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Windows XP Password Problem

June 29, 2007 By

A long-time subscriber wrote to ask about a problem he’s having with an XP password:

Terry, I have received your great newsletter for quite a while, now, and enjoy and learn from each one. On your recommendation, I purchased several Sunbelt products and they work great.

QUESTION:

I work at a small not-for-profit organization, which assists people who have developmental disabilities. We recently had a change in personnel and found that the XP (I believe Professional) user password had been changed. After booting, and as windows loads, the “administrator” does not appear, only the user’s login icon appears.

To prevent the loss of programs and data, we would like to avoid re-installing windows…

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Filed Under: Security, System, Terry's Computer Tips, Windows XP

Inexpensive and Free Dialup Internet Service Providers

June 27, 2007 By

With AOL stepping back from the dialup market in the US, what’s left?In most areas, there are local phone companies and other local companies offering dialup services. You might be interested in them for multiple reasons, including supporting your local businesses. Some even have arrangements to use the large dialup networks that the large ISP’s use, too.

One local ISP in my area seems intent on raising its dialup prices until they drive off their customers. Strangely, it’s the same phone company that sells DSL service to most of Baton Rouge, so they aren’t endearing themselves to their potential DSL clients. Bellsouth obviously has some really bright marketing people, or some really clueless ones, since they think this will work…

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Filed Under: Communications, Terry's Computer Tips

Quieting Windows’ Noises (and selecting other sounds)

June 13, 2007 By

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Do Windows’ sounds ever get on your nerves? In my case, I have grown to dislike the click sound when I click on a link in Internet Explorer or in Windows Explorer. I find it distracting as I work or play on my computer.

Fortunately, we can do something about that… Windows lets us assign different sounds to some specific Windows functions (“events”).

In this case, the offending selection is the sound file assigned to the event called “Start Navigation” in Windows Explorer. That’s right, even if you’re using Internet Explorer, that’s the Windows event that gets called when you click on a link.

In order to change the sound assigned to this event, the first step is to open the Control Panel and select “Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices”.

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Filed Under: Operating System, Performance Tweaks, Speed Tweaks, Terry's Computer Tips, Usability, Windows XP

Making Viewed Fonts and Images Larger (or smaller)

June 11, 2007 By

Ever go to a web site and find that the fonts are huge? Or, maybe they’re too small for your eyes?

Our favorite web browsers, whether we use Internet Explorer 6, IE7, Firefox 1.5, Firefox 2, Opera 8 or Opera 9, have multiple ways for us to change the size of the words we see.

Some of those ways affect only the text. They’ll let you have larger text or smaller text, but they won’t affect image sizes.

Some others will automatically change the displayed image size along with the displayed text characters.

Continue reading Making Viewed Fonts and Images Larger (or smaller)


Filed Under: Communications, Firefox, IE, Opera, Performance Tweaks, Terry's Computer Tips, Usability, Web browsing, Windows XP

Sunbelt Personal Firewall Review

June 3, 2007 By

Sunbelt Software has recently renamed their Sunbelt Kerio Personal Firewall to be Sunbelt Personal Firewall. It’s their personal computer firewall software package. SPF is available in full-function mode (paid license) and in a reduced-function free (licensed free for personal non-commercial use) versions. Actually, it is the same program — after the full-function 30-day trial, you can purchase a license key to reactivate the additional functions or if you don’t qualify for the free license.

Sunbelt purchased the existing, respected firewall program Personal Firewall from Kerio in December 2005.

Sunbelt has reduced the price significantly, too. Sunbelt Personal Firewall is only $19.95, which includes 1 year of upgrades, as opposed to the usual $40 for firewall programs. Sunbelt’s web site shows that upgrade subscriptions will be priced at $9.95 per year.

Since I have already registered my copy, I know that the License and the Upgrade Subscriptions are two different things. My license expires “Never,” while my upgrade subscription expires next February.

First, what do you miss with the “free” version?

  • *  It is licensed for personal and/or non-commercial use only.
  • *  Web content filtering is not available in the free version
  • *  The powerful Host Intrusion and Prevention System (HIPS) is not available in the free version
  • *  It can not be used on a computer that is providing the “Internet Connection Sharing” functions for your local network (the “Internet gateway” computer). It will block the ICS data packets, since they are not destined for this computer)
  • *  Logs can not be sent to the Windows “Syslog” server.
  • *  You can not password-protect your firewall configuration, and
  • *  You can not access and administer the firewall remotely.

I am currently using Sunbelt Personal Firewall on all my family’s computers as well as on my notebook (my primary computer) and I am impressed. When you install SPF, you can choose between the “simple” and “advanced user” installations. Even if you’re an advanced user, pick the “simple” installation…

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Filed Under: Firewall, IE, Opera, Security, Security Issues, Terry's Computer Tips, Web browsing, Windows XP, Wireless