Thursday 29 March 2012

Computer Maintenance Tips and Tricks to Backup, Scan and Clean


Computer Maintenance Tips and Tricks to Backup, Scan and Clean



Computer maintenance is a part of everyone’s lives now, much like owning a car and getting it serviced, it just has to be done. Computers are the same, needing regular maintenance, as they get clogged up with truck loads of hidden files. I have published many articles about computer maintenance, however the most popular article is my computer maintenance checklist. This is the exact reason that the video below was made. I needed to show people what to do and what was involved in performing computer maintenance.
Most of the time the average computer user has no idea that they are actually messing up a computer just by using it. Do you surf the internet, read file attachments from your email, or simply write a Word document? Without even personally saving a file on your computer, there are hundreds of different files saved automatically each time you do anything on your computer. For example if you receive an email with a Word document attached to it and open it to read instead of saving it first, the document will be temporarily saved in the Windows Temp folder. Imagine after reading this Word document, you try to save it to your computer without looking where you are saving it. If you do not choose where to save this file it will be saved in a temporary folder. Eventually this temp folder becomes quite large in size without you even realizing.

In the video below I show you how I perform Computer maintenance on my computer.

Of course there are programs out there that can do all this for you, which I will mention in a later article.  Here are some steps I go through:
  1. Move files I want to keep and store for later use.
  2. Delete files I do not need.
  3. Remove programs I do not need. (Ones I have installed)computer maintenance checklist
  4. Delete old emails.
  5. Delete Temp files manually.
  6. Delete junk files from the rubbish bin… Email programs have a junk and deleted folder to clean out also.
  7. Perform disk Cleanup. (Getting what I missed)
  8. Defrag with JKdefrag.
This is nuts. Al this can take forever to perform. No wonder most computer users neglect computer maintenance. 

What happens if you do not perform any computer maintenance?

Have you ever had a computer that just was so slow you wanted to smash it? Or maybe the computer is so full it will not do anything, not even open programs. Well this is what happens if you do not perform computer maintenance. You cannot just do this once either! You need to perform regular computer maintenance in order to keep your computer running smoothly. If you use your computer on a regular basis you will need to do computer maintenance task more often. When you become experienced you will be able to see the signs of your computer asking to be maintained.

Warning about computer maintenance:

The task of computer maintenance takes a while to do and therefore the video is rather long! This computer maintenance was performed on a computer that has really been neglected. If you perform maintenance regularly then it will not take this long.

I do not do all of this computer maintenance manually any longer as who has time for this? I now use PowerSuite Golden. It will do all of this for me, plus keep the registry clean as well and more! All I have to do is press on the scan button and this will do all the computer maintenance for you.

How to make an anchor text link in a Word document?


How to make an anchor text link in a Word document?


What is an Anchor text link?

When writing a word document and attempting to insert a hyperlink, it always looks better if you use anchor text instead of a messy URL. For example instead of putting just http://www.wordpresswebsitehost.com you can put something like this WordPress Website Host. Obviously it looks more professional using anchor text for a website URL. Anchor text will let the potential clicker know what kind of information will be on the resulting web page. 

How to insert a hyperlink in a Word document using anchor text?

1.  Select the text that you want to make the anchor text by making it blue.
2.  Right click on the blue selection and a menu will appear.
anchor text in word 2007
3.  Choose hyperlink from the menu.
hyperlink anchor text 
4.  Your text you selected will automatically be inserted into the Text to display section at the top.
5.  Under the link to heading on the left, make sure Existing File or Webpage is selected.
6.  Fill in the Address with the URL of the website you want to link to.
7.  Then press ok.

Insert your Facebook profile or business page link into your email



Insert your Facebook profile or business page link into your email



It doesn’t matter if you are using Facebook for business or pleasure, if you are looking for friends you need to get your link out there.  Without becoming a stalker, the best way to help people find your Facebook profile or your Facebook fan page is to put a link to these pages in your emails. Most email programs allow you to add an email signature that will send out your links to Facebook every time you simply send an email.
The main hurdle to face when adding a Facebook link to your email is:
1..”How can I find the link? Facebook is so confusing.
2..”Is the link I am seeing when I am logged in the same as what they need to click on?”

How to find the URL for your own Facebook Profile page?

1.  Log into Facebook. Click on the Profile link at the top of the page.
facebook url link in email
2.  There is a URL in the top address bar. See the screenshot below where the red arrow is.
3.  Select this text by clicking on it and making it blue.
4.  Right click on the blue selection and choose copy.
facebook link in email
5.  Here is my URL to my profile page. This is when I am logged in http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/blog
6. After removing what is not needed the link looks like this…
http://www.facebook.com/blog
7.  That’s the link that I should paste into my email.

To find a link to a Facebook page:

1.  Click on the home link on the right hand corner.
2.  Click on Ads and Pages in the left sidebar.
3.  Then choose the pages link in the left column. See the screen shot below.
4.  Choose the page you want to get the link for.
5.  Once you are at your page, copy the URL like in steps 2-4 above.
facebook page URL
6.  My URL that I copied was http://www.facebook.com/pages/manage/?act=51993129#!/pages/Tips4pc/167156574680
7.  The last number is the page number so we can shorten this URL also to this http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tips4pc/167156574680 which looks better.
8. That is the link to put into your email.
When gathering friends for your personal profile there is a limit to 5,000 friends and this is why we have to make pages and groups. When you are in business it is not hard to rack up 5,000 friends

Computer Tips – Increase your virtual memory size



Computer Tips – Increase your virtual memory size



A computer system has two forms of memory, one is the RAM- random access memory and the other is the Virtual memory. Mostly all applications make use of RAM as a first option; the virtual memory is used only when there is not enough RAM available. When there is not enough virtual memory allocated for your operating system to use you will see an error message stating that there is not enough virtual memory to complete the task.

What is virtual memory?

Virtual memory is the space your computer uses when it’s short of RAM (Random Access Memory), which is the memory used when running programs like Microsoft Office Word or Microsoft Office PowerPoint.

Increase the amount of virtual memory your computer is allocated?

1. Go to the  Start menu in the left corner.
2. Choose Control Panel from the menu. Switch to classic view.
3. T hen double click on the System icon.
4. In the left sidebar, click Advanced system settings link. You might be prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
5. Go to the Advanced tab. See the screen shot below.
virtual memory
6. Under the heading Performance, click Settings. See above screen shot.
7. Click the Advanced tab, and then, under Virtual memory, click Change. See screen shot below.
virtual memory
8. Uncheck the Automatically manage paging file size for all drives check box.
9. In the Drive [Volume Label] column, click the drive that contains the paging file you want to change. Select it by making it blue.
10. Click Custom size, type a new size in the Initial size (MB) or Maximum size (MB) box, click Set, and then click OK.
page file system
If your problem remains after increasing the virtual memory, the next step is to see if you have enough RAM installed. Of course if there is not enough RAM, your computer cannot run smoothly. It will struggle through tasks, especially shut down and start up.
You might think your Ram is ok however it might be damaged or might have become dislodged from its slot on the motherboard. therefore you will need to check how much RAM Windows is using and recognizing.

Find out how much RAM you have in your computer

  1. On the Start menu, click Control Panel, then click System.
  2. Under System, next to Installed memory (RAM), you can see the amount of RAM your computer has. 

Microsoft Excel Basics – Creating Sums in Excel


Microsoft Excel Basics – Creating Sums in Excel



Creating sums in excel is not that hard after all. I know most people see Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and automatically think they are difficult. As you will see in this tutorial, making sums in Excel is just a matter of knowing the formulas. Once you learn the Microsoft Excel basics it is easy to learn the more difficult features and use Microsoft Excel to your advantage. I believe that everyone can find the use for this fantastic software. Even the stay at home mum can make a family budget in Excel as the uses for this program are endless. You will most likely need to know how to create a basic spreadsheet and then can move onto to this tutorial with that background knowledge.

How to Use Sums in Excel to Create a Formula?

To use sums in Microsoft Excel, we first need to know the address of each cell. If you look at the screen shot below I have two arrows pointing to a particular cell. This shows you the address of that cell in Excel. As you can see it is D4. Therefore the cell to the right on the same row would be E4. Once you understand this we can now look at Excel Sums.
Microsoft Excel basics

Microsoft Excel Basics – Sums in Excel

Remember this is a Microsoft Excel basics tutorial so I am going to focus on the four main ingredients to make sums in excel. As you can see I have listed the Excel sums that I would like to explain.
- = minus
* = multiply
/ = division
+ = plus

Microsoft Excel Basics – Sums in Excel

This tutorial is equal to learning one plus one. In the screenshot below I have a table that I have made and it shows the sum I created to add up totals for me automatically. As you can see I have used =N3-K3. This means that the K3 cell will be subtracted from the N3 cell. If I wanted to add the cells together I would have =N3+K3. If I wanted to divide I would have =N3/K3.
sums in Excel

To find the total of two cells:

1.  Click on the empty cell where you want the answer to appear. This is the total of the two cells that we are going to add together.
2.  Put = in the cell.
3.  Then click on the cell that is first in the Excel sum.
4.  Now type in your minus, plus,divided by, or times, sign.
5.  Now click on the second cell that goes into this sum.
In the screen shot above I clicked on O3, then typed the = sign, clicked on N3, then typed the – sign, then clicked on K3.
Once you have made your tables and sums in Excel you can now use that data to create a graph.
You will see this for yourself in the video below.

Watch this Microsoft Excel basics video about sums in Excel



To sum up an entire column.
Simply type this to add up an entire column =SUM(K3:K6)
The sum will range from K3 to K6 and add up K3,K4,K5,K6.

Router Networking Terms Defined


Router Networking Terms Defined



Router networking terms confuse everyone at first, but once you learn the language, taking care of your home network becomes much easier. 

Networking Terms

  • Router any computer or device which sends packets from one network to another, such as from your home network to the Internet. Most routers are small devices with Ethernet ports and wireless antennae, but any computer with two network interfaces (and the right software) can also serve as a router.
  • Switch a device which lets two computers on the same network communicate. Most routers include a built-in switch that lets all of the computers on your home network communicate.
  • Ethernet the most commonly used way to connect home and office computers to a router or switch using wires. 
  • Ethernet cable (sometimes called a patch cable) the cables that provide ethernet connections. They come in three common types: CAT–5 (about 10 megabytes a second speed), CAT–5E (about 100 megabytes a second speed), CAT–6 (in theory, faster than 100 megabytes a second speed).
  • Wireless router a computer or device which sends packets from one wireless network to another network (usually the Internet). Wireless 802.11-A provides a fast, short-range connection. Wireless-B provides a slower (1 megabyte a second) longer-range connection. Wireless-G provides a faster (6 megabyte a second) longer-range connection. Wireless-N provides the fastest and longest range connection (10 megabytes a second or faster).Cisco-Linksys WRT54GL  Wireless-G Broadband Router  (Compatible with Linux)
  • Crossover cable a special Ethernet cable with one pair of wires reversed that it can connect a cable or DSL modem to a router or can connect two computers together. Often a yellow-color cord instead of the typical blue ethernet cord.
  • Packet a piece of information sent over the network and its routing information. Like an envelope, a packet holds the addresses of the source and destination of the information, plus some other information like Quality of Service (QoS) flags that help routers efficiently get the information to its destination.
  • Firewall a point in the network where unwanted incoming packets are blocked. Every router acts as a basic firewall; there are also special hardware firewalls and software firewalls.
  • DHCP The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, the system that lets your Internet Service Provider (ISP) give your modem an Internet Protocol (IP) address and then lets your router give each of your computers its own local IP address. It also tells your computers how to find the server that turns hostnames like google.com into IP addresses, so your computer can connect to websites.
  • WEP Wired Equivalent Privacy, an older security protocol that helped prevent hackers from snooping on wireless communications. No longer secure against serious hackers but good enough to keep typical neighbors from eavesdropping on your Facebook chats.
Networking Terms
  • WPA or WPA2 Wifi Protected Access, the current security protocol that prevents hackers from snooping on your wireless communication. In homes and small offices, you create a password on the router which each user uses to securely connect to the Internet through the router. You will find these terms when setting up your network security.
  • SSID Service Set IDentifier, the name of a wireless network. In homes and small offices, each router has its own SSID, but in larger offices, hotels, and campuses, several routers (up to several thousands) will all share the same SSID, letting you use your laptop over a wide distance.
  • Hidden SSID A SSID which is not broadcast publicly, making it more difficult for casual users to access your wireless network. It does not add any security against even the most basic hackers or anyone with a free wireless packet sniffer.
  • IP Address Internet Protocol address, the unique number which identifies your computer to other computers on the same network. Public IP addresses are those on the Internet. Private IP addresses are those which only apply to your home network. Private IP addresses usually start with 10 or 192.168.
  • MAC Address or Wireless MAC Address The unique identifier for each individual network card, sort of like a universal serial number. The MAC address is used by the Ethernet and 802.11 protocols which handle sending the electricity or radio waves holding Internet Protocol packets from your computer to the router and back. Some cable and DSL modems are set to only work with particular MAC addresses, but all computers and most routers can forge their MAC addresses.
  • DNS Domain Name Service, how your computer turns an address like Google.com into an IP address it can use to connect to Google’s servers. Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) sends your router a list of DNS servers using DHCP when your modem connects to the Internet. Then your router forwards that list of DNS servers to each computer on your network, again using DHCP.
  • Region Where your wireless router is located. Different regions use slightly different frequencies for wireless access. Using the wrong frequency is illegal in most countries.
  • Channel A group of wireless frequencies. All devices which want to communicate wirelessly need to use the same channel. The default channel in the U.S. is 11, but in a busy metropolitan area, you may find people using alternative channels.
  • IP Subnet Mask A way for network administrators to divide a large network into several smaller networks (sub-networks). Rarely seen outside large organizations.
  • Ping A program on Windows and other operating systems which sends a special packet over the network to another computer; the other computer is supposed to respond with a similar packet. Ping verifies that the other computer is available. Ping has been abused to attack some websites, like WhiteHouse.gov, so some routers don’t return pings.
  • DMZ Server De-militarized Zone server, a computer on your network which accepts all the traffic from the Internet that was not specifically requested by other computers on your network. The DMZ server will be treated as if it were plugged directly into your Internet connection—which mostly means that it’ll be repeatedly attacked by hackers and viruses.
  • MTU Size Maximum Transfer Unit, the largest amount of data that will be sent in one ethernet packet. Smaller packets can travel over a greater variety of networks but each packet has fixed overhead, so the smaller the packets you send, the slower your connection gets. 

Disable Programs from Starting with Msconfig



Disable Programs from Starting with Msconfig



When you install a program the default settings usually are to start the program when you login to your computer. For example if you install Nero at least three items start-up when you login. Nero secure disc, Nero check, and Nero Incd.  But seriously we do not need all these programs starting up and can easily disable them by using the msconfig command which will bring up the system configuration settings.
Disabling these annoying startup programs should definitely be part of your computer maintenance checklist because each time you install a new program, different startup processes will be added. just imagine if absolutely everything started when you logged in. It would take forever for everything to load.

Will my computer run faster if I disable programs from starting?

If you disable programs from starting up when you boot up your computer you can make the entire start-up process quicker. The less items that have to be started, the faster your computer will boot up. If your computer does take a long time to start this could be the problem.
It is common for programs to also check for updates every time you log in. Software usually gets updated once or twice a year, however it is checking for updates every time you start your computer. I never recommend disabling automatic updates for windows, but other programs are OK. For example I have a photo editing program I do not use much so when I disable programs from starting, this is OK to disable.

How to use the msconfig command to disable programs from starting?

Msconfig is the command that brings up the system configuration utility. You will need to use this run box command, as shown in the screenshot below.  To open a run dialog box simple press the WIN KEY and the letter R together. This will work on a Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows Seven operating system.
Disable programs from starting
When you have typed in msconfig into the run box the system configuration utility will appear.

How to disable programs from starting when you log into your computer?

  1. Once you have the system configuration window open, go to the startup tab.
  2. Here you will see a list of programs that will start when your computer starts. Simply un-tick the ones you don’t want.This will disable programs from starting.
  3. When you have finished choosing your programs, press apply and then OK.
msconfig startup tab

Programs you should not disable in msconfig?

You should always be careful when disabling programs and should only do so if you are sure of what the consequences are. You should not disable your antivirus from starting as you will not be protected. Virus removal software, your firewall, and Windows updates would be the most important programs to keep updated. Also you should not disable programs related to certain devices that you may wish to use like a printer. If you know what the startup program is then it is OK to disable it.

Notes on using msconfig to disable programs at startup:

  • Yes it will speed up your computer at boot up, however choosing to disable the wrong program can cause errors.
  • Just remember that editing and changing settings on your computer is dangerous if you are unsure of what you are doing.
  • You can reverse your changes by typing msconfig into the run box and entering the system configuration again. Simply put a tick in the box to enable a program to run at startup. 

Are You Putting Your Facebook Friends at Risk for Identity Theft?


Are You Putting Your Facebook Friends at Risk for Identity Theft?



Social networking sites like Facebook have become targets for identity thieves, as so much personal information about our lives has been made public.  But you may be putting your friends at risk of ID theft without even realizing it, even if you are making sure that your own Facebook profile is void of private information.  The messages you leave on your friend’s walls, and the comments you leave on their photos could make the job of identity thieves even easier.
Changing your privacy settings on Facebook is not only important for your account but also for your friends too.
Telling your friends to enjoy their vacation
It seems fairly harmless to let your friend or family member know that you wish them well on their upcoming trip on their Facebook wall, but you are also announcing to the world that no one will be at their house for a few days.  And with all the other information already available on Facebook, it’s not hard to find out just where that person lives.  Revealing to everyone that a house will be vacant and vulnerable on a specific date is just putting someone else at risk, so if you want to give them your blessing before they go, do it in a personal message and not on a public wall.
Tagging your friend’s in photos without their permission
Our photos tell a lot about us, but sometimes a photo may misrepresent us as well.  But since your friends can tag you in any photo they like, it can lead to some open loopholes in your personal security.  You should adjust your settings to tagged photos are only visible to that person only and not to the entire community in Facebook, which is pretty much the whole world right?  And with facial recognition technology being introduced to Facebook it will be even easier for unethical people to find out who you are and find any other pictures of you and your family online.  With identity theft, more information leads to more risk, so limiting your exposure is the best policy. You can also easily remove a tag from a photo on Facebook, however this is usually an after thought as the damage is done.
Checking-in your friends
Using a mobile app you can check yourself in at different places.  This is a cool feature but I usually recommend against this practice as it again makes life so much easy for hackers who want to get more information about you so they can steal your identity.  Some applications also allow you to check-in your friends without them even realizing it.  So even if your friend is very id theft conscious he is still at risk if you check him in.  Be polite and just let everyone else check-in themselves.
Leaving comments on photos
Some of these points will seem fairly innocuous, but in the hands of an identity crook, even the most trivial information can help them gain the advantage.  For instance, you might leave a comment on your friend’s photo about their pet and use the pet’s name.  Well often people use their pet’s names for passwords and many security questions will ask for pet’s names as well, so if an ID thief has this information it will make hacking into your private data even easier.
Choosing simple passwords
Choosing a simple and easy password for yourself also puts your friends at risk.  After all, a hacker can easy gain access to your account with a simple password and will be able to pose as you asking your friends list for money or their private information.  There are a few Facebook scams going around right now where the hacker says he is stuck in Europe after being mugged and needs money transferred over to an account.  Create tough passwords that are not easily cracked and help protect your friend’s IDs as well as your own.

How to export or copy a task from task scheduler in Windows



How to export or copy a task from task scheduler in Windows



Using task scheduler can be a complicated process and sometimes it is wise to backup your favorite tasks by exporting or copying them. When you set up a custom made task in task scheduler that took you hours to perfect, you obviously want to make a copy of it. You should not risk loosing this task because it will save you loads of time if you have a copy of it ready to go. For example I have a task set in task scheduler to backup a folder on one drive and make a mirror copy of it on another drive. This process has saved my life, seriously. 
Task scheduler is completely different in Windows Vista and Windows XP  and therefore the instructions below are not interchangeable. 

Why would you want to export or copy a task from task scheduler?

Well I daresay this is an obvious answer. BACKUP. Anything you can export or make a copy of, you should. Do not hesitate and um and ahh about it!! When you get a new computer or you reformat the one you have it is much easier to restore it to how you like it if you have backups and files to restore. It just makes life so much easier.

How to open task Scheduler in Windows?

  1. Go to the start menu.
  2. Choose all programs, then accessories.
  3. Then choose system tools. Task scheduler will be in there.

How to export a task from task scheduler in Windows Vista?

  1. Open task scheduler. Click on Task Scheduler Library in the left column, as shown below.
  2. Go to the next middle column and select a task by making it blue.
  3. Go to the third column and press on the Export link.
export task - task scheduler
  1. Now you will need to browse where you want to save the exported file.
  2. See the screenshot below of what the file looks like after you have saved it. Mine is called the backup.xml.
save exported task

How to save or copy a task from task scheduler in Windows XP?

  1. Open task scheduler the same way you do for Vista.
  2. Right click on a task. A menu will appear.
  3. Choose copy from the menu. See screenshot below.
  4. Choose where you want to save the copy of the task.
  5. Save it in a safe place. Now you have a copy of the task.
copy a task in Windows XP
Where ever you save the file, it will appear with a red cross on it because this file will not function until it is placed back into task scheduler.

How to import a task into task scheduler in Windows Vista?

In Windows Vista, as soon as you open task scheduler there will be an option to import a task in the third column. Simply press on this link and browse to where your saved task backup copy is.

How to replace a task to task scheduler in Windows XP?

After you have copied a task and saved it in a safe place, when you want to use it again, simply copy it again and paste it back into task scheduler. The file will have the same properties and settings attached to it.

 

  • You will not be able to use the saved copy of the task for anything but task scheduler.
  • The file will not work unless it is in task scheduler. 

Don’t Tell Your Boss About These Computer Tips


Don’t Tell Your Boss About These Computer Tips


The Super Alt-Tab Computer Tips

Your boss probably already knows that alt-tab lets you quickly switch from your Web browser (displaying Digg.com) to a more productive-looking application, so your boss may make a habit of glancing at your Windows taskbar whenever he’s standing behind your computer to see what you’re really up to.
But you can one-up your boss by installing a special application that completely hides certain windows when you press a particular key combination. No matter how hard your boss looks, he won’t find these hidden windows (unless he knows your secret key combination).
Warning: if you install an application like Hide Window Plus, you may get in more trouble than you would for just surfing the Internet. If you can see your boss coming, you may have more luck by pressing Alt-Home in your Web browser to view your boring default home page before pressing Alt-Tab to switch to an even more boring application.

Computer Tips To Get Around Blocked Sites

Tech savvy bosses and larger organizations will often block the major time-wasting Web sites. When you try to visit Reddit or Digg or Slashdot, the blocking software displays a “get back to work screen” or—worse—a message saying that your visit has been logged with your boss.
But most of these blocking tools use what computer security professionals call a blacklist—they only list the sites you can’t visit. You can still visit any site not on that list.
Free Proxy Computer Tips
Getting around a blacklist on the modern Internet is easy. Just search for “free proxy.” These sites will download a copy of the Digg homepage and show it to you on their domain name—which probably isn’t blocked.
Be careful—if you login to a site through a free proxy, you share your login details with them. Never use them to login to your main email account or any financial account. This is just a precaution you need to take to protect your on line accounts.
Also be careful of crafty bosses or overstaffed IT departments. If they see you frequently visiting FreeProxy.example.com, they might get suspicious and see what you’re really doing. Again, the punishment for trying to cover up your actions might be worse than the punishment for those actions themselves.

Computer Tips To Avoid Leaving A Trail

Website blocking software can track your Web browser at the server level, so there’s little you can do to hide your actions. But if your boss or IT department haven’t bought a blocking system, they may be checking on you using the old fashioned way—looking at your Web browser history.
For years now, every major browser has included a way for you to wipe your browsing history. The problem with this method was that it wiped everything—so it was obvious you were trying to hide something.
But a new feature in Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome lets you hide just a specific session. Open your Web browser in privacy mode (see the File menu) and your browser won’t save anything you do on your disk drive (except files you download.)
See the screenshot below. In Google chrome simply click on the spanner, then New incognito window, and your set to browse in private.
computer tips
There will be no trace on your computer of the sites you visited—but the rest of the legitimate Web browsing that you did will still be there so your boss doesn’t suspect anything.

How To Access Hidden Applications

At a company my friend used to work for, the IT department deleted the Games directory from the Windows Start menu so we no longer had access to Solitaire, Hearts, and Minesweeper.
This was no big deal until one day my friend casually asked me how to get Solitaire back. I was puzzled as to why she needed to do this. The reason was simple. She was the boss and her employees were still using the games that she had the IT department remove. That’s when I showed her one of the simplest computer tips:
Windows stores most of its default computer programs in the same directory. Any program stored in that directory can be started by typing a single word—the program name—into the Windows Run… dialog.
So open the Start menu, open the Run… dialog, and type solfor Solitaire. Almost immediately Solitaire will start running, even if it doesn’t appear in the start menu.
computer tips
You can also hide applications from your boss this way, although (again) be careful of the consequences of getting caught. Just install the app like normal, find the application name and start it from the Run… dialog, and then delete its icons or folder from the Start menu.

Computer Tips To Really Hide Applications

Of course a savvy boss or diligent IT department will simply block you from installing new applications on your computer, so it doesn’t matter how well you hide them—or does it?
If you really need to hide an application and you have a computer at home, you may be able to install it on a USB device. Lots of applications today have what they call “portable” editions that install entirely to USB keychains and keep all of their data there.
If you use, for example, a portable game, you’ll be able to play it at work but never leave any trace on your work computer. There will be no program file, no data files, no Start Menu entry. Plus—even better—you’ll be able to play the same game at home too, picking up from where you left off.
I suggest you start with a portable Web browser and see how it works at work. You can always claim that you like the interface of the portable browser better than the browser at work if you get caught.

Computer Tips To Prevent Your Boss From Spying On You

Several offices have security cameras for security—and for monitoring employee productivity. But these days there’s a new less obvious way to spy on employees. but the same software that lets us record videos of our desktops also lets bosses secretly record videos of your desktop.
Most of this software doesn’t save these videos. It just lets your boss tune in and spy on you whenever he wants. That could suck if you want to just relax on the Internet for a bit.
Luckily, you can easily defeat this software—you simply need to kill it. Press Ctrl-Alt-Delete and switch to the processes tab. One of these processes is the spy software—it’s usually called something like Remote Viewer. Highlight the software and press End Process.
The next time your boss tries to spy on your desktop, he’ll get a “cannot connect” error. If you kill this software everyday and he gets suspicious, just tell him that you thought it might have been a virus, and since terminating it didn’t harm your computer you thought it was ok.

Repair Startup Errors in Windows Vista and Seven with Bootrec.exe


Repair Startup Errors in Windows Vista and Seven with Bootrec.exe



Back in the days of Windows XP bootrec.exe did not exist. Fixing the master boot record in Windows XP is a bit different. In this article I will show you how to use the Bootrec.exe tool to repair boot problems in Windows Vista or Windows 7.
The bootrec.exe tool can be used to fix:
  • A master boot record (MBR)
  • A boot sector
  • A Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store
Please note that this tutorial presumes you have your original operating system disc so you can troubleshoot and repair startup errors. You will also need to make sure that the boot options in your BIOS are set to boot from your cd/dvd drive. If your dvd does not boot up and you do not see the option to “press any key to boot from dvd” then you need to enter into your BIOS and change boot options.

The first thing you should try if you are having boot problems it to start Windows Recovery Console and choose the Startup Repair. Then if that does not work you can try some more advanced options such as using the Bootrec.exe tool.
To run the Bootrec.exe tool, you must start Windows Recovery. To do this, follow these steps:
  1. Place the Windows Vista or Windows 7 installation disc in the disc drive, and then start the computer.
  2. Press a key when you are prompted.
  3. Select a language, a time, a currency, a keyboard or an input method, and then click Next.
  4. Click Repair your computer.
  5. Click the operating system that you want to repair, and then click Next.
  6. In the System Recovery Options dialog box, click Command Prompt.
  7. Type Bootrec.exe, and then press ENTER.

Bootrec.exe options

The Bootrec.exe tool supports the following options. Use the option that is appropriate for your situation.
Note Use the Bootrec.exe tool to troubleshoot “Bootmgr Is Missing” issue. If rebuilding the BCD does not resolve the startup issue, you can export and delete the BCD, and then run this option again. By doing this, you make sure that the BCD is completely rebuilt.
To do this, type the following commands at the Windows RE command prompt:
  • bcdedit /export C:BCD_Backup
  • c:
  • cd boot
  • attrib bcd -s -h -r
  • ren c:bootbcd bcd.old
  • bootrec /RebuildBcd

/FixMbr

The /FixMbroption writes a Windows 7 or Windows Vista-compatible MBR to the system partition. This option does not overwrite the existing partition table. Use this option when you must resolve MBR corruption issues, or when you have to remove non-standard code from the MBR.

/FixBoot

The /FixBoot option writes a new boot sector to the system partition by using a boot sector that is compatible with Windows Vista or Windows 7. Use this option if one of the following conditions is true:
  • The boot sector has been replaced with a non-standard Windows Vista or Windows 7 boot sector.
  • The boot sector is damaged.
  • An earlier Windows operating system has been installed after Windows Vista or Windows 7 was installed. In this scenario, the computer starts by using Windows NT Loader (NTLDR) instead of Windows Boot Manager (Bootmgr.exe).

/ScanOs

The /ScanOs option scans all disks for installations that are compatible with Windows Vista or Windows 7. Additionally, this option displays the entries that are currently not in the BCD store. Use this option when there are Windows Vista or Windows 7 installations that the Boot Manager menu does not list.

/RebuildBcd

The /RebuildBcd option scans all disks for installations that are compatible with Windows Vista or Windows 7. Additionally, this option lets you select the installations that you want to add to the BCD store. Use this option when you must completely rebuild the BCD.

Linux Tools On Windows–The Official Windows Version


Linux Tools On Windows–The Official Windows Version

Microsoft has long recognized the value of Linux and Unix–Microsoft was even planning to replace Windows with its own version of Unix, called Xenix, back in the late 1980s. Alas, Microsoft signed a deal with IBM to develop OS/2, parts of which evolved into Windows NT and the current versions of Windows.
After stopping support on Xenix, Microsoft produced an official package called Windows Services for Unix. For Windows Vista and Windows 7, the package was renamed Subsystem for Unix-based Applications (SUA). It includes over 350 Unix applications, plus libraries that allow Windows to talk to Unix.
Unfortunately, two things prevent us from recommending you install SUA today. First, it requires either the Enterprise or Ultimate editions of Windows, so most users can’t use it. Second, many of the Linux utilities it includes are years out of date, depriving users of some of the best features.

Linux Tools on Windows Using Cygwin

Begun in 1995, Cygwin is by far the most popular way to run Linux tools on Windows. Contributing to its popularity is the fact that it’s free and it supports a dizzying array of Linux tools–a full installation of Linux tools can take up over 4 GB of disk space, although you don’t need that much to get started.
The great thing about Cygwin is that it makes all of its tools available to the regular Windows command line, yet if you choose to use one of the Linux command lines, you can still use all of the Windows tools. This means there’s no trade off–you get powerful Linux tools without giving up anything (except a bit of disk space).

Installing Linux Tools on Windows

Installing Cygwin is a breeze. Go to cygwin.com, click the Install Cygwin link, and download and run setup.exe. Cygwin will open a window that lets you choose what you want to install–by default only a minimal set of Linux tools are installed.
After choosing which programs you want to install, Cygwin’s setup.exe will automatically download all the necessary files. This step may take a while, particularly if you have a slow Internet connection or you selected a lot of packages. After downloading all the files, Cygwin will install them and offer to create an icon for you on your desktop and Start menu to launch the Bash shell. I highly suggest you accept, for you can use copies of this launcher to create your own launchers to your favorite Linux tools.
After installation, Cygwin runs a few post-installation scripts. Sometimes these scripts pop up windows which disappear after a moment. Don’t be alarmed–this is a quirk in Windows and you won’t see it again until you upgrade Cygwin.

Using Linux Tools On Windows

After your installation finishes, I suggest you dive right in to Cygwin. Double-click the Bash Shell icon on your desktop, which will open the default Windows terminal and the Linux Bash shell.
A shell, in Linux jargon, is a program which loads other programs. It can also be used to create shell scripts, which are very similar to Windows batch files. Linux shells almost always end with the letters sh (for SHell); there are a number of other shells you can choose from in Cygwin, but Bash is the best for learning about Linux.
After launching Bash, you may discover that it uses different filenames than what you expect. In Windows, all full filenames start with a drive prefix, for example C:Program Files. In Cygwin applications, all full filenames start with a single forward slash, /. Unfortunately this means filenames are different in Cygwin and Windows; here’s how to find your files no matter where you are:
  • In Windows all of your Cygwin files are in the C:cygwin folder. Most files will be in your Cygwin user directory, which is C:cygwinhome*username* (where username is your Windows username).
  • In Cygwin all of your Windows drives can be found in the /cygdrive folder. Files in your Documents folder will be in /cygdrive/c/Users/*username*/Documents
You can see all of the files in the current directory in Cygwin by typing ls. You can change directory by typing cd followed by the directory name you want to move visit. These are the same commands you would type in a Windows command line.

Learning To Use Linux Tools on Windows

Hundreds, maybe thousands, of books have been written about learning Linux, so I don’t expect to teach you everything you want to know about using Linux tools on Windows in this one article. But I can leave you with a few hints on how to find more information:
Linux Tools On Windows--Bash
Linux Tools On Windows–Bash
  • Most Linux programs come with a manual page. You can read the manual page by typing man before the name of the program. For example, try running man bash right now.
  • Try doing in Bash anything you would usually do on the Windows command line. In most cases, Windows and Linux use programs with the same names, so switching is easy.


5 Place To Find Linux Error Messages


5 Place To Find Linux Error Messages

Find Linux Error Messages By Asking The Linux Kernel

Linux includes a built-in method for keeping track of its most recent error messages. It’s called the Linux kernel ring buffer.
A ring buffer is a special file often stored in computer memory (RAM). This file always stays the same size. The operating system kernel needs the ring buffer to stay the same because, on Intel and AMD processors, the core parts of the kernel can’t get bigger (or smaller) after the kernel accepts control of the computer. In order to stay the same size, a ring buffer deletes the oldest lines in its memory when newer lines arrive, making it look like lines start at one end of the ring and disappear when they reach the end of the ring.
Because the kernel stores the ring buffer in computer memory, you can’t read it like a regular file. You need to use a special command, dmesg. By default, any user can type this command to see what the kernel did recently. The output of dmesg has a specific format, here’s a sample:
[143297.900019] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Starting disk
[143298.192032] sd 1:0:0:0: [sdb] Starting disk
[143317.464817] agpgart-amdk7 0000:00:00.0: AGP 2.0 bridge
The number in the brackets to the left indicates when the event happened. Unfortunately, the kernel doesn’t keep track of time the same way you or I do. The kernel knows nothing about days or hours—that’s the job of end-user software—the kernel cares only about how many seconds since you turned on the computer. The first message above occurred 143,297 seconds after I most recently turned on my computer.
So to figure out when a warning or error occurred, you need to know how many seconds your computer has been running. Luckily, the kernel makes it easy for you to find this number—run the following command: cat /proc/uptime. The number of seconds since the kernel began running appears first. Subtraction will tell you exactly how many seconds ago the error occurred—or you can keep reading to discover how to get the computer to do the math for you.
The second field in the ring buffer output usually indicates the Linux kernel driver responsible for printing the Linux error messages. In the example above, the messages come from “sd” (the SCSI Disk controller) and agpgart-amdk7 (the AGP [video card] Graphics Address Remapping Table [GART] for my AMD K7 motherboard).
In some cases, as in the example above, the third field shown is the hardware address. The rest of the message is the actual warning or error message.

#2: Find Linux Error Messages By Checking The System Log

Find Linux Error Messages

All sorts of programs besides the Linux kernel need to store their warning and Linux error messages—and many programs want to keep those messages around even after the kernel ring buffer fills up, so programmers added the system log program to Unix and Linux.
The system log program, syslogd, starts running shortly after the computer boots up. The first thing it does is download all of the messages from dmesg, so you’ll find all of your kernel ring buffer messages neatly stored with easy-to-read date stamps. After starting up, syslogd creates a special file, /dev/log, to which any program can write an error message. Syslogd reads each message as it’s written and adds the useful information shown below:
Jan 28 07:58:45 callisto kernel: [164734.375126] PM: Basic memory bitmaps freed
Jan 28 07:58:52 callisto acpid: 1 client rule loaded
Jan 28 07:58:52 callisto anacron[31557]: Anacron 2.3 started on 2011-01-28
The fields shown here are the date, the hostname (callisto in my case), the name of the program that created the log entry, and optionally the program’s Process I.D. (PID), followed by the actual log entry.
To read the logs generated by syslogd, you need to become root. This is a security measure designed to protect the logs from hackers and snooping users, as the logs may contain confidential information. Use su or sudo to become root on your system and run the following command to read the system log: less /var/log/syslog.

#3: Find Linux Error Messages For Long-Running Programs

Ever wonder why so many Linux programs end in the letter “d”? It comes from a very old computer science term, “daemon” (pronounced demon), which comes from ancient Greek mythology—a daemon was a soulless creature created by the Greek gods to do boring, mundane work over and over. Linux daemons, like syslogd, also spend all of their time doing the same job over and over again.
Because these programs are usually so boring, they tend to store their logs separately from the system log. The logs are created by syslogd, so they use the same format above and you still need to be root in order to read them. Daemon log files are where you want to look if a Linux service—such as printing—stop working. Read them by typing the following command as root: less /var/log/daemon.log

#4: Find Linux Error Messages For Programs With A Lot To Say

Some programs, most of them daemons, print a lot of warnings, errors, or just general information, so they try to avoid cluttering the system log or the daemon log by printing messages to their own log files. Almost every one of these programs stores its files in the /var/log directory. Programs name their files after themselves. For example, the MySQL database server stores its logs in /var/log/mysql.
You can see which logs are available by typing, ls /var/log. You can read the log you want by typing, ls /var/log/filename, where filename is the file you want to read.

#5: Find Linux Error Messages For Broken Programs

Although you can’t usually fix kernel and daemon errors without error messages, sometimes end-user programs will give you a tough time too. If the graphical program you’re using behaves weirdly or gives you obscure errors, use the following simple method to get a little bit more information:
  1. Find out the program’s command name. Every program has one. Usually you can guess it from the program name—for example, Firefox’s command name is firefox. If you can’t guess it, right click on the program’s icon (launcher) and check the properties—the command name will be listed.
  2. Open a terminal.
  3. Type the program’s command name and repeat the steps that cause problem.
  4. Close down the program. In the terminal should appear the program’s debugging messages.
     

8 Devices that Secretly Run Linux


8 Devices that Secretly Run Linux

1. Android Phones, Tablets, eReaders
The Android operating system is popping up all over the place, and every one of those devices runs a version of Linux specially stamped with Google’s approval. Devices like the Droid from Motorola, the HTC Evo 4G, the Motorola Xoom tablet, Google TV, and the Barnes & Noble Nook ebook reader all run Linux.
2. Boxee Box
Boxee has made Internet streaming and online video viewing a cinch with its oddly shaped Boxee Box from D-Link. Plug it in and get 1080p video from Netflix, VUDU, and a ton of online networks and websites. It will also play just about any video or audio format you throw at it. And yes, the Boxee Box runs Linux.
3. TiVo
TiVo is nothing new. Millions of people use it to record their favorite shows and also watch Amazon Video On Demand, Netflix, Hulu Plus, and more. TiVo runs Linux and is an industry standard for DVRs.
The ebook reader that changed the game is also a Linux device. Amazon’s Kindle runs Linux, and you can download the source code directly from Amazon.com. The Kindle offers a selection of over 900,000 ebooks, newspapers, and magazines, all in black and white Linux glory.
Remember IBM’s Watson, the super computer that mopped the floor with human contestants on Jeopardy? Watson runs SUSE Linux Enterprise Server on ten racks of IBM Power 750 servers. It is capable of recognizing human language, interpreting it, and coming up with logical responses. It is intelligent and will someday rule the world.
Many of the world’s servers run Linux, like those at serving hosting provider 34SP.com. The CERN LHC is just that really big physics experiment, but it needs a ton of server power to run. Some people thought it would rip a hole in the fabric of space and time (and it still could), and while it is doing that, it will be running Linux. Making use of 40,000 CPUs and 15 petabytes of data per year, the LHC may be the biggest Linux device of all. CERN also distributes its own custom version of Linux called Scientific Linux.
7. Roku
The Roku video player is another competitor for Internet set-top box supremacy. It plays Netflix, Hulu Plus, and a boat load of other popular online streaming services. The Roku is probably the least expensive of the bunch and is also a Linux-based media player. It supports HD playback and a ton of features.
8. Sony Bravia TV (and several other products)
Sony’s Bravia TVs are in living rooms all over the world. A great number of them run Sony’s own version of Linux for its user interface. Sony also has a number of other products that run Linux, including Internet TVs, cameras, digital players, camcorders, digital photo frames, e-book readers, and home and car audio systems. You can browse through the source code for all of these products on Sony’s Code Distribution Service website.