Online Computer Tips Monthly Newsletter - October 2007
Latest Virus/Security Alerts:
Adware.MediaAdVantage
Adware.MediaAdVantage is an adware program that monitors the contents of Internet browser windows. It has been reported that this application comes usually bundled to other software and is installed when running the other application installer.
When the security risk is executed, it creates the following folder: %ProgramFiles%\AdVantage
September's Poll Results:
How many printers do you have at home ?
- 60%
- 0%
Tip of the Month:
Fun Windows Tips and Tricks
If you are a Windows "Power User" and like to use shortcuts and alternative methods in your daily computing then here is a listing of Windows tips and tricks that will make you look like a total computer geek. Keep in mind that some of these tricks may not work on all versions of Windows.
Press Win+L to switch to the Welcome screen or lock your workstation.
You can switch users without going through the Welcome screen: From Task Manager, go to the Users tab, right click a user, and select Connect.
To disable the password when resuming from standby or hibernation, open the Power Control Panel and uncheck "Prompt for password after returning from standby" on the Advanced tab.
You can rename multiple files all at once: Select a group of files, right click the first file, and select "Rename". Type in a name for the first file, and the rest will follow.
Hold down the shift key when switching to thumbnail view to hide the file names. Do it again to bring them back.
When dragging a file in Explorer, you can control the operation that will be performed when you release the mouse button:
Hold the Control key to force a Copy.
Hold the Shift key to force a Move.
Hold the Alt key to force a Create Shortcut.
If you create a file called Folder.jpg, that image will be used as the thumbnail for the folder. What's more, that image will also be used as the album art in Windows Media Player for all media files in that folder.
From the View Menu, select "Choose Details" to select which file properties should be shown in the Explorer window. To sort by a file property, check its name in the "Choose Details" in order to make that property available in the "Arrange Icons by" menu.
To display the volume control icon in the taskbar, go to the Sounds and Audio Devices Control Panel and select "Place volume icon in the taskbar".
Hold down the shift key when deleting a file to delete it immediately instead of placing it in the Recycle Bin. Files deleted in this way cannot be restored.
If you hold down the shift key while clicking "No" in a Confirm File Operation dialog, the response will be interpreted as "No to All".
Put a shortcut to your favorite editor in your Send To folder and it will appear in your "Send To" menu. You can then right click any file and send it to your editor.
Ctrl+Shift+Escape will launch Task Manager.
To arrange two windows side by side, switch to the first window, then hold the Control key while right clicking the taskbar button of the second window. Select "Tile Vertically".
You can turn a folder into a desktop toolbar by dragging the icon of the desired folder to the edge of the screen. You can then turn it into a floating toolbar by dragging it from the edge of the screen into the middle of the screen. (It helps if you minimize all application windows first.)
You can turn a folder into a taskbar toolbar.
First, unlock your taskbar.
Next, drag the icon of the desired folder to the space between the taskbar buttons and the clock. (Wait for the no entry cursor to change to an arrow. It's a very tiny space; you will have to hunt for it.)
You can rearrange and resize the taskbar toolbar you just created.
You can even turn the taskbar toolbar into a menu by resizing it until only its name is visible.
In the Address Bar, type "microsoft" and hit Ctrl+Enter. Internet Explorer automatically inserts the "http://www." and ".com" for you.
To remove an AutoComplete entry from a Web form, highlight the item in the AutoComplete dropdown and press the Delete key.
To remove all Web form AutoComplete entries, go to the Internet Explorer Tools menu, select Internet Options, Content, AutoComplete, then press the "Clear Forms" button.
You can organize your Favorites by dragging the items around your Favorites menu.
Alternatively, you can open the Favorites pane and hold the Alt key while pressing the up and down arrows to change the order of your Favorites.
To run Internet Explorer full screen, press F11. Do it again to return to normal mode.
To add or remove columns from Details mode, select Choose Details from the View menu, or just right click the column header bar.
In Internet Explorer, hold the Shift key while turning the mouse wheel to go forwards or backwards.
In Internet Explorer, hold the Shift key while clicking on a link to open the Web page in a new window.
In Internet Explorer, type Ctrl+D to add the current page to your Favorites.
In some applications (such as Internet Explorer), holding the Control key while turning the mouse wheel will change the font size.
To shut down via Remote Desktop, click the Start button, then type Alt+F4.
If you want to manually check for security and other types of updates for your Microsoft Office software then you can go to Office Online and find everything you need.
The site is broken down into categories such as the various versions of Office as well as updates, security and downloads amongst other areas.
You can also download clipart and templates as well as use the online training resources they offer for free.
For more information check out the Office Online site here.
If you want to learn about subnetting IP addresses or are planning on testing for a Microsoft or Cisco certification then check out LearnToSubnet.com since you will need to know it to pass these tests!
Readers Question of the Month:
Upgrading Windows ME to Windows 2000/XP
Amanda writes in with a Windows question Q. Can I upgrade my Windows ME to windows 2000 Or windows XP? If so, How do I do that?
A. You can upgrade your Windows ME computer to Windows XP but not to Windows 2000 since it came out before Windows ME. You can do a clean installation of Windows 2000 which will erase your Windows ME and all programs and files and install 2000 from scratch. You may need to know what hardware such as sound and video cards you have so you can find drivers for them after the installation. That information can be found in Device Manager.
If you wan to go to Windows XP you can buy an XP upgrade CD and put it in the drive while ME is running and follow the prompts for an upgrade. Just make sure your computer is powerful enough to run it. Any Pentium 4 should be ok and you need at least 256 MB of RAM but we recommend 512 for the best results.
Internet Explorer offered to all Windows XP/2003 users
Users running pirated or counterfeit copies of Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 can now download Internet Explorer 7. Normally before Microsoft allows the browser to download, it runs the user's PC through a Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) validation test, a prime part of XP's antipiracy software.
"Because Microsoft takes its commitment to help protect the entire Windows ecosystem seriously, we're updating the IE7 installation experience to make it available as broadly as possible to all Windows users," said Steve Reynolds, an IE program manager from Microsoft. Microsoft has consistently touted IE7 as a more secure browser.
