SOHO Computer Support

Seven Deadly Sins of Home Office Security - CSO Online - Security and Risk

2009-06-23T16:52:00.000-07:00

"Whether your home office is for the occasional WAH or you're running a business from the house, are you guilty of one of these security oversights?"

A good solid list of security issues, including some that are usually overlooked.

Welcome | The PC Decrapifier

2009-05-12T14:49:00.000-07:00

"The PC Decrapifier is a program designed to remove or uninstall a specific list of unwanted software in an unattended fashion. It can be used to clean off most of the annoying software that is typically shipped with newer PCs."

A valuable program to get rid of a lot of bloatware that comes with new pcs.

What is Evernote? | Evernote Corporation

2009-05-06T15:59:00.000-07:00

"Evernote allows you to easily capture information in any environment using whatever device or platform you find most convenient, and makes this information accessible and searchable at any time, from anywhere. Did we mention that it's free?"

I am starting to see some rave reviews about this software. Work a look.

Email: Outlook Express - transferring to new computer, backup outlook express, copy mail

2009-04-26T18:19:00.000-07:00

"This article describes how to back up and restore your messages, Address Book, mail accounts, and news accounts in Outlook Express 5 and later. If multiple Identities are in use for Outlook Express, these steps should be repeated for each Identity and the backup data segregated accordingly. This will facilitate restoration of each Identity."

This is the sort of material that you need once every year or so.

OXYGEN 3, E-bulletin on IT security

2009-02-28T12:44:00.000-08:00

"Anti-Virus-1: A new fake antivirus Anti-Virus-1 is adware, specifically a 'fake antivirus'. As with all such adware, it is designed to simulate a scan of the computer, supposedly detecting thousands of strains of (non-existent) malware. The end aim is to sell users a pay version of the fake antivirus in order to eliminate the threats."

So many things to watch out for online.

FileBox eXtender - keep favorite folders at your fingertips

2009-01-09T11:20:00.000-08:00

"FileBox eXtender™ - keep favorite folders at your fingertips - free software for everyone, now also working under Vista Ver. 2.00.02 is now available for download"

Enhance the standard Windows File Open, File Save dialog boxes and Explorer folders.

7 Important Security Tips For Your Windows PC | Dumb Little Man

2008-11-12T16:32:00.000-08:00

"There are many ways for regular people to protect themselves from these vulnerabilities. I will share seven such tips below and while these tips may not guarantee foolproof security, they do make your computer less prone to attacks and hence, more secure."

A solid set of tips for protecting your Windows computer.

Snapily. Do more with your photos

2008-11-09T18:21:00.000-08:00

"Snapily. Do more with your photos
Create your own 3D & animated prints
Select a Design
Customize your Design
Order & enjoy!"

Create a animated business card. What fun.

Spychecker - download spyware removal and Internet privacy tools

2008-10-25T15:48:00.000-07:00

"Welcome to Spychecker.com
whether you are concerned about your online privacy or have suspicions that someone may be spying on your PC activities, you'll find a solution here that you can download and try, or even use it for free. All software has been downloaded and tested before it was listed."

A good list of freeware and low priced tools.

Create PDF Online Free, PDF Toolkit API for .NET, VB, Java, ASP for Programming PDF Server Applications and Converting PDF to Word.

2008-10-22T19:46:00.000-07:00

"BCL easyConverter SDK allows you to programmatically convert PDF to Word compatible RTF files. These Word compatible files can then be edited, modified or mined for text, graphics, tables and lists.
PDF fonts are mapped to the appropriate Word fonts with style, size and kerning to make accurate fit.
Single and multi-column pages are converted to equivalent structures with text flow preserved for facilitate editing.
PDF tables with and without PDF table structures are converted to Word tables.
Read more..."

A "cloud way" to convert PDF to RTF files that can be updated with Word. RTF files can then be converted back to PDF.

speed.io - Internet DSL Speedtest

2008-09-17T19:59:00.000-07:00

"Speed.io is a modern DSL speedtest to analyze your broadband internet access. You find that your internet connection is too slow or you are just curious how fast you are - speed.io is a perfect tool for a fast speed check - worldwide."

Nice tool with cool graphics.

Hive Five: Five Best Password Managers

2008-08-31T21:24:00.000-07:00

"...Luckily, there are several fantastic and secure password management applications designed to make it easy for you to remember, manage, and secure your passwords effortlessly. On Tuesday you shared your favorite password managers, and now we're back with the five most popular picks."

I think password managers are one of best productivity savers.

Microsoft Office Discount for Students - The Ultimate Steal

2008-08-25T18:50:00.000-07:00

"Microsoft Office Discount for Students"

Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Groove, Publisher, Access, InfoPath, Accounting Express for $59.95. Students Only.

Bulk Convert Old Documents to the new Office 2007 Format

2008-08-25T16:35:00.000-07:00

"Say you got tons of Excel sheets, PowerPoint presentations and Word documents on your computer that were written in Office XP or 2003. How do you convert all these files to the new Office 2007 format."

Tutorial on how to convert old documents to Office 2007 format.

NetSwitcher, the ultimate windows network setup utility.

2008-08-15T14:18:00.000-07:00

"NetSwitcher is a great tool for mobile computer users. If you've ever had to change your network settings every time you sit down at a client's site or fumble with your IP address configuration every time you plug into your home network, NetSwitcher is the tool for you."

A terrific idea for a product. I know I often switch settings from coffee shop to client office to home office. Minimal price.

Backup Utilities: Five Best Windows Backup Tools

2008-07-11T12:23:00.000-07:00

"Your data is your life, and if you're not backing it up regularly, you're flirting with disaster. On Tuesday we put out a call for your favorite Windows backup tools, and today we're back with the five most popular answers. Read on for a closer look at the five best Windows backup tools, then give your vote to the application you like best."

Good start on the top five backup systems.

How to change drive letter assignments in Windows XP

2008-06-29T14:14:00.000-07:00

"This article describes how to assign, to change, or to remove drive letters on a drive, a partition, or a volume by using the Disk Management snap-in in Microsoft Windows XP."

Good information for this rather arcane situation.

Alpha Geek: Turn an old hard drive into an external drive

2008-06-28T12:40:00.000-07:00

"So you finally replaced that overstuffed 80GB hard drive with a half-terabyte data warehouse. The question is, what do you do with the old drive? Stick it on a shelf? Toss it in the trash? Leave it in the machine?

Nah. The best possible fate for an old internal drive is to become a super-handy external drive, which it can do with a small investment of time and money."

A well written article with helpful information.

mistywindow’s tech log » Blog Archive » System File Checker - a Windows tool worth digging for:

2008-06-06T23:03:00.000-07:00

"SFC is an invaluable tool in Windows. It checks that all Windows files are where they should be and that they’re uncorrupted, it then puts things right. If you’ve done all your virus checking, error checking and defragging, but Windows is still doing strange things, then SFC can be your saviour."

Keep this utility around for when you need it.

Last call for Windows XP PCs is mid-June | InfoWorld | News | 2008-06-06 | By Bill Snyder

2008-06-06T12:39:00.000-07:00

"Most major PC makers and retailers will stop taking orders for consumer-oriented desktops and laptops with the older operating system by the middle of June. The simplest option for getting a new PC -- heading to a big-box retailer -- will yield the spottiest XP options."

If you want a new PC with Windows XP, the options are limited but available.

Run Chkdsk on Windows Recovery

2008-05-25T23:26:00.000-07:00

Chkdsk

Boot with Windows XP CD
Hit f12 (your mileage may vary) to select where to boot from
Enter C to boot from CD-Rom ... hit anything to confirm
Let it run until it gets to a screen with various options .. enter R
At command prompt chkdsk /r ... it will run several minutes ... upon completion
Exit

PC World - Answer Line: What to Do When XP or 2000 Won't Boot

2008-05-25T23:24:00.000-07:00

"If Windows XP (or 2000) refuses to start, press F8 right after you turn on your PC but before the Windows log-on appears (it may take a few attempts to get the timing right). At the resulting menu, select Last Known Good Configuration to restore your Registry to an earlier date."

Tips on what to do with problems on Windows XP.

Places Bar Customizations - Office 2000

2008-05-25T23:03:00.000-07:00

"If you would like to add your own folder to the Places Bar (seen in the File/Open and File/Save or SaveAs dialogs), you can do this by editing the Windows Registry."

This is one of my favorite window hacks. It can also be done with TweakUI.

It's not always malware: How to fix the top 10 Internet Explorer issues

2008-05-25T16:32:00.000-07:00

"The Internet Explorer of today is far more stable than it was back in 1999 when I first started supporting users. Back then kernel32.dll and wininet.dll crashes were regularly reported in the newsgroups – now such errors are only occasionally reported. Not only that, when non-malware issues do occur they are often easy to fix and often are solved by the same few tried and true procedures."

Excellent advice on how to fix common Internet Explorer problems.

Xobni: Learn more about Xobni for Outlook

2008-05-05T18:11:00.000-07:00

"It's a whole new look at your email:

Xobni is the Outlook plug-in that saves you time finding email conversations, contacts and attachments.

After a quick install, you'll see the new Xobni toolbar appear in Outlook - and suddenly information will become much easier to find."

Xobni is inbox spelled backwards. This product organizes your email in new ways.