Enhanced Windows Experience

More tips for avoiding Windows 7 upgrade bumps

2009-10-08T17:21:00.002-04:00

More tips for avoiding Windows 7 upgrade bumps

By Dennis O'Reilly

For most PC users, the migration to Microsoft's new version of Windows will go smoothly — with a little preparation.

Spending a few minutes getting your system ready before you insert that Windows 7 installation disc may save you hours of troubleshooting and repair afterward.

For the complete article go to:
http://windowssecrets.com/comp/091008

Windows 7 Upgrade

2009-10-08T06:36:00.004-04:00

Get your system ready for a Windows 7 upgrade

By Scott Spanbauer

Removing unneeded applications and making sure your hardware devices will work with Windows 7 are good things to do before you purchase and install the new operating system.

A merciless approach — ruthlessly excising software clutter prior to the OS upgrade — will help ensure that the process goes smoothly.

With Windows 7's official release to consumers just weeks away, you may be champing at the bit to upgrade your existing system. If you choose to install Win7 on an old Vista machine, however, a wise precaution is to clear out some of the clutter the machine has collected over the years.

For the complete story click or copy and paste the link:
http://windowssecrets.com/2009/10/01/02-Get-your-system-ready-for-a-Windows-7-upgrade

Infinitube and Beijing Olympics 2008

2008-08-10T21:41:00.002-04:00

Keep YouTube Videos Playing Automatically and Continuously Via Infinitube ServiceYouTube offers a huge and great video bank for users to share and enjoy various types of free video clips. However, unlike television programs, YouTube doesn’t allow users to automatically play the movies searched by users. Once users type in a search term such as “Keep YouTube Videos Playing Automatically and Continuously Via Infinitube ServiceYouTube offers a huge and great video bank for users to share and enjoy various types of free video clips. However, unlike television programs, YouTube doesn’t allow users to automatically play the movies searched by users. Once users type in a search term such as “Beijing Olympics 2008”, YouTube will display a list of related video clips. Users need to go back to the search page to click on the next movie one after the other. YouTube doesn’t streamline search results so that all the movie clips can be played automatically one after the other without going back to the search page. To overcome the shortcoming in YouTube, a new free service called Infinitube has come into the picture.
Search with Infinitube
List of search resultInfinitube is a great service which allows users to view all the YouTube movie clips displayed in the search list. Users can just type in the search term and Infinitube will look for video clips that match the search term. Infinitube will thence start playing the first clip in the list. It will continue moving on to the subsequent video once the previous one has finished playing. With Infinitube, users can enjoy watching continuous movie clips without interruption. They can watch the clips while they are doing something else, e.g. eating, folding clothes, etc. It is very useful especially for those who want to watch music videos. They could just type their favourite artist name and Infinitube will play for them the related music videos from this artist. Of course Infinitube allows users to skip to the next video clip if they don’t like the clip which is playing.
http://infinitube.net/”, YouTube will display a list of related video clips. Users need to go back to the search page to click on the next movie one after the other. YouTube doesn’t streamline search results so that all the movie clips can be played automatically one after the other without going back to the search page. To overcome the shortcoming in YouTube, a new free service called Infinitube has come into the picture.
Search with Infinitube
List of search resultInfinitube is a great service which allows users to view all the YouTube movie clips displayed in the search list. Users can just type in the search term and Infinitube will look for video clips that match the search term. Infinitube will thence start playing the first clip in the list. It will continue moving on to the subsequent video once the previous one has finished playing. With Infinitube, users can enjoy watching continuous movie clips without interruption. They can watch the clips while they are doing something else, e.g. eating, folding clothes, etc. It is very useful especially for those who want to watch music videos. They could just type their favourite artist name and Infinitube will play for them the related music videos from this artist. Of course Infinitube allows users to skip to the next video clip if they don’t like the clip which is playing.
http://infinitube.net/

Antivirus and Antispyware Reviews

2008-08-04T00:04:00.005-04:00

In today’s Internet environment just connecting to the Internet without a firewall, antivirus and antispyware protection is just inviting someone or something to steal your information and to inflict general havoc to your computer. In my opinion, listed in order, are the top programs I would recommend to anyone to protect their investment.

ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite
ZoneAlarm Anti-Spyware
Kaspersky Anti-Virus
BitDefender Antivirus
McAfee Internet Security Suite
Norton 360
Norton AntiVirus

Let your budget and sense of security or insecurity be your guide. Don't just rely on what I have stated here. Just Google "antivirus reviews" and formulate your own opinion.
But whatever you decide on getting, something is better than nothing.
How much does your computer and the stuff you have on it mean to you!

Driver Update Scams

2008-08-01T20:26:00.002-04:00

From http://windowssecrets.com/

Don't get burned by driver-update scams
By Scott Dunn
Although you can find free tools to help keep Windows and your other software up-to-date, you'll have to pay to get the best tool for scanning your system's drivers and downloading the updates you need.
I found some good driver updaters but also one full-on scam — Prosoft3D's Driver Update 5 — that simply points you to Windows' Device Manager and tells you to do the job yourself.
Driver Update 5 is a joke masquerading as software
Most driver-update products let you scan your computer for free before expecting you to pay. Prosoft3D's Driver Update 5 is an exception, requiring a full purchase before you get to install or use it at all.
Once you pay, the reason becomes evident: The product has only two features: It (1) opens Windows' Device Manager for you and (2) displays a short message box with basic instructions on using Device Manager to update a specific driver. In other words, you pay U.S. $20 (or more) for a product that does what Windows Help itself does — and a whole lot less.
There is no scanning to tell you what drivers are out of date. You have to know that yourself and correct it more-or-less manually using Windows' own tools.
The program's installer prompts you to accept a folder where the product will be installed but doesn't store anything in the folder or even create it to begin with.
Prosoft3D claims to offer a money-back guarantee and responded quickly to my request for a refund. Perhaps the company hopes to make money from people who don't know about Device Manager or who can't be troubled to ask for a refund.
The best updaters charge to freshen your drivers
The keystone of my PC-maintenance philosophy is to avoid fixing anything that ain't broke. But then there's that gray, twilight-zone area where your computer isn't failing but is behaving strangely or experiencing the occasional mystery crash.
This may be a sign that one of your system drivers — the under-the-hood code that runs your monitor, your hard drive, your printer, and other peripherals — is out of whack.
From QuickTime to Java to Acrobat, many of the most common PC applications have their own methods of keeping themselves up-to-date. When it comes to device drivers, however, it's not easy to determine whether you've got the versions your system needs.
Fortunately, there are a number of easy-to-use products that scan your PC, notify you if they find out-of-date drivers, and make it easy to download and install the updates. The downside is that the best driver-update products cost from $20 to $30.
What a program tells you about your driver is more important than the drivers it finds. For example, just telling users that a newer version is available says nothing about whether you should bother installing it.
I tested five of these programs in a quest to find which one provided the easiest and most effective way to update drivers. I used each of the five to scan a PC running Windows XP Pro SP2 in a virtual machine, and another system using Windows Vista SP1.
As you might expect, several of the programs found the same drivers to be out of date. But there were significant differences in their results.
I omitted VersionTracker Pro from this review because of the preponderance of lousy customer reviews it's received in online forums.
I didn't test the programs' ability to install functioning drivers because this operation is separate from the initial system scan and identification of available driver updates.
#1: DRIVERAGENT DRIVER UPDATES$30 version 90 More info Browser-based updater is clear and cautious
DriverAgent and its Driver Updates Web site ($30 membership fee) get the highest marks for providing clear information and taking a measured approach to updating drivers.
Unlike other products I tested, DriverAgent can be run from the Driver Updates site (and thereafter from a desktop icon); the program asks that you pay a membership fee rather than buy a product license.
Setup varies slightly from browser to browser. Be sure to follow the four-step instructions on the product's Download page to avoid any problems.
Like those generated by Driver Detective, DriverAgent's scans present you with a list of the drivers it found along with icons (and a helpful icon legend) providing information for each driver.
The program helpfully explains that even if a driver update is available for download, that doesn't mean you need to install it. You have the option of downloading the update for backup purposes, if you desire.
In addition to the "good" (no update needed) and "bad" (time to update) categories, DriverAgent may signify a driver as questionable. That is, DriverAgent was not able to determine whether the file is out of date. In this case, the program advises you not to update unless you think you are experiencing a problem — a cautious approach I appreciate.
On my Vista test system, DriverAgent failed to detect the out-of date Intel PCI Bridge chipset driver that was found by DriverMagic, Driver Detective, and RadarSync. But as Driver Detective's help file points out, unlike other hardware, chipset drivers do not install any software drivers. Consequently, their up-to-date status may not be reported accurately by these kinds of products.
On my XP test PC, DriverAgent marked several drivers as "good but with download available" that DriverDetective had marked as "out of date." Since my computer appeared to be running just fine, I consider DriverAgent's a more reasonable label.
DriverAgent had no problems downloading the few sample driver files I requested as a test.
#2: DRIVERSHQ DRIVER DETECTIVE$40 version 86 More info Clear update info, but too many flagged drivers
Driver Detective is the best standalone driver updater I looked at, but the program has one flaw: It may push more updates than your system actually needs.
In part because it installs Microsoft's .NET Framework 2.0 (if you don't already have it on your PC), Driver Detective's installation and startup of Driver Detective ($40, but sometimes offered at $30) is one of the slower products to get going. But after the initial installation, the program's scanning proceeds at a pace comparable to that of other products.
Driver Detective's interface is straightforward: You begin by clicking the big Scan button to analyze your system. The result is a list of system drivers, which you can filter — for example, to show only out-of-date drivers.
Icons indicate the status of listed items. If a driver needs attention, additional icons may appear to the right of its entry. A helpful icon legend to the right of the list clarifies the meaning of each symbol. You can hide this list once you become familiar with it.
Like the other updaters I looked at, Driver Detective includes an option to download a selected driver. The program may or may not be able to launch the driver (it varies with the driver). For drivers the app can't launch itself, the entry's "Open" button shows you the driver's location in Explorer so you can run its installer from there.
Another useful feature is the program's ability to store a history of drivers you downloaded. But unlike DriverAgent, Driver Detective doesn't provide download access to drivers that aren't out of date.
Driver Detective is a very good product, but the program flags every driver for which an update is available with scary red icons, which strikes me as overzealous. In one case, the out-of-date driver was only two months older than the newer one.
Despite the program's proclivity to push more updates than you may need, Driver Detective is the best updater for people who need a product that doesn't run in a browser.
#3: SYMPLISIT DRIVERMAGIC$25 version 78 More info Thoroughness undone by confusing instructions
Like other driver updaters, SymplisIT's $24.50 DriverMagic provides tools for finding outdated drivers on your PC and helps you download and install updates. But unlike the other updaters I looked at, the program isn't very clear about what exactly it has found.
DriverMagic displays its scan results in a list, just as the other programs I tested do. But DriverMagic often obscures the names of the drivers it finds: If there isn't room for the entire driver name, the program truncates the last several characters and provides no tools for seeing the entire name.
By comparison, DriverAgent wraps names so there is no truncation, Driver Detective shows the full name in a tool tip, and RadarSync shows the complete name when you right-click it.
DriverMagic sorts the drivers it finds into three categories. The "driver update available" category is somewhat helpful but doesn't tell you whether the driver is out of date. Driver Detective and DriverAgent provide much clearer information on this point.
The "file recovery required" category is even less helpful. When I clicked the Help icon, rather than finding more information, I was taken to an online form that asked me to write out my question and wait for an answer. (I've waited a week and still no reply.)
As far as I could discern, files in this category are considered faulty in some way. DriverMagic can repair them using the program's "PROSE Technology" to make the file meet "PROSE Integrity Standards," whatever that means.
The third category is not labeled but shows device drivers in grey text. Again, this is confusing.
You can act upon the list using three checkboxes: Download Driver Updates, Restore Files, and Create Driver Backups. It is not clear whether these are related to the three ways DriverMagic marks your files, though they don't appear to be.
To act on a single file, you select it in the list, check the boxes of your choice, and click Apply Selected. The Apply Updates button acts on the entire list. DriverMagic tells you whether installing a given driver requires a reboot or a manual install of a file it has downloaded.
Note, however, that if you do restart your system, DriverMagic may re-check boxes you had unchecked the last time it was running.
DriverMagic claims to host drivers on its servers for faster access, but when I applied an update, the screen message said "downloading from Intel servers."
DriverMagic appears to be a thorough program, but the quirky interface and lack of documenation (except by e-mail) make it confusing to use. We shouldn't have to play guessing games about the effects of a program when dealing with drivers that can wreak havoc on a system.
#4: RADARSYNC 2008 FREE EDITIONFree version 75 More info The one free updater comes with sneaky installer
RadarSync 2008 Free Edition is the only product I tested that won't cost you a dime. It also claims to update not just drivers but applications as well.
The installer is conventional, but it tries to install a browser toolbar and a separate free-trial product, so be sure to uncheck those options if you don't want them.
In my tests, RadarSync found only one outdated driver on the Vista PC (which uses the aforementioned PCI chipset). The program fared better on my XP system, producing results comparable to those of the more conservative DriverAgent.
In addition, RadarSync also found some out-of-date software (not just drivers). If this is useful to you, it won't cost you anything to use RadarSync either in place of or in addition to a related product.
RadarSync also gets points for providing useful information when you click Details for chipset drivers. The program pointed out several issues that the newer drivers will not correct.
The RadarSync site says that the $30 paid version includes tech support, omits advertising, and lets you schedule automatic updates. For my money, I'd stick to the free version.

Facebook "Wordscraper to Replace Scrabulus"

2008-08-01T20:06:00.003-04:00

From http://www.mydigitallife.info/

Scrabulous enthusiasts who made hue and cry after the most popular application in Facebook was removed couple of days ago probably can swift their focus into a new application named Wordscraper now. Scrabulous was one of the most famous applications which had more than 500,000 daily supporters was taken down from Facebook after a critical lawsuit filed by the Scrabble board-game maker Hasbro over the infringement issue on its copyright. Users who have attempted to access the service via their Facebook account were greeted with a disappointing notice that reads “Scrabulous is disabled for US and Canadian users until further notice.”
Besides protecting the issue of copyright, another reason Hasbro took legal action again Scrabulous is because the popularity of Scrabulous has challenged the original Scrabble game for Facebook. The original Scrabble game is a joint effort between Hasbro and videogame publisher Electronic Art. The emergence of Scrabulous has affected the original Scrabble’s popularity and affected Hasbro’s interest.
Scrabulous was created by two Indian brothers, Rajat Agarwalla and Jayant Agarwalla. As a remedy measure, the two brothers unveil a new game, Wordscraper, as a replacement for Scrabulous. Wordscraper keep the genes of Scrabble and features most of the play options available in Scrabulous. However, the Indian brothers try to create some differences compared to Scrabble. For instance, Wordscraper has a different point system; users use circles instead of squares, etc.

Windows XP Shutdown Problems

2008-04-30T02:22:00.000-04:00

This is what worked for me. I do not use a phone modem or a fax device. My event viewer showed an error with the fax service. I simply went to Services and stopped the fax service. Then I changed the start up type to disabled. I then clicked on start and shutdown. The computer shutdown without restarting for the first time in over a year.

Even if you use a dial up modem but you do not fax this might work for you too.

Classic Start Menu:
To go to Event Viewer click on Start, Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Event Viewer.
To go to services click on Start, Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Services.
This is if you are using Windows classic start menu and classic view of control panel.

Xp Start Menu:
Click on Start, Control Panel, Performance and Maintenance, Administrative Tools, then choose Event Viewer or Services.

I have looked at countless bulletin boards to help solve my problem but found nothing that led me to what I finally found.

Word of caution. There are a lot of services listed. Do not change any other settings. Some services are dependant on other services to run your computer properly. I would appreciate any feedback. Failures, successes, and other tips. Just click on the comments at bottom of Blog.

Computer Protection

2008-04-18T01:26:00.000-04:00

Protect your investment. Protect your data. Protect your computer. Install antivirus software and antispyware software.
Protection is cheap compared to the headaches, data loss and lost time from getting infected.
There are some nasty little people out there who enjoy creating big nasty viruses just because they can. They don't care if you lose everything on your computer, all they care about is writing their little program. Infecting a popular download that probably is pirated and then kicking back and watching the message boards light up with chaos they have created.
Do yourself a favor. Install protection and stop them in their tracks. Even with protection be wary of the sites you go to and even more cautious of what you are downloading. Most protection these days can scan files while they are being downloaded. Take the extra step and scan the file after the download is complete. If the file is Zipped, scan it again after it is unzipped. An extra minute or two could save you a lot of problems. Don't hook up without protection.

Virus, SpyWare, Adware and Firewalls

2008-02-27T07:52:00.000-05:00

Virus protection is essential for a happy computer.
Below is a link that lists hundreds of reasons why you should protect your computer.

http://www.symantec.com/norton/security_response/threatexplorer/risks/index.jsp

Unable to decide which firewall product to choose from? A 2008 review of firewalls is linked below:

http://personal-firewall-software-review.toptenreviews.com/

Enhance Your Windows XP Experience

2008-02-18T22:11:00.001-05:00

A college education is not required to learn how to use computers or the internet today. Just a few hours of use is enough for even a beginner to lockdown on the basics.

Windows XP and the Microsoft experience! Wild horses in the 21st century.
Computers have come a long way since DOS and the Commodore 64.
Marketed in August 1982, the Commodore 64 was an 8-bit home computer with 64 kb of RAM, and sold for about $600.00.
Look what is needed and available now so we can enjoy our free time at home and even away from home for some of us.
This site does not exist to praise Microsoft or degrade any other PC conglomerate, but rather to show you a means to an end.
There are literally tens of thousands of software programs and services available to the consumer, but what product to choose is the question.
The first question in resolving this is to know why you want or bought your computer.

Home business?
Kids education? Your Education?
Love of the Internet? Email? Blogs?
Listen to music? Copy music? Edit Music? Make your own Music? Listen to music your way?
Watch Movies or Video? Edit Video? Make your Own Movies or Videos?
Video Gaming? Online Gaming?
Learn how to Make Money?
Learn how to Make More Money?
Learn how to Increase your Income Legally?
Learn how to Save Money?
Budget Money?
Research?
News?
Or just the plain old "All Around Experience"?

What ever your reason, manufactures today can custom build a computer to your needs.
Most computers off the shelf have enough horsepower to perform the majority of these tasks with ease. The most basic upgrade at the time of purchase is in more memory. If you are spending your hard earned money on a computer, go ahead and do a memory upgrade. It will be well worth the few extra dollars. Your computer will run smoother and will be able to handle the increased demand you will expect from it.

Do this before connecting your new computer to the internet:
1. After getting your computer put together and "BEFORE" you connect to the internet make sure that the Windows XP Firewall is turned on and that system restore is turned on. If you have a firewall other than Windows firewall make sure it is on. But not both firewalls at the same time.
2. Most new off the shelf computers come with a trial version of an Anti-virus program. Make sure it is installed and turned on and set for automatic updates.
3. Connect to the internet.
4. Follow the registration guide that came with your computer.
5. Download any updates for your XP system.
6. You are now set for a safe experience on the internet.
7. By the way, it is essential that you have an anti-virus program of some kind to protect your computer from the nasty bugs that are on the internet. A happy computer is a virus free computer.

Some programs that I like and have gotten used to:
AD-AWARE by LavaSoft (not adware)
ZoneAlarm Security Suite by Check Point (Firewall and anti-virus)
Norton 360
AVG Anti-Spyware
Advanced WindowsCare by Iobit
CleanMyPC Registry Cleaner
iTunes
LimeWire Pro
AVIedit
4U AVI MPEG Converter
WIN ZIP
DFX for Windows Media Player
Adobe Acrobat Professional
Adobe PhotoShop
FreshUI
Nero

As you can see, there are as many programs as there are appetites. There is essentially no limit as to what you can find. I am no expert by any means. Programs are trial and error to see if they suit your needs. Most programs come with a free trial period. If you like it after the trial you can buy it.