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Archive for the 'Software' Tag

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What are drivers and why you should update them on a PC

October 21st, 2009, 4:03 pm by

Stump the PC Club is a free tech-advice column written by members of the North Orange County Computer Club, which has been in existence since 1976. Visit the club’s site at noccc.org. And don’t forget to stop by the Gadgetress’ home for the PC Club, at ocregister.com/link/pcclub, to find out how to ask a question and read past answers.

QUESTION: What do we need to know about drivers? Should they be updated regularly and what is the best way to do it?

PC CLUB: A driver, or more specifically, a device driver, is software that helps hardware devices function operate on the computer’s operating system, such as Windows XP.

Changing software drivers in Microsoft WindowsWithout the right drivers, a computer’s video card, modem or printer may not work properly. Microsoft builds many drivers into Windows XP and its other operating systems. Frequently, the built-in drivers are generic and don’t provide all of the functionality the device’s manufacturer intended.

It’s up to the hardware device’s manufacturer to provide Microsoft with software drivers so the devices work with Windows. This takes time and money. That’s why when Microsoft launches a new operating system, as it plans to tomorrow with the new Windows 7, some hardware devices may not work. Here’s a story from 2007 about manufacturers scrambling to update drivers for Windows Vista: “Vista ripples across industry: Manufacturers hustle to make sure their products are compatible.”

However, it is not unusual for someone to buy a PC and use it for a long time without any problems and without even knowing what a driver is. On other occasions, a driver may have to be updated. Here are some examples of  when you’ll need to update a driver: Read the rest of this entry »

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Everything you wanted to know about PDF files

September 8th, 2009, 2:52 pm by

Stump the PC Club is a free tech-advice column written by members of the North Orange County Computer Club, which has been in existence since 1976. Visit the club’s site at noccc.org. And don’t forget to stop by the Gadgetress’ home for the PC Club, at ocregister.com/link/pcclub, to find out how to ask a question and read past answers.

Hello readers.

I wanted to try something different today. Questions on PDF’s come up from time to time and many are the same. So I’m devoting a column to this subject to answer the questions and discuss the benefits of using this file format. One of the key benefits of PDF’ files is that it’s a simple way for people — Mac and PC users, Firefox and Internet Explorer fans — to view and share the same file. But more on this below.

Here are a few of the questions:

  • What are PDF’s and why do people send them to me?
  • How can I use them?
  • Can I create PDF’s?
  • Which programs do I need to install on my PC if any and what do they cost?

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Computers • Stump the PC Club • • • • • • • • | 1 Comment »

How to convert PowerPoint shows to videos

August 4th, 2009, 4:32 pm by

Stump the PC Club is a free tech-advice column written by members of the North Orange County Computer Club, which has been in existence since 1976. Visit the club’s site at noccc.org. And don’t forget to stop by the Gadgetress’ home for the PC Club, at ocregister.com/link/pcclub, to find out how to ask a question and read past answers.

QUESTION: I have included music in my PowerPoint presentations, but the music doesn’t play when I make a CD or e-mail them. Can you recommend a program that converts a PowerPoint file to a video and would that solve my problem?

 PC CLUB: There are several programs available commercially for converting a Microsoft PowerPoint (PPT) presentation to a video. You can find quite a few of them by searching the Internet (search Google for “PPT to Video“). One of the more widely known ones is Wondershare PPT to Video, which is available for $49 at Wondershare’s Web site (link: bit.ly/905tg). There are other more expensive versions there if you want to create DVDs.

Or, create a video for free. Just follow these steps: Read the rest of this entry »

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How to have a smooth Windows XP re-installation

February 25th, 2009, 9:55 am by

Stump the PC Club is a free tech-advice column written by members of the North Orange County Computer Club, which has been in existence since 1976. Visit the club’s site at noccc.org. And don’t forget to stop by the Gadgetress’ home for the PC Club, at ocregister.com/link/pcclub, to find out how to ask a question and read past answers.

QUESTION: I have had windows XP pro running for three years and the computer is sluggish so I decided to start fresh again. I have moved everything I want to save to a portable drive and put in the original disk, but it said the operating system I was running was newer than the one on the original disc I loaded. The message said to do a restart with the CD-ROM in if I wanted to reload the operating system. I did that and at boot up it rebooted from the hard drive. I would like to delete all the old stuff on the HD and apparently windows XP has an option that will allow me to do that. If you could help me with the process, I would appreciate it. ~ George

PC Club: George, it’s difficult to tell if the original disk that you’re referring to is a Windows XP CD or a manufacturer-supplied restore CD. PC companies have not supplied Windows XP CDs for some time but it’s possible that this is the situation in your case, based on the message you received. If so, it sounds like you tried to reinstall Windows by inserting the CD while running Windows.

Here’s the reason you received the message: Since it is very likely that you have the Microsoft Windows Update enabled, the Operating System on your PC has become more current than the original CD. To see which version of Windows that you have on your system, right-click “My Computer,” (usually located on your desktop), select “Properties” and on the “General” tab you will see the version listed such as Service Pack 1, 2 or 3. In that same window, you can select the “Automatic Updates” tab to review your update settings. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Stump the PC Club • • • • | 2 Comments »

When a PC crashes, CMS’ BounceBack to the rescue

January 12th, 2009, 10:16 am by

The show ended Sunday. Here is the rest of what I saw at CES… To see more, visit Gadgetress@CES 2009

When a computer crashes, consumers bemoan the fact that they never backed up their photos, music and other valuable documents. No more!

CMS Products, based in Costa Mesa, announced a new fix at CES: Its “BounceBack Ultimate” software runs even if you don’t have a hard drive inside your computer. The company demoed the new software at CES by popping out a laptop’s hard drive and placing it on top so the computer was obviously running on the external drive:

Apparently, booting up a computer from a USB hard drive is difficult. CMS says this product is the first “commercially-available software product that enables computer users to instantly recover their PC following a hard drive ‘crash.’” The software stores (and backs up) all information on an external hard drive, which must be connected to the computer. The external drive can be from any company — not just CMS.

Whenever you restart your computer, it’ll ask whether you want to boot from the external drive or the computer.  If your computer suddenly stops working, a likely culprit could be a corrupt hard drive. So, select “external drive” when you boot up the computer, and you can begin the recovery process. The software will restore your computer’s hard drive to an earlier time when it was working properly. Also, make sure you have nothing on the external drive because BounceBack reformats the drive.

“BounceBack Ultimate” software is included with CMS’s external hard drives or you can purchase it for $99. It’s compatible with Windows XP. A Windows Vista version should be available in the next few weeks, according to the company. A trial version should be available. Check CMS’ site for details (the “Ultimate” version is not yet available on CMS’ web site, but here’s a link to BouceBack Pro). 

For the list of Gadgetress reports from CES, visit the headline page at gadgetress.freedomblogging.com/ces2009.

Posted in: Storage • • • • • • • • • | 7 Comments »

Microsoft extends Windows XP sales deadline

December 22nd, 2008, 1:06 pm by

Interesting story over at ChannelWeb.com: “Microsoft extends XP availability for distributors.”

This should interest readers who still use XP — and those who ditched Vista to return to XP. According to the story, Microsoft was going to stop selling Windows XP to custom PC builders on January 31, 2009. Distributors, in turn, were going to buy all the licenses they could afford because customers still want XP. Now, Microsoft allows distributors to order by Jan. 31, but postpone delivery till May 30.

It’s just a few more months, but that’s extra money for small PC sellers who would have had to cough up the dough sooner. 

Microsoft has tried to convince users to switch to the newer Windows Vista since the new operating system’s launched nearly two years ago. Even today, right smack in the middle of the official Windows XP homepage is a teaser to the “Top 10 things you can do with Windows Vista.”

But since the XP software is seven years old, Microsoft wants to retire it. Says the company, “The lifespan of every Microsoft product is carefully mapped from launch to retirement. Windows XP is no exception. We do this to ensure you always get the most out of your PC experience. Read about Windows lifecycle policy.”

Users have rejected Windows Vista in droves and gone back to XP. Still, Microsoft says that 140 million copies of Vista have been sold — whether people are using it or not. The ChannelWeb story mentions that some customers may just skip Vista for the next version of Windows. Windows 7 is expected in late 2009 or early 2010. ChannelWeb says that some reports suggest a launch as early as mid-2009.

Microsoft  stopped selling Windows XP as a shrink-wrapped box on June 30, 2008. At the same time, it also stopped sending the software to the major PC companies, like Dell, HP and Lenovo. 

Microsoft plans to end “mainstream” support (complimentary and paid support, free security updates and bug fixes) of Windows XP in April 2009. Meanwhile, “extended” support (free security updates, paid support) ends April 2014.    

But XP is still available on low-powered netbooks, which use Windows XP Home. Microsoft plans to sell this version for netbooks until June 30, 2010.  

And anyone who has Windows VIsta Ultimate or Vista Business can downgrade to XP, via Microsoft’s “downgrade rights” program. To start this, Microsoft says to ask your PC maker. Here’s a LINK to PC companies.

More from the web: 

Posted in: Computers • • • • • • • | Comments Off

The 15 most dangerous celebrities online

September 16th, 2008, 11:18 am by

Anti-spyware experts McAfee just released its second annual list of  Most Dangerous Celebrities Online.  In the number one spot: Brad Pitt.

How did the Santa Clara company create the list? It used data from its SiteAdvisor service to determine suspicious Web sites that force unsuspecting consumers to download spyware or adware to their computer. Out of those, McAfee counted up the top 15 celebrities.

It makes sense that malicious software coders would use some of the biggest names in Hollywood to lure people to Web sites for pictures, screensavers and ringtones with a little something extra. More than half of the searches for “Brad Pitt screensavers,” for example, were identified by McAfee as containing malicious downloads with spyware. adware and potential viruses.

“Checking in on our famous friends is not only a guilty pleasure, but downright dangerous. Cybercrooks are using A-listers’ name and image to infiltrate PCs and make money with spyware, adware and spam and even gather information to commit Identity theft,” said the company.

Missing this year: Paris Hilton, who ranked #1 in 2007, and Britney Spears, who had been fourth on the list. I guess celebs are just like the latest fashion — in one year, out the other. Without further ado…

The 15 most dangerous celebrities online:

1. Brad Pitt
2. Beyoncé
3. Justin Timberlake
4. Heidi Montag, star of “The Hills”
5. Mariah Carey
6. Jessica Alba
7. Lindsay Lohan
8. Cameron Diaz
9. George Clooney, Rihanna
11. Angelina Jolie
12. Fergie
13. David Beckham, Katie Holmes
15. Katherine Heigl

For last year’s list, see below the jump.

McAfee Tips: How to avoid getting burned by online? Read the rest of this entry »

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Free software to back-up digital photos — this week only

June 3rd, 2008, 10:11 am by

NewTech Infosystems NTI Shadow 3 back-up softwarePassing on deals when I see them… Irvine’s NewTech Infosystems is offering its NTI Shadow 3 back-up software for free — this week only. Offer ends June 8.

The software lets you back up photos, music, Word documents and all other files automatically. As a tech reporter, I’ve heard many sad tales of lost family photos and music files. So, I would urge everyone to use this product or something similar to back up those files.

The nice thing about this deal is this isn’t a trial version but the full license, which NewTech says usually sells for $30.

I just downloaded a copy for myself. One note about the download, the site provides a download ID code, which is separate from the serial number. After you download the software and start installing it, the download includes a separate text file that includes the serial number.

NewTech Infosystems NTI Shadow 3 back-up softwareNTI Shadow offers step-by-step directions to help you pick what files you want to backup and how often you want to back up (from every minute or every Friday or every time you save something on your computer). It lets you keep on file past backups, or limit it to one copy if you don’t want to clog up your computer.

I just tested this on a 200 MB file, which isn’t very large. It took less than 2 minutes to back it up. What I like best of course is the automation. With this, you won’t have to launch the software every time you add new photos to your “My Pictures” folder or download new songs from iTunes. This backs all those files up automatically — and for free!

NewTech Infosystems NTI Shadow 3 back-up software

Other features: Available for Windows and Macs and in 8 languages. Download it HERE.

Related stories:

Posted in: Uncategorized • • • • • | 1 Comment »

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