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Tech Tips

Just the "teasers" are listed here. Click through if you want to see all the available information.

  • USB storage drive format makes Windows Live Mail backup impossible

    If you use a large capacity USB storage drive as your backup external system, check the formatting first. You may want to reformat the USB thumb drive. Most come from the store formatted FAT32. You may want to reformat NTFS before using the drive. 

    WLM is really an updated version of the old Windows XP Outlook Express. If you like that product, and it has a huge following, you will want WLM when you move to Windows 7. This is the version of the product that is a local application that stores your mail and contacts on YOUR computer, not the Microsoft servers. 

  • "Internet Security" software -- NOT

    My advice is to refuse all so-called "Internet Security" packages.  You definitely need a good-quality antivirus package, but avoid all the other stuff.

    The concept of Internet Security packages had its birth at a time when Windows was not a very safe place.  Since then, Windows has progressed immensely to Windows 7 and IE9.

    The other stuff they throw in to those packages is really not needed and is unlikely to protect you better than what Win7 already does.

  • Windows 7 64 bit incompatibility? & XP upgradeability

    The incompatibility problem is not nearly as much of a problem as Microsoft and others make it out to be.

    I have done 20 replacements of XP systems and 10 upgrades of XP to Win7.  In almost all cases, I was able to install software and hardware that Win7 or Microsoft said was “incompatible.”

    There are numerous work-a-rounds.  For example in one case a printer did not have 64 bit drivers, but I was able to find notes that someone else had solved the problem by installing drivers for a different but related printer that worked just fine.

  • New version of Windows Live Mail (AKA Outlook Express)

    Windows Live Mail has a new version.  A note of caution, there are a lot of products with similar sounding names.  If you are moving to Windows 7 and love Outlook Express, you can have it in Windows Live Mail.  It is part of The Windows Live package, the rest of which you are unlikely to want or need.  Indeed all of Live comes already installed on most new computers.  Most people do not know it is there or care.  I normally just remove it all for my clients. 

  • Replace your Windows 7 Hard drive

    Replace your Windows 7 Hard drive

    If you ever had to replace a failing hard drive and went through the long and complicated process of re-loading the operating system and all the necessary drivers, you will appreciate this.

  • Video problem with Intel HD Graphics

    I had a new Dell Vostro on my desk to prepare for a client. The machine came with the integrated graphics controller – “Intel HD Graphics” – that comes on board with the Sandy Bridge 2nd gen Core i processors. This is a feature that can lower the cost of a new PC since you then do not need a separate graphics card. 

  • Windows 7 Starter Edition - can not burn a DVD

    In windows 7 Starter Edition (found commonly on new netbooks), there is no ability to burn a CD/DVD.  This is an imposed restriction created by Microsoft to discourage the use of a cheap Windows edition.  Sort of like the Intel processor that had a crippled numeric processor.  It is interesting to note that netbooks with Windows XP had no problem doing this.
     

  • XP remains dominant and will be expensive to replace

    Windows 7 is an expensive "upgrade."  You will be forced to buy a new PC

    The stats here sound as if they are as accurate as you could find.  These stats are based on the systems in use that accessed internet sites.  I think that is probably as good a way as any to arrive at the accurate picture.

  • Outlook Express for Windows 7

    Outlook Express is alive and well and ready for Windows 7

  • Music, Tunes, and Pictures formats

     
     
    Music, Tunes, and Pictures
     
    How to choose your music format. Don’t buy proprietary formats, buy standard ones.  Do you really need an iPod or iTunes?
     

  • Buying a new computer with Windows 7 - 64 bit or 32 bit version?

    If you are thinking of buying a new computer, check to see which version of Windows 7 comes with it. With most new computers available now, particularly desktops, you will want the 64 bit version of the operating system.

    What does that mean and why am I saying that?

  • Loading XP -- PC can not boot from a CD

    I was preparing an older PC (delivered 12-2002), a Dimension 2100 for donation to a nursery.  The nursery serves pre-schoolers and needs this to run learning-to-read CD-based kinds of software.  Not very challenging, and this old Celeron 1.0 G will do the job just fine.  It also will NOT be connected ever and therefore does not need resource-tapping antivirus software.

    However, this old PC needs a replacement hard drive.  Obviously, I want to load Windows XP on it.

  • Time to buy a new computer?

    The new Intel Core i processor is available.  Significant changes and improvements. One might even say a major improvement.  It is faster (say 40%) and cheaper in many ways.
     

  • Outlook Express folder size limit

    You may discover that Outlook Express (Windows XP) stops working.  By that I mean that it will no longer send and/or receive email.  It did yesterday, why not today?

    One possible reason is that you may have a mail folder that exceeds 2 gigabytes. 

    You can find out by finding your email folders and displaying their size (use the Details View).

  • What is patentable? U.S. Supreme Court

    This is a really important US Supreme Court case to watch.  It could come down on either side of this question and have a dramatic effect on the future of tech industries.

  • Text Editor

    I find that it's handy to have a "raw" text editor available. The text editor shows you exactly what's in the file, which can be important if you're editing text or html.

  • Handy Utilities

    I have a gaggle of open source (free) utilities installed on my desktop system. Two of them I use almost daily.

  • The second most useful keyboard shortcut in Microsoft Office

     My favourite keyboard shortcut is F4 (you can also use Ctrl-Y) which will repeat the formatting that you just used on whatever text is selected.

    The most useful shortcut is Ctrl-S to Save.

  • Why 7?

     

    Windows 3, 3.1, 98, me, nt, 2000, xp, Vista, and now.......... 7 -- Well it is really 6.1 -- in other words, Vista SP3.

    Do yourself a favour, check out the impact of 64 bit and Windows 7 on all your other software and hardware BEFORE you make the leap.