**Issue 35 - March 15th, 2008 **

Contents

In This Issue...

#1 - Newbies Nook - Information for those who are new to computers and computing.

#2 - Problems in Paradise - Answers to reader problems and questions.

#3 - Security Corner - Computer Security by Kenny Harthun.

#4 - Learning Linux - Joseph Bales provides instruction and insight into Linux.

#5 - Creating and Saving New Styles - Carol tells us how to do it in Word and OpenOffice Writer.

#6 - My Recommended Software - Need software? Check this list first!

#7 - Useful Freeware - Free programs that you may find useful. Did I mention they're free!

#8 - Useful web sites - Websites I've visited lately that you may find useful.

#9 - The Lighter Side - Some humor to lighten your load!

#10 - Service Pack 1 for Vista is Upon Us! - What you need to know before, during, and after.

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Thank you for taking a few moments to read my newsletter,

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#1 - Newbies Nook

By David Hartsock

What would you like to see covered in Newbies Nook? Email me at

An interesting look at backups!

If you remember the February 1st issue I discussed my experiences with Windows Home Server. One of my frustrations was finding a program that would convert video to the correct format. Well I tried every single program I could get my hands on. Paid, free, trial. You name it I tried it! I would say somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 programs. Unfortunately the installation, uninstallation, and reinstallation of all of these programs had an affect on not only my sanity, but the ability of my primary computer to read and burn DVDs.

Of course I have recent disk images and could have been back in business in less than an hour, but I decided to do a fresh install. Why? Because I thought this would be a good opportunity to show the other side of backups -- TIME. I harp on and on about backups. The value of backups doesn't hit home until you lose an important picture, document, or you realize the time involved. I obviously can not show the pain and despair of losing a file, but I can definitely show the time savings! I know many of you don't have to large number of programs installed that I do, but you may be surprised!

So I used the Activation Backup and Restore program from the July 15th, 2007 newsletter to save my OEM license activation, bit my tongue, and inserted the Windows Anytime Upgrade DVD mentioned in the article. Check out the table below!

Time	Description
60 minutes	Downloading device drivers and OEM software such as fingerprint reader, etc
5 minutes	Backup my OEM license key using Activation Backup and Restore program
35 minutes	Install Vista from the Windows Anytime Upgrade DVD
5 minutes	Restore my OEM license key
35 minutes	Install device drivers and OEM software (fingerprint reader, QuickLaunch, etc)
15 minutes	Install Office 2007
12 minutes	Install Adobe Acrobat
11 minutes	Install Adobe Dreamweaver
20 minutes	Install Photoshop
30 minutes	Setup Acrobat, Dreamweaver, and Photoshop (passwords, preferences, site info, etc)
15 minutes	Install Nero
30 minutes	Install Firefox, extensions, plugins. Change settings and customize browser
90 minutes	Download and Install more software (DVD, web apps, games, zip, maintenance, etc)
15 minutes	Setup Outlook 2007 and import pst file
60 minutes	Perform Windows Updates and program updates
120 minutes	Customize the OS (change icons, organize the start menu, set program defaults, etc)
60 minutes	Copy user data (address book, signatures, nickname files, etc)
618 minutes	TOTAL = 10.3 hrs

10 hours to restore my computer to the exact state it was in. WOW! Hopefully this spells out the need for using a drive image based backup solution. If the thought of losing memories and work don't scare you, hopefully the time savings will get readers on board.

Please take a moment and share your thoughts on backups and future topics in the box below!

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#2 - Problems in Paradise

By David Hartsock

If you would like to see your question or problem answered here email me at

Outlook is not looking so well!

John wrote last week with an Outlook 2003 problem.

What can I do when an email has been sent and is stuck at Microsoft Outlook- Outbox and just will not move? It absolutely refuses to allow itself even to be rejected, removed, or returned to Microsoft Word or indeed anywhere.

I use XP Professional and Microsoft Outlook 2003

I've never personally experienced this with any version of Outlook, but I can imagine the frustration he's feeling! There are two fixes that can correct this situation. Try to start Outlook in safe mode first by following the instructions below:

1. Exit Outlook if you have it open.
2. On the taskbar, click Start, and then click Run.
3. In the Open box, type Outlook /safe. Note: There is a space between Outlook and the forward slash (/).
4. Click OK.
5. Try to delete the e-mail message in your Outbox.

The above usually works. If it doesn't the other option is to create a new Outlook profile, as the current one is probably damaged:

1. Make sure you know the name of the .pst file that contains all of your Outlook items.
• In the Navigation Pane (The column on the left side of the Outlook window that includes panes such as Shortcuts or Mail and the shortcuts or folders within each pane) right-click Personal Folders, and then click Properties.
• Click Advanced.
• The location and name of the .pst file appears in the Filename box.
• Write it down.
2. Open the Mail Setup dialog box by clicking Mail in the Control Panel.
3. Click Show Profiles.
4. Click Add.
5. Type a name for the new profile, and then click OK.
6. Add your e-mail account.
• Click Add a new e-mail account, and then click Next.
• Select the e-mail server used for your account, and then click Next.
• In the appropriate boxes, type the information given by your ISP or system administrator.
• If you want to configure additional settings, such as how you want your computer to connect to your e-mail server, click More Settings. Otherwise, click Next.
• Click Finish.
7. In the Mail dialog box, click Prompt for a profile to be used, and then click OK.
8. Restart Outlook, and then select the new profile.

You can import your saved messages from your old .pst file that was used by the previous profile by doing the following:

1. On the File menu, click Import and Export.
2. Click Import from another program or file, and then click Next.
3. Click Personal Folder File (.pst), and then click Next.
4. In the File to import box, specify the path and file name of the .pst file that you want to import.
5. Choose one of the following:
• Replace duplicates with items imported - Existing data is overwritten with the information in the .pst file being imported.
• Allow duplicates to be created - Existing data is not overwritten, and duplicates are added to the current Outlook folder.
• Do not import duplicate items - Existing data is kept, and the duplicate information in the .pst file is not copied to the current Outlook folder.
6. Follow the remaining instructions in the Import and Export Wizard.

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#3 - Security Corner

by Ken Harthun

How to Create Secure Passwords That You Can Safely Write Down

In the last newsletter, I gave you some insight into unguessable passwords and a simple way to use a phrase known only to you to create passwords that are easy to remember, yet still secure. The problem is the sheer number of passwords we all have; which phrase created the password for which login? It would appear as though we're back to writing them down or using a password manager. Don't worry, though. Here's how to create secure passwords that you can safely write down; yes, write them down, give them to all your friends--even your enemies--and still be safe. Post them on your monitor at work. Leave them lying around on the bus or train. A simple trick based on cryptographic techniques will conceal your actual password in a form that almost anyone will mistake for the password itself.

Let's say you found a piece of paper that had this written on it:

Work BDAbe%x#
Home 1941phx!n
email fon!%m

What would you think it was? Bet you'd think you'd found someone's password list, eh? That's exactly the deception we want: What those strings of characters really mean is known only to you. So, what DO they mean? Let's take the first example; in my Ask the Geek blog, my article How to Write Down Your Password and Not Worry About Someone Stealing Them, I explain:

[It's] a substitution cipher based on a date. This one uses two levels of secret "keys": 1. a clue or mnemonic for the date; 2. an abstraction of the encoding algorithm. We'll use Abe Lincoln's birthday in numeric form--02/12/1809--for our plaintext, leaving out the slashes, i.e., 02121809, which will result in a strong, eight character password. Now, for the first key, we can use "BDAbe." This immediately reveals the plaintext, but means little or nothing to anyone else. (NEVER use your own birthday, for obvious reasons.)[Note: even if someone guesses that it's Abe's birthday, they still have a long way to go to figure out how it was used - Ken]

Next, we decide to use alternating shifted characters, beginning with the first character. So, for key two, we make an abstraction of that: %x#, for example. It doesn't matter what characters you use, only that they clearly represent shifted and lower-case characters; you could just as easily use AyT or !2@. The pattern of shift-lowercase-shift on the keyboard is what matters to you; the characters mean nothing else. Put the two keys together and you have this: BDAbe%x#. That's your cipher pattern, the "something only you know," with an added level of complexity: it's something only you know (the plaintext) and only you know what it means (the encoding pattern).

Pretty slick, eh? This should give you a clue as to what the second one is: 1941ph means (to me) 12/07/1941, the date of the attack on Pearl Harbor that led us into WWII. Based on the pattern, the actual password is 1@0&1(4!. Can you figure out what the last one might mean? (You won't guess the actual password unless you know what I know about the first part, but you can figure out what the code hint is.) Post your comments and we'll see how you do.

I don't recommend you use these examples, for obvious reasons; you'll want to come up with your own ways of doing things and your own hints using things that mean something only to you.

Ken Harthun writes about security issues at LockerGnome and IT Knowledge Exchange. He also blogs on general Geek things at http://askthegeek.kennyhart.com. He's always interested in your questions.

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#4 - Learning Linux

by Joseph Bales

(I would like to take a moment to announce the return of Linux articles to Daves Computer Tips and introduce Joseph (Joey) Bales. I stumbled upon Joey's blog after reading several posts he had written on the internet about Linux. Joey has a good understanding of Linux and comes from a background in manufacturing at Dell. Take a few moments to read his column and welcome Joey to our newsletter! ~ Dave H)

Welcome to my ongoing series about Linux. The purpose of this series is to introduce you to a Linux operating system and help you learn how to use it. You will need a basic understanding of the components of a computer, what they are and what they do. I have two pieces of advice before starting on this little adventure. One, be prepared for a learning curve. Linux is similar to Windows, but different in many ways. There is a lot to learn. Two, and most importantly, PROTECT YOUR DATA! Make good backups of all your data before trying anything with Linux. In fact, you should be doing that regardless of whether you try Linux or not. I speak from experience when I say that protecting your data now will save you a lot of heartache and money in the future. If you skip this advice, I will not be held responsible when you lose those photos of Aunt Flossie's 78th birthday bash. Consider yourself warned. A brief note on writing style: Since this is an internet newsletter, I will be including hyperlinks to relevant sites for many topics I discuss. Feel free to check out those sites for a deeper explanation of those topics than I can give in a short article.

What is Linux?

If you ask "What is Linux" you will get two different answers that are both essentially correct. The most accurate answer is that it is the kernel of an operating system (OS). That is, it is the core of an OS. The kernel is the framework that allows your software to communicate and use your hardware. Every OS has a kernel, including Windows. The second answer you will get when you ask "What is Linux?" is that it is an OS. More accurately, Linux is the term that is being used to refer to a whole family of operating systems based on the Linux kernel. Software developers from around the world have used the Linux kernel to create operating systems that run everything from mobile phones and ATMs, all the way up to supercomputers at large research facilities. You may already be using Linux and not even know it! There are also operating systems based on Linux that are for desktop (and laptop) computers. This is the type of Linux we will be exploring together.

History of Linux

Linux was created by Linus Torvalds in 1991 in his studies of OS development. It was merely intended to emulate the workings of the UNIX kernel. While retaining the copyrights for himself, Linus released Linux under the GPL onto the internet. He encouraged others to comment and work on the code and things quickly took off. Within a few years, developers from all over the world had helped turn this small research project into a full-fledged OS kernel. Now there are literally hundreds of operating systems based on Linux. These OSes are called Linux distributions or distros for short.  If you have ever seen the terms Ubuntu, Opensuse, Fedora, Debian, or Gentoo; these are Linux distros.

What is Ubuntu?

If you are curious about Linux, then you have probably seen the term Ubuntu (pronounced oo-BOON-too) being thrown about rather liberally over the past couple of years. Ubuntu is a Linux distro that has been built for servers and desktops. The whole purpose of Ubuntu is to create an OS that is free and easy to use for the masses. Ubuntu is free not only in the monetary sense, but also in the sense that you can use it however you like. You can take one disk and put a copy on 100 computers, or 1000. You can give your disk to a friend or make copies and give them to as many people as you want. If you have the technical know-how, you can even download the code for Ubuntu and modify it to your liking.

Ubuntu Versions and Editions

Ubuntu is updated with a new version on a six month release cycle. New versions are generally available in April and October of each year. The current version of Ubuntu is 7.10. The version number indicates the year and month that it was released. So version 7.10 was released in in October (10) of 2007 (7). The next version will be 8.04 and should be released sometime in April of 2008. Versions are also given cutsie animal names like Feisty Fawn or Edgy Eft. Version 7.10 is affectionately know as Gusty Gibbon. Ubuntu also comes in several different "editions" that are tailored to more specific uses and interest. Kubuntu is an edition which uses the KDE desktop environment. Xubuntu uses the XFCE desktop environment and is optimized for older, less powerful hardware. Edubuntu includes special programs for education. Goubuntu is a version of the OS for mobile devices. For the purposes of this series, I will be using just plain old Ubuntu. It uses the Gnome desktop environment and is the most widely used and documented of all the versions. If you are confused about desktop environments, don't worry, I will explain what they are in later articles. For now it is not that important.

How can I use Ubuntu?

Ubuntu can be used for many different things. You can use it as a replacement for Windows. You can install it on old machines for which you do not have a Windows license. You can use it to set up a personal web/file/print server for your home. You can do almost anything in Ubuntu that you can do in Windows. Again, the main advantage is that it is free.

What's the catch?

There is always a catch when something is free and Ubuntu is no different. The catch is that Ubuntu is fundamentally different from Windows. Remember, Ubuntu is based on the Linux kernel. This means software written for Windows will not work in Ubuntu. However, the good news is there are thousands of free applications that DO run on Ubuntu and you can find one to replace just about any Windows program.

Downloading Ubuntu

Obtaining a copy of Ubuntu is easy. Just surf over to the Ubuntu web site and download a copy. On the download page, select Ubuntu 7.10 (or whatever the newest version is) under "Desktop Edition". Then select your computer type. I highly recommend selecting "Standard personal computer" since there are some functional limitations in the 64-bit versions (As a side note, I have tried the 64-bit version and there is no noticeable performance boost associated with it over the standard version, only added headaches.). Then choose a location near you for the fastest download speed. You will then be prompted to download the Ubuntu ISO image file. Save it to your desktop or where ever it is your normally save your downloads. Beware, the file size is 700MB.

ISO images

An ISO image file contains all of the contents of a directory structure in one file. It is similar to a zip file in this respect. Once you have downloaded the Ubuntu ISO image, it needs to be burned onto a blank CD. You will need special software for this since this capability is not built into Windows. Luckily there is a free piece of software called ISO Recorder that does just this. You can also use other third party software like Nero or Roxio to burn ISO images if you already have them.

Download ISO Recorder Powertoy

The ISO Recorder powertoy is a great tool for burning ISO images in Windows. It can be downloaded at http://isorecorder.alexfeinman.com/isorecorder.htm. Be sure to select the correct version for your Windows installation. You will download a small file, double click on it to install it.

Burning the disc

First insert a blank disc into your CD writer. Once ISO Recorder is installed you can double click on the Ubuntu ISO image file to open ISO Recorder.

Now all you have to do is click Next to start the burning process. It should only take about 5 minutes depending on the speed of your drive. Once the operation is complete, don't forget to label your disc so that you can remember what is on it. You are now ready to begin your adventure!

Alternate methods of obtaining a CD

If you have a slow connection or don't have CD burner you can also buy or get a free CD copy of Ubuntu from the official Ubuntu website. Check out the following link for more information. http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu

Next Issue

In the next issue I'll be going over how to use the CD we downloaded to test out Ubuntu. We will also prepare our computer for the installation.

Joseph Bales is a writer of fiction and humor, as well as a true computer geek and Linux guru. Visit his blog at http://josephbales.com.

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#5 - Creating and Saving New Styles

by Carol A. Bratt

I hope this finds all of you well and a bit wiser after reading all of Dave's tips and tricks. He's a wizard isn't he?

On with the article!

Creating and Saving New Styles in MS Word

We have talked about Styles previously haven't we? We all know that there are styles that ship with MS Word, such as Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading three, Normal, etc. But what about user created styles? It's kind of ironic that Word's hierarchy is built on styles and that is the one thing that everyone is terrified of using and it actually makes like so much easier. Once I teach someone how to use styles properly they usually cannot figure out how they lived without them!

There are many times when we need to have a particular style in a document but it's been so long since we used it that we cannot remember how the heck we formatted it and now when the crunch is on we have to figure it out all over again. You remember those times - when you started frantically looking for that old document that had the setup you want for this document - oh geez...what did I call it?

Well see, that is the whole beauty of using Styles in MS Word. Once you have something set up exactly the way you want it, formatted perfectly, you can save it as a style. Then, the next time you need that style (like a block quote) all you have to do is click the drop-down arrow next to the Style area and select the style you need. Doesn't that sound a lot easier than frantically trying to find an old document while someone is standing next to you tapping their toe waiting for your document to be finished?

Although MS Word ships with a hundred or so defined styles, you will find very quickly that they do not always apply to your situation and your special needs. And so, it makes a lot of sense to set up your own styles which can be done very easily. You can set up a paragraph style by formatting a paragraph the way you like and telling MS Word the name of the style based on your formatting.

Follow the steps below to learn how:

1. Format an entire paragraph to have all the attributes you want - both character and paragraph formatting apply.
2. Click once inside the paragraph. If you have used multiple fonts or font styles in the paragraph, the new paragraph style will use the font formatting at the point where you click.
3. Click New Style in the Style and Formatting task pane, and type in a name for the new paragraph style in the Name box.

4. In the Style Type box, choose Paragraph to create a paragraph style, or Character for a character style.
5. In the Style Based On box, choose the style you want your new style to be based on. Any changes you make to the style listed here will also apply to your new style. If you want your style to stand on its own, choose no style from the top of the list.
6. The Style for Following Paragraph box lets you tell Word which style it should use for the next paragraph when you press Enter.
7. Select or clear the Add to Template check box. If this box is cleared, the new style is only saved in the current document. If the Add to Template box is checked, however, the style is added to the document's template and is available for use with any other document based on that template.
8. Select the Automatically Update box if you want every change you make to a paragraph formatted with this particular style to be automatically applied to every paragraph in the document with that style. Do not select this checkbox if you want the formatting of the style to remain fixed. I personally never use the Automatically Update feature as it causes lots and lots of headaches.
9. Click the Format button to apply any additional formatting that you desire.
10. Click OK. If no style with that name is in existence, a new one will be created for you and placed in the document.

To apply the style that you just created, simply click the style name in the Styles and Formatting task pane to apply it to your text.

If you decide to modify your new style, click the drop-down arrow next to the name of the style and select Modify and you will have all formatting options there at your disposal.

Now you have a new style and don't have to re-invent the wheel the next time you need it!

More in OpenOffice

As in MS Word, you can create your own styles, both character styles and paragraph styles. There is another type of style that you can create in Oo Writer, which is the frame style, that controls objects like graphics, frames, etc., but we will cover that in another article at a later date.

Just like in MS Word, paragraph styles affect indentation, spacing, font, and font size and apply to the entire paragraph. Character styles affect the size and color of individual characters.

Creating a new style in Oo Writer is just formatting within the Styles and Formatting window.

Follow the steps below:

1. Select your text.
2. Choose Format | Styles and Formatting to display the Styles and Formatting window.
3. Click the appropriate icon at the top for the type of style you wish to create.

4. Right-click in the blank part of the window and choose New.
5. In the Style window, name your style and specify your other formatting options.
6. Click OK to close the window and save your style.

You can modify your style much like you do in MS Word - simply select the style and choose Modify.

Yet again, these two programs are not all that different from one another except OpenOffice is FREE.

Until next time, take care of you.

Carol Bratt has authored several informative Microsoft Office books and writes the monthly Word Bytes Newsletter with more tips and tricks in each issue. Visit Carol's website for more great Microsoft Office tips and tricks! If you are interested in a GREAT deal have a look below!

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#6- My Recommended Software

Anti-spyware and Anti-malware Software

Webroot SpySweeper - Daves Computer Tips Seal of Approval Winner! See the test results HERE. Spysweeper provides the best protection of the seven anti-spyware programs tested! Great detection and removal rates with a small real-time protection memory footprint. This is the one you want! SpySweeper includes the ASK toolbar. Be sure to uncheck this option during installation. Free 14 day trial.

CounterSpy - Runner-up in my Anti-Spyware test. Not only does CounterSpy scan and remove spyware, it also uses real time protection. Real-time protection prevents spyware infection. Free 15 day trial. Winner of Computer Shopper Magazine's Best Buy Award!

Antivirus and Firewall Software

ESET Smart Security - New from the maker's of NOD32. Antivirus, Antispyware, Antispam, and Firewall all wrapped into one effective, swift, and low resource package. It is what I use to protect each of my computers!

Kaspersky Antivirus - Kaspersky is my second choice for antivirus software. A good program that is very close in performance to NOD32. Free trial.

Online Armor Firewall - You shouldn't be on the internet without a software firewall that offers inbound and outbound protection. Online Armor is the Best of the Best. Online Armor uses an interface that is easier to navigate than most other firewalls and the protection level can't be beat! Online Armor is available in both a free and reasonably priced paid version, which offers even more protection!

Audio and Video Software

Acoustica Audio Converter Pro - This program converts audio formats and bitrates. Perfect for those with portable audio players or large music collections. 30 day trial.

Adobe Premier Elements - Elements is the consumer version of Adobe Premiere. It costs 1/6th the price, but is very capable of making videos that will impress everyone.

Ashampoo Burning Studio - My current pick for a low resource, easy to use CD/DVD burning application. Easier to use than Nero or Roxio, with a low memory footprint and much smaller installation requirement.

Computer Hardware

Crucial Memory - Memory (RAM) is the upgrade that gives any computer the best bang for the buck. If you want to speed things up with more memory, why not purchase it from the leading source of quality RAM memory. Great selection, good prices, excellent support, and a lifetime warranty! A real winner!

CyberGuys - The place to get those hard to find cables and accessories for your computer!

HP Computers - My current pick for new laptops and desktops. In the current market I don't think you can beat HP's combination of price and performance. Their laptop line is very cost effective and the design is absolutely beautiful!

Newegg - Newegg.com is known for great service and awesome pricing on computers, upgrades, and electronics. If you're looking for computers, computer parts, or electronics you owe it to yourself to start here! Great Products. Great Prices. Great Customer Service!

Computer Maintenance Software

Diskeeper 2008 - My current favorite defrag program. As files are written and erased from the hard drive they begin to leave "spaces" behind. When the drive is written to again files are broken up to fill in these spaces. This causes the drive to go to several different locations to read an entire file, which slows performance greatly. Diskeeper has several advanced features such as; automatic defrag, scheduled defrag, and the ability to defrag the MFT (Master File Table) and paging file. 30 day trial.

Registry Mechanic - A very thorough and efficient registry cleaner and defragmenter. A definite must to maintain peak performance and stabile operation. 30 day trial.

Computer Utility Software

Acronis True Image 11 - Do you value the data on your computer? Do you value your time? How much time will you spend recovering data and returning your computer to its original state after a hardware failure or software glitch? True Image is my #1 choice in backup tools. Whether you choose file or image based backups (you should use both!) True Image will perform better than any other application I've used. Disk images created with True Image are generally 10-20% smaller than those from comparable programs. If your time and files are as important to you as mine are to me this is a must have.

Acronis Disk Director - My favorite tool to partition, format, and resize hard drives.

Roboform - This program is the next best thing since sliced bread in my book! This program integrates into Internet Explorer and firefox. It generates very secure passwords at the click of a button. How do I remember these complex passwords? Roboform allows you to save passwords and personal data in an encrypted format. A master password (yes only one password to remember!) allows access. Roboform in IE and FireFox works like a super powered bookmark. You click the site you want to go to and Roboform opens the site, enters your username and password for the site (if required) and as if by magic clicks the submit button. If you shop online Roboform can enter your personal information and credit card information, which is also stored in a secure encrypted file, in one click. A real time saver with great security thrown in to boot! 30 day trial.

WinRar - What is commonly called a zip utility, similar to the more widely known WinZip. WinRar is faster and works with more formats for about 1/2 the price of WinZip. 30 day trial.

Desktop Utility Software

LogonStudio - Change the screen that appears when you boot Windows (the one with the moving bar graph). Hundreds of free skins available online. It's free.

Cursor XP Plus - Change the cursors on your computer. Hundreds of cursor packs are available online for free.

Icon Packager - Change the icons on your computer. Icon Packager puts you in control to change every icon with the click of a button. Tired of the plain icons built into Windows? There are hundreds of Icon Packs available online for free, which will add a truly personal feel to your computer.

WindowBlinds 6 - This is the icing on the proverbial cake. WindowBlinds changes the look and feel of Windows. By changing the appearance of the task bar, start menu, and any other window or program you open. It adds transparency, shadows, alpha blending, and animations. Hundreds of themes are available online for free.

Internet and Email

1&1 hosting - If you want to start your own website, blog, photo gallery, or have a personalized email address then 1&1 is for you. 1&1 can not be beat for reliability, features, support, and price. 90 day guarantee.

Google Gmail - The best internet based email (webmail) available. Each mailbox has a 6.5GB limit. The interface is superb, and the spam filter is top notch. You will never need to delete an email again! It has a great search function and a feature called thread view, which makes finding emails easy. A webmail account offers several advantages including not being required to change your email address if you change service providers. Gmail requires an invitation from a current member. If you are interested shoot me an email and I'll send you an invite.

Microsoft Outlook 2007 - Outlook is the current email client of choice for corporate America. I get well over 200 emails a day. Outlook has a few features I really need such as a plug in for automatic backups, office sounds which offers me some audible feedback, and the ability to change headers. I've used Mozilla Thunderbird and liked it a lot. With the amount of mail I go through I really need the features of Outlook. If you aren't a heavy user, or don't need the features I do then Thunderbird is a great alternative.

- An amazing, free, web browser. If you aren't using it you should be! Highly customizable through addins called extensions. There are thousands of extensions which can allow FireFox to do just about anything you can imagine. More importantly, Firefox is not subject to ActiveX, which is a large part of Internet Explorer, AOL, and MSN. No ActiveX means much less chance of getting spyware! Firefox also conforms to web standards more closely than Internet Explorer, which means you will see what the authors intended, not Microsoft.

Mozilla Thunderbird - A great free email client, from the same folks that brought us FireFox. Easy to use and highly customizable through extensions.

Photo and Picture Software

Adobe Photoshop Elements - Photoshop Elements is a consumer version of Adobe Photoshop. If you are serious about digital photos you will find Photoshop Elements a great program to have at your disposal. Elements provides all the functionality most will need at 1/6th the price.

Picasa - A great (FREE) way to organize, edit, and share your digital photos.

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#7 - Useful Freeware

If you find a program that hasn't been included in a previous newsletter tell me by emailing me at

Thunderbird - An alternate e-mail client from the folks that brought you Firefox - XP/Vista

Trillian - An alternative to AIM, Yahoo Messenger, and MSN all in one small program - XP/Vista

Foobar2000 - An alternative audio player that supports many audio formats - XP/Vista

CCCP Project - A free codec pack that allows you to play almost all video formats - XP-Vista

Avira AntiVir - A free antivirus program - XP/Vista

Desktop Sidebar - A free program that creates a sidebar similar to the one included in Vista. Very useful - XP/Vista

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#8 - Useful websites

If you find a website that hasn't been included in a previous newsletter tell me by emailing me at

Terry's Home Theater - a website from our good friend Terry about using computers in your home theater.

HTML Tutorial - ever wonder what makes a webpage? Learn about the HTML code behind the page here.

Fat Finger - if you eBay you should check this out. Find deals by searching for typos.

Ian's shoelace site - if you have too much time on your hands Ian can show you dozens of new ways to lace your shoes.

Free computer books - This site has a large selection of free books covering all things computer.

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#9 - The Lighter Side

I spend thousands of hours each week searching the internet for funny or entertaining items to share with my readers. Enjoy!

Tequila - A funny video that pokes fun at the current crop of medicine ads we see on TV. ~ Thanks Mike

How NOT to operate an aircraft - You'll need PowerPoint installed or the free PowerPoint Viewer.

Asteroid fight - A simple shoot 'em up game.

3D Air Hockey - Hours of fun!

Rain Ride - Help Maggie surf while avoiding the obstacles!

Do you watch "24" the TV show? - Ever wonder what it would be like in 1994 with 1994 technology?

Animator vs. Animation II - If you've seen the first your probably still laughing and wondering in amazement!

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#10 - Service Pack 1 for Vista is Upon Us!

By David Hartsock

I told you it was coming. Now it is here. What is your game plan?

Service Pack 1 for Vista has been released to the public. It is available by direct download or by manually running Windows Update from the Control Panel. It will be "pushed" to users who have automatic updates enabled next month. Let's talk a little about the who, what, when, and where.

What is SP1?

Service Pack 1 is a major update for all versions of Vista. SP1 includes all updates for Vista released to this point, as well as many fixes and enhancements that are unique to SP1. While there are no new features included in the service pack, there are hundreds of fixes and enhancements that correct most of the issues some were experiencing and add support for some upcoming technologies. If you are curious about the gory details you should read the overview provided by Microsoft, and I suggest you do.

How do I get SP1?

Beginning a couple of days ago Microsoft released Vista SP1 to the public through direct download or manual Windows Update. Manually running Windows Update may seem the best solution because the actual amount of data that will be downloaded to your computer will be less (100MB). Seems like the way to go, right? I personally prefer to download the full installer, which in the case of Vista SP1 can be 434MB for 32bit versions and 726MB for 64bit users. Why? If I download the entire installer package I can store it with my backups. I have the file and can use it when I need without depending on Microsoft or any other factors that could prevent me from downloading the file (think no internet connection!).

• Download Service Pack 1 for all versions of 32 bit Vista - 434MB
• Download Service Pack 1 for all versions of 64 bit Vista - 726MB

If you manually run Windows Update and are not offered Service Pack 1 as an available update Microsoft has provided a list of common reasons in this article. Among these the most notable are outdated device drivers.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves!

Microsoft has a list of programs that are know to conflict with SP1. You should check this list first. If you find a program that you use or need on this list you may want to hold off on installing SP1 until the program in question is updated.

The current version of SP1 only contains English, French, Spanish, German, and Japanese language files. If you have installed language packs on your computer you should uninstall them prior to installing SP1, or wait until a version with your language of choice is released.

If you decide you do not want SP1 Microsoft has provided a tool which prevents SP1 from being installed by Automatic Updates for up to 12 months.

Barring any of the above you should have a good backup before beginning installation of any service pack on any operating system! A service pack could be compared to major surgery and a backup should be part of your game plan! Hope for the best, but plan for the worst. I have experienced no issues with installation of SP1 and the word on the street seems to indicate that problems are very rare, but it can happen.

What you can expect with SP1

Installation is very straight forward. Be sure to check the box that allows the computer to reboot itself. Installation should take less than an hour on any computer with fairly modern hardware. I've installed it twice and each time was around 35 minutes.

After installation you probably won't notice much difference as most changes are to behind the scenes components of the operating system.

• If your computer fails WGA validation your desktop background will turn black. No longer will Vista enter a "reduced functionality mode" and prevent you from using your computer.
• The built in disk defragmenter will now allow you to specify which drives, or volumes, get defragged.
• The search menu has been removed from the start menu.
• A small change to the Remote Desktop client (allows you to control other computers).
• The time displayed when copying files is much more realistic.
• SP1 deletes Vista's Superfetch cache, so operation may seem a little slow for a day or two.
• SP1 deletes all but the last Restore Point, so you may notice some extra disk space.

That's about all you'll notice, but there are many changes that make for a better user experience with Vista.

OK. I installed SP1, now what?

Make a new drive image so you can restore to a point with SP1 installed!

You may notice that the computer appears slower. This is because SP1 deletes the Superfetch cache, which will be rebuilt in a day or two. If SP1 causes problems it can be removed from the Control Panel just like any other program.

After installation use your computer for a week or two. Start each of your programs and ensure they behave as you expect them. If programs to not respond or function as they did before SP1 was installed you should consider removal of the service pack until the problem software can be updated.

If, after a few weeks, you are happy with SP1 and have experience no issues you can delete files that were backed up during installation from your computer. When SP1 installs it saves a copy of each file it replaces in case you decide to uninstall. After two weeks you should have a good idea whether SP1 is causing problems. If you are satisfied SP1 is functioning well, and you are concerned about disk space or like to keep a squeeky clean system you can delete these files. CAUTION: If you delete the temporary installation files you will not be able to uninstall SP1!

If you decide to remove the back up files click Start, type vsp1cln.exe, and press Enter. A command prompt window will open and ask if you wish to delete the back up files. Type Y and press Enter. The cleanup process is very quick and you will gain between 500MB and 1.5GB of free space on your drive

My Thoughts on Service Pack 1 for Vista

I used the rebuilding of my computer (Article 1 above) to install SP1. I actually went through the process twice. Both times installation happening in 35 minutes and with not one hitch. I was impressed! <grin>

I've been using SP1 for two weeks and I've been pleasantly surprised. No lockups, no Blue Screens of Death, file copy performance shows a slight improvement, startup time has decreased by 5 seconds or so, and the system seems a tad more responsive. Don't expect SP1 to put an afterburner on your computer, but I think you will find the experience pleasant in both installation and use.

Remember... Hope for the best. Plan for the worst.

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This site and all content are copyrighted by their respective authors. Copyright © 2008 by David Hartsock. All rights reserved.