Tiplet expert tips & tech support

March 25, 2009

How to Find and Use an Online Backup Service

Filed under: data storage and recovery,Internet,online computing — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 5:00 pm

by Tina Gasperson

It’s important to keep your important computer files backed up, because almost inevitably your hard drive will fail and all the data on it will be gone forever. In fact, if you can back up your documents, photos, and videos in more than one location, you’ll be doubly safe. Archive CDs and DVDs only last for just so long and can be lost or broken, so having a “backup backup” online might be the solution you need. Fortunately there are many online backup services you can take advantage of. I recommend that you look for a service that has been around for a while and has a good reputation. One such service is Mozy.com.
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Pros and Cons of Microsoft Windows Defender

Filed under: privacy & security,Vista,Windows — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 1:00 pm

by David Hakala

Microsoft Windows Defender is an anti-spyware program included in Windows XP and Vista. Do you need it, and does it do its job well?

First, note that Windows Defender is only an anti-spyware program. Spyware intercepts or takes partial control over the user’s interaction with the computer, without the user’s informed consent. For example, spyware may log all of your keystrokes – including financial site passwords – and send them to an unknown party. That’s bad, but spyware is hardly the only kind of threat. You will still need anti-virus software, most of which also scans for spyware.
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Upgrading Your Laptop’s Hard Drive for Space and Performance

Filed under: computer hardware,computer memory,computer performance,Linux — Tags: , , , , , , , , — admin @ 8:00 am

by Stewart Vardaman

Disks get faster and better constantly, yet they are usually the slowest component in your notebook or PC. The simple truth is, memory speed might be measured in nanoseconds (billions), but disk speed is measured in milliseconds (thousands). That difference is like Bill Gates’s net worth to a working stiff like me.

Speeding up the slowest thing in the chain makes everything else faster. Adding a new disk to an old (or even new) laptop makes for a peppier machine. And you can do it yourself!
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March 24, 2009

How Can We Recognize DDR1 and DDR2 RAM?

Filed under: computer hardware,computer memory,Macintosh,Windows — Tags: , , , , , — admin @ 5:00 pm

by Tina Gasperson

Q: How can we recognize DDR1 and DDR2 RAM? — Alim

The two types of RAM modules are similar in their appearance, but don’t get them mixed up because they are most definitely not interchangeable. If you accidentally purchase the wrong kind of RAM, it won’t even fit into your computer – and you’ll be heading back to the store.
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Troubleshooting Windows Installer

Filed under: applications,computer performance,Windows — Tags: , , — admin @ 1:00 pm

by David Hakala

Sometimes, you will get an error message saying that there is a problem with Windows Installer, or that Windows Installer cannot open an installation package of software. Here is some background on Windows Installer and steps you can take to remedy such problems, you may be able to “repair” it using one of these methods.

Windows Installer is a component of Microsoft Windows that allows software developers to configure installation packages that are easy for users to set up. Several versions of Windows Installer are available, the latest being 3.1+. To see which version of Windows Installer you have,
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When a Non-Secure Site Wants Personal or Financial Information

Filed under: Internet,privacy & security — Tags: , , , , , — admin @ 8:00 am

by Gabe Goldberg

Twice recently, e-commerce Web sites have taken me to dangerous checkout screens — that is, Web pages which transmit data “in the clear” (unencrypted) — to complete online purchases. One of them even assured me “All orders are processed on secure servers.”

But without the reassuring padlock (or other secure-page symbol displayed by the browser when viewing a secure Web page) and Web address beginning “https” (instead of the usual “http”) I wasn’t about to provide information requested such as address, mother’s maiden name, credit card number, etc.
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March 23, 2009

How to Convert HTML and Flash Files to PowerPoint

Filed under: applications,digital media,photos and video,Windows — Tags: , , , , , — admin @ 5:00 pm

by Tina Gasperson

Q: How do you convert HTML and Flash files to PowerPoint? — Kevin

A few tiplets ago I showed you how to convert your PowerPoint slideshows to video files that you could upload to services such as Youtube.com. Now a reader wants to know how to convert Web pages (.htm) and Flash animated files (.swf) into PowerPoint. Kevin, you don’t convert these types of files, you import them as slides. And it’s very easy to do.
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How to Erase a Hard Drive Safely and Completely

Filed under: applications,computer hardware,data storage and recovery,privacy & security,Windows — Tags: , , , , , — admin @ 1:00 pm

by David Hakala

If you plan to sell, give away, or just toss in the trash an old hard drive, you really should erase your personal data from it first. If you’re like most people, your hard drive contains things you don’t want strangers to see: private correspondence, bank account numbers, passwords, your children’s pictures, names, and where they go to school… think about it, then take a little time to wipe that hard drive really clean!
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How Can I Avoid Losing Real Email in My Spam Folder?

Filed under: e-mail,Internet — Tags: , , , , , — admin @ 8:00 am

by Gabe Goldberg

Spam — junk email offering scams, lost-relative fortunes, exotic romance, drug deals, etc. — is a nasty curse on the current Internet. Technologies are being explored to curb or cure it, and law enforcement has occasional successes shutting down king spammers, but in the meantime, we deal with it.

Most ISPs (Internet service providers) and most email software offers options for handling spam, selecting methods of detecting it and customizing what’s done with it. And add-on software products promise wonderfully precise protection. While these choices can help, they all unfortunately have disadvantages.
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March 22, 2009

How to Disable Group Policy on Your Computer

Filed under: privacy & security,Windows — Tags: , , , — admin @ 4:59 pm

by Tina Gasperson

Group policies are set by the network administrator to control the desktop experience of network computer users and to help prevent security risks. Network administrators can prevent users from running certain programs and applications or from seeing certain folders and drives on the network. Disabling a group policy is probably not going to earn you any Brownie points with your employer, so you may want to think twice about performing this operation. Not only that, but you’ll be making changes to your Windows registry – and if you’re not very, very careful, you could make your computer unbootable.
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Open Office 2007 Word, Excel, and PowerPoint Files With Office 2003 Versions

Filed under: applications,Vista,Windows — Tags: , , , , , , , , — admin @ 1:00 pm

by David Hakala

There is a bit of a battle going on among Microsoft Office users worldwide. Some have upgraded to Office 2007 while others stick with Office 2003. The problem is that the default file format in which Office documents are saved is not the same for both versions. So users of Office 2003 cannot open documents created and saved by Office 2003.

“Save it in 2003 format!” they cry.

“No, you upgrade!” reply the state-of-the-art crowd.
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