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Tuesday, 11th March, 2008 MEETING

Our Website is: http://brightoncomputerclub.org
Our e-mail address for Meeting Questions is contact@brightoncomputerclub.org

Questions and Answers.

Moderated by Frank Myers

Before we started the Questions and Answers, Frank showed how to use DK Finder, a quick search program for you PC Files that will be added to the Software recommended by the club.

  1. Member would like suggestions on how to clean your Computer? i.e.: dusting PC and cleaning the screen?

      Answer:

    • Your computer should be dusted externally, and your screen cleaned at least monthly.
    • If you have a moderately dusty environment, then every quarter, the tower should be opened and vacuumed with a special vacuum for computers.
    • If you have a fairly clean environment, annual internal cleaning will probably suffice.
    • Never use the household vacuum. It has too much power and could damage your circuit boards, etc.
    • To clean the screen, use a soft cloth sprayed with a lens cleaner or special spray from a computer store.
    • If your manual tells you otherwise, just a gentle wipe with a soft, lint-free cloth will do.

  2. What is the difference between AVG Free and the paid program?

      Answer:

    • The Paid program from AVG is actually a suite of programs that offers:
        All-in-one protection
      • Anti-Virus: protection against viruses, worms and trojans
      • Anti-Spyware: protection against spyware, adware and identity-theft
      • Anti-Rootkit: protection against hidden threats (rootkits)
      • Anti-Spam: filters out unwanted and fraudulent e-mails (anti-phishing)
      • Web Shield & LinkScanner: protection against malicious websites
      • Firewall: protection against hackers
      • System Tools: for easy system management
    • AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 7.5 is Free virus protection for private and non-commercial use.
    • For purely Anti-virus protection, the free version is the same as the equivalent program in the paid suite of programs.

  3. A Member noticed that AVG downloads everyday when he goes online. Does the computer have enough space for the changes?

      Answer:
    • The daily updates that AVG carries out are mostly updates to its reference database of viruses, worms, trojans, etc.
    • The size of these updates makes little difference in the storage area of the complete database.
    • The major changes in size allocation , occurs when a new version of AVG is installed.
    • Then, it is a good policy uninstall the older version before the new version is installed.
    • This will avoid the problem of storing multiple versions of a fairly large program.

  4. Spybot - A member ran it and noticed that there are two icons for Spybot on his desktop, the new one said download on it, is this normal?

      Answer:
    • Unless you know definitely that SpyBot suppliers put that icon connector for downloading onto your desktop, it is prudent practice to just delete it.
    • Then, go to the website of SpyBot, through our Software web page, and determine if there really is an update to SpyBot.
    • If there is, then download it the safe way.
    • That way you are sure of the source.

  5. Frank asked the audience if they knew how to find out what version of programs they were using?

      Answer:
    • Most Windows programs place an "About" choice on the Help Menu.
    • This will contain the official name, release version, and date of the particular program that you are using.
    • There are exceptions. For example, CCleaner puts there "About" under their "Options" because their Help is based online and not integrated in the progam.

  6. A member received an email with picture attachment and sent it to another friend and the friend only received the frame for the picture, why is this? Now the member has lost the picture too?

      Answer:
    • Forwarding Emails with attachments can be have a very unreliable result. Especially if it is the tail end of numerous forwardings.
    • A more reliable method is as follows:
        Forwarding emails with attachments:
      1. Create a folder named: Email_Attachments
      2. Click your right mouse button on the attachment.
      3. Select "Copy"
      4. Open your " Email_Attachments" folder
      5. Click your right mouse button on an empty space inside folder
      6. Select "Paste"
    • Create an email to your forwarding person and attach your item from your " Email_Attachments" folder.
    • This procedure means that you are now totally in control of the attachments.
    • Your recipients will thank you for this cleaner method of emailing.
    • No more emails within emails within emails that cause you to search down through multiple levels to find out what your friend is trying to send you.

  7. Member had 14 emails come in on gmail and only one came in on Sympatico? Why is this? Next day all 14 emails were in Sympatico?

      Answer:
    • There seems to be a time delay between the faster Google mail system and your local Internet Service Provider - Sympatico.
    • If you are using Outlook Express, it downloads email to your computer whereas
    • GMail does not. It retains the emails on its server computer. This is a much faster system.

    NOTE: Charlie LeBer said that talking about EMail, Xplore.net made some changes over the weekend and now you must use full user name i.e. (Charlie@gmail.com) instead of just the name, to receive emails? If some people have trouble with different email browsers Charlie may be able to help. Send an email.

  8. Screen saver froze on member and he was wondering if it was because he had too many programs open at the same time? What would cause this?

      Answer:
    • If you have a small program installed to loop you through some personal photos as screen savers, and you inadvertently deleted or moved one of the photos in the sequence, then the program would hang on the last good photo because it cannot find the next one in the series. Because the program had control and was stymied, it may not come out of the screensaver mode. Usually the only way to get out of this is to shut down and restart your computer. If so, then you should also check the photos that are used in your screensaver to ensure that the problem does not repeat.
    • If you don't use a rotating screensaver, then you should check the photo that you are using as a screensaver in an Image program to ensure that the photo is still OK.

  9. How do you put a Computer on Sleep mode?

      Answer:
    • It is all controlled in the "Power Options" tool in the Contol Panel
    • Under Power Schemes Tab, you choose when to Turn off your monitor or hard disks and when to put your System on standby.
    • A laptop should use these options but I, personally, have all three of those settings on "Never".

  10. NOTE: SP1 for Office 2007 is now available

Frank Myers

With thanks to Marg Whittaker who assisted in the recording of the questions and answers.