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MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL MOUSE TALES DECEMBER 2009
HOPE OUR MEMBERS WILL MAKE A PAGE OF THEIR OWN
ON THIS WEB SITE AND ANY MEMBERS CAN HAVE ONE
SAL
About the Cape Coral Computer Club
To all computer club members and friends
all the classes will be held at
PLEASE NOTE NEW LOCATION & TIME CAPE ALLIANCE CHURCH 4307 SKYLINE BLVD BETWEEN CAPE CORAL PKY AND MOHAWK BLVD TIME 1:00PM TO 3:00PM CAPE CORAL COMPUTER CLUB MEETS ON THE FIRST
FOUR (4) WEDNESDAYS OF EACH MONTH TIME 1:00 PM TO 3:00 PM MEMBERSHIP IS OPEN TO ALL WHO WANT TO LEARN COMPUTERS
YEARLY MEMBERSHIP FEE IS $35.00 FOR A FAMILY FOR INFORMATION OR TO JOIN OUR GROUP CALL
SAL @ 945-1390 OR MARTY @ 283-4312 Meet great people and make good friends.
If any qestions contact Sal(Pres) at
sica975@aol.com or Marty at martynem24@comcast.net, in subject line put in from CAPE CORAL COMPUTER CLUB WEB SITES OF MEMBERS
Also another site belongs to Hans Seebo
www.explorecapecoral.com When it opens type in search space CAPE CORAL COMPUTER CLUB Another web site from Dee Leek
Another web site from Sam Dupont
Need Computer Help?
Call the expert Personal Computer Training in your home or office! E-Mail Set-Up • Troubleshooting *Certified Quickbooks User •Software Training Access • Excel • Outlook • Windows •Word • Publisher • Powerpoint •Licensed in Cape Coral & Lee County E-Mail: OfficeTutor@gmail.com Milley Burden, BS, AACP (239) 292-4783 SHE IS ONE OF OUR TEACHERS If any one else has a web site let me know
and I will put it in the Mouse Tails for the world to see. IF ANY MEMBER WANTS TO HELP WITH THE MOUSE TAILS SEND ME INFO AND PICTURES YOU WANT TO PUT IN
SEND BIRTHDAYS , WEDDING DATES , ETC AND WE WILL ALL KNOW THE GOOD NEWS
AS PRES I HAVE A LOT OF RESPONSIBILITY TO PUT A
PROGRAM TOGETHER FOR THE CLUB, AND I NEED HELP FROM MEMBERS TO CONTRIBUTE. IF YOU WANT TO LEARN A PROGRAM TELL ME AND IF WE
HAVE IT ON THE COMPUTER WE WILL LEARN IT AND TEACH IT,
IF WE DON’T HAVE THE PROGRAM YOU WILL HAVE TO SUPPLY IT. WE HAVE GOOD TEACHERS AND THEY WILL HELP, ALL THEY NEED IS YOUR INPUT OF WHAT THE
CLASS WANTS TO LEARN DON’T LET A FEW DO ALL THE WORK.
SEND ME ANY COMPUTER PICTURES AND JOKES AND COMPUTER INFORMATION TO ME FOR THE MOUSE TALES
THIS IS A GOOD CLUB SO LETS ALL CHIP IN. CLASS SCHEDULE
FIRST Wednesday
1:00-3:00 Windows XP/Vista Leader: Fred Held E-Mail: SECOND Wednesday
1:00-3:00 Basic Internet Leader: Marty Nemerow E:Mail: martynem24@comcast.net, THIRD Wednesday 1:00-3:00pm Leader:Sam Dupont E-Mail: sam@dupontsr,com, FOURTH Wednesday 1:00-3:00 Special Programs LEADER: Milley Burden will teach new and exciting projects Email: officetutor@gmail.com, In last week’s edition of the Windows Vista & 7 Report, Create a Windows XP and 7 dual-boot system staged for an easy migration, I showed you how to resize your existing Windows XP partition and then install Windows 7 in a dual-boot configuration on the same hard disk. As you’ll remember, the goal was to make the task of migrating your settings, documents, and applications from XP to Win 7 a much more relaxed experience since you can boot into Windows XP to check out how something is set up and then boot into Windows 7 to re-create the same configuration. Once you complete your migration and are comfortable working in Windows 7, you’ll want to remove the dual-boot configuration, remove Windows XP, and just boot Windows 7 as your primary OS. In this edition of the Windows Vista & Windows 7 Report, I’ll show you how to safely undo Windows XP and 7 dual-boot system so that you can complete your migration from Windows XP to Windows 7. This blog post is also available in the PDF format in a free TechRepublic Download. Label the drives In order to make it easy to identify which partition is which throughout this operation, you need to make sure that each partition or drive is labeled. In either Windows XP or Windows 7, open My Computer and label, or rename each drive with the name of the operating system, as shown in Figure A.
Figure A
Labeling each drive, which is a simple rename operation, will make it easy to identify which partition is which throughout this operation. As you can see here, this screen shot was taken in Windows XP, which in this case assigned the Windows 7 partition to drive E and its partition to drive C. On the other hand, Windows 7 assigns the Windows XP partition to drive D and its partition to drive C. For the purposes of this operation, it really doesn’t matter what drive letter is assigned to a partition, because we know that Windows XP is on the first partition and Windows 7 is on the second partition. However, labeling each drive will help you to keep them straight in the event that the drive letter swapping catches you off guard. Creating a System Image The first thing that you’ll want to do is protect all your hard work by creating a System Image from within Windows7’s Backup and Restore. When you do, you’ll end up with a complete image of your hard disk that includes both the Windows XP and Windows 7 partitions in a dual-boot configuration. That way, if anything out of the ordinary were to occur as you follow the steps in this procedure, you will be able to return to your current configuration. To create a system image, you’ll need to have a CD-RW/DVD-RW drive, an external hard disk, or access to a network drive. For my system, I used an external hard disk. To access Backup and Restore, click the Start button, type Backup in the Search box, and press [Enter] when Backup and Restore appears in the result pane. Once you have Backup and Restore up, select Create a System Image, select your backup location, and then launch the operation to create an image of both drives. The procedure is shown in Figure B.
Figure B
Create a system image that contains both drives in the dual-boot configuration as a safety precaution. Make a data backup Even though the system image is a backup, you’ll want a separate backup all your data — at least one and maybe two, just in case. Maybe just make copies of all your data files on CD/DVD or on an external hard disk. While it may sound like overkill, having an extra backup will give you peace of mind. Copying boot files When you create a dual boot system and install Windows 7 on a second partition, 7’s Setup installs all the Windows Boot Manager files on the first partition, which in this case is the Windows XP partition. As such, if the goal is to remove the Windows XP partition and boot from the Windows 7 partition, the next step involves copying the Windows Boot Manager files from the Windows XP partition to the Windows 7 partition. Boot into Windows XP, launch Windows Explorer, pull down the Tools menu, select Folder Options, and on the View tab, make sure that the Show hidden files and folders is selected and that Hide extensions for known file types and Hide protected operating system files are cleared. Then, access the root of drive C and locate the Boot folder and the bootmgr file, as shown in Figure C.
Figure C
You’ll need to make sure that these settings are configured in the Folder Option dialog box in order to be able to see the Windows Boot Manager folder and file. Now, open a second instance of Windows Explorer, access the root of the Windows 7 partition, which in the case of my example is drive E, and then copy the Boot folder and the bootmgr file from root of drive C to root of drive E, as shown in Figure D.
Figure D
You’ll need to copy Windows Boot Manager’s folder and file from the Windows XP partition to the Windows 7 partition. Manipulating the partitions With your system image backup in place and Windows Boot Manager now on the Windows 7 partition, you’re ready to delete the Windows XP partition and configure the Windows 7 partition as the main partition. To do so, you’ll boot your system from the Windows 7 DVD, access the System Recovery Options toolbox, use the DiskPart command to manipulate the partitions, and then use the BootRec command to enable Windows Boot Manager on the Windows 7 partition. To begin, insert your Windows 7 DVD, restart your system and when prompted, select the option to Boot from the DVD. When the first Install Windows screen appears, select the appropriate language preferences and click Next. On the second Install Windows screen, select the Repair your computer option. When you see the System Recovery Options dialog box, the Windows 7 partition should appear in the list and the Use recovery tools option should be selected. To continue, click Next. When the second System Recovery Options dialog box appears and prompts you to choose a Recovery Tool, as shown in Figure E, select the Command Prompt option. (As you can see, when booting off the CD, the Windows 7 partition is assigned to drive letter D. However, since we labeled the drive, we can tell for sure that it is the correct drive.)
Figure E
You’ll select the Command Prompt option from the second System Recovery Options dialog box. Once the Command Prompt window opens, you’ll enter the DiskPart environment and issue a series of commands to select the Windows XP partition, delete it, select the Windows 7 partition and then make it the active (primary) partition. Type the command: Diskpart Once the Diskpart environment is ready, select first hard disk by typing the command: Select disk 0 Once the first hard disk has the focus, select the first partition (Windows XP) by typing the command: Select partition 1 Just for peace of mind, you may want to double check that you have the Windows XP partition selected by typing the command Detail partition Delete the Windows XP partition by typing the command: Delete partition Now select the Windows 7 partition by typing the command: Select partition 2 Make the Windows 7 partition the active primary partition by typing the command: Active Exit the DiskPart environment by typing the command: Exit At this point, you are ready to enable the Windows Boot Manager on the Windows 7 partition using the BootRec command. Write the master boot record to the Windows 7 partition by using the command: Bootrec /fixmbr Write a new boot sector to the Windows 7 partition by using the command: Bootrec /fixboot Now, close the Command Prompt window and click the Restart button in the System Recovery Options dialog box. Be sure to remove the Windows 7 DVD. Booting Windows 7 When your system restarts, you’ll see the Windows Boot Manager menu and Windows 7 should be selected. Keep in mind that even though Windows XP is gone, the menu will still contain an item for it at this point. Allow the system to boot into Windows 7 and login as you normally would. To remove the Windows XP item from the Windows Boot Manager menu, you’ll use the BCDEdit command. To do so, open a Command Prompt window with Administrator privileges. (Right click and select Run as administrator.) Then, type the command: BCDEdit /delete {ntldr} /f Now, restart the system and you should boot right into Windows 7. Further cleanup If you look at your hard disk with Disk Management, you’ll discover that the partition that used to hold Windows XP is still there at the beginning of the disk but that it is marked as unallocated, as shown in Figure F.
Figure F
Unfortunately, Windows 7’s Disk Management tool is unable to extend drive C into unallocated space at the beginning of the disk. If you wish, you can configure the unallocated space as a simple volume and it will become drive D. (Right-click on the unallocated block and select the New Simple Volume command.) On the other hand you can just leave it be for now and in a upcoming article, I’ll show you how to redistribute that unallocated space to drive C. Unfortunately, since the unallocated space is at the beginning of the disk, Windows 7’s Disk Management tool is unable to extend drive C into that space. In order for that to be possible, Disk Management requires that the unallocated space be at the end of the disk. What’s your take? Using this technique, you can essentially undo a dual-boot configuration and complete your migration from Windows XP to Windows 7.
Don’t let houseguests ruin your computer BY Noreen
The holidays are almost here. You may soon have friends and family staying at your home. In your preparations, don’t forget to set up your computer. Inevitably, guests will want to check their e-mail or surf the Web. Your guests are probably responsible computer users. But they may not be as careful as you are. They might visit shady sites or download malicious files. You could end up with spy ware or a virus. Now, you could just hide your computer in a closet. Tell your guests that it’s out for repairs. But that’s not something a good host does. You can protect your computer while giving everyone access. The first thing to do is activate the Guest account. Windows Vista, XP and Mac OS X machines have Guest accounts. These accounts give restricted access to your computer. They don’t require a password to log in. Users have access to all of your programs. But they can’t access your personal files.
*Set up Guest account*
In Windows Vista, click Start>>Control Panel. In Classic View, double-click User Accounts. Select “Manage another account.” Click on the Guest account, then click the Turn On button. In Windows XP, click Start>>Control Panel. Double-click User Accounts. Click the Guest account and select Turn On the Guest Account. Users on Guest accounts in Windows can’t make changes to your system. Nor can they download or install software. Mac OS X does it a bit differently. Start by clicking the Apple logo at the top of the screen. Select System Preferences. Click Accounts. Click the lock at the bottom of the window. Enter your user name and password. Click Guest Account. Check the box labeled “Allow guests to log into this computer.” Another box labeled “Allow guests to connect to shared folders” is checked by default. It allows users to access files through file sharing. These files could contain your private data. And your guests won’t need file sharing to use the computer. Uncheck the box. If children are visiting, apply parental controls to the Guest account. Check the Enable Parental Controls box. Click Open Parental Controls to set it all up. A Guest account on a Mac saves files in a temporary home folder. When any user logs out, that folder is erased. So, each new log-in gets a fresh unused account. This allows users to download and install software. It shouldn’t do any damage, because it’s erased when guests are done.
*Lock it down*
You’ll probably want to get on the computer too. You don’t have to use the restricted Guest account. Use your own account with full access. But be careful. If you leave your account logged in, it won’t be protected from guests. Someone could just sit down and have access to all your files. Luckily, locking down your computer is quick and easy. In Windows, hold down the Windows logo key and press “L.” The log-on screen will immediately pop up. To resume, you must enter your password. So, no one else can jump on. To quickly lock down a Mac, put it to sleep. Some setup is required. Click the System Preferences icon in the Dock. Select the Security icon. Check the “Require password to wake this computer from sleep or screen saver” box. Then, press Option+Command+Eject. If you forget to lock it, the screen saver can do it for you. You can require a password to deactivate the screen saver. This feature is turned off by default. So, you’ll have to turn it on. The above steps already do this for a Mac. In Windows XP, right-click an empty spot on your desktop. Select Properties, and click the Screen Saver tab. Check the “On resume, password protect” box. Click Apply. Then click OK. In Windows Vista, right-click an empty spot on your desktop. Select Personalize, and click on Screen Saver. Check the “On resume, display log-on screen” box. Click Apply>>OK. In both Windows systems, the screen saver starts after a delay. Mac users can avoid that delay by using Hot Corners. You can rest the cursor in a corner to start the screen saver. To activate Hot Corners, click System Preferences in the Dock. Click the Desktop and Screen Saver icon. Select the Screen Saver tab and click the Hot Corners button. Select the pull-down menu in one of the corners. Set it to Start Screen Saver. Click OK. These really are simple steps. They’ll keep your well-meaning guest from causing any damage. Your guest probably won’t even notice your security prep. And you can focus on more important things.
Optimize and maintain your PCs with these simple tips
Everyone knows that the key to keeping equipment in peak condition — whether it’s a chain saw, a motorcycle, or a desktop PC — is to follow a preemptive maintenance routine. The question is, what sort of maintenance tasks are required? In a shop full of hundreds (or thousands) of PCs, a systematic approach is essential. This list offers basic measures to incorporate into your optimization and maintenance routine.
Regularly run Defrag and the Disk Cleanup Tool on client systems Disk fragmentation, especially on intensively used systems, will degrade performance over time. Just be careful about running disk defragmentation when large files are open. For example, if a transactional database (SQL or MSDE) is running, defragmentation tools can’t exclusively access all or parts of these types of files to defrag the disk. If there is a service that you can stop to bring this part of the system to a zero-transaction state, you will be able to defrag the drive much more effectively. This is a good task to automate by using a third-party tool like DisKeeper.
Running Disk Cleanup can optimize systems by emptying the Recycle Bin, Temporary Setup Files, Downloaded Program Files, Temporary Internet Files, Old Chkdsk Files, Temporary Files, Temporary Offline Files, Offline Files, etc. To ensure regular execution, you can run the tool as a scheduled task.
Keep firmware and drivers up to date Firmware updates can keep systems and subsystems current for the best performance. (Be sure to test the functionality before deploying firmware updates and keep a revision of the firmware distributions you’re using or have previously used; you may need that archived version again.) Driver updates can also optimize performance. Keep a revision of the driver versions you use/have used. As with firmware, you may need an archived version in the future. (See “10 things you should know about device driver rollback in Windows XP” for some helpful pointers.) Keep Windows and essential applications up to date Use Windows Update to pull down the updates (cautiously) or use Windows Server Update Services to retrieve your approved list. Be aware of potential conflicts with service packs and updates. If PCs have other critical applications running (IIS, SQL, MSDE, etc.), apply the appropriate service packs as they become available. For Microsoft applications, check the Baseline Security Analyzer to determine service pack levels. Keep antivirus and anti-spyware definitions up to date Consider using automatic updates to pull down the latest definitions for your programs. Use tools like Ad-Aware by Lavasoft for extra protection against Trojans, browser hijacking, and other malicious activities. Inspect Services configuration and Device Manager Open the Services applet of the Windows Control Panel to verify that the Windows-based services that are running and set to Automatic at startup are consistent with your configuration. (For more on enabling/disabling services, see “Windows XP services that can be disabled” and “Video: Disable and enable Windows XP services.”) Open the Windows Device Manager to look for any devices that are not operating correctly or that may have been removed. Subsystem components may report an error if they’re incorrectly configured or not working.
Check page file configuration Open virtual memory configuration and make sure that the page file size and location are correct for the amount of free space on the drive and the amount of memory installed on the system. Check power quality If you have a UPS battery, ensure that it is satisfied with the power supplied to it. If you aren’t using one, check that the power source is a good circuit and is correctly grounded. Also make sure that surge suppression strips are in use.
Stay on top of cleaning tasks Perform a periodic full system cleaning by taking the system apart, removing all dust, and cleaning the external and internal surfaces of the computer. (If you don’t have a cleaning solution, you can make one for external surfaces out of 1:1 rubbing alcohol and water.) Be sure to unplug the electronic components when introducing a solution and allow it to dry fully. You should also: Clean the keyboard and mouse. Use a dust vacuum and the alcohol/water solution to clean these dust- and dirt-collecting components. Run a CD-ROM cleaner. As with audio systems, CD-ROM drives can be cleaned with special kits for disc cleaning. Clean display devices by using a cleaner to remove fingerprints, dust, and other imperfections on the screen. Hit floppy drives, if you have them, with a good blast of canned air to remove dust accumulations. Use covers/panels if available to help keep dust out of the drives. If your systems have tape drives, run a cleaning tape through to keep the tape heads clean. Ensure proper operating area environment Monitor the area for acceptable temperatures (somewhere between 60 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit) and good air quality. Watch out for tobacco smoke, manufacturing environments, and paper dust. If conditions are less than favorable, you might consider an environmental enclosure. Check inside and outside the computer for proper airflow. You don’t want a computer being used inside a box or pushed into a corner, and you don’t want to see a hard drive or other internal device incorrectly installed and blocking airflow to other components. While you’re at it, check for all necessary screws on the case and make sure that the case lid or panels are fixed down on all sides. With some systems, case panels are critical to the internal airflow for components. Check internal and external connections Open the system and verify that all connections feel solid and are placed correctly. Double-check any accessory cards for a snug setting and good connections. Make sure cable tensions are appropriate. Having too much strain on a cable or connection can damage the cable, device, jack/node, or the computer. Be sure that there is plenty of slack in the cables on the device and computer ends. Excess strain may cause i ntermittent performance issues.
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