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.
Where do you hang out?
Social Media sites are all the rage. I’m on a few, are you?
What are XML documents?
XML is a specification for structuring data in a file. Exactly what data, and what it might be used for, is not part of that specification.
If people are getting spam from me, does that mean I have a bot infection?
There’s a lot of spam flying around, and much of it might claim to be from you. It’s not. Whether you have a bot infection is a different questions.
What's the difference between disk imaging and copying?
The word “imaging” when applied to disks is often misused and subject to some interpretation. Imaging can mean different things to different programs.
Why do different registry cleaners give different results?
Registry cleaning is a bit of a black art. There’s no real consensus on cleanliness, and different programs will often return different results.
How do I avoid re-installing all the Windows updates each time I reinstall Windows?
Windows is constantly being updated, and that means that after you’ve installed from CD there’s a lot to download. We’ll look at a few alternatives.
It's all about support
When making a purchase, do you think ahead to the kind of support you’ll get after?
How do I tell if this software is a good deal?
With so many products being offered how do you tell what’s good? We’ll look at some of the things I did in a recent bit of research.
How do I change the font that Windows uses?
Windows is highly customizable. The fonts that it uses are one of the items that you’re actually given a fair amount of control over.
Will hard disk encryption protect me from network attacks?
Whole disk encryption, or encryption in general, is an important tool in the security arsenal, but it shouldn’t be the only tool.
Why I chose XP
I decided that my new machine will run Windows XP, and not Vista. At least not yet.
Why do some programs say to "disable anti-virus" before installing, and should I turn it on again after?
It’s not uncommon for setup programs to recommend disabling anti-virus programs first. We’ll look at why. But do turn it back on when you’re done.
How do I delete my GMail account?
Gmail or Google Mail accounts can be quickly and easily deleted; we’ll walk through the steps. Just remember: it’s permanent.
Why are my Windows Live Hotmail Replies and Messages Blank?
Windows Live Hotmail appears to have a problem where the contents of some messages, typically replies, are blank. And there’s no fix or workaround yet.
How do I post a picture on the web?
Getting images from your camera to your hard disk is fairly easy. Posting pictures on the web is a little more work and a photo sharing site.
So why don't I run Linux?
I’d love to run Linux. I’m ready for Linux. But Linux isn’t quite ready for me. Or perhaps even you. But it’s getting closer.
Is remote printing secure?
Several computers often share a printer that’s connected to one. Printing activity can be logged, an in rare cases even documents exposed.
How should I maintain my Documents and Settings folder?
Documents and Settings contains a lot of information placed there by Windows and many applications. There’s no simple maintenance strategy.
Why Is My Firewall Software Alerting Me to a Connection Attempt from an Address like 192.168.1.1?
Firewall software can help protect against remote intrusion attempts, as well as outgoing attempts. 192.168 addresses give a clue as to the source.
Yes, it happens to me too.
I made what could have been an extremely expensive blunder.
How can we protect ourselves from botnets?
Botnets seem to be everywhere, and have become the single greatest source of spam and other malware transmission. Is it hopeless? Not at all.
Is this an email hoax? Will forwarding an email help a dying child?
We’ve all get emails asking us to forward the email so that some entity will make a donation to some cause. Don’t. Just don’t. It’s an email hoax.
Does my router have a firewall or not?
Most routers both do, and do not, have a firewall. The good news is that the protection offered by a router’s firewall is often exactly what you need.
What do normal people do?
What’s the average non-technical computer user to do when faced with incompetent technical support?
What's a T1 line, and how do I connect to it?
T1 lines are among the oldest of data technologies in use. They’re fast, reliable and a tad expensive. We’ll look at how they compare to alternatives.
Can I delete old versions of software?
Sometimes old software will not be removed from your machine. You can clean them up but there’s always risk. We’ll look at how to minimize that risk.
How do I synchronize Outlook 2003 between a desktop PC and laptop?
Moving from machine to machine with Outlook as a mail client is conceptually easier than you might think, but there are pitfalls.
Anonymous Comments – Good or Bad?
Is making anonymous comments illegal going to stop on-line harassment? I don’t think so.
How do I get rid of unused network icons in my taskbar notification area?
The area of you Windows taskbar near the clock can have an icon for every network connection. We’ll look at how to get only those you care about.
How do I share a copy of an application with a friend?
It’s tempting to try to email a copy of an application to a friend so you can share data. Unfortunately it’s probably wrong, and it won’t work simply.
How do bad software companies stay in business?
With so much bad software on the market its amazing that the companies stay in business. It’s not about technology, it’s all about economics.
How do I make sure that my deleted data is really gone?
There are approaches to data recovery that can sometimes retrieve deleted data. To ensure that your data is really gone requires a few extra steps.
Are free online backup services worth it?
There’s a new class of online storage available for free that can be used for remote backups. Should you use them? As part of a larger strategy, maybe.
How do I stop someone from sending me harassing email?
Stopping someone from sending you harassing email is harder than you might expect. Techniques to blocking harassing email are imperfect, at best.
A Cold Day in RAM
A new hardware exploit could allow RAM contents to be viewed even after powering down.
Can I switch from Windows Vista back to XP?
Windows Vista comes preinstalled on most new computers these days. You can typically revert to Windows XP if you like, but not without a little pain.
What programs should be running on my machine in the background?
When you run Windows a large number of processes run. Some are optional, some not. Unfortunately there’s no clear way to tell which should be which.
WiFi Everywhere
It seems like WiFi hotspots are almost everywhere, with more coming.
Do I still need Internet Explorer updates if I don't use it?
Internet Explorer is a browser but it’s so tightly a part of Windows that it ends up being much more. As a result, you probably want those updates.
How do I change the location of the My Documents folder?
The My Documents folder is typically in a very specific place for each user in Windows XP. The good news is you can move it, and it’s easy to do.
Why does my HTML email look different to the recipient than it does to me?
HTML email is often used to make email visually appealing. Unfortunately HTML email often does the opposite depending on the recipient’s email program.
Should I upgrade from Windows 98/Me?
Windows 98 and Me are no longer being supported. If you’re having problems it might be time to upgrade. Perhaps even if you’re not having problems.
The most effective upgrade.
The upgrade that’s most likely to affect your experience might not be what you think.
How can I be sure that there isn't "legitimate" spyware on my machine?
Monitoring software, used by parents and corporations, act very much like spyware. Ideally anti-spyware tools will tell you if they’re installed.
Why can't I login to this website until the page is fully downloaded?
Sometimes you can begin using a web page before it’s fully downloaded, sometimes you can’t. We’ll look at one common reason why that might be.
Will adding RAM to my system solve my problems?
Windows loves RAM, but whether or not adding RAM will resolve the issues you’re experiencing depends on the issues. We’ll look at an example.
MicroHoo?
My thoughts on the Microsoft bid to acquire Yahoo.
Why did my mail get sent to my friends old email address?
Sometimes updating your address book isn’t enough to flush an old email address from your email program. We’ll look at what else might be a factor.
Should I upgrade to IE7?
IE7 has been out for over a year now, and while continuing to run IE6 remains an option, there’s no real reason not to upgrade.
Can I do my backups over the internet?
Backing up to a service or server across the internet can be a useful part of a larger backup strategy, but the technique does have important limits.
