Articles in Category: Administration
Items related to Leo, Ask Leo! and overall website and related operations and administrivia.
Why do some programs show up on the Add/Remove Programs list and not others?
Add/Remove programs is a database entry that should be completed when a program is
installed on your computer. If not, you need another way to uninstall.
How do I prevent a former employee sending email that looks like it’s from my company’s domain?
Stopping someone from sending from your domain name can only be done if they
are using your server to send. Otherwise, they may be spoofing.
I suspect the large number of emails and folders in my PST is causing problems with Outlook. How can I fix this?
Outlook can become unstable if the PST file is too large. There are several
ways to save and archive old emails and folders.
How can I protect my security when corresponding by email?
Email security can be enhanced by setting up an anonymous email account, but
that is still not completely totally secure.
Why would a taskbar item turn yellow when its application is minimized?
The taskbar icon changing color means that it is trying to tell you something.
If not, it shouldn’t have changed color.
How do I get video files I burn to CD to play in a specified order?
Setting an order for videos to play on a CD can be done easily. I’ll look at several things you may want to do when converting old videos.
Why does Internet Explorer crash when I try to print?
Internet Explorer crashing while printing can be caused by so many different
things. We’ll start by looking at add-ons.
Do disposable email addresses really add any security?
Disposable email addresses are not a security measure in the sense of
securing these accounts. They are a convenience and a spam management tool.
How do I copy-protect the text on my website?
Copy protecting websites is difficult, and I believe there is no practical,
technical solution.
My browser disappears while typing an email. How do I fix that?
“Desktop suddenly appears” means that a window has crashed. My belief is
that this is a browser issue.
Why isn’t the time on my computer the same as that on my self-synchronizing watch?
Time settings on electronic devices should be able to sync accurately, but
for some reason, they don’t. All I can say is I feel your pain!
If I have nothing to hide, do I still need a Windows password?
A Windows login password can be a minor inconvenience that can be disabled. Unfortunately, not having a Windows password does increase risk, even if you think there’s nothing of importance on your machine.
Why does Outlook still download deleted Gmail messages?
Downloading deleted email is a mystery! Perhaps it’s not really deleted and
you need to check some settings.
Why might my computer crash half way through playing a YouTube video?
Monitor going black while watching online video could indicate video
drivers, overheating, or even screen saving settings.
What’s the best way to archive an email newsletter I receive?
Organize email by using folders – and if you’re feeling motivated, see about
setting up rules to transfer email to the folder automatically.
Is there a better way to learn Linux than from a book?
Learning Linux is best done right on the internet with a copy of it in-hand so you
can explore and play.
Can my credit card information be read remotely?
Credit card theft “out of pocket” is possible with a new technology. And yes, foil in a wallet is a way to “foil” the thieves.
Why am I not getting 4G speeds on my 4G wireless modem?
4G internet connection speeds could suffer from signal strength issues or
interference. Windows settings won’t be an issue.
Why might I not be able to copy long filenames to an external device?
Long file name errors could be happening because of the disk format. The
first thing that I would confirm is that the file system can handle long file
names.
Should I get the download or boxed version of a product?
Downloading Windows 8, or buying a box, should be the same product. The
difference is having it physically in your hand.
Does Windows 8 support Windows XP mode?
XP Mode in Windows 8 is guaranteed… if not from Microsoft, then
from other vendors. Virtual machine software is available that will allow
you to run Windows XP within a window in Windows 8.
My machine has slowed down even more after a reinstall. Why?
Slow computer after an install? This feels like either malware or the
beginnings of a flaky drive.
Can I upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 8?
Many computers are still running Windows XP. With Windows 8 now available, it may be an option. I’ll look at what it takes, what you get, and most importantly, what you don’t.
How can I connect an external keyboard to my smartphone?
USB keyboards on a smartphone likely won’t work. Just because you’ve got a USB socket doesn’t mean it will support every kind of device. Same is actually true for Bluetooth.
How easy is it to add an SSD?
It is trivial to install an SSD as another drive, but typically, people want
the faster drive for their operating system. That involves swapping around your
operating system from one drive to the other.
Why am I getting two copies of emails I send to some lists?
What may be happening is that the email gets sent and then the mailing list
turns around and sends it back to you – so it shows up in your inbox again.
Can I defrag or reformat my thumbdrives?
Don’t defrag your SSDs or your USB thumb drives. Reformat them appropriately
if you need to.
What file format do I want for my pictures; RAW, JPG, both or something else?
For the most part, if you’re mostly interested in snapshots and easy-to-share, easy-to-send pictures, JPEG’s fine. You’ll never notice the
difference.
What’s a PCL5 printer and why is Windows trying to download it?
It’s very likely that this PCL5 driver is actually required to print from the HP printer you have installed.
My laptop won’t turn on and only beeps when I start it. Is it dead? Or is this a simple fix?
Ultimately, when you’re getting beep codes, it is indicative of a hardware
problem. It’s not necessarily terminal!
Is there a way to change the font color of a document I’ve downloaded?
See if your printer supports something called a “draft mode” and if you can
use that when you print.
Is anyone doing anything about what could be an ever increasing amount of spam?
As the volume of spam increases, I believe that the email industry will ramp
up their technologies to help continue to make email manageable for folks like
you and me.
I keep getting warnings that something is trying to change my browser. How do I stop that?
I’d start with Malwarebytes. But then, I’d be very careful moving forward to
pay attention to what’s being downloaded and what is being installed on your
machine.
I have an old machine. Can I install Ubuntu Linux on my Windows XP OS?
What’s most important is whether Ubuntu Linux will meet your needs; whether
it will have software that does the things you need it to do.
Should I be concerned about the tracking cookies I’m being told about?
I personally would be annoyed at a tool for bugging me about tracking
cookies – when I don’t consider them an issue!
How do I avoid getting bogus FBI warnings on my computer?
Be skeptical! This is not how the FBI operates. They don’t throw up big
warning screens on your computer if they suspect you of something.
How do I get YouTube videos to play using RealPlayer?
The real problem you’re trying to solve here is that you want to download
some of the videos. That may be against YouTube’s terms of service.
How can I share files without allowing people to modify or delete them?
I can come up with three different approaches to solving this problem. The first is to use your website.
Is Microsoft shutting down Messenger?
Microsoft is making some changes to its instant messaging program. As a result, what we know and love today as Messenger will eventually go away and be replaced with Skype.
Are streaming audio or video calls kept somewhere?
The basic technology is to get the audio/video from my machine to yours so
you can hear me. Nobody’s in the middle storing it; we’re just not that
interesting.
People who send to my Hotmail address are getting a bounce from some other email address. Why?
The bounce message isn’t coming from Hotmail; the bounce message is coming
from somewhere else entirely. That implies that there are some faulty
settings involved.
I plugged in an old drive via USB and Windows Explorer doesn’t see it. How should I access its contents?
The drive is showing; what’s unfortunate is it doesn’t have a drive letter. So, you can assign it one.
My computer hangs when I stream video. Where do I begin to look?
Nine times out of ten, this sort of difficulty in playing videos indicates a problem
with the video driver.
When is a dynamic IP address assigned?
It happens at some part of the boot process. It’s independent of when you
login. It’s just that sometimes it takes a little longer than others.
Why am I seeing these odd defragmenting results and why is it taking so long?
What you’re really going for with defragging is speed. It doesn’t have to be
perfect to get the lion’s share of speed improvement from defragging a disk.
How do I get multiple tracks on a CD full of audio?
If you want to have separate tracks for audio playback, you have to break it
up into several separate mp3 files.
How do I get rid of this old Hotmail message that keeps coming up?
I’m going to suggest that you clear your browser cache, but my guess is that
this is as simple as removing that message from your Drafts folder.
Why has my computer started freezing, but not in Safe Mode?
Everything indicates this is a hardware related issue. I think you’re looking at having a technician take a peak at the hardware.
How do I find out what all these programs are in Process Explorer?
I often recommend Process Explorer because it’s a really good way of
identifying programs that are misbehaving.
Shockwave keeps crashing. What can I do to fix it?
Shockwave isn’t really used as much as Flash. You might be able to just get rid of it.
