Updates, Following Up, Starting Up
by Cate Eales
Appeared October 15, 2009 on castanet.net
Updates galore, some notes on last week’s column, and a
tip for a better browsing experience.
Safety First
On Tuesday. Microsoft issued lots of patches. Most of them are
security-related and important. If your computer is set to get Windows
updates automatically, you should already have seen them. If not, or if
you are unsure,
visit the Microsoft Updates site and check.
(click to enlarge graphic)
Adobe issued a new version of Adobe Reader, and there is
an Adobe Flash Player update.
Adobe Flash Player is a program that lets you view certain animated
content in your web browser. If you have Flash Player and it’s working
fine, you probably don’t even notice it. If you can’t view certain content
like movies or other animations, you’ll be prompted to install Adobe Flash
Player. At this writing (Tuesday, October 13, 2009) the current version is
10,0,32,18. To see what version you have,
visit
the “Version test for Adobe Flash Player” page, here. If you aren’t up
to date, you’ll need to uninstall the version you have, then install the
new one.
Get
the uninstaller here. Then
visit the
download page where you can get the new version.
Adobe Reader is the best-known program for reading PDF files. When you
visit some websites, you might see a little note advising you that you
must have Adobe Reader to view certain documents. This is not exactly
true. You need a program that will allow you to view PDF files, but it
doesn’t have to be Adobe Reader. I have been using PDF-XChange Viewer for
several years, and I like it very much. It’s free and faster than Adobe
Reader. You can
get it here. Another popular alternative is Foxit Reader,
available here.
To find out whether your installation of Windows and many of your other
programs are up to date, you can visit the
Secunia Online Scanner, here.
Following Up
Last week’s column resulted in some
interesting email. Most people who wrote liked the tip to change the red
button to a true “off switch.” Two people wrote to say they had no luck
creating the desktop shortcut. Finally, thanks to Dave C, who sent a link
to a Sidebar Gadget called Simple Date. Among other things, it provides a
simple shutdown! You can
find it here.
Your Start Page is not your Only Page
Whether you use Internet Explorer, Firefox, or some other browser to look
at web pages, you can specify what web page you want to see when the
browser first starts up. Just browse to the page you want to use as your
home page. Then, in Internet Explorer, click on Tools | Internet options |
General. You’ll see options near the top of that tab. Select “Use current”
to start with that page. You can even start with a blank page if you want
to. In Firefox, click on Tools | Options | General and make your choice at
the top of that tab.
But what if there is a problem with that website? If you open your browser
and receive a message about “server was reset” or “can’t find page” it
could be a problem with just that site, and not with your computer or your
connection. To find out, click on Favorites in Internet Explorer or
Bookmarks in Firefox, and select one of the other websites. If your
browser can take you there, then odds are good that the problem is just
with the site you started with.
If you can’t get to any website at all, check your connection by looking
at the lights on your modem. If the lights are out completely, or if they
don’t look the same as usual, alert your cable or ADSL provider.
Links
Microsoft Updates
http://updates.microsoft.com/
Version Test For Adobe Flash Player page
http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/155/tn_15507.html
Uninstall Adobe Flash Player
http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/141/tn_14157.html
Download Adobe Flash Player
http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/
PDF-XChange Viewer
http://www.docu-track.com/home/prod_user/PDF-XChange_Tools/pdfx_viewer
Foxit Reader
http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/reader/
Secunia Online Scanner
http://secunia.com/vulnerability_scanning/online/
You’ve Got The Power
http://rlis.com/columns/column217.htm
Simple Date
http://gallery.live.com/liveItemDetail.aspx?li=9632640a-9083-424e-bef6-519927ed91f1&bt=1&pl=1
Computer Care Kelowna
http://computercarekelowna.com
Getting Along With Your Computer Column Archives
http://rlis.com/column.htm
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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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