Read-only files aren’t written in stone  (6/21/04)

Changing to read and write-to can be accomplished two ways

You’re not alone if you’re confused about “Read-Only” Files. If you are, please go to your computer, click on “My Documents” and right click any File (for a menu of options) and left click (to execute a menu option) on “Properties.”

Properties is Window’s word for “information.” No matter where (on your Desktop or Start menu) or on what (a File, Folder or Shortcut) you right click, Properties will be a menu selection.

When the Properties panel of your selected File opens, notice at the bottom of the panel there’s a Read-Only check box. If the check box is not checked you can open the file and edit it. If it’s checked when you open the file you’ll receive the following (or similarly worded) message:

“The document C:\My Documents\Good Boot\Good Boot June 21st. Doc is in use or specified as a read-only. You may edit the Document, but you must save it with a new name. Continue?”

If you select “Yes” when you open the File you can edit it but as the message said, you’ll have to save it with a new name. In this case, perhaps, Good Boot June 21st Final.Doc.

I’ll not get into all the reasons a file may be designated Read-Only, but several obvious ones would be it’s a Windows System File, a Program Execution File or one your CD burner has copied and designated as a Read-Only File.

There are two ways to change the file back to a normal Read and Write-to File.

¸ Uncheck the Read-Only check box on the selected File. Click Apply > Okay.

¸ Open My Documents and click on Folders. Highlight the My Documents Subfolder or using Explorer scroll down to any Folder or SubFolder on your Hard Drive or CD-RW containing the Read-Only File or Files and Right click on it. Uncheck the Read-Only box and click on Apply.

A Confirm Attribute Changes panel will offer two options. To apply the Read-Only file attribute change to:

• Only the Files contained in the highlighted Folder

• All the Files contained in the Highlighted Folder and Subfolders.

Make your choice and click OK. The folder or subfolder will remain Read-Only but their files will be changed.

Keep in mind files on a CD-R are all Read-Only. When you access them they’ll have to be saved with a new name. But obviously they cannot be saved with a new name back onto the “closed” CD-R. You’ll have to save the edited Files to your My Documents.

Novices — please confine this File Attribute change to only Files you’ve created!

Here’s wishing you a Good Boot.    [index]

There’s no magic bullet to stop spyware  (6/28/04)

Minimize exposure, damage through safe computing practices

Although I was pleased that nearly 300 Good Booters were concerned enough about spyware to attend our User Group spyware presentation, I was not pleased when I discovered all too many attendees were:

• Seeking a magic bullet that would protect them from spyware and viruses.

• Becoming so paranoid about spyware and viruses they were losing their enthusiasm for e-mail and the Internet.

And I’ll wager many of you reading this column have been seeking an anti-spyware and anti-virus magic bullet. Maybe some of you are even showing symptoms of cyberspace paranoia.

Please believe me: You’re never going to find that magic bullet. Nor in my opinion are you destined to see the day our legislators enthusiastically support anti-spyware legislation. How can they legislate against something the recipient has agreed to receive albeit unintentionally by gullibly clicking on “I agree” without reading the disclosure or license agreement they’re agreeing to?

However, even the most novice Good Booter can minimize their exposure to viruses and spyware if, instead of naively seeking a magic bullet, they become knowledgeable of and dedicated to safe computing practices.

I’ve begged you many times to adhere to the universal rules for safe computing. But let me beg you, again, to:

• Never open an e-mail attachment unless you know who it’s from, what it is and what it does.

• Never and I emphasize never open an attachment that’s been forwarded to you.

• Insure you’ve downloaded and installed all current Windows Critical Updates.

• Ensure your Norton anti-virus is updated on a regular bases.

• Ensure your fire wall is set.

• Thoroughly read disclaimers and license agreements before you download “anything” to your computer.

• Be suspicious of e-mail redirecting you for whatever reason to a Web site.

And let me add a couple of my personal suggestions for safe computing.

If you suspect you’ve got a virus or spyware — even if it’s only a hunch, stop what you’re doing and contact a qualified technician. If you do not have or know one, e-mail me and I’ll forward your suspicions to one of our consulting technicians. They do not charge to chat!

And please consider joining the Southwest Florida PC Users Group. For only $35 you’ll be able to attend our monthly meetings, where you can attend a problem-solving session with our consulting technicians. An hour-and-a-half question-and-answer session precedes our featured presentation.

Also, many of our monthly presentations should interest you.

You’ll also receive my 56-page monthly Computing Journal.

Here’s wishing you a Good Boot.    [index]

Digital photos subject of seminar  (7/5/04)

Explore partnership possibilities of Windows

Regardless of how often I attend a Dwayne Alton digital photography seminar (and I attend them all), I never cease to be amazed at the knowledge so many Good Booters have concerning digital photography. I’m also amazed at their dedication to discovering all that Windows offers in support of digital photography and photo editing.

But as Southwest Florida’s advocate for beleaguered novices, I know that, for every Good Booter who has mastered the digital photo and photo editing features offered by Windows, there’s a multitude of Good Booters who would like to become involved but are digitally challenged.

And by the way, just as many are not interested in becoming another Ansel Adams but only interested in “Printing and Sending” after a session of “Pointing and Shooting.”

So if you’re digitally challenged, why not attend my seminar at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at the Lee Memorial Hospital auditorium. I’ll not burden you with anything more than what you need to know to begin a Windows-supported digital photography adventure.

It will be an adventure for those currently not overly enthusiastic about having to mortgage their estate to begin.

What I’ll demonstrate:

• How to download a digital photo or scan it onto your computer

• How to organize the photos you’ve downloaded or scanned

• How to prepare photos for e-mailing

• A few very basic photo editing techniques like converting and cloning

• Burning your photos to a CD

But what will ensure this seminar is appropriate for the most novice computer user and/or digital photographer among you is you’ll be able to sit back and relax as I’ll have a complimentary CD that will include:

• A tutorial of my presentation

• The software (freeware) with its tutorial I’ll be using to demonstrate basic photo browsing and editing. The only software you’ll need to begin your digital editing adventure

• Trial software a bit more advanced should you need it in the future. Software you can evaluate before purchasing

• A collection of my favorite cartoons you can clone, crop, manipulate and mutilate to your heart’s content without any concern about editing boo-boos.

And should my scanning demonstration be intriguing enough to influence you to consider purchasing a scanner, I’ll use an affordable scanner.  One that will prove you do not need to spend more than $100 to begin a scanning adventure.

I cannot think of a better way to explore the possibilities associated with the partnership between digital photography and Windows than to watch it demonstrated in an air conditioned venue on state-of-the-art presentation equipment.

Here’s wishing you a Good Boot.    [index]

SnagIt program has lots of advantages, uses  (7/12/04)

For less than $40, you can enjoy plenty of computer amenities

I’ve got a strict criteria for recommending software programs to Good Booters. A program must be reasonably priced, have a novice, friendly learning curve and, most important, be extraordinarily useful. Furthermore, I try to confine my recommendations to programs I believe would be of interest to all Good Booters.

Today, however, I’m going to recommend a program that a novice might perceive as having limited value. But my hope is that, even if you are a novice, you’ll indulge me and read on.

SnagIt is the pre-eminent Screen Capture, Edit and Share program. It provides a complete solution for capturing, editing and sharing anything you can see on your monitor and, in some cases, what you cannot see.

Snagit (www.techsmith.com) efficiently:

• Captures images of your screen or any portion of it. Once captured, you can send the image to a graphic file, printer, e-mail or even a Web server.

• Saves images as BMP, GIF, EPS, JPEG, PNG, PSD, TGA and TIF.

• Outputs to the Clipboard, printer, a file, the Web, an e-mail attachment or a preview window.

• Captures text from applications even if they don’t support copy and paste.

• Imports text into spreadsheets and databases.

• Captures onscreen motion of any application to an AVI file.

• Records mouse and cursor movements.

• Creates time-lapse videos.

• Prints documents to an image file rather than printing on paper. You can then scale the output to fit on a single page.

• Organizes Screen Captures so you can view, navigate and manage them.

• Previews each image file for editing using SnagIt’s Image Editor.

And one of my favorite SnagIt features is the ability to scroll through a Web page and capture its entire content.

The bad news is most screen capture software captures only what you see on your monitor. The good news is Snagit installs an icon on your IE Menu Bar that when you click on it begins a scroll-through of the entire page. When the scroll-through is complete it saves the entire page as a Bitmap Image.

All this and much more for less than $40. And for the doubting Thomas, Snagit offers a full version 30-day free trial.

• A reminder: The second seminar in Dwayne Alton’s “Digital Seminar Series” (getting pictures onto your computer) will be at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at Lee Memorial Hospital Auditorium. For specific information go to www.goodboot.com > Seminars.

Here’s wishing you a Good Boot.   [index]

Different CDs should be used for different jobs  (7/19/04)

At every Good Boot seminar I discuss backing up one’s irreplaceable “Stuff.” And I do so not to be a nag, but because it’s so important and so misunderstood. And I always conclude my discussion with a demonstration of how to “burn” one’s irreplaceable “Stuff” to a CD. But before I perform the actual “burn,” I ask if there’s anyone who doesn’t understand the difference between a CD-RW and a CD-R. Most do not.

It never ceases to amaze me that so many know so little about what these rascals have to offer. Particularly in light of the fact most of them have computers with a “burner” and “burning” software.

The following explanation of how best to use a CD-RW and a CD-R may seem overly simplistic to some. But it’s important novices learn what they need to know to begin a “burning” adventure.

A CD-RW must be formatted (definition at: www.computeruser.com/resources/dictionary/). If you have a state-of-the-art computer, Windows should automatically recognize an unformatted CD-RW and ask if you want it formatted. Formatting can take 20 minutes or so. Once it’s formatted it can be used over and over again to do all its big brother (a hard drive) can do.

Think of a CD-RW as a very skinny 600-plus megabyte hard drive.

A CD-R doesn’t have to be formatted. It’s best used to permanently store files, photos and music.

Once the data is burned to a CD-R and it’s “closed,” the data can’t be altered, added to or overwritten. And unlike a CD-RW, you can be assured the data on a CD-R can be read by most any computer in the world.

Yes, a CD-R can be left “open” to allow the user to add additional data. But my advice to novices is to forgo this option. At only 20 cents apiece, I suggest one shouldn’t be overly concerned on how much data they can squeeze on CD-R.

If you want to “burn” a current backup of your My Documents containing all your irreplaceable “Stuff” each time you wander away from or shut down your computer — use a CD-RW.

If you want to archive your My Documents, create a photo or a music CD and be assured that CD can be read on any computer — use a CD-R.

Windows provides most of what you need to begin a “burning” adventure. I suggest, however, you consider investing in a third-party burning software program with all the bells and whistles. I use Roxio Easy Media Creator 7.

Here’s wishing you a Good Boot.   [index]

Just to be safe, backup your 'Stuff' on regular basis  (7/26/04)

n Protecting the Dye Layer of your CD-Rs. Most take great care to protect the side of their CD-R the laser reads data from. When in fact it's the label side which contains the dye layer that's the most sensitive part of all CDs. If you tear off the dye layer or even scratch it, all your data will be lost.

Try this universal method of saving e-mail  (8/9/04)

Here’s wishing you a Good Boot.  [index]

Pointers help clarify column on e-mail  (8/16/04)

Some problems can be easily solved with tips

My Aug. 9 Good Boot “A universal way to save valued e-mail” generated many questions concerning problems experienced when trying to follow my directions. Best I address the most often asked before continuing my “how to save” articles.

Concern: After clicking on Make a New Folder I had difficulty naming the new folder. My new folder wanted to keep the name New Folder.

Solution: When you click on My Documents > Make a New Folder a New Folder icon will appear filled with a pulsating highlighter. Whenever Windows presents a pulsating highlighter, it’s Windows way of telling you that you can type over the text in the highlighted area without first having to delete what’s there.

However, if for any reason you disturb the highlighted area before you start typing, then the highlight turns off and you’re left with a Windows label. In your case, you were left with a folder named New Folder. Click on and highlight New Folder then click “Rename this Folder” from the My Documents menu.

Concern: After opening a blank Document I had difficulty saving it to the My Documents sub-folder I created.

Solution: Whenever you copy and paste anything into a new blank document or, for that matter, create any new document, you should save it (File > Save As) with a unique name. If you don’t, it’ll be given the non-specific name of Document (1,2, etc).

When you do click on Save As, notice on the pop-up panel that by default it suggests you place your new document in My Documents. However, you wanted to place it in the My Documents sub-folder you created. So look in the panel below My Documents and click on the sub-folder you created (it will open) then click on Save.

Concern: I successfully highlight the text I wanted to copy, but when I paste it into a new document the formatting looks nothing like what I copied.

Solution 1: Often the text of an e-mail or document of any kind contains hidden formatting — sometimes formatting not recognized by the document into which you are pasting it. The result can be a disappointing Paste.

If this happens, Paste as “unformatted text.” In WordPad, Word and WordPerfect click on Edit > Paste Special. Then click on “Unformatted Text” > OK.

Solution 2: When you Paste into Word, a little Paste Options box should appear at the end of the pasted text. If the text doesn’t meet your expectation, put your pointer on the box, click the little down triangle and select “Keep Text Only.”

Here’s wishing you a Good Boot.   [index]

Be sure not to lose any of your Internet favorites  (8/23/04)

Last week, I interrupted my “How to Save E-mail, Favorites and Internet Settings” tutorial to explain several Windows techniques I used that confounded many Good Booters. This week, I’ll return to my “how to save” tutorials with saving your Internet Explorer Favorites.

I hope by now that Good Boot AOLies have taken my advice and are browsing the Internet by opening and minimizing AOL and then clicking on the Big Blue E on their desktop. This is one of my “just do it” proclamations. But if I had to provide one good reason, it would be that your favorites will now be permanently located on your hard drive.

However, as with all your irreplaceable data, there’s always the risk of losing your favorites. So if you have a significant collection of favorites, they should be “Backed up and Burned” along with all your other irreplaceable “Stuff.”

The quickest way to save your favorites:

1. Click on My Documents > Make a new Folder and name it “My Favorites.”

2. Open Internet Explorer.

3. Click File > Import and Export and follow the Wizard.

4. Select Export Favorites. Your Favorites Folder will be highlighted.

5. Click Next and you’ll be asked where to Export. By default the Wizard will suggest My Documents.

6. Use the Browse button to locate and highlight the My Favorites sub-folder you created.

7. Click Save.

When you click Save you’ll create a Bookmark.htm file — a special file containing all your favorites. To restore your favorites if you lose them, use the Wizard to “Import” the Bookmark.htm file.

However, if you’d like to save your favorites and also be able to individually see each one, you’ll need to:

1. Click on My Documents > Make a new Folder and name it “My Favorites.”

2. Click on My Computer > Local Disk (C:) > Documents and Settings > Owner.

3. When the Owner Folder opens you’ll see a sub-folder with a star-shaped icon. This is your “My Backup Favorites” Folder. Open by clicking on it.

4. Click Edit > Select All. Then click Edit > Copy.

5. Go to My Documents, highlight and click on the sub-folder “My Favorites” you created and click Edit > Paste.

Reverse this procedure to restore your favorites.

Either of these two methods will ensure your favorites will be included in your next My Documents “Back up and Burn.”

But keep in mind you must remember to save your favorites.

I suggest you get in the habit of saving your favorites each time you add new Web sites to your Favorites.

Here’s wishing you a Good Boot.  [index]

More ways to save important e-mails, your Address Book  (8/30/04)

Making printed copy is also worth thinking about

 When I presented a “Universal Method of Saving Important E-mail” (Good Boot, Aug. 9) my intent was to:

• Provide a simple, foolproof way you can save e-mail regardless of how you receive it.

• Encourage you to get in the habit of saving important e-mail when you receive it — a habit that reduces the chance you’ll forget to save it.

• Present a Windows feature that allows you to save only the information in an e-mail you want to save.

If you’re using Outlook Express, you can also save an e-mail by opening it and clicking File > Save As and directing the Outlook Express .eml or the .htm file to the My Important E-mail subfolder you created in My Documents.

To determine whether my way or the Outlook Express way of saving important e-mail is the best for you, I recommend you save in the My Documents, My Important E-mail subfolder you created a:

• Word processing document with copied and pasted e-mail text

• Save As an .eml file

• Save As an .htm file

Then go to that folder and click on each file and determine for yourself which presentation best suits your needs.

I’ll bet all Good Booters shudder at the thought of losing their Address Book. Fortunately, Outlook Express provides an easy way to back up one’s Address Book.

1. On the Outlook Express Toolbar, click Addresses. This opens your Address Book.

2. From the Address Book menu bar, go to File > Export and then select Address Book (WAB)

3. In the Save In dialog box, name the file and direct it to your My Documents, My Important E-Mail subfolder and click Save.

4. To restore your Address Book, repeat steps 1 and 2 and select Import. Then browse to your My Documents, My Important E-mail subfolder, highlight the WAB file and click Open.

After Mother Nature’s recent reminder she’s not adverse to denying us the power we need to access our computers for information, perhaps I should also encourage printing a hard copy of one’s Address Book?

Here’s wishing you a Good Boot.  [index]

Defer, refer if you have any doubts about updates  (9/6/04)

Several weeks ago The News-Press featured an excellent article on what the Windows XP user should expect when Microsoft releases Windows XP Service Pack 2. So I'm pretty sure most Good Booters are aware if they're in doubt as to whether or not to install it and what features might cause them problems, they should contact their technician.

It's inevitable, however, that eventually everyone will need to install Service Pack 2 to keep their XP state-of-the-art and their Internet access secure. And the most effective way to update is to set your system for "Automatic Updates."

But I suggest if you're a novice and have selected or are considering selecting this method of updating XP, you refine your update options to ensure you have an opportunity to consult with your technician before installing a download.

Click on Start > Control panel > System > Automatic Updates and select either:

• Download updates for me, but let me choose when to install.

• Notify me but do not automatically download or install.

And this is why.

In the past, when one received an update notification, there was a Detail button that accessed a description of the update — an opportunity shall we say "to read the fine print" before accepting the product. But now you may be presented with a new panel offering these two options:

• "Express Install (Recommended)"

• "Custom Install (Advanced)"

Unfortunately for the novice, the one most likely to accept Microsoft's recommendation, Express Install doesn't offer a detailed description of what they'll be downloading. Furthermore if they do select it and are not alert, the download and install sequence may be too quick to abort if they have second thoughts.

On the other hand, the Custom Install (Advanced), more than likely a choice attractive to only an experienced user, not only provides a detailed description of the download, it provides a hyperlink to Microsoft's Web site and an in-depth presentation of the download.

I don't understand the logic behind this offering. But it's the reason I suggest you select one of the update "download" delay choices above. I cannot overemphasize the importance of updating, but if you're in doubt about an update "defer and refer." Delay an installation until you've discussed it with your technician.

For the many Good Booters who requested I notify them when I'd be repeating my "How to Protect Yourself from Viruses, Spyware and Internet Bad Fellows" seminar, it'll be this Saturday, Sept. 11. E-mail me for additional information.

Here's wishing you a Good Boot.   [index]

Home movies on DVD likely to last long time  (9/13/04)

One of the first phone calls I received after Hurricane Charley had departed and my phone service was restored was from my sister.

Now please know I do love my sister very much, but her ability to ask inappropriate questions at inappropriate times has from time to time encouraged me to consider disowning her. So when she asked me if our family movies had survived Charley only a breath or two after a rather perfunctory "are you all right," thoughts of disowning her were rekindled.

I must admit, however, although I did bristle a bit and sarcastically asked her to prioritize her two concerns, her question about the safety of the videocassettes did become food for thought.

I dare say a good percentage of those of us celebrating our golden years have videocassettes of family celebrations, trips and events taken before the days of digital photography. And I'll wager some of those videocassettes are 8 mm home movies copied to videocassettes.

In fact, years ago I copied to videocassettes and stored away 50 years of my father's 8 mm home movies promising myself I'd periodically gather the family together for an evening of nostalgia. A promise I've yet to keep.

But after my sister's comment and Charley's rudeness, I decided I should get busy and convert my videocassettes to DVD if I wanted to be assured my great-great-grandchildren would have an opportunity to enjoy our family movies. And I believe they'll be the ones most interested in the 20th century branches on their family tree.

After a bit of research I discovered if I used a bit of common sense about the number of videocassettes I wanted to convert, the cost was quite reasonable. I also found a quality $40 DVD player attachment for my TV that plays every DVD and CD format known to man.

Whether or not the convenience of DVDs will encourage me to be any more enthusiastic about viewing home movies is debatable. But I do believe my DVDs stored in a safe deposit box will have a better chance of survival than my videocassettes stored in storage boxes. And I have no doubt 50 years from now my DVDs will be readable.

The point I'm trying to make is it takes only one Charley to make one realize how perishable everything we hold dear can be. However, today's technology does provide an opportunity to secure some of what is important to us.

If you'd like information on how inexpensive it can be to convert your videocassettes to DVD, e-mail me.

Here's wishing you a Good Boot.   [index]

Color printing costs can really add up  (9/20/04)

The right printer and careful management of imaging expenses can often reduce how much you spend

As I was experiencing pre-Charley, Frances and Ivan angst, I busied myself finishing up 11 computer e-books and 10 tutorials for my 2004-05 Good Boot seminar season.

My e-books and tutorials are formatted in Adobe PDF format as it allows me to publish them in full color using fonts of my choice and be assured they can be read on any computer and printed using any printer. I then burn them to CDs for distribution.

As efficient and practical as this method of publishing is, however, it doesn't preclude having to print the e-books many times to ensure the legibility of the hundreds of color graphic screen shots supporting the tutorials.

I'll wager at this very moment DeskJet users are having trouble coping with the thought of anyone having to print hundreds of color graphics over and over again as it conjures up terrifying visions of hemorrhaging expensive color ink cartridges.

But the cost of purchasing ink cartridges was only half my plight. For as I was halfway through printing the first e-book my DeskJet of many years choose the moment to retire, forcing me to ignore the harbingers of Charley and rush forth to purchase another.

This time I decided to purchase an Epson. Not necessarily because of the quality of its hardware as the quality of all DeskJet hardware is pretty much the same. But because it has four color cartridges that can be purchased individually — as needed. And I know from experience when I print screen capture graphics, black and cyan hemorrhage while magenta and yellow just drip.

Epson printer software provides a pop-up window when printing begins showing you how much ink remains in each cartridge. It also warns you when any one of its cartridges is less than 20 percent full and will stop printing when any one of the cartridges is empty. Practical features worthy of mention, but not necessarily features designed to reduce the extraordinary cost of color printing.

To lessen this cost, I'm currently reviewing a software program called "Inksaver." A free "review" download is available at www.inksaver.com. As it's compatible with most DeskJet printers, you might want to give it a try.

Before I print a DeskJet document it asks me what percent of color quality I want. I've used it extensively for "draft" printing. At its lowest percent of color quality, although the colors are very pale (saving ink), they remain representatively true. Far more so than most DeskJet "draft modes."

By conserving ink and being able to purchase individual color cartridges, I've significantly reduced my printing costs.

Here's wishing you a Good Boot.   [index]

  10/04/2004