Getting  Along With Your Computer Column Archive

How do I ...
By Cate Eales
Appeared April 9, 2009 on castanet.net

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. Please keep your emails coming.



...turn off my Vista computer?
Turning off your computer was pretty straightforward in the olden days of Windows XP. We were all very used to clicking on "Start" then on "Shutdown" and then, depending on how your computer is configured, either on "Shut down" or "Turn Off". Nothing to it.

Along came Visa, and its "improved" shutdown procedure. And now every time you want to shut down the computer, you have to choose between nine ways to do it. (Two icons and one dropdown menu with seven choices. If you don't believe me, look here.

Click to enlarge image

Most Vista systems I have seen, including all Vista laptops, are set to go to sleep, not turn off, if you click on the red "power button" on the start menu. If you want to click on the thing that looks like an Off switch and have the computer actually turn off, you can make this change one time, and get your power button acting like it should.

On your Vista computer:

Now you have a real Power button again. If you want to see a demonstration of that, have a look at CNET's video, here.


...stop getting spam?
Ever since the first junk email was sent in 1978, people have been wanting to stop getting spam. Short of unplugging your computer from the internet, there isn't a sure way to eliminate all spam. But, that said, there are ways you can cut it down from a migraine-inducing amount to a simply annoying amount.

Some ISP's have spam filters that you can invoke. If you are with Shaw Cable, you can set up your own spam filters from the Shaw customer service website.

There are also spam filters that you can download and use yourself. The one I see most often is called Spamfighter. They offer a free and a paid version. Another highly regarded anti-spam product is Mailwasher. Again, there is a free and a paid version. I usually advise people to try the free version of one of the products and see how they like it. Whether you stay with it, try the other one, or upgrade to a paid version depends on how well it works for you.

Both products will work on Outlook and Outlook Express. Thunderbird, an email program from the same people who developed the Firefox browser, includes its own spam filters, and they work reasonably well.

No matter what kind of spam filter you use, you should periodically have a look in the Spam folder and make sure that what is in there is really spam. Every so often an aggressive filter will think a "real" message is spam. Any filter will require some effort on your part to teach it what is and is not spam.

What do you use to filter or eliminate spam? Drop me a line and tell me what works for you.



Do you need help with your computer?  With your scanner/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 subscribe to this column by email, please visit this link.  It's easy, and free. If you'd prefer the RSS Feed, click here.

Links
Choices = Headaches http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2006/11/21.html
CNET Quick Tips: Fix Vista Power Button http://cnettv.cnet.com/?type=externalVideoId&value=6726960
First spam http://www.templetons.com/brad/spamreact.html#msg
Shaw Spam Filter http://www.shaw.ca/en-ca/CustomerCare/InternetSupport/Residential/Email/SpamFilter.htm
Spamfighter http://www.spamfighter.com/
Mailwasher http://www.mailwasher.net/
Thunderbird http://www.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/thunderbird/
Getting Along With Your Computer Column Archives http://rlis.com/column.htm
Get Cate's column by email http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?Sub=20618
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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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