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Problems with Program Installs and Updates

July 9, 2008 By Terry Stockdale

Occasionally when I’m installing a new program, or updating an existing program, I run into a special issue. Yes, that’s probably the right term for it — when my security software does exactly what it’s supposed to do — and blocks the software installation or upgrade/update.

Such was the case this week with the surprise update from Microsoft called .NET Service Pack 1.

I tried to install it on my desktop computer and on my wife’s computer. In both cases, the installatiton failed and didn’t bother to tell me why it failed, just that it had. In both cases, I had started the update and left the room, so I didn’t get to see any warning messages that may have occurred.

Anyway, my anti-spyware/anti-adware program CounterSpy prevented the .NET service pack from changing all the files that it wanted to change. I had CounterSpy set for some aggresive control by setting its Active Protection function to Cautious (the choices are Paranoid, Cautious, Trusting and Custom) and putting checkmarks on all the options.

Continue reading Problems with Program Installs and Updates

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Filed Under: Optimize, Software, Terry's Computer Tips

Speeding Up Windows XP

October 23, 2007 By Terry Stockdale

Remember back when you got your latest computer? It seemed so fast, so much faster than your previous computer. Now, if it doesn’t seem to drag, it just doesn’t seem as peppy as it used to…

Part of that effect is our memory — not the computer’s memory but the memories stored between our ears. We tend to remember the past with fond thoughts and rose-colored glasses. We also become used to the faster speed and expect it. Fast today is faster than it used to be <grin>.

There are some real aspects of computing, though, that affect our computer’s speed as we continue to use Windows.

The clean, fresh installation of Windows has little in the way of superficial extras that take up CPU cycles, that take up memory and that clutter the hard drive and the Windows Registry.

Continue reading Speeding Up Windows XP

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

Cleaning Up the Start Menu

May 8, 2007 By Terry Stockdale

Have you ever noticed that every program wants to install itself into the Start Menu in its very own line?

The Start Menu quickly balloons as each game adds its own block, each utility adds each own section, each graphics program, each communications program, etc. all with their very own listing under “All Programs”…

If you’ve got a small screen, especially if you use a large resolution like 800×600, you can quickly get a menu that wraps and takes up the whole screen — and more!

However, it’s easy to take control of the Start Menu.

I have a very few entries in my All Programs list — and they’re all folders. That’s right, most of the entries in the Start Menu are just folders that have shortcuts to programs and shortcuts to other folders in them.

Plain, regular folders that include shortcuts to other files and folders… The Start Menu just displays them in a nice fly-out menu style.

You can create your own folders and put them on the All Programs list. Then, you can easily drag and drop the existing entries into your new folders.

For example, I have a “Communications” folder into which I have moved all email, web browser, instant messaging, etc “All” Programs folders that relate to communications. Similarly, I have CD/DVD, Graphics, and Utilities folders (and a few more, too).

Just create a folder on the desktop (right click on a blank spot on the desktop, select New, Folder) and name it.

Then, right-click and drag the new folder over the Start button — and hover there. The Start button will open up and you can continue dragging the folder into the All Programs area.

If you open the All Programs list again, you may see that Windows has sorted the new folder to the bottom of the list. Just left-click on it and drag it up the list to drop it between two other items.

Then, you can left-click and drag current Start Menu items into the new folder. You can also right-click and drag program shortcuts from the desktop into the new folders.

Right-click so you get a menu where you can choose to Move or Copy — don’t make a shortcut, because it will be a shortcut to the desktop shortcut which will break if you delete or rename the desktop shortcut.

Filed Under: Optimize, Terry's Computer Tips, Usability, Windows XP

Compacting Email Folders

April 9, 2007 By Terry Stockdale

There is a little trick to the way POP3 email program like Outlook, Outlook Express, Eudora and Thunderbird store the email messages you receive. A “deleted message” is not really deleted! Did you know that?

All your email program does is to rewrite a few characters in the file in order to tell itself that a particular email has been “deleted.”

One particular marking in the file indicates that the email has been deleted, so the program shows it in the Trash folder. A different marking shows it has been deleted from the Trash folder. But, it really has not been removed from the big email.

When I delete an email, it’s gone — right?

February 22, 2007 By Terry Stockdale

There is a little trick to the way POP3 email programs like Outlook, Outlook Express, Eudora and Thunderbird store the email messages you receive. A “deleted message” is not really deleted! Did you know that?

Outlook and Outlook Express store all the emails in one huge file, even if you have your emails split between multiple folders. Eudora creates a separate file for each email folder, such as Inbox, Outbox, Trash, Junk and any folders the user creates. Thunderbird similarly uses multiple files for emails.

Personally, I like Eudora‘s & Thunderbird’s approach — if I should ever have a file corruption issue with one of the email folders, I’m not in danger of losing all of my emails, just those in that one folder.

Filed Under: Email, Eudora, Optimize, Outlook Express, Security, Terry's Computer Tips, Thunderbird

Speeding Up Your Windows Computer

December 30, 2006 By Terry Stockdale

Recently, I wrote about speeding up your computer. In that article, I recommended adding more memory as the cheapest and most effective way to speed up an older computer. That helps you no matter what program you are running.

There are also some Windows XP settings that you can change to speed up your computer. These do not actually make a change in its speed, but they change your perception of its speed at a critical time — while you are waiting.

Windows XP has a “Performance Options” menu that includes 16 different checkboxes for settings that affect how fast Windows itself displays items on the screen — regardless of which video card you use. You can access this menu via Start / Control Panel / Performance and Maintenance.

Filed Under: Operating System, Optimize, Speed Tweaks, Windows XP