Windows auto-play moves past annoyance into downright dangerous when it auto-installs a virus or trojan horse on your computer from an infected thumb drive or CD. The best way to turn off auto-play is with TweakIU, a free Windows XP addon provided by Microsoft. For detailed instructions, read Ask Leo.
When your internet connection goes down, and your browser window comes up with plain, blank, white window declaring that the server can not found, it is time to learn about the power of the IPConfig Windows utility. This little gem can refresh your IP address, and help get you back on the information highway. Learn more at PC World or About Wireless Networking.
To password protect a Microsoft Word document or Excel spreadsheet, go to Tools/Options/Security. Enter your password twice, and the next time you open your file, you
will be prompted for your password. This is helpful if you document is sensitive (such as a list of passwords), if you computer is shared by multiple people, or you want to email a private file.
Although Windows has built-in support for burning CDs, burning DVDs requires extra software. Many DVDs come with software such as Nero or Roxio, but computer expert Leo Notenboom recommends a free alternative: ImgBurn . For more, read Ask Leo’s detailed instructions.
There are a variety of ways to convert an iPod from Windows to Mac, depending on how much metadata (such as playlists, album art, ratings, and date added) you want moved, and how your Windows iTunes library is configured. To transfer with CDs or DVDs, use iTunes Backup. To transfer a lot of music quickly (but not the metadata) try this technique from Cnet.com. Or, to use the iPod itself as a transfer hard drive, with these instructions from Apple.
USB thumb drives certainly are handy for moving files between computers, but if that’s all you use them for, you are missing the boat. PortableApps, for example, are full-featured applications stored on a flash drive that can be used on any Windows computer without leaving a trace of personal data behind. Applications include versions of the Firefox browser, Open Office word processing and spreadsheet, Pidgin instant messaging, and Thunderbird email. For more creative thumb drive ideas, read PC World’s “23 Things To Do With a Thumb Drive“.
Many browsers offer dynamic as-you-type spell check on any text you enter. In Firefox 2.0, misspellings are underlined in red, and right-clicking on them will pop-up suggestions. In Safari, dynamic spell checking can be activated by placing your cursor in any text field, then selecting Edit/Spelling/Check Spelling as You Type. Internet Explorer does not include its own spell check, but can be upgraded with the free IESpell or the low-cost JSpell Toolbar .
When downloading a file, Windows users must choose between Run or Save. Run is actually a two-step process. First the file is saved to a temporary location, and then it is run (or executed) the same as if you had traversed to its location in Windows Explorer and double-clicked on it. The key is that the location is temporary. If you will ever need the file again, it is better to Save it, so you know where you to access it again. For more on the difference between Run and Save, read Ask-Leo.com.
By default, Microsoft Office 2007 uses a new file format with the extension “.docx”. If you are trying to share files with users of older versions of Office, this can be a problem. Depending on whether you are the creator or the receiver, there are two ways to solve this problem. To create a more compatible file, users of MS Office 2007 can “Save As” in Office 2003 format. On the receiving side, users of older Office versions can grab a free upgrade from Microsoft that will allow them to read the new format.
Ever wondered why your Internet connection is busy while you are not doing anything on your computer? It could be a dozen benign reasons (such as an email program checking for email) or it could be malware. Netstat is a free program included with most versions of Windows and Unix that displays all open Internet connections. To learn more, read Use Netstat to Track IPs or How Can I Tell What Internet Activity is Happening On My Machine?.
