Videotime: The History of Windows

I'm not geeky enough to watch this entire video but you might be:

9 Free Computer Programs to Save $$

I've used some of these, and they keep getting better.

From DLM:

9 Free Programs That'll Help You Build a Side Business

Posted: 14 Jun 2011 05:17 PM PDT

The traditional view of a small business is changing.

There was a time when building a business involved joint ventures and angel investors. It involved asking the bank for a big business loan to cover overhead costs until you turn a profit. If you had the dream to start a business, you needed to invest a lot of money.

No more – today's business, particularly a web-based business, has very little overhead. Want to start writing for a living? Have a service that you wish to offer? You can build a business presence with free software that has all the features you need to get started.

Here are 9 different software alternatives to “brand name” software that can get your business up and running quickly, with no financial investment:

• LibreOffice/Google Docs (replaces Microsoft Word/Powerpoint/Excel)
  First, if you need to work with documents, you need software that can handle them. Unfortunately, while Word is the standard, Microsoft has priced it out so that any business looking for the latest software with no money is left in the dust. LibreOffice (formerly OpenOffice) is a powerful, free desktop office suite that can handle virtually all types of documents. With LibreOffice, you won't miss Microsoft Office for a second.
  
  If you want to go even lighter on your desktop, you can use Google Docs, which lives entirely within your Web browser. Again, you can use these tools to replace Microsoft Office pretty easily, and if you don't need to do any ultra-fancy formatting, they are more than adequate.


• Gmail (replaces Microsoft Outlook)
  If you have separate business and personal email addresses, the last thing you want is to have to switch back and forth between them. Many people use Microsoft Outlook to handle all of their email addresses, so that they only have one place that they have to look. Instead, try using Gmail. Gmail makes it easy to handle multiple email addresses, and it runs light and quick. So if you need to search through your vast backlog of email, you have the speed and power of Google behind it. Gmail offers a number of other great little tools, but the ability to easily handle multiple email addresses is at the top of the list.


• Evernote (replaces OneNote)
  Brainstorming is a valuable practice in a business. Whether you are keeping track of your latest ideas or just fleshing out your latest campaign, having a centralized place to store your thoughts is valuable. Microsoft OneNote is a handy piece of software, but it is expensive. Instead, sign up for Evernote, and store your thoughts online. There, you can access them from anywhere so if you are out and about and have that great business idea, you can pull out your phone and get it into Evernote (via an Evernote app or by texting through Twitter) so that you will not forget it. Their excellent notebook/tagging organizing scheme makes finding any of your thoughts as efficient as possible.


• Spreadsheet/ClearCheckbook (replaces Microsoft Money/Quicken)
  Tracking all of your expenses and income is a hassle, especially if you have separate business expenses. While many choose to use Mint for their finances, I much prefer handling the transaction record keeping myself. Set up a spreadsheet in LibreOffice or Google Docs (Google Docs even has a great template for it), and you can keep track of your finances on your own. Or, you can use a service like ClearCheckbook, which gives you a few more reporting options. Either way, the bloated price of dedicated financial software just isn't worth it.


• MailChimp (replaces Aweber)
  The power of your business is in your email list. You need subscribers that are interested in hearing from you on a regular basis, so put a sign-up box on your home page and encourage people to sign up to receive updates, free reports, etc. The industry standard seems to be Aweber, which is a very powerful tool, but it comes at a cost. Instead, MailChimp offers free emailing for a large number of subscribers, so you can keep your overhead low while you build your list (their interface is a little more pleasant, too, in my book).


• Google Voice (replaces a separate phone line)
  If you are dealing with clients, you don't want to be passing out your home phone number or your personal cell number, either. Who has the money to afford a separate business line? Instead, sign up for a free phone number from Google Voice and have it routed to your cell phone or your home phone. Then, you can block numbers, set up special voice mail messages, and do a ton more without having to pay for a separate line or service.
  


• Gimp (replaces Adobe Photoshop)
  One of the “necessary evils” of graphic design has been Photoshop. A powerful and useful tool, Photoshop is also incredibly expensive. If you are looking to save money, Gimp is a free tool that works very similarly to Photoshop. The interface is slightly different, but once you use it (and search around for a few tutorials), you can use it for plenty of graphic design and desktop publishing purposes.


• Scribus (replaces Adobe InDesign)
  Creating a publication, whether it is a magazine or a newsletter, can be a pain without the right software. Again, Adobe claims the standard with InDesign, but Scribus is a free tool that offers much of the same functionality, allowing you to create elegant and beautiful PDFs and printed documents with little hassle (and no cost).


• Ubuntu (replaces a new computer)
  Finally, if you want to run a business but worry that your old computer can't handle it, you may be looking at getting a new computer. But instead of wasting hundreds of dollars on a new PC or Mac, try installing Ubuntu. Ubuntu is a version of Linux that feels and acts a bit like Windows or Mac OS X, but without the bloat. You may be able to give that old computer new life and save yourself an expensive purchase.

There are plenty of ways you can build a business online, and you do not need to spend an arm and a leg to do it. Use some of these free software alternatives, and you'd be surprised how quickly and easily you can get moving. Now, if you want to build a business on the side, you have nothing standing in your way!

Written on 6/14/2011 by Tom Meitner. Tom is a freelance writer who helps average people reach their goals at The Practical Nerd, and he publishes a free digital magazine devoted to making your life awesome at HustleLife.

Photo Credit: Steve Snodgrass

Fort Wayne Site of the Day

Okay, My Fort Wayne site of the day isn't random. Today I wrap up 8+ years of working in advertising sales and marketing at a fine group of radio stations and starting Monday I officially am a part of the team at today's site of the day. Click on Pic.

Tech Tip Tuesday

A hard reset.

10 years ago, I worked for a plastics company where I learned how to run a thermoformer.

A thermoformer was used to heat up roles of plastic to prepare them for shaping into various shapes depending on the molds that were used.

When I worked there we had a combination of old and new technology and we had a variety of computers and non-computer controls working and sometimes not-working.

When things stopped working, sometimes the best solution was a hard reset.

That's where you turn off the power and wait, sometimes up to a minute and then turn the machine back on.

This is one way of cleaning out the memory that has become clogged and bogged down with too many commands.

It may work on your computer too.

There are other ways to clear memory, or reset a program, but I would still recommend letting your computer have a little down time.

If you have a laptop, unplug it and also remove the battery every once in awhile. I do this about once a month.

This is not a solution to fixing problems, but it is more of a preventative measure that may help.

Tech Tip Tuesday

A repeat from a few months ago:

Tech Tuesday Tip

This week's tip is rated M for Moderately Techie.

A few computers ago, when I used to really dig in and modify settings, thinking I knew what I was doing, I found a free program called Free Extended Task Manager by Extensoft.

Every once in a while, my computer starts running slow, or a program hangs. I want to turn off the program that is not responding, or find out what is using slowing down my computer, so I will start this program.

I know Windows has a Task Manager program built it, but I like this one better. Click here to check it out.

I noticed that Microsoft Outlook was starting by itself and eating up a lot of my RAM and slowing down my computer. So I clicked on the process tab and stopped Outlook, and my computer was back to full speed.

(Finally I decided to uncover why Outlook would start up, I found the problem in an old calendar item and was able to delete it.)

Good luck, have fun, and be careful!

Tech Tip Tuesday

Most of the work I do is with words and not images. But as that saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words...

Kim Komando recently wrote an email with lots of FREE image related programs that you can download.

The first one, I use every week:

Freebies for photo buffs

Photography is one of my favorite hobbies. Just put a camera in my hand and watch me go! Of course, I also like to help others improve their photos. That's why I wrote a guide about digital photography.

Snapping the shutter is only part of the process. You still need to edit, convert and organize your photos. Fortunately, I have some great free software that will help you do all that and more.

IrFanView - Do you need to resize your images before emailing them or posting them to the Web? Need to convert one file format to another? If so, you'll dig this free, easy-to-use program.

This is a terrific file viewer that lets you open and convert just about any type of image file. You can also grab some free plug-ins that expand its capabilities. For example, they'll help you uncover your photos' EXIF data. This is hidden data that reveals the camera you used, settings and more.

Image Composite Editor - Some subjects are just too big for a single photograph. We've all run into this problem. You want to capture something cool. However, it just won't fit into a single frame.

Microsoft Research has come up with a solution. You take as many pictures of a single subject as you want. The Image Composite Editor will stitch all the photos together at full resolution. You'll have a spectacular panorama in no time.

GIMP - Photoshop is the best- known image editor. It has loads of features, and it can completely transform a photo. But it will also dent your wallet. I'm talking hundreds of dollars.

Don't reach for that credit card just yet. Try GIMP. It's a free image-editing program. And it has an impressive set of tools. It can handle nearly any editing task.

RawTherapee - Digital SLR owners should have the option of shooting in RAW format. RAW format gives you more control when editing your photos. You can adjust white balance and exposure. You can also eke out more detail.

However, you need special software to process RAW files. Thankfully, RawTherapee is a free, full-featured RAW editor. It has the same features you'll find in pricey programs. It is a must for anyone serious about photography!

DNG Converter - RAW files are a boon to enthusiasts and professional photographers alike. Unfortunately, most camera manufacturers use proprietary RAW formats. And RAW formats even vary from model to model. Not all of these are supported by RAW editing programs.

Adobe does have a more standardized format called DNG, or digital negative. Adobe also provides the DNG Converter program. It can convert most RAW files into the DNG format. Most, if not all, RAW image editors support the DNG format. If your RAW files aren't supported by your software, this converter can be a real lifesaver!

Picasa - Keeping your photos organized is important. Picasa is organization software that helps you instantly find, edit and share all the pictures on your PC. Every time you open this program, it automatically locates all your pictures and sorts them into visual albums sorted by date.

You can drag and drop to arrange your albums and make labels to create new groups. The program also has basic photo editing features. You can even use it to upload photos to the Web.

JPEGsnoop - Digital pictures carry tons of extra information. I'm referring to EXIF data. Inside the EXIF data you can find when, where and how the picture was taken. You may even find the original image before it was cropped.

JPEGsnoop is a program that's designed to reveal EXIF data in JPEGs. It lets you see pretty much everything about the photo. Before you share a digital photo, run it through JPEGsnoop. That way, you can be sure you're not sharing too much.

Luminance HDR - Digital photos tend to lack the dynamic range of film. With limited dynamic range, photos can appear flat and non-detailed. That is why some professionals have yet to switch to digital photography.

This is where Luminance HDR can help. It is an open source program designed for creating HDR, or high-dynamic range, images. You can create HDR files from a set of images of the same scene. Simply use shots taken at different exposures. Merge the photos to create an image with more depth and detail.

TiltShift Generator - There are some great effects that can transform your pictures. Tilt-shift effects are some of the coolest. They can make objects seem less lifelike. A real cityscape can look like miniature model.

TiltShift Generator takes all the complication out of the process. The only thing this program does is the tilt-shift effect. Just upload your photos and play with the settings. Experiment with it until you get the results you want.

Cost: Free
Systems: Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7

Click Here to Download Now >>

Tech Tip Tuesday

Backing up your computer "in the cloud" was last weeks topic.

Today, I have a simple concept that can help save you a lot of frustration that I've been doing for years.

Create a back up profile on your computer.

Actually, it's not a true back up of files, but it is a secondary profile that I can use to log in to my computer if something becomes corrupt on my profile.

At least once on every computer I've owned, I have had to use the secondary profile to fix something on my computer.

Set up this extra profile with a password and administrator privileges.

Tech Tip Tuesday

Back up your stuff.

I have an external hard drive that I have a lot of stuff saved on. You can buy one for about $100 on sale that probably has more storage than your computers hard drive.

But...

What if the unthinkable happened?

Fire. Theft. Your computer and back up drive are gone.

Have you heard about "Cloud Computing"? This article from LifeHacker.com explains:

Use Multiple Online Cloud Storage Services for Free and Organized Backup

Adam Dachis — We recently reviewed a few popular cloud storage services in an attempt to help you choose the best one, but why should you necessarily have to choose just one? Instead, use them all to create an organized online backup system that's completely free.

The concept is pretty simple: sign up for as many free cloud storage accounts as you need and utilize each one to back up different kinds of files. For example,

• Dropbox offers you 2GB of free storage that you can expand to a full 16GB by referring others to the service. Because Dropbox also syncs files to your other computers and makes your files easily accessible on your mobile devices, it's a good candidate for your primary work files.
• SugarSync offers 5GB of free storage (sign up here) and syncs files just like Dropbox. While I prefer Dropbox, SugarSync has a bunch of features Dropbox does not at it's especially good at handling media files or any files on your hard drive (while Dropbox only really syncs files inside your Dropbox, unless you circumvent that limitation). SugarSync is a good option for syncing important files that you keep outside Dropbox, but I think is especially good for your photos. While Dropbox has photo viewing options, it's not quite as robust as SugarSync. If you have photos you want backed up and can keep them under 5GB, SugarSync will handle them very well for free.
• Amazon CloudDrive gives you 5GB for free, or 20GB if you also purchase an album (which you can find on Amazon for as low as 89 cents). It's a great option for storing your music because of Amazon Cloud Player, which lets you access your music (assuming it is DRM-free) from anywhere. Also, if you buy music directly from Amazon it doesn't count against your storage.
• Windows Live SkyDrive isn't great for backup purposes, as all files need to be under 50MB, but you do get 25GB of storage for free and that makes it great for archiving documents. You'll have plenty of room and can use Windows Live Mesh for backup and synchronization purposes if you're on a Windows computer. Mac users will have to backup manually through the site, but that's a small price to pay for 25GB of storage.
• MemoPal offers 3GB of free cloud storage and gives you more space through referrals in the same manner as Dropbox. It's capable of automatic backup and runs on Mac, Windows, and Linux.
• ADrive offers 50GB of storage for free. You won't get any sync or auto-backup options, so it'll make for a better file archive than anything, but it's still 50GB of free online storage.
• IDrive offers 5GB of free storage and automatic backup for Windows and Mac. It also has smartphone apps so you can access your files remotely.

The downside to using a bunch of services is, obviously, that your storage is fragmented, but I'd argue that there's a benefit in that as well. If you segregate the types of files you back up (and sync) with each service, you know exactly where to find them. For example, you'll know your photos are on SugarSync and your music is on Amazon Cloud Drive. The other downside is that you'll have a few apps running processes on your system all at once. For the most part this should work just fine so long as you don't try to alter, say, your photos and your primary work files at the same time. If multiple backup and sync apps are competing for resources, that'll slow things down a bit, but this is a problem you should run into pretty rarely if your files are truly segregated by type.

If you know of any other free cloud storage services we didn't mention (and we imagine there are many), please share them in the comments!

---

You can follow Adam Dachis, the author of this post, on Twitter and Facebook. If you'd like to contact him, Twitter is the most effective means of doing so.

Tech Tip Tuesday

Turn it off.

A dozen years ago, I took a break from my radio career and worked as a Thermoformer Operator.

Our machines used a combination of computerized, mechanical and electrical controls.

Every once in awhile we needed to do a hard reset. That meant, kill the power, wait for at least 30 seconds, sometimes longer and then restart by powering up again.

This would clear out some of the memory and give it a fresh start.

I recommend you do this with your computer on a regular basis too.

I do it daily do to the number of hours I am on my laptop.

Make sure you do a proper shut down, save your work, and then go through the process of turning off each open program instead of just telling it to shut down.

Tech Tuesday Tip

Update your stuff.

Your computer is a combination of stuff.

To keep it simply, I'll call it hardware and software.

Hardware is the physical stuff that you can touch, like the keyboard, mouse and also the stuff you are likely going to touch inside the computer like the hard drive, and all that electronic stuff.

Software is the programs that you use. They need regular updates.

Today, I have links to the very basics of using the internet, Browsers.

If you use Internet Explorer, you should be using version 8 or 9. Stop using version 6, version 7 is still okay, but you might as well have the latest and greatest since it is free. Click here.

Now if you really want the latest and greatest, you might want to do what I did a few years ago and stop using Internet Explorer and use a different browser.

Firefox is upgrading to version 4. They have what they call a release candidate version that you can try. It is also free. Click here.

A 3rd, free option is Google Chrome. Click here.

My default browser is Firefox. I sometimes use Chrome and only occasionally use Internet Explorer. If you are maintaining a website, check the compatability in all the popular browsers, to make sure your site loads correctly.

A couple of other free options include:

Apple Safari, click here.

and Opera, click here.

Which is your favorite?

Tech Tuesday Tip

Note, this is part two of a 2-parter...

Sometimes at work, my coworkers come to me if they have a problem with their computer.I don't have all the answers. But I am always looking for them.

This is from a newsletter I get each week Windows Secrets. One of the best ways to make sure your computer is functioning properly is to keep all the software up to date. I'm not talking about buying the "latest & greatest". I'm referring to the free updates and upgrades....

The best way to manage multiple app updates

Secunia's free-for-personal-use Secunia Personal Software Inspector (PSI) Version 1 was already in my must-have security software collection. Version 2 is even better, with a new look (see Figure 5) and enhanced updating tools.

Like the original, PSI 2.0 scans your installed software and builds a database of application version numbers. It then compares what it found on your system to Secunia's central database of latest-available version numbers. (The central database contains version information on a huge range of software.)


Figure 5. Secunia Personal Software Inspector 2.0 sports an entirely new look and feel. But more important, it now can completely automate the process of keeping almost all your software up-to-date.

When PSI detects that you're running an out-of-date version, it alerts you: it tells you the risk of using the older version and gives you a ready-made link to download the latest software patch, upgrade, or update from the software's publisher (as shown in Figure 6).


Figure 6. PSI 2.0 gives you a detailed assessment of whether your software is current.

But PSI version 2 adds a new wrinkle: If you allow it (see Figure 7), PSI automatically downloads and installs the latest versions of your apps for you — fully automatically or by first giving you a chance to review what's going to be updated.


Figure 7. Secunia Personal Software Inspector (PSI) 2.0 automatic-update option.

I heartily recommend PSI 2.0 because it eliminates the need to have lots of small, separate, auto-update programs running — you know, the Apple updater, the Adobe updater, the Java updater, and so on. Instead, this one tool makes keeping your key software up-to-date a nearly effortless task.

You'll find the download link for PSI 2.0 on its info page. Installation is easy; just follow the prompts. If you have the original PSI version installed, the 2.0's setup will automatically uninstall it for you.

Start the new year right, and get all your software updated today!

The Windows Secrets Newsletter is published weekly on the 1st through 4th Thursdays of each month, plus occasional news updates. We skip an issue on the 5th Thursday of any month, the week of Thanksgiving, and the last week of December. Windows Secrets is a continuation of four merged publications: Brian's Buzz on Windows and Woody's Windows Watch in 2004, the LangaList in 2006, and the Support Alert Newsletter in 2008.

Publisher: WindowsSecrets.com, 1218 Third Ave., Suite 1515, Seattle, WA 98101 USA. Vendors, please send no unsolicited packages to this address (readers' letters are fine).

Editor in chief: Tracey Capen. Senior editors: Fred Langa, Woody Leonhard. Associate editor: Kathleen Atkins. Copyeditor: Roberta Scholz. Program director: Tony Johnston. Contributing editors: Yardena Arar, Susan Bradley, Michael Lasky, Scott Mace, Ryan Russell, Lincoln Spector, Robert Vamosi, Becky Waring. Product manager: Andy Boyd. Advertising director: Eric Gilley. Subscription manager: Revia Romberg.

Trademarks: Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. The Windows Secrets series of books is published by Wiley Publishing Inc. The Windows Secrets Newsletter, WindowsSecrets.com, Support Alert, LangaList, LangaList Plus, WinFind, Security Baseline, Patch Watch, Perimeter Scan, Wacky Web Week, the Logo Design (W, S or road, and Star), and the slogan Everything Microsoft Forgot to Mention all are trademarks and service marks of WindowsSecrets.com. All other marks are the trademarks or service marks of their respective owners.

Tech Tuesday Tip

Note, this is part one of a 2-parter...

Sometimes at work, my coworkers come to me if they have a problem with their computer.I don't have all the answers. But I am always looking for them.

This is from a newsletter I get each week Windows Secrets. One of the best ways to make sure your computer is functioning properly is to keep all the software up to date. I'm not talking about buying the "latest & greatest". I'm referring to the free updates and upgrades....

Two great security tools get free updates

By Fred Langa

Two outstanding security apps, Microsoft Security Essentials 2.0 and Secunia Personal Software Inspector 2.0, are now available.

The original versions of these programs were great, but the new versions are even better; they're must-have software — and they're still free!

Beefing up Microsoft Security Essentials

In December, after a four-month beta test, Microsoft quietly released a major revision of its impressive and free Security Essentials anti-malware tool. The new version is slowly being rolled out via Windows Update, but you can — and I think you should — grab it right away.

MSE 2.0 is a nearly total rewrite of Microsoft's security tool. Although there are some visual changes in the software (more on that in a moment), the most significant enhancements are under the covers.

The most important change: MSE 2.0 now uses heuristic malware detection in addition to the same definitions-based malware detection methods employed by MSE 1.0. Heuristic technology has been around for years and is designed to detect new malware based on behavior, thus protecting you against threats that aren't yet in the definitions database. MSE2 calls this feature behavior monitoring. (See Figure 1.)


Figure 1. Microsoft Security Essentials 2.0 broadens its protections with the addition of behavior-based heuristic malware detection and network-traffic filtering.

Another major change, also shown in Figure 1, is network inspection, which monitors network traffic, looking for suspicious activity and network-based attacks. It works by hooking into the Windows Filtering Platform (WFP) that's part of Win7 and Vista. (You can read more about Windows Filtering Platform at an MSDN site.)

XP lacks the built-in WFP services, so unfortunately, MSE 2.0's network inspection is not available on that OS.

These two new features alone make MSE 2.0 a worthwhile upgrade, but 2.0 also offers some additional, less significant improvements.

Better integration with Windows components

On all versions of Windows, including XP, MSE 2.0 integrates better with the operating system and other security components. For example, the new software checks to ensure that a firewall is present and active; it offers to turn on and configure the Windows firewall if no other firewall is found.

Also, you can now limit how much CPU time MSE consumes during a scheduled scan. The default is a maximum of 50% CPU utilization. But you can set it as low as 10% (should you want the scan to have minimal impact on other tasks) or as high as 100% (if you want the scan to complete as quickly as possible). (See Figure 2.)


Figure 2. MSE 2.0 lets you control how much CPU time the software can consume during scheduled scans.

Using the Advanced settings, you now can force the quarantine folder to empty itself after a set amount of time, from days to months (as shown in Figure 3).


Figure 3. If you wish, you can set the quarantine folder to clean itself out periodically.

You'll notice in Figure 4 that MSE 2.0's new visual design (top) has not strayed far from the original (bottom). This freshening is mostly decorative — and that's good, because MSE remains extremely easy to use; there's nearly nothing new to learn.


Figure 4. MSE 2.0's interface (top) looks a bit more graphically sophisticated than 1.0's (bottom) but retains the original's functional simplicity.

Multiple paths to installing MSE 2.0

In the past, Microsoft has used both MSE's built-in update mechanism and Windows Update to roll out updates (see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 975959), and it's a safe bet that this upgrade will use the same mechanisms. But as of this writing, none of my PCs had been offered version 2.0 — neither automatically nor by any other means.

Wait for MSE 2.0 to be offered if you wish, but I recommend grabbing it right away. It's available either from the MSE home site or Microsoft's MS Download Center. It's the same software in either case.

MSE 2.0 will run on 32- and 64-bit versions of Vista or Win7 and on 32-bit XP. It's the same MSE 2.0 setup whether you're installing it new or upgrading from MSE version 1.0.

A nice touch: If you're already running MSE 1.0, you don't have to uninstall it first. Just download and run the 2.0 setup — it will handle the uninstallation of the earlier version for you.

Another nice touch: The 1.0 uninstall is complete. Everything, including version 1.0's original /Program Files/Microsoft Security Essentials folder, is deleted. In its place, MSE 2.0 installs a wholly new folder called /Program Files/Microsoft Security Client.

If you're running any antivirus tool other than MSE 1.0, you should uninstall it before installing MSE 2.0. (This is standard procedure; in general, you should never have two security tools trying to do the same job at the same time.)

The safest way to handle the transition between security tools is to download the MSE 2.0 setup file and then disconnect your PC from the network. You can do this by turning off or disabling the connection in software or by physically unplugging the network cable.

Exit all nonessential software; ideally, you want nothing but the operating system and your current antivirus tool to be active. Then, with your PC safely isolated from the network, uninstall your old antivirus tool. Reboot when you're done.

After the reboot, start the MSE 2.0 setup program and let it run to completion. When it's up and running, you then can reconnect to the network and resume using your PC normally.

Once installed, MSE 2.0 immediately updates itself with the latest definitions and offers to do an initial scan of your PC. Let it do its thing; once it's set up, MSE is one of the least obtrusive security tools you can use.

MSE 1.0 was a winner, but I personally think Version 2 is the best free AV tool, period. Highly recommended!


The Windows Secrets Newsletter is published weekly on the 1st through 4th Thursdays of each month, plus occasional news updates. We skip an issue on the 5th Thursday of any month, the week of Thanksgiving, and the last week of December. Windows Secrets is a continuation of four merged publications: Brian's Buzz on Windows and Woody's Windows Watch in 2004, the LangaList in 2006, and the Support Alert Newsletter in 2008.

Publisher: WindowsSecrets.com, 1218 Third Ave., Suite 1515, Seattle, WA 98101 USA. Vendors, please send no unsolicited packages to this address (readers' letters are fine).

Editor in chief: Tracey Capen. Senior editors: Fred Langa, Woody Leonhard. Associate editor: Kathleen Atkins. Copyeditor: Roberta Scholz. Program director: Tony Johnston. Contributing editors: Yardena Arar, Susan Bradley, Michael Lasky, Scott Mace, Ryan Russell, Lincoln Spector, Robert Vamosi, Becky Waring. Product manager: Andy Boyd. Advertising director: Eric Gilley. Subscription manager: Revia Romberg.

Trademarks: Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. The Windows Secrets series of books is published by Wiley Publishing Inc. The Windows Secrets Newsletter, WindowsSecrets.com, Support Alert, LangaList, LangaList Plus, WinFind, Security Baseline, Patch Watch, Perimeter Scan, Wacky Web Week, the Logo Design (W, S or road, and Star), and the slogan Everything Microsoft Forgot to Mention all are trademarks and service marks of WindowsSecrets.com. All other marks are the trademarks or service marks of their respective owners.

Tech Tuesday Tip

This week my Tuesday Tech Tip is about a website I discovered this month while looking for a way to add some snap to a presentation I gave last week.

I usually use PowerPoint from Microsoft to create printed presentations, but this time is was going to on a big screen in a classroom.

I found Prezi.com. You can click here to go there.

And you can click here to go to the presentation I did for the Huntington University J-term class I was speaking with about Personal Branding.

Hint: watch in Full Screen mode by clicking on More.

Personal Branding, The ScLoHo Way on Prezi

Tech Tuesday Tip

This week another tip from Kim Komando:

Tech Tuesday Tip

Even before I had my own computer, I used to listen to Kim Komando on the radio.
Now she has daily and weekly newsletters that she sends free along with her radio work and column in USA Today.

A couple months ago she featured this on how to keep your computer clean and shiny on the inside:

Freebies to clean your computer

Like anything else, computers get messier over time. Programs create temporary files that just hang around. And tiny bits of information from the Internet pile up in your browser's cache.

This clutter can slow down your computer and fill up your hard drive. It can also contain sensitive personal information. Periodic cleanings can keep things running smoothly and make you safer. But finding everything to clean is a huge chore.

These programs make it easy to keep your computer clutter free. I've also included programs that will help you keep your files organized.

CCleaner (Free)-CCleaner is a comprehensive cleaning program. It works on Microsoft's programs and third-party ones. And the cleaning options are clearly presented. CCleaner will remove cookies, temporary files and even your Web history.

CCleaner does more than just clean, however. You can also use it to uninstall programs and modify which programs run at startup. It even includes a registry cleaner. Of course, you need to be careful when messing with your registry. Fortunately, CCleaner backs it up before making changes.

Square Privacy Cleaner (Free)-This program is similar to CCleaner, but lacks some of the more advanced features. It focuses more on cleaning. That makes it better for casual computer users. It is harder to accidentally delete things that might be important.

However, it still has everything you need for cleaning your computer. You can also run it automatically on startup or shutdown. This keeps your computer clean automatically. Just go to Settings>>Edit Settings. Then select the Schedule tab for scheduling options.

Duplicate Cleaner (Free)-Duplicate files can fill up a hard drive quickly. That's especially true when it comes to photos and music files. Duplicate Cleaner helps you find and remove these duplicate files.

Just point the program at any folder. It will scan the folder for duplicate files. You'll see all the duplicates in a list. You can easily go through them and see what's worth keeping. Then delete superfluous copies. Just be careful when deleting files.

Rename Master (Free)-Keeping files organized isn't always easy. The file names might not be very helpful. But renaming one at a time takes forever. Rename Master makes things easier. It renames files in bulk.

Rename Master has a lot of really helpful features. For example, you can use ID tags from MP3 files to create file names. And photographers, you can do the same thing with EXIF data. There is a learning curve, but it isn't too steep.

Defraggler (Free)-Removing the clutter from a computer helps. But it still leaves the hard drive fragmented. Parts of a single file may be stored in multiple locations on your drive. This can increase the time it takes to access data.

Defragment your hard drive with this simple program. It's more powerful than the one built into Windows. You can defrag the entire hard drive or individual files. It will have your computer running faster in no time!

Cost: Free Systems: Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 Click Here to Download Now >>

Tech Tuesday Tip

This week's tip is rated M for Moderately Techie.

A few computers ago, when I used to really dig in and modify settings, thinking I knew what I was doing, I found a free program called Free Extended Task Manager by Extensoft.

Every once in a while, my computer starts running slow, or a program hangs. I want to turn off the program that is not responding, or find out what is using slowing down my computer, so I will start this program.

I know Windows has a Task Manager program built it, but I like this one better. Click here to check it out.

I noticed that Microsoft Outlook was starting by itself and eating up a lot of my RAM and slowing down my computer. So I clicked on the process tab and stopped Outlook, and my computer was back to full speed.

(Finally I decided to uncover why Outlook would start up, I found the problem in an old calendar item and was able to delete it.)

Good luck, have fun, and be careful!

Tech Tuesday Tip

I've never had a laptop stolen. But just in case.....

This tip is from Kim Komando. I installed the program last week on my laptop.

Track your stolen laptop for free

Owning a laptop is a great convenience. It lets you work, have fun and connect with people from anywhere. But with this mobility comes danger. I'm talking about theft. It's bad enough when someone steals from you. But your laptop likely has tons of personal information. This is why Prey was developed. It's a free program that works to track your laptop should anyone try and steal it.

As soon as the thief turns on the laptop, Prey will try to broadcast its location. Even if it isn't connected to the Internet, Prey will try to find the nearest open hotspot.

All you need do is send the laptop a message from your phone or another computer.

Prey gives you a slew of other features as well. You can take screenshots to see what's happening on the screen. You can hide personal information like stored passwords remotely. You can even activate the Webcam to get mug shots of the criminal.

Cost: Free

System: Windows XP, Vista, 7, Mac OS X

Link: preyproject.com

Note: This program can cause a false positive with some antivirus programs. Don't worry; it is virus free.

Tech Tuesday Tip

Last Monday, a coworker of mine was a bit frustrated.

The screen on her laptop was not working. Nothing. It was like someone had turned the monitor off.

So she had a computer store where she and her family have bought about 5 computers over the years and she knew the owner and trusted him to tell her the truth.

The truth turned out to be the video card on her laptop was shot. Needed to be replaced. Wholesale price over $350.00. Or she could buy a newer computer for $700.00.

She opted for the new computer.

Wednesday, I'm helping her configure some of the special software we use in the radio industry and she is setting up wireless passwords etc, and she tells me that her computer guy told her that the old laptop hard drive was 95% full!

She's had the computer for 5 years and saved everything it seemed. She is fortunate that her computer guy was able to save the stuff off her old hard drive and put it own her new laptop, where it only takes up 20% of the storage due to the increased capacity.

A couple lessons to learn....

Keep an eye on how full your computer hard drive is becoming. Your computer has a built in program that will give you that info, usually click on your computer, then the drive you want to check, usually C: right click tools and go from there.

Next, don't fill up the hard drive on your computer and expect it to function its best. I'm using 52% of mine and aim to use no more than 60%.

What if you have more "stuff" and need to free up space?

I recommend an external hard drive. I bought one last year and I could back up both my computer and my wife's computer with room to spare. With the holidays coming you should be able to pick a new one up for $150 or less that will suit your needs, even if you are a pack rat.

Then, once you get the external hard drive, use it! Mine sat in a box for 6 months, before I sat down and discovered how easy it was to back up important stuff from our computers, which I now do once a month.

$150 is easier to swallow than $700 or more if you have to replace a computer and lose all your data.

Tech Tuesday Tip

Tech Tips for the Non-Techie:

Got an old computer, want to keep it running reasonably fast?

I have a couple of real life tricks that have helped us recently.

In 2003 I bought a couple of computers from the local Gateway store. Gateway was a brand that my former father in law always bought from and in 2003 they had retail stores, not just a mail order.

One of those computers we still have, the desktop. My wife uses it these days, but at one time, we had 5 or 6 people who used it. Each person had their own account desktop settings and a couple of them loaded music and pictures on the desktop computer.

As a result, over the past few years the computer was taking longer and longer to complete tasks. So a couple weeks ago I decided to do some pruning. See, everyone now had their own computer laptops, even my wife, but she preferred to use the desktop and I wanted to squeeze a few more years of life out of it.

I bought an external hard drive last year and moved all the pictures, music and documents from everyone's accounts off the computer's internal hard drive to my external drive. I left my wife's stuff alone.

Then I began deleting everyone else's accounts and did ran a couple of clean up programs.

CCleaner does a decent job and after you run the Cleaner option and the Registry option, there's another feature in the Cleaner section that you should run, but only when you don't need your computer for awhile. And by awhile, I mean hours. Maybe overnight.

Check the Wipe Free Space box and run the Cleaner option again.

Once a week run CCleaner, depending on how big your hard drive is, and how much time you use your computer every week. I use CCleaner on my 3 year old laptop every other day.

One other simple tip to keep your computer fresh and ready to perform. Shut it down every 24 hours. Like at bedtime. Or when you leave the office.

There used to be arguments both for and against leaving your computer on all the time.

Leave it on and you reduce the stress of the computer starting.
Turn it off and you extend it's "lifespan".

I now say turn it off which will allow it to reset some of the settings and junk that accumulated while you were working.

I told you this was for the non-techie, and I meant it!

Tech Tuesday Tip

This week's tip is a bit detailed and if you don't have Windows XP running on any of your machines you can move along.

However we have XP installed on several of our radio station computers, along with my wife's desktop and a spare laptop.

Save this info and share it with others. It comes from an email I get each week from WindowsSecrets.com


Preparing Windows XP for the long haul

By Fred Langa

Microsoft's support for Windows XP may be fading, but a loyal horde of XP users plans to stick with this venerable OS for as long as possible.

If that's your long-term goal, there are a number of steps you can take now to ensure a finely tuned XP system for months — possibly years — to come.

Windows XP is almost a decade old, which in both computing and dog years makes it very long in the tooth.

Microsoft has officially dropped support and security updates for all XP versions through Service Pack 2. The only version of 32-bit XP that still qualifies for Microsoft's security patches and major bug-fixes is the Service Pack 3 edition. (The relatively rare 64-bit flavor of XP is a special case. See Microsoft's explanation.)

XP has had a long and excellent run, but SP3 is the end of the line.

That said, XP is not dead, and it's still the best OS for older hardware designed with XP in mind. (I have XP on several of my older systems.)

If you're still using an XP box by choice (or necessity), there's lots you can do to keep things humming along until you eventually move to new hardware — which will almost assuredly come with the excellent Windows 7 already installed.

Here are some key steps you can take to get — and keep — your XP system running great! And if you move to Windows 7 (or are also running Vista machines), many of these techniques can also help you.

Start with a thorough XP system checkup

► Check the hardware. Hardware? Yes! No operating system can be better than the hardware on which it's installed, and older systems are prone to age-related problems. One often-overlooked problem is dust buildup, which can cause chips and drives to overheat and malfunction. These hardware errors can masquerade as software problems, causing you to waste time troubleshooting the wrong thing.

It's easy to clean your PC. Consult my how-to article, "Getting the grunge out of your PC." (It's a few years old, but still completely apt.) While you have your PC's case open, make sure that all plug-in cards and socketed chips are fully seated and all cables firmly connected.

► Check your hard drive's "physical" health. Most new and XP-era drives are equipped with Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology, also known as SMART reporting. SMART data is stored within the hard drive itself and can often alert you to impending problems before they get serious.

It's easy to check the SMART data. Two tools I like are PassMark's DiskCheckup (info/download page) and Active@ DiskMonitorFree (download page). Both programs are free for personal use and also come in commercial versions for organizations.

► Check your hard drive's "logical" health. Run chkdsk.exe to check the integrity of your hard drive's files and to repair any errors.

Click Start and Run, then type chkdsk c: /f into the Run dialog box. Hit OK.

Chkdsk may tell you that it can't check the drive because the drive is in use. It will then offer to check the drive at reboot. Type Y (yes) and hit the Enter key.

Repeat for all drives/partitions on your system.

► Correct driver errors now, while you can. Just as Microsoft is providing less support for XP, third-party vendors are withdrawing support for older hardware. Someday soon, you may discover that the drivers you need are no longer available. Fix problems now!

Boot XP and right-click My Computer. Select Properties, Hardware, then Device Manager. (Or, click Control Panel/System/Hardware/Device Manager.) Click View and select Show hidden devices to make sure you're seeing everything.

Correct any problem indicated by a yellow exclamation mark or a red X; in most cases, you should get correct or updated drivers from the hardware vendor's site.

It might also be wise to save copies of any special drivers your systems needs; burn 'em to a CD or DVD, and tuck the disc away in a safe place.

Review and update your PC's security system

► Patch and update XP and apps. Starting with Windows Update, make sure your operating system is fully up-to-date with all necessary patches, fixes, and updates. Do the same for all your non-Microsoft software, visiting the vendor sites to download any new updates and patches for your applications and utilities. A tool such as Secunia's outstanding, free-for-home-use Personal Software Inspector (PSI) (download page) can make this step a breeze.

► Verify system security. Regardless of the antivirus and anti-malware tool(s) you're using, visit a competing vendor's site and run their free live or online scan to verify that nothing slipped past your usual defenses.

Next, check that your firewall is providing the protection it should. There are many good, free, online firewall-test sites, such as Hackerwatch, Gibson Research ShieldsUP, and AuditMyPC.

Give your computer a thorough file cleaning

► Take out the trash — all of it. Needless file clutter makes a system harder to use and slower to operate. For example, AV scans and Windows' indexing both take longer when they have many junk files to process.

Start by deleting old $NtUninstall{xxx}$ files from XP's C:\Windows folder; these files can occupy a shocking amount of space! You need these files only when a Windows Update fails and you (or the OS) have to roll back your system. If your system is working fine, $NtUninstall files serve no purpose.

Next, wade through your hard drive, folder by folder, making sure files are where they're supposed to be and that you're not storing needless duplicates or other useless files.

Next, uninstall obsolete or unused software.

Finally, use a tool such as Piriform's free CCleaner (site) to rid your drive of useless junk files and broken or obsolete Registry data.

► Rein in XP's three worst space-hogs. System Restore, the Recycle Bin, and browser caches are like black holes for data, and your system can run better if you limit their voracious appetites.

System Restore is at best a limited recovery tool, so I don't feel it's worthwhile to devote vast amounts of disk space to it. The Kellys-Korner article, "System Restore for Windows XP," tells you how to manage it.

Windows' default Recycle Bin can consume hundreds of gigabytes on a large drive. Pare this down to a reasonable size by right-clicking the Recycle Bin and selecting Properties. Reduce the size of the Recycle Bin to a smaller percentage of the total disk space. (Click the disk tab — e.g., Local Disk (C:) — to determine its reserved Recycle Bin space in gigabytes.) I set it to around 500 MB (0.5GB) on large disks and 250MB (0.25GB) on smaller ones.

To reduce Internet Explorer's cache size, click Tools and Internet Options. Then, under the Browsing History section, click Settings and adjust the cache size downward to, say, 50MB.

For Firefox, click Tools/Options and then click Advanced. Under the Network tab, look for the settings box in the Offline Storage section.

Chrome's cache-size adjustment uses the command line, as described on a Chrome Help forum page.

► Defrag. Once your disk is rid of all unnecessary files and is organized the way you want, run your defragmentation tool to reorder your files for optimal performance. If your disk was badly fragmented, it may take several iterations of defragging to achieve maximum benefit. (Paid subscribers can read an in-depth discussion of defragging in my Aug. 5 column.)

Use disk imaging to preserve your new setup

Once you've worked through all the above, your XP system should be lean, clean, defragged, and fully up-to-date. Wouldn't it be great if you could somehow preserve your PC's current software state so that, should you ever need to in the future, you can bring it back to this nearly perfect condition in just minutes?

You can! Use a disk imaging tool to create a perfect, complete, working copy of your current setup. You'll never again have to rebuild your system and reinstall all your software from scratch!

XP requires third-party disk-imaging software (Win7 has it built in) such as Acronis' U.S. $30 True Image (info page), Norton' $70 Ghost (site), or — my personal favorite for non-Win7 systems — Terabyte Unlimited's geeky-but-powerful $35 BootItNG (info page).

All three programs make disk images and bootable recovery discs that can be used to restore a complete, everything-installed-and-working setup — even to a raw, unformatted drive.

There's plenty of free disk imaging software available, too. For example, see Freebyte's page titled "Free disk image software;" TheFreeCountry's list of "Free hard disk and partition imaging and backup software;" or OptimizingPC's how-to, "Create free bootable Windows XP image disk."

Run through the above steps once or twice a year to keep your system in tip-top shape, and make a fresh disk image from time to time — especially if you make any significant changes to your hardware or software. Store your disk images in a safe place (off the hard drive), such as on CDs or DVDs stored away from your PC.

With this kind of routine maintenance, your XP system will most likely run well for as long as you need it. And, should the worst (major crash, hard drive failure, etc.) happen, you can use your disk images to rapidly restore your system to the near-perfect state you just created.

You're now set for the long haul!

Have more info on this subject? Post your tip in the WS Columns forum.