Articles in Category: Administration
Items related to Leo, Ask Leo! and overall website and related operations and administrivia.
How do I schedule Disk Defragmenter to run with the Windows Task Scheduler?
You want to defragment your hard disk periodically. Task Scheduler runs programs periodically. Put those together to defragment your disk regularly.
How do I fix "The instruction at — referenced memory at –. The memory could not be read."?
That’s not enough information for an answer, so we’ll look at the other types of information that should accompany a general question such as this.
Can my employer track what I'm doing on the internet?
If you have to ask, you probably don’t want to know.
Why are processes listening to closed ports on my firewall?
A firewall will prevent malicious and other messages from reaching your computer, but it won’t stop your computer’s software from listing for them.
How can I force a computer to sign out automatically?
If you leave something sensitive on your display and then walk away, anyone can see it. There are steps you should take if that’s a potential problem.
Why does blocking a spam email end up blocking my own address?
Spammers use various techniques to try and force their way into your inbox. One of the most frustrating is spoofing where the message is coming from.
How do I backup a large number of large PSTs?
Backing up a large number of machines over a network has a number of challenges. PST files are only one aspect of the issue.
What's the best media player?
Video playback is a confusing mess. For most people the player to be used is defined not by personal preference, but by the type of file.
Could Copy Protection be Doomed?
The real question is: how long will vendors keep trying to use it?
Why do web pictures look blocky on my computer, but not on someone else's?
Some techniques used to speed up your web surfing experience can do so at the cost of image quality. We’ll look at how, why and what you might do.
Don't lose your keys!
When you purchase software you’re not always buying what you think.
Why don't more websites fit in an 800×600 screen resolution?
Websites often have problems displaying in smaller windows, and 800×600 is increasingly considered to be small. There are a couple of things to try.
What do the "Report and Delete" or "This is Spam" buttons do?
Reporting spam can help you get less spam, but you need to use it properly, and realize just who you’re reporting spam to.
What is Error 8000FFFF when I try to install a Windows Vista Update?
Error 8000FFFF results on Windows Vista machines with 4gig of RAM. As of this writing there’s no resolution to error 8000FFFF on a Windows Update.
Google's Web History might surprise you
Is it a feature? Or an invasion of privacy?
How do I backup my GMail?
Relying on free email services – even GMail – can be an unnecessary risk. Fortunately GMail makes it possible, even easy, to backup your email.
Why Does Email Get Lost?
Sometimes when you send email you never hear from it again. While once we could count on it being delivered or getting a bounce, that’s no longer true.
Why isn't there a restore point where I want to go back to?
Restore points are a handy way to undo problematic system changes. Even though you can control it some, restore points can only go back so far.
Can I log into to two MSN Instant Messenger accounts at the same time?
Windows Live Messenger is designed to only allow one person to login at a time. There are several ways to sidestep this limitation.
Repair or Replace
The decision to repair or replace a computer isn’t always as easy as we think.
Is this receipt for software I didn't order valid?
One popular Internet scam is to make something look like an honest mistake that would let you download something expensive for free. Don’t fall for it.
What is Remote Desktop?
Remote Desktop allows you to use your Windows machine remotely, almost as if sitting in front of it. Coupled with a VPN solution, it’s very powerful.
Can I delete the contents of my TMP folder?
Windows maintains a folder for temporary files but it doesn’t always get cleaned up. With a little care you can delete the temporary folder’s contents.
Hardware Can Break
It’s a fact that not everyone keeps in mind.
How do I change the location of Windows temporary files?
Windows maintains a location where programs can put temporary files. Sometimes you might want to change that location, and it’s fairly easy to do so.
How do I make a picture smaller?
Images from cameras are often too big to display on websites, they’re often bigger than people’s screens. We’ll look at resizing and cropping photos.
I use Internet Connection Sharing and someone was able to see my main computer – why?
Internet Connection Sharing allows you to share the internet connection of one computer among several others. There are risks if not set up properly.
What are Warez? They appear to be free, but are they safe?
Warez, or pirated software, while free often comes with an exceptionally high cost in the form of viruses, spyware and more.
Vulnerabilities When Old Meets New
It’s trivial to falsify a signed document when FAXed.
How do I receive email on different accounts into different folders in Outlook?
Outlook can be configured to access multiple email accounts, but by default throws all email into a single inbox. Outlook rules can help.
What is TCP/IP v6?
TCP/IP currently has a limit of 4 billion IP addresses, and that’s not enough. IPv6 blows away this limitation.
Is plain text email safer?
HTML email can include embedded malware, plain text cannot. So just how risky is HTML formatted email?
Could my power supply be causing memory errors?
Computer power supplies can fail, and not always in sudden and obvious ways. Failures can be gradual, and can manifest in many different ways.
Your hard disk is more likely to fail than you think.
A recently released report from Google has some disturbing information.
I've been accused of sending random emails – could I have a virus?
Infected machines are thought to be a leading cause of spam today. What you should do if you’re infected, and how to keep from being a spammer.
Will reinstalling Windows too often trip up Windows Product Activation?
Windows Product Activation, or WPA, is an anti-piracy measure that tries to ensure a product is only installed legitimately. But what does that mean?
Can people get my phone number from my web page?
Registration information for domains or web hosting services can sometimes be public. We’ll look at how to keep your information private.
Should I Send Error Reports to Microsoft?
When you get a fatal error, you’re often prompted to send the information to Microsoft. Then what?
How do I scan a document into Excel?
Scanners are handy ways to get information from paper into your computer. However spreadsheets are highly structured which makes things very difficult.
What's the best way to revert from Windows Vista to run applications that don't work?
Windows Vista can have trouble running some applications. There are several options for running Windows XP, from a re-install to virtual machines.
How can I duplicate my existing letterhead in Word?
Many businesses have existing paper stationery that they’d like to have available directly in a word processor. Unfortunately converting’s not easy.
Can I install programs on an external drive?
An external drive is just another drive to Windows. Setting up programs on a drive that can be removed, however, warrants some care.
Posting on the bathroom wall.
Would post your phone number on a bathroom wall? Then why do so many people do the internet equivalent?
How can I open Office 2007 files in older versions of Office?
Office 2007 introduces a new XML based file format for its documents. There’s a download for older versions off office to read and write the new format.
Is my anti-virus database up to date?
Keeping the database of viruses that your anti-virus program uses up to date is critical. Here’s why.
What's a good way to get a permanent email address?
Each time you change your ISP or place of employment your email address can change. Instead, get your own domain and permanent email address.
Where did my edited attachment go?
You get an email with an attachment, you edit the attachment and your work disappears. Why that happens, and how to work around it.
How do I find the list of BCC'ed recipients in outgoing email?
BCC’ed recipients are not visible to the other recipients. But if you’re the sender you probably see the BCC line on messages you’ve sent.
Are attachments stored in my Outlook PST? How can I remove them, if they are?
The ability to send other files as attachments to email is very useful, but also results in bloated email folders and in Outlook’s case, PST files.
How can I tell what program is making or accepting TCP/IP connections on my machine?
Your machine can open TCP/IP connections to other machines, or it could be waiting for other machines to connect to it. Here’s how to see what is happening.
