Terry's Computer Tips - Newsletter
February 1, 2009

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

Volume 4, Number 34 — Sunday, February 1, 2009

IN THIS ON-LINE ISSUE:

   1.   Window is Way Too Wide to Read
   2.   The Lighter Side of Technology
   3.   Changing Web Font Sizes — Easier Viewing of Web Sites
   4.   File Sharing Error — You Might Not Have Permission —Access is Denied
   5.   How to Create A New Shortcut
   6.   My Computer Security Software Recommendations
   7.   Recommend my Terry's Computer Tips Newsletter to Your Friends

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Welcome to the on-line edition of my Terry's Computer Tips newsletter. Its articles are not in the email issue — and the email articles aren't in the online issue — subscribe to my email newsletter so you can read both.

 

 

 

  

1.  Window is Way Too Wide to Read

New subscriber Marline wrote this week to ask:

Hi: Please know you're working with someone who is a novice on the computer. Confused VERY easily.

I can't read any E-Mail coming in! My right side on my screen has completely disappeared on all mail coming in. By this I mean there is no scroll or arrows so that I can't move my screen at all and consequently cannot respond to anyone. This only occurs on incoming mail. I can get the mail and see who's sending it but when I try to open it up the right side disappears.

I would presume the whole screen has to be moved to the left but I've tried minimizing or enlarging and nothing happens. Ever hear of this before???

First, I wrote back to Marline to get some more pertinent information:

• What email program are you using?
  e.g., Outlook Express, Outlook, Eudora, Thunderbird
• If you're using a web-based email program, for example webmail at your Interrnet Service Provider, which ISP is this and what web browser are you using to visit the webmail site?
  e.g., Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Safari

Then, I gave her some tips that should solve the problem.

Regarding moving the screen left, you should be able to make the screen fill up only the monitor size by double-clicking on the title bar of the program window (maximizing it).

You probably had it stretched wide and had dragged the windows to the left, when you closed it the last time before the problem started.

First, If the program has more than one window open (a web browser can have more than one window open at a time), close all windows but the one with the email in it.

To resize it, first, double-click on the title bar to make sure you are not in maximized screen size. if hat maximizes it, then double-click again. Then, grab the title bar and drag the window to the RIGHT far enough that you can see the left-hand edge of the window

Hover your mouse over the left hand edge of the window, press-and-hold the left mouse button, and drag to the right. This will shrink the window.

Then, drag the whole window to the left to get more on the screen. Repeat the Hover, click and drag, until you can see the whole window on the screen.

Then, close the window. Let me say that again, close the window.

Windows programs normally save the window size and position they had the last time they were closed. If that's the problem, it will be fixed now.

Open the program and see.

2.  The Lighter Side of Technology

This week's computer/technology cartoon at Terry's Computer Tips!

Despite technology, there's nothing like personal responsibility for one's own actions.

Whether it's driving without paying full attention, or getting on the Internet without a good firewall, antivirus, antispyware and antispam programs, or not keeping our computers up to date with updates to our operating systems(e.g., Windows XP) and programs (e.g., Microsoft Word), we as individuals are usually responsible for the results — we just want to blame someone else.

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3.  Changing Web Font Sizes — Easier Viewing of Web Sites

This week, longtime subscriber Scott Adler wrote to ask:

In spite of everything I can do to slow down the aging process I've failed. Now I need help in adjusting the settings on my PC relating to the text size I receive on my monitor while on a web site. I've conquered the e-mail (Outlook express) but need your expertise for web sites.

An article on the subject of handicap persons use of PC and laptops might be in order in your news letter

Well, I don't know that I can do an article on handicapped persons' use of PC's and laptops, but I can certainly address the issue of viewing web sites.

All web browsers have some ability to increase the size of the viewed text. However, the capabilities and what is increased differs widely from web browser to web browser.

Internet Explorer 6 is one of the worst of the group. IE6 has five (5) different font sizes that you can choose from the View menu. You can find them from the menu bar under View > Text Size. The font choices are Smallest, Smaller, Medium, Larger and Largest. When you change font sizes, the page layout of the web page will change also.

If the web designer used tables to format his web page, the tables will resize with the fonts — but any images and spacing the web designer desired won't resize. This can result in a messy look, all because the user increased or decreased the font size.

You could also use the Control key and your mousse's scroll button to zoom larger or smaller. However, this only worked if the web designer did not specify the font size in pixels. If he specified pixel sizing, nothing would happen with Control plus the scrollbuttonn.

Firefox 2's treatment was similar to that of Internet Explorer, except that the choices of font size were not limited — you could keep going larger or smaller as you desired.

Opera 7, 8 and 9 treated the entire page as something that could be zoomed, either using the Menu Bar's View > Zoom options or by holding down the Control key and rolling your mouse's scroll wheel.

With the newer versions Internet Explorer 7 and Firefox 3, IE and Firefox now use the more desirable zooming functions that Opera does, which keeps everything in proportionate sizes when you zoom larger or zoom smaller.

With the new style of zooming in IE 7, Firefox 3 and Opera, people with limited eyesight (or just tired eyes at the end of the day) can easily change the page size to suit them.

4.  File Sharing Error — You Might Not Have Permission —Access is Denied

Longtime subscriber Tom wrote to ask about a file-sharing problem on his home network:

Terry,

When times were good and I could afford it, I bought myself a new desktop (Gateway running Windows XP Media Center Edition) and gave my old DELL (running Windows XP Pro) to my wife. Well, all she ever did was do a little email, surf, and print. That DELL had two perfectly good hard drives that I decided would make excellent storage devices for my music and other media files. Life was good.

It was really easy setting up the shares and all was well.

I got busy. I could not devote the time I needed to maintaining the two PC's the way I liked. I made sure they were both protected with good anti-virus and firewall. And I made sure they were both kept up to date with Windows updates. Then one day when I had some leisure time and wanted to listen to some tunes I found I couldn't connect to the shared folders on my wife's computer. All was not well.

I did a little diagnostics, played with the firewalls, checked out my router, did some searching on the Internet, removed sharing and put it back, and pulled out a little hair. All to no avail.

Every time I try to connect I get;

I am the "administrator". Who is left to contact?

To my recollection, I first noticed I had a problem after I upgraded both PC's with SP3. I am using the same firewall software that I had before SP3 on both machines.

I get the same message if I am on my wife's PC and I try to connect to a shared folder I setup on "myv desktop.

Thinking it might be the firewall programs, I physically disconnected myself from the Internet, turned off both firewall programs, and tried again. The same result.

The real strange thing is my wife can still print on the shared printer connected to my machine (even with both firewalls working).

If I can share a printer, why can I not share a folder?

I have the use of a Toshiba laptop that belongs to a club I belong to. (It is running Windows XP Home Edition upgraded to SP3). Connecting to the shared folders on it works GREAT!, but it cannot connect to the shared folder I have on my PC. (The laptop can see the shared folder, but I get the message "\\Gateway\Temp-Temp is not available. You might not have permission to use the network resource. Contact the administrator to find out if you have access permissions. Access is denied.".) It is running the same firewall software that is on my wife's PC.

Any help would be appreciated.

I wrote back to Tom to commiserate with him.

I've got a Windows XP Home machine that can see my XP Pro machines but the XP Pro ones can't see it other than to use its printer.

Well, that's not quite right. If I open WIndows Explorer, go to Network Neighborhood, etc. it can not connect. But, if I open Windows Explorer and then enter the specific shared folder into the address bar, it works.

In his case, that would be typing

\\Gateway\Temp

in the address bar.

I haven't figured out what the answer is and can't find anything on Google to solve it, either. I've been living with it for a couple years.

Tom wrote back to say:

Terry,

I am a happy dude again. I found a way around my problem that I can live with. I found the solution on the Internet Fixes site at http://www.internetfixes.com/help_desk_winxp/printer_sharing_ipx.htm.

Now I have an icon on my desktop that takes me directly to my wife's PC and my folders.

That's a smart fix, but it uses an old networking protocol IPX/SPX that's not used much any more. Even more significant to some users, the IPX/SPX protocol has been removed from Windows Vista, so the solution won't work there.

Even without adding or turning on IPX/SPX, you could create a Shortcut and specify the shared drive or shared folder as the destination. The only snag with that procedure is that, although Windows will give you access directly to the shared folder (e.g., \\Gateway\Temp above), Windows XP will be slow creating the shortcut and slow opening the shortcut.

 

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5.  How to Create A New Shortcut

Creating a new shortcut on your Windows desktop is an easy process, whether you want the shortcut to go to a program, to a data file, to a web site, or even to a shared file or folder on another computer across your home network.

The first step is to get a clear spot on your Desktop so that you can see the Desktop. Then, right-click on that clear spot of the Desktop (not on a window or on another shortcut).

The popup Context Menu will give you an option "New" — left click on New. That will open a fly-out menu, to which many programs can add options. At the top, Windows puts the options Folder and Shortcut. Left-click on Shortcut (see below).

(click on the image for a larger version)

That will open the Create Shortcut dialog box. As shown in the left imate, you can type the path to the file or folder (or shared file or folder or Web URL) in the box, or you can click on the Browse... button to use Windows Explorer to locate the target for your shortcut.

The image on the right is the one you see if ou use the Browse button — the results would have been the same if I had typed D:\temp into the box, except that the D:\temp is highlighted.

Click Next to continue.

(click on the image for a larger version)

(click on the image for a larger version)

Now, type the title that you want to see on the shortcut.

Remember, you can always change the title of a shortcut by slowly left-clicking twice on it, which puts the title into Edit mode. Or, you can right-click on the shortcut, and select Rename.

(click on the image for a larger version)

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6.  My Computer Security Software Recommendations

Anti-Virus

I'm often asked about several other popular anti-virus or anti-virus combination packages. Yes, I realize that they are not in my recommendation list. "Enough said..."

For the last five years, until very recently, my personal choice has been ESET's small, fast NOD32 anti-virus program, which offers a FREE 30-day evaluation license. I consider NOD32 one of the best in anti-virus protection. Unlike some of its competitors, ESET offers multiple-year licenses also, and includes program updates in the multiple-year license.

Now, I've changed from my long-time programs NOD32 (antivirus) and CounterSpy (antispyware) to Sunbelt's new VIPRE Antivirus + Antispyware.

I've found that VIPRE puts even less load on my computer than the speedy combination of NOD32 and CounterSpy. I've also been impressed with the way its "deep scan" has found and eliminated risks that were stored in zip files, which is one of the latest malware email tricks.

Read more about anti-virus programs on my web site.

Related articles:

• Anti-Virus Programs and Online Scanners
• Free Online Antivirus Scan
• NOD32 Anti-Virus Review - A Look at NOD32
• VIPRE Antivirus + Antispyware Review

Click here for more information about VIPRE.

Firewall Software

While the Windows XP firewall is much better than no firewall at all, don't count on the Windows XP firewall to meet your needs. You need a two-way firewall, which the Windows XP firewall is not!. Microsoft woke up and supplied a two-way firewall with Windows Vista.

The Windows XP firewall does not control outbound communications originating from your computer — and you should want to have control if adware/trojans/spyware or even commercial products want to talk to the Internet. Whether they are calling home or spewing spam, you want to be able to control your computer.

Do you want Windows Media Player to call home every time you play something? It does! Do you use the Search function in Windows Explorer to find things on your hard drive? Did you know that every time you search, Windows Explorer talks to Microsoft?

I didn't know that when I ran ZoneAlarm, but the Sunbelt Personal Firewall flags that to me, and I can stop it or allow it to happen. Many other programs try to call home when you run them, too.

I recommend my choice for a firewall program, which is Sunbelt Personal Firewall.

You can try the full-featured "paid version" of Sunbelt Personal Firewall free for 30 days — after that, you can register it or, if you're using it on a home non-business computer, you can let it revert to the free, lesser-function license.

Sunbelt Personal Firewall is regularly $19.95 (with discounts for multiple computers and/or multiple years!) for a non-expiring license for the program and includes one year of their updates subscription.

Related articles:

• The Internet Versus You
• Do I Need a Firewall Program?
• My Sunbelt Personal Firewall Review

Anti-Spyware / Anti-Adware Software

CounterSpy, from Sunbelt Software, has received many kudos from the computer press for its always-running and periodic full system scans. It has been my personal choice for my PC's and my family's PC's.

Sunbelt's CounterSpy v2.5, both improved CounterSpy's performance against malware and reduced its impact on system resources and responsiveness when its scanning.

Sunbelt continues to release updated program versions — the current version is v3.1. Nicely, they do NOT install the updated programs automatically. You have to use the Update process in the program, which means that you'll know that something significant has changed.

Now, I've changed from my long-time programs NOD32 (antivirus) and CounterSpy (antispyware) to Sunbelt's new VIPRE Antivirus + Antispyware.

I've found that VIPRE puts even less load on my computer than the speedy combination of NOD32 and CounterSpy. My computer seems to have much more pep and power than it had previously. I've also been impressed with the way its "deep scan" has found and eliminated risks that were stored in zip files, which is one of the latest malware email tricks.

Related articles:

• Fighting Against Spyware & Malware
• My CounterSpy Review
• My VIPRE Antivirus + Antispyware Review

Anti-spam Software

In today's Internet world, the question is not "if" you will get spam, but "how much will you get?"

I use and now I recommend POPFile as my first choice for handling spam. POPFile sits on your computer, between your email program and your ISP mailbox, and handles emial as it downloads.

POPFile uses a different approach to handle spam than some other programs do — it does nothing to reduce spam. It is designed as an email classification tool — you train it to recognize spam and any other type of email that you want to classify. These classifications can help you sort your emails into appropriate folders in your email program.

Sunbelt Software, who makes the anti-spyware program CounterSpy (which I use and recommend) and the firewall that I use and recommend (Sunbelt Personal Firewall) also has a well-regarded, award-winning anti-spam program called iHateSpam for Outlook and Outlook Express. Since I don't use Outlook or Outlook Express for email, I haven't tried iHateSpam.

Mailwasher Pro would be my first choice to handle spam before it ever gets into your computer's Inbox. Mailwasher Pro uses on-line Realtime Black Lists mail servers sending spam recently, "training" by you of what you think is spam, and your own "friends" and "blacklist" lists. Note: I found that PopFile generally meets my needs and stopped using Mailwasher Pro, even though PopFile works AFTER the emails have been downloaded. If I used a dialup connection, I would be more interested in Mailwasher Pro.

Mailwasher Pro can even bounce spam messages, as if your email address was not valid, although the usefulness and appropriateness of this is questionable. There is a free version called "Mailwasher," but it omits the functions that I consider critical for this purpose -- such as safely previewing the emails safely before they ever get to your email inbox.

Related articles:

• Spam Filtering
• Keeping spam out of your Inbox
• Getting Control of Your Inbox
• How Can I Prevent spam?

Cable/DSL Router

If you have a cable modem or a DSL modem, you need to have another layer of inexpensive protection between you and the Internet. A cable/DSL router isolates your computer from direct connection to the Internet. Your computer can easily request your email, web pages, etc. through the router. The responses come back to the router and are smoothly routed to your computer. But, someone on the Internet side of the router can not initiate a connection to your computer — they can only respond to your request.

Even if you only have one computer to connect to your cable or DSL modem, I recommend that you purchase and use a cable/DSL router because of the protection it can give you against attempts to attack through some flaws in Windows itself.

A router isolates your local network, whether it is only one computer or several, from the Internet by actually making it a separate network. The router gets the "public" IP address and handles all your outbound communications and the responses to them. But, it blocks computers on the Internet side from being able to initiate communications with your computer! This will prevent you from falling prey to many worms that try to attack security holes in Windows itself.

For a wireless router, I recommend the Linksys WRT54G wireless router. I'm using the relatively new version 6 of this router.

If you don't want wireless, I recommend the Linksys BEFSR41 wired router, which I also use. Either way, based on my experience, I recommend Linksys routers for price, reliability and Linksys' habit of releasing updated firmware for their products..

See these related articles:

• Wireless Security
• Wi-Fi Hotspots and Computer Security
• Wireless Networking Problems & Wireless Networking Security

7.  Recommend my Terry's Computer Tips Newsletter to Your Friends

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