Windows Special Interest Group archive

June 2009 Meeting

2009-06-13T09:51:00.001-07:00

Warning: (HP) Hewlett-Packard is voluntarily recalling approximately 70,000 of its lithium-ion batteries because of a fire and burn hazard. These batteries are used in HP and Compaq notebook computers sold from August 2007-March 2008. For a listing of the numerous battery models, visit http://www.cpsc.gov/

Extended Warranties: (Kim Komando) According to Consumer Reports, extended warranties are notoriously bad deals. Some repairs are covered by the standard manufacturer warranty that comes with the product. “Products seldom break within the extended-warranty window—after the standard warranty has expired but within the typical two to three years of purchase—our data show. And when electronics and appliances do break, the repairs, on average, cost about the same as an extended warranty.” (Don’t forget that using a charge card doubles a manufacturer’s warranty – Myron). There was a vigorous discussion on the online security of using charge cards in various situations. The group thought that a single ideas and concepts class on security would be better attended than a four week course.

New products
Bing: Microsoft’s new search engine was demonstrated. It appears very similar to Google.
Dropbox: Would somebody try out this free product? It “Syncs your files between computers and online”
Free Ringer: Would somebody try this free phone service out for the next WSIG meeting? http://freeringer.biz/faq.shtml#q6
Smartbooks: Get ready for "smartbooks," a term being promoted by Qualcomm for wireless computers that are larger than cellular phones but smaller than netbooks.
Netbooks: It appears that 8 inch screen netbooks are unsuccessful in the market compared to 10 inch netbooks.
Internet Explorer 8: Based on views expressed it appears that IE8 is pretty well ready for general use by members. A few sites may not display properly yet, and there is no noticeable speed up in displaying sites, despite Microsoft’s claims.
Windows 7: (SNUG OK) Charlene said what they have done is take the best of Vista and best of XP and put them together.Pat: Go to Dave’s Computer Tips for a good article.Doris: If your peripherals are 16bt they won’t work with Vista or 7. (See also WSIG’s 64bit vs 32 bit discussion in May 2009.)Karl: Many people are still running XP. They don’t even have the capacity to run Vista.Bill: If you go on the MS compatibility site and run the tool, it tells you what hardware and software products are compatible with Vista. There should soon be a similar tool for Windows 7. Do this before you go out and buy a new machine.Doris said if you buy a computer now with Vista you will have to pay to go to Windows 7.Charlene said if your computer is doing what you want it to do and you have a good virus protector and good firewall stay with it.
(Cyber News, June) has an enthusiastic review of the Release Candidate for 7.

Demo: XP Power Toys at www.tinyurl.com/553fw6 were viewed; everybody should benefit from at least one of these 14. They were reviewed in Smart Computing 04/09 p.27

Plain Talk: Does all that technical computer talk leave you glassy eyed and ready to quit your PC? Fear not, http://asknerd.net has come to the rescue, where your dumb question is answered in non-technical language. Just beware its search engine is not so smart so just give it one keyword to search for, like firewall or password. (Kim Komando)

Software Versions: (KK) Having trouble making a new version of software work on your older machine? Go back to an earlier version that worked—there’s an extensive collection at http://www.oldversion.com/

Print text from the web. (Cyber News) Often times you want to print something from the Internet, but don't want to print the whole page. Here's a simple solution to that dilemma. Highlight the text you want to print, then click on File, Print, and under "Print Range" put a mark next to "Selection." Now click OK and it will print only the text you have highlighted instead of the whole page.

Office 2007: (KK) For long-time Office users, the Ribbon can be a huge annoyance. I've heard many complaints about it from readers and listeners. Well, you don't need to live with the Office Ribbon. Just download UBitMenu. It will bring back Office's old menus. UBitMenu is free for personal use. But you must select the correct download. On the UBitMenu site, click UBitMenu UK

May 2009 Meeting

2009-05-11T12:16:00.000-07:00

Two Demonstrations were offered; one of the how and why of Zip files, the other explaining the how and why of File associations and how to change them.

A Members Question asked how to download songs, pictures or videos from websites; are you allowed to do it; and if so, how?

AutoSave in Word: Can be established thus: Tools > Options > Save tab > check Save auto Recover info box > choose Every (number of minutes)

The BCC box: (from Cyber News) “Something that I just can't get through my head is why intelligent people send out mass emails with everyone listed in the To: box. When they do that they are broadcasting all those people's email addresses to the world, and that is a major contributor of spam. Everyone complains about junk email but they don't want to take steps to prevent it. The next time you want to send a message to more than one person put all the names in the BCC: box. (Blind carbon copy) That's the safe and polite way to do it. Never put more than one name in the To: box!”

Revisiting 64-bit systems: Myron Thorner told us that there are 32- and 64-bit PC systems, Operating systems and application programs, and explained what happened when you run various mixtures of these. The main problem area with 64-bit is with peripherals that may not be supported—yet. Check the manufacturer’s website for your printer, scanner, external hard drive etc to find out if they have drivers that support 64-bit systems. If not, you should wait, or if you can’t wait, you can buy a new peripheral that is supported. Or you may still be able to buy a 32-bit system that will be able to support all your existing peripherals.

Also there are applications that were designed for 32-bit that won’t work for 64-bit systems, for example the Zone Alarm firewall. You can use the more limited Windows firewall on 64-bit systems. You need to do some web research on other important older programs that may no longer work for you.

Cleaning up email: (from Cyber News) ”If you are using Outlook Express as your email client, do some housekeeping. Don't let messages sit forever in your Inbox, Sent Items and Deleted Items boxes. Keep them cleaned out and after you clean up then click on File/Folder/Compact All Folders. This will only take a few seconds and get things back to normal. After completing this procedure you will find many .bak (back up) files in your recycle bin which are safe to delete.”

Internet Explorer 8 was discussed following several quotes.
(from CNet 4/09) Very mixed reviews. “If you are happy with IE 7, Firefox etc, there’s no great reason to upgrade at this time.” One member with IE8 indicated she was happy with it so far.

(from Microsoft) “Includes MSN Homepage, MSN Toolbar, Microsoft® Silverlight™, and Search.” Are they required or optional?

(Message from MS) “Sorry, you already have Internet Explorer 8. Internet Explorer 8 optimized for MSN is only available when upgrading from a previous version of Internet Explorer. Please check back soon for a special download to optimize your experience. Until then we recommend you customize your experience with MSN homepage and MSN Toolbar.”

(from Cyber News) “Microsoft's new browser version 8.0 is being released through Windows updates. If you have upgraded you may find that you have problems with Gmail and Yahoo web mail. Two solutions to this problem, until they get it fixed, is to say no to the download or use my preferred browser, Firefox.”

Watch this space for more...

WSIG meeting, April 10

2009-04-11T13:06:00.001-07:00

Control Panel Series this month demonstrated the features on the Control Panel’s Display icon.

If you have Unwanted Windows passwords you can manage them as follows:

To remove your password in Vista, Start > Control Panel > User Accounts > Make changes to your user account > Remove your password > Enter the password in the box > Click Remove > Close the Control Panel.

In Windows XP, Start > Control Panel > User Accounts > Your account > Remove my password > Enter your password in the box > Remove Password > Close the open windows.

With visiting grandchildren you may choose to set temporary password control in the same way.

When launching Internet Explorer, two members get a “Connecting” message that just sits there. Once IE is closed and restarted, IE comes up normally. There was no known explanation for this behavior that appears related to IE Version 7.

Another member wondered about a “squiggle” appearing next to certain file names. This could indicate temp files created by Word and normally deleted when Word closes. Open Word and close it again, temp files should disappear.

Frank Weitzmann stated that Windows XP and Office 2003 “mainstream” support (i.e. free) ends April 14, meaning no new features or fixes except for critical security patches. That date would be your last chance to upgrade to Service Pack 3. Free support for XP with SP2 continues through July 13, 2010, and XP with SP3 is covered until April 2014.

David led a discussion All about cookies; What are they? Why are they? and Where are they? (C:\Documents and Settings\your user name\Cookies.) Cookie types described include Temporary Cookies, Permanent Cookies, First Party Cookies and Third party cookies. You can delete a cookie thus: (IE7 > Tools > Internet Options > General tab > Browsing History > Settings > View Files > sort them by Name > Locate cookie wanted > Rt. Click > Delete > OK) or you can delete all cookies (IE7 > Tools > Internet Options > General tab > Browsing History > Delete > Delete Cookies > Yes > Close > OK.) Some members in the group routinely delete all cookies, some leave them in place, and some didn’t know what to do. It’s a personal choice.

Another discussion was on Netbooks and how they compare with regular laptops or notebooks. Some pluses include low weight, easy to carry, low cost, and perhaps more robust. Minuses are the small screen only 8”-9” diagonal, a cramped keyboard and trackpad, tinny sounding speakers and no built in CD/DVD drive. They are considered quite suitable for e-mail, web browsing, word processing and instant text messaging and perhaps audio and video chat. They are not recommended for processor and memory intensive apps like Photoshop, video editing, and shoot-‘em-up games.

Introducing the topic of Data Rot, or bit rot, David mentioned two aspects. One is the deterioration over time of media such as 8-track tapes, VHS tapes and floppy disks. The other is that players may no longer be easily available. The main discussion however was about converting photo slides and 8 mm movies to DVD format. Frank Weitzmann did such a major conversion and said mainline photo stores will recommend specialists to do this for you. He also cautioned that the “Blu-Ray” DVD format might eventually disappear due to marginal benefit and high costs.

Meeting, March 13, 2009

2009-03-14T09:37:00.001-07:00

WARNING: Email viruses are going around with Subjects like XP Antivirus 2008, XP Antivirus 2009, Antivirus 360, AVg scan (note small g). Don’t open them, or any attachment from an unknown source.

CAN’T START WINDOWS? Click (F8) during bootup to enter Safe Mode with Networking. Then go to an earlier System Restore Point, that can be accessed from the Help and Support Center.

MAGIC JACK gadget, looks like a flash drive. Plug a land phone into it and then plug its USB connector into your PC. Make free local and long distance calls in the US and Canada. It costs $40 plus $20 annual sub after the first year. Recommended by PC Magazine 01/09. See also article in Smart Computing 02/09, p.23. This from SNUG OK: “You have to leave the computer running all the time. Sometime this year it will have the portability to use your present phone number. You can change this number one time for free. The best part of Magic Jack is your kids (or grandkids) can get their own phone line for $10 a year. It doesn’t put a program on your computer. “If I go to Germany and call back here on Magic Jack it is a local call.” There is a 30-day free trail. It knows whether you have XP or Vista on your computer.” Anybody here tried it? www.magicjack.com This evolved into an extensive discussion of varying experiences with Verizon and BrightHouse services. Jay Hall added a supportive explanation of Google Voice that allows you to integrate landline, cellphone, and internet phone services—for free.

AMAZON’S SECOND-GENERATION KINDLE e-book costs $359 and lets you download up to 1500 books. You do not need a PC to download books. (it uses whispernet free on Sprint network) Bestsellers about $10, classics about $2, first chapter often free. It also has text-to-speech and is lighter weight so you can easily hold it in one hand. Six-inch screen and small keyboard. Any experience?

MEMBER Q&A. Andy asked if it is a good idea to leave a laptop plugged in. Absolutely, with the newer Li-Ion laptop batteries. A question about income tax brought out the interesting fact that you can do the whole thing for free, including e-filing, provided your adjusted gross income is less than $56K. Click e-file at www.irs.gov

DEMO: Getting comfortable with the Control Panel. The Accessibility icon offers access to Windows features providing support for those with limited vision and hearing and poor control of keyboard and mouse.

DEMO: The Photo link is now available in OLLI Life USF. David pointed out this feature is still under development, particularly regarding the quality of images on the site.

QUESTIONS CARRIED FORWARD from earlier SNUG.
Mal Kaser: I get messages asking if I want to debug certain lines of code. If I say yes and follow directions, nothing happens. I downloaded Microsoft debugging tools but it is super complicated and requires two computers. Control of Java script errors may be exercised from the Java Control panel accessed from the Windows Control Panel. If it occurs while viewing a webpage, click on the Advanced tab of Internet Options, then look for the "Disable script debugging" line and put a check mark in the box. Then look for the "Display a notification about every script error" line and remove the check mark in the box.

DPH: What’s involved in transferring my stuff from my XP computer to a new Vista machine? Before contemplating doing this, read Smart Computing, 11/08, p.35

Cecelia Vance: My computer is about 6 years old and I do not have enough USB ports in the back so I have to plug in my wireless mouse in the front. Can USB ports be added to the back? Now with my mouse plugged into the front, when I boot up I have to hit F1 to continue the start up. Exactly what does F1 do and why is that necessary. All USB ports are the same. Try hitting F2 instead; this may let you change a BIOS setting to avoid the stoppage.

Gail Benton: What is cloud computing--significance for future. What companies are involved in this? One aspect is when your programs and data are securely on the Web instead of in your PC. You access them through a browser. Examples: Web mail programs (Gmail etc), online tax preparation services (from TaxCut etc), online virus scans (from Trend Micro etc) See Wikipedia’s article for more details.

Shirley Miller: Printing out from Webmail, I get only very small print. Workaround by copying and pasting it into Word, where you can adjust type size before printing.

WSIG February 6, 2009

2009-02-13T13:01:00.001-08:00

David Henry opened the 11 am meeting (normally 11:30 am) and eventually 15 members attended.

MEMBER QUESTIONS:
A member who occasionally receives a “Windows is gathering information” message during shut down was advised to ignore it. Googling the exact message would likely provide an explanation.
Another member is unable to discover how to set up a distribution list in Windows Mail.
A member was advised to use the PC Decrapifier program to remove unwanted programs from her new Dell laptop. It’s a free download for Vista and XP.
With a USB mouse plugged into the front of her PC, a member’s machine shows a black screen during startup. It is released by hitting F1.

WINDOWS 7 BETA
Richard Clary told us one objective of Windows 7 is to fix some of the many complaints Microsoft received about Vista. There does not appear to be much new functionality in this OS, expected for release late 2009 or early 2010. He updated us on recent reviews of this release; as is typical, some are positive, some not.

64 BIT VS. 32 BIT COMPUTERS
David said only power users may benefit from the extra capabilities of a 64-bit PC and OS. Typical users will pay extra and encounter some possible disadvantages until software development catches up. A short Smart Computing article summarizes this topic (Feb ’09 issue, p. 13)

HANDOUT: THE DREADED RED X
The handout listed three settings which should be examined if you are still encountering this problem. Most members present remarked they don’t see this problem much more.

DEMO: NEW SENIORNET SITE
The site has been redesigned and enhanced in 2008 and may be accessed via the SeniorNet link at www.ollilifeusf.org HQ has moved from California to Virginia “in a strategic move to grow partnerships with Federal agencies and to pursue new strategic alliances.” Members were unaware of who, if anybody monitored this site in the interests of OLLI computer classes.

DEMO: www.smartcomputing.com was not given due to lack of time. David briefly described some of the very useful features of this site. Some are available to everybody; all are available only to subscribers of the print edition:
Software and hardware reviews
Q&A Board
Dictionary & Encyclopedia
Daily Tip email and archive
Read current or back issues
My Personal Library

WSIG meeting January 9, 2009

2009-01-10T11:45:00.001-08:00

A late start meant there wasn’t enough time to set up the demos.

A preliminary discussion on comparing laptops vs. desktops illuminated many points that are reported in the January SNUG minutes.

DISCUSS: Backup. Smart Computing, 1/09 (SC) has several articles on Backup & Restore. The Vista backup and restore center, once set up makes it pretty easy, with changed files automatically backed up, preferably to an external hard drive. You only need to spell out the file extensions you want to backup—SC, p 60. Extensions list—SC, p 50. Automatic online backup for a fee—SC, p 57.

DEMO: http://www.smartcomputing.com/ Click Tech Support Center and search for pertinent articles. Or, submit your question online, and subscribe to their email answer service. Best of all, call 800-368-8304 (Print edition subscribers only.)

DEMO: Avoid printing unwanted stuff from websites. Go to http://www.printwhatyoulike.com/static/web/screencast.html

DEMO: If you want the latest driver for that legacy printer or other peripheral, visit http://www.windrivers.com/ that says it is the World Resource for Windows Tech Support and Drivers. You’ll need to Register first (free).

DISCUSS: What do we know about Windows 7? Remember it is a Beta release. Microsoft has attended to many of the complaints about Vista. 1/09 reviews in both CNet and ZNet are quite positive.

DISCUSS: How to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft when you get rid of an old computer – even if you delete all the files? Smash the hard drive with a hammer.

WSIG meeting Nov 2008

2008-11-21T08:31:00.001-08:00

Have you seen what happens when you send an error report to Microsoft? Check it out at http://www.updatexp.com/we-share-your-pain.html (MS UK actually)

A new release of Java Standard Edition 6 Update 10 is available from java.com This is aimed at home users who should install this update for its quicker start and ability to drag and drop browser applets on the desktop as stand alone applications. Mention of quick start led to a discussion on Standby, Sleep, Hibernate, Restart and the use of a PC’s on/off button. It was clear we need some education on this topic.

There is a Smart Strip power strip ($44) that can turn off peripherals when you shut down your PC. The residual energy used by them can therefore be reduced from 24/7 to 9/5. It also appears to avoid conflicting transformers as the outlets are further apart than normal.

Here is the GE standard of excellence (Good Enough): “When a computer is running well and you are able to perform most of your regular tasks, that’s Good Enough. Don’t tweak, don’t poke, don’t putter, don’t fine tune. The more tweaking you do, the greater the probability that you will end up singing the Tweakers Lament: Why didn’t I leave well enough alone?” – (Smart Computing’s Mr Modem)… Or the more vulgar “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”

Why does my printer still say “your color cartridge is low” even after installing a new one the day before? What is your experience? It was pointed out that special circuitry in HP and other cartridges is designed to inhibit refills. If you remove a cartridge for a refill, carry it back and forth in a Ziploc bag with a damp paper towel to avoid clogging the print head. Also, shelf life of new cartridges is quite limited, and the suggested approach was to wait some months after installing a new cartridge before purchasing another one.

Under the partnership announced Wednesday, people can drop off any number of Dell-branded PCs, monitors, keyboards, printers, mice and other accessories at any of Staples’ 1,500 U.S. stores for recycling, without having to make a purchase.

For the first time, laptop shipments to both consumer and business markets accounted for more than half of sales in a quarter, toppling desktop computers from their traditional top spot. Several members seem ready to take the laptop leap.

Are you thinking about buying a new computer? The rumor now is that Microsoft will release the latest and greatest operating system (Windows 7) in time for the Christmas season of next year (2009). My advice would be to bypass Vista and wait until then. Probably a good "tune up" will hold you over. More on the next operating system, Windows 7, from PC World. (Cyber News)

Acronis just announced a significant new release of their top rated backup utility, Acronis True Image Home 2009. It is hard to understand how they could possibly improve on this excellent product, but they did it with dozens of important new features. The product may be ordered now on our secure web site at www.ugr.com/TrueImage.html for only $29 (as a download) or $29 plus shipping (on a CD). (Gene Barlow, User Group Relations)

The best security for storing sensitive data online is claimed to be at www.Carbonite.com It’s completely automatic, making / updating an online copy any time a Save or File command is issued. $50 a year. (Kim Komando)

Maybe you know about 1-800-free411, that gives you phone numbers – after a brief advertisement. It’s great when you are on the road. It’s a number worth putting in your cell phone, or your home phone speed dial. Now Google has gone one better with a similar service also free but with no ads – at 1-800-goog411. (Donna Gilbert. Donna added that Google’s is a “yellow page” or business listing service)

WSIG Topics, Oct 10 2008

2008-10-12T19:12:00.001-07:00

David Henry opened the meeting at 11:30am.

The Florida Association of Computer User Groups (FACUG) fall conference is being held in Clearwater this year and that is quite convenient for us. It is all day October 25 and the cost is $30 for FACUG members (that’s us). Full details may be found at http://www.facug.org/ David explained that the schedule includes four simultaneous sessions; five members thought they would attend.

Several websites were displayed and discussed. Members were encouraged to visit the new http://www.ollilifeusf.org/ site that is a replacement for and expansion of our SNUG Life site that is to be phased out. It offers members access to a wide range of information about OLLI and what’s going on throughout the organization, and will also help them exchange and share common interests among the various sub groups.

A brief video demonstration of a remote assistance product was offered; members were referred to http://www.crossloop.com/ This free software allows one-on-one assistance between users whereby a member can request help from an expert member; the latter can remotely operate the member’s computer and hopefully explain or resolve problems. WSIG members were asked to download the crossloop program and try it out with a friend. If successful, this tool could let us offer a friendly PC help service within OLLI. Crossloop also arranges professional expert help for a fee for a wide range of computer related topics.

Members wanting to buy computers or components (and electronic gadgets of all types) were referred in the first instance to http://www.tigerdirect.com/ for detailed and thorough information about such products. Good places for user reviews of products were the CNet and PC World websites. Armed with this knowledge, you can then track down the best internet deals at several sites such as http://www.pricegrabber.com/ where your product and its price may be compared side by side with similar ones.

WSIG notes for Sept 12, 2008

2008-09-15T08:55:00.001-07:00

David Henry opened the meeting at 11:30 am; ten members attended.

He suggested that those with Sony Vaio laptops check the manufacturing date. If between May 2007 and July 2008, they are subject to a recall for overheating.

He gained kudos with his wife for examining all his old floppy disks and throwing out 99% of them, freeing up lots of storage space. A similar effort led to the disposal of much old outdated software and data files on CD-ROM. Recommended for all.

Cecelia Vance said that after installing new color cartridges in her Epson photo printer it began coating the reverse side of otherwise good pictures with a sticky yellowish substance! This “caramel coating” problem was eventually resolved by tech support with the help of multiple nozzle cleanings.

The nozzle head cleaner typically found on a printer’s Properties dialog will also help with white or colored stripes on printouts when the ink is low or there are clogged print heads. If all else fails, let the print head sit on a damp paper towel for a minute or two to soften any deposits then continue by wiping the contacts gently with a soft damp cloth, NOT with rubbing alcohol.

Members recommended purchasing cartridges online from LD Products and 4inkjets.

Beware of counterfeit Sandisk and other memory cards flooding online shopping sites, particularly eBay. They have no warranty and may work much slower than genuine ones. Similarly there are counterfeit unwarranted DVD’s including blank ones that should be avoided. Check reviews in shopping.com or pricegrabber.com

Trudy Bauer stated that a large Quickbooks backup failed to transfer to a sufficient capacity thumb drive whereas small backups would. Two gurus in the group eventually diagnosed the cause of this problem (out of date software.)

David mentioned briefly a difficult experience when reinstalling Windows and recommended getting help and thorough planning ahead of time. Also if your XP system is not up to SP3 level, follow Windows Update on the left of the Control Panel.

Gerald Hartke experienced sluggish performance with Vista. He might try Start> Control Panel> Hardware and Sound> Power Options. Under Preferred plans, choose High performance.

Smart Computing suggests using the free Speech Recognition feature in Vista. Frank Zacherl tried it and found it accepts dictation quite well, and the price is right.

Jay Hall said that Google’s new browser called Chrome (in Beta) drew typically mixed reviews, but he personally thought it was very good. He promised a review for next month.

Myron Thorner demonstrated the power of Microsoft’s drag and drop Visio program for producing all kinds of diagrams and charts. Perhaps we could use this to produce a publicity diagram showing what sequences of courses we have starting with Intro courses.

How WSIG works

2008-09-04T12:25:00.000-07:00

This blog starts with the record of the WSIG meeting of June 13, 2008.

Visitors wishing to review earlier meetings may do so by clicking here where they will find monthly reports dating back to January 12, 2007.

Those wishing to contribute to this blog may email questions, answers and relevant information to mailto:dph@tampabay.rr.com

WSIG meeting of June 13, 2008

2008-09-04T10:41:00.000-07:00

David opened the meeting with only three members present, growing to about 12.

· Windows XP: Service Pack 3 was released then withdrawn by Microsoft due to complaints about systems going into a continuous reboot. This was diagnosed as certain machines using AMD chips, and Norton AV. HP has advised its customers that have an AMD chip not to install the new service pack until remedies have been put in place. Norton warned users not to install SP3 until this can be resolved. About a week later it was re-released, with this note from Microsoft: "This update includes a small number of new functionalities, which do not significantly change customer's experience with the operating system."

· Windows Vista: According to Cyber News, "Vista has now been out for well over a year and at this time it's very apparent that most people and the majority of corporations are not going to upgrade, and will use XP until the release of the next operating system (Code named Windows 7) which due out in 2010. XP has been the best operating system that we've ever had and it will be easy to keep it running smoothly by following the steps in "System Maintenance."

· Chips: Intel dual core, Core duo, Quad core, AMD 64X2 -- what does it all mean? Having two cores lets you process two job streams independently and simultaneously; unfortunately there is very little software today that can make use of this, except for servers. Similarly almost all software is written for 32 bit wide instructions and data; 64 bit chips can process today's software and will take advantage of double wide instructions some day. Evidently there's no need for the home user to upgrade just for this.

· SpeedUp My PC 3: Uniblue is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and this is another product that scans your computer and then claims to optimize your PC performance by fixing the errors uncovered. Purchase for $29.95

· External Hard Drives: Considerations include reliability, shock protection, capacity, transfer rate and ease of use. Prices are now below one dollar per gigabyte. They can be used with the Windows backup program. The software that comes with them does the same, but does not allow a bit image of your main hard drive to be made. For that you will also need Acronis or Norton Ghost.

Several demos were offered:
· Sort your Program list: Click on the Start button, then "All Programs." Are all the programs in alphabetical order? If not, right click anywhere on the list and choose "Sort by Name." You can also do that in your list of Favorites.
· Desktop Cleanup Wizard: The desktop is best used for shortcuts to documents you are working on, and for the recycle bin. Shortcuts for your commonly used programs should be kept in the quick launch toolbar adjacent to the XP Start button. All other desktop clutter can be cleared away using the Desktop Cleanup Wizard, found by right clicking on your desktop then click on Properties, then the Desktop tab. Now at the bottom click the "Customize Desktop" button and set (or remove) the checkmark next to "Run Desktop Cleanup Wizard every 60 days." Click OK on both open windows. The Wizard will sweep up icons you haven't used in the last 60 days and put them in a desktop folder it creates called Unused Desktop Shortcuts, whence they can be dragged back if you need them.
· Google Docs: This website offers massive storage for word processing documents that you can upload and download, create, edit and store using interfaces quite similar to those in Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Its collaborative editing feature lets several users work on the same document, a feature now used in preparing OLLI News.

Three tips from Cyber News were included in a handout:
One showed how to avoid those annoying arrows and bars that show up on each line in messages that have been forwarded several times. Another explained how to rename multiple photos of the same event with a meaningful descriptor on each. The third showed how you can convert Google Earth's direction finding functionality into a flyover tour of the main streets and back roads of your community.