I’ve found a great tool that examines my computer to make sure that it has the latest updates of the most common software packages — not all the updates, but the security updates for the versions I’m runninng. It’s called Secunia Software Inspector, from the Danish security firm Secunia (www.secunia.com). Secunia offers three versions of [...]
A Look at Windows XP Set Program Access and Defaults
It’s been a long time since I’ve looked at the Windows XP feature called "Set Program Access and Defaults." Originally, this feature arrived as a result of the settlement between Microsoft and the U.S. Department of Justice, which (among other things) required Microsoft to make it easier for users to select alternative programs to those [...]
A Look at Foxit Reader | Foxit Reader Review
Recently, one of my subscribers wanted to know about a free program to let him fill in PDF forms. I made a quick check and realized that the free PDF reader Foxit Reader would do this. While Foxit Reader also has a Pro Pack available to add additional functions, the free version does almost everything [...]
A Happy Ending to PDF Problems
Long-time subscriber Scott Adler wrote this week that he was having problems with current Adobe programs. In particular, he had the same issue with Adobe Reader 8 that many of us have had. Prior to Adobe Reader 8, one of our user-configurable options was to turn off the auto-update function. However, Adobe Reader 8 removed [...]
Adding a Wireless Router to a Network
Reader Larry Braud wrote about problems adding a wireless router to an existing wired network: Terry, you told me a while ago that you hooked your wireless router to your regular wired router whenever you wanted wireless capability. What special do you have to do or is it just plug and play? I was trying [...]
Adding a Large SATA Drive to an Older Computer
A couple weeks ago, I bought a 1 TB SATA II hard drive to add to my home theater PC. I already had one SATA II drive (3.0 Gigabits/second) installed in the computer, on which I had the drive’s jumper set to SATA I (1.5 Gigabits/second). I "knew" the new drive wouldn’t be a problem [...]
Adding a Computer to an Existing Home Network
OK, you have a new computer and you’ve made the decision to keep your old computer, and you want your spouse and children to be able to do email and surf the web without demanding your computer. Let’s assume you already have an existing home computer network — if you don’t, the first article in [...]
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