5/1/2009  

•  Lots to talk about.  I’ve been remiss in keeping the Alerts updated... Sorry.  Let’s start with the FREE AVG 8.5 program.  This program has matured over the years and the new version includes comprehensive Anti-Virus and Spyware detection and removal modules.  It is very user friendly and effective.  I recently knew I had problems on several client’s computers which had McAffee installed, but running a full scan turned up nothing.  I uninstalled McAffee... installed AVG... found and deleted a virus... with the result being a definite improvement in computer operability.  Why is AVG free?? Because they have a full duty program with many features and would naturally like you to upgrade to their ‘pay for’ full suite; however, for most people the FREE version does just fine.   I use the Windows Vista/XP firewall in conjunction with AVG.  Because of the extensive use of my computers, I’ve upgraded to the ‘pay for’ version.  Bugs I experienced in the previous ‘pay for’ version have been eliminated and I’m now happy with the program.

          

•   INTERNET EXPLORER 8  . I tried IE8 in beta form and it was a disaster.  

They’ve corrected the issues I was experiencing and now have a robust new browser.  It has just been added to ‘Windows Updates’ so check your task bar and if it says ‘updates are ready to install’... Go for it.  I’ve been using what I consider a better choice at this time... MOZILLA FIREFOX 3.0.

Firefox leaves IE8 in the dust when it comes to access speed.  It appears to be less buggy and is claimed to be more secure.  I’ve made it my default browser.  You can have multiple browsers on your computer and you can run IE8 at any time by just clicking on its icon.

         

•   Today, with so many programs available, it has become more difficult to transfer information to others and be assured that they will be able to read it.  (they generally need to have the specific program installed on their computer, such as your version of Microsoft Word, in order to be able to access the file).  To resolve this problem, Adobe created Adobe Acrobat.  Acrobat allows you to create a PDF file either from content developed in the program or from any other program.  For example, files created in Microsoft Word, when put into the PDF format contain all the original fonts and other formatting.  So how does someone read a PDF file if they don’t have the expensive Acrobat?  They simply download the free ADOBE READER 9 and they’re off and running.  Now, a number of programs (including all those in the Microsoft Office 2007 suite) allow you to ‘Save As’ a PDF file without having to have Acrobat.  Don’t have Office 2007?... Go to www.google.com and search for ‘free pdf creator’.  You’ll see links to a number of Free Acrobat substitutes.  I haven’t used any of them so I can’t recommend one over the other at this time.

           

•  One of the favorite programs in my computer tune-up arsenal is DISKEEPER 2009.  This is a defragmentation program on steroids.  I’ve used Diskeeper for many years and can vouch for the effectiveness of their latest version.  It is a great ‘install and forget it’ program, keeping your computer continually defraged.  Let’s say you have a file of an arbitrary size of 1000KB.  When Windows writes that file to the hard disk it looks for an open area to put it in.  Let’s say it finds an area, but it only has room to take 250KB... So Windows puts the 250KB there and looks for an area to put the remaining 750KB.  If the next area it finds only holds 500KB, it sticks 500KB there and eventually finds space for the entire file.  This is called fragmentation.  Windows, being very smart, keeps track of where all these bits and pieces are.  When you are ready to open the file, it has to hunt around to find all the pieces and put them together.  Over time, as more and more files get fragmented, the efficiency of the computer suffers.  Defrag programs simply put the pieces together and Diskeeper does it extremely efficiently.  So the next time you open the file, Windows only has to go to one place to get the entire file.  The download has a trial period after which it will stop functioning.  At that point you can either remove it from your computer or purchase it (my recommendation) ... For my clients, the HOME version is all you will need..

          

•   Another free program I find very useful is SPYBOT .  I run the program in the manual mode once a week (when installing, I do not include the automatic TeaTimer in my choice).  Spybot is a good supplement to AVG and many times finds items that AVG may miss.  Many visitors to the site have asked for detailed information on how to run SPYBOT... Click HERE for a step by step routine I’ve developed for running the program. (needs Adobe Reader to view the file)

•    I have many programs in my computer and most have an icon on the desktop for easy access.  A problem I had in the past was whenever I changed the screen resolution (necessary to run a specific program) or went to Safe Mode for some reason... All the icons, having a mind of their own, moved to a new location.  The solution was the free ICON RESTORE.  While it doesn’t mention that it can be used in Vista, I’ve used it effectively in Vista for many months.

 

•    A program I use several times a day is SNAGIT 9 .  This is an incredible screen capture program.  Their download offers a 30 day trial.  Once you download it, click on help>tour.  This video tour will show you the features of the program... I love it!  

NOTES:  REMEMBER, IT IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA TO CREATE A NEW RESTORE POINT BEFORE INSTALLING ANY NEW PROGRAMS.  CLICK START>PROGRAMS>ACCESSORIES>SYSTEM TOOLS>SYSTEM RESTORE.  

 

I HAD BEEN SHOWING ALL PAST ALERTS; HOWEVER, I’LL NOW ONLY SHOW THE MOST RECENT ONE OR TWO AS MANY OF THE LINKS IN PAST ALERTS NO LONGER WORK.