Archives for October 2008

A Bit Confusing

on October 21st, 2008
We have noticed several of our customers who recently got new computers got the 64 bit version of Windows and didn’t realize it.
 
It’s important that you understand that there are 32 bit and 64 bit versions of Windows, especially if you are going to be purchasing a new computer in the future.
 
Without getting to technical (we hope), you can get Vista in either a 32 bit version or 64 bit version. The difference between 32 bit and 64 bit has to do with memomry addressing, but what it means for the end user is several things.
 
On the plus side, 64 bit Windows runs faster than 32 bit. It also allows the computer to have more system memory. Some day, all versions of windows will be 64 bit. Right now we are in a transition from 32 bit to 64 bit.
 
On the negative side, however, some devices and some software may not work on 64 bit Windows. Some types of software have to be specifically created to work under 64 bit while others do not. 
 
As 64 bit systems gain in popularity, more and more manufacturers will support 64 bit Windows. In fact, more and more are.
 
If you are planning to get a new computer, please consider getting a computer with the 64 bit version of Windows. But before you do, there are some things you need to check first.
 
Any devices like printers, scanners, etc. that you hook up to your computer will need a 64 bit driver. The CD that came with your device may or may not have the 64 bit version. Check on the manufacturers website to see if there is a 64 bit version of the driver. If not, the device may not work on 64 bit Windows. 

Check any software you have that you want to use on your new system to make sure it will work on a 64 bit system. Most software will work, but software like Games, Security Software, and the like may not work unless you can get a 64 bit version of it.

You may wish to consult Computer Troubleshooters for advice before purchasing a new system.

Posted in Computers For Sale, Hardware | No Comments

Toolbars. Trash or Treasure?

on October 21st, 2008
When you are viewing a website, you are using a program called a web browser. The web browser most people use is Internet Explorer. That’s simply because that’s the one that comes with Windows. Other popular web browsers include FireFox, Opera, Netscape, and Chrome.
 
No matter which web browser you are using, one way to add additional functionality to your web browser is to install a toolbar. A toolbar is a panel across your web browser that contains buttons, icons, menus, and other content. For example, the standard Google Toolbar has a search box, bookmarks, autofill, and other features. Too see what the Google Toolbar looks like, go to toolbar.google.com.
 
A toolbar can be very useful. For example, if you save your favorites in the Google toolbar instead of saving them in Internet Explorer, then you can access those same favorites from any computer as long as the Google Toolbar is installed.
But there are some things you should be aware of about toolbars.
 
Each toolbar uses resources on your computer and takes up space on the screen. Therefore, if you don’t need or don’t use it, get rid of it. If you aren’t careful, you can end up with 4 or 5 toolbars in your web browser, which will not only slow your computer down, but will severely reduce the amount of space your web browswer has to actually display the web page you are looking at.
 
While there are many toolbars that are very useful, there are even more toolbars that are malicious. They are basically viruses, spyware, adware, and the like.
 
Here are some good rules of thumb concerning toolbars.
 
When installing any software, be careful when selecting the options. Many installations will install toolbars (and other software) unless you tell them not to. Don’t just blindly click next over and over to get the program installed. Read the screens carefully.
 
Before you allow the installation of a toolbar, make sure it’s from a company you have heard of. Toolbars from Google, Yahoo, MSN, AOL and the like are safe. Your security software may also install a toolbar. These are safe too. If you want to try and toolbar and you aren’t sure if it’s safe, try Googling the name of the toolbar and see what others are saying about it.
 
If you find you suddenly have a toolbar that you didn’t want, you can turn it off or uninstall it.
 
To turn a toolbar off in Internet Explorer 7, click on Tools and then toolbars and you will get a list of toolbars. The toolbars turned on will have a check mark next to them. click on the one you want to turn off to remove the check mark.
 
To uninstall a toolbar, Click on start and the control panel. Then double-click on Add/Remove Programs. Then find the toolbar in the list. click on it once to select it and then click the Change or Remove button.
And as always, it’s very important to make sure you have up-to-date, unexpired anti-virus and anti-spyware protection!

Posted in Internet, Security, Websites | No Comments

Online Video, CODECS, and Security

on October 21st, 2008

Watching video on a computer is a very popular thing to do these days. Lot’s of people go to places like YouTube to watch videos. You can watch TV shows on line as well as news video. Something else many people are doing these days is downloading video to watch on their PC. Home Theater PC’s are very popular too. You can turn A PC into a full fledged home theater with DVR functionality.

But as with all things relating to computers these days, there is a danger with online video that you need to be aware of.

To save space on web servers and to save bandwidth on the internet, video is stored in a compressed format. There are many different types of commpressed formats. When you watch a video, the video has to be un-compressed for you to view it. This de-compression is done by something called a CODEC. There are many different kinds of CODEC’s for all of the different video formats. Windows comes with a few CODECs, but not very many. At some point when you are trying to view a video, you may get a message that you don’t have the required CODEC to view the video. And that’s where the danger is.

A CODEC is a program and a program can contain a virus. So don’t go downloading CODECS from just anywhere. Here are our recommendations:

  1. Only use main stream players to play video. These include Windows Media Player, Apple Quicktime, Real Player, WinAmp, Adobe Flash Player, Adobe Shockwave, VLC Video Player, and Media Player Classic are the players that are generally safe to use.
  2. If you get a message telling you that you don’t have the right CODEC or if you get a message that says to click here to download the correct CODEC, don’t do it.Â
  3. If you are in need of a CODEC, the best and easiest fix is to download a CODEC pack. A CODEC pack is a collection of a bunch of different CODECS, all in one package. A safe place to get CODECS is free-codecs.com. Here is a list of good CODEC packs.  K-Lite Mega Codec Pack, XP Codec Pack, and Vista Codec Package.
And, as always, make sure you have up to date anti-virus and anti-spyware protection.

Posted in Media (Pictures, Security | No Comments

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