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.
Exploding Laptops?
The paranoids were right ... sort of.
Shovelware: What do I do with all this extra software on my new machine?
Shovelware - lots of extra software you didn't ask for - appears on almost every new machine these days. I look at why shovelware exists, and what you might want to do about it.
Replacement hard drive: how can I copy files from a failing drive to its replacement?
Replacing a hard drive is not terribly difficult, but if you're worried about losing data, then perhaps replacing the hard drive isn't all you should do.
Free Downloads: are they safer if I download directly to CD or DVD?
Free downloads are a lucrative way to get games, programs, and other things at no cost. But sometimes free downloads carry a very heavy cost in the form of spyware, viruses and more.
Blurry images: why do images on some web pages start out blurry and then clear up?
Sometimes blurry images are simply an artifact of how images are encoded and downloaded. If blurry images clear up after a second or two, that's almost certain.
Parental Monitoring Software: My child figured out how to turn it off – what can I do?
Parental Monitoring Software is a way to keep an eye on what your child is doing on-line. Until they learn to disable Parental Monitoring Software, that is.
Privacy? What Privacy?
AOL's recent intentional, yet mistaken, release of search data shows how tenuous our privacy really is.
26 Drives? Is there a way around the 26 drive limit in Windows?
26 drives appears to be the limit within Windows, with drive letters assigned A: to Z:. There are alternatives to 26 drives that are, effectively, limitless.
How do I print just portions of an email or web page?
Printing a portion of document can be tricky. For email and web pages, printing a portion boils down to one of two approaches, depending on how close to the original you want things to look.
Outlook Express Problems: My folders are empty, corrupted or just not working – what do I do?
Outlook Express Problems, including folder corruption, can manifest in several ways. I've found a good article on Outlook Express folder corruption, and steps to take to avoid, and recover from it.
Auto Start: How do I run a program automatically when Windows starts?
There are several ways to auto start a program under Windows. Unfortunately, only one of the auto start methods is easy.
Security Now
Security Now is a weekly podcast covering technology and the security issues related to it. Security Now is a podcast I listen to and recommend.
Why I'm Ignoring Vista
Vista could be cool. Or not. It could be on schedule. Or not. Is it worth your time now? Probably not.
Why is my USB mouse not detected reliably?
USB device detection normally works well, albeit mysteriously. The mouse is a critical Windows component, so if your USB mouse is not detected, an error results.
Someone's created an account in my name, what are my options to stop them?
It's easy to create an account in someone else's name and harass people. It's not so easy to track or punish the offenders, but it can be done.
How do I configure WinSCP for Public Key authentication?
Public Key Authentication is a powerful and secure way to manage server access. This video demonstrates configuring WinSCP for Public Key Authentication.
Newbie? Or Normal?
Those that many of us consider to be "newbies" probably reflect the majority of computer users.
HTML font size: why can't I increase it on some web pages?
The HTML font size in a page's encoding can get in the way of things like "view larger". There are ways to bypass this bad HTML font size setting.
Does all this talk of outsourcing mean I should choose a different career?
Outsourcing is a hot topic on both sides of the workforce. Should the larger labor pool offered by outsourcing affect your career choice? In a word: no. There's something much more important.
Winternals is Assimilated
Winternals and SysInternals have been purchased by Microsoft; Windows developers world-wide shudder.
I'm only getting speeds of 28.8kbs, why won't it go faster?
28.8kbps is a standard speed for dialup modems, But even if your modem is rated at 56kbps, often 28.8kbps is all you'll get. There's one major factor that causes the actual speed to be lower than advertised.
Why might my network icon show constant activity?
When enabled, the network icon in the system tray lights up when data is sent or received. If the network icon is constantly lit when you're not doing anything, there are several possibilities.
How do I put a picture into the caption of a picture on myspace.com?
Putting a picture into the caption of a picture on MySpace sounds kind of funny, but it works. In fact, you can put a picture into the caption, and you can use other HTML as well.
Cyclic Redundancy Check: what is it, and how do I get rid of it on my newly burnt CDs and DVDs?
Cyclic Redundancy Check is an error detection mechanism to make sure that your data has been read properly. If a Cyclic Redundancy Check fails, it could mean several things.
Why am I not getting all messages sent to the mailing list I'm on?
Mailing list messages represent a conversation between members that has a natural order. It can be very confusing when some mailing list messages arrive out of order, or not at all.
What's so special about a "permalink"?
'Permalink' is a term that's become more visible in recent years with the rise of blogs and blogging software. But what does 'permalink' really mean?
WGA: Is it spyware?
Windows Genuine Advantage has all the earmarks of spyware. What should the average user do about it?
Personal Folders: why am I seeing them listed more than once in Outlook?
Personal Folders is how Outlook Labels your PST or Personal mail STore by default. Outlook can get confused and display the same Personal Folders more than once.
Digital Signatures: what are they, and how do they protect me?
Digital Signatures use public key cryptography to validate both message sender and message contents. Digital Signatures rely on simple concepts you should know, built on top of very complex mathematics you don't need to worry about.
Should I use Windows File Compression?
Windows File Compression automatically compresses files so that they take up less space. In the best circumstance Windows File Compression can free up a lot of space - but frequently it's not as much as you might expect, and there is cost.
Check out Google Checkout
Google Checkout promises to be a one stop purchase processor. Where have I heard this before?
Why does my computer keep wanting to dial a connection?
Internet Explorer can automatically dial a connection if you use dial-up to connect to the internet. Having it automatically dial a connection can get in the way, though. Here's how to turn that off.
Why can't I email this movie?
Emailing movies is very tempting, because it's simple. Unfortunately emailing movies and other large files often fails. We'll look at a couple of alternatives.
Can a computer virus spread behind my firewall?
Computer viruses spread in different ways. A firewall is very important but some computer viruses can spread on your local network if they make it across.
Can web sites monitor my Google searches?
Web sites get a lot of information from your Google searches, but that doesn't mean that web sites can monitor every Google search you do.
Why did I get a password reminder I didn't ask for?
A password reminder that isn't expected can be startling. An unexpected password reminder could be due to many things. The best thing is to ignore it.
Ready for disaster?
Are you ready for the worst case scenario?
How do I remove Microsoft Outlook's Favorite Folders pane?
Microsoft Outlook's Favorite Folders pane is a handy shortcut to frequently used folders. If you don't want Microsoft Outlook's Favorite Folders your options are limited.
What's the difference between Windows Live Messenger, Windows Messenger, MSN Messenger, and Windows Messenger Service?
Windows Live Messenger, Windows Messenger, MSN Messenger and Windows Messenger Service are four names for three applications that do two different things, only one of which you really want. Confusing? Yes. But easy to clear up.
How do I disable the Windows Messenger service?
Windows Messenger service is almost never needed, and is exploited by spammers when it's running. Follow these steps to disable Windows Messenger service.
How should I store my travel pictures while I'm away?
Travel pictures are a valuable keepsake that you don't want to lose. On a long trip you'll want to take extra steps to store those travel pictures.
How do I connect to the internet while traveling abroad?
Connecting to the internet while traveling can be difficult, but not insurmountable. Connecting to the internet while traveling will, however, require a few extra precautions.
What's OEM software? Is it safe to buy?
OEM Software is heavily advertised, often in spam, at prices much cheaper than retail. The problem is that OEM software is often illegal.
Windows ninety-what?
Microsoft is explicitly not fixing a vulnerability in Windows 98 and Me. So?
How do I automatically close a program so that its data can be backed up?
It's
important to close a program before backing up so that its data files can be
backed up. You can close a program automatically or on a schedule.
What is Internet Connection Sharing?
Internet Connection Sharing connects
multiple computers to the internet through a single computer. Internet
Connection Sharing is much like a router.
Windows Installer runs on every reboot – why?
Windows Installer can get into a
state where it attempts to run on every reboot. There's a free tool that can
help clean up Windows Installer.
Why does a web page show for a second, and then suddenly change to "Not Found"?
'Not Found' errors can occasionally result on web pages that are otherwise OK if some advertising referenced by the page is 'Not Found'
Can I mix and match RAM I add to my system?
Depending on your computer you may be able to mix and match RAM chips of differing sizes. Or you may not.
Googled Yourself Lately?
Do you know what the internet says about you? And would you want your mother, or your boss, to see?
