Terry's Computer Tips - Newsletter
February 25, 2007

Terry's Computer Tips Newsletter
http://www.terryscomputertips.com
A computer tips newsletter for users of PC's.

Volume 2, Number 37 — Sunday, February 25, 2007

Part 1  | Part 2  | Part 3 | Part 4

IN THIS WEEK'S ON-LINE ISSUE:
   1.   More Internet Explorer 7 Problems Reported
   2.   Updates Last Week
   3.   Router Security — Wired & Wireless Routers
   4.   Multiple Email Copies Received
   5.   My Cellphone Choice: Motorola Razr V3xx
   6.   My Computer Security Software Recommendations
   7.   Cell Phone Internet Access
   8.   Recommend my Terry's Computer Tips Newsletter to Your Friends

Welcome to the on-line edition of my Terry's Computer Tips newsletter.

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1.  More Internet Explorer 7 Problems Reported

Reader Valerie Mitchell wrote to ask about some problems she was having with Internet Explorer 7:

Hello Terry.
You've helped me before, hope you can again.

Whenever IE7 used to open it opened with the page I chose which was Google. Now for some reason it keeps opening with this: http://runonce.msn.com/runonce2.aspx which is "customize your settings" & it's just a blank blue page. I can't get rid of it. I've got Google set in Internet Options as the home page. What to do please?

That page should not be just a blank blue page. It's actually where IE7 is giving you an opportunity to set your default search engine and to save the setting.

It sounds like the page is having a problem on your computer (perhaps you have disabled ActiveX?) and therefore is never logging that it has finished its function. So, next time you start IE7, it tries to run again.

If I recall correctly, I saw and handled that page immediately after installing IE7.

Try checking to make sure ActiveX is enabled. Then, type or copy that URL into the IE7 address bar and see if the page will open.

If it doesn't, you might need to uninstall IE7 and reinstall it.

In internet options, the advanced tab, under security, there's an exclamation mark next to the box that says "phishing filter". Does that indicate a problem?

I haven't seen this, but it usually does. There should be three selections just below Phishing Filter:

• Disable Phishing Filter
• Turn off automatic website checking
• Turn on automattic website checking

I suspect that it is a warning that you have the Phishing Filter disabled. You might have selected that option when you installed Internet Explorer 7.

Click on the "Turn on automatic website checking" option and then the Apply button. I think that may solve your problem.

One more thing, why in IE7 explorer, when doing a Google search, do you get results that basically have nothing to do with what you're searching for? This never used to happen. If you do the same search in Goolge on Mozilla Firefox, you get entirely different, and the proper results.

Now, that's a problem that I haven't seen and do not see. Are you going to Google to do the search? Or, have you redefined the search bar to search a different site?

Do you get the same results if you go to www.google.com to do your search as you get with the built-in search box in IE7? If www.google.com is ok, but the search box gives weird results, then you may have an adware problem, where the searchbox is using someone else's search engine.

Thank you so much again for your excellent service. I hope I haven't asked too many questions. Is there a limit on how many times a person can ask you for help?
Sincerely,
V. Mitchell

I'm glad I could help, Valerie.

 

2.  Updates Last Week

Microsoft (operating systems, email, web browser, office suites):
There were a LOT of updates last week. Microsoft releases almost all updates once per month, on the second Tuesday.

Windows Genuine Advantage Notification (KB905474)
The Windows Genuine Advantage Notification tool notifies you if your copy of Windows is not genuine. If your system is found to be a non-genuine, the tool will help you obtain a licensed copy of Windows.

This time, Microsoft makes it very plain that the WGAN update is optional and thatt, if you install it, it is a permanent change to your copy of Windows XP.

NOTICE: THIS UPDATE FROM MICROSOFT WILL HELP YOU KNOW IF YOU ARE RUNNING A PROPERLY LICENSED, GENUINE COPY OF WINDOWS XP. SOME UPDATES AND OFFERS FROM MICROSOFT REQUIRE A GENUINE COPY OF WINDOWS XP.

INSTALLING THIS UPDATE IS OPTIONAL. THE UPDATE WILL BECOME A PERMANENT PART OF YOUR WINDOWS XP SOFTWARE.

INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR SYSTEM (FOR EXAMPLE, YOUR WINDOWS PRODUCT KEY AND IP ADDRESS) WILL BE SENT TO MICROSOFT. MICROSOFT WILL NOT USE THE INFORMATION TO IDENTIFY OR CONTACT YOU.

BEFORE INSTALLING, PLEASE READ AND ACCEPT THE LICENSE TERMS BELOW.

I chose not to install this Windows Genuine Advantage Update. To decline the WGAN installation, press Cancel. You'll get a new dialog box that also has a "Don't offer me this update again" option — I checked it. Then, the buttons are "Back" and "Cancel." In this case, Cancel confirms that you want to cancel the installation.

Firefox (web browser, http://www.mozilla.com, free):
Versions 2.0.0.2 and 1.5.0.10 were released on Friday, February 23, 2007.

From the Firefox web page:

What's New in Firefox 2.0.0.2

* Release Date: February 23, 2007

* Security Update: The following list of security issues have been fixed.

* Windows Vista Support: Many enhancements and fixes for Windows Vista are included along with the following caveats.

* New Languages: Beta releases for several new languages are now available for testing.

* Permissions Bug Fixed: In the German (de) locale on Windows and Linux, resolved a problem with certain files tagged as read-only.

Opera (web browser, http://www.opera.com, free):
Version 9.10 was released December 18th. This release of Opera introduces "Fraud Protection" as well as user-interface and stability changes. Read the details.

Netscape (web browser, http://browser.netscape.com, free):
No update this week. Version 8.1.2 was released during the week ending September 30.

US-CERT issued a press-release on November 8th that recommended that Netscape users turn off JavaScript. (Mozilla Firefox, SeaMonkey and Thunderbird were subject to the same issues, but new versions were released on November 8th to solve the problem.) AOL has not updated Netscape to the new version of the underlying "Gecko" browser.

SeaMonkey (web browser, email, HTML editor, newsreader; http://www.mozilla.org/projects/seamonkey; free): Version 1.1 was released on January 18, 2007. What's new in SeaMonkey v1.1

Eudora (email, http://www.eudora.com, options: paid, sponsored or free/lite):
No update last week. Version 7.1.0.9 was released October 11, 2006. This was announced as to be the last commercial version before Eudora becomes open-source in the first half of 2007.

Warning: If you're running "Sponsored Mode" in a version before 7.1.0.9, you should update now to the current version. Sponsored mode in the earlier versions will expire on March 31st — and will revert to the less-functional "Lite" mode.

Mozilla Thunderbird (email, http://www.mozilla.com/thunderbird, free):
Thunderbird version 1.5.0.9 was released December 19th.

OpenOffice (office suite — spreadsheet, word processor, presentations, graphics, web design; http://www.openoffice.org; free):
Version 2.1 was released during the week ending December 24th.

Part 1  | Part 2  | Part 3 | Part 4

Volume 2, Number 37 — Sunday, February 25, 2007

Copyright © 2007 Terry A. Stockdale.  All rights reserved.