Have Microsoft Gone Mad?
If you are running Windows (Win7 Vista or XP) and are using Internet Explorer you will or will already have received an automatic update which will give you the choice of other browsers. This isn't Microsoft being magnanimous but a way of placating the European Parliament due to their long running anti-trust battles. If you are already using another browser then this update is unlikely to appear.
What's on Offer?
There are two pages of browsers and I shall only be going through the first of these as the second page is Microsoft trying to pull the wool over peoples eyes with strange name browsers that are in fact Internet Explorer clones. So the choices are Internet Explorer (of course), Firefox, Safari, Chrome and Opera.
What's the Difference?
The main "mechanical" difference between them is the rendering engine or the way content is displayed on your screen. If you wish to read the nitty gritty then here is a BBC link which will explain in a bit more depth. Microsoft Browser Ballot It was agreed quite a while that there should be set standards for presenting web pages however Microsoft always did things their own way, while most other browsers follow the rules 99% of the time - Internet Explorer does not. This meant a real headache for those that construct and maintain websites as they had to conform to different rules. Occasionally you can still find a website usually constructed with Internet Explorer 6 in mind that simply wont render correctly in any other browser, perhaps even IE8.
What you Must Not Do!
Install Internet Explorer 6, it is old, riddled with security holes and is basically bad. IE7 is better but if you insist on using Internet Explorer then Install IE8 which is a great improvement but is way down the list of browser excellence when it comes to speed, page rendering, security breaches etc etc etc.
Apple's Safari 4 Safari Web Page
In an Apple Mac due to it's tight integration into the Operating System it is a must have, that said in a Windows PC it is pleasant enough and has a good bit of "eye candy" but they are certainly not bashful in saying "These are the sites you visit most so let us display them". Security is goodish and certainly quick to start but it is Apple pushing Apple so of course it has a corporate agenda. Judgement - unnecessary on Windows - no native Linux version (bad).
Opera The Opera Web Page
I really hope this gives Opera a chance to shine as it is the one browser that follows ALL the rules, is quick and nimble and has many very interesting features such as connecting to your home machine (if it's on) and looking at the Photos or listening to your music via this browser. It may have a fraction of the browser market but it deserves better. Judgement - give it a go.
Chrome The Chrome Web Page
This is Google's offering and after their debacle with the "Buzz" social network I treat most things from Google with suspicion. Chrome is a minimalist browser therefore quite fast although at first glance it is a little alien. In some respects this is going to be the basis of the Google Chrome Operating System which will be integrated into all your google features such as Gmail, Google Docs, Google Maps etc. In my humble opinion it just seems a little unfinished however it does have an expanding fan base mainly because of it's simplicity. Another one you could have a go at if your bored.
Mozilla Firefox The Firefox Web Page
To my mind Firefox is still the best Web Browser out there. It is the most secure as fixes are you usually found to problems within days of being found. You can customise it no end and for geeks like me you can even get into it's coding. The number of add-ons you can get thrashes all the others but beware, the more add-ons the slower it becomes and the more likely it is to crash. It doea not start the quickest but once up and running it is fast as the others at rendering a page. I treat Firefox as my everyday work horse on any and all operating systems even though it has become a little big and bloated it is nothing when compared with Internet Explorer. This is the one browser I would say you must have on any Computer even if you prefer to use another simply due to it's adaptability.
Internet Explorer 8
I know that you know that I am not a Microsoft fan but why, oh why, oh why did they for so many years churn out this insecure and bad designed and rule breaking browser? Simple answer - no competition, if there was they squashed it (ie Netscape from which the Phoenix of Firefox arose). Now they have some competitors they have made a real effort to improve but in my and many others opinions they have not done enough - yet. If you have Windows you have IE, just make sure you have IE8 but make any of the others your default browser.
Mobile Browsers
With so-called smart phones sauch as the iPhone or the Androids of this world new small browsers are coming out and really there is only one to recommend and that is Opera Mini. You can download it from here... Opera Mini Download.
I know there are many, many others, one of my favourites is Sea-Monkey, but that is the point, try them and see which one you get on with the best. There are those who will use nothing else other than IE and there are some that use Dillo. So browse the browsers and tell me which you prefer.
Wednesday 3 March 2010
Tuesday 23 February 2010
Windows 7 (and Vista) - Reclaiming Disk Space
An Annoyance
For those of you running Windows 7 or Vista on a Desktop machine the ability to "Hibernate" seems a pretty redundant thing to do as it fills up your hard drive with a snapshot of your previous session. It may have it's uses if you can't be bothered to save jobs as you are doing them but leaving Windows to work out what it should and should not do is problematic at best. This is less true for laptops in as much as if your battery gets very low the last thing Windows does is copy your present work to the hibernation file but once again if yousee your battery is getting low then either save your work of if possible plug it into the mains.
Linux and Mac users do not have to worry as (hopefully) they have a "Swap" partition installed on their computer so if you hibernate it is this partition and not the one used by the operating system that is used. These temporary files are then removed once the machine is fully rebooted.
So What's the Annoyance?
The trouble with the hibernation file is that it takes up a lot of hard drive space and can be very fragmented which makes normal defragmentation virtually impossible leading to a drop in performance. Those of you who use "Defraggler" will notice under the files tab one named "hyberfil.sys", you will also notice that it can not be "defragged", so here is how to remove this nasty file in Windows 7. It may work with Vista but as I don't use it (and nor should you) so I don't know.
Being an Administrator
Unlike XP, Microsoft actually got something right which was to be make alterations to your operating system harder, although not that hard, so to get rid of this annoyance you have open what looks like an old "DOS" window as administrator . To do this click on the "Start" menu then click "All Programs" (one day they will learn how to spell) click "Accessories" where you will see the command prompt. You have to right click this and click "Run as Administrator".
What to Do Next
OMG! It's a command line, sorry about that but to make things simple you can either type this is or copy and paste it at the end of the prompt. powercfg.exe -h off . Hit the "Enter" key, then type "exit" followed by the enter key again and that black little window will disappear.
That is basically it but I would now suggest a reboot and once Windows 7 has restarted then open "defraggler" and that annoying file will have disappeared and you can do a full and proper defrag of your hard drive.
What If I Want Hibernation Back?
It is doing the above but after the command prompt type powercfg.exe -h on , exit and reboot and you are back where you started.
For those of you running Windows 7 or Vista on a Desktop machine the ability to "Hibernate" seems a pretty redundant thing to do as it fills up your hard drive with a snapshot of your previous session. It may have it's uses if you can't be bothered to save jobs as you are doing them but leaving Windows to work out what it should and should not do is problematic at best. This is less true for laptops in as much as if your battery gets very low the last thing Windows does is copy your present work to the hibernation file but once again if yousee your battery is getting low then either save your work of if possible plug it into the mains.
Linux and Mac users do not have to worry as (hopefully) they have a "Swap" partition installed on their computer so if you hibernate it is this partition and not the one used by the operating system that is used. These temporary files are then removed once the machine is fully rebooted.
So What's the Annoyance?
The trouble with the hibernation file is that it takes up a lot of hard drive space and can be very fragmented which makes normal defragmentation virtually impossible leading to a drop in performance. Those of you who use "Defraggler" will notice under the files tab one named "hyberfil.sys", you will also notice that it can not be "defragged", so here is how to remove this nasty file in Windows 7. It may work with Vista but as I don't use it (and nor should you) so I don't know.
Being an Administrator
Unlike XP, Microsoft actually got something right which was to be make alterations to your operating system harder, although not that hard, so to get rid of this annoyance you have open what looks like an old "DOS" window as administrator . To do this click on the "Start" menu then click "All Programs" (one day they will learn how to spell) click "Accessories" where you will see the command prompt. You have to right click this and click "Run as Administrator".
What to Do Next
OMG! It's a command line, sorry about that but to make things simple you can either type this is or copy and paste it at the end of the prompt. powercfg.exe -h off . Hit the "Enter" key, then type "exit" followed by the enter key again and that black little window will disappear.
That is basically it but I would now suggest a reboot and once Windows 7 has restarted then open "defraggler" and that annoying file will have disappeared and you can do a full and proper defrag of your hard drive.
What If I Want Hibernation Back?
It is doing the above but after the command prompt type powercfg.exe -h on , exit and reboot and you are back where you started.
Tuesday 16 February 2010
Playing Safe - The Internet & Your Money
Fears
There has always been this worry that the Internet is insecure and vulnerable to all those nasty people who wish to deprive you of your hard earned (unless your a City banker) cash.
The trouble is that most of this vulnerability is down to you or your computer.
Why
Your computer, whichever operating system you are using, tries to be helpful. It asks if you want it to save your passwords, your account details, any personal information etc. etc.. It is all very nice but really just encourages you into bad habits. All it requires is a virus, worm, trojan, botnet or keylogger to have been installed on your machine and you are in serious problems. For those of you running Macs or Linux machines should realise that you too are not invunerable, botnets and keyloggers can easily find a way onto your machine. So called phishing sites are also a serious risk but I really hope you look at any site or email with a considerable amount of sceptiscism. No Bank or Business will email you asking for your financial details, the only time you give them access is when you are using them on a site you know you can trust.
First Steps
Do not use the same password. If you have a password to log into your computer then this is easily hacked - heck I cn do it. Use different passwords for different sites and make them complicated. I can hear you say "bit I will never remember them", do you remember the days before computers there were things called pen and paper, write them down and keep them safe from spying eyes and burglars. If you have a small notebook then associate 1 page per site, why? So you can change the password regularly. It's a pain I know but the more difficult you make an intruders life then the less likely they are to even try. Before I forget, please don't give anyone your password, don't save it on your machine and please remember what you did with your notebook.
Typical Passwords
Any site that has your personal information on should be protected with a good, solid and complicated password. Dictionary words are definitely a no-no, names are even worse. You can of course muddle them up a bit, for instance if your password was "abigail" you could make it "aB1g@1L777". Not so easy to remember but if someone new your original password they may eventually crack it. When it comes to monetary accounts then even these passwords are not good enough, an example may be "781&&#Rt6**%zZqi63£", ouch I here you say and believe me in the next chapter it is going to get worse.
Encryption
Most modern operating systems will allow you to encrypt a folder (directory) or partition, this will mean that if anyone does gain access to it then it will appear as gobbledy-gook and yes it requires you to enter a password to access it. It is too much to try and cover this subject in a short blog for each operating system so either have a read of the forums, wikis, or manuals. I know this is little help but I will try and cover it better at a later date.
Security Software
All operating systems have firewalls, some are better than others but they are your first line of defence. Anti-virus software is a must on all computers including Linux and Macs if for no other reason than to stop the spread of malware to other computers Even if you have paid a fortune for the latest security software never think you are invunerable so the best form of defence is common sense. Use a web browser with anti-phishing, pop-up and ad blockers, (that is all the main browsers but please do not use Internet Explorer 6). Don't open emails form unknown sources, avoid suspicious sites and be careful what links you click.
A Solution
Ok, so I have now made you paranoid, I have a solution, the live disk solution. A live disk is an operating system that runs independently of your main computer. It doesn't touch your hard drive unless you want it to. They can even be installed onto a USB memory stick (another blog) and because they do not retain any information they can not be infected with malware, the down side is that they also do not retain your bookmarks or your usernames etc. so you have to know these, it also doesn't remember your passwords. The best thing is that you can use them anywhere, if you go abroad, on someone elses' computer - you just have to know your details so keep your paper notebook safe! To boot from a live disk put it in the optical drive of your machine and reboot. Many machines will search for a CD before they boot into the hard drive but you may have to press a keyboard button, usually keep tapping the F12 or the escape key when your computer first whirrs into life (or worse still enter the BIOS and change the boot order which is usually the delete button or F1 or F2). You may even see what key to press when the computer first sparks into life. The live disk will now start. A wired connection to the internet is best for 2 reasons, wireless may not work and it makes remote keylogging far more difficult.
Where to Get Live Disks.
Ok these are Linux disks however all you are really going to be using it for is the Internet Browser (Normally Firefox) so just click on the Firefox icon and you are away usually with Google staring you in the face.
Linux Mint A good all round system - easy to use
Mandriva One Get the KDE version as it is the closest for you Windows users
Xubuntu For low powered computers.
There are many more but these are 3 of my favourites. If you read each page they will tell you how to burn the disk and normally if you don't have the right burning software they will usually tell you some free applications for your operating system.
If you haven't got a disk burning programme for windows here is one...
Infrarecorder.
Any questions then please let me know.
There has always been this worry that the Internet is insecure and vulnerable to all those nasty people who wish to deprive you of your hard earned (unless your a City banker) cash.
The trouble is that most of this vulnerability is down to you or your computer.
Why
Your computer, whichever operating system you are using, tries to be helpful. It asks if you want it to save your passwords, your account details, any personal information etc. etc.. It is all very nice but really just encourages you into bad habits. All it requires is a virus, worm, trojan, botnet or keylogger to have been installed on your machine and you are in serious problems. For those of you running Macs or Linux machines should realise that you too are not invunerable, botnets and keyloggers can easily find a way onto your machine. So called phishing sites are also a serious risk but I really hope you look at any site or email with a considerable amount of sceptiscism. No Bank or Business will email you asking for your financial details, the only time you give them access is when you are using them on a site you know you can trust.
First Steps
Do not use the same password. If you have a password to log into your computer then this is easily hacked - heck I cn do it. Use different passwords for different sites and make them complicated. I can hear you say "bit I will never remember them", do you remember the days before computers there were things called pen and paper, write them down and keep them safe from spying eyes and burglars. If you have a small notebook then associate 1 page per site, why? So you can change the password regularly. It's a pain I know but the more difficult you make an intruders life then the less likely they are to even try. Before I forget, please don't give anyone your password, don't save it on your machine and please remember what you did with your notebook.
Typical Passwords
Any site that has your personal information on should be protected with a good, solid and complicated password. Dictionary words are definitely a no-no, names are even worse. You can of course muddle them up a bit, for instance if your password was "abigail" you could make it "aB1g@1L777". Not so easy to remember but if someone new your original password they may eventually crack it. When it comes to monetary accounts then even these passwords are not good enough, an example may be "781&&#Rt6**%zZqi63£", ouch I here you say and believe me in the next chapter it is going to get worse.
Encryption
Most modern operating systems will allow you to encrypt a folder (directory) or partition, this will mean that if anyone does gain access to it then it will appear as gobbledy-gook and yes it requires you to enter a password to access it. It is too much to try and cover this subject in a short blog for each operating system so either have a read of the forums, wikis, or manuals. I know this is little help but I will try and cover it better at a later date.
Security Software
All operating systems have firewalls, some are better than others but they are your first line of defence. Anti-virus software is a must on all computers including Linux and Macs if for no other reason than to stop the spread of malware to other computers Even if you have paid a fortune for the latest security software never think you are invunerable so the best form of defence is common sense. Use a web browser with anti-phishing, pop-up and ad blockers, (that is all the main browsers but please do not use Internet Explorer 6). Don't open emails form unknown sources, avoid suspicious sites and be careful what links you click.
A Solution
Ok, so I have now made you paranoid, I have a solution, the live disk solution. A live disk is an operating system that runs independently of your main computer. It doesn't touch your hard drive unless you want it to. They can even be installed onto a USB memory stick (another blog) and because they do not retain any information they can not be infected with malware, the down side is that they also do not retain your bookmarks or your usernames etc. so you have to know these, it also doesn't remember your passwords. The best thing is that you can use them anywhere, if you go abroad, on someone elses' computer - you just have to know your details so keep your paper notebook safe! To boot from a live disk put it in the optical drive of your machine and reboot. Many machines will search for a CD before they boot into the hard drive but you may have to press a keyboard button, usually keep tapping the F12 or the escape key when your computer first whirrs into life (or worse still enter the BIOS and change the boot order which is usually the delete button or F1 or F2). You may even see what key to press when the computer first sparks into life. The live disk will now start. A wired connection to the internet is best for 2 reasons, wireless may not work and it makes remote keylogging far more difficult.
Where to Get Live Disks.
Ok these are Linux disks however all you are really going to be using it for is the Internet Browser (Normally Firefox) so just click on the Firefox icon and you are away usually with Google staring you in the face.
Linux Mint A good all round system - easy to use
Mandriva One Get the KDE version as it is the closest for you Windows users
Xubuntu For low powered computers.
There are many more but these are 3 of my favourites. If you read each page they will tell you how to burn the disk and normally if you don't have the right burning software they will usually tell you some free applications for your operating system.
If you haven't got a disk burning programme for windows here is one...
Infrarecorder.
Any questions then please let me know.
Thursday 11 February 2010
Things for your Windows
My First Blog
I am sorry if I get this wrong but this is my first attempt at doing one of these things so I apologise in advance.
A Few Things for Those Using Windows.
I am going to keep this one simple so I am just going to tell you Windows users out there about some free software that I hope you will find useful. Some of the applications can be used with other operating systems and if the are I will mark them with an "L" for Linux and "M" for Apple.
If I have serviced any of your computers then doubtless I will have put at least some of these on your machine but these links will point you to the most up to date versions so may still be worth a look. PS. All these mentioned are free.
Ccleaner
Originally called "Crap Cleaner", this little tool does a splendid job at removing all the rubbish that accumulates on your computer. If you run the cleaner once a week then it only takes a few seconds but it can help speed up your machine as well getting you more disk space. It also has a Registry Checker (always make a backup when the programme prompts you to) which will also help speed up your machine. There is also a utility for removing unwanted programmes.
Ccleaner
Defraggler
One of the biggest reasons for Windows slowing down is a fragmentted hard drive. This applications tries better than most to get you system back into some kind of order. Use it once a week and it shouldn't take long (I usually run it twice). If you haven't defragged for a while it could quite a while and then you should do it three or four times. If you install and new software I recommend you use Defraggler immediately after the install.
Defraggler
These come from the same company, Piriform, which also has a couple of other useful tools such as "Recuva" which can retrieve deleted files or even get them back off (sometimes) a dodgy or corrupted hard drive. Use with care.
Open Office
A fully featured office suite that can easily take the place of Microsoft Office for domestic and business use. It has a word processor, spreadsheet, database and drawing applications. Will read nearly every form of document going including those from Microsoft and Microsoft Works (try that in MS Office). You can also save documents in various formats or with a click of an icon save them as PDF files. This is a real money saver.
Open Office (L, M)
Firefox
This may not be the fastest Internet Browser but it has the biggest selection of add-ons, themes and custom tweaks which make it the most fun. The add-ons I would suggest are Adblock plus, video downloadhelper (yes thats is one word) and cooliris. The first one is obvious what it does the other two I will let you find out. While you are at it, look at Thunderbird which is an email browser. Email browsers may be a bit old hat nowdays as most people log onto their webmail but these can be quite restrictive especially when composing mail or adding detail about a contact, and it now works with hotmail.
Firefox & Thunderbird (L, M)
Zattoo
This is a nice application for watching "live" TV, it has the main 5 UK channels and quite a few others. It needs a fairly strong broadband connection and those with usage limits should also beware (same goes for TV catch-up sites) but is useful if you are away from home or the kids are monopolising the TV with their XBox, Wii, or Playstation. You have to register but this is easy and painless, just remember to "untick" the box about them sending emails - ugh - junkmail.
Zattoo (M)
AVG
Cripes, nearly forgot this. The free anti-virus programme, need I say more. It is up to version 9 now so if you are running AVG8 it is time to upgrade as it is quicker and uses less resources. Some Internet providers do give you a full security package but I find that most have their downsides which could be from really slowing your machine to a very fussy firewall. As with all things, common sense is the best security, don't open emails from unknown senders, avoid websites that could be harmful, etc. etc. etc.
AVG Free
While we are on the spread of nasty virus', Mac and Linux users should not be oblivious to the threat. You may not contract the bug but you could pass it on so if nothing else you should install an email scanner (clamav is good). If you don't then some emails may be rejected by the sender as they haven't been tagged as scanned so are considered a threat.
That's enough for now, hopefully I will have another go at this with information on disk burning and multimedia. Until Then. Byeee
I am sorry if I get this wrong but this is my first attempt at doing one of these things so I apologise in advance.
A Few Things for Those Using Windows.
I am going to keep this one simple so I am just going to tell you Windows users out there about some free software that I hope you will find useful. Some of the applications can be used with other operating systems and if the are I will mark them with an "L" for Linux and "M" for Apple.
If I have serviced any of your computers then doubtless I will have put at least some of these on your machine but these links will point you to the most up to date versions so may still be worth a look. PS. All these mentioned are free.
Ccleaner
Originally called "Crap Cleaner", this little tool does a splendid job at removing all the rubbish that accumulates on your computer. If you run the cleaner once a week then it only takes a few seconds but it can help speed up your machine as well getting you more disk space. It also has a Registry Checker (always make a backup when the programme prompts you to) which will also help speed up your machine. There is also a utility for removing unwanted programmes.
Ccleaner
One of the biggest reasons for Windows slowing down is a fragmentted hard drive. This applications tries better than most to get you system back into some kind of order. Use it once a week and it shouldn't take long (I usually run it twice). If you haven't defragged for a while it could quite a while and then you should do it three or four times. If you install and new software I recommend you use Defraggler immediately after the install.
Defraggler
These come from the same company, Piriform, which also has a couple of other useful tools such as "Recuva" which can retrieve deleted files or even get them back off (sometimes) a dodgy or corrupted hard drive. Use with care.
Open Office
A fully featured office suite that can easily take the place of Microsoft Office for domestic and business use. It has a word processor, spreadsheet, database and drawing applications. Will read nearly every form of document going including those from Microsoft and Microsoft Works (try that in MS Office). You can also save documents in various formats or with a click of an icon save them as PDF files. This is a real money saver.
Open Office (L, M)
Firefox
This may not be the fastest Internet Browser but it has the biggest selection of add-ons, themes and custom tweaks which make it the most fun. The add-ons I would suggest are Adblock plus, video downloadhelper (yes thats is one word) and cooliris. The first one is obvious what it does the other two I will let you find out. While you are at it, look at Thunderbird which is an email browser. Email browsers may be a bit old hat nowdays as most people log onto their webmail but these can be quite restrictive especially when composing mail or adding detail about a contact, and it now works with hotmail.
Firefox & Thunderbird (L, M)
Zattoo
This is a nice application for watching "live" TV, it has the main 5 UK channels and quite a few others. It needs a fairly strong broadband connection and those with usage limits should also beware (same goes for TV catch-up sites) but is useful if you are away from home or the kids are monopolising the TV with their XBox, Wii, or Playstation. You have to register but this is easy and painless, just remember to "untick" the box about them sending emails - ugh - junkmail.
Zattoo (M)
Cripes, nearly forgot this. The free anti-virus programme, need I say more. It is up to version 9 now so if you are running AVG8 it is time to upgrade as it is quicker and uses less resources. Some Internet providers do give you a full security package but I find that most have their downsides which could be from really slowing your machine to a very fussy firewall. As with all things, common sense is the best security, don't open emails from unknown senders, avoid websites that could be harmful, etc. etc. etc.
AVG Free
While we are on the spread of nasty virus', Mac and Linux users should not be oblivious to the threat. You may not contract the bug but you could pass it on so if nothing else you should install an email scanner (clamav is good). If you don't then some emails may be rejected by the sender as they haven't been tagged as scanned so are considered a threat.
That's enough for now, hopefully I will have another go at this with information on disk burning and multimedia. Until Then. Byeee
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