SOHO Computer Support

Leelu Soft: XP Quick Fix Plus

2009-11-07T15:02:00.000-08:00

"But there are times when you want just one quick fix for example when you are under a virus attack and you just want to enable the Task Manager or the Registry Editor so you can fight the virus back, or when some new installation changed your XP behavior and My Documents opens on every start up."

A menu of quick fixes for the Windows XP Registry.

Sneaky Microsoft plug-in puts Firefox users at risk

2009-10-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

"Computerworld - An add-on that Microsoft silently slipped into Mozilla's Firefox last February leaves the browser open to attack, Microsoft's security engineers acknowledged earlier this week."

Come on Microsoft - this is inappropriate.

Turn off Windows Desktop Search and Indexing

2009-09-23T13:46:00.000-07:00

To turn off Windows Desktop Search

In RegEdit
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows Desktop Search\DS
set "ShowStartSearchBand" to 0, and you'll get the default search behavior back.

To turn off Windows Indexing

Turn off indexing on particular hard disk drive

Open up “My Computer”. Or open “Windows Explorer” and then expand Computer tree.
Right click on the hard drive to disable indexing (i.e (C:) drive letter).
Select Properties on the contextual menu.
Click on General tab if it’s not already selected.
Untick (unselect) the check box for Allow Indexing Service to index this disk for fast file searching option.
Click OK, and wait for the index removal process to complete, which may take a few minutes.
Repeat the steps for other hard drives if applicable.

Disable the Indexing Service in Windows XP

Open “Control Panel”, select “Administrator Tools”, and open Services applet. Alternatively, type services.msc in the Rn text box from Start menu, and then hit Enter.
Scroll down and locate Indexing Service service, and then double click on it.
Click on Stop button to immediately stop the indexing service if the service status shows “Running.
Under the “Startup Type”, select Disabled to permanently disable the indexing service so that it won’t run again.
Click OK.

WinToFlash - Install Windows from usb - Home page

2009-08-30T18:45:00.000-07:00

"WinToFlash is a software for transfer your Windows XP, Windows 2003, Windows Vista, Windows 2008, Windows 7 setup from CD or DVD to flash in some mouse clicks. This is about you can install your Windows from flash card, USB stick, HDD, etc to your computer or netbook."

This is a great idea to be able to install Windows from a Flash drive.

Five Best Disk Defragmenters - Defragment - Lifehacker

2009-08-30T11:18:00.000-07:00

"Your computer's a busy beaver, rapidly accessing and utilizing files all in the name of bringing you what you want, when you want it. Sometimes it needs a little help tidying up, and that's where these five disk defragmenters come in."

The five best disk degragmenters. Three are free.

8 Firefox Add-Ons to Boost Productivity | WebProNews

2009-08-26T12:28:00.000-07:00

"If you use Firefox, you are no doubt aware that there are many add-ons that can enhance your browsing experience. Many of these can make your online life a whole lot easier and save you time."

A good list of Firefox add-ons.

xkcd - A Webcomic - Tech Support Cheat Sheet

2009-08-24T10:21:00.000-07:00

A great comic about helping people with their computer problems. It is a flowchart about what happens when someone works on your computer.

OXYGEN 3, E-bulletin on IT security

2009-08-22T11:32:00.000-07:00

"Every day, PandaLabs receives nearly 37,000 samples of new viruses, worms, Trojans and other types of Internet threats, 52 percent of which (that is 19,240 on average) spread and try to infect users for just 24 hours."

I think these are remarkable numbers.

Create a System Restore Point on Windows XP

2009-08-02T16:12:00.000-07:00

Before you apply updates to your Windows XP computer, it is advisable to create a restore point.

Start | All Programs | Accessories | System Tools | System Restore

Select Create a restore point.

That is the bare minimum for system backup, and if you are applying windows updates, it is a good place to start.

If you need to restore, come back to the same place and

Select Restore my computer to an earlier time

What Do You Install First on a New PC : EveryJoe - Sports News - Tech Reviews - Entertainment - Life Tips for EveryJoe

2009-07-30T19:26:00.000-07:00

"My friend Patric Welch, a.k.a. Noobie, just found this blog post that lists the writer’s top 10 applications to install on a new PC to get things started out on the right foot. The other nice benefit of this blog post though is that all the applications listed are 100% free."

A fine list of software to start out a new PC.

Seven Deadly Sins of Home Office Security - CSO Online - Security and Risk

2009-06-23T16:52:00.000-07:00

"Whether your home office is for the occasional WAH or you're running a business from the house, are you guilty of one of these security oversights?"

A good solid list of security issues, including some that are usually overlooked.

Welcome | The PC Decrapifier

2009-05-12T14:49:00.000-07:00

"The PC Decrapifier is a program designed to remove or uninstall a specific list of unwanted software in an unattended fashion. It can be used to clean off most of the annoying software that is typically shipped with newer PCs."

A valuable program to get rid of a lot of bloatware that comes with new pcs.

What is Evernote? | Evernote Corporation

2009-05-06T15:59:00.000-07:00

"Evernote allows you to easily capture information in any environment using whatever device or platform you find most convenient, and makes this information accessible and searchable at any time, from anywhere. Did we mention that it's free?"

I am starting to see some rave reviews about this software. Work a look.

Email: Outlook Express - transferring to new computer, backup outlook express, copy mail

2009-04-26T18:19:00.000-07:00

"This article describes how to back up and restore your messages, Address Book, mail accounts, and news accounts in Outlook Express 5 and later. If multiple Identities are in use for Outlook Express, these steps should be repeated for each Identity and the backup data segregated accordingly. This will facilitate restoration of each Identity."

This is the sort of material that you need once every year or so.

OXYGEN 3, E-bulletin on IT security

2009-02-28T12:44:00.000-08:00

"Anti-Virus-1: A new fake antivirus Anti-Virus-1 is adware, specifically a 'fake antivirus'. As with all such adware, it is designed to simulate a scan of the computer, supposedly detecting thousands of strains of (non-existent) malware. The end aim is to sell users a pay version of the fake antivirus in order to eliminate the threats."

So many things to watch out for online.

FileBox eXtender - keep favorite folders at your fingertips

2009-01-09T11:20:00.000-08:00

"FileBox eXtender™ - keep favorite folders at your fingertips - free software for everyone, now also working under Vista Ver. 2.00.02 is now available for download"

Enhance the standard Windows File Open, File Save dialog boxes and Explorer folders.

7 Important Security Tips For Your Windows PC | Dumb Little Man

2008-11-12T16:32:00.000-08:00

"There are many ways for regular people to protect themselves from these vulnerabilities. I will share seven such tips below and while these tips may not guarantee foolproof security, they do make your computer less prone to attacks and hence, more secure."

A solid set of tips for protecting your Windows computer.

Snapily. Do more with your photos

2008-11-09T18:21:00.000-08:00

"Snapily. Do more with your photos
Create your own 3D & animated prints
Select a Design
Customize your Design
Order & enjoy!"

Create a animated business card. What fun.

Spychecker - download spyware removal and Internet privacy tools

2008-10-25T15:48:00.000-07:00

"Welcome to Spychecker.com
whether you are concerned about your online privacy or have suspicions that someone may be spying on your PC activities, you'll find a solution here that you can download and try, or even use it for free. All software has been downloaded and tested before it was listed."

A good list of freeware and low priced tools.

Create PDF Online Free, PDF Toolkit API for .NET, VB, Java, ASP for Programming PDF Server Applications and Converting PDF to Word.

2008-10-22T19:46:00.000-07:00

"BCL easyConverter SDK allows you to programmatically convert PDF to Word compatible RTF files. These Word compatible files can then be edited, modified or mined for text, graphics, tables and lists.
PDF fonts are mapped to the appropriate Word fonts with style, size and kerning to make accurate fit.
Single and multi-column pages are converted to equivalent structures with text flow preserved for facilitate editing.
PDF tables with and without PDF table structures are converted to Word tables.
Read more..."

A "cloud way" to convert PDF to RTF files that can be updated with Word. RTF files can then be converted back to PDF.

speed.io - Internet DSL Speedtest

2008-09-17T19:59:00.000-07:00

"Speed.io is a modern DSL speedtest to analyze your broadband internet access. You find that your internet connection is too slow or you are just curious how fast you are - speed.io is a perfect tool for a fast speed check - worldwide."

Nice tool with cool graphics.

Hive Five: Five Best Password Managers

2008-08-31T21:24:00.000-07:00

"...Luckily, there are several fantastic and secure password management applications designed to make it easy for you to remember, manage, and secure your passwords effortlessly. On Tuesday you shared your favorite password managers, and now we're back with the five most popular picks."

I think password managers are one of best productivity savers.

Microsoft Office Discount for Students - The Ultimate Steal

2008-08-25T18:50:00.000-07:00

"Microsoft Office Discount for Students"

Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Groove, Publisher, Access, InfoPath, Accounting Express for $59.95. Students Only.

Bulk Convert Old Documents to the new Office 2007 Format

2008-08-25T16:35:00.000-07:00

"Say you got tons of Excel sheets, PowerPoint presentations and Word documents on your computer that were written in Office XP or 2003. How do you convert all these files to the new Office 2007 format."

Tutorial on how to convert old documents to Office 2007 format.

NetSwitcher, the ultimate windows network setup utility.

2008-08-15T14:18:00.000-07:00

"NetSwitcher is a great tool for mobile computer users. If you've ever had to change your network settings every time you sit down at a client's site or fumble with your IP address configuration every time you plug into your home network, NetSwitcher is the tool for you."

A terrific idea for a product. I know I often switch settings from coffee shop to client office to home office. Minimal price.