Ask Leo!: 2010 Newsletters

Leo's Answers #216 - February 2, 2010

leo@pugetsoundsoftware (Leo A. Notenboom) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 08:00:00 -08:00

A Weekly Newsletter From
Ask Leo!
Leo Notenboom

Hello!

Do you have a question for me? Don't hit reply! Head instead for the Ask Leo! home page and search the site first - seriously, around half the questions people ask are already answered there. You can also browse the archives, past newsletters and more. (The "ask a question" page is temporarily disabled while I'm on vacation.)

Newsletter questions? Check the newsletter administration page. You can also unsubscribe using the link at the bottom of this email.

*** New Articles

Down Under Version!

No new articles this week - I'm still on vacation! See the Thoughts and Comments section, below, for more.

*** Comments

A sampling of some of the comments that have been posted on Ask Leo!

* * *

How do I keep using a program past its free trial period?

Ken B writes:

Leo, you keep asking "how is (stealing software versus stealing a car) any different?"

I'll tell you what I've found from many people who do steal software... They feel the price should be based on the fact that they can buy a blank CD-R for under 50 cents. "Why does this program cost $700 when the CD only costs 50 cents" is a not-uncommon question asked by many people. (And this is made an even bigger issue by these people when you can download the trial version for free, and "all you need" to make it a full version is enter a license key. Check out Yahoo Answers to see how many people are asking "where can I get a key for X".)

And yet, you never hear people saying "why do I have to pay $20 for this book, the paper and ink only costs a few cents at most?"

-Leo

Someone's created an account in my name, what are my options to stop them?

Greg Bulmash writes:

Probably the most important thing you need to do (and which Leo neglected to mention) is make sure that when you contact the mail provider, you provide the full headers of the e-mails being sent so they can track down the sender.

If I know your e-mail address, I can easily put it in the "From" line of my e-mail, so it looks like it's from you, even if I'm sending it to you. Or I can make one up. I can send e-mail that looks like it comes from fribblegrotz@yahoo.com, even though there may be no such address.

You'd have to check the mail headers to see that it actually got sent from a Comcast customer via Comcast's mail servers, and didn't go through Yahoo at all.

Now, that's not to say that mail headers cannot be faked. But that takes a much higher level of sophistication.

If you're not providing Yahoo copies of the mail with full headers, then they won't do anything. At most, they'll tell you they need copies with full headers.

I'm sure Leo has posted bits about how to read headers (and how to view them so you can read them) previously. Check them out.

How long does Hotmail keep email?

Ken B writes:

If you're concerned about having to change e-mail addresses if you change Internet providers, there's a simple solution... Get your own domain name, and create an e-mail address with that domain. You are now in control of your e-mail address. Don't like your e-mail/web provider? Change providers, and the domain name (along with e-mail addresses) comes with you.

It's amazing nowadays that I still see business cards with a their own domain name web address and a free yahoo/gmail/hotmail/whatever e-mail address.

Is changing my password enough?

Tony M. writes:

This may be the most valuable information regarding personal cyber security that I have ever seen. All the anti-virus programs and firewalls in the world will do little good if you're blabbing your "secret" information to the world via social networking sites.

This is precisely how Sarah Palin's e-mail account was hacked. A malicious individual, seeing publicly-available details about her, was successfully able to provide the correct answers to the security questions Mrs. Palin used for one of her e-mail accounts. Through this vulnerability, the hacker obtained access to the governor's personal e-mail.

Thank you, Leo, for such thorough coverage of this personal security problem.

*** Leo Recommends

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If you're a spammer, you can stop reading now. AWeber will not help you.

On the other hand, if you're considering setting up a CAN-SPAM compliant email mailing list, AWeber may be the solution for you.

AWeber is an Email Service Provider (ESP) that provides bulk and sequence emailing services. The most common example might be periodic newsletters: for example I use AWeber to send out my newsletter every week to over 25,000 subscribers.

Not to sound too "marketing-ish", but AWeber leads the industry in an incredibly important measurement: deliverability.

AWeber Email Service Provider for email newsletters and more
http://ask-leo.com/C3407

Each week I recommend a specific product or resource that I've found valuable and that I think you may as well. What does my recommendation mean?

*** Popular Articles

A lot of people get wrapped worrying about browser cookies. One reason is that many anti-spyware tools report the same cookies as reappearing over and over. The problem is that the cookies are very probably completely benign:

Why does my anti-spyware program keep reporting the same cookies?

Why, when I run my anti-spyware programs, do I get the same results week after week? It's always the same tracking cookies and I quarantine them but they never go away. Why bother running these programs if they only find the same junk over and over?

The short answer is because you probably visit the same web sites regularly, and they put those cookies back the next time you visit. Run your anti-spyware program again, and it sees that they've returned, and dutifully reports them.

Some cookies can be identified as "tracking" cookies - cookies that could be used to track your movement around the internet. Personally my reaction is "So?", but some people do care.

But you raise a good point. All these reports are so much noise to many people, and get in the way of real issues when they pop up.

Continue reading...
Why does my anti-spyware program keep reporting the same cookies?
http://ask-leo.com/C2917

People are sometimes startled when looking at a picture they've received in an email a number of other pictures show up as well.

What are all these other pictures that appear when I view a picture from email?

When I open a picture attachment from an e-mail it opens the Windows picture and fax viewer. It shows the attachment fine, but when I click the navigation arrows within the viewer, there are always endless images that it will scroll through. Some images are from web sites and some appear to be other pictures, but ones that I do not recognize. Can you tell me if these are images on my machine, or if they somehow came embedded in the original e-mail that I received?

They are images on your machine.

Understanding why they're there and how they got there requires a short explanation of how your email program handles that request to view a picture, and how that interacts with other programs on your machine.

Continue reading...
What are all these other pictures that appear when I view a picture from email?
http://ask-leo.com/C3639

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*** Thoughts and Comments

Happy Groundhog Day.

But much more importantly: Happy Anniversary to my wife of 30 years. Yes, she's put up with me for over 3 decades now. I'm a lucky, lucky guy.

In honor of that, as you read this (and, as always, if things are going to plan), we're now in Queenstown, New Zealand, roughly half way through our three week "down under" vacation. (Given time zones and date lines it's also possible that we're on a plane flying to Christchurch, but that means we'll have celebrated yesterday for most of you. I think. Time zones and international date lines make my head hurt. )

What that means is that this newsletter has no new content; instead I've pulled some of the more interesting and provocative comments and "best of" content to keep things rolling while I'm on the road. It was actually assembled before we left and scheduled to be published today. As I said last week, sending you something every week on schedule seemed like the least disturbing approach to my absence. I hope you'll understand.

At this point I expect to resume regular newsletters on February 23rd, issue #219.

If you're interested at all in following the trip, check out Travels with Leo. Once again, if things are going as planned, and time and technology are cooperating, I'm planning to keep that updated as we travel. Our trip to Australia is done, and we'll have been in Queenstown for a couple of days.

In advance, and from down-under,

Leo A. Notenboom

*** Administration

Need more help with or have questions about the newsletter? Check out the newsletter administration page.

Newsletter contents Copyright © 2010,
Leo A. Notenboom & Puget Sound Software, LLC.

Leo's Answers #215 - January 26, 2010

leo@pugetsoundsoftware (Leo A. Notenboom) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 08:00:00 -08:00

A Weekly Newsletter From
Ask Leo!
Leo Notenboom

Hello!

Newsletter questions? Check the newsletter administration page. You can also unsubscribe using the link at the bottom of this email.

*** New Articles

Down Under Version!

No new articles this week - I'm on vacation! See the Thoughts and Comments section, below, for more on that.

*** Comments

A sampling of some of the comments that have been posted on Ask Leo!

* * *

If I Had to Do It All Over Again...

JP writes:

hi leo
nicely put!

one question was left unanswered for me: what is (technically) your native tongue? i tried hard and didn't notice any accent i could put into any "box". i would guess "the netherlands" though...looking at your name that might fit. ;-)

and even if you can accept some people not being able to write/spell english correctly because its not their first language, i sometimes have a hard time agreeing with the degree some people lack that ability. as you said...it influences the way people perceive you as...not fair, not pc but true...

i had to force myself a tad bit to avoid typos and lazyisms since this ain't my native tongue either. but in times of the internet and dvds everyone in any first world country has the means to do something about their lack of experience with languages. especially with english. it's such an easy language (no offense meant, i love it)! at least basic communication should be doable for anyone who wants to be perceived as an intelligent person.

i can understand that its tough as a kid to see the benefits and disadvantages of lacking the ability to speak and write at least english (besides their native tongue), i didn't realize that in school. but anyone over 20 could have done something about it.

the only problem i have with the whole thing: if i'd tell anyone who actually has that problem, it would in a way be like saying "hey you sound like an idiot". i fear the positive intention might be overheard by the "victim".

keep up the good work
jan

You guessed well ... my first language was Dutch. But note I said "technically". I spoke only Dutch until I was about 3 - even though I was living in Canada at the time. Hence I learned English at a very young age. So calling it my "second language" is stretching the point just a little, though it is accurate.

But it does give me a bit of respect, and some sympathy, for those that truly learn it as a second language. In particular, as I've helped adult relatives in Holland try and understand some of the rules and idioms. It's a challenge for them, to be sure. English is a VERY difficult language for many reasons.

And very important.

-Leo

How do I contact Windows Live Hotmail customer service?

shirley villegas writes:

I keep getting hotmail alerts that unless I provide my password date of birth and account my hotmail will be closed is this true or another scam

SCAM! - More here: Is Windows Live Hotmail about to close my account?

-Leo

What Security Software do you Recommend?

Cynthia Letellier writes:

For years I used the free version of Spybot Search and Destroy, but I've read that it is no longer the good program it used to be. Yet I see that you recommend it. Could you comment on this?

My take is that Spybot is still a solid tool in the anti-spyware arsenal. No tool is perfect, but Spybot's still a good program.

-Leo

*** Leo Recommends

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But they're always funny.

This Is True - Weekly Weird News, Humor and Insightful Commentary
http://ask-leo.com/C3645

Each week I recommend a specific product or resource that I've found valuable and that I think you may as well. What does my recommendation mean?

*** Popular Articles

Here's a tip I get asked about from time to time:

How do I get a Windows program to always open maximized?

How do I make sure that when I open any windows application, it opens "full screen" (maximized) ? It would be a time saver if I didn't have to always hit the maximize button.

Indeed it would. And while there are a couple of caveats, there's actually a fairly simple way to make this happen for most programs.

Continue reading...
How do I get a Windows program to always open maximized?
http://ask-leo.com/C2910

This has proven to be a controversial move on Microsoft's part. Outlook Express has a strong, strong following (even though, personally, I actually don't recommend it.)

Where is Windows Mail, or Outlook Express, in Windows 7?

I did not realize Windows Mail is not included in Windows 7 Professional. Is there a way to add Windows mail?

It's true - Outlook Express was replaced by Windows Mail in Windows Vista, but with the release of Windows 7 even that has disappeared, along with Windows Messenger and a few other items.

To be honest, that's good news for those of us who never used these tools.

But for those who did, it means an extra step or three.

Continue reading...
Where is Windows Mail, or Outlook Express, in Windows 7?
http://ask-leo.com/C3912

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*** Thoughts and Comments

As you read this if things are going to plan, I should be in Sydney, Australia, on the first leg of a three week vacation "down under" celebrating my 30th wedding anniversary.

I toyed with doing no newsletter at all, but decided that the best thing to do was to set up a few issues to publish while I'm away so that people aren't a) annoyed that they're not getting anything or b) surprised when I return and resume publishing.

At this point I expect to resume regular newsletters on February 23rd, issue #219.

In any case, I hope you'll understand. I've pulled some of the more interesting and provocative comments and "best of" content to keep things rolling while I'm on the road.

If you're interested at all in following the trip, check out Travels with Leo. Once again, if things are going as planned, and time and technology are cooperating, I'm planning to keep that updated as we travel. By now I think there should be some interesting photos of our stay in Port Douglas, up the north-eastern coast of Australia.

In the next few days, perhaps there'll also be a few photos of a meetup in Sydney.

In advance, and from down-under,

Leo A. Notenboom

*** Administration

Need more help with or have questions about the newsletter? Check out the newsletter administration page.

Newsletter contents Copyright © 2010,
Leo A. Notenboom & Puget Sound Software, LLC.

Leo's Answers #214 - January 19, 2010

leo@pugetsoundsoftware (Leo A. Notenboom) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 08:00:00 -08:00

A Weekly Newsletter From
Ask Leo!
Leo Notenboom

Hello!

Do you have a question for me? Don't hit reply! Head instead for the Ask Leo! home page and search the site first - seriously, around half the questions people ask are already answered there. You can also browse the archives, past newsletters and more. (The "ask a question" form is temporarily disabled while I'm on vacation. More on that below.)

Newsletter questions? Check the newsletter administration page. You can also unsubscribe using the link at the bottom of this email.

*** New Articles

What are some other popular tech newsletters?

I recently asked the readers of the Ask Leo! newsletter this question:

What other tech, email newsletters do you subscribe to, or find valuable?

Here are the most popular responses, as mentioned by my readers.

Continue reading: What are some other popular tech newsletters?
http://ask-leo.com/C4122

* * *

How do I see what's happening on my machine's network connection?

I have noticed that when I log on the Wireless Network Connection Status Window shows that the packets leaving my computer almost equal the packets entering the computer, even though I am not uploading any files. Is this an indication that a keystroke logger or similar malware is exporting files from my computer, also is there any way that I can monitor the actual data content that is leaving my machine?

The network is a busy place, even when you're doing nothing at all. It's not necessarily the sign of something bad, and not something most people even notice.

Depending on just how detailed - and geeky - you want to get, there are tools that will let you monitor what's happening to varying degrees - all free.

Continue reading: How do I see what's happening on my machine's network connection?
http://ask-leo.com/C4123

* * *

Will I need to install drivers after reinstalling Windows?

I am running on Windows XP Pro and want to install Vista premium after wiping my hard drive. Will I need to install system drivers or will this be done when I install vista from disk?

Probably, but not necessarily.

I know, that's not very helpful, but the problem is that once again this is a question with a hundred different answers, or more.

It depends on your machine, the specific installation of Windows you're using, and your own needs and preferences.

I'll walk through the what, why and how of drivers you might need after a reinstall.

Continue reading: Will I need to install drivers after reinstalling Windows?
http://ask-leo.com/C4119

* * *

How do I keep MSN Messenger / Windows Live Messenger from starting up?

I have Windows XP Pro. I do not utilize MSN Messenger for messaging, however every time that i start or restart my computer; MSN Messenger starts up. I understand that if I had a login for MSN Messenger I could disable it from starting. However, I do not have a login and don't want to setup on for this purpose.

At the risk of stating perhaps too strong an opinion, this falls into the category of really annoying stuff that Microsoft did with Messenger, and with other programs on your machine.

The good news is you don't need a login at all.

Here's a hint at the unexpected: I'll bet you're running Outlook Express.

Continue reading: How do I keep MSN Messenger / Windows Live Messenger from starting up?
http://ask-leo.com/C4117

* * *

How do I move an off-screen Window in Windows 7?

My Windows Media Center suddenly popped up too high so can't get to controls to pull it down to close/max/minimize screen. Your answer about alt+space, m doesn't work with media center. Desperate to get it back under control!

You didn't indicate whether or not you were using Windows 7, but given that Windows Media Center is part of it, and it does indeed not pay attention to ALT+SPACE like it should, I'll show you "the other way".

The problem is that "the other way" changed from Windows XP to Windows 7, and many people that used to use it are also somewhat lost searching for it.

What's called the "System Menu" used to be accessible in a single click from the task bar. In Windows 7, there's an additional step.

Continue reading: How do I move an off-screen Window in Windows 7?
http://ask-leo.com/C4098

* * *

Hotmail says my password is incorrect, but I know it's right. What do I do?

HI, MY PASSWORD HAS BEEN THE SAME FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS AND SUDDENLY I GET A MESSAGE THAT SAYS PASSWORD INCORRECT,WHAT THE HELL? AFTER A FEW ATTEMPTS IT BLOCKED ALL ATTEMPTS AND THE QUESTION IT ASKS IS NOT WHAT I FILLED IN WHEN I SIGHNED UP.IT ASKS ME FOR MY FIRST DOGS NAME AND I KNOW THAT I DID NOT FILL THAT IN, I DO KNOW WHAT SECRET QUESTION I AM SUPPOSED TO BE ASKED. WHAT DO I DO OR DO I JUST GO TO G MAIL AS MOST OF MY FRIENDS DID WHEN HOTMAIL STARTED WITH THEIR NONSENSE?!?!?

I get this often enough that I want to use this question as an example and provide a summary article for the situation.

This has nothing to do with Hotmail's "nonsense" at all.

It's pretty clear what's happened here, so I'll point you to a number of my previous articles that all might apply in your situation.

Continue reading: Hotmail says my password is incorrect, but I know it's right. What do I do?
http://ask-leo.com/C4086

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*** Comments

A sampling of some of the comments that have been posted recently on Ask Leo!

* * *

Does locking my computer keep it safe?

Pedro writes:

I think that is a little overkill. If someone did that the user would notice that the PC had been hacked because it would no longer be logged in to his account when he arrives to his PC...

I think that for a normal working situation, like an office or college locking your PC with a good password is safe enough. I believe there is no way to get into someone's account (without knowing his pwd or an admin pwd) and leave it un-noticeable...

Whether it's noticeable isn't the issue. Keeping your data safe most certainly is. You'll notice your wallet has been stolen eventually, but even so ... your wallet has been stolen, and all the information in it. Best to not have it stolen in the first place.

-Leo

Why doesn't Windows show all 4gigabytes of memory I have installed?

James Mamakos writes:

So, if I've understood all this correctly, if I were to use more than 4Gb RAM (8Gb intended size) along with two 1Gb Video Cards, would I have to get a 64Bit OS?

I'm going to be getting a relatively high-powered PC (possibly custom built) running Windows 7 soon, and I'm just considering my options.

If you want to use more than 4GB, you need a 64bit OS, yes.

-Leo

How can I keep the images I post on the web from being copied?

Jo writes:

I am a web developer. and was told by my boss to gather images to put on a blog for a site that we are getting ready make live. I was instructed to search google and as long as the images had no copyright ON them, it was ok. I feel like I'm stealing.

Look for public domain photos, and also research Creative Commons - many photos and other works are published with a creative commons license that allows reuse under various conditions. Best of all, I believe Google Image Search, as well as Flickr and perhaps other services often allow you to search within those CC restrictions.

-Leo

*** Leo Recommends

What Security Software do you Recommend?

What anti-virus software should I use? How about a firewall? And what about spyware? Should I use one of the all-in-one packages that claim to do everything? Anything else I need?

•

As you might imagine, I get these questions in various forms all the time. As a result, I do have recommendations in various articles all over Ask Leo!.

Here's the short version that sums it all up.

What Security Software do you Recommend?
http://ask-leo.com/C3517

Each week I recommend a specific product or resource that I've found valuable and that I think you may as well. What does my recommendation mean?

*** Popular Articles

With the recent events in Haiti, this article from 3 years ago is particularly relevant - more than just avoiding donation scams, malware authors often use current events to trick you into installing viruses, or worse.

Malware Using the News

This week millions of email users began receiving email with subject lines relating to current and breaking news, such as "230 dead as storm batters Europe" accompanied by an attachment with a promising name like "Full Clip.exe".

Regardless of the subject of the email or the name of the attached executable, it's a worm. Apparently it's become one of the larger outbreaks in recent years.

What's new about this particular worm is its use of social engineering and current events to entice you to open its attachment. More commonly in the past email borne malware has been fairly generic, with standard and often easily recognizable come-ons or fractured English. This new breed of malware takes some news event - often while it's happening, as in the case of the European storm - and relies on people's intense interest in the story to get them to forget about their normal caution regarding attachments.

Continue reading...
Malware Using the News
http://ask-leo.com/C2905

*** Thoughts and Comments

There's helping people, and then there's helping people.

My cousin's son and wife are planning a 6,000km (~4,000 miles) bike ride in April to raise funds for a Multiple Sclerosis research and support foundation. They're riding from Holland to Spain and back, but to put it in perspective for my U.S. readers, that's Seattle to Los Angeles, on bicycle, twice. Yikes!

The majority of the website is in Dutch, but if you'd like to learn more, or even make a donation (all funds donated go to the beneficiary organization), the website is wielenopweg.nl (roughly: "Wheels On The Way"). Here's a summary page in English.

Speaking of "on the way" - tomorrow my wife Kathy and I are on our way to Australia and then New Zealand. We're really looking forward to it.

There will continue to be a newsletter each week, but as you'll see next week it won't be quite as "current". I'm also turning off the "ask a question" forms while I'm away.

Sydney Meetup: tentatively 10 AM, Friday, January 29th at the Circular Quay Starbucks. Check TravelsWithLeo.com for updates and last minute confirmation - if anything changes, that's where you'll find it. I hope to see you there!

Auckland meetup: I won't have a specific location until I arrive in Auckland, but right now it looks like we'll be meeting up either the evening of February 10th, or the morning of February 11th, the day we head home.

•

Finally, the results are in! The results of the survey I asked you about two weeks ago. In case you didn't see it above, it's here: What are some other popular tech newsletters?

Thanks to everyone who participated, I hope you find the results interesting and useful.

See you ... next month!

Leo A. Notenboom

*** Administration

Need more help with or have questions about the newsletter? Check out the newsletter administration page.

Newsletter contents Copyright © 2010,
Leo A. Notenboom & Puget Sound Software, LLC.

Leo's Answers #213 - January 12, 2010

leo@pugetsoundsoftware (Leo A. Notenboom) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 08:00:00 -08:00

A Weekly Newsletter From
Ask Leo!
Leo Notenboom

Hello!

Do you have a question for me? Don't hit reply! Head instead for the Ask Leo! home page and search the site first - seriously, around half the questions people ask are already answered there. You can also browse the archives, past newsletters and more. If you still can't find the answer you're looking for then by all means ask your question here (it's the fastest way).

Newsletter questions? Check the newsletter administration page. You can also unsubscribe using the link at the bottom of this email.

*** New Articles

Does just looking at a file leave a trail?

If I open and view, but do not ever save a file on my hard drive - in other words it is opened from and only stored on other media like CD or flash drive - can such a file be recovered, opened, viewed or otherwise identified?

Maybe.

This is another of those cases where it really, really, really depends on the characteristics of the file, the system, and the program used to view it.

More often than you might think the answer to at least some of the scenarios you raise is yes.

Continue reading: Does just looking at a file leave a trail?
http://ask-leo.com/C4077

* * *

What's the difference between AppData and Application Data folders? (And why have both?)

I use Vista which I find far more difficult to navigate than the XP used formerly. For some reason all my files seem to have duplicated themselves and I cannot access them. For example I have two folders entitled application data and another app data. I can access one but when I try to access the other I am told that the folder is inaccessible and access is denied. Did I perhaps inadvertently initiate a share or something equally stupid?

Nope, nothing you did at all, stupid or otherwise.

This is part of some kind of redesign that Microsoft initiated in Windows Vista that folks just now upgrading to Windows 7 are encountering as well.

And I agree, it's confusing. I can take some guesses as to why they both exist, but first let's look at exactly what they are, and perhaps more importantly, what they are not.

Continue reading: What's the difference between AppData and Application Data folders? (And why have both?)
http://ask-leo.com/C4076

* * *

Can hackers see data going to and from my computer?

I've heard that instant messages through AOL/Yahoo/MSN can be read by hackers that "sniff" the messages leaving my network. Is this true?

Yes.

It's actually true for all the data that comes and goes on your internet connection: web pages, emails, instant messaging conversations and more.

Most of the time it simply doesn't matter. Honest.

On the other hand, there are definitely times and situations when you really do need to be careful.

Continue reading: Can hackers see data going to and from my computer?
http://ask-leo.com/C2290

* * *

Where does Outlook Express put my mail folders?

Can you please tell me in what folder the Outlook Express e-mails are stored? I am using Windows XP SP3.

Sure. I'll tell you where the probably are, but then I'll also tell you how you can find out where they definitely are yourself.

I'll do that last part for Windows Mail in Windows Vista, and then again for Windows Live Mail.

Continue reading: Where does Outlook Express put my mail folders?
http://ask-leo.com/C4072

* * *

How do I fix this problem uninstalling Microsoft Office 2010 (Beta)?

I tried to install Microsoft Office 2010 (Beta), for some reason it failed, it said that it rolled out the installation, but I can see the software on my hard drive, when I try to remove it with uninstaller it denies the access to it. Also, when I start Word document by clicking on .doc document it gives me an error as follows: "Click-2-Run Application Manager: Click-2-Run configuration failure"

How can I fix this?

I don't know.

But the reason I'm addressing this question is that it's an important and cautionary tale. There's a reason things are called "Beta".

OK, I do have one simple answer that will indeed fix the problem, but since you're asking and not already doing it, you probably can't take the steps I'll recommend.

I have another answer that promises hope, but I'm guessing that's not available to you either.

And finally, I do have a few straws to grasp at, as well as a last resort.

Continue reading: How do I fix this problem uninstalling Microsoft Office 2010 (Beta)?
http://ask-leo.com/C4052

* * *

How do I remove the sender's address before forwarding an email?

How do I remove the senders address form an email before forwarding it? I am using Mozilla Thunderbird email.

I'm kinda surprised at how often I get this question. As someone who's used email now for well over a quarter century, I take for granted how conceptually easy it is.

Clearly, given the number of times I get asked this, it's certainly not obvious to everyone, so I'll walk through the steps.

I'll use Thunderbird, but the same concepts apply to almost every email program I've ever encountered.

Continue reading: How do I remove the sender's address before forwarding an email?
http://ask-leo.com/C4035

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*** Comments

A sampling of some of the comments that have been posted recently on Ask Leo!

* * *

Does locking my computer keep it safe?

Ken B writes:

Many computers have the ability to set a boot password, which will prevent (most) people from even getting to the point where they could boot from CD. Though, as you said, "If it's not physically secure, it's not secure", since the computers all have some method of clearing that password. (Typically, this involves opening the computer and shorting two pins.) It's the slightly-less-cheap padlock on the outside door that they need to get through before they can remove the other cheap padlock. :-)

Of course, if someone was that determined to get in, they'd probably just walk off with the entire computer. Not very subtle, but they'll still have access to all the data on the computer.

Yep. Or remove the hard drive and install it on some other machine.

-Leo

Does locking my computer keep it safe?

Alan Smith writes:

Hello Leo, Find your site both informative & enjoyable.

Re Safe Lock Up of Your Computer.

Assuming my LT computer is stolen & unlocked by the thief.

If I store sensitive info within Gmail [like in 'Gmail contact notes] & create a solid pw for my Gmail sign on. How secure would this be?

My laymans logic tells me that Google could not be hacked easily & even if a hacker did this, crunching a Google sign on pw would also be difficult for an external hacker?

I have coupled the above set up with a Nortons Identity pw on my computer which i assume will make it doubly difficult for a thief ever gets his hands on my LT & unlocks it.

He would have to crack both the Nortons + my Gmail Sign On pw's to get amongst my sensitive stuff. Good Idea, or am I missing something?

I just back my Ho Hum files up on multi Flash Drives.

The risk is not hacking anything, but rather gaining access to your GMail password. If you've ever allowed your browser to remember your password, then it can be trivially recovered buy thief who has access to your machine. This on a different site might scare you a little: Forgot Gmail Password? Use your browser to recover it!

-Leo

Does locking my computer keep it safe?

Tom R writes:

"I remember reading somewhere that once somebody has physical access to the computer (or at least the HDD), no encryption is good enough."

Absolutely and completely untrue. The 256-bit AES encryption algorithm as a practical matter is unbreakable for the foreseeable future. AES is so mathematically complex that today's fastest supercomputers would have to work on the problem for many, many decades before they would be able to break it.

Physical access or not, AES (which TrueCrypt uses) will keep valuable personal information safe, as long as a strong password is used.

I agree, and want to emphasize the importance of the password - or rather pass phrase. All the encryption in the world won't save you from having chosen an easy to guess or compromised passphrase.

-Leo

*** Leo Recommends

RoboForm
Password Manager and more

I think that I have about 80 - 100 passwords that I use on a regular or somewhat regular basis. I always remember my network and computer logon passwords, but beyond that I often have to check my a) Outlook notes on my PC at work, or b) when at home on my Mac, my little black notebook stuffed in the bottom of drawer.

Is storing my passwords on Outlook notes safe for my bank and tax filing accounts? Are online password managers or 'safes' secure? Do you have any suggestions for how best to manage the proliferation of passwords for online accounts?

•

I don't really have a good cross-platform solution for you, though I do have a couple of odd ideas.

However, I have developed a very strong recommendation over the past couple of months for a product called RoboForm - which happily includes a free version!

Let me touch on your first two questions first...

RoboForm Password Manager and more
http://ask-leo.com/C2827

Each week I recommend a specific product or resource that I've found valuable and that I think you may as well. What does my recommendation mean?

*** Popular Articles

"Zombies" and "botnets" and "spam", oh my! All terms that actually represent one of the most common threats on the internet today.

What's a botnet? Or zombie? And how do I protect myself from whatever it is?

How can I identify if my computer is a member of a "Zombie" network created by botnets? Can I use "procexp.exe" to identify if my computer has been captured? If a computer is captured does it have to be on for it to be used and how can a botnet be eliminated. Lastly is there a defense?

•

You are right to be concerned. Botnets are considered responsible for the massive increase in spam we've all seen in the past years and months.

The really sad part is that it's really easy to protect yourself. The fact that botnets are so successful indicates that too many people still aren't taking the simple steps they need to keep their machines safe.

Continue reading...
What's a botnet? Or zombie? And how do I protect myself from whatever it is?
http://ask-leo.com/C2900

*** Thoughts and Comments

Thanks to everyone who responded to my survey request last week. We're tallying the results, and I'll give you the "top 5" most common responses next week. This weak I'll simply tease you and say that the early results are pretty interesting, and a little surprising.

Thanks also to those of you who dropped me comments and recommendations regarding my plans to make a charitable grant next year. Please hold off on your recommendations - to be honest, I'm not ready for them. After I return from my vacation next month I'll publish specific guidelines describing exactly what I'm looking for, and the specific mechanism I'll be asking you to use when you make a submission.

I'll announce all that here, so just keep your eyes on this spot. (And to hint at an answer to perhaps the most common question/suggestion so far: Ask Leo! serves an international audience, so I don't plan to restrict the scope of suggestions based on geography.)

OK, this week I start packing... vacation's only a little over a week away.

See you next week,

Leo A. Notenboom

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Leo's Answers #212 - January 5, 2010

leo@pugetsoundsoftware (Leo A. Notenboom) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 08:00:00 -08:00

A Weekly Newsletter From
Ask Leo!
Leo Notenboom

Hello!

Do you have a question for me? Don't hit reply! Head instead for the Ask Leo! home page and search the site first - seriously, around half the questions people ask are already answered there. You can also browse the archives, past newsletters and more. If you still can't find the answer you're looking for then by all means ask your question here (it's the fastest way).

Newsletter questions? Check the newsletter administration page. You can also unsubscribe using the link at the bottom of this email.

*** New Articles

How do I create a disk image using DriveImage XML?

DriveImage XML is a free utility which can be used to create an image of a hard disk - even one that's in use. Once you have an image you can easily browse its contents, or restore that image to a hard disk.

DriveImage XML stores its data in an open XML-based format that could be used by other utilities, should you need, but the basics are handled quite nicely by the utility itself.

In this article, I'll walk you through creating an image of your C: drive.

Continue reading: How do I create a disk image using DriveImage XML?
http://ask-leo.com/C4026

* * *

I run Anti-Virus software; why do I still sometimes get infected?

I have AVG virus protection always on and windows XP firewall enabled. Why do I still get infected with some Trojan horses? I check for updates every day so I am sure I am up to date.

That's a very good question, particularly since so many people believe that with only an anti-virus program they're totally protected.

Unfortunately, that's simply not true.

The answer is partly the nature of anti-virus software...

... and partly the nature of "the race".

Continue reading: I run Anti-Virus software; why do I still sometimes get infected?
http://ask-leo.com/C2175

* * *

How do I get rid of toolbars in my browser?

I have 7 different tool bars - I only want to keep Google and Yahoo. How do I get rid of the others? I'm a new user so please tell me the simplest way to do it.

There are two ways to do it, and both are pretty simple.

There's a third way that's perhaps the most appropriate, and also very simple, but most people don't think to do it.

That's never to allow the toolbars to install in the first place.

Continue reading: How do I get rid of toolbars in my browser?
http://ask-leo.com/C4019

* * *

Does locking my computer keep it safe?

My college says to lock your computer - will that make it safe? For example in Windows, pressing the Windows Key + L locks the computer. It seems to me if you do lock it there are still a few folks know how to unlock it and help themselves. So should I feel safe locking the computer?

Not really.

Of course it depends on the situation, but locking your computer is a very mild form of security. It'll help keep honest people honest, but the rest? Not so much.

I'll show you why and how and what you really need to be doing instead.

Continue reading: Does locking my computer keep it safe?
http://ask-leo.com/C4013

* * *

2010 - It's About Helping People

As the new year begins, I've taken some time to reflect on what Ask Leo! is about, where it's been and where it's headed. This article has no answers, and perhaps might even get a little "touchy feely" for some, but at the risk of sounding too self-absorbed, I wanted to share my thoughts and aspirations.

I also want to share some of the conclusions I've come to, and a couple of changes that you'll see this year.

Yep, I want to share some of the lint I found as I did some naval gazing in recent days.

Oh, and I'm also going to ask for your help.

Walk away now if any of that's not your cup of tea.

Continue reading: 2010 - It's About Helping People
http://ask-leo.com/C4007

* * *

Someone's sending email that looks like it's from me to my contacts, what can I do?

Hi,somebody is sending emails to my contacts using my email address to which I haven't sent. How can this be? Have I been hacked into? I do have full internet security avg 9,could you please let me know what action to take if any as I find this quite worrying! I have changed my password so far, but that is all.

You should be worried.

I'm not sure that I'd say you've been "hacked into", but my guess is that your email account has indeed been compromised.

I'll look at what likely happened, why this isn't like other "Someone's sending from my email address!" kind of issues, and what steps you need to take next.

Continue reading: Someone's sending email that looks like it's from me to my contacts, what can I do?
http://ask-leo.com/C3992

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*** Comments

A sampling of some of the comments that have been posted recently on Ask Leo!

* * *

How long does Hotmail keep email?

Norman Rondeau writes:

Thanks for the Hotmail answers. Once in a while something in an email either teaches me something I was not aware of or makes me relook my security and behaviour. One thing not mentioned here is that hotmail can also mysteriously loose ALL your email folders in the account. When this happens they will never answer you directly. If you are persistent the might let you know they regret what happened but will also accept no responsibility. The regrets will be in a form letter, not a personal response. I lost a message that was of historical importance that can never be recovered. I now save those mails to files on my computer and back those files up!

TrueCrypt - Free Open Source Industrial Strength Encryption

Bert writes:

I hate to be a wet blanket but I had a horrible experience with TrueCrypt. I followed instructions and encrypted a external hard drive. The password worked several times and then suddenly the software didn't recognize the password and my files were lost to me forever.

I think it's important that we hear all sides - even the best software will fail for some people. There's no way to know what went wrong here, but it's a good cautionary tale that emphasizes the need to backup your data, and to do so in a reliable - probably unencrypted - form.

-Leo

Running Without a Net

Howiem writes:

The only secure computer is at the bottom of the ocean in a location known only to the owner, who is anchored to the computer!!!

You do not need a safety net (except a completely stealthed firewall) if

1. You are completely familiar with every single one of the well over 1,000,000 threats to computers.
2. You know exactly what precautions to take to avoid each of the over one million threats, using the precautions that Leo recommends.
3. You take practical measures to protect your operating system (sandboxes, VM, etc).
4. You are not gullible or greedy, and can recognize offers that are too good to be true.
5. You know and understand the capabilities and limitations of protective measures that anti-virus and other anti-malware programs offer.
6. You understand the trade-offs of protection and performance.

If you are uncertain about any of the above items, then you need the insurance that security software/hardware provide.

Happy New Year Leo, and thanks for all the valuable tips and assistance.

*** Leo Recommends

7-zip
file archiving utility

Most of you are probably familiar with "ZIP" files, which are compressed archives that pack one or more files into a single file. ZIP files are often a convenient way to distribute large numbers of files and folder structures in a single container.

You're probably also familiar with Windows somewhat cumbersome built-in support for ZIP files, as well as WinZIP, the shareware file compression utility that lets you create and extract files from ZIP formatted archives.

7-zip is a free, open-source utility roughly equivalent to WinZIP, that includes support for multiple file formats as well as a command-line interface.

I highly recommend 7-zip.

7-zip file archiving utility
http://ask-leo.com/C2856

Each week I recommend a specific product or resource that I've found valuable and that I think you may as well. What does my recommendation mean?

*** Popular Articles

Sometimes the tools that are meant to protect you also get in the way. In fact just this week I helped a friend with an email problem that turned out to be just that - her security software interfering.

Can software firewalls and security packages cause problems?

I can't access this website...

I'm not seeing pictures in my email...

Emails are disappearing from my inbox...

This program's not working...

Why am I getting all these warnings...

I can't get a video / audio / instant messaging connection...

•

Those are all extremely common questions I get every day.

And, while it's definitely not the case that a software firewall or security package is always the cause, it turns out to be fairly common.

Continue reading...
Can software firewalls and security packages cause problems?
http://ask-leo.com/C2889

*** Thoughts and Comments

I'd like to start out the new year by asking for your opinion. If you have a moment, please go to http://go.ask-leo.com/survey2 - there's exactly one question there. This one's as much for you as it is for me - I think we'll all be interested in the most popular answers, so I'll definitely publish something like a "Top 5" list when all the result are in. (With apologies to my pal Chris - the real Mr. Top 5.)

•

A question I get occasionally is "how can I help?" or "how can I repay you?"

Honestly, one of the best things you can do to help Ask Leo! thrive and grow to help more people is simply to tell more people; tell your friends or link to Ask Leo! from your web site, blog or in online discussions. That kind of word of mouth really does help more people find Ask Leo!, and also lets the search engines know how valuable you find it.

At least ... I hope you find it valuable.

As you can see by at least one of this week's articles I took a bit of time at year-end to reflect on what Ask Leo! is all about. Making it more valuable and helpful is, in fact, one of my goals for 2010.

Thanks for being here,

Leo A. Notenboom

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