Email Organization: Organize Your Inbox !

For as long as I can remember I’ve used web based email for all my email needs. I like the flexibility of logging into my email from anywhere and checking it. Over the past few years I have started to do a considerable amount of writing for companies and get a substantial amount of business mail sent to my inbox. I set up a business email address, but with six or seven businesses emailing me, it can get pretty difficult to sift through. If I need to reference an important note later on, it can get down right impossible. That … Continue reading →

The Importance of Early Typing Lessons

Computers are becoming more and more prominent in our day to day lives. If you want your children to succeed in school it can be a good idea to try and teach them some basic computer skills before they ever go to kindergarten. One of the first things your kids will have to learn is how to use the computer keyboard, and how to type. When I was a child, keyboarding was something you could take as an elective in eighth grade, but not a mandatory class. I opted to take band instead, and some when I got to high … Continue reading →

Cleaning your Hard Drive Part 2 – Data CD

So you’ve done the computer equivalent of dusting and vacuuming but now you need to clean out the cluttered closet to make room. You have done the three steps I spoke about earlier and cleaned out any old files, as well as anything you don’t need or use anymore. But what about data that you don’t want to lose, but you would like to remove from your hard drive? Or data you would like to have on a back up copy? You can use the basic floppy disk, but the size limitations can be restrictive. Most modern computers have a … Continue reading →

Cleaning your Hard Drive Part 1

“Oh my gosh! My hard drive is full and I am almost out of storage space!” This is one of those thoughts that kick me into “spring cleaning for my computer” mode. If you need room to download those wedding pictures or digital movie you filmed or you just need to clear out some of the clutter so that you can defragment (as explained in this article) I will show you three quick ways to clean up your hard drive some. Delete anything you don’t need to save. This is sort of like throwing out old post-its, memos, images you … Continue reading →

Microsoft Vista – System Requirements

Well it’s getting to be that time again. Microsoft is gearing up for the launch of its new operating system Microsoft Vista available in early 2007. The release date isn’t set in stone and a recent lawsuit by Symantec is trying to block the sale of MS Vista. But what type of computer will you or I need to run the latest operating system? Microsoft has recently updated its website with the system requirements we will all need to have if we want to run Vista. But I wouldn’t rush out yet to buy new components or a new computer … Continue reading →

Microsoft product support policies FAQ

Earlier I reported that official technical support will be ending for those who use Windows 98, Windows 98 SE, or Windows ME. According to Microsoft, these aging operating systems may expose users to security risks. Customers are encouraged to upgrade to a newer, more secure operating system. In light of this announcement, I’ve received questions from readers about Microsoft’s product support policies. Since the policies can be rather lengthy to discuss and difficult to understand, I want to only answer a few of the frequently asked questions. You always can check out the Microsoft Support Lifecycle Web site to find … Continue reading →

Microsoft ends tech support for Windows 98 and ME

Microsoft will end support for Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, and Windows Millennium (ME) on July 11, 2006. What does that mean for those who use one of these operating systems? It means that Microsoft will no longer provide any updates, official technical help, or fixes for the operating systems. You will, however, be able to receive self-help through the Microsoft Support Web site for at least another year. According to a press release on it’s Web site, Microsoft feels that these aging operating systems pose security risks and urges customers to upgrade to a new, more secure operating … Continue reading →

Defragmentation and You

What is fragmentation? That is a question that I am asked from time to time especially when a friend is experiencing computer slow down. Fragmentation is a condition of your hard drive disk in which files are divided into pieces and scattered through out the hard drive. Fragmentation is a natural occurrence that happens when you use your hard drive frequently, creating, modifying or deleting files. What this means in laymen’s terms is this: Say you have a digital movie of a birthday party, a 500 MB file. You also have 2 GB of free hard drive space. But there … Continue reading →

Relieving Computer Monitor Eye Strain

If you are anything like me you find yourself reading on your computer quite a bit. It doesn’t have to be an e-book, it could just as likely be a new recipe or an article about your pets. On some sites you may find the text hard to read, and even on well designed sites created for usability and readability long stretches of text can strain your eyes. There are a few quick and easy ways to help reduce the amount of strain you put on your eyes while you are surfing the net or writing up that family newsletter. … Continue reading →

Changing the default icon for a Windows Shortcut

Windows assigns icons to shortcuts used to start programs and processes. Shortcuts are found all throughout the Windows operating system including the desktop, start menu, and file listing. Basically, any time you see an icon associated with a file or program, there is a shortcut involved. Some of these icons can be changed from the default, so if you are one who likes to customize the look and feel of your system you may want to try changing the icon. Yesterday, we discussed creating a desktop shortcut to put your computer into hibernate mode. If you followed the steps I … Continue reading →