Dave Bytes

Dave "Bytes"

Please remember to use your thinker, before you tinker!

February 20, 2005

A Periodic Newsletter for the Members of the Sarasota PC User Group and the World!!

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Here's A Windows Tip

Although Media Player blew it badly by not being able to create MP3 files, at least it plays them. To listen to an MP3 file — whether you downloaded it from the Internet or created it with a different program — follow these steps:

Open Media Player.
If you don't see its icon on your desktop or near your Start button, click on the Start button, choose Programs, and click on Windows Media Player from that menu.

Choose Open from the File menu.
The Open box appears, ready for you to root through your folders for the appropriate file.

Locate your MP3 file.
Open the folder that holds your MP3 file.

Having trouble finding your MP3 file? Then choose Search from the Start menu, choose For Files or Folders, and type *.mp3 into the box called Search for files or folders named.
Click on the Search Now button, and all your MP3 files appear in the Search Results window. Double-click on the MP3 file you want to hear. Media Player immediately begins playing the song.

Media Player lets you create playlists of your favorite tunes.

To hear several MP3 songs in a row, hold down Ctrl while clicking on MP3 files. Then, when you click on the Open button, Media Player plays all the selected files.

Although Windows Media Player does a decent job of playing MP3 files, the program's just too huge. For a more versatile and slim player, check out WinAmp.

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Using The Windows Control Panel

Part 3

Many of us know how to perform simple maintenance on our cars - changing oil, tires, or windshield washing fluid. But looking under the hood of Windows leaves the majority of people perplexed. In this feature we'll take a look at the engine room of Windows: the Control Panel.

You will learn how to tweak Windows to make it look and feel the way you want it to, diagnose faults, tell technical support engineers exactly what's wrong with the PC and even fix simple problems yourself. (YES!! I MEAN YOU !!)

The more you learn about the role of the Control Panel in Windows, the better you will understand how your computer works. Although we'll be working with the most recent version, Windows XP, you will find that much of the advice can be applied to the Control Panels in earlier versions of Windows, such as Windows 98 and Windows Me.

XP users may also find that some of the buttons are not quite the same in their particular version, or perhaps are not there at all depending on whether you've downloaded Windows Service Pack 2. Not to worry, though, all the important stuff here is relevant to everyone.

Part III

In the third part of our feature, we take a look at managing folders, internet options and network connections

Managing folders
You can control how Windows displays files and folders using the Folder Options control panel, although there's an interesting security feature hidden here unknown by many users. The first pane of the Folder Options dialogue box lets you choose between the 'classic' view of folders and the Windows XP view, in which a list of common tasks appears down the left-hand side of the window.

Secondly, you can tell Windows to open new folders in new windows, or in the same window, and also choose whether you want to single-click or double-click to open files and folders.

In the second pane, labeled View, there's a list of options relating to viewing files and folders. Generally, these come down to individual preference, and you can play around with them to see which options suit you. However, one or two are more important.

You can choose whether or not to see system and hidden files, but it's worth leaving these hidden (select 'Do not show hidden files and folders') because this lessens the chance of accidentally changing them. Similarly, you should make sure that 'Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)' is ticked. Crucially, it is worth unticking the option marked 'Hide extensions for known file types' as this makes it easier to identify your documents and reduces the risk of accidentally opening a virus.

The third pane, File Types, is where you choose how Windows deals with different documents. If your files aren't opening in the correct application when you double-click on them, come here to select the file type from the list. Then click on Change and you will see a dialogue box allowing you to choose from a list of installed programs. If the program you want is not in the list, click on Browse and find it on your hard disk, click on Select and then OK to close the dialogue box.

Internet options
As you might expect, this controls how Internet Explorer works (if you use a different browser, such as Firefox or Opera, it will have its own settings). On the first page you can set your home page, delete cached files (which eat up hard disk space) and your history, and set color, font and language choices.

Note that, if you delete cookies, saved passwords that automatically appear when you visit a website will have to be typed in again.

The Security pane allows you to change settings for internet security and network security. It's worth leaving these on the defaults (click on the Default Level button) but if you want to make a change, click on Custom Level for a list of options. Setting the wrong option here can leave your computer exposed to viruses and spyware, so take care.

You can add websites to the Trusted Zone and change the Custom Settings to allow certain types of files to open automatically. This could be handy for those into online gaming who want to automatically allow ActiveX settings to be changed while playing.

Take a look at some of the options under the Custom Level button but, unless you are an advanced user, be sure to click on the Default Level Button once you have finished.

Similarly, the Privacy pane allows you to choose settings about cookies, which can be used to save commonly used information on websites you visit, and are used by many online stores to hold information about you, such as the kind of goods you might be interested in and your site user name.

Move the slider up for more privacy and down for less, but beware that if you set it too high some websites may not work. It is worth playing around with this setting until you find the one that works best for you, starting with Medium level. This insists that you are asked for consent before storing personal information in a cookie.

This page also controls the pop-up blocker (for those with SP2), which stops many adverts from appearing at all. Click on the Settings button to configure it. The drop-down menu marked Filter Level is the useful one here, and you can choose the level of blocking that suits you.

In the Content pane, you can set automatic filters to sift out material that is unsuitable for children. It's a nice idea but quite pointless, because it works by asking websites what material they contain. If the website designer hasn't added this detail, the filter doesn't work. You can learn more at the Internet Content Rating Association website here. If you want a content filter, paid-for parental control software is the way to go.

The Content pane also controls AutoComplete, which fills in website boxes and online forms. This is useful if you are filling out your name and address regularly on forms, such as when shopping online. Click on the AutoComplete button to configure it.

Ticking 'Web addresses' will give you a drop-down box when you type an address into Internet Explorer. Ticking 'Forms' will give you a drop-down box of previous entries when you fill in some forms on the web. Finally, ticking 'User names and passwords on forms' will automatically fill in your details when you log in to certain sites.

To clear the list of saved entries, click on one of the two Clear buttons on this page. You could click on My Profile on the same tab to enter information about yourself to make filling forms in even quicker, but we wouldn't recommend adding phone numbers or email addresses here, as you may find yourself receiving rather more spam than usual.

In the Programs tab, you can choose which programs are used for specific tasks, such as sending email and accessing newsgroups. Select the appropriate one from the drop-down list. What it won't let you change here is the browser you prefer, which we think is a bit cheeky.

Whenever you download a new browser, it asks whether you want it to be the default program for web surfing. But the point of trying new programs is that you might or might not prefer them. So to access the default programs for web access, you have to go back to Add or Remove Programs and select Set Program Access and Defaults. It's nowhere near as straightforward as choosing your preferred program from the Programs tab and, frankly, we don't understand why.

In the final tab, Advanced, are the detailed options for Internet Explorer, covering accessibility, browsing, network settings, printing and security. You can safely experiment with the Browsing and Printing settings to see which you prefer, particularly 'Notify when downloads complete' and the 'Underline links' options, as well as the 'Print background colors and images' option under Printing.

Under Multimedia, you can enable or display pictures, animations, sounds and videos on web pages. You can always click on the Restore Defaults button to get things back the way they were if you change a setting and don't like the effect. The options in the Security section, however, should only be touched by advanced users.

Network connections
Opening the Network Connections control panel will show you icons for the different network connections on your PC. You will find your internet connection here plus any Wi-Fi or Bluetooth links. Each one will also say whether it's enabled, connected and protected by the XP Firewall. You can enable or disable a connection by right-clicking on it and selecting the appropriate option.

To use the XP Firewall, double-click on the entry in question and click on the Advanced tab, then on the Settings button in the Windows Firewall section. Then select On and press OK twice to close the Properties box.

You can set up a new connection by clicking on 'Create a new connection' in the left-hand panel, which will display a wizard to take you through the process. If you already have a firewall, it's not necessary but if you haven't, setting one up is a priority.

Next Week: Part IV

Special Drawing At March SPCUG General Meeting

The Lexmark X5150 All-In-One is a high performance, printing solution offering high-
resolution color scanning, photo-quality color printing and PC-free color copying to
complete most business printing needs.

Up to 4800 x 1200 dpi Photo Quality Resolution

Print Fast! Up to 19 ppm black and up to 14 ppm color

Scan: Up to 600 x 2400 dpi resolution (up to 19,200 dpi enhanced); 48 bit color scan

Copy: PC-free copies up to 16 ppm black and up to 11 ppm color

One-touch color photo copies

Scan-to-PC Fax with BVRP Fax software

Top print technology

The Lexmark X5150 boasts the inkjet technology that has catapulted Lexmark to the forefront of the home imaging market. Capable of 4800 x 1200 dots per inch (dpi) in black and color on photo paper, inkjet paper transparencies, and on plain
paper, the Lexmark X5150 will impress home and home office users with its photo-realistic output and precise text.

In addition, variable color drop size technology – three picoliters (pL) for textured areas and 10 pL for solid areas – allows for smooth color transitions and beautifully rich detail.

Standalone black and color photocopying at the touch of a button

The X5150 All-In-One Print Center lets users copy any document – including text documents, color graphics and even color photographs – at the touch of a button, without having to turn on the computer. There is also the option of reducing or enlarging images 25 to 400 percent. In draft mode, the Lexmark X5150 can generate up to 16 copies per minute (cpm) in black, and up to 11 cpm in color.

Dynamic flatbed scanner With industry-leading CCD flatbed scanning technology, the Lexmark X5150 can handle photographs and books of varied thickness, and offers an effective scan area of 8.5” x 11.7”. This high-resolution scanner captures the finest detail, with 600 x 2400-dpi optical resolution and 48-bit true color/12-bit grayscale.

Added capabilities - Software

Included in the box! Bundled software further enhances the Lexmark X5150’s functionality to improve the efficiency of home-office users: ---

BVRP Fax Software – users can edit, store, send and receive documents via fax through their computers’ fax modems. Users select “Scan-to-Fax,” which launches the fax software and scans the file, and then simply input the fax number to send.

ABBYY FineReader Sprint Optical Character Recognition –

FineReader converts scanned paper documents into editable computer files.

Integrated Photo-Editing Software The photo software performs image editing, such as cropping and resizing, ‘red-eye’ removal and color manipulation – without any additional software Photo Sizing Photo sizing capability automatically adjusts images to print in popular picture sizes: wallet, 3” x 5”, 4” x 6”, 5” x 7” and 8” x 10”.

Tickets Available at Dr Herb Goldstein's Table

$1 each or 6 for $5

Why Spam Is Such A Big Deal

Although spammers love to say "Just hit the Delete key," it totally misses the point. By the time the spam hits the fan (well, when it hits all our mailboxes), so many costs have been incurred by so many people other than the spammer that it is either naïve or an utter act of denial to pretend that those costs can be undone with the pressing of one key.

Spam is about the numbers, so go figure: Here's why hitting the Delete key isn't really a workable solution. The U.S. Small Business Administration estimates that the United States has approximately 25 million businesses. If only 1 percent of those 25 million decides to send you just one single unsolicited e-mail per year, you average 685 spams per day in your inbox. If it takes an average of 10 seconds per message to open a message, determine that it is spam, and hit Delete, you spend two hours per day disposing of e-mail you never asked to receive.

New General Meeting Forum

Who or What is Knocking on My Cyber Door?

Open the cyber door for present and future trends on the Internet with this forum aimed to create a discussion network that would allow participates to exchange their recent finds of new technologies and resource sites with others in the group. Featured will be a monthly update of new trends and applications released for a cyber year (1 month), as well as those from participants.

Leader: Joseph Dobzynski
Room 626
5:55 - 6:55p

Registration is NOT required for this forum

The "Bytes" Beg, Bargain & Barter Basement

Got something "computer related" to sell? Looking for that rare peripheral? If it's computer related you can submit a short classified ad for exposure in Dave "Bytes". Be sure to include your name and e-mail address in the ad. You can also include a picture of the item. Now some would suggest that there be a charge for this feature but alas, since my bookkeeping skills leave much to be desired I've determined that this will be a free service to all SPCUG members in good standing. "Bytes" is currently sent to almost 1500 homes in the area. Ad requests will be included as soon as possible. I assume absolutely no responsibility as to the accuracy or completeness of supplied info. All transactions are between consulting adults which leaves me entirely off the hook. Please let me know by clicking HERE when your merchandise is sold so that I can remove it from the listing. I will try to run each ad for a month.

Click Here To Submit Your Ad

HP deskjet printer #812c $30.00

HP deskjet printer #712c $30.00

17 inch Envision flat screen monitor 9 mos. old $60.00

Bob Gagnon #1802
342-0478
bjsunshine@comcast.net

And Now

Dave's Cool Download

Hotkeycontrol XP is a free utility that allows you to define your own hotkeys so that a single key press can launch an application, insert commonly used text, change your volume, or just about anything else. Hotkeycontrol works with all versions of Windows from 98 onwards, though some features will only work with Win2K or XP. (0.91KB)

Who Says There's No Humor In Computing?

Graying of the Internet
by Sandy Berger

Pew’s Internet and American Life Project recently released their study on wired seniors, disclosing the number of seniors online as well as their motivation and Internet behavior. While senior citizens over the age of 65 comprise 14% of the U.S. population, they represent just 4% of the U.S. Internet population with a substantial number identifying themselves as Internet holdouts.

Many of our oldest Americans see no reason to go online, but those who do become enthusiastic surfers. Often they are coaxed online by relatives who are anxious to have their senior family members participate in e-mail activities. Once online, wired seniors are more likely to send e-mail than the average Internet user. Nearly three of five online seniors say that the Internet has improved family relationships.

Like the general Internet population, many seniors use the Internet to seek out information on hobbies and finances. Not surprisingly, seniors who suffer many age-related medical problems are also likely to research health issues online. The Pew study shows that few wired seniors do research for school or training, participate in chat rooms, or download music. Yet, surprisingly, seniors are more likely to play games online than any age group other than the game-crazed 18-29 year-olds. While the younger group is concentrating on shoot-em-up games, senior game choices are much more sedate. Bridge, mahjongg, and other card games as well as Monopoly and board-type games draw the most attention from seniors.

Although today’s seniors are only peppering the Internet, the silver tsunami is coming as the graying 50-64 year-olds are now among America’s most wired. This pre-retirement group is currently using the Internet at work and is comfortable using online resources for e-mail, news, online banking, job information, and work-related activities.

The Internet meets the needs of both the pre-retirement 50-64 year-olds and the senior 65+ and older group as they age. It provides instant communication with family and friends, medical information, learning opportunities, and many chances for self-fulfillment. As younger surfers show the benefits of the Internet to their senior family members and as the 50-64 year old group moves into retirement, the Internet of the future may be awash with gray.

Here's A Microsoft "Word" Tip

Copy and Paste — With a Twist!

One of Word 2003's nifty features is the ability to store more than one cut or copied block of text in the Clipboard at a time. So you can cut, cut, cut or copy, copy, copy, and then pick and choose which of those blocks you want to paste back into your document. They call it "collect and paste."

To view the Clipboard, just choose View, Task Pane, click the downward-pointing triangle in the task pane, and choose Clipboard from the menu. You'll see a list of all the things you've cut or copied.

To paste any collected text in the Clipboard, place the cursor's insertion point where you want to paste the text in your document, and click that chunk of text in the task pane. To paste something else, just move the insertion point again and click on another chunk of text.

Why not give the gift that keeps on giving all year round? I'm referring to a subscription to either Smart Computing, PC Today, CE Tips or CPU Magazines. If you are a current subscriber and order a gift subscription, the folks at Smart Computing will add 2 additional issues to your current subscription at no charge. And remember that even gift subscriptions will be credited to the SPCUG account so that we can accumulate free subscriptions to give away to our membership. If you aren't a subscriber you should be. These publications are geared towards the very same thing that caused you to join a PC User Group which is easy to read and understand computer information for folks at any level. If you already subscribe, be sure to use the appropriate SPCUG code when you renew !!!

To order call 1-800-733-3809 and be sure to give the following Code Numbers so that SPCUG gets proper credit.
Smart Computing (11607) CPU Magazine (272)

PC Today (146) CE Tips (219)

Free Tech Support

Many people view “free” as one of the nicest words in the English language. “Tech Support,” however, may not be such a positive term to computer users, especially if it evokes memories of the hours they’ve spent on the phone trying to get help for various computer problems.
The thing is, there’s a lot of troubleshooting we can do ourselves without relying on tech support reps, but we just need a little nudge in the right direction. Well, that’s what SmartComputing.com’s Tech Support Center tries to do: help people fix their own problems.

On SmartComputing.com’s Search Options page, combining a phrase and a category search can produce more targeted results.

For instance, if you keep seeing an error message appear on-screen that doesn’t make sense, you can take advantage of the Tech Support Center’s alphabetized, searchable list of error messages to get both a translation of the error and a possible resolution.

The Security & Privacy area and the daily Weblog keep you current on the latest malware (software created for malicious purposes) news. The Preventative & Regular Maintenance section should be required reading for all computer owners, and the Driver Education area helps you find device drivers online. But don’t go anywhere yet; the Tech Support Center offers much more. Need a list of file extensions? Trying to find info about eliminating viruses? Want to know more about stopping spam? Tech Support Center addresses all of these questions and more.
Plus, it’s not just a resource for solving problems; you can use it on an ongoing basis to learn more about preventing computing problems.
Spend 10 minutes a day at the center for a few months, and you won’t have to call your brother for help again; heck, he may even start calling you.

Ready for the best news? If you’ve exhausted all of the site’s resources, including the Q&A Board (see the next section), you can call the Web Services staff at (800) 368-8304, and someone will try to help you with your problem. And it’s still—there’s that nice word again—free.