TipTalk: from Microsoft At Home & At Work : Computer Setup and Maintenance

Getting a new PC? Protect and purge files now

ahawblog — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 05:18:00 GMT

When you stop and think about it, your home computer holds a lot of information about you—credit card numbers, bank account details, passwords, medical information, Web sites you've visited, and those deep, dark secrets you share with your best friend via e-mail.

There naturally comes a time when you're ready for an upgrade, whether it be a bigger hard drive or an entirely new PC. But what should you do with the old one? And what about the information on it? You need to remove this information whether you donate it, sell it, or trash it. The following tips will get you started:

Tip #1: Why "delete" isn't enough

Many people think that clearing their history, deleting files and cookies, and emptying their computer's recycle bin is enough. Not so, according to IT specialist Tony Lum. He says that's like removing the table of contents in a book. The chapters (or your files, in this case) are still there, they're just harder to find.

What you've actually done is remove a particular file from the disk's index. The file itself still exists on your hard disk. For the average person it's harder to recover, but an experienced programmer (or hacker) could easily locate the file. Previous or temporary versions of the file might also be saved under different names.

You need to go one step further and overwrite your data. Lum recommends you back up everything you want to keep on your hard drive and then run hard-drive wiping software, which will overwrite your information with random ones and zeros. He also recommends you use a program that overwrites your data more than once. The more it's overwritten, the harder it is to recover.

Tip #2: Select software to wipe your hard drive clean

Is it impossible to retrieve your information afterward? Not 100 percent, but Lum says that unless the CIA is after you, you should be in the clear after using one of these disk-erasing tools that are available for download online:

Active KillDisk: This free hard-drive eraser overwrites data using zeros. You can upgrade to the professional version that conforms to the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) standards.
Softpedia/DP Wiper: IT consultant Daniel Gresser recommends freeware programs from Softpedia, like DP Wipter, which overwrites in from one to 35 passes and has DOD-compliant wiping.
WipeDrive: WipeDrive overwrites your data as many times as you like and runs a verification test.

"Always keep a record of where all important files are stored," says Gresser, who recommends deleting each file by dropping it into DP Wiper and selecting the type of wipe required.

Unless you take the hard drive out and keep it, to get a PC ready for sale, Gresser suggests that PC users delete the following using DP Wiper or a similar program:

Everything in My Documents folder.
All temporary Internet files.
All cookies.
All files relating to personal and financial matters that may have been stored in folders other than My Documents.
All e-mail: Outlook Express users need to search for and delete .dbx files and Outlook users need to search for and delete .pst files. This will send them to the recycle bin for secure deletion. Also, remember to remove all e-mail account settings and passwords.

Tip #3: Reinstall your operating system to overwrite files

Your operating system's installation CD should allow you to simultaneously reinstall and clear your hard drive. Lum says this should be enough to prevent the average person from obtaining personal information from your hard drive. However, he says he's managed to salvage data from computers using third-party software even after an operating system was reinstalled.

Read the full article by Alyson Munroe for more tips.

Tracking what auto-starts with AutoRuns for Windows

ahawblog — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 12:45:00 GMT

This neat little utility from Sysinternals helps you keep track of what is running in Windows Vista. It's a bit like the MSCONFIG utility, only better in that it classifies everything and helps you gain insight into what is clogging up the works.

Download
(490 KB)

AutoRuns for Windows

Open, edit, and save Office 2007 documents: Download the Office Compatibility Pack

ahawblog — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 19:03:00 GMT

I get a lot of comments (angry comments) from friends, family, and colleagues saying that they can’t open Office 2007 documents they get from me or other people using the latest version of Office.

There are a couple of ways to avoid this issue.

If you’re using Office 2007, you can save your documents as previous versions and can be set as default to save files as a 2003 version.
If you don’t have Office 2007, download the Office Compatibility Pack. It allows you to open, edit and save documents, workbooks, and presentations in the file formats new to Microsoft Office Word 2007, Excel 2007, and PowerPoint 2007. The Compatibility Pack can also be used with Microsoft Office Word Viewer 2003, Excel Viewer 2003, and PowerPoint Viewer 2003 to view files saved in these new formats.

Here are so more helpful links if you’re having compatibility issues with Office 2007.

--Jason Kozleski

Download the new version of Windows Defender

ahawblog — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 00:27:00 GMT

We’ve gotten a lot of comments about the confusing "Windows Defender has expired" message. Even my dad—who has been in the computer industry for 30 years—got confused by it. The Security Tips & Talk blog has the information you need about downloading the latest version of Windows Defender, where to find support, and what to do if you’re still having problems with it. Visit their Download the new version of Windows Defender post.

--Jason Kozleski

Personalize your Windows XP-based PC

ahawblog — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 09:58:00 GMT

We got a lot of feedback on the Customize your Start menu entry. Making your PC personal—and it is supposed to be personal—and friendly for you to use can go a long way toward improving your computing experience. I started writing some additional articles on how to customize your monitor, mouse settings, toolbars, and other settings. However, the Windows team beat me to it. They recently updated the entire Windows XP Using site and included a whole section on how to personalize your Windows XP-based PC. They did a great job and offer a collection of helpful articles.

I suggest you check out the site, or just go directly to some of my favorites:

If you've got additional ways to customize your system, let us know.

--Jason Kozleski

Back-up success story: Windows Live OneCare

ahawblog — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 00:18:00 GMT

There are a few things you should do regularly to maintain your computer. Making security updates and running performance tools are two things, and backing up your files is another one. Windows Live OneCare, which I’ve been using for two months now, can be set up to automatically do all of these things. Last week OneCare got its first real test. On Monday, the hard disk on my computer crashed, essentially losing all the files I had saved on my computer. All the e-mail, pictures, financial documents, and spreadsheets I had saved were gone. It was my home computer, but I lost some documents from work that I had been working on from home.

For the first time I had a chance to test the back-up and restore capabilities of OneCare. I’m happy to say it passed. Except for the some changes I had made to a couple of files, I was up and running after I had repaired my computer.

With an external hard drive like the one I use, you can set up OneCare to do backups automatically with almost no intervention. (Backing up to CD or DVD isn’t automatic.) I have OneCare set up to make backups once a week.

Setting up OneCare to create a backup is pretty easy.

On the first screen you see when you open OneCare, on the right side of OneCare, under Backup and Restore, click Back up files.
OneCare will walk you through the setup process whether you’re going to save the files to a hard disk or removable storage, such as a CD or DVD.

And about the other important things (maintaining the performance and security of your computer)—OneCare can do computer tune-ups and scans to help keep spyware and viruses off your computer. Visit the OneCare site to learn more about it. I really do recommend it. For the moment, you can also try OneCare free for 90 days.

And in the meantime, don’t forget to back up your files. Here are some links that can help if you don’t have OneCare.

—Jason Kozleski

Starting Over with System Restore

ahawblog — Tue, 24 Jan 2006 02:28:00 GMT

Recently I was trying to set up my new cell phone to work with my home computer. I had some installation problems and was having a hard time trying to un-do some changes that were made to my system. (This had to do with drivers that were installed to support a Bluetooth® connection, which is literally the topic of another story.)

Anyway, I suddenly remembered that Windows XP lets me turn back the clock, so to speak, and restore my system settings to the way they were before I tried installing the new hardware. What a relief! I was able to return the system to how it was before I'd begun the install, and start over (after downloading the drivers I needed to make the installation successful).

System Restore is cool in many ways. One of them is that you don't need to do anything special to have it work. If you're running Windows XP, your system is automatically set up to create a new restore point every day, and every time you make a significant system or application change. You can also create your own restore point any time you like.

It's easy to learn more about System Restore. This article, Windows XP System Restore is easy to use, gives a great overview of the feature.

While it's a great solution for major hardware or software installation malfunctions, System Restore shouldn't be your first step in trying to solve a computer problem. Be sure to go through less drastic troubleshooting steps such as rebooting your computer before resorting to System Restore. Though I've not had problems with losing things during System Restore, in this article, Protecting Files During System Restore, the author points out that files stored on your desktop (rather than in My Documents) may be lost during a system restore. If you tend to save files on your desktop, you may want to move them into your My Documents folder before doing the System Restore.

Speaking of rolling back the clock, if you should decide that restoring your system was a mistake; even that can be reversed, as you can undo a System Restore.

Now if only I could undo all the sweets I ate over the holidays so easily...

—Robbin Young

Neck or shoulder pain? Try these 10 healthy computing tips

ahawblog — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 00:20:00 GMT

If working on the computer is becoming a pain in the neck, it might be time to rearrange your work area and change some of your computer habits. Start the new year off right by following these simple suggestions for healthy computing.

Take a 3-minute break every 30 minutes.
During your break, breathe deeply from your abdomen. Relax your arms in your lap, and then stand up and stretch your neck and shoulders. You can set a recurring reminder in your e-mail or scheduling program to help you remember to take a break. Try these workstation stretches recommended by the National Institute of Health.
Customize your chair.
First, adjust your chair height so your feet are firmly supported by the floor (or a foot rest) and your thighs are parallel to the ground. Next, adjust the backrest so that it supports your lower back. The backrest (not your arms) should support your torso weight.
Rearrange your workspace.
Set your work surface to elbow height. A desk that's too high can give you shoulder fatigue. If you use a fixed-height work surface, try installing a keyboard and mouse tray that you can adjust.

Place any devices you use frequently, such as your mouse and keyboard, within easy reach.
Reposition your monitor.
Place your monitor at arm's length and make sure the top of your screen is eye level when sitting up straight. (Bifocal users might need a lower monitor.) Center your monitor and keyboard in front of you so you don't twist your neck while typing. If you refer to documents while typing, consider using a document stand to position documents near eye level.
Alternate your hands.
Throughout the day, try moving the mouse to alternate sides of the keyboard. Switching hands will help balance the load between your arms. This can be particularly helpful if your shoulder or neck hurts on one side only. You can use a symmetrical mouse to make left-and right-hand pointing more comfortable. Check out the ergonomic symmetrical mouse devices designed by Microsoft.
Get a headset for your phone.
Never hold the phone between your head and shoulder. If you use the phone frequently, use a headset to reduce the strain on your neck.
Use a forearm rest.
A forearm rest can reduce the load on your shoulders by supporting your forearms (not your wrists or elbows) when using the computer. Several ergonomic forearm rest styles are available online. Choose one that doesn't lock you into a single posture. If you're using the arm rests on your chair arm but are experiencing discomfort, try removing the arm rests. They can sometimes place your arms in an awkward position or put pressure on the nerves in your elbows. Make sure to support only your arm weight on the forearm rest, and not your full upper body weight.
Dock your notebook.
When using a notebook computer over long periods of time, attach it to a docking station and use an external keyboard and mouse. If you don't have a docking station, you can raise the height of your notebook screen to eye level and then plug in a USB keyboard and mouse. When you're away from your desk, consider using a notebook mouse instead of the mouse built into your notebook. Check out the wired and wireless notebook mouse devices designed by Microsoft.
Use a sit/stand workstation.
Try using an adjustable sit/stand desk that supports neutral postures. It lets you adjust the height of your work station to accommodate both sitting and standing positions.
Seek medical attention for recurring discomfort or pain.
These tips aren't intended to replace medical treatment. If you have consistent neck or shoulder pain, consult a healthcare provider.

For more tips about healthy computing and workstation ergonomics, see the Microsoft Healthy Computing Guide.

Getting started with a wireless home network

ahawblog — Fri, 06 Jan 2006 23:13:00 GMT

As you probably know, a computer network lets you connect computers together so you can pass files back and forth between them, share a printer, or even share a single connection to the Internet. This article is aimed at beginners who want to learn about wireless networking or get help installing a network in their home.

If you're thinking about setting up a home network, I recommend you look into using wireless (also called Wi-Fi) technologies. The chief advantage of wireless networking is that it will save you from having to run cables all over your house. Windows XP includes support for wireless networking, so you can get a network set up in your home with a modest investment in hardware.

Understanding networking
It's a good idea to get a broad overview of networking before you start shopping for equipment. Although this article focuses on wireless networking, you will probably find that understanding a bit about all types of networking is helpful. There are a number of networking technologies on the market, the more common ones include:

Ethernet is used for cabled connections. This is the technology that's been around for years, and is widely used in businesses and some homes. In many cases, Ethernet cables are a decidedly non-nerdy shade of pink.
802.11g, 802.11b, and 802.11a are all variants of the most commonly used wireless technology. The "a," "b," and "g" designations do not reflect a progression of any kind. The first standard was "b," "a" is fastest, and "g" splits the difference. When you choose hardware, you'll need to decide what feature and price tradeoffs are right for you. (Geeky detail: The "802.11" is short for IEEE 801.11, which is an industry standard maintained by the IEEE (Eye-triple-E), which is a non-profit, technical professional association of more than 365,000 individual members in approximately 150 countries. The full name is the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc., although the organization is most popularly known and referred to by the letters I-E-E-E.)
Infrared uses light waves that depends on line-of-site, and is generally used for connecting equipment for short bursts of information, such as sending a file from your handheld computer to your laptop computer. Infrared is also used for TV remote controls.
Bluetooth® is a radio-frequency based way to connect two devices together over a short distance; you see it most frequently used for wireless headsets for cell phones and in some wireless keyboards or mice.

Regardless of the type of network you decide to set up, you'll need some type of network interface card (NIC) in your computer. You may also need to install a router in your home for sharing connections to the internet.

The networking section of the Windows XP site includes a collection of articles covering the various types of networks, what you need to buy for each type, and how to set up your network.

The Set up a secure wireless network using Windows Connect Now article by Expert Zone columnist Barb Bowman is helpful if you have Windows XP SP2. Another Expert Zone columnist, Tony Northrup, describes the wireless networking improvements in Windows XP SP2.

Help with set up
Because Microsoft no longer sells networking hardware, the information I suggested above focuses primarily on how to use the network features in Windows XP. If you're looking for step-by-step instructions that cover basic hardware installation, the Beginners Guides: Wireless home networking article on PCStats.com is a good place to start. You might also want to look at CNET's video instructions for setting up a network.

Another resource I've found really helpful is the Microsoft Press Book Microsoft Windows XP Networking Inside Out which is appropriate for those with basic to intermediate computer skills.

Troubleshooting information
If you run into problems setting up your network, here are some resources to try:

The Windows XP online documentation has a good discussion of networking. The wireless networking section has helpful information.
If you're comfortable with moderately technical details, you can download this Word document about troubleshooting Wireless networks.
Also fairly technical, Microsoft's online support site section called Troubleshooting wireless networks has some of the same information found in the online documentation, plus additional troubleshooting steps to try.

I'll close with my number one recommendation for getting help: Try asking for help on the Windows XP networking newsgroup. What's really cool is that you can search the threads on the newsgroup, so you can start by entering a description of the problem you're having; it's possible someone has already answered your question.

Setting up a wireless network may be one of the more advanced tasks you'll undertake, so don't be discouraged if you don't get things running right away: the rewards of being able to connect to other computers and the Internet from all over your house should make your effort pay off nicely.

—Robbin Young

5 steps to clean up your computer files

ahawblog — Thu, 22 Dec 2005 22:39:00 GMT

When we started the At Home and At Work Web sites, we thought that most of the reader questions we'd get would be about complex Excel formulas, editing digital photographs, or how to build a PC from spare parts. In fact, your questions tend to be a bit more practical.

One of the most common requests we get is for help cleaning up the files on your computer. As many people get new computers around this time of the year, and this often entails a move from an older computer, the topic of cleaning up and moving files seems particularly timely.

In this article, I'll go over the basics for sorting through and organizing your computer files, making a backup of them, and deleting those you don't need. I'm only addressing those files that you actively have a hand in creating. If you want to remove software from your computer, read Do a clean sweep of your computer: How to safely remove software and files from your PC.

If you're moving from one computer to another, be sure to review the New PC? Start here page before you start, as it can help save you some time and effort.

To understand how to go about cleaning up your computer you first need to understand how your computer deals with information. When you use software applications, everything you do on your computer ends up creating or using files. Some files contain text, some contain images, and some contain music. But no matter what they contain, the Windows file system treats them all as files.

Note: If you are a novice user, there are files on your system you might not normally see. A good rule of thumb is not to delete anything if you're not sure what it is. For example, Windows and its components and your software applications are also made up of files. Lastly, when you work with your computer, it sometimes creates temporary files that it uses to keep track of what it's doing. These are often automatically deleted when they're no longer needed, but in some cases the operating system or your software keeps them around for possible future use.

Step 1: Find your files
In Windows XP, My Documents is your personal folder. It contains two specialized personal folders, My Pictures and My Music. You can make your personal folders available to everyone, or you can make them private so that only you can access the files within them.

Windows creates personal folders for every user on the computer. When there is more than one person using the computer, each personal folder is identified by the user's name. For example, if John and Jane use the same computer, there will be two sets of personal folders: John's Documents, Music, and Pictures, and Jane's Documents, Music, and Pictures. When John is logged on to the computer, his personal folders appear as My Documents, My Pictures, and My Music, and Jane's appear as Jane's Documents, Jane's Pictures, and Jane's Music.

Windows also provides a Shared Documents folder for files you want to share with other users. Like My Documents, the Shared Documents folder contains a Shared Pictures and Shared Music folder. These folders are for pictures and music you want to share with other people who use your computer.

You can use Windows Explorer to access your personal folders or the Shared Documents, Music, and Pictures folders. To open Windows Explorer, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, and then click Windows Explorer.

When you do, you'll find all the files you've created on your computer provided you store your files within your "My Documents" folder. (If you store your files in other locations, you can use Windows Explorer to go through the different file locations on your system until you find your files.)

If you're new to using Windows Explorer, I encourage you to take time now to get comfortable using this essential tool. Learning how to manage the files on your computer may not sound exciting, but being able to quickly find the file you need (and making sure you don't accidentally lose an important file) is a skill that will make all of the other things you do with your computer that much more productive and enjoyable. Before you start working with your own files, why not do some practice exercises? Create some files and folders you don't care about then move them around. (You can easily create new files by copying old ones and renaming them. Use the Help provided with Windows Explorer if you're not familiar with how to copy and rename files and folders.)

Step 2: Organize your files
Depending on how long you've been using your computer, you may have quite a few files stored in My Documents. And, depending on how you handle saving files from your applications, they may all be dropped into the My Documents folder, or in different folders you've set up along the way.

Let's assume that you've stored your files in a virtual heap under the My Documents folder. Once you've got them sorted into categories, either by date, type, or some other system that makes sense to you; it should be a lot easier to tell which files you need and which you don't. I wrote an earlier TipTalk item called Super simple sorting: Organize your files that describes how to sort your files using some of the features built into Windows Explorer.

How you organize your files is a personal choice based a lot on what you use your computer to do. There are several common methods for sorting your files. One method is to have different file folders for time periods: everything you create during a month, for example, would go into a single folder. For each new month, you'd create a new folder. This approach might work well if you create a number of documents of just one or two types.

If, on the other hand, you create lots of different types of documents, perhaps addressing many topics, then a more complex system of filing them by type and or topic might work. For example, I've got a file folder of all the PowerPoint presentations I've ever done for executives. On the other hand, I've got my site reports stored in separate folders by year. These articles can help you get other ideas for ways to set up your filing system: Filing frenzy: Organize your documents on your PC and 7 tips to manage your files better.

Whatever method of setting up your folders makes the most sense to you is the one you'll likely be able to stick with and use consistently. And it's getting in the habit of always storing your files in their designated spot that makes finding them again so much easier. (I know, I know, it's just like our mom's always told us: Put things back where you found them.)

Step 3: Back up your files
Simply put, backing up your files means copying them onto a disk or other device that you can remove from your computer. For permanent backups, say of your financial records, you'll probably want to burn a CD and store it someplace safe. In my case, I'm generally just working on documents and spreadsheets that don't take much room, so I'll often just use a USB drive and use it to transfer files from one computer to another. Be sure to test your backup to make sure it works before you go on to the next step. In other words, try to use one of the files you've saved to the CD, ideally on a different computer. You don't want to start deleting your original files until you're sure you have a good backup copy.

Step 4: Delete what you don't need
Once you have all your files safely copied to a disk, you can start deleting those you don't think you'll need again. You can use Windows Explorer to select the files you don't want, right-click on them and then press Delete. Unless a file is very large, this will move the files you delete into your Recycle Bin (which is a safeguard Windows provides in case you accidentally delete a file). Files you've deleted will show up in the Recycle Bin (and continue to take space on your hard drive) until you empty the Recycle Bin. I generally leave deleted files in the Recycle Bin for a while just in case I change my mind.

Step 5: Back up your files (again)
After you've got your file system organized and have removed all the files you don't need, it is the ideal time to create another backup. That way, if you should need to restore files or move them to another computer you'll have a nice orderly set of only the files you need.

—Robbin Young

Ripping music? Tips on how to save space on your computer

ahawblog — Fri, 02 Dec 2005 23:08:00 GMT

Listening to and storing music has become a popular way to use your computer. Just look at the variety of MP3 players people are using—all of them require a computer to store the music and put it on the player. We've noticed your interest in this topic based on the popularity of articles such as listen to the radio on your computer and compose and record your own tunes with your PC. One of the questions we've gotten in our feedback is how to save space on your computer when you store all that music. Ideally, you don't want to fill your hard drive with just music. Especially if you're like us and also have a lot of pictures to store.

In addition to deleting the music you no longer listen to or storing it on a CD, you can conserve disk space by ripping your music at a slightly lower quality. The songs will still sound great but won't take up as much space. After buying an MP3 player last month, I did both of these and it opened up a lot of space on my hard drive.

To set the level of recording quality

In Windows Media Player, on the Tools menu, click Options.
On the Rip Music tab, move the sliding control to where you'd like it—to the left to use the least amount of your hard disk, to the right for best audio reproduction.
Click Apply. Click OK.

I recommend setting the quality so somewhere in the middle. It will still sound good, and will save a lot of space if you’re ripping your entire music collection onto your computer.

To view all media files and delete ones you don't want

In Windows Media Player, click Media Library.
Click All Music in the Media Library directory in the left column. From the directory you will be able to choose from all the audio recorded on your device.
You'll see a list of audio recorded on your computer on the right side of the player. Double-click any file to play it. To delete any file, right-click it and click Delete.

Once you start playing music on your computer, it's hard to stop. The sound is great, your music is portable, and you don't have to carry around a lot of CDs. Check out the Digital Music and Video how-to center for more tips.