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Bergesch Computer Services - May '13

Opinions, suggestions, recommendations or ideas found on our site are applied at your own risk.  More. 


Talent hits a target no one else can hit; genius hits a target no one else can see. - Arthur Schopenhauer

In this Newsletter

The latest release from Microsoft (IE 10) has forced us to change the menu system and as a result, our entire website - so here is the new newsletter format...

Internet 101

Occasionally when talking with customers, we have found that some do not distinguish the difference between their Internet browser and their desired home page.  These are two different things.

Sometimes the home page changes and perhaps without your knowledge or permission.  Typically this occurs when various toolbars or PC "speed up" utilities are installed.  My Web Search, Conduit, Babylon and Start Now are some of the more popular home page hijacks.  See Hijacked!

Be sure to just say no to all toolbars and watch out for free stuff!

Check those cooling intake areas, especially laptops. 

Laptops typically draw air in from the bottom and discharge out the back and/or side.  After time, the intake area can become plugged with lint.  Here is a laptop that is nearly completely plugged.  So with the computer off...

Flip the computer over - using a vacuum hose and a small pick you can clean these out fairly easily, but be careful not to over spin the cooling fan with the vacuum. 

Draw on it just enough for the lint to surface then pick it from there.  Continue until no lint remains.  Just make momentary contact to the slots with the vacuum, just enough to spin the fan backwards pulling the lint up where you can pick it.

Obviously do not dig too deep or too hard with a pick.  There's lots of electronics down there, plus you do not want to damage the fan's fins...

Desktops as well have intake areas.  Generally at bottom of front panel and in the back at the power supply.  Same precaution - only with the computer off and do not over spin the fan...
A word of warning about using canned air

While a great way to dislodge dust, occasionally canned air may spray the liquid propellant which is at a very low temperature.  If that cold liquid hits a hot chip, the CPU for example, the sudden temperature change could cause the chip to crack.  Be sure to allow the system to cool off before using canned air...

Windows 8

Microsoft with Windows 8 is really pushing online stuff (even though it no longer supports POP email accounts).  More on that in a moment, but first a few Window 8 items...

Initial setup

When you initially set up a Windows 8 machine (or add users), you are asked for some information including your email address and password. 

You DO NOT have to supply your email information at that point.  Doing so requires that password each time you (re)start the computer. 

Instead, look near the bottom of that initial page and you should see something to the effect of sign on without a Microsoft email account.  Click that, click Next then click using a local account. 

Setting up as a local account allows the computer to boot without a password.
Have children?

If you have children, you probably want to set up a separate user logon for them (be sure to put a password on the original Administrator account). 

During the setup of additional users, there is an option for child's account.  Checking that option will help protect the computer from the child and the child from the Internet.  See this Microsoft article.

You can even set times of the day when the computer can and cannot be used.  Again, look for without email  then local account when setting up new user accounts.  See this Microsoft article.

Windows 8 boot to Desktop and a Start menu?

Maybe!  This article hints at a fall release for Windows 8 that just might contain an option to turn on boot to the Desktop and/or the return of a Start menu...

Quickly access the Control Panel and more

Maneuvering around / finding things in Windows 8 can be difficult. 

On the keyboard, hold the Windows key (lower left) and press X to get this menu - - >

A few other handy quick keys:

  • Windows key alone goes back to the Start screen.
  • Windows D quickly accesses the Desktop (as it does in all Windows versions)
  • Windows E opens the Windows (file) Explorer
  • Windows R opens the Run box (yes, it still exists)

There are a lot of other shortcut keys, here's the list we know of: Windows 8 quick keys

Email accounts and clients

POP vs. Imap

POP (Post Office Protocol) has been the main method of email delivery for a very long time, but it is no longer supported by Windows, at least directly.*   To Microsoft's credit, Windows 10 again allows for POP accounts.

* Microsoft's Office - Business edition (Outlook) and Windows Live Mail still supports POP accounts.

While not new, Imap (Internet message access protocol) is supported under Windows 8. 

Basically the differences are:

*If the connection is lost or interrupted while downloading new messages, they may all be duplicated next time you check mail.

Email accounts

When setting up an account with email providers, find out what your email storage limit will be. 

You probably want something at least 10Gb to avoid having messages bounce: The e-mail message could not be delivered because the user's mailfolder is full.  If you think about today's phone cameras that take 4+Mb pictures, someone sending just a few pictures can quickly overload small accounts.

If you plan on leaving messages on the provider's server, you want storage capacity in the 50+Gb range.  For reference, the free Gmail accounts are 10Gb.  We suspect Outlook.com, Yahoo, etc., are similar...

Client vs. Web-based

Email clients are applications installed on your computer to retrieve email:  Outlook, Outlook Express, Windows Live Mail, etc. 

As discussed above, if the client is set up as a Imap account, it does not delete messages from the server unless you specifically delete them.  Imaps (on even large accounts) can quickly become full if you save messages.

If your client is set up as POP, be sure it is set to remove messages often enough to avoid filling the account.

Web-based is when you log on to your email via the Internet browser.  Using web-based is handy especially if you check email from various computers and locations, but like POP, unless you specifically delete messages they will accumulate, potentially overloading the account.

Other mail storage options

Install an application specifically for storing messages like Mailstore or search the Internet for similar applications or perhaps, an online service.

Thanks, Jeff

Junk mail

If you are using Outlook as your email client, here's a hint for the junk mail settings.

Internet Explorer issues?

See also IE Issues

If you are having odd issues in the Internet Explorer at certain sites and/or IE is not remembering passwords (more below), try running that site in the compatibility mode by clicking the compatibility button at the top (if it's there). 

You can also try that site in a previous version compatibly:

Be careful in there, lots of other things to play with in this utility...

Not remembering passwords?

Other things to try:

Email to (SMS) text message

Using the 10-digit phone number (no spaces, dashes or other characters), you can send text messages to various cell phones assuming you know the carrier...

Subject lines may be ignored and you are (still) limited to the 160 characters...

Updating Adobe and Java

When going directly to Adobe.com and Java.com to update applications (it's the only way we recommend updating them), BOTH will attempt to install something else as well.  Currently Adobe is pushing Chrome and it is a bit sneaky about it.  When you see the Download button for the Adobe product of interest, wait a few seconds and the page will expand to show you it will also install Google Chrome as a selected option.  Uncheck it...

Java is currently pushing the Ask toolbar...  See this article.

Want a printed copy of a particular folder contents?

See this article Print the list of files in a folder

Opinion

Who are the parents?

Judge strikes down age limits on morning-after pill...  The article

Delivery inspections

In the future, if your UPS, FedEx or other delivery is opened for inspection, don't be surprised...  The article

More taxes - simply inevitable...

Regardless of what the stock market looks like, our economy is in an incredibly poor state.  According to the US Treasury, we will be paying $191,918,606,815 in interest alone on our outstanding debt and that's only through October of this year.

With estimated 5.4-trillion-dollar revenues and 6.3-trillion-dollar spending, something must be done!  But more taxes should not be the answer.  Internet sales tax may soon become law.  The article

Congress acting in their best interest...

NY Times article Insider Trading Ban for Lawmakers Clears Congress

But that didn't last long!

Congress quietly rolled back the part of a law that required staffers to post disclosures about their financial transactions, so that the public could make sure there was no insider trading going on.  The article.

Our closest ally

So why didn't our administration send someone to Margaret Thatcher's service?

Anyone see this in the news?

As politicians clamor for more gun control, 20,000 M-16s have been reported stolen from an unguarded warehouse in Kuwait.   The article

Remember...