Flash and Everything
By Cate Eales
Appeared March 5, 2009 on castanet.net
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?
click to enlarge picture
Well, I can't help you today with the first two, but I
do know a little bit about Everything. Read on.
Adobe Flash needs your attention
Adobe has issued an update for Adobe Flash player, the software that lets
you play animations and watch some movies in your web browser. There are
at least five security flaws addressed by the patch, many of them
critical. Until you patch, you can end up with malicious software on your
computer just by visiting a web page that has a booby-trapped flash movie
on it.
I suggest you visit the Secunia Software Online Inspector site, and let it
decide if your computer is vulnerable.
Use the page here and run a scan. If you have more than one browser,
(for example, if you use Firefox or Safari as well as Internet Explorer)
don't be surprised to see more than one "potentially insecure" version of
Adobe Flash listed. You'll need to
visit this Adobe update link in each browser to get the correct
update.
Thanks to faithful reader and contributor Rudy, who points out that you
must now use the Adobe Flash Uninstaller to uninstall the player.
Follow the directions here, if you want to uninstall.
Everything finds almost everything...
...and it finds almost everything really, really fast.
I have tried all kinds of desktop search programs. I loved the gadgets in
Google Desktop,
but finally I had to admit it was slowing down my computer too much and
uninstall it. I used
Copernic for a couple of years. It is more efficient that Google
Desktop, but I got tired of the ads in the free version.
Recently, I heard about a new search tool called
Everything.
Everything is blazing fast, because unlike the other desktop search
engines which build and maintain their own indexes, Everything uses the
information already on the drive to find what you're looking for. As long
as your drive is formatted as NTFS (all Vista and most XP hard drives
are), Everything can find a folder or a file on your drive super fast.
click to enlarge picture
Everything will not search the contents of files, just file and folder
names, and file types. Don't let that put you off. You don't have to
search on the full name of a file. You can use partial names and you can
use extensions, like .txt, .doc, .jpg to narrow your search. Best of all,
you do not have to let Everything start with Windows and have it running
all the time. Have a
look at the FAQ
and take Everything out for a spin. If you just need to find a photo
from among your many photos, try
Photology,
which I wrote about here.
Don't forget to
Spring Forward this weekend!
Do you need help with your computer? With your printer/camera/music
player? Do you have a virus or a spyware problem? Do you have
a new computer and now you're wondering how to get the files from the old
one over to the new one? I'm here to help you and your computer get along!
To ask a question, make a comment or suggestion, or schedule a visit,
email
cate@rlis.com. You can read previous columns
here. If you'd like to
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Links
The Answer is 42
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notable_phrases_from_The_Hitchhiker%27s_Guide_to_the_Galaxy
Secunia Online Inspector
http://secunia.com/vulnerability_scanning/online/
Install Adobe Flash Player
http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/otherversions/
How to uninstall the Adobe Flash Player plug-in and ActiveX control
http://kb.adobe.com/selfservice/viewContent.do?externalId=tn_14157
Google Desktop
http://desktop.google.com/
Copernic
http://www.copernic.com/en/products/desktop-search/index.html
Everything
http://www.voidtools.com/
Everything FAQ
http://www.voidtools.com/faq.php
Photology
http://www.getphotology.com/
Quick Tips for a Tidy Computer
http://rlis.com/columns/column179.htm
HowStuffWorks Unveils the Mystery of How Daylight-saving Time Works
http://www.howstuffworks.com/daylight-saving-time-pr-2008.htm
Getting Along With Your Computer Column Archives
http://rlis.com/column.htm
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---
Cate Eales has been helping people make online computing safe, accessible
and fun for over 20 years. She lives in Kelowna with her husband, Eric,
and her dog, Sandy. Cate is a partner in Real Life Internet Solutions,
helping individuals and small businesses with virus, spyware and malware
eradication; personal computer training and management; digital image
management; music transfer; and website design, hosting and management.
Email Cate at cate@rlis.com with your
comments, suggestions, or questions. To browse the column archives, visit
the Real Life Internet Solutions website at
www.rlis.com.
©
Cate Eales 2009 – All Rights Reserved
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