Getting  Along With Your Computer Column Archive

How do I...

By Cate Eales
Appeared August 13, 2009 on castanet.net
 

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.


How do I find out if my computer is 32-bit or 64-bit?
Well, technically it's not your computer, it's the version of the operating system your computer is running. Vista is already available in 64-bit versions as well as the 32-bit versions that have been the standard. When Windows 7 is released later this year, it will also be available in 32- and 64-bit versions.

If you want to see what version of Vista your computer is running, follow these instructions:

In XP:

(Click to enlarge graphic)

I'll write more about Windows 7 and about 32-bit vs 64-bit systems in upcoming columns.


How do I send videos by email?
You can't. Don't even try. Videos are just too big to send by email, even if you compress the heck out of them.

There is, however, a much better way!

Email a link to the video, not the video itself.

If this is a video you made yourself, all you need to do is create an account on YouTube and upload your video. You can mark the video private if you like. There's even a video on YouTube that shows you how to do all that, here. YouTube will do all the conversion. Just remember to set the privacy the way you want it on each video.

If you and the people you want to share with all have Facebook accounts, you don't need a YouTube account. You can simply upload it to Facebook.

If you want to send a video that is already on YouTube or another website, you do not need to download the video to your computer and upload it somewhere else. Simply copy the address of the website page and past that into an email. Or, press the Share button found on most video sites to accomplish this.

When your friends and family receive your email, all the have to do is click on the link, and they will be taken to the page where they can watch the video.


How do I turn off a "stuck" laptop computer?
I've mentioned this before, but here's a reminder. If you have a laptop that won't shut down (even with the "three-fingered salute") there is a way out.

Leaving aside, for the moment, the cause of the freeze, IF NOTHING ELSE WORKS, there is a three-step process to follow that will shut down the computer and let you start over.

1. Remain calm.
2. Press down on the notebook's ON/OFF switch.
3. HOLD IT DOWN for at least 10 or 12 seconds until the computer shuts down and then release it.

That's all there is to it.

Computers, and especially laptops, are designed so that accidentally pressing the ON/OFF switch doesn't shut them down. That would be annoying! So when all else fails and you absolutely must shut down manually, you have to make the computer believe that's what you want to do. That's why you have to hold the switch down longer than you would think necessary.

Again, exhaust all the normal, polite methods of shutting down before resorting to this one. You risk damaging files this way. But if nothing else works, this will. You should absolutely never have to resort to removing the battery to shut down the computer.


Links
How to determine whether a computer is running a 32-bit version of 64-bit version of the Windows operating system http://support.microsoft.com/kb/827218
How To Create A Youtube Account & Upload Your First... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2N72ACocFg
Three-fingered salute http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Control-Alt-Delete
Computer Care Kelowna http://computercarekelowna.com
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
RSS Feed: http://rlis.com/rlis.xml

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Do you need help with your computer? I'm here to help you and your computer get along!

Cate Eales runs Computer Care Kelowna, a mobile service helping home users and businesses get along with their computers. To arrange an appointment phone her at 250-764-7043. Cate also welcomes your comments and suggestions. Send email to help@computercarekelowna.com.

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© Cate Eales 2009 – All Rights Reserved

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