Odds and Ends

People name their Cars and not their Computers:



This is the last entry before publishing the e-book. Remember all this information will remain on the website and look forward to more on the way. I thank you all for your feedback and input on these topics. Hopefully our combined efforts will make life easier for everyone owning a machine.

Below are the items from my suggestions lists, and some of these have been addressed in other articles and I will simply link them in the information. You can reach me by e-mail or through the live chat from my web page if you have further questions or concerns.


It seems to me we spend more time with our imagination coming up with names for our cars and treating them like they are a person or thing that needs our attention more than we do our computers. Lets face it, our computers are smarter than our cars could ever be, and they need special attention. Take a moment and name your computer.


Now that you have done this think of your computer as a pet or a friend or a child. Would you ever take them to the Doctors office and leave them in the hands of the Doctor and not sit and wait for the Who, What, When, Where, whys of how they got sick and how to prevent it in the future? I think the answer is no. If a Tech doesn't feel its needed to explain to you these things than I would be cautious with them. See if you know how to prevent a problem, they won't get paid again by you to fix it. Do not "drop off" your machines for repair, you don't learn anything from that, if you own a computer - you owe to yourself to know how to keep it safe and healthy.


The best thing to do is to find a Tech (freelancer) in your area that friends or family have referred, and use them. You will pay a lot less and they will also (a good tech will) explain without being asked to, what happened and why, and how to avoid the problem in the future. Get a home computer doctor and get the best out of your money, a training session that will leave you more knowledgeable of your machine and its functions.

Mac vs PC:

Here goes everything! Well the truth of the matter is simple. The world runs on Windows, and the few run on Mac. And there is a reason for this. A lot of programs are not compatible on the Mac and you have a lower rate of having friendly support.

There are not many Mac techs in the world, you will pay more for repairs. If you want to upgrade you have to go through them to get the parts and they are expensive. On Windows based systems, there is such a market, I can get anything I want for my machine at a discounted price. And all the corporate offices I have ever worked in run Windows of some sort or another, and if I was young this is where I would be focusing on my learning.


Every major company in the world except film studios use the Windows environment. It is a more economical machine, parts are cheap as is repair costs compared to the Mac. The rumor is that you can not get a virus on a Mac, this is funny because you don't need a virus for your machine to stop working.


I could send a delete command.com .exe, e-mail to every Mac user in the country and when they opened it their machine would shut off. They are not hacker free, or immune to attacks. People who make viruses are generally paid by bigger companies to make them to support their own repair products.


Mac users are such a small number of people, it is not economically viable for them to bother with them, and then their software to FIX the problem is not Mac compatible. Get the picture? Mac users are a minority and ignored by big companies on all kinds of levels. You can deal with the stuck up clerks in the Mac store and one thing will be sure- your Itunes will work lovely on your new Mac book. I am a PC. Cheaper parts, more options, and friendly support.

Aol email vs Free Email:

Ok, this one gets me going. For those of you out there that converted from the old AOL dial-up and have now entered the world of broadband high speed Internet let me explain some things real fast. You don't need to pay AOL anymore for Internet e-mail!

I have talked to tons of people that no longer use AOL for their Internet but are still paying for the e-mail services from them. Anywhere from 5-24 dollars a month. Stop the madness! The Internet connection is gained through paying your Internet provider, once you have this, you have access not only to your Internet providers e-mail (ISP), but you now have access to hundreds of free e-mail account options.


There are a ton of companies that offer free e-mail, stop paying AOL for it, and when you tell them you want to cancel your e-mail, they will explain you can have basic e-mail with them still for free. Isn't that nice of them to let you know that was an option?


Once you have an Internet connection, you can sign up for free e-mail at many places and here are just a few. http://www.gmail.com/ , http://www.yahoo.com/ , http://www.hotmail.com/ , http://www.msn.com/ , and most social websites also have a built in free e-mail system and chat browser options. Stop being a sucker for AOL and get a free e-mail account today!

And the AOL Browser is the most system hogged Ram chewing program in the universe! If you use the AOL browser and this is your selling point of paying them a monthly service charge for your e-mail, well, that thing is junk. Full of add-on tools and whiz-gigs and all kinds of crazy stuff that slows your machine down and strangles your Internet speed. get rid of it and learn how to use your explorer or get FireFox at http://www.mozilla.com/ .

Belkin transfer Cables: Ah, the wonderful world of Data transfer. Reminds me of the days when it took me 5 minutes to load 5 meg worth of program onto my Commodore 64 back in 1982! (see more on the wonderful Commodore 64 - click here) The chirping that could only be later compared to the sounds coming from a dial-up modem, as my data was transferred through audio from a tape deck.


Belkin is a good company, and they have a solid product. When you are wanting to transfer data from one machine to the other- there is no better way to go. Their tools can allow you to transfer data only or the entire operating environment. I suggest only ever doing the latter, in a case where the two machines involved have two different operating systems. You can find out more about Belkin Data transfers on this link - Belkin.

You have to install the program for the cable on both machines for this to function correctly. Again I suggest that you follow the next set of rules:

Transferring from Vista to Xp = Trans Data only
Transferring from Vista to Vista = Full Transfer
Transferring from Xp to Xp = Full Transfer
Transferring from Xp to Vista = Data only


If the OS on the system is different, you do NOT want to transfer the entire Operating environment over, this can and will break hardware drivers etc. Be warned.

Windows Service Packs (SP):

Service packs which we in the normal world know as the SP1, SP2, and SP3 updates, are in all sense of the word, upgrade patches for our machines. When a Windows system is released, it has been tested by thousands, and then once exposed to the public, we find ways they didn't in which to break the software.

These Sp updates, actually fix these common issues that we find and report to our manufacturers and the like. So when you have an issue and report it to a Tech at HP for example, they then log the information and it then gets looked over by their senior Techs and on, until it eventually gets to Microsoft and they deliver a patch. After a length of these patches have been done, they then compress it all and create a Service Pack for everyone.

As with anything, each of our computer environments is different~ Even if we had the exact same machine. This is due to programs we have installed and the added stuff we use etc. So not all updates help everyone, they are designed to fix issues for the majority. Remember your machines health is 98% software health (Which YOU are responsible for) and the rest is the hardware you see the picture on and put Cd's into. You are the carver of your machines life.

Antivirus 360 - and Malwarebytes:

MalwareBytes is a wonderful registry scanning program that can be used to SCAN your machine for unwanted spy ware and rogue ware, and all Mal ware in general. I use this for scanning my machine for this stuff which does not make it a robot program, it is actually just a scanner looking for specific lines of code on the registry that it knows could be harmful.

My Ccleaner is a manual registry trimming tool, I use for immediate manually controlled protection. There is a difference. One does not scan but checks and removes entries, and the other actually scans my system for programs that are running that shouldn't be.

A word to the wise, some people that make bad programs know how security software works and are always finding ways to get around it and not be detected. So security software such as this are only 80% successful against educated Spy ware created programs. Don't be shocked if something slips through unnoticed, no matter what your running for protection.

The registry in Layman's terms:

The registry is basically like a switchboard operators switch board in a 50 story office building, the buttons are marked and she knows what ones to press to get who, and to get answers or tasks done that are needed. The operator is actually your computer.

In order for any program or piece of hardware to function on your machine, it needs a registry entry. A button on that switch board. Now what spy ware and other bad programs do is they will take over one that's already there and then change the settings to suite themselves, thus we have issues on our machines once we get infected.

The key is to protect your registry and the machine will stay healthy. The other big thing to know is that like in the Software Salad article, one program can change how your machine functions and cause things to not work right.

A good example is if you install Itunes on your machine, it is likely that it will overwrite your registry entry's for your DVD player and cause it not to function right. This is an example of software breaking hardware functions. This can be fixed with a simple registry change (well for me) but the Itunes DVD and CD functions for burning music won't work anymore. I guess you would choose the less of two evils, I would rather my DVD player to work then to know I can burn Cd's with Itunes.

So know that the registry is a list of what functions programs and hardware have on your machine, and that when you get spy ware it tries to access the registry and make changes, this is why we need to be diligent in our pursuit to eradicate the concept that our security software should robotically run and protect us. The people that create this stuff are smarter than our protection software in many cases and it is a constant battle to stay clean. If you have access to the Internet and you connect to it and surf the web, you are at risk - accept it and learn how to protect yourself, it is YOUR responsibility as a computer owner.

Internet Explorer 7 and 8, and how to set yours up:

I am presently running Internet explorer 7 (IE7), and am preparing myself to move to Windows IE8. I will let you know that a Browser is simply a tool for viewing the Internet, like a window in the bottom of a glass bottom boat, the bottom of the lake is the Internet and the websites that you visit. Every Internet address is another location in virtual space or in a virtual city of locations. Each web location is like a home or a residence.

Some websites are secure from containing viruses and spy ware "BARBS" (Barbs are like when your walking in a field and get those little plant seeds stuck to your clothes, like burdock's and bristle burs, this is very much how these nasty programs get attached to you, you pass them and they stick to your machine through the registry system). Instant infection.

So the more common a website is and the heavier the traffic and the more professional it is set up - the safer it is to visit. Generally Forum sites and main websites are safe and contain their own installed security to prevent nasty programs from trying to attach to them. An example is that Google is safe, but the sites it brings up in a search are not, you have to decide if they are safe or not by what kind of content they have on them and who built it.

When you leave My space you get a warning, "This is not a My space page, you are leaving My space if you continue..." I have clicked saying yeah sure and instantly got spy ware on my machine. My space is safe for the most part, related websites .. well, not so much.

The browser is a great tool, and yet we can get slowed down by it. As you install programs and the like, they will offer to "Add" stuff to your machine so the page can run. Active X is generally safe if your going to a site you are familiar with, other unknown sites are again not so safe.

I advise, if you have not done it already to wait about 6 months before installing a new browser such as the Windows Explorer 8 (IE8). Simply as with anything new, let the masses deal with broken stuff and in 6 months all the bugs will be worked out of it. Don't fear the Explorer.

I do suggest using a different type of browser for your Internet surfing, and the reason for this is that your entire system runs on Internet Explorer, matter of fact, your desktop page is an Internet Explorer Window. If Internet Explorer gets infected, guess what? Your entire machine will be infected. So use another type of Browser like Mozilla FireFox or Google Chrome and if they get infected all you have to do is uninstall them and reinstall them after restarting your machine. Problem solved, then a program gets infected and not your entire machine.

Always look out for programs trying to add themselves to your computers START UP and adding TOOLBARS. Avoid both of these and you will keep your Internet explorer healthy, and your machine running fast in and out of a cold start up.

PRO TIP: Did you know, that if you change the main hard drive to anything other than C:\ , that you can never be infected by Viruses? Its true, the most common drive letter for the main drive is C:\ and virus makers program their Viruses and some spyware to look for and target the C:\ drive. If your drive is A:\ , B:\ , D:\ , E:\ , (you get the point), they won't even see you.

The Program control Firewall in Norton:

Ah, for those of us braving the waters of Norton Internet Security, (and they are few and brave), let me teach you a neat trick. The Norton program is actually like 5 -6 programs in one, and since 2007 , they added a fun thing called the Norton Program Firewall Control or NPFC .

It was someone genius idea that if the Norton could control program access to and from the internet, the odds of the machine becoming infected by spyware would be minimal. Well, this creates a different problem.

The NPFC was not designed to not block system required programs and this causes everything from windows Updates and the like downloads and Updates to not run or hang and not complete. The vital programs to run and access your internet and home network are also blocked in this system, and then suddenly no wireless connection, and no internet of any kind.

This is an easy fix for all versions of Norton. Here's basically where you'll find the control panel you need- Open Norton, and find Internet or Settings. If you find internet click on configure or settings, and then your at the next menu. Go to the bottom and click on Internet security options or on other versions your looking for Smart Firewall.

On the older versions you'll see personal firewall on the left, in either case click on the Program Control link or the configure next to it on newer versions. Once inside, you will see a list of items, these are all the programs that are being blocked or have limited access to and from the internet. I would place all my money that everything is Custom or Auto, except the Norton programs on the list. Funny huh?

Now go through the list and allow everything by clicking the drop down box on the right hand side of each one. Once finished, hit allow and or apply - and then Ok to close. Then restart your machine, test it out. All your programs actually work now, and you know how to investigate if Norton is blocking your actions now- check the NPFC.


Defrag and Disc Cleanup, vs Ccleaners Cleanup:

If you use the Ccleaner, then you'll notice that there is a internet cleanup tool at the top. This tool will clean out all your cache and Temp internet pages, but only on a surface level. You can not beat your Disc Cleanup and Defrag tools.

Both are found by typing in the first word for Vista users (how much easier is that?), and by clicking Start - then - assecories - then - system or system tools.

Disc Cleanup will remove all Temp downloads and Cache and internet History and will not delete your favorites list. Once done you'll have tons of free space and your internet will run 100 times faster. You will not loose important Data as long as you save and store your Data correctly.

The Defrag is a file system orginizer. Imagine when your machine does something it takes a file from a cabinet and when its done, intead of putting it back ~ It places it in the first open slot in the filing cabinet. Then when it needs it later, it has to hunt to remember where it put it...

A Defrag goes through your system and puts all the files back where they belong, resulting in a faster machine. I advise running each of these once a month for a casual computer user and twice for the moderate user, three times for the power user. For a better experience....

Some navigation tips for Vista: (Windows 7 release)~

Look out America! It's Windows 7! And from what I have seen and know first hand others are experiencing, Windows 7 is the best product Microsoft has ever forged!

Running with the simple complexity of the Vista enviroment, all pretty and set to race, and the usability and familiarity of XP! Yes I said it .... XP! And as I vow that to upgrade or downgrade or sidegrade your Operating System (OS) is a sin, with Windows 7, its a dream.

A dream I do not want to wake from. From an Xp upgrade you bring a Vista arsonal running like an Xp enviroment. The operating system runs on 22 processes which is even less than the original Xp before the Service Pack (SP) Upgrades. Look out America! Get Windows 7!

Each window operates indipendant of the system making the machines processor work less. Seperate jobs instead of bulks of Data crunching. If a window suffers an error, it is independant, and does not effect your other windows that are up and running. Beautiful and priceless.

FOR THOSE WANTING MORE....

Ok, here's the back door Admin info for you for Vista you have to access the DOS either from windows or take the chance in start up -

SUPER SECRET ADMIN PASSWORD!

Turn it on in windows:
Start search type CMD and open it and run it as admin by right clicking on it-
Once in dos type in :
net user administrator /active:yes
hit enter -
once done close the window and log off your account and then log into admin - unlocked
reverse this using /active:no to turn it off when done - you do not want to leave this feature on for the safety of your machine ...

Turn it on in RECOVERY:
At machine start tap F11 to enter recovery manager
On the first page hit CNTRL+D to enter Dos, you'll be on virtual X: drive
type cd C:
Once on c: type in:
net user administrator /active:yes
hit enter -

Once done close the window and restart your machine at the log in window log into admin - reverse this using /active:no to turn it off when done - you do not want to leave this feature on for the safety of your machine ... In the recovery mode the feature sometimes does not work - if this is a main password locked issue , then your only option is a recovery if this doesnt work.