joke, This is for real and Important for all to Know

2010-04-01T20:12:00.000-07:00

Always think it can't happen to you, well I am here to tell you it can. Read on

Something called Windows Web Security came up the other day on my computer all by its self. I was just getting into a program. I didn't click on a website that I didn't know.
Heads up---this is what happened---Important for all to know
It came up out of nowhere, it said it was an on-line software. It starting scanning and then showed it had found a lot of spyware. It then tried to download onto my computer. I quickly clicked on Ctr Alt Delete
This will shut the program down quickley.
Then you want to run your Virus and Spyware Protection Software.
Important --Do not shut your computer down before you run your Protection.
The reason this sequence is important is that you want to do everything possible to eliminate any potential threat before it can potentially complete its installation on a restart.
During normal Windows operation critical system files are protected from changes. During a restart the computer is vulnerable, and significant system changes can be made. If you remember just like Windows, it often cannot install its updates without a restart. You don't want this Virus to install on a quick restart.

April Reminder

2010-04-01T19:50:00.000-07:00

Spring is here and flowers are sprouting. Weather all over is still crazy. It is still a good day to be alive.
Ok down to business. I know I have said all of this before, but it is so important to keep your computer healthy. Your computer can get sick and sometimes it can recover and others times, it will die. You always think it will not happen to you, but it can.
If you see a gold shield in the bottom right, then you need to click on it. That means you have windows updates that need to be installed.
If you have Microsoft Security Essentials Virus Protection, you need to check and make sure it is updated with the lastest and it has been run. You can set it to run at a certain time. Your Computer needs to be on for it to run.

AOL - Writing an E-Mail

2010-03-22T19:33:00.000-07:00

How to write an E-Mail using AOL

In the upper left hand of the page, click Compose.

In the To Box, enter the E-Mail Address you want to sent your msg to. If you sent the msg to more than one address, you will need to separate the addresses by a comma. Usually this is done automatic. If you have developed a Contact List, you can just go to it and click on the address and it will automatic be put in the "To Box".

You have a choice of sending a copy(Cc) of the e-mail or a Blind Copy (BC) to your addresses.

If you choose Cc then everyone that gets the e-mail can see every one's e-mail address.

If you choose BC then everyone can only see their own e-mail address. This is recommended. Since many people do not clean up, and get rid of, all of the previous addresses when they forward a msg on to others.

When you are done and ready, just click on send.

Another way to find out what Windows Version and Service Pack you have

2010-03-09T09:08:00.000-08:00

Click Start
Click Run
Type in winver
Click OK
or Press Enter

How to find what Version of Windows and Service Pack you have

2010-03-09T08:25:00.000-08:00

Go to Start
Click on Control Panel
Click on Basic Information about your computer
Click on General Tab
This will show you what Windows Version and what Service Pack if any

March Reminder

2010-03-08T20:24:00.000-08:00

Ok, by now I know you are doing all of your updates, cleaning out your computer, running the spyware software and your Virus protection software. After you start to doing all of this on a routine basis, it just becomes automatic. With everything that goes on out there you will glad you do it. It just seems that everyday I hear about more and more about problems with idenity thief, or some hacker getting into even the large companies computers. If these hackers would put their expertise to good use, they probably could make good money. I don't know why they want to hurt people by getting into their computers and doing damage. Oh well, it is beyond me. I will just say, be careful where you go and what you do on your computer. Be alert when you go to a website, be wise when you click on a link in a website, or e-mail. Know who sent you an e-mail, think before you click. When you google something, start looking at the website, right below the topic. When you start doing this, you will see, a lot of them are familar sites, such as microsoft. I am not saying don't click on them, just start looking at where the site is coming from.

Enough of that. Spring is just around the corner, maybe, just maybe the warm weather is also. So have a good March, Think good thoughts, be extra nice to someone, they may just need that kind word. If you are more postive than negative, the world will seems much brighter to you. Just a thought.

News Flash- Support for Some Windows XP & Vista

2010-03-08T19:41:00.000-08:00

Important Information:

Support for Windows Vista without any service packs will end on April 13, 2010
To Continue to receive support you should install Service Pack 2 (SP2)

Support for Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (SP2) will end on Jul 13, 2010
If you are running Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (SP2) and you are not ready to upgrade to Windows 7, you should install Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3), a Free Update

Note: There's isn't any SP3 for the 64-bit version of Windows XP. If you are running the 64-bit Version of Windows XP with SP2, you have the latest service pack and will continue to be eligible for support and receive updates until April 8, 2014.
Even if you have an unsupported version of Windows XP or Windows Vista without any service packs, Windows will continue to start and run as usual, but you wont be protected from the latest Virus's .

What does it mean to you if you don't have the lastest Service Packs.
You will not receive the lastest Security updates that protect you from the virus, and other harmful problems that the updates provide.
For more information you can go to link:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/help/end-support-windows-xp-sp2-windows-vista-without-service-packs?os=xp

Excel Printing Tip

2010-02-22T19:37:00.000-08:00

Do you need or want the Gridlines to show on your printed copy?
Click on Print Preview
Then Page Set-Up
Then check the box for Gridlines
Click Ok