Please note: this post has a bit of comedy mixed with danger.
When I recently took a trip with my friend out to the annual Air Supply Fan Club meeting, I noticed she had about 7 jugs of water in his back seat. I thought she either took up marathon running or was bringing hydration for the entire A.S.F.C as there are about 7 of us but when she pulled over her car 15 minutes into the trip to douse her engine, I knew it was going to be a long ride. Much like your car can overheat, your computer gets all out of love as well and there are a few simple ways to answer the question of how to stop a computer from overheating.
The fan inside the system keeps the computer cool and its worst enemy is dust. The best correction of how to stop a computer from overheating is to keep the inside clean. It doesn’t have to be often but a monthly sweep of the inside with a can of compressed air can keep your box running smoothly and more efficiently. Not only is dust not an ally but pet hair can creep into the inside as well. If Chewbacca recently stopped by to check his email and update his blog, you might want to blow off the fans and coolers quickly. Before you go electrocuting yourself by opening up your computer while it is plugged in…you should read this post on How to clean inside your computer safely.
Another step for how to stop a computer from overheating is to put it to sleep when it’s not going to be in use. You don’t have to cry like when they put Old Yeller down, in fact your computer will thank you while it recharges it’s batteries and freshens up it’s monitor. Also, if you’re using a laptop, you can prevent a computer from overheating by purchasing a cooling pad and not using it on a restricting surface like your bed. Chewbacca’s blog can be very addicting and the more steps you take to prevent your computer from overheating, the longer you can surf it.
I recently got a friend request on Facebook from my friends 8-year old daughter. While I like discussing the latest antics of Phineas and Ferb just as much as the next guy, I started to wonder what age is too young for Facebook. It was a sincere gesture by her but she’s way too young and naïve to know just how dangerous the Internet can be.
To start off, Facebook’s policy states that you must be 13 years of age or older to have an account. I asked my friend if she knew her daughter had a Facebook page and she didn’t even know what Facebook was so after about a 2-hour tutorial she finally got her profile deleted. While many kids log onto the site just to play the flash games or write on their friend’s wall, there is no benefit to taking all this for granted.
Here are steps you should take if you do let your child have a Facebook page:
The first thing you can do is get your kid’s user name and password so that you can log onto their profile at any time and see what messages and conversations they’ve been sending. If they are not happy with this, then don’t let them have an account.
Another tactic to approach when deciding what age is too young for Facebook is to install surveillance software on your computer. Much like a Fortune 500 company tracks every trade proposal their salespeople are sending in Fantasy Football, you can monitor every single keystroke with some relatively inexpensive software.
Do not let your child be friends with people out of their age group. For example my 13 year old daughter is friends with my 18 year old next door neighbour, nice boy and all, but is talking about things I would prefer my daughter not to see.
The child must personally know the people they are friends with. Not a friend they met online. We all know how easy it is to make a fake profile, and just be aware that anyone can do it!
If you’ve tried but eventually decided your little one is too young for Facebook, just block the site on your computer with an administrative password so that you’ll still be able to log on. Here’s how to Setup parental controls in Windows Seven and Vista.
And finally, the last step you can take to keep your kid off Facebook is to spend some time with them – even with all the latest advances in technology nothing will ever top a good game of catch or monopoly.
If you are really stuck with a problem on your computer and you know a friend that might be able to help, here is an easy way to allow them to access your computer. Even if they are half way across the world, if they have an internet connection and have sent you an invitation, then accessing your computer is entirely possible. It is always good to know who you are letting into your computer because they will be able to access your files and browse around your computer.
What you need to use Windows Remote Assistance?
Both computers need an internet connection.
An invitation file needs to be sent to the helpers email address.
How to invite a friend to help through remote assistance?
1. Go to the start menu. Choose Help and Support.
2. The Windows Help and Support dialog box will appear. Click on the link that saysUse Windows Remote Assistance to get help from a friend or offer help.
3. Now to invite someone to help you, click on the Invite someone you trust to help you.
4. If you were Offering help to someone click on the button below.
5. The Windows Remote Assistance windows will appear. Press on use email to send an invitation.
6. You will need to enter a password. Remember this as you will need to give it to the person helping you.
7. Press next.
8. If you have Windows mail, Outlook, or even Thunderbird email it will open with thepre-filled details.
9. Enter the email address of who you want to send this invitation to.
10. Then type in the password you created.
11. Send the invitation to the Email recipient.
To take up this invitation the person who receives the email will need to save the attachment that came with it to their computer. Then they will need to follow the steps above, however they must choose to offer help to someone instead of asking for help.
I just purchased a Dell Studio i7 Laptop for my daughter and while testing it out noticed how slow it was running. It was running even slower than our old core duo Dell laptop we had running next to the new one. The new one had Windows Seven and the older one had Windows Vista. Let me tell you I was not very happy. Buying a new top of the range laptop, bringing it home, and discovering it ran as slow as a tortoise in mud. Obviously I knew how to solve this but it was the hassle that upset me. New computers and laptops are full of trial software and cool features that hog cpu resources. One of the main offenders was the Fast Access was facial recognition software. This cool feature was scanning my face to see if it recognized me so it could log me in without typing a password in. Well besides not actually recognizing anyone, it slowed the computer down to the extent of me saying, “why bother?” Why have this feature in the first place?
How to remove Fast Access facial recognition software?
1. Go to the start menu and choose control panel.
2. Go to Programs and Features or Programs. This is the equivalent of Add or Remove programs in Windows XP.
3. When it is open find the Fast Access software in the list of installed programs. See the screen shot below.
4. When it is selected choose the uninstall icon at the top of the list.
4. The Fast Access Setup Wizard will appear. Press next. See Screen shot below.
5. In the next window choose the Remove option. See below.
6. Now you will have a choice to leave configuration files or remove them all. If you plan to not re-install this program you can remove all files.
7. Then press next.
8. Now press on the Remove icon.
After this process I restarted the computer and the speed of the laptop improved by at least 20%. Later I removed other trial software and stopped at least 6 programs in the start up section in msconfig.
My friends family had some pretty intense Scrabble games when we were growing up. In fact I remember when her dad left them for good in the Christmas of 1989 because her brother won the holiday championship on the word “grushie.” Ironically, this is an adjective that means thriving and healthy which unfortunately her family wasn’t for the next 5-8 years.
Nowadays, we don’t have to consult a dictionary when performing our word processing because if Microsoft Word spellchecker doesn’t like a word, we can simply select add to dictionary like I just did with grushie, and it will be part of our lexicon forever. That may seem fine, but what if you accidentally add a word that doesn’t exist like juveline and years later put it in your business plan?
How to remove an added dictionary word from Microsoft Word 2007?
In Word 2007, the process is similar to the old days but the exact commands are calledproofing and edit word list. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to download the latest dictionary every year as new words are constantly being added and it’s important to keep your grammar list healthy and thriving, or grushie.
1. Press on the office icon in the top left corner.
2. A menu will appear. At the bottom choose the Word Options button.
3. In the left pane choose Proofing.
4. Then press on Settings. See the screen shot below for more details. It is under the “When correcting spelling and grammar in Word” section.
5. A box will appear.Click on Edit word list.
6. Choose a word in the list to remove and press on the delete button to banish.
How to remove an added dictionary word from Microsoft Word (prior to 2007)?
Removing an added word from Microsoft Word is a simple task to save you embarrassment and the perception of laziness from your co-workers.
1. First, go to Tools
2. Choose Options.
3. From here you’ll enter the Spelling & Grammar section and modify the custom dictionary.
4. Browse through the list of ‘credible’ words and find the one you want to banish(remove) then select OK.
When writing a word document and attempting to insert a hyperlink, it always looks better if you use anchor text instead of a messy URL. For example instead of putting justhttp://www.wordpresswebsitehost.comyou can put something like thisWordPress Website Host. Obviously it looks more professional using anchor text for a website URL. Anchor text will let the potential clicker know what kind of information will be on the resulting web page. Another example ishttp://www.tips4pc.com or Free Computer Help. They both link to the same place but clearly, one link is definitely more appealing.
How to insert a hyperlink in a Word document using anchor text?
1. Select the text that you want to make the anchor text by making it blue.
2. Right click on the blue selection and a menu will appear.
3. Choose hyperlink from the menu.
4. Your text you selected will automatically be inserted into the Text to display section at the top.
5. Under the link to heading on the left, make sure Existing File or Webpage is selected.
6. Fill in the Address with the URL of the website you want to link to.
When you are building websites you will surely run into the word “nofollow” and wonder if you need to know about it? Well it never used to exist but was invented in the last few years to signify a html that is not followed.
This do not mean the html link is not clickable, because it is. It simply means that the link is not passing on its full benefit to the website it is pointing to. For example if I want to talk about a website I found and link to it and I make a link on my website pointing to it, the link should be made “nofollow”. The reason for this is that I do not want to pass my link goodness onto a website that I do not know or I am not in partnership with. It is better for my website to more incoming links and less outgoing links, therefore we use the “nofollow” attribute.
In the video below I am working on a page that has twenty or more links on it and I show you how to make them all no follow at once.
Previously I wrote an article about Using Windows Remote Assistance To Get Computer Help, however the way I am going to show you today is a bit different. The amazing thing about this cute little program is that anyone can use it. You will become a professional at making screen cast videos and sharing them with your friends. The program I am talking about is Jing. Its not a new program but it is free and extremely handy.
“Record what you see (and do).
Select a window or region and Jing will record everything that appears in that area. Point to things with your mouse, scroll, flip through photos, click around in a website or application…Jing captures it.”
3. Use it to provide computer help to your friends and family
Watch this video tutorial on how to use Jing:
In the video below I will show you how to use Jing to record your screen, then Jong uploads to the internet for you and all you have to do is give your friend the link to the video. You can give them the link through Msn messenger, Skype, or email. Press the play button in the middle of the screen.
Software is a combination of computer programs, commands and information that enables the computer to execute different tasks. In 1958, the term ’software’ was first used by John Turkey. Basically computer software consists of digital languages that involve binary values and direct specific instructions to the computer processor. In simple terms software is what makes the computer usable.
Types of software
Programming software
It is the most common type of computer software worldwide. These are compiled tools and instructions to execute different tasks on computer. A program is a set of commands that enable a computer to undertake certain tasks.
System Software
It is a collection of operating system like device drivers, servers, utilities and windows platform. These systems play a major role in the operating of hardware. There are many brands when it comes to operating systems; Windows and Linux are common examples of it.
Application Software
It is a type of software that allows the computer user to attain specific tasks. Examples of application software are: business software, education software and database software. Apart from these software, there are other types including data backup and recovery software, utility software, accounting software and inventory management just mentioned a few. This software helps a lot in the operation of computers and some of the mentioned examples are discussed below.
Data Backup and Recovery Software
The software do not only offer basic data file copying, but also provides the service of data backup and recovery according to the customization demands by the computer user. This software provides storage and organizes data allowing easy recovery. If you accidently or by mistake lose important data, then the recovery software will come in handy. The software will save your time as you can get relevant results quickly.
Inventory Management Software
For a company that deals with tangible goods, the inventory management software will assist in a great deal. This software is designed to keep track of the stock, be it quantity or quality. It is mostly used in companies’ warehouses. It reduces the expenses of hiring human work force to keep the records for you in bulky paper work.
Utility software
This software is responsible of handling small computer tasks and also known as the service routine. Some of the tasks it performs are; virus scanning and disk defragmenters among others.
A world of computers is impossible to imagine without software. Different tasks cannot be carried out without the presence of computer software. Computers use coded information and are to be served as an effective communication device between the computers and people.
Here is a quick list of computer terms, most being requests from Tips4pc members. To see more computer definitions please see the Computer Terms page. You can also get a free 59 page PDF Computer Terms Dictionary when you sign up for theTips4pc newsletter.
Basic Computer Terminology:
1. Bit: A binary unit of data storage with only 2 digits 0 and 1.
2. BIOS: Acronym for basic input/output system, the built-in software that determines what a computer can do without accessing programs from a disk.
3. Boot: Another Computer term for “Starting a Computer”. Similarly reboot means restart.
4. Byte: 8 bits of data which has a possible value from 0 to 255.
5. Program: A series of instructions to the computer from a user to process different types of tasks according to our need and necessity.
6. Operating System (OS): An operating system works an interface between User and the hardware. It is basically the platform on which users work. Various OS include Windows, MAC OSX, and Linux etc.
7. Application: Application is program that runs on an Operating System. For ex. music player, browser, messengers etc.
8. Internet: It is a worldwide system of computer networks – a network of networks in which users at any one computer can get information from any other computer.
9. Browser: It is a program that displays the files and data on internet through World Wide Web. Examples Include Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome etc.
10. Driver: A specially written program which understands the operation of the device it interfaces to, such as a printer, video card, sound card or CD ROM drive. It provides an interface for the operating system to use the device.
11. File: A collection of data into a permanent storage structure stored on the hard drive.
12. Floppy disk: A very low capacity storage media which can be written to as easily as it is read. It is highly out of date.
13. Floppy Drive: The hardware component that is used to read or write to a floppy disk.
14. Hardware: Describes the physical parts of your computer which you can physically touch or see such as your monitor, case, disk drives etc.
15. Memory: Used to provide the temporary storage of information function.
16. Network: A general term describing to the cables and electronic components that carry data between computers. It is also generally used to refer to the server computers that provide services such as printing, file sharing, e-mail, and other services.
17. Protocols: A standard method used for communications or other internet and network functions.
18. Security flaw: A software bug allowing an attacker a method to gain unauthorized access to a system.
19. Serial: A data transmission method where data is sent on a single line and one bit is sent at a time. This is similar to a line which one item must come one after another.
20. Software: Describes the programs that run on your system.
21. SPAM: A term used to describe junk and unsolicited e-mail.
22. Storage Media: A term used to describe any magnetic device that computer data can be permanently stored on such as a hard drive or floppy drive.
23. URL: Uniform Resource Locator is the term used to describe a link which points to a location of a file on the internet.
24. Virus: A program that runs on a system against the owner’s or user’s wishes and knowledge and can spread by infecting files or sending itself through e-mail.
25. Vulnerability: Software errors that allow some kind of unauthorized access when they are used or exploited.
26. Word: Two bytes or 16 bits of data with a possible unsigned value from 0 to 16535.
27. Worm: A term used to describe an unwanted program that uses system or application vulnerabilities to infect a computer without the user doing anything but connecting to an infected network.
Have you ever started your computer and you see that your taskbar and desktop icons are missing? You can see the desktop color but the icons are not there. The computer seems to be running fine. Or maybe you start your computer and then get a message saying that “explorer.exe has to shutdown”. You have got to be joking?
Believe it or not this is a common problem that can occur at any time without warning. The Windows application, Explorer.exe is responsible for supplying the taskbar and the desktop icons so the easiest way to get them back is to restart Explorer.exe.
How to start Explorer.exe manually?
1. Press CTRL-Alt-Del on your keyboard at the same time to bring up Task Manager.
2. Go to the Applications tab.
3. Press on the new task button. See the screen shot below.
4. A create task dialog box will appear.
5. Type in explorer.exe into the box.
6. Press OK.
There are so many causes and solutions but I will try to mention a few more:
Desktop does not appearing after booting or starting the computer:
First thing I would do is start explorer.exe as shown in the above tutorial. After this I would insert the windows operating disc and try to fix the problem with that.
You can use your Windows XP disc to possibly fix this.
Put your windows CD into the cd rom drive.
Go to the start menu. Choose run. Or press the WINKEY and R on the keyboard.
Type in sfc /scannow
An error message saying”Windows Explorer needs to shut down”
How annoying is this error message. You have just started your computer and now it wants to shut down the main application that runs the whole thing. If you click ok then everything on your desktop will disappear and explorer.exe will be shut down, therefore losing the taskbar and desktop icons. If you leave the message there you might be able to access the Internet and and some parts of your computer, but most things will not work. You will not be able to click on shortcut icons or do much at all.The problem needs to be fixed now.
There could be many issues that can cause this problem, however here is a band aid fix that’s seems to do the job. We are going to make a copy of the explorer.exe application file and rename it what you want, and then tell the registry to use this file instead of the original. As we are going to edit the registry you must proceed at your own risk.
1. Go to the start menu and choose computer from the menu.
2. Double click on C: drive and then find the Windows folder.
3. Find explorer.exe. See the screen shot below.
4. Right click on the explorer.exe file and choose copy from the menu. See the screen shot below.
5. Paste a copy of the file back into the same folder.You will need to click in a blank space in the folder. Right click and then choose paste.
6. It will ask you to allow this to happen (admin) and then it will make a copy of the file for you. It will not delete the original file.
7. Now rename the file by right clicking on it and choosing rename. Just say I renamed my file mitz.exe
Now we want to tell the registry to go to mitz.exe instead of explorer.exe:
1. Press the Windows key and R on your keyboard to bring up the run box.
2. Type regedit in the Run box and click OK.
3. We need to find this key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\Current Version\Winlogon
4. When you have found it, click on the folder, then in the right column there will be some entries
5. Double click on the word Shell.
6. In there where it says explorer.exe, replace it with your new filename..In my case it is mitz.exe
7. Restart your computer.
Now when you start your computer it will not be looking for explorer.exe. It will open the new file that you named.
Windows Explorer has encountered a problem and needs to close. Sorry for the inconvenience.”
The taskbar and icons are missing after removing a virus from my computer.
When viruses attack your computer they especially like to mess with the explorer.exe properties and registry keys as this is one of the main applications on a Windows computer.
1. Press the WINKEY and R on the keyboard to bring up the run box.
2. Type regedit in the Run box and click OK.
4. Browse for the this registry key:
5. Open that folder by clicking on the arrow next to it . If you see any subkeys namedexplorer.exe and iexplorer.exe you should delete them. They should not be in the Image File Execution Options key. If you do not find them then this is not the cause of your problem.
6. Close the Registry Editor.
7. Restart your computer.
If you got rid of the viruses thoroughly and you have deleted these unwanted registry keys then your desktop and icons should be back on your next start up.
Notes: another thing to try is checking your Quarantine folder in your virus protection program. Explorer.exe has been known to be exiled to there.
Quick tips
Try running in cmd:sfc/scannow as shown above.
Run the Microsoft update which will might fix the issue.
Go to the windows explorer icon and click run as administrator.
