Dave "Bytes"

Please remember to use your thinker, before you tinker!

May 15, 2005

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

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Here's An Outlook Express Tip

There is an option in Outlook Express that automatically adds people you reply to in your address book. All you have to do is turn this option off.
Here is how:

1. In Outlook Express, click on "Tools" and then "Options".

2. In the "Options" window, click on the "Send" tab.

3. On the "Send" page, under the "Sending" section, look for the line that says, "Automatically put people I reply to in my Address Book" Click once to remove the check mark from that line.

4. Click "OK" and you will be done.

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Here's A Computing Tip

A bunch of troubleshooting tips

Most people have heard some of these tips at some point but there should be information here that will help in many different troubleshooting situations. As always, make sure the system is off when removing or installing components inside the computer. These are in no particular order.

There are four basic rules of troubleshooting (these apply almost anywhere ? not just computers):

1. Identify the problem. What exactly is the undesired behavior.

2. Isolate the problem. Where does the fault lie. What component is defective or not performing properly.

3. Implement a solution. Repair or replace defective components.

4. Repair or reload corrupted software.

Test the solution. Ensure that the solution corrected the fault and the problem does not continue.

The old stand by questions. Is it plugged in correctly? Is it turned on?
Keyboard and mouse cables can work their way loose. It is easy to plug the speakers into the speakerphone port on the modem instead of the speaker port on the soundcard. Check to make sure that everything is securely connected in the correct place. Make sure that the power cable is secure at the power supply and at the surge protector. Make sure the surge protector is plugged in to the wall outlet or UPS and is turned on.

Grinding or growling noises coming from the computer case are often a sign of a cooling fan failing. Try to isolate where the noise is coming from. IF it is at the back of the case near the top it is probably a power supply fan that is failing. Otherwise, it is most likely a CPU fan failing. Cooling fans are very important to the overall health of your system. Get them replaced at the first sign of trouble.

If the light on the floppy drive stays on all the time and you can't access any floppy disks, most likely the data cable from the controller to the floppy drive is connected backwards at one end.
Check the orientation of pin 1.

Periodically run a thorough scan of the hard drive. If the hard drive has bad sectors, replace it. This can catch minor problems before they become major ones and may help you prevent loss of your data.

Use the online help. Many problems encountered in Windows are covered in the online troubleshooter in the Windows help. Using the troubleshooter to eliminate software problems can help save money on unnecessary hardware repairs.

Identify ALL the details of the problem. Does the error only occur in one program or all of them? Does it only happen after the system has been running for a while or only after first turning the system on?
Does it happen only when certain peripherals are connected?
Knowing all the details will usually highlight the source of the fault.

Does the system not work correctly (or at all) after moving it? Double check you cables. If that doesn't solve the problem, check to make sure that no cards or memory have come unseated.

Does the system lock up after running for a while? Check the condition of the fans and heat sinks. Dust, pet hair, carpet fibers etc. can become lodged in the heat sink and fan and greatly reduce their effectiveness. Use a can of compressed air to clean out the heat sink.
(Don't use a household air compressor ? oil and moisture can severely damage the system.)

Remember the old axiom ? if all else fails, read the manual.
When troubleshooting, only make one change at a time. If that change has no effect on the problem, change it back. Changing several things at once can make it nearly impossible to find the faulty component.

Use any resource available.
Join the SPCUG Yahoo Group at www.spcug.org and ask if anyone else has encountered the problem before.
Check manufacturers web sites for fixes or known bugs.
Check the device manager for resource conflicts. In the device manager, double click on Computer. This will allow you to check the actual resources. Windows allows PCI cards to share some resources and some cards may not function properly when sharing IRQs.

Microsoft Tests Version of Tuneup Service

Microsoft Corp. is rolling out a test version of an all-in-one subscription service that aims to protect computer users from viruses and spyware and give them tools to make machines speedier.

The Redmond-based software company is distributing Windows OneCare to its 60,000 employees this week. It plans to run a larger invitation-only test this summer, then launch a full-scale test by year's end.

The company has not said when it would release the subscription service to consumers.

"We're going to take our time. We want to make sure we get this right the first time," said Ryan Hamlin, general manager for Microsoft's technology, care and safety team.

Microsoft hasn't set a price for an annual subscription, but Hamlin said it would include unlimited phone, e-mail and chat support.

Microsoft has spent three years developing the service, which would run only on the operating system's newest version: Windows XP with Service Pack 2, a major security upgrade released last summer.

The company has been devoting more attention to security in recent years as its flagship Windows operating system and market-leading Internet Explorer browser become chief targets for hackers and writers of viruses and spyware.

Microsoft had been expected to enter the antivirus business following its recent acquisition of two antivirus companies. The company already makes a free antispyware tool available for download, and Windows ships with firewall protection.

But the company says most users don't take full advantage of those products.

Among its features, Windows OneCare would offer two-way firewall protection. A green icon would be displayed if the service didn't detect any problems. A yellow icon would indicate a relatively low-priority problem, like some files that needed to be backed up. A red icon would signal a virus or some other critical problem that needed fixing.

PC users could set up OneCare to periodically perform maintenance work like cleaning up disks, repairing files and defragmenting hard drives so that bits of data aren't inefficiently spread out. The service would keep track of how long it takes a computer to boot up and pin down problems that might be making the machine run more slowly. And consumers could opt to have their files automatically backed up on CD or DVD.

Microsoft risks alienating security vendors in releasing its own, competing products, but if it doesn't do more to stem Internet attacks, it also risks further alienating customers unhappy with the multitude of threats already facing its ubiquitous software. Microsoft has downplayed the competitive angle, saying it is simply responding to requests from customers for more protection options.

Symantec Corp., a vendor of antivirus, firewall and, soon, antispyware products, said it was prepared to compete with Microsoft.

"Symantec has been the leading provider of effective protection against viruses for more than 15 years," the company said in a statement.

Finnish security vendor F-Secure suggested it would benefit from Microsoft giving increased attention to approaches that include live support. F-Secure threw down the gauntlet as it stressed its five years of experience with that approach.

"There is a long learning curve in producing a live security service," said Risto Siilasmaa, F-Secure's chief executive.

Here's A Microsoft Word Tip

Inserting a Copyright Mark

There are a number of special symbols that are often used in the course of creating a document. One common symbol is the copyright mark, which is a small letter C surrounded by a circle. Copyright marks are easy to add to your document, assuming you are using a version of Word that has AutoCorrect and that it hasn't been turned off or modified. If this is the case, you should be able to type a lowercase C surrounded by parentheses--as in (c)--and Word will automatically change the three characters to a copyright mark.

If you have AutoCorrect turned off, there are a number of other ways you can insert a copyright mark. If you use the keyboard a lot, you can simply press Ctrl+Alt+C. If you prefer to use the mouse, you can follow these steps:

Choose Symbol from the Insert menu. Word displays the Symbol dialog box.

Make sure the Special Characters tab is selected. (See Figure 1.)

Choose Copyright from the list of available characters.

Click on OK.

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

While Wandering The Web

Interested in computer graphics?

        Want to enhance your photographs?

        Or create artistic images on your computer?

        Then you've come to the right place!

Dimage is a group for people just like you - people interested in improving their photographic and computer skills.
Come join them at monthly meetings, meet other members, and find out what Dimage is all about.

Click the Dimage logo to visit

SPCUG'S May Volunteer of the Month

Our Volunteer of the Month is Patricia Wheeler who has been a member of SPCUG since 1991.

Pat has been involved in real estate for many years. She is a real estate broker and currently works from her home in the real estate field. Her experience with computers started with the basics of punched cards and she has grown over the years into being very proficient with PCs.

She is currently the Volunteer Coordinator for SPCUG. She is responsible for finding qualified volunteers for the various job openings. It is important to match up the correct individual with the needs of the User Group and her ability to interact with individuals makes her an excellent choice for this work. She has been successful in filling most of our current needs.

Pat has been married for 51 years and has three children and 4 grandchildren. She has been creating a family newsletter which helps keep everyone up to date on what is going on. Her favorite hobby is her family. She also has a passion for genealogy and has traced her family back to the mid 1600’s. I think that was a bit before computers allowed us to share all this information across the miles.

Volunteers like Pat are what makes our group so strong and operating smoothly.
Thanks Pat for all of your hard work.

And Now Here's

Dave's Cool Download

Slingshot 1.2

The future is lightning fast downloads, connections that always work, intelligent checking for new software, even management of the data you download.

With these advances plus secure file sharing, instant messaging and much more, the future is Slingshot.

Features:

Supercharges download speed by optimizing your connection.

Automatically finds the fastest sources on the Internet for downloading.

Has a scheduler for running downloads when you want them to run.

Automatically checks for updates of the software you have.

Unzips and installs software you download. Preview a ZIP file before you download it.

Intelligently slows your downloads when you're surfing the web.

Interfaces with IE, Netscape and Opera. Toolbar provided for IE.

Share files with friends. Send instant sticky notes directly over the Internet.

Slingshot is completely free. No ads, spyware or spam

2.03 mb

From The "Smart Computing" Dictionary

Bluetooth

A technical industry standard allowing portable devices to interconnect with each other and with home and business devices. With a special transceiver chip, handheld personal assistants (HPAs), notebook computers, and cell phones can connect with a short-range wireless connection. To install this simple technology, manufacturers must have their products approved by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group.

Here's A "Neat Net Trick"

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Pause For Thought

No matter how fast your computer system runs, you will eventually come to think of it as slow

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