Ask a TechLord

How to get rid of Antivirus 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Tech Lord) — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 03:19:00 +0000

As an update to an earlier post about the nasty malware Antivirus 2009, a.k.a Antivirus 2008, a.k.a Antivirus XP, I've helped a few more people remove this garbage from their computers.

Today I encountered a laptop that was almost completely taken over by Antivirus 2009.

Trying to access the control panel resulted in the desktop temporarily disappearing while the program closed the window. I could not access it at all.
Attempting to access the Windows Live Onecare website resulted in internet explorer and firefox automatically shutting down.
Task manager did not show the process tab or the file menu.
The installed antivirus, McAffee, was blocked from running.
The software tools I mentioned before were blocked from being downloaded.

I needed a quick solution and did not have time to try to dig the software out of the registry and manually remove the files, so I tried Malwarebytes Anti-Malware. You do not have to pay to use this software. The free version completely removed Antivirus from the laptop in the first scan. I highly recommend you try this if you get infected with Antivirus 2008/2009/XP.

Tools to build websites

noreply@blogger.com (Tech Lord) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:04:00 +0000

I would like to create a website, but I am looking for a system similar to blogger. I want to be able to visually design a site by dragging page elements around..I know absolutely no HTML.

There are three sites I recommend you try out. Each of these sites has the same basic functionality...you use customizable templates and add page elements on the fly. Give each a try to see which one has the features you need

Weebly - Features both website and blog creation.
Wix - Create flash based websites that are also search engine friendly.
SynthaSite - Features integrated blogs, domain hosting, and shopping carts.

As with any other "drag and drop" type interface, you will have to get creative to make your site stand out. Try reading through the support forums to see how other people are creatively using the tools to get different results.

Monetize your blog with casual games

noreply@blogger.com (Tech Lord) — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 15:47:00 +0000

I read your post about alternatives to adsense, but I am looking for advertisements that focus on games you can buy online. Where can I find a good affiliate program that offers puzzle type games?

Casual games can be an excellent additional source of income on your blog or website. The standard model is you advertise games from a "casual game portal" on your site, and if one of your visitors decides to buy the game you get a percentage of the purchase. It works very similar to other affiliate programs; however the price of casual games are usually lower (in the $9.99 to $19.99 range) and are popular in several different demographic groups of both men and women.

The best program to generate income in affiliate sales is the Big Fish Game's Principle Network Parners program. Here's why this program is the best..

Once you refer someone to Big Fish Games, you earn a percentage of every purchase of that individual for as long as you are a member of the program.
If that person then refers people to Big Fish Games, you earn a percentage of every one of those transactions for as long as you are a member of the program.
Big Fish Games handles all of the customer retention and promotion. You drive traffic to them and they handle the rest.
100% free to join, you never have to pay to be a part of this program.
Customers can download and play the games for an hour before they have to purchase them, and this model leads to a higher conversion rate.

Here's a realistic example..

You email a friend of yours about the latest hidden object game, Mystery Chronicles, and he downloads the game.
At the end of his 1 hour free trial, he purchases the game. You earn a percentage of the sale.
He now tells some of his friends at work about the game and emails them the link. Two of them play the game and decide to purchase it. You earn a percentage of the sales.
Two months later your friend buys a few more hidden object games. You earn a percentage of the sales.
The cycle continues...once you have a customer, you earn money for every purchase made as long as you are a member of the program.

Big Fish Games has also integrated social networking to their site via My Game Space. You pick the games you like (or leave the defaults in place) and write reviews if you choose to do so. Your individual My Game Space has a specific URL and also has your affiliate code embedded in the links. You can promote your games via your Game Space, or pick from banners, buttons, and links to specific games and genres...it's all up to you.

To get full details on the program, and view a full demonstration of the process, visit the Big Fish Principle Network Partners website.

How to add an Add This! button to your blog

noreply@blogger.com (Tech Lord) — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 01:51:00 +0000

I really like the idea of having the Add This! button, if someone could please give me a tutorial for adding to my own blog that would be really nice !

The Add This! button is a great way to give readers a way to bookmark a post using any of the social bookmarking sites. Adding the button to your blogger blog involves editing your template directly.

First, read this post about downloading your template to your computer. Editing your template as an xml file on your computer is much more user friendly than attempting to edit it in the blogger editor. This tutorial will walk through editing the template directly on blogger, but the same steps will apply if you decide to edit the template on your computer first.

Getting the Add This! button

Go to http://www.adthis.com/ and click Get this button.
Select Sharing/Bookmark button.
Choose the look of the button you'd like to add.
Select on a blog and blogger.
Click Get your free button. If you are not a member yet, you will need to create an account at this point.
The first section, blog button, adds a page element to your blog. Use this if you want the button to appear as a gadget on your blog, but this will not add the button below your posts.
The second section, blog post button, gives you the necessary code to add to your template. Highlight and copy the code

Add the code to your template

From your blogger dashboard, select Layout.
Click Edit HTML.
Check off Expand Widget Templates.
Press Control and F on your keyboard to search, type in div class='post-footer', then press next.
You will now see the section of your template with the line you typed in step 4. Past the code from Add This! directly below that line. Make sure the code appears on it's own line, and is not on the same line.

Correct:

div class='post footer'
Add This code you
copied from the website

Not correct:

div class='post footer'Addthis code you copied from the website

Addthis code you copied from the website div class='post footer'

Once you've added your code, click Save Template and you should be able to view the button immediately. One important thing to note is that the above instructions may not work on custom templates. If you search for the 'post-footer' code and don't find anything, you will need to look through the code to find the post footer code for your template.

How to add a custom form to your blog

noreply@blogger.com (Tech Lord) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 02:58:00 +0000

How do you add a 'contact me' form to a blog? I want to customize the size and color scheme to match the layout of my blog, is that possible?

Two of the most popular form creators are Zoho Creator and Google Docs. Each allows you to drag and drop text boxes, buttons, and any other entry field you can imagine. Both of these services work great if you want to plop a form into the body of a post and link to it from the main page of your blog. If you are looking for a little more control over the size, color scheme, and you don't want a "created using..." logo attached to the form, I highly recommend Formlogix. It does require a paid subscription after 30 days to maintain ad free forms; however, the monthly fee is a reasonable $1.99.

I used Formlogix to create the "Get your questions answered" form on my sidebar. Here are some highlights from my experience with this service:

The dimensions of the form, colors, and font are customized to fit my template.
No logo is present on the form, you will only see a Formlogix icon if you fill out the form and press submit.
At no point does the form direct to another site, it is completely transparent to the user.
Submitted forms are automatically emailed to me. I do not have to log in to the Formlogix site if I choose not to.
Free for 30 days, then 1.99/month to maintain advertisement free forms.

Update: One of my readers pointed out that unless you upgrade to the 1.99/month subscription, a "powered by" logo and advertisement will appear on the form. I've updated the post to clearly reflect this.

How to record a video directly to Youtube

noreply@blogger.com (Tech Lord) — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 01:00:00 +0000

I know that you can upload videos from a camcorder to Youtube, but all I have is a webcam. Is there a way I can record a video using just a webcam?

First, I'd recommend you check the software that came with your webcam. Youtube accepts all most any video format so if you have the software to record a movie, you most likely can get it on Youtube.

If you are looking for a quick and easy method of getting a webcam video on to Youtube, try using quick capture.

QuickCapture is a way to record video directly into YouTube. You need to
have a webcam or camcorder attached to your computer and a confirmed email
address to use this feature.

The flash interface accesses your webcam and microphone to create the video. The only editing option you have is to rerecord the video, so don't expect any titles, special effects, or transitions.

How to add StumbleUpon links to blogger

noreply@blogger.com (Tech Lord) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 01:06:00 +0000

How do I add the StumbleUpon code to my blogspot blog? I tried adding the code as a gadget/page element but it's not working correctly.

The code that StumbleUpon provides for blogger is intended to go directly into your template.

Read this post to learn the best practices for editing your blog template. A screencast simulation is included to show you how to do this step by step.
Grab the code from this StumbleUpon page by choosing your graphic and blogger as the site.
Open your locally saved copy of your template using Wordpad. Use the search function to find the line that reads "p data:post.body/ /p" and replace with the code you copied from StumbleUpon.
Upload your template back to your blog. If any errors pop up, try the above steps again using your backup template copy. (You did make a backup, right?)

As an alternative to StumbleUpon, you may want to consider adding AddThis to your blog instead. It not only includes StumbleUpon, but also all the other popular social bookmarking sites such as Digg, Google, Reddit, etc.

You comment, I follow

noreply@blogger.com (Tech Lord) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 21:25:00 +0000

There are a lot of blogs I've been reading that have a badge that says "u comment, I follow". What exactly does this mean? I thought all comments link to the comment poster?

Yes, you are correct in the fact that you can add a link back to your site on most blogs; however, behind the scenes those links are tagged as "nofollow"...meaning when a search engine crawls the site it skips over the links in comments. If a particular blog chooses to remove those nofollow tags, the search engine will not skip over the links in comments and your site essentially has earned a backlink from the blog you have commented on. For those interested in improving page rank and search engine results ranking, this is a good thing.

Almost all blog platforms initially are set up as nofollow. If you want to switch your blog over to dofollow, the method to do this will depend on your blog platform.

Wordpress users can install a plugin, such as the one found here, to remove nofollow.
Blogger (blogspot) users must modify the blog template to remove the nofollow tags. Tips 4 blogspot has written a great tutorial on how to do this.
Typepad users must also modify the blog template. Follow the tutorial here for more details.

If you'd like to promote yourself as a "do follow" blog, see this blog to get an official "u comment I follow" graphic. Also explore the option of adding yourself to directories and indexes of sites that are do follow, such as the Do Follow Blog Directory.

When removing the nofollow tags from your blog, keep in mind that you may need to be more active in the moderation of your comments. There is a potential for increased comment spam, but in my experience it's no more so than if you are nofollow.

Add music to your blog or website

noreply@blogger.com (Tech Lord) — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 02:57:00 +0000

Autographs by Mail asks: How do I add music to my blog?

There are two different approaches to adding music to your blog.

Hosting the music file

Upload the music file to a location on the web, such as your google pages account. (Note: blogger/blogspot does not natively offer file storage, so you must have another location you can store the file)
Provide a direct link to the music file in the form of a text or picture link or follow the tutorial found here to create a player for the music.
The player can be resized to fit your blog, but the downside is that the player may not perform consistently in different browsers such as Safari or Opera.

Embed a flash player

Use one of the many different music services, such as Playlist.com, to create a flash music player to embed on your blog.
Flash players have a more consistent look and functionality accross browsers, and there is a large variety of designs and formats to choose from.
Most sites also offer an extensive music library to create playlists, so you don't have to host a file.

Created at Playlist.com

Resource for background textures, graphics, and more

noreply@blogger.com (Tech Lord) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 23:13:00 +0000

I've been enjoying your series on free website resources. Do you know of any sites with tiling background textures that can be used for websites?

The Absolute Background Texture Archive currently contains 5740 different seamless textures that can be customized to fit your needs. The textures themselves are categorized by colors and material, but once you select a texture type you are provided with several different options to customize it.

Change the color.
Change the brightness or contrast.
Apply a variety of special effects.
Write text on the texture.
Rotate and resize.
Apply the texture to a logo or button.

In addition to textures you can also find web graphics, sound effects, and tools to make buttons, logos, and banners. If you do decide to use any of the content of the site, they ask for a link back from your site in return.

Button made in 15 seconds.

Creative commons music for websites and videos

noreply@blogger.com (Tech Lord) — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 15:39:00 +0000

I'd like to add some background music to my website. I found a few sites for music, but they require a license to be purchased, or you have to buy the songs and a license. Are there any websites where I can find free music tracks?

If you are looking for looping music tracks that are less than 60 seconds, try Flashkit Loops. Each music track has a different license, so be sure to read the terms and conditions before downloading. You'll find there are many freeware tracks to download, as well as those that only require a link back to the author as payment.

A great site for full length music is Jamendo. This site offers a huge selection of full length music that is covered under 4 different creative commons licenses, ranging from non-commercial use all the way to full free commercial use. Each album/song has the license clearly displayed on the side of the screen.

Jamendo has also provided widget code for bloggers to use to embed a music player directly on a blog. Each album has a specific widget code, so be sure to locate the album you like first before copying the code.

Resource for banners, buttons, and logos

noreply@blogger.com (Tech Lord) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:30:00 +0000

I read your earlier post about free image editing software, but neither program you suggested has a good range of text art and effects to make buttons and logos for my website. Can you recommend any other programs or websites?

Cooltext.com is a great free site that offers tools specifically for text art.

Logos: 31 different logo styles, 1200 fonts to choose from, and colors can be altered to match your design.

Buttons: A variety of shapes, shadows, and effects to choose from. Fonts and colors can be modified as well.

Created in 30 seconds at Cooltext.com

Once your image has been rendered you must download the it to your local drive, the image will not be hosted on their server. As your are creating your graphics, be sure to browse their extensive font library. The fonts can be used either on the site or downloaded for use on your computer.

How to reset a frozen iPhone

noreply@blogger.com (Tech Lord) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:35:00 +0000

My iPhone is completely frozen. I tried holding the button down at the top to turn it off, but it's not working. How can I reset it?

To perform a hard reset, you hold down the sleep/wake button at the top of the iphone and the home button on the front. Keep holding them both down until the screen turns black and the Apple logo appears. Wait a few seconds for the start up process to complete, and your iphone should be back to normal.

This should not cause any loss of your data or applications installed on the iphone. To avoid this in the future, it is a good idea to periodically reset your iphone whenever the performance becomes sluggish.

How to add an html link to a picture in blogger

noreply@blogger.com (Tech Lord) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 23:52:00 +0000

How do I add a link to a picture in my blogger blog? When a visitor clicks on a picture in my post, I want them to be directed to another page.

The default action on uploaded images to a blogspot blog is to open a new window with the full sized image. To change this you can either alter the html using the Edit Html feature of the post editor, or you can simply use the Link button in the post toolbar.

Image generously provided by Autographs by Mail .

1. Upload your image a place it in the desired location.

2. Click on the photo to select it.

3. Click the Link icon in the toolbar and add the html link.

You'll notice that when the link entry box is opened a link is already in place. This is a link to the location that the image is hosted. Changing the link will not affect how your image appears on your blog.

What is XP Anitivirus 2009?

noreply@blogger.com (Tech Lord) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 01:51:00 +0000

What is XP Antivirus 2009? It keeps popping up and telling me I have infections that need to be removed, but my anti-virus program is telling me nothing is wrong. I tried to uninstall it, but it keeps coming back.

XP ( or Vista) Antivirus 2008 (or 2009) is one of the worst spyware/adware/malware infections you can get. This program fraudulently tells you that there are multiple infections on your system (that don't actually exist), and the only way to remove them is to purchase the full version of the software. It actually embeds itself on your desktop and in your web browser, and has been known to generate fake reboots and system crashes.

If you ever see the following pop-up while you are browsing the internet, be VERY careful how you handle it. This pop-up is very resilient in getting you to install the software.

I received the above pop-up and clicked Cancel. That resulted in the following...

There are a few big red flags here.

The full system scan took less than 1 second.
According to the window it is a secure site, but does not have the "lock" icon in the address bar.
The window is attempting to install a setup program without any interaction from me.

The only way to get out of this window successfully without installing is to keep clicking the X in the upper right hand corner of the window until it is completely closed.

If you do get infected with this, your anti-virus software may not catch it. Microsoft offers an online scanner found here that may be able to clean your system. If you'd rather download software to your computer, there are two free scanners that deal specifically with spyware/malware that I would recommend. Spybot and Adaware are free for personal use and have frequent updates to catch the latest spyware/malware.

If you catch it early enough, you can also perform a system restore to roll back your computer to before the program was installed. If you need help performing a system restore, see my previous post for instructions.

***** UPDATE: See my latest post for an updated resolution to this malware. ****

How to restore the taskbar

noreply@blogger.com (Tech Lord) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:42:00 +0000

Serena the Crafty Mom asks: How do I get my taskbar back? It disappeared, I can't even see my Start button any more.

Usually this turns out to be one of two issues, either your start bar is on auto-hide or you accidentally resized it down to a point where you can no longer see it.

Resize your taskbar

Check all four sides of your screen along the edge for a thin blue line.
Hover your mouse over the blue line until the curor changes to a double arrow.
Left click and hold the mouse button, then drag away from the side of the screen to resize the task bar.

Take your taskbar off auto-hide mode

Press the Windows button on your keyboard. It'usually found between Ctrl and Alt in the lower left hand side of your keyboard.
Right click at the bottom of the Start menu. Select the menu item titled Properties.
Click the Taskbar tab.
Uncheck the "Auto-hide the taskbar" selection.

To prevent your taskbar from disappearing again, it is a good idea to lock the taskbar so you don't accidentally resize it. Just right click on the taskbar, and then select "Lock the Taskbar."

Alternatives to Sitemeter

noreply@blogger.com (Tech Lord) — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 00:11:00 +0000

John asks: What alternatives are there to sitemeter? Will the lack of sitemeter effect my blog ranking? Thanks.

Sitemeter is a tracking tool that helps you monitor the traffic on your site or blog. Sitemeter statistics do not impact the major site rankings such as Alexa or Technorati, so switching to another system will not impact your ranking. Here are two alternatives I have used that I recommend.

Google Analytics is a fantastic alternative to Sitemeter. It is primarily designed for analyzing Google Adwords advertising campaigns, however non-adwords users can track up to 5 million page hits per day.

Feedburner not only allows you to track your feeds, but it also provides a comprehensive site statistics system as well. The advantage of using Feedburner for blogs is that you can log in and get a quick snapshot of both your site visitors and site subscribers in one page.

Internet Explorer cannot open the internet site, operation aborted

noreply@blogger.com (Tech Lord) — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 13:09:00 +0000

I cannot access any of my blogs. Everytime I try to view the page, it seems to load fine in the background, then I get an error that says "Internet Explorer cannot open the internet site. Operation aborted." I tried a few other sites and it doesn't seem to be happening everywhere. Could it be a virus or spyware?

It appears that as of August 1, 2008, any website or blog that has the Sitemeter tracking code installed is receiving this same error if the visitor is using Internet Explorer. This is NOT a problem with your computer and it is not caused by a virus or spyware.

At this point you can temporarily remove the Sitemeter tracking code to get your site working again. Sitemeter will most likely have this resolved soon, so once the tracking code is fixed you can reinstall Sitemeter. The official sitemeter page is currently experiencing the same problem, so check back frequently for updates.

If you choose to wait it out and leave the tracking code in place, just be aware that any visitor to your site that is using Internet Explorer will receive the error. Visitors will still see the page load in the background, so you may want to add a notice explaining the problem.

UPDATE: Sitemeter has resolved the issues. See the official Sitemeter blog for more information.

As a general rule of thumb, if you receive this error on some sites but not all, it is not a problem with your computer.

Alternatives to Adsense

noreply@blogger.com (Tech Lord) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 01:12:00 +0000

Derwood Hubler asks: What are some good alternatives to Google Adsense for monetizing my blog?

Here are a few I recommend you look into.

Friendfinder has an extensive network of dating and social sites that generate revenue for you in the form of sign ups and referrals.

Chitika offers a wide variety of ad units that target products and services based on the content of your blog.

Bidvertiser offers text ad units similar to Adsense. The ads displayed are based on how you categorize your blog/website, as well as the advertisers available. The more popular your blog is, the higher the payout.

WidgetBucks offers rich media filled ad units that are targeted specifically to the content on the current page.

Although Google Adsense is considered the top performing advertising network, it is always a good idea to diversify when possible. Be sure to check the latest Google Adsense terms of service to determine which types of ads you can run in conjunction with Adesense ad units. Generally speaking, any other advertisements that are contextually based on the page's content causes problems.

Determine your DirectX version

noreply@blogger.com (Tech Lord) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 01:39:00 +0000

I just bought a new game that says I need to have the latest version of DirectX installed. How can I find out which version of DirectX is installed on my computer?

Normally any application or game that requires the latest version of DirectX will notify you during the installation process if you do not have the right version. If you want to determine what version you have before installing software, follow these steps:

Windows XP: Click Start, then select Run. Windows Vista: Click Start, select All programs, Accessories, and finally Run.

Type dxdiag into the window that pops up.

A new window will open up that is titled DirectX Diagnostic Tool. This window shows you system information related to the display, sounds, and inputs. On the first page at the bottom of the list, you will see your version of DirectX.

If you need to upgrade your version of DirectX to a more recent release, visit the Microsoft Update site and choose the custom button. This will show you the non-critical updates available for your system, which includes DirectX updates.

How do I install fonts to my computer?

noreply@blogger.com (Tech Lord) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:41:00 +0000

I just downloaded a bunch of fonts to my computer, but when I try to use them they don't show up in my programs. Do I need to install them, and how do I do that?

To install fonts to your computer, follow these steps:

Click Start, then choose Control Panel.

Click the Fonts icon.

Select the File menu, then click Install a new font.

Navigate to the location you downloaded your new font(s) to. The fonts will appear in the "List of fonts:" window.

Click OK to install the font(s).

If you navigate to your newly downloaded fonts and they do not appear in the window, then they are not in the correct format. Double check the website from which you downloaded the fonts to make sure you picked the right format (i.e. windows, not mac).

Some fonts are also designed to work only within specific programs. If you are installing fonts for a specific program, the above steps will not work for you. Installation instructions will vary based on the program, so refer to the help file of the program for further instruction.

Uninstalling iPhone apps

noreply@blogger.com (Tech Lord) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 01:29:00 +0000

I downloaded a bunch of free iPhone apps from the app store, and now I want to uninstall them. Do I use itunes, and how can I do it from the iphone itself?

From the iPhone:

Press and hold any icon on your iphone until all of the icons begin to wiggle.

Any icons that now have a black X in the upper left corner are applications that can be uninstalled. Pressing an icon's X will uninstall the application.

Press the home button to return to the normal mode.

If after synching your iPhone with iTunes the applications reappear, check the Applications tab in iTunes to make sure "Synch all" and/or the individual app is not checked off to be synchronized.

Also remember that purchased applications can be redownloaded and installed at any time for free, so don't worry about accidentally deleting an app. Just navigate to the app, press Install, and you will be prompted to redownload.

How to backup internet explorer favorites

noreply@blogger.com (Tech Lord) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:31:00 +0000

I read your post about recovering bookmarks using system restore when no backup exists. How do I backup my favorites?

There are two methods to backing up your internet explorer favorites.

Export method (internet explorer 7)

Click the 'Add to favorites' icon.

Select Import and Export.

Follow the instructions in the import/export wizard, choosing the export option.

This method generates one HTML file that contains an organized link list of all your favorites. Save this file in a location you will remember! Whenever you need to restore your favorites, just follow steps 1-3 above using the 'import' option.

Favorites folder method (all versions of internet explorer)

Your favorites are stored within a folder on your hard drive. You just need to find that folder, copy it, and save that copy in another location so that you can revert back to it if needed.

Click Start, then select My computer.

Double click the hard drive icon. You will find this under the 'Hard Disk Drives' section of the window.

Find and open the folder titled Documents and Settings.

Locate and open the folder labled with your profile name. Your profile is the name you initially set up when you set up Windows.

Right click on the icon titled favorites, then select Copy from the menu.
Paste the copy of your favorites to a location of your choosing.

When you need to restore your favorites, just copy your backup file (using the instructions in step 5), follow steps 1-4, then paste the file into the folder. Restart internet explorer and your favorites will be restored.

Free audio editing software

noreply@blogger.com (Tech Lord) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:23:00 +0000

Where can I find a program that can edit sound files like MP3s and WAV?

Audacity is by far the best solution I can recommend. The list of features definitely rival those of larger commercial programs. Not only does it import and export to every major sound file format, but it incorporates special effects and wide variety of plugins so you can get the effect you are looking for. Audacity is open source software, which means it is free to download and use.

If you are using Windows Vista, be warned that the system requirements are a bit on the high side compared to Windows XP. If you don't have at least 1 gigabyte of system memory, you may experience sluggish performance and freezing windows.

The download page is a little bit confusing as to which link to click to actually get the program. The only file you need to get up and running is the "Audacity Installer", the rest are optional plugins that add extra functionality. The plugins can be downloaded and installed at a later date if you need them.

Free image editing software

noreply@blogger.com (Tech Lord) — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 01:28:00 +0000

What are some good alternatives to commercial image editors like photoshop?

When "paint" is just not powerful enough for you anymore, there are two fantastic programs I would recommend you look into. Both are open source, which means they are completely free to download and use. Each has a different feel to it, so download both to find out what works best for you.

The GNU Image Manipulation Program, other wise known as GIMP.

It is a freely distributed program for such tasks as photo retouching, image
composition and image authoring. It has many capabilities. It can be used
as a simple paint program, an expert quality photo retouching program, an online
batch processing system, a mass production image renderer, an image format
converter, etc.

The second image editor is Paint.NET

Paint.NET is free image and photo editing software for computers that run
Windows. It features an intuitive and innovative user interface with support for
layers, unlimited undo, special effects, and a wide variety of useful and
powerful tools. An active and growing online community provides friendly help,
tutorials, and plugins.

Please note that Paint.NET requires the microsoft .NET framework to be installed first if you do not currently have it. A link to the framework is provided in the Paint.NET download page.