Dave "Bytes"

Please remember to use your thinker, before you tinker!

August 23, 2005

A Periodic Newsletter for the Members of the Sarasota PC User Group and the World!!

Click here to subscribe to Dave "Bytes"
(Please provide your full name and email address)

Here's A "Digital" Tip

Burning Pictures On A CD

Do you have about a hundred gajillion pictures on your PC eating up hard disk space? If you have a CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, or DVD+RW drive, burning those pictures onto a CD, where they'll last for decades, is very easy. A CD certainly lasts longer than your hard drive, providing you don't gum it up with one of those sticky CD labels.

Burning pictures couldn't be simpler:

Make sure that your CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, or DVD-RW drive is installed and working.

Start Windows Explorer. (Just choose, say, Start, My Pictures or Start, My Computer.)

Navigate to the pictures you want to burn. If you're in a picture or photo album folder, Copy to CD appears in the Picture Tasks list.

Select the picture(s) you want to burn; then click Copy to CD in the Picture Tasks list. If Copy to CD doesn't appear in the list, right-click one of the selected files (or folders) and choose Send To, CD Drive. A small CD icon appears in the notification area, next to the clock.

Keep moving around Windows, gathering pictures that you want to burn. In spite of what the Picture Task list and right-click menu say, Windows actually copies the files you select to a staging area -- a place on your hard drive that holds files temporarily, before you burn them to CD.

When you're done gathering files, choose Start, My Computer, your CD burner drive (whichever drive letter that is). Windows shows you the contents of the CD's staging area.

Put a recordable CD in your CD burner and click Write These Files to CD. The CD Writing Wizard appears.

Type the name you want to be burned on the CD; then click Next. If you've chosen too much data -- too many pictures -- the wizard alerts you.

If you have too many pictures selected, don't do anything with the wizard.

Instead, go back to the staging area and start deleting files or folders (right-click and choose Delete) until you're under the size limit. Don't worry -- you aren't deleting the pictures. You're just removing them from the staging area. Unfortunately, neither the wizard nor Windows offers a handy list of folder sizes or suggestions for what to trim. What you can do is right-click a folder, choose Properties, and see the folder's size.

10. When you think that you've deleted enough files or folders,go back to the wizard,click Retry Writing the Files to CD Now,and then click Next.

If you still have too many pictures selected, you get the warning again. Sooner or later, you have your picture collection trimmed down to the point where it can fit on the CD. At that point, the wizard starts writing files to the CD. Depending on the speed of your burner, it can take 20 minutes or more to burn a full CD.

11. When the wizard finishes, click Finish. The wizard removes all the files from the staging area.

12. Immediately try looking at the pictures on the CD.

Chances are very good that they're in excellent shape. Oh, and don't forget to label the CD with a Sharpie marker.

BITS

BYTES

Every Sunday
from
9:30 - 10:45 amWIBQ
Sunny 1220
am talk radio

August 28th

Spam, Spam Spam & More Spam
I Hate Spam !!!
Sunbelt Software
Product Manager
Phil Owens

Prizes Too !!!!

Clicking on Dave will take you to the

"Bits & Bytes"

site where you can listen to the most recent broadcast

Click to

Listen "LIVE" on the Internet

Every Sunday at 9:30 am eastern

Here's An AOL Tip

Use Microsoft Outlook Express 6 to read and send AOL e-mail?

There are two steps to setting up Outlook® Express to read and send AOL e-mail. First, you need to create a new e-mail account in Outlook Express. Once the e-mail account is created, you need to configure your Outlook Express e-mail account so you can send and receive your AOL e-mail.

To create a new e-mail account in Outlook Express

1. Sign on to AOL.

2. Open Outlook Express. (If Outlook Express is not your default mail client, you may be prompted to specify whether you want to use it as the default by clicking OK).

3. From the Outlook Express Tools menu, click Accounts.

4. In the Internet Accounts dialog box, click Add and then click Mail.

5. In the Internet Connection Wizard, in the Display name field, enter your name as you would like it to appear on your outgoing e-mail messages.

6. Click Next.

7. In the E-mail address field, enter your full e-mail address, e.g., johndoe@aol.com.

8. Click Next.

9. On the E-mail Server Names screen, select IMAP from the drop-down menu.

10. In the Incoming mail server field, enter: imap.aol.com.

11. In the Outgoing mail server field, enter: smtp.aol.com.

12. Click Next.

13. On the Internet Mail Logon screen, enter your AOL screen name in the Account name field.

14. Enter the password for your AOL account in the Password field.

15. If you want Outlook Express to save your password, leave the Remember password check box selected.

16. Click Next.

17. Click Finish.

To configure your Outlook Express e-mail account

1. When you are returned to the Internet Accounts dialog box, click the Mail tab. (If the Internet Accounts dialog box is not open, click the Tools menu and then click Accounts).

2. Select your AOL IMAP account.

3. Click Properties.

4. In the Properties dialog box, click the Servers tab.

5. In the Outgoing Mail Server section, click the My server requires authentication check box.

6. Click Apply.

7. Click the Advanced tab.

8. In the Outgoing mail (SMTP): field, change the number that displays to 587.

9. Click Apply.

10. Click the IMAP tab.

11. In the Special Folders section, click the Store special folders on IMAP server check box to deselect it.

12. Click Apply.

13. Click OK.

14. Click Close.

Notes

· If you receive a message prompting you to download folders from the mail server, click Yes.

The "Bytes" Beg, Bargain & Barter Basement

Got something "computer related" to sell? Looking for that rare peripheral? If it's computer related you can submit a short classified ad for exposure in Dave "Bytes". Be sure to include your name and e-mail address in the ad. You can also include a picture of the item. Now some would suggest that there be a charge for this feature but alas, since my bookkeeping skills leave much to be desired I've determined that this will be a free service to all SPCUG members in good standing. "Bytes" is currently sent to almost 1500 homes in the area. Ad requests will be included as soon as possible. I assume absolutely no responsibility as to the accuracy or completeness of supplied info. All transactions are between consulting adults which leaves me entirely off the hook. Please let me know by clicking HERE when your merchandise is sold so that I can remove it from the listing. I will try to run each ad for a month.

Click Here To Submit Your Ad

Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0

Never opened

Make an offer

mrzdhz@yahoo.com

Eighty-six percent of US adult Internet users blame spyware for causing them to suffer a monetary loss this year, according to the "National Spyware Survey" by Cyber Security Industry Alliance and Pineda Consulting. The survey results also show that 87% of respondents experienced productivity losses as a result of a spyware infection on their PC. More than 4% of people surveyed experienced a breach of personal and financial information; 1% experienced monetary losses resulting from criminal spyware activity.

The clock is ticking on a new Y2K-style techno scare in 2007 - thanks to Congress.

That's because legislators slipped a measure into the energy bill that President Bush is set to sign today extending daylight-saving time by four weeks - a change-up that machines already programmed for the annual hour jump may not be prepared to cope with.

Daylight-saving time would start three weeks earlier in the spring and last one week longer in the fall.

"Missiles won't be launching, but it's still going to cause a lot of hassle," said technology expert Lauren Weinstein, warning that the big risks will be to the technologically challenged who have come to rely on computers and electronic date books to help meet their appointments.

"Things advance to the point where you expect things to happen automatically and you expect it to be correct," he said.

The idea behind the bill is to save energy by giving people that extra hour of summer sun for another month.

But machines that work on the old system - falling back one hour on the last Sunday of October and leaping ahead on the first Sunday of April - cannot be reprogrammed as easily as politicians can rewrite a law. Congress last changed the system in 1987.

The biggest threat for most people is probably those missed appointments.

"It wouldn't be a society-wide catastrophe, but there would be a problem if nothing's done about it or we try to move too quickly," said Dave Thewlis, head of a group that promotes standards for calendar software.

And people who want their auto-programmed VCRs to record the right shows may have to pull out the instruction manual.

"It is unfortunately going to add a little bit of complexity to consumers," said Reid Sullivan at Panasonic Consumer Electronics Co.

Click the Smart Computing Banner to Subscribe

(be sure to choose the Sarasota PC Users Group where asked)

Land Of The Lost
Tips For Locating Misplaced Files

Losing files on your PC is a lot like misplacing your car keys in a cluttered apartment. You know the things you’re looking for are close by, but actually finding and using them can be a challenge.

Unlike your apartment, though, Windows has a helpful feature that can locate wayward items and save you a good deal of frustration. In Windows 95/98 (Win9x), this feature is called Find. In Windows XP and Windows Me, it’s called Search. There are also third-party programs that can ensure that you never have to endure the loss of an important file again.

In this article, we’ll show you one of the more popular ways to find lost files and some techniques to keep you from losing files in the future. We’ll start by covering the Find feature in Win9x. The WinMe and WinXP version of this feature is significantly different and warrants a separate explanation. Note, however, that many of the tips included in the Win9x section apply to later versions, so don’t skip ahead.

Find It In Windows 95 & Windows 98

There are two fast ways to access the Find feature in Win9x. One method is to click Start, point to Find, and click Files or Folders. Shortcut keys also work for this feature; press Windows-F to display the search program instantly. If you’re certain a file is in a specific folder, don’t use the Find feature from the Start menu; a faster way is to press the F3 key in Win9x (or CTRL-F in WinMe) when you’re already at the right folder window or have the folder displayed in Windows Explorer. This will display the search window already set to search the current folder.

Whatever technique you use to launch the Find utility, you end up with a dialog box named Find All Files. It has five menu options: File, Edit, View, Options, and Help. The Name & Location tab is the most commonly used area of the Find command, as it includes the Named and Look In text boxes. Win98 also has a Containing Text text box listed here. (In Win95 this option is on the Advanced tab.) If you know the name of the file you want to locate, just type it in the Named text box, make sure the Look In path is directed at the correct drive location, and click Find Now. You'll know the search has started because the magnifying glass icon begins to move in circles. When the search is complete, matches appear in the results window. This window shows all relevant information about the file, such as file name, type, size, location, and date modified. Remember that you don’t have to let a search complete its examination; click the Stop button to bring things to an immediate halt. This is especially useful when you accidentally start a search over a gargantuan hard drive that takes several minutes to inspect. There are many variables that can help you narrow your searches and save time. If you’re fairly certain of the folder in which a file is hiding, click Browse on the Name & Location tab and specify the correct folder. On the other hand, you might not have a clue as to which folder to look in; in that case click the Include Subfolders checkbox to investigate a folder hierarchy from top to bottom. In all Windows versions, there are some other options that let you control the search. The Date and Advanced tabs in Win9x let you find files by type and size. The Containing Text text box lets you constrain results to those with specific phrases in them. In Win9x an Include Subfolders option lets you widen your search. (In WinMe click Advanced Options, which lets you Search Subfolders or look for file names using the Case Sensitive option.)

Search Windows Me & Windows XP

WinMe and WinXP have their own version of the Find command, called Search. To get started click Start, point to Search and click For Files Or Folders, or press Windows-F. You will see a Search Results dialog box that’s laid out like a Web browser, complete with Back and Forward buttons.

In WinMe type the name of the file you need in the Search For Files or Folders Named text box. The Containing Text option is listed just below, as are the various search options, such as Date, Type, Size, and Advanced Options, all of which work similarly to Win9x.

In WinXP you will need to select the type of file you are looking for before you can begin a search. We recommend selecting the All Files And Folders option because it will search your entire hard drive for the file. If that takes too long, the other options, such as Pictures, Music, or Video, will narrow the search parameters and likely make the search more efficient.

Once you’ve outlined the parameters of your search, click Search Now or Search. After Windows completes a search, you can press F3 or CTRL-F to alternately shrink and enlarge the Search Results window, providing more (or less) information about selected files on the left side of the screen.

Both operating systems have useful extras on the left side the Search Results window, including image file preview. In the past when you wanted to know what was in a mysterious graphics file (usually with a file name extension such as .JPG, .BMP, or .TIF), you had to open the file with a separate program, which takes time. With WinXP and WinMe, you can use the Preview function instead. Just click the file, and a tiny version of the image appears in the Search Results area. To see thumbnails in WinXP, from the View menu, click Thumbnails to make image thumbnails appear.

If it takes too much time to complete searches, you may want to streamline the search process in WinXP by using the Indexing Service feature. With this feature, your computer will maintain an up-to-date list of the files on your hard drive, which makes subsequent filename searches much faster.

To use the Indexing Service, in the Search Results window, click Change Preferences in the left pane. Click With Indexing Service and then click the Yes, Enable Indexing Service radio button. Click OK, and your PC will run the service when the computer is sitting idle.

Find files with dates. If you don’t find your files with an initial search or WinXP index searches, you might want to search for files by date. In Win9x from the Start menu, point to Find and then click Files Or Folders. In the Named Or text box, type *.xls (or *.doc, or whatever file type you most often use). Click the Date Or Date Modified tab and click Find All Files Created Or Modified. Click the During The Previous option and then adjust the number of days you’d like this search to work for. (A week is probably a good starting point.)

You can do this in WinMe by clicking the Date checkbox. Select Files Modified, Files Created, or Files Last Accessed from the drop-down menu. Then click the In The Last option, followed by the number of days you want the search to cover.

In WinXP after you click All Files And Folders, you can enter part of the file name and then click When Was It Modified? to narrow your search to a range of dates. You can also use What Size Is It? and More Advanced Options to make searches more specific; you can even include hidden files in the search if you prefer. After you set the parameters in your OS, run the search by clicking Find Now, Search Now, or Search.

Windows Me’s Search feature works like the Find option in previous Windows versions but has some extra power under the hood.
Saving a search. Once your PC completes its file hunt, you may want to save your search settings to reduce the amount of data entry you have to complete for your next complex search. After a search ends, from the File menu, click Save Search. This saves a shortcut on the Windows Desktop or a folder of your choice with a name that refers to the search. When you want to do a speedy search for commonly accessed documents, just double-click the shortcut and the search parameters will load automatically.

Win9x will also let you keep the results of searches, plus the parameters that created those results. From the Options menu, click Save Results. To create a shortcut to these results, click Save Search from the File menu.

More search options. More archaic computer skills also sometimes come in handy for searches, the best example of which is the use of older DOS commands to aid your search. The easiest to use is probably the asterisk symbol. It acts like a wildcard, standing in for at least one character in the name of the file or folder you want. For instance, if you know you want to find a file that ends in .INF but aren’t sure what the first part of the file name is, you’d type *.INF, which instructs the search utility to display every file ending in .INF.

The question mark is also useful; unlike the asterisk, it replaces only one character in a name. For example, entering Sysfile?.DOC would find every file with one character following the Sysfile name that ends with .DOC. The search variable can also be used together in flexible combinations. For example, enter *dos?.* to locate file names with any filename extension and that start with any number of characters, following by “dos,” and then any single character.

Searching by file type is another useful parameter. Select this option, and you’ll see dozens of file types from which to choose. The best thing about this option is that file types aren’t displayed with cryptic extensions. Instead, there’s a short description of the type (an AOL email, for instance).