These are the columns from 2009. I made every effort when
I wrote the columns to present accurate information as it existed at
the time. Please be aware that some things might have
changed since these columns were written. You can read the current
columns here.
December 24, 2009 -
Merry Christmas to All!
Did Santa bring you a new computer? A new music
player? A new camera? Or maybe you are the one tasked with helping Santa
get all these devices working by Christmas morning. I'm here to help,
just like one of Santa's elves. I’ve updated some of the tips from last
year to make your computing tasks easier this holiday season.
[R E A D M O R E]
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December 17, 2009 -
Planning for a New Computer
If you’re looking for a new computer, there are
several things to think about before you take your wallet out of your
pocket. This week I have some tips that might save you from a
“Migraine-in-a-Box” weekend. Look over this information and make a plan!
[R E A D M O R E]
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December 10, 2009 -
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Track your packages, track Santa, and listed to some holiday tracks.
This week’s column is full of Christmas Cheer!
[R E A D M O R E]
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December 3, 2009 -
Missing Links, Missing Recycle Bin, and
Antivirus Tips
This week, I answer readers’ questions on what to do
when your email forgets how to handle a link, how to restore a missing
Recycle bin to your Desktop, and how to change from one antivirus
program to another. Keep the questions coming, folks!
[R E A D M O R E]
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November 26, 2009 -
Taming Windows Conacts
Have you figured out how to manage Windows Contacts
yet? This week I have some information that might help. Also, it turns
out the Snipping Tool in Vista and Windows 7 is actually useful!
Finally, you do know you don’t have to look at those AOL ads every time
you open Internet Explorer, don’t you?
[R E A D M O R E]
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November 19, 2009 -
Help! I Can't Find Anything In Office
2007!
I often hear from people who are completely lost in
Microsoft Office 2007. I can help with that. If you’d like to avoid
Office completely, I can help you there, too.
[R E A D M O R E]
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November 12, 2009 -
Answers to Your Questions
Browsers, Security, and just plain fun this week.
Firefox is five, AVG Free is trying to put one over on you, GeoGreeting
is totally great! [R E A D M O R
E]
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November 5, 2009 -
Answers to Your Questions
Not surprisingly, many of the questions I’ve received
in the last couple of weeks are about Windows 7. But not all of them! So
whether you’ve made the leap to Windows 7, are thinking about it, or are
hanging on for dear life to XP, there’s a tip in this column for you.
[R E A D M O R E]
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October 29, 2009 -
Happy Halloween!
This week I have a couple helpful tricks and a few
Halloween treats for you.
[R E A D M O R E]
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October 22, 2009 -
Windows 7 Unleashed
October 22, 2009 is the official launch date for
Windows 7. Some of you are excited about that. Others, not so much.
Either way, you’re going to be hearing a lot about Windows 7. I am here
to help you sort through the clutter and decide what’s right for you.
[R E A D M O R E]
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October 15, 2009 -
Updates, Following Up, Starting Up
Updates galore, some notes on last week’s column, and
a tip for a better browsing experience.
[R E A D M O R E]
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October 8, 2009 -
You've Got The Power
In the old days, before Windows, you had to “Press
Enter to exit.” So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that in Windows, you
have to click on “Start” to begin the shutdown process. But
wait...there’s more! [R E A D M O
R E]
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October 1, 2009 -
Customize Your Computer
Working on a new PC made me realize just how much I
had customized my old PC. Going from Windows XP to Windows Vista made me
realize that there ARE ways to customize a Vista PC. Here are some
customizations you might like, too.
[R E A D M O R E]
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September 24, 2009 -
Grab Bag
I reached into my bag of tricks this week, and came
up with several unrelated ones! No theme this week, but I hope you'll
find something helpful here! [R E A D
M O R E]
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September 17, 2009 -
Things You Can Do With Files
We might think that thing is a picture, but to
Windows it's just a file. No matter what version of Windows you're
running, Windows is going to think like that. This week I have several
ways to make your Windows experience a lot better. Wouldn't you like to
be able to copy more than one picture --- I mean, FILE --- at a time?
And wouldn't it be great if Windows would only copy when you ask it to,
and not whenever it feels like it?
[R E A D M O R E]
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September 10, 2009 -
Here Comes Windows 7
Windows 7 is scheduled for release at the end of
October. Here's what you need to know between now and then.
[R E A D M O R E]
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September 3, 2009 -
I Use These Programs All The Time
In the last two columns, I shared my preferences for
anti-virus + anti-spyware programs, backup programs, and a registry
cleaner. This week, I'll tell you about some of the programs I use just
about every day. [R E A D M
O R E]
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August 27, 2009 -
Back up your files!
Last week I told you about some of the programs I use
to protect my own computer and that I recommend to friends, family, and
customers. This week I'll tell you what backup programs and registry
cleaner I like a lot. [R E A D M O
R E]
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August 20, 2009 -
What do YOU use?
When I help a home or business computer user out of
a jam, or when I set up a brand new, fresh-out-of-the-box computer for
someone, there are several important choices to be made. Computers need
to be protected from malware. The important files on them need to be
backed up. I'm often asked, "What do YOU use?"
[R E A D M O R E]
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August 13, 2009 -
How do I ...
This week, I have even more "Recently Asked
Questions" than last week. I heard from someone who wants to know if
he's running 64-bit Vista, someone who wants to email videos home to her
mother, and from several people who needed to shut down misbehaving
laptops. [R E A D
M O R E]
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August 6, 2009 -
Answering Your Questions
This week's column answers some of the RAQ (Recently
Asked Questions!) in my email: How to find duplicate photos; how to find
a safe download site; how to get your Google back.
[R E A D M O R E]
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July 30, 2009 -
Keeping Cool
This is the time of year when people call me because
their laptop unexpectedly shuts down. While there are several likely
causes, the likeliest of all when it's good beach weather is heat.
[R E A D M O R E]
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July 23, 2009 -
Not Exactly
Firefox 3.5 is here. Does that make you safe? Not
exactly. [R E A D M O R E]
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July 16, 2009 -
The Last Word on Passwords
Last week and the week before, I explained why it's a
good idea to have your passwords handy, why it's a good idea to store
them securely, and I mentioned a couple of programs that make it easy to
keep track of your passwords. To finish up the discussion, I'll try to
help you find all your passwords, and give you a couple of tips about
storing them. [R E
A D M O R E]
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July 9, 2009 -
Safety First - Then A Little Fun
Last week I explained why it's a good idea to have
all your passwords handy. This week, I will show you how to keep your
passwords secure, and I'll help you get started on identifying them.
After that, have some fun with your digital photos.
[R E A D M O R E]
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July 2, 2009 -
The Most Common Password Is...
The most common password is "password." If you could
guess that, how long do you think it would take someone to guess YOUR
password? (If you guessed "abc123" or "qwerty", you were close.) Keeping
track of your passwords is important, and it's not as hard as you think.
Also, Adobe Flash and Adobe Shockwave have critical updates you should
get. And if you don't want Internet Explorer 8 automatically downloaded,
you can block it with a tool from Microsoft.
[R E A D M O R E]
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June 25, 2009 -
Why Search When You Already Know The Answer?
Why search when you already know the answer? When you
don't know the answer, do you like Google or Bing? Do you know how to
get rid of those automatic email address suggestions? I've got the
answer to that one for you!
[R E A D M O R E]
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June 18, 2009 -
Three Nice Little Helpers
Have some fun this week with a beautiful desktop
wallpaper, an online document reader, and a tool to make reading web
pages much, much easier.
[R E A D M O R E]
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June 4, 2009 -
Microsoft Releases SP2 and Bing
Vista Service Pack 2 is available, but not mandatory.
Yet. Microsoft's new internet search engine is available, and it's kind
of...interesting. [R E A
D M O R E]
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May 28, 2009 -
Just Have Fun
Almost every week I try to tell you about something
useful, something that will make your computing experience easier or
more fulfilling.
Not today. Today I am going to tell you about websites that are
interesting, fun, or just plain silly. If they turn out to be useful as
well, don't blame me.
[R E A D M O R E]
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May 21, 2009 -
What's New?
Internet Explorer 8 is here. Windows 7 is on the way,
and should be available just in time for Christmas, according to
Microsoft. We'll cover both topics in this week's column.
[R E A D M O R E]
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May 14, 2009 - Turn
Off Indexing To Improve Performance
How often do you use the Search function built in to
Windows? If you just said, "WHAT Search function?" then I bet you can
speed up your computer a little!
[R E A D M O R E]
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May 7, 2009 - How
To Download and Install A Program
One way to keep your computer free of unwanted junk
programs is to take control of what you download and install. It's easy
to do! [R E A D M
O R E]
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April 30, 2009 -
What Does Your Desktop Look Like?
Is your desktop
a mess? The thing to keep in mind here is, this is YOUR desktop. So if
you want stuff all over it, don't cave to the pressure others might
apply to clean up your desktop.
If, however, even you are having trouble finding anything on your
desktop because of the clutter, I have some suggestions that might help.
[R E A D M O R E]
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April 23, 2009 -
Two Ways To Store And Share Files Online
Save a copy of your important documents effortlessly.
Share files easily and securely, even with yourself. Grab a file on your
home computer from wherever you are. And please STOP sending huge video
files via email! Here are two free, secure, and simple ways to
accomplish all that. [R
E A D M O R E]
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April 16, 2009 -
How To Get Help
I can take apart a laptop, remove the keyboard,
reseat a cable and breath life into the keyboard again. But do not ask
me to change the oil in my own car --- that's a mystery to me. Still,
when the car acts up, I can't just take it to the repair shop and say,
"my car doesn't work" and expect them to fix it right away.
When you have a computer problem and you need help, there are several
ways you can approach the situation, some more effective than others. If
you want to throw your hands in the air and just say "my computer
doesn't work" then go for it! That's what we're here for, after all. But
if you want to help someone help you, read on.
[R E A D M O R E]
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April 9, 2009 -
How do I...
Thanks to everyone who writes in with questions, I
always have something to share! Here are the answers to two of the
questions I often encounter.
[R E A D M O R E]
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April 2, 2009 -
Solved!
Although this column periodically contains answers to
readers' questions, there are always some that I just can't answer, at
least right away. Over the past two weeks, I've managed to find answers
to several of the questions in my "Pending" file, and moved them to
"Solved". [R E A D
M O R E]
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March 19, 2009 -
Just For Fun Plus One
This week we fun things to do with your digital
photos, help for crossword puzzle people, plus one program that is just
plain useful. No dire security warnings this week; the standard
precautions still apply!
[R E A D M O R E]
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March 12, 2009 -
Answering Your Questions
Going through my In Box is always interesting because
I get so many interesting questions! This week I answer two of them, and
as a bonus, I nag you about some security updates!
[R E A D M O R E]
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March 5, 2009 -
Flash and Everything
Almost everyone uses Adobe Flash, whether you know it
or not, and Adobe has some important patches for us. Are you looking for
the answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything? Well, I can't help you
today with the first two, but I do know a little bit about Everything.
[R E A D M O R E]
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February 26, 2009 -
No Mouse, No Keboard, No Problem
I'm tied up on a project this week, and won't have
time to write a column. Here is a nostalgic look back to a
previous column that I hope you will enjoy. I'll see you next
week, as usual! [R E A D M O
R E]
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February 19, 2009 -
Fun With Fonts
Are you tired of Times New Roman? Are you bored with
Arial? Have I got some fonts for you!
[R E A D M O R E]
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February 12, 2009 -
A Valentine Warning For You
Just in time for Valentine's Day, a computer worm and
more annoyance-ware. How to avoid that; how to get rid of the old Java
versions hanging around on your computer, and more on the Web Of Trust.
[R E A D M O R E]
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February 5, 2009 -
Keeping Spyware Out
Besides finding and removing spyware from people's
computers, I try to help people keep the spyware out. Here are two ways
you can protect yourself from spyware.
[R E A D M O R E]
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January 29, 2009 -
Three Tips
Burn a CD or DVD, make a flyer or some address
labels, and always know the date. This week's column answers three
questions that will make your computing a little more fun.
[R E A D M O R E]
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January 22, 2009 -
What's the Difference?
What's the difference between a hard drive and RAM?
Is a virus the same thing as spyware? This week we sort out some
commonly confused terms. [R E A D
M O R E]
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January 15, 2009 -
Browser Trouble
Your internet browser is the program that allows you
to view web pages. Unless someone printed this column out for you and
you're reading it on a piece of paper or someone is reading it to you,
you are using a web browser right now. Two popular browsers are Internet
Explorer and Firefox. Most of the time we take them for granted, but
sometimes things go wrong. [R E A D
M O R E]
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January 8, 2009 -
Questions and Answers
This week, 64-bit Vista, a left-handed mouse, and a
fix for multiple emails.
[R E A D M O R E]
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January 1, 2009 -
Quick Tips For A Tidy Computer
You'll find this column is a Resolution Free Zone. I
hope you have a happy and prosperous 2009. Here are three things that
might make your computing a little easier and a little tidier.
[R E A D M O R E]
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