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Sunday, November 30, 2003
In this Issue:
Special Feature: Getting Out of Trouble - Fixing a Frozen Computer
Tips & Tricks: Speed Up Internet Explorer
Featured Webpage: Computer Dictionary
Featured Computer Term: Spyware
Featured Webpage: Celebrate the Holiday Seaon
This Week's Topic: Computer Security
Questions: Microsoft Outlook – Automatically Deleted Email; Windows Explorer
Websites of Interest: Nostalgia Central; Cooking By Numbers; Newseum; Wheel of Fortune; How Far Is It?
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IMPORTANT:
We've changed our website address. It is now:
http://www.stsico.com
We hope that this shorter address is more convenient to use. Please update
your Favorites and Bookmarks.
Need more information on Bookmarks and Favorites? Visit our website:
http://stsico.com/html/bookmarks.html
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Using Links
A Link is a reference to a website. In this newsletter you will see links to
many worthwhile, informative and fun websites. Here are the instructions on
how to use links:
A link will be used one of two ways, depending on your email program.
If you see the link in blue, underlined text, all you have to do is click on
it and a window with the Website in it will automatically appear on your
screen.
If you see the link in plain text, you can copy and paste it into the address
bar on your browser. Highlight the link with your mouse, click Edit up on
the menu bar, and then click Copy from the menu that you just opened up. Open
your browser (click the Start Button, point to Programs, click on Internet
Explorer); click on the address bar. Click Edit up on the menu bar, and then
click Paste from the menu that you just opened up. Press the Enter key on the
keyboard and this will take you to the Website.
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Special Feature: Getting Out of Trouble - Fixing a Frozen Computer
Even if you do everything right, computers will occasionally misbehave. The most common problem is that the computer will not respond to the keyboard or mouse. Here are some steps to try to resolve the trouble:
Give the computer a couple of minutes to respond. It is possible that it may be busy doing something else in the background. If it doesn’t come back in about two or three minutes, then check for problems.
If the screen is dark, check the power. Is the electric on in your house? If yes, check that the computer is still plugged into the outlet. Also check all the other cables.
Many newer computers have suspend or stand by – this is a feature that blanks out the screen and puts the computer in a sleep mode to save electricity when it is not used for a period of time. To wake the computer up, press a key or move the mouse. On some computers, you may have to press the on button once.
If the monitor is not dark, check the cables that connect the keyboard and the mouse to the computer. Make sure that nothing is loose. If all cables are ok, and the computer still isn’t responding, read on!
Press the Escape (Esc) key a few times. In many situations that will take you back one step at a time, and you may get out of trouble that way.
If all else fails, try Alt Ctrl Del. With your left hand, press and hold down the Alt and Ctrl keys, with the right hand press and release the Del key once. If you are using Windows 98 or any later version, you will see the Close Program dialog box, which lists all the programs that are currently running. Some of these may look unfamiliar, because this list includes the ones that are running in the background.
The problem program will usually be listed on the top of the list; to the right of it, you will see a note telling you that the program is not responding. Click on it, and then click on the End Task button. The program will be closed. Unfortunately, you will usually lose any unsaved work, but there aren’t any other options.
It’s a good idea to close all other open programs and restart the computer at this point.
Sometime, although infrequently, even the Close Program dialog box will freeze. In that case the only option is to restart the computer. This is not a great thing to do and should only be done in an emergency.
If you have a restart button on your computer, use it. If you don't have a restart button, use the on button. On some computers, it may be necessary to hold down the on button for five seconds or more.
After turning the computer off, wait several minutes, and then turn the power button back on. You will probably see a message telling you about the improper shutdown, and the ScanDisk program will startup. It is a good idea to allow ScanDisk to run, so that your hard drive will be checked for possible errors.
Reminder: Save your work frequently! If you experience any of the problems above, more than likely you will lose any unsaved work in progress.
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Please tell your neighbors, friends and family about our classes and our
email newsletter.
If you would like us to send this newsletter to a friend, please send your
name and their email address to info@computerkindergarten.com with the words
Subscribe to Newsletter in the subject line of the email.
If you think a friend or family member would like to attend our classes,
we'll send them a printed list of upcoming classes. Send a stamped,
self-addressed envelope to: STSI - Class Schedule, 50 Lee Avenue, Babylon NY 11702.
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Tips & Tricks: Speed Up Internet Explorer
Does your Internet Explorer take too long to open? It is possible that your home page takes too long to load and is causing the slow down. Try this to speed up the process:
Set IE to open up a blank page. It will load much faster. To do so, click Tools on the menu, then Internet Options. Choose the General tab. Click the Use Blank button. Click the OK button.
Once Internet Explorer is open, navigate to the website of choice in the usual manner.
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Featured Webpage: Computer Dictionary
If you come across a computer term that you do not understand, you can get a definition at our website. A good page to bookmark:
http://stsico.com/html/dictionary.html
Read more about bookmarks at this site:
http://stsico.com/html/bookmarks.html
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If you are reading this newsletter because someone forwarded it to you, there are directions for subscribing at the end of this newsletter. Or you can go to our website at http://stsico.com/html/newsletter.html where you can subscribe and view our newsletter archives.
http://stsico.com/html/newsletter.html
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Featured Computer Term: Spyware
Spyware is software that transmits personally identifiable information from your computer without your knowledge. It is generally used to silently track the user’s personal information and surfing behavior to create a marketing profile that will be sold to advertisement companies.
Spyware is a relatively new kind of threat that most anti-virus programs do not yet protect against. If you see unusual things happening on your computer, programs popping up that you didn't intentionally install, browser crashes, or things that have changed without your having changed them, you may have spyware.
Unfortunately, even if you don't see anything, you may be infected, because more and more spyware is emerging that is covertly entering computers without the owner’s knowledge or permission.
A less threatening sort or spyware is adware. Adware is similar to spyware, but does not usually transmit personally identifiable information. Instead, it collects information on Internet usage such as website visits and time spent on particular websites.
Another kind of spyware is tracking cookies. Cookies are used all over the internet in useful and less useful places. Advertisement companies often set cookies whenever your browser loads a banner from them. In that case, the company gets notice about every site you visit that contains their ads.
Learn more about cookies at this link:
http://stsico.com/html/cookies.html
Is there a computer term or phrase that you'd like to see an explanation of?
Email it to info@computerkindergarten.com and we'll put the term and its
definition in an upcoming newsletter.
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Featured Webpage: Celebrate the Holiday Seaon
T’is the Season. We've compiled a long and interesting list of Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa websites for you. For traditions and history, recipes, entertainment for children, e-cards and more, visit our holiday website:
http://stsico.com/html/christmaskwanzaa.html
If you know of a holiday website that we should add to this list, please send the address to info@computerkindergarten.com
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New Manual: Computer Cleanup and Safety
Remove and protect your computer from spyware, viruses, cookies and more. Stop annoying pop up ads on the Internet. Keep your browser running effectively by cleaning up Internet Cache and History. Keep your computer running optimally by erasing old files and folders. Get rid of old email, use Mail Controls to block junk mail and don’t get fooled by hoaxes you receive. Find out and get rid of the programs that are running behind the scenes and slowing your computer down.
You will learn how to do all these things and much more with our new manual, Computer Cleanup and Safety. For the complete contents of this manual, take a look at our website:
http://stsico.com/html/cleanupcontents.html
Question: How can I order and receive a copy of Computer Cleanup and Safety?
Answer: You have a choice. You can download a copy of Computer Cleanup and Safety from our website (you will be provided with specific, graphical instructions on how to do this). If you choose to purchase your copy this way, mail a check or money order for $4.95 to Sharper Training Solutions, Inc., 50 Lee Avenue, Babylon NY 11702. Be sure to include your email address and a phone number. You will then receive an email from info@stsico.com with the address of the website where you can download your copy of this manual.
If you prefer to receive a printed copy of Computer Cleanup and Safety in the mail, send a check or money order for $9.95 to Sharper Training Solutions, Inc., 50 Lee Avenue, Babylon NY 11702. Be sure to include your address and a phone number.
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Today's Topic: Computer Security
Occasionally you will see pop up windows that tell you that your computer could be transmitting vital and private information about you, which could be targeted by hackers and viruses. These ads are usually trying to sell you some type of security software. Considering the fact that they are using wrong tactics to sell their product, it is quite possible that their software could be doing more harm than good.
You can take steps to protect your computer. Make sure that you are using a firewall: Windows XP has a firewall. If you are using an older version of Windows, check out ZoneAlarm (see link below).
However, no matter which software you use, it is not possible to completely hide your computer on the net. You still have to be careful. There are websites that will ask you to install ActiveX controls like Gator, Bonzi, or MP3 Dancer. These are spyware and you should avoid them. Do not allow the download, because, even if you uninstall them, they will still remain on your computer without your knowledge.
Link for ZoneAlarm information and download:
http://download.com.com/3000-2092_4-10247409.html
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Do you have friends who aren't as computer literate as you but would like to
be? Tell them to attend our Computer Kindergarten for Grownups class at the
library. To send them our schedule, send a stamp, self-addressed envelope to:
STSI, Class Schedule, 50 Lee Avenue, Babylon NY 11702.
Or, visit our website and print our schedule:
http://stsico.com/html/classes.html
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Question: Microsoft Outlook – Automatically Deleted Email
Question: I just got a new computer with Windows XP. I use Outlook for my email. I read my email and delete them but sometimes I like to go back to them later to read them again. However, I can't figure out what happens to them. As far as I know I should have to delete them as I did on my old computer. Where do I look to find my read email?
Answer:
Outlook has an option that automatically empties the deleted items when you close Outlook. If you want to delete email yourself, you can change this option. Here’s how:
In Outlook, click on Tools on the menu bar and then Options.
In the Options dialog box, click on the Other tab.
In the General section click to remove the check mark from the setting that says: Empty the Deleted Items Folder Upon Exiting.
For those who would like Outlook to automatically erase the emails in Deleted Items, follow the above steps to turn this option on. In the General section click to put a check mark in the setting that says: Empty the Deleted Items Folder Upon Exiting.
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Question: Windows Explorer
Where is Windows Explorer in Windows XP?
Answer:
In Windows ME and XP, the Windows Explorer program is a little bit harder to find than it was in Windows 95 and 98.
To open, click on Start, point to Programs then Accessories and then you will see Windows Explorer. Click on it to open.
To learn more about Windows Explorer, visit our website:
http://stsico.com/html/windows_explorer.html
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If you are enjoying this newsletter and find the information useful, please
feel free to forward it to your friends and family members. If you would like
us to subscribe a friend, please send your name and their email address to
info@computerkindergarten.com with the words Subscribe to Newsletter in the
subject line of the email.
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Websites of Interest:
Nostalgia Central
Here’s a fun website where you can read about the culture, music, television and movies of the 60s, 70s and 80s. If you grew up in any of those decades, this website will bring back memories.
http://www.nostalgiacentral.com
Cooking By Numbers
Tired of turkey but don’t have much else in your fridge? Here’s a website where you can input what you have, and you’ll get a list of recipes that you can make.
http://www.cookingbynumbers.com
Newseum
Look at the front pages headlines of more than 200 newspapers from around the world
http://www.newseum.org
Wheel of Fortune Online
Do you like Wheel of Fortune? You can play at this website:
http://www.freeworldgroup.com/games/wheel
How Far Is It?
The site calculates the distance between any two places (as the crow flies), gives US Census data, and latitude and longitude.
http://www.indo.com/cgi-bin/dist
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