Articles in Category: ask-leo.com
These are articles that have been migrated from the old “ask-leo.com” site but have NOT yet been cleaned up or otherwise updated. They’re here primarily as a reference. We’ll be updating the more important and popular ones over time.
Can someone get my IP address?
Establishing a direct file transfer in an instant messaging program can expose your IP address. I’ll discuss whether that’s a problem or not.
Can I get my TV programming over the internet?
There’s a lot of online video and TV available over the internet. However, it’s not yet a true replacement for your cable or satellite subscription.
How long do ISPs keep data on you?
ISPs and websites can keep logs of your activity. There’s no standard retention period, and whatever period that is used is kept private by each provider.
How did I get subscribed to this dating service?
The techniques spammers and even semi-legitimate business use in email can be misleading. Even a single click – or copy/paste – can catch you.
How do I get sound out of the correct speakers in Windows 7 and Vista?
If you have multiple speakers or playback devices, Windows might guess wrong as to which you want to listen to. We’ll set the correct playback device.
How do I use Facebook safely?
With Facebook’s popularity have come concerns about safety and security. I’ll review a couple of things to check and keep in mind as you use Facebook.
How long can I keep running my copy of Windows?
Windows has what’s called a ‘lifecycle’ – a series of stages beginning with release. I’ll review what happens as a version of Windows nears end-of-life.
How Do Download Accelerators Work?
Download accelerators use a number of techniques to make downloads appear faster and more resilient. I’ll cover the most common ways accelerators work.
How do I recover my email password from my mail program?
If your desktop email program has saved or remembered your email password for you, there are tools available that will recover and display it for you.
How do I backup my Yahoo! Mail?
Backing up web-based free email is important. It isn’t obvious how to backup Yahoo! Mail nor is it necessarily officially supported, but it’s not hard.
How do I get rid of IE9's "Speed up browsing by disabling add-ons" notification?
IE9 will notify you if it thinks you can speed up browsing because add-ons are taking too long to load. We can change the definition of “too long.”
How do I delete a contact in Hotmail?
Hotmail includes a contact list/address book for keeping track of your contacts. But that’s not the only place suggestions come from.
Webinar #9 – RSS, Google Reader and Searching Effectively
Webinar #9 – RSS, Google Reader and Searching Effectively – was at 1PM US Pacific time (9PM UTC) on Sunday February 12, 2012. ]]>
Why can't my Windows 7 machines 'see' each other on my network?
In Windows 7, the firewall is on by default. Sometimes, the firewall will actually prevent machines from seeing one another, even within your local LAN.
Why is Thunderbird saying your newsletter might be a scam?
Thunderbird includes a feature that examines links in email and tries to determine if they might be a scam. Sometimes, it’s just wrong.
Does this Email Address that Shows for Auto-complete Mean My Computer or Account Has Been Hacked?
Autocomplete, or “suggestions” made when filling out a web form can be misleading, even frightening, until you realize where the suggestions come from.
What version of Internet Explorer should I be running?
Like many programs, IE is a bit of a moving target. I’ll review where it is today, what version I recommend that you run, and what to do in case of problems.
What's a "live" CD? And why would I want one?
Live CDs are self-contained operating systems on a single bootable CD, DVD, or USB device. They’re handy when your machine runs into trouble.
What image format should I use?
There are a wide variety of image file formats around. I’ll take a look at the most common, how they differ conceptually, and what they’re good for.
Does Changing or Disabling the Broadcast of My Wireless SSID Make Me More Secure?
The SSID identifies your wireless access point to any computers in range. Having a unique one is helpful, but hiding it is only marginally more secure.
How do I make a photo's file smaller and take up less space on disk?
Digital photographs can result in quite large files, taking up space and becoming difficult to share. I’ll look at making those picture files smaller.
How do I deal with a photo that is it too large, visually?
These days, digital camera often take pictures that are much larger than our computer screen’s resolution. I’ll review some techniques to deal with that.
Why do some website pictures display so slowly?
There’s a mistake that website designers sometimes make that can seriously impact the amount of information downloaded to display even a small photo.
What’s the Difference Between a DLL and an EXE, and Why Is It Important?
DLLs and EXE files are very much related, but they are two different things. I’ll cover the differences and explain why knowing the difference matters.
What would you recommend for a small business to provide ftp to clients?
Small business use of FTP can make a lot of sense, but it’s not something you want to host yourself in most cases. I’ll give a recommendation.
Just how dangerous is it out there?
With daily dire warnings and admonitions, it’s easy to believe that the internet is dangerous. With appropriate and simple safeguards, it needn’t be.
How do I disable live taskbar previews in Windows 7?
Live preview shows a small version of a running application’s window when you hover the mouse over its taskbar icon. I’ll look at turning that off.
A (very) brief look at ZoomIt
ZoomIt is a small presentation assistance tool from the folks who made Process Explorer. I’ll give it a quick show.
How do I get a Hotmail password reset if my alternate email address is invalid?
If you lose access to your Hotmail account, the normal way to recover is to have a reset sent to your alternate email address. What if that can’t work?
A brief overview of Vim
With a nod to the super-geeky, I present a quick overview of the ubiquitous VI, Vim, and gVim text editor.
What Is a Clipboard?
The Windows clipboard is a fundamental and exceptionally useful feature that many take for granted. I’ll review what it is and what it’s good for.
Ultrasurf and Anonymous Browsing
Ultrasurf is an anonymous browsing service. I’ll discuss a reader’s problems using and also review alternatives and the impact on speed.
How do I back up my e-reader?
Backing up is important not only for your PC but for your digital book purchases as well. I’ll look at whether you need to and how.
2011 Most Popular Questions
The 10 most popular questions for 2011 as measured by visits to Ask Leo! This year’s top issue? Email account theft.
What does a recovery CD recover?
The term “recovery CD” is somewhat ambiguous as there are several different possibilities. I’ll review some of the options.
How do I use a URL broken by my email program?
Occasionally, long URLs sent in email are broken to fit some maximum line length. I’ll review one way to reconstruct the URL so it works.
How do I change what search engine is used by Internet Explorer?
Microsoft’s Internet Explorer naturally comes with Microsoft’s Bing as its search provider. That’s easy to change and there are many alternatives.
A brief overview of Webdrive
Webdrive is a powerful FTP/SFTP client that works in a unique way: It makes your remote site ‘just another drive’ on your Windows system.
Webinar #8 – Photo Manipulation
Webinar #8 – Photo Manipulation – was Sunday, January 8, 2012.
What Kind of Router Do I Need?
A router is a router is … actually, there are several different kinds of routers that are used in different situations. I’ll review the most common.
How do I remove spyware from a computer I loaned to a former friend?
Anyone with physical access to your computer can do anything with or to it. I’ll look at cleaning up after loaning it to the wrong person.
A brief overview of AutoHotkey
AutoHotkey is an incredibly powerful keyboard macro and keystroke remapping program. I’ll demonstrate its basic use.
How do I repair Windows 7 with a re-install?
Windows 7 has no explicit repair option when installing, but if a few criteria are met, there is a way to repair Windows 7.
How do I avoid trojans like Win 7 Home Security 2012?
Win 7 Home Security 2012 is the latest in a long line of so-called “scareware” trojans. I’ll review this malware and how to stay safe.
Why does my screen have a black border all around it?
Most flat panel displays have a default or native resolution at which they are best. If Windows uses a different resolution, the display compensates.
A brief overview of VLC
VLC is a popular media player known for its ability to play just about any format. I’ll go over a few of its features.
Amazon Kindle Fire – More than a great reading device
Amazon’s Kindle is a great e-reader. The Kindle Fire brings a backlit color touch screen – and the power of an Android tablet – to the table.
Why can't I send mail unless I'm at home?
One common spam prevention technique may result in you not being able to send email normally when you’re traveling. I’ll look at why this happens and what to do.
How do I remove the black Google toolbar and blue 'Click here to start sharing' bar?
Google recently added a black menu bar to its sites and a blue bar promoting Google+. I’ll look at what you can and can’t do to get rid of them.
How Do I Get My Login ID and Password to Stop Showing on Sites that I Log Into?
Web browsers include features that will remember your login ID and password for various sites for you. We’ll look at how that works in Firefox.
