Working Computers

Software Links for The Internet Security Talk at the Kinnelon Library on April 28, 2013

2013-05-06T11:29:00.000-04:00

I promised all of you who attended the talk on April 28, kinks for:

MalwareByte

Revo Uninstaller

and

CCleaner

These are links for the free versions of the programs, and the free versions are very good. I also recommend the for-pay versions with added functionality, Check them out.

Remember to run the Malware Bytes quick scan whenever you suspect something may have infected your computer or compromised its security.

Do check your installed programs at least once a week to see if anything has piggybacked in on other installs, and uninstall anything installed within that week that you do not recognize or that comes from an unknown publisher.

Also remember to uninstall with Revo Uninstaller if Windows Uninstaller can't do the job.

Good Luck and Safe Surfing!

~Ted

Date Change for Internet Security for Your PC -- Talk at the Kinnelon Library will be Thur April 25, 2013 @ 7 PM

2013-04-17T17:12:00.000-04:00

Those interested in the talk at the Kinnelon Library on Internet Security, originally shown as scheduled for tomorrow Thursday April 18, should make note of the change to Thursday April 25, one week from tomorrow.

Sorry for the Confusion,

Ted

All About Internet Security for Your PC -- Talk at the Kinnelon Library Thur April 18, 2013 @ 7 PM

2013-04-16T09:49:00.000-04:00

Taking Care of Your Computer

All About Internet Security for Your PC

Commercial and Free Anti-Virus, Firewall, and Other

Security Software for Your PC or MAC

Is It Really Free?

Putting Your Money at Risk

Pop-Ups?

Phishing?

Using the Same Password for Everything?

I will be giving a talk at the Kinnelon Public Library, this Thursday April 18, at 7 PM, which is the 3rd of 9 such planned talks this year, roughly a month apart, on the subject of taking care of your Windows PC, new or old, with special attention in Part 3 to:

The difference between Free and For-Pay Internet Security (IS) Software
When You Need One or the Other
Which Commercial Software to Buy (if you have to)
What Software You May Need for Additional Protection
What Anti-Virus and Firewall Software Can Protect You From and What It Can't
What to Do If You Get Infected
How To Configure Your AV and Firewall (if you have to)
How to Take Care of Anti-Spam Software
What to Do On-line and What Not to Do

Ask Your Questions about Your Computer and Computer Related Problems, such as:

1) Is my machine too old? When do I need a new machine?
2) How can I "pin" that program to my Taskbar, and what is a "Gadget?"
3) Why does my computer ... ?
4) If you have a laptop with a problem, bring it along and we'll take a quick look.
5) Questions and on-the-spot diagnosis will be limited by the time available!!!

All of you Kinnelon and North Jersey people, and everybody else, are welcome to come.

Call the Kinnelon Library at 973 838 1321 and reserve a spot.

See you there!

~Ted
PS: This talk pertains to PCs running Windows 8, 7, Vista and XP

Photo Credits: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/electronics-computers/computers-internet/internet-and-other-services/7-online-blunders/overview/7-online-blunders-ov.htm

Taking Care of Your Computer For Free -- Buying a New Computer Now -- What Should I Buy? -- Talk at The Kinnelon Library Thurs. Mar. 28 @ 7PM

2013-03-26T11:13:00.002-04:00

In The Market for a New Computer???

High End Computer -- Possibly Too Expensive

I get asked about what new computers are good choices to buy a lot, and I do have choices to recommend. And I have reasons for my choices. Most people, when looking for a new machine give too much weight to the initial purchase price, forgetting that over the life of the machine, there are other costs that can drive the total price a lot higher.

The first thing to remember is that the Most Expensive Thing about a New Computer will be Replacing it. The longer your machine lasts, the cheaper it gets!

It used to be that a computer might die before it became too slow or old to use, and a desktop or laptop at 7 years old or older running Windows XP was common. That's an old computer from a hardware standpoint and likely to fail. These days the burden placed on a new machine is getting heavier so rapidly, that, unless you buy a very powerful computer, it is likely to be un-useable for websurfing, online purchasing or many common programs and services long before it is even 5 years old.

Buy the most powerful computer you can afford -- the difference in price may only be a few hundred dollars, but that will translate into a much longer and more useful lifespan, as well as a machine that waits for you, instead of you waiting for it.

Buy Computers with Core i7 Intel CPUs, instead of Core i5, or Core i3 processors -- they are more powerful and that makes a difference. Buy a computer with at least 8 GB of RAM or more, expandable to 32 GB or more (RAM is and will be cheap), and with at least a 1 TB Hard Drive.

One Desktop Computer I like and recommend is the Dell XPS 8500 seen below:

Dell XPS 8500

Specs: Core i7-3770 3.4GHz Quad-core CPU, 8GB RAM, 1TB SATA III HDD, DVD Burner optical drive, Wireless-N, Bluetooth 4.0, 1GB Radeon HD 7570 graphics, 19-in-1 card reader, 1-year warranty, 12-month McAfee Security and Windows 8 64-bit OS

This computer as discounted now by Dell with an additional discount thru LogicBuy for $699.99, or as I like to call it, $700. Check out LogicBuy's page for it with their Discount Code HERE.

Don't buy a monitor by checking a box on the ordering menu -- those prices are too high. Check out the Tech Bargains and Logic Buy websites.

I will be giving a talk at the Kinnelon Library on this and other computers that I like this Thursday, March 28 at 7 PM. I will cover the following topics:

• What Computers Should You Buy Now?

• Tablets, Laptops, and Desktops

• How Much Should You Pay and Where Should You Buy Them

• What Computers Will Last the Longest Time

•What Do You Need if You Just Want to Surf the Web and Do Email?

And, as usual we will have Open Mike: Ask Your Questions, Bring in Your Laptop or Device for advice.
All of you Kinnelon and North Jersey people, and everybody else, are welcome to come.

Call the Kinnelon Library at 973 838 1321 and reserve a spot.

~Ted

PS: This talk pertains to PCs running Windows 7, Vista and XP

PPS: Note this is a change of date from March 21 to March 28

Photo Credits: http://www.pwelverumandsun.com/history, and Dell

All About WiFi -- Talk at the Kinnelon Library Thur Feb. 21 @ 7 PM

2013-02-19T14:26:00.000-05:00

1st Talk of 2013

Taking Care of Your Computer

All About WiFi

Routers, Computers, Printers, Phones, Tablets

I will be giving a talk at the Kinnelon Public Library, this Thursday Feb. 21, at 7 PM, which is the 1st of 9 such planned talks this year, roughly a month apart, on the subject of taking care of your Windows PC, new or old, with special attention in Part 1 to:

WiFi is 2 Way Radio for Computers and Computing Devices
How WiFi Works on Routers, Computers, Phones, & Tablets, Printers …
How to Keep WiFi Safe – Encryption, Types and Uses
How to Make WiFi Fast – Wireless-N and soon, Wireless AC
How to Set Up WiFi on Individual Devices
When You Should Use WiFi and When You Should Not
How Printing (and Scanning and Faxing) with WiFi is a Special Case

Make Sure You Get WiFi When You Need It -- Your Own!

Ask Your Questions about Your Computer and Computer Related Problems, such as:

1) Is my machine too old? When do I need a new machine?
2) How can I "pin" that program to my Taskbar, and what is a "Gadget?"
3) Why does my computer ... ?
4) If you have a laptop with a problem, bring it along and we'll take a quick look.
5) Questions and on-the-spot diagnosis will be limited by the time available!!!

All of you Kinnelon and North Jersey people, and everybody else, are welcome to come.

Call the Kinnelon Library at 973 838 1321 and reserve a spot.

See you there!

~Ted

Quid Pro Quo

PS: This talk pertains to PCs running Windows 8, 7, Vista and XP

Hands on Windows Maintenance & Year End Wrap Up -- Talk at the Kinnelon Library Thur Dec 20 @ 7 PM

2012-12-17T11:23:00.001-05:00

9th and Last in the 2012 Series

Taking Care of Your Computer

2013 is Coming!

Are You Ready!

Feel Like You Aren't Winning?

Worried that You Are Under Attack?

Everybody Has to Start Someplace! Even Beginners Can Succeed!

Here is a Year End ReCap of Some of the
Items We Have Covered This Year!

And ...

What You Should Be Doing Thru the Year to Come

I will be giving a talk at the Kinnelon Public Library, this Thursday Dec. 20, at 7 PM, which is the 9th of 9 such talks this year, a month apart, on the subject of taking care of your Windows PC, new or old, with special attention in Part 9 to:

A ReCap of Subjects covered in all Previous 8 Talks:

1) Disinfection with Free Software -- Also Restore and Recover

2) Free Software for Making Bootable Backups of Your Windows PC

3) Best Computers Discounts -- Where and How to Buy a PC, Laptop, Desktop, or Tablet

4) Best Free Software -- to Replace MS Office, Commercial Anti-Virus, etc.

5) How to Work on Your Own PC -- From Buying Replacement Hardware to Getting into the Box

6) How Run Scheduled Backups with MS Supplied Software and How to Buy Backup Hardware

7) How to Print Anything Cheaply in Windows, What Printers to Buy, Free Software to Use

8) Why Bootable Backups are Important and How to Do Them, from Hands-On to Hardware

And, As Always we will have our Open Mike period at the end of the talk and demo, so you can find out why your computer isn't doing what you want:

Ask Your Questions about Your Computer and Computer Related Problems, such as:

1) Is my machine too old? When do I need a new machine?

2) How can I "pin" that program to my Taskbar, and what is a "Gadget?"

3) Why does my computer ... ?

4) If you have a laptop with a problem, bring it along and we'll take a quick look.

5) Questions and on-the-spot diagnosis will be limited by the time available!!!

All of you Kinnelon and North Jersey people, and everybody else, are welcome to come.

Call the Kinnelon Library at 973 838 1321 and reserve a spot.

See you there!

~Ted

PS: This talk pertains to PCs running Windows 8, 7, Vista and XP

Photo Credits:

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/how-to-tech/how-to-know-if-your-computer-is-infected.htm

http://www.scottsdaleairparkit.com/2011/11/09/1020/

http://uk.skullcandy.com/blog/2011/05/02/study-proves-stuff-you-already-knew-good-job-studiers

Taking Care of Your Computer for Free -- Hands on Windows Bootable Backups -- Talk at the Kinnelon Library Wed Nov 28 at 7PM

2012-11-28T15:52:00.002-05:00

To Boot or Not to Boot, That is the Question

OK, Which Offers Better Protection?

Anyway, I will be giving a talk at the Kinnelon Public Library, this Wednesday, Nov. 28, at 7 PM, which is the 8th of 9 such talks this year, a month apart, on the subject of taking care of your Windows PC, new or old, with special attention in Part 8 to:

Bootable Backups

1) Why You Need Them

2) How to Make Them

3) Where and How to Buy Backup Drives and Drive Cases.

4) Why You Should Buy Your Own Drive and Case and not a Pre-Packaged External Drive

5) How to Get Up and Running after a System Drive Failure in Just a Few Minutes.

And, As Always we will have our Open Mike period at the end of the talk and demo, so you can find out why your computer isn't doing what you want:

Ask Your Questions about Your Computer and Computer Related Problems, such as:

1) Is my machine too old? When do I need a new machine?

2) How can I "pin" that program to my Taskbar, and what is a "Gadget?"

3) Why does my computer ... ?

4) If you have a laptop with a problem, bring it along and we'll take a quick look.

5) Questions and on-the-spot diagnosis will be limited by the time available!!!

All of you Kinnelon and North Jersey people, and everybody else, are welcome to come.

Call the Kinnelon Library at 973 838 1321 and reserve a spot.

See you there!

~Ted

PS: This talk pertains to PCs running Windows 8, 7, Vista and XP

Photo Credits: http://www.emergingrunner.com/2011/06/barefoot-but-for-my-shoe.html
and http://www.vtarmynavy.com/belleville-boots.htm

Taking Care of Your Computer for Free -- Hands on Windows Printing for Photos, Text, and Applications -- Talk at the Kinnelon Library Thur Sept 20 at 7PM

2012-09-18T10:10:00.000-04:00

This Poor Woman Doesn't Understand Windows Printing!!

This One Does!

Yes, I Can Reuse the Same Photos and Give Them New Captions!

Anyway, I will be giving a talk at the Kinnelon Public Library, this Thursday, Sept 20 at 7 PM, which is the 7th of 10 such talks this year, a month apart, on the subject of taking care of your Windows PC, new or old, with special attention in Part 7 to:

How to Print Anything Cheaply in Win 7 or Vista or XP -- Desktop or Laptop, including:

1) How to Print and Organize Photos (Mostly for Free) -- Print everything from Wallet sized Snapshots, to Posters, and everything in between. The best Photo Printers and How to Save on Ink! Which is the most expensive part of photo printing!

2) How to Make Your Applications Understand Your Printer -- Make sure Windows and Your Printer are on the Same Page. Literally!.

3) Where and How to Buy Printers, Ink, and Supplies -- No, it's not at Staples.

4) What Printers to Buy and Where to Buy Them -- The Cheapest and Best Printers for Photos or General Printing.

5) How to Handle Internet Printing and Making the Fonts and Pages Sizes Print Right -- Like it Says.

And, As Always we will have our Open Mike period at the end of the talk and demo, so you can find out why your computer isn't doing what you want:
Ask Your Questions about Your Computer and Computer Related Problems, such as:

1) Is my machine too old? When do I need a new machine?

2) How can I "pin" that program to my Taskbar, and what is a "Gadget?"

3) Why does my computer ... ?

4) If you have a laptop with a problem, bring it along and we'll take a quick look.

5) Questions and on-the-spot diagnosis will be limited by the time available!!!

All of you Kinnelon and North Jersey people, and everybody else, are welcome to come.

Call the Kinnelon Library at 973 838 1321 and reserve a spot.

See you there!

~Ted

PS: This talk pertains to PCs running Windows 7, Vista and XP

Photo Credits: And I do not make this stuff up!!!
http://womenwantme.com/attract-women-with-your-facebook-pictures.html and various sites for the unahppy woman.

Taking Care of Your Computer for Free -- Hands on Backup Software and Live-Virus Dis-Infection Demo -- Talk at the Kinnelon Library Thur July 19 at 7PM

2012-07-17T11:28:00.001-04:00

This Poor Woman hasn't Backed Up Her Computer!

This One Has!

I will be giving a talk at the Kinnelon Public Library, Thursday, July 19 at 7 PM, which is the 6th of 9 such talks a month apart, on the subject of taking care of your Windows PC, new or old, with special attention in Part 6 to:

How to Set Up MS included Backup Software in Win 7 or Vista -- Desktop or Laptop, including:

1) How to Configure the Backup Software -- Do you want to backup Files, an Image for the While Disk, both … ???

2) How to Run the Backups -- You can backup your computer manually and automatically and restore -- it's nice to know how before you absolutely have to.

3) How to Schedule the Backups and When to Run Them -- I will walk you through it.

4) What Hardware to Buy -- Do you need an external or internal hard drive, or a flash drive, or ...?

5) What about 3rd Party Backup Software – If you buy an external hard disk from Seagate or Western digital it will often come with Free Backup Software -- it is any good and how is it different from what comes with Windows. What about cloning or mirroring?

And, if we have time I will walk us through the killing of a Live Virus using readily available free software such as Malware Bytes which I have discussed in other talks and which can be found in other articles on this Blog.

And, As Always we will have our Open Mike period at the end of the talk and demo, so you can find out why your computer isn't doing what you want:

Ask Your Questions about Your Computer and Computer Related Problems, such as:

1) Is my machine too old? When do I need a new machine?

2) How can I "pin" that program to my Taskbar, and what is a "Gadget?"

3) Why does my computer ... ?

4) If you have a laptop with a problem, bring it along and we'll take a quick look.

5) Questions and on-the-spot diagnosis will be limited by the time available!!!

All of you Kinnelon and North Jersey people, and everybody else, are welcome to come.

Call the Kinnelon Library at 973 838 1321 and reserve a spot.

See you there!

~Ted

PS: This talk pertains to PCs running Windows 7, Vista and XP

PPS: Note this is a change of date from June to July due to an equipment issue.

Photo Credits: And I do not make this stuff up!!!
http://womenwantme.com/attract-women-with-your-facebook-pictures.html and various sites for the unahppy woman.

The Talk -- How to Work on Your Own PC -- Part 5, Talk at the Kinnelon Library Thurs. May 24 at 7 PM

2012-06-05T12:31:00.000-04:00

Where the Parts Go

Once again, I meant to get this posted last week -- sorry!

Thank you, all of you, who came to the Thursday evening talk at the library. It was nice to take a break from slide shows and talking and do some hands-on demonstration with a Desktop PC. As promised, following is a slideshow of the presentation you saw.

Do remember that since we have no movie of the actual demo of a PC teardown and parts replacement you will not get THAT from the PowerPoint Slideshow.
Any of you who want to subscribe to the Working Computers Blog, just go the right hand side of the page and look for the "Enter Your Email Address" box and click on "Subscribe", or click on the "Subscribe in a Reader" icon. The first choice will get you the once a week articles on computer use and maintenance problems you face as a home or small business user. The 2nd will allow you to see the articles in your RSS reader -- if you do not know what that is, make the First Choice!
If you have any questions feel free to drop me an email at the address to the right.

Take Care of Your Computer Part 5 -- How to Work on Your Own PC

View more presentations from Ted Whittemore.

The next Talk at The Kinnelon Library will be Thursday, June 14 at 7 PM on:

Hands-On Backup Software and Live Virus Dis-Infection Demo for Your PC:

Including Installation and Configuration/Operation/Scheduling and Testing of Microsoft Backup and Free Disk Mirroring Software

And Step-By Step Dis-Infection of Live Virus on a PC with Free Software

Plus Little Known Browser and Google Search Tips

Ask Your Questions about Your Computer and Computer Related Problems.

See you then!

~TED

Photo Credit: http://www.uproxx.com/feature/2010/06/how-to-build-your-own-computer/

Taking Care of Your Computer For Free -- How to Work on Your Own PC -- Talk at the Kinnelon Library Thur 7 PM Apr 24 2012

2012-05-09T14:37:00.000-04:00

Yes! But is it Pretty on the Inside, too???
It is a PC -- we can only imagine ...

I will be giving a talk at the Kinnelon Public Library, Thursday, May 24 at 7 PM, which is the 5th of 6 such talks a month apart, on the subject of taking care of your Windows PC, new or old, with special attention in Part 5 to:

How to Work on Your Own PC -- Desktop or Laptop, including:

1) Buying and Replacing Hardware -- Adding Memory to your Desktop or Laptop, Replacing a Power Supply, a CD/DVD/BluRay Drive, a Video Card and so on …

2) Opening and Closing Your Computer -- Accessing the innards safely, power and data cabling, and what the parts are inside a computers, user removable or otherwise

3) Where to buy the Computer Hardware and What to Buy -- The right stores online and bricks-and-mortar stores

4) If You want Someone Else to Fix Your Computer, who to get, where to get them, what to pay.

5) Plus How to Clean Your PC – It does get Dirty, You Know, and That Can Kill Your Computer

Don't go into a computer upgrade or repair ignorant of what needs to be done or what it should cost -- come and find out!

And, As Always we will have our Open Mike period at the end of the talk and demo, so you can find out why your computer isn't doing what you want:

Ask Your Questions about Your Computer and Computer Related Problems, such as:

1) Is my machine too old? When do I need a new machine?

2) How can I "pin" that program to my Taskbar, and what is a "Gadget?"

3) Why does my computer ... ?

4) If you have a laptop with a problem, bring it along and we'll take a quick look.

5) Questions and on-the-spot diagnosis will be limited by the time available!!!

All of you Kinnelon and North Jersey people, and everybody else, are welcome to come.

Call the Kinnelon Library at 973 838 1321 and reserve a spot.

See you there!

~Ted

PS: This talk pertains to PCs running Windows 7, Vista and XP

PPS: Note this is a change of date from May 17 to May 24

Photo Credits: http://www.flickr.com/photos/weirdo513/5838435133/sizes/o/in/photostream/

http://www.atomicmpc.com.au/Review/280729,hardwired-pcs-reaper-junior-is-a-well-made-system.aspx

How to Buy a Laptop -- The New Reality of 2012

2012-05-07T11:24:00.001-04:00

Never Has to be Upgraded! Easy to Use! Comfortable!

I recently came a across an interesting article on just this subject on a site called "lifehacker", entitled "How to Buy the Perfect Laptop." Check it out -- it's a good read and will clue you in to a lot of the features in new computers that may be of interest to you. It's a good article, especially in addressing the many considerations as to size, batteries, portability, technical considerations, and so on, but it leaves out what I consider to be the 2 most important factors in choosing ANY PC these days, laptop or desktop.

And they are:

1) How Long Will It Last? Not As Long As You Think! Power = Longevity.

2) Do You Need the Extended Factory Warranty? You May! Can You Do Without Your Computer for More than a Couple of Days?

What do I mean by Power = Longevity? Well, chances are you've had an older computer and noticed that over time it had increasing difficulty in keeping up -- surfing the web, doing day-to-day tasks, multi-tasking, that sort of thing. If it had been more powerful, it would have been useful to you longer and lasted longer. There is a big difference in power and performance between CPUs like the latest Intel Core i7s, and their lesser siblings the Core i3s, as well as AMD CPUs which are less powerful. You cannot choose a new machine for its ability to run in today's environment; you have to think about the years ahead, too. Also the pace of change has ramped up -- that single core Pentium 4 running XP may have lasted you for 7 years. I guarantee you that no current Ultrabook with its mid-range processor will do the same. Buy the most powerful machine you can afford -- you won't regret it.

All arguments about whether paying for factory warranties are "Good Value" or not aside, the real question is -- Can You Do Without Your Computer for a Long Time While it is Being Fixed? If the answer is YES, then, no, you do not need the extended warranty. If the answer is NO, well then, you DO NEED the Extended Warranty. From the Factory. If you depend on your machine for daily use and you cannot just switch to an alternate computer, the first-tier manufacturer (Dell, HP, Lenovo, Toshiba) warranty and service with in-home and on-site repair will get you back up and running within a couple of days. Non factory warranties usually won't. Do not buy that 3rd party warranty! Even if you buy a major brand laptop from Best Buy or some other retailer, you can still buy an extended warranty from the maker. Just call up HP or Dell and give them you invoice info, model and serial number, and the will be happy to sell you one.

Various statistics gathering organizations report something around 1/3 of new computers, be they laptop or desktop, need some kind of repair in the 1st 3 years of their existence. Even if it's less than that, it's enough that you HAVE to Consider the Potential Problem of Being Without your Computer.

Another important thing, and this is touched on in the LIFEHACKER article, if you can, choose a laptop with a user removable hard drive*, and back it up, preferably to a 2-1/2" laptop compatible mirror with disk cloning software. That way, if your disk goes permanently South, you have an instantly bootable SYA** solution.

Also, about the Apple vs PC thing -- and religious arguments aside -- Apple makes great computers. But! Apple makes EXPENSIVE computers, and they are as much as double or more the cost of PCs (laptops and desktops) of equivalent power. If you like your Macbook Pro or Air, fine, but don't kid yourself about what you are paying for it, just go in peace and worship at the altar of your choice ...

Also Number 2: Remember your computer is not an iPhone or like one, although someday it may be!, and you aren't going to be changing it every year for the new model or whenever your contract is up with Verizon. You might want something that will last a while. You are going to keep it for the long haul, right?

You aren't? OK. Never mind ...

~Ted

* Go the the manufacturer's website and download the PDF of the manual -- it'll be there and it will say!
**SYA, it's like CYA, only it's saved, not just covered.

Pillow Credit: gizmodo -- http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2009/05/this_is_the_best_laptop_in_the_world_or_at_least_the_softest-2/

The Talk -- The Best Free PC Software of 2012 -- Part 3, Talk at the Kinnelon Library Wed. April 11 7 PM

2012-04-23T11:12:00.000-04:00

I meant to get this posted last week -- sorry!

Thank you, all of you, who came to the Wednesday evening talk at the library. I especially enjoyed the discussion started by the gentleman who found his computer infected after searching online for "Beaver Scat!" I can't make this stuff up! As promised, following is a slideshow of the presentation you saw.
Do remember, any of you who want to subscribe to the Working Computers Blog, just go the right hand side of the page and look for the "Enter Your Email Address" box and click on "Subscribe", or click on the "Subscribe in a Reader" icon. The first choice will get you the once a week articles on computer use and maintenance problems you face as a home or small business user. The 2nd will allow you to see the articles in your RSS reader -- if you do not know what that is, make the First Choice!I want to emphasize the you can search for your own Free Software, and the links included near the end of the slide show for PC Magazine and CNET are good places to start.

If you have any questions feel free to drop me an email at the address to the right.

Take Care of Your Computer Part 4 -- The Top 10 Best Free Software Programs of 2012 So Far

The next Talk at The Kinnelon Library will be Thursday, May 24 (was May 17) at 7 PM on:

How to Work on Your Own PC, plus Open Mike – Ask Your Questions
Including Buying and Replacing Hardware -- Adding Memory to your Desktop or Laptop, Replacing a Power Supply, a CD/DVD/BluRay Drive, a Video Card and so on …
Where to buy the Computer Hardware and What to Buy -- or if you want someone else to fix your computer, who to get, where to get them, what to pay.
Plus How to Clean Your PC – It gets Dirty, You Know, and That Can Kill Your Computer
And, Ask Your Questions about Your Computer and Computer Related Problems

See you then!

~TED

Photo Credit: google images various

Taking Care of Your Computer For Free -- The Best FREE Software -- Talk at the Kinnelon Library Wed 7 PM Apr 11 2012

2012-04-02T10:36:00.001-04:00

It Costs No Money!

I will be giving a talk at the Kinnelon Public Library Wednesday, Apr. 11 at 7 PM, which is the 4th of 6 such talks a month apart, on the subject of taking care of your Windows PC, new or old, with special attention in Part 4 to:

The Best FREE Software for Your PC, including :

1) Libre Office (Open Office) A Microsoft Office Substitute -- Do Not Pay for MS Office -- you can get Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and more workalikes, that suit most everyone just fine.

2) Google Chrome -- If you are still using IE, don't -- Chrome is SO much faster, and simpler to use that you need to switch right away -- unless you like waiting around for your browser to catch up.

3) Google Picasa -- Hands Down the Very Best Photo Manager, Light Editor, Uploading and Sharing, and Printing Program, EVER. If you rake photos and print them, you must have Picasa.

4) CX -- 10 GB of Online File Backup and Sharing Free! 10 GB!!! Easy to use. Did I say 10 GB???!!! Never lose a critical data file again! Share and sync your Quicken, Outlook, Powerpoint, or whatever files with another computer, and you CANNOT lose them ... well ... hard to, anyway.

5) Skype -- Free video Phoning for everyone, except for the price of an HD VidCam (less than $50, sometimes less than $25). Works easily, great for family and business.

6), 7), 8), ... and so on. We have a list -- there has to be something on there for you!

Come find out what you have been missing, and avoid spending money on expensive commercial software!

We will repeat our "Open Mike" period at the end of the talk so you can find out why your computer isn't doing what you want:

Ask Your Questions and Solve Your Problems --"Open Mike" -- Questions such as

1) Is my machine too old? When do I need a new machine?

2) How can I "pin" that program to my Taskbar, and what is a "Gadget?"

3) Why does my computer ... ?

4) If you have a laptop with a problem, bring it along and we'll take a quick look.

5) Questions and on-the-spot diagnosis will be limited by the time available!!!

All of you Kinnelon and North Jersey people, and everybody else, are welcome to come.

Call the Kinnelon Library at 973 838 1321 and reserve a spot.

See you there!

~Ted

PS: Check out the Working Computers Blog article, The 7 Best Free Software Programs As Of January 2012, for more on the subject

PPS: This talk pertains to PCs running Windows 7, Vista and XP

Photo Credit: various websites

You get the idea!

The Talk -- How To Buy the Right Computer Cheaply -- Part 3, Talk at the Kinnelon Library Thurs. Mar. 5 7 PM

2012-03-19T22:10:00.002-04:00

Thank you all of you who came to this past Thursday's talk at the library. I enjoyed talking to you about the problems and concerns you have with your machines. As promised, following is a slideshow of the presentation you saw.
Do remember, any of you who want to subscribe to the Working Computers Blog, just go the right hand side of the page and look for the "Enter Your Email Address" box and click on "Subscribe", or click on the "Subscribe in a Reader" icon. The first choice will get you the once a week articles on computer use and maintenance problems you face as a home or small business user. The 2nd will allow you to see the articles in your RSS reader -- if you do not know what that is, make the First Choice!I have included a slightly updated slideshow of the talk given last week, and I would like to emphasize a few points that were made:Unless you have almost nothing to do online or with your computer except read email and do some light word processing you need a modern multi-core computer if you expect it to last and be useful for a number of years. Intel Processors Rule: AMD processors save you $$$ in the short run, but will run out of gas after a few years.Check out TechBargains and LogicBuy.Underlined "www ..." phrases and other underlined words are links to the sites and pages referred to.

Take Care of Your Computer Part 3 -- How to Buy a Computer Cheaply and How to Buy the Right Machine

View more presentations from Ted Whittemore

If you have any questions feel free to drop me an email at the address to the right.

See you April 11!

~TED

PS For those who expressed interest in Carbonite online backup, I checked into it again, and it seems to me there are a number of drawbacks:

1) There is no free version that allows you to try the service to see how you like it. Unlike iDrive.

2) The upgraded, system-image backup is NOT an online backup, but requires you to back up to an external drive you purchase and install and then still pay $99 per year for the privilege to back up to your own drive, and the online backup is separate from that, although included.

3) The online backup feature seems to be an admission that online backup alone is insufficient. But there is no need to pay Carbonite for that. See my 2nd 2012 talk from February on free and/or inexpensive disk cloning.

PPS Yes, it is a PC. No, I wasn't suggesting you buy one! I do like it, though.

But ... because of its shape, probably has special powers ...

Taking Care of Your Computer For Free -- How to Buy the Right Computer Cheaply -- Talk at the Kinnelon Library 7 PM Mar 7 2012

2012-03-12T07:00:00.000-04:00

What? You don't like it???

Maybe this would be better ...

I will be giving a talk at the Kinnelon Library Thursday, Mar. 15 at 7 PM, which is the 3rd of 6 such talks a month apart, on the subject of taking care of your Windows PC, new or old, with special attention in Part 3 to:

Buying the right Computer, and Not Paying Too Much for It, including :

1) Who to buy a computer from and how to get the best price, by at least several hundred bucks.

2) What kind of computer you really need and how you can make sure it lasts a long time.

3) How to get the Very Best Deals on related computer equipment and software as well as consumer electronics of all kinds.

I will discuss where you can get the best deals online for top tier name brand machines such as Dell and HP and whether or not you should consider an extended factory warranty, as well as buying from local resources such as BJ's, Best Buy, and so on.

We will repeat our "Open Mike" period at the end of the talk so you can find out why your computer isn't doing what you want:

Ask Your Questions and Solve Your Problems --"Open Mike" -- Questions such as

1) Is my machine too old? When do I need a new machine?

2) How can I "pin" that program to my Taskbar, and what is a "Gadget?"

3) Why does my computer ... ?

4) If you have a laptop with a problem, bring it along and we'll take a quick look.

5) Questions and on-the-spot diagnosis will be limited by the time available!!!

All of you Kinnelon and North Jersey people, and everybody else, are welcome to come.

Call the Kinnelon Library at 973 838 1321 and reserve a spot.

See you there!

~Ted

PS: This talk pertains to PCs running Windows 7, Vista and XP

Photo Credit: various websites

How to Upgrade to a New Computer -- When All You Have Left Is the Hard Drive

2012-02-28T21:45:00.003-05:00

You know what that could mean ...

We all know our computers aren't going to last forever -- well ... they aren't, you know! -- and at some point we will have to actually buy a new machine and somehow see to it that all of our data, our documents, photos, spreadsheets, Quicken files, all that stuff, will get onto that new computer. Some of us may even know some way to do that. Some of us will copy stuff to USB Flash Drives, and some will copy data over a network, but how will we get our programs, our logins and passwords, our license info, all of our browser cookies, you know, all of the stuff that makes our computers OUR Computers?

Windows Easy Transfer which is free from Microsoft, and which you already have on your Vista and later computer (and which you can get at the link for WET above for XP) will copy non-binary data, files and photos and that stuff, even some passwords, logins and cookies, but it will not move your programs and license info over. That's not the worst thing in the world, if you have all of your install disks, CDs and DVDs, with Product Keys and Serial Numbers. You can just reinstall the programs, Microsoft Office, Quicken, Photoshop, and all of that stuff.

But what if you don't have those install disks? And even worse, what if you don't have a working computer to copy the data from? What if the only thing you have left is a -- hopefully -- working drive from an old dead computer?

Well I have a Program For You that only costs 40 bucks, and will save your bacon.

Laplink Software makes a series of programs called PC Mover, amongst which is a version called PC Mover Image Assistant. With Image Assistant you can copy all of the Programs, Personal Info, Data, Logins, Passwords and whatever else you want and Image Assistant will install them onto your new computer just as if you yourself had installed them onto your new machine. And there are other versions of PC Mover that will upgrade you from a live and working PC or in place, say, from Vista 32 to Win 7 64, which just upgrading Windows will NOT allow you to do.

There are just a couple of catches. First, for Image Assistant you have to be able to physically connect the old drive to the new computer, which may mean physically removing it from the old machine and connecting it to the new one. So you have to know how to open up a computer and you have to be comfortable disconnecting and reconnecting the data and power cables to the drive. Are you?

You are!!! Great. (You are not -- see PS)

The 2nd catch is that you have to know what you want to move from the old computer to the new computer -- it sounds simple I know, but you'd be surprised how much stuff Image Assistant will offer to move for you. One word of advice -- only copy what you know you want and need. You can always come back later for something you missed, and you certainly don't want to copy stuff that will get in the way of machine-specific programs already on the new computer!

Of course, if your computer has died and your hard drive has, too, I know you are STILL OK ... because, you've backed up your computer to a mirror. I am sure you have. Yes???

Great! You can use PC Mover on that.

~Ted

PS You do not know how to open up your computer or how to disconnect and reconnect cables. Sad. OK, stay tuned. The next article will discuss just that. Check back next week.

PPS If you just have an archive backup and not a mirror backup, you can restore your data to a new and different machine, but not your programs, your system files, or your registry. Make a mirror backup.

Photo Credit: learnoutlive.com

The Talk -- How To Take Care of Your Computer for Little of No Money -- Part 2, Backup -- Feb. 16, 2012

2012-02-20T07:30:00.000-05:00

Thank you all of you who came to this past Thursday's talk at the library. I enjoyed talking to you about the problems and concerns you have with your machines. As promised, following is a slideshow of the presentation you saw.
Do remember, any of you who want to subscribe to the Working Computers Blog, just go the right hand side of the page and look for the "Enter Your Email Address" box and click on "Subscribe", or click on the "Subscribe in a Reader" icon. The first choice will get you the once a week articles on computer use and maintenance problems you face as a home or small business user. The 2nd will allow you to see the articles in your RSS reader -- if you do not know what that is, make the First Choice!Use links following this article to download any software discussed, including all of the cloning software, freeware and commercial, and iDrive and Dropbox. Or see the previous article.There is even a bonus slide on installing to a new computer that is very different from your old computer by using Laplink's PC Mover Image Assistant.

Take CareComputer 2012-02-16 slideshare

View more presentations from Ted Whittemore.

If you have any questions feel free to drop me an email at the address to the right.

See you in March!

~TED

PS: Software Links --

Taking Care of Your Computer for Free -- Bootable Backup / Cloud Backup -- Talk at the Kinnelon Library Feb. 16 7:00 PM

2012-02-12T12:32:00.001-05:00

Don't Just Be a User! Take Care of that Relationship! With Your Computer!

I will be giving a talk at the Kinnelon Library Thursday, Feb. 16 at 7 PM, which is the 2nd of 6 such talks a month apart, on the subject of taking care of your Windows PC, new or old, with special attention in Part 2 to:

Software to Backup Your Computer including :

1) How to be Rebooted and Back in Business in minutes after a system drive failure.

2) What is the difference between an Archive backup and a Mirror backup and why you should care.
Hint: One boots the computer and the other ... doesn't.

The free software includes disk imaging software available from any of the following links:

They are all good and can do the basic cloning task -- some offer more and some have limitations -- I encourage those of you who are interested to try them out.

For our purposes, the critical parts of the cloning task are:

Unattended Scheduled Backup (rather than just manual backup)

Rock Solid Reliability

Verification (so you know your mirror image is not corrupt)

I will also talk about some commercial software that is not free, and why I still think it is a good value, in this case: Casper 7.0. There are commercial versions of most of the free software listed above as well and may offer those of you who care features (and support) you are willing to pay for.

We will then take a look at some of the free and up-to-5 GB On-Line Backup Services available that can protect your critical data with unattended backup off-site -- such as iDrive and Mozy. And another cool file protection and sharing service that's free -- Dropbox.

So if you worry about what will happen if your computer's hard drive dies, and how you will get back in business, come on by the library Thursday night, at 7 PM, Feb 16, and find out.

We will repeat our "Open Mike" period at the end of the talk so you can find out why your computer isn't doing what you want:

Ask Your Questions and Solve Your Problems --"Open Mike" -- Questions such as

1) Is my machine too old? When do I need a new machine?

2) What is the best Free On-Line Backup?

3) Why does my computer ... ?

4) If you have a laptop with a problem, bring it along and we'll take a quick look.

5) Questions and on-the-spot diagnosis will be limited by the time available!!!

All of you Kinnelon and North Jersey people, and everybody else, are welcome to come.

Call the Kinnelon Library at 973 838 1321 and reserve a spot.

See you there!

~Ted

PS: This talk pertains to PCs running Windows 7, Vista and XP

Photo Credit: various websites

Expired!!! --- By Request -- The 2 Best Deals in Windows Laptops Since Last Thanksgiving

2012-02-06T23:30:00.000-05:00

Note: The Coupon Code Deals Have Expired for these 2 HP Laptops. Sorry. I'll let you know when they are back!

HP dv7 Little but Cheap and Powerful

HP dv6 Even Littler but Still Cheap and Powerful

I've gotten some emails pestering, er ... asking me what are the best Laptop computers to buy right now, and the interesting thing is the 2 machines I am going to recommend have been showing up with unadvertised Coupon Codes for some months now, and they are REALLY the best deals around. You can get more expensive machines, but not much more powerful ones, and they are, the HP dv7tqe and dv6tqe laptops. Remember, Power equals Longevity.

With the rapidly increasing demands that the internet, networking, and bigger and more CPU-intensive apps place on computers, it doesn't take long for today's mid-range PC to become tomorrow's obsolete turtle of a computer. Luckily the dv7tqe, and its sibling the dv6tqe will last for a good long time. You could pay a little less, but you'd get a lot less.

OK, to the discounted computers: The HP dv7tqe and dv6tqe laptops differ primarily in that the 7 has a 17" screen and the 6, a 15.6" screen. Either can be upgrade from the standard 720P screen to a 1080P full HD display. They are, after discount, with free delivery, but not including tax, $600 and $700 respectively.

Inside they are nearly the same computer with the Intel 2nd Generation Quad Core I7-2620M 8 thread CPU, 8GB of RAM, USB 3, WiFi N and Win7 Home Premium.

The discount codes for both are:

NBDV5528

which you need to enter at checkout to get the $450 discount.

The links are, for the dv6 and dv7:

http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping/load_configuration.do?destination=review&config_id=6948715&aoid=35252

&

http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping/load_configuration.do?destination=review&config_id=6948717&aoid=35252

These deals are for a few days only and can disappear at any time, but ... may reappear just as suddenly. Who can tell? Still they are great deals for great machines.

Either one you choose you can't go wrong.

These deals come to you courtesy of TechBargains.

Check them out; they do have great unadvertised deals.

Happy Shopping!

~Ted

Photo Credits: HP gets the credit for the Tiny Little Thumbnail Photos

The Perfect PC

2012-01-30T11:00:00.000-05:00

What is the Perfect PC? Can there be such a thing? Is it the most powerful and expensive PC?

The answers are: Yes, Yes, and NO.

Maybe a Little Too Much ...

Just a Little Too Old...

So what would be just right?

Your Perfect PC is the best PC for your needs configured properly. One for which very good choices have been made. One that waits for you, and not one for which you are always waiting. The Perfect PC has the right Operating System, Security Software, Application Software. The Perfect PC is backed up regularly and reliably to rock-solid, bootable, instant-restore media.

OK. You get the idea.

Why do I go on and on about this?

Because many people who could own their Perfect PC -- it's financially within their grasp -- don't.

And they end up paying for it in some other way:

By losing all of their data at some point, or every day, by waiting around for a badly configured or underpowered computer to do what it is asked, or by getting infected and having to pay, sometimes hundreds of dollars, to get it cleaned up.

Many people own an Almost Perfect PC, that is so close to being perfect and then ... they don't complete it.

Don't be one of those people.

Your Perfect PC will not let you down, because it has been set up to keep you safe and sound.

It is backed up to bootable media. Also check out "Bring In The Clones."

It is protected by powerful security software.

It is clean and kept in a well ventilated area.

It has a modern multi-core processor that can keep up with internet and graphical demands. Item 8)

It has 4 GB or more memory. See above

It's not more than 5 or 6 years old.

It is owned by someone who has plans for disaster -- what will you do if the hard drive fails, if it is infected with a virus, or if the motherboard fries?

Can you answer those questions?

What will you do if you main system hard drive fails? How will you get back up and running? How long will it take you?

Who will disinfect your system if you pick up a virus or a worm? Can you do it yourself? What will it cost for someone else to do it?

What is the plan if the motherboard goes up in smoke? Will you replace the computer or just the board?

Let's answer these questions ahead of time so we aren't spinning our wheels when the bad stuff happens.

By the way, a whole lot of my time is spent fixing problems for people who Have Not answered these questions ahead of time ...

Cheers!

~Ted

Photo Credits: Google Various

The Talk -- How To Take Care of Your Computer for Little of No Money -- Part 1, Disinfection -- Jan 19, 2012

2012-01-23T18:05:00.000-05:00

Thank you all of you who attended this past Thursday's talk at the library -- we had over 40 people there -- and I enjoyed talking to you about the problems and concerns you have with your machines. As promised, following is a slideshow of the presentation you saw.Do remember, any of you who want to subscribe to the Working Computers Blog, just go the right hand side of the page and look for the "Enter Your Email Address" box and click on "Subscribe", or click on the "Subscribe in a Reader" icon. The first choice will get you the once a week articles on computer use and maintenance problems you face as a home or small business user.You can use the links in the Slideshare presentation below to download any software discussed, including Malwarebytes and Spybot. Or see the previous article.Take Care of Your Computer Part 1 -- Disinfection Jan-19-2012

If you have any questions feel free to drop me an email at the address to the right.

Also for the 2 ladies who were interested in my laptop recommendation in the $500 range, the best I can come up with at the moment is over 500 bucks, but is a good deal.

HP Pavilion dv6t 15.6-inch "Sandy Bridge" Core i3 2.2GHz Laptop w/Free 6GB RAM Upgrade -- $554.99, incl. shipping.

Use code: 25LOGICBUY at checkout.

I didn't like any of the other choices for various reasons.

See you in February!

~TED

Taking Care of Your Computer for Free -- Talk at the Kinnelon Library Jan. 19 7:00 PM

2012-01-14T14:05:00.001-05:00

It needs a little love!

I will be giving a talk at the Kinnelon Library Thursday, Jan. 19 at 7 PM, which is the first of 3 such talks a month apart, on the subject of taking care of your Windows PC, new or old, with special attention in Part 1 to:

Free Software to Disinfect Your Computer including :

1) What to do when you first notice that you have an infected machine.

2) What are Restore and Recover and why you should care

The free software includes Malwarebytes' and Spybot's free programs which you can download and install from these links.

I cannot over-stress the importance of acting quickly if you think you have such a problem, so whatever you decide to do, pursue disinfection yourself, or have someone do it for you, do it right away.

How to Surf Safely -- Howto explore the internet without getting infected, or having your identity stolen:

1) How to know if a website or download is safe

2) When to say Yes and when to say No

Ask Your Questions and Solve Your Problems --"Open Mike" -- Questions such as

1) Is my machine too old? When do I need a new machine?

2) What is the best Free On-Line Backup?

3) Why does my computer ... ?

4) If you have a laptop with a problem, bring it along and we'll take a quick look.

5) Questions and on-the-spot diagnosis will be limited by the time available!!!

All of you Kinnelon and North Jersey people, and everybody else, are welcome to come.

Call the Kinnelon Library at 973 838 1231 and reserve a spot.

See you there!

~Ted

PS: This talk pertains to PCs running Windows 7, Vista and XP

Photo Credit: www.cosmosmagazine.com

The 7 Best Free Software Programs Around in January 2012

2012-01-09T10:15:00.000-05:00

It Costs No Money!

I am going to list my most favorite, most universally needed Free Software, that I think no home PC should be without, from Word Processing and Office Software, to Ripping and Burning, and from Anti-Virus to Voice over Internet. You're welcome.

The criteria are that the software is really great, that it is needed or can be used by a lot of people, and that you don't know how you got along without it before you got it. I don't care if it isn't as good in some respects as the commercial counterpart, just as long as it doesn't do anything bad, and is easy to use, and I don't care if it doesn't have as many bells and whistles, just as long as it does the things I need it to.

Here are my 7 Best Free Software Programs:

Picasa: Google's photo management, printing and light-editing program is an astoundingly useful piece of software that catalogs, edits, uploads, easily prints photos of all kinds. Indispensable for anyone who takes photos or has a collection. No real commercial competition at all.

LibreOffice: A functional clone of Microsoft Office forked from the open source software of Sun's Open Office, now Oracle's Open Office, that includes great workalikes for Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and Access as well as Math, an equation editor, and Draw, what it sounds like. The Open Office people apparently didn't like where the product was going under Oracle, so they set it free, umm, Libre ... that's free ... in French ... or ... Spanish.

Imgburn: a truly powerful CD/DVD burning and ripping utility that does its job quickly, directly and easily. If you need to burn ISO files, make disc copies, or rip backups to disk, this is your utility.The software you really need rather than some bloated package like Nero or Roxio.

Freemake Video Downloader, Video Converter, and Audio Converter: These are really 3 (that I'm counting as 1 -- hey, it's my list) separate programs, but they are all free, and they all do a great job of manipulating your own or freely available content formats and ripping or burning it. You want to grab that YouTube video and save it in WMV or AVI format and burn a DVD of it? Freemake Video Downloader and Video Converter are your programs. No real commercial competition.

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware v1.60: The one piece of free software that stands a chance of disinfecting your compromised machine after you have a bad case the internet flu, even when the infection has prevented EXE execution, blocked internet access and begun popping up demands for money every 20 seconds. A must.

AVG Free Anti-Virus: Rated 4-1/2 Stars by CNET, installs and runs in 5 minutes, doesn't bug you or require repeated license confirmation or that you endure pleas to upgrade. While there are arguably better for-pay programs, that doesn't mean this one isn't very good, or good enough for you. It is. It's free.

Skype: You know what it is. It's not only a free product, it's a verb. You can get a good HD webcam for 20 bucks, and your video phone calls will be free. What are you waiting for?

That's my list. Do you have a program that ought to be included?

Let me know!

Thanks,

~Ted

PS If the link for the $20 webcam has expired by the time you read this check TechBargains or LogicBuy for something comparable

Photo Credits: downloadinglegally.com

One Last Great Computer Deal -- the Dell XPS 8300 for $500 off, and the Dell U2412M 24" monitor

2012-01-03T17:06:00.003-05:00

Dell XPS 8300 with optional monitor

I know I said no more Computer Deals for a while, but, for the Desktop Deals I said yesterday do not exist, there is an exception, The powerful Dell XPS 8300 very well configured with 8 GB of RAM and the Core i7 2600 CPU, and a 2 year basic warranty and a 15 month Internet Security Package is included, as is free delivery.

Use this Dell Site link and enter coupon code ?$QNC1?HSKNR9F at Checkout, and you will get a total of $510.75 off the regular price, or $722.24. Just copy and paste the code. Expires Jan 5 or sooner.

Dell also has a great 24" monitor with the very best, but still reasonably priced, 1920 X 1200 resolution for a desktop PC, the UltraSharp U2412M & LED backlight, with coupon code ZXP20F740G$W11 for $313.65 with free shipping. Expires Jan 9 or sooner.

OK, all done

~Ted