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A Weekly
Newsletter From Ask Leo!
Leo Notenboom
Hello!
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*** New Articles
Why are reboots required on some system updates?
Why is a system restart required on installing any patches OR any specific
software (E.g. Windows update)? Exactly What happens in the system during such
restart?
*
Have you ever run into the “File In Use” problem? You know, the one where
you can’t delete a file because someone else is using it? Or perhaps you’ve
encountered “device cannot be stopped right now” when trying to safely remove a
USB device?
Windows runs into exactly the same problems.
Only worse, actually.
Continue reading: Why
are reboots required on some system updates?
http://ask-leo.com/C4367
* * *
How do I back up my installed software?
How can I backup software. I always download free licence software from web.
I installed the software then I backup it using program selection. I notice
that when I restore the software they ask me to register the software. During
Installation I register the software by activating it in the internet, but
during restore it ask me again. How can I avoid reregistering the software?
*
I’m not exactly certain what you mean by backing up using “program
selection”, so I’ll cover the more general case of backing up your installed
software.
There are several ways to backup the software that you purchase or download
for your machine. The problem is that most people seem to neglect what is
perhaps the most important backup of all.
Continue reading: How do I back
up my installed software?
http://ask-leo.com/C4366
* * *
With Microsoft providing Microsoft Security Essentials do I no
longer need to purchase malware protection?
I downloaded virus protection for my new Windows 7 based computer from
Microsoft web site for free. It seems that I no longer need to purchase virus
protection is that correct? I was confused to find that HP had installed a free
year of Norton on my new machine. What gives here?
*
Well, to begin with, you never really needed to purchase anything –
there have been lots of good, free security tools out there for a long
time.
Ultimately, it comes down to a matter of opinion.
And in recent months my opinion has changed somewhat.
Continue reading:
With Microsoft providing Microsoft Security Essentials do I no longer need to
purchase malware protection?
http://ask-leo.com/C4364
* * *
Why does my computer make the sound of a door slamming from time to
time?
I get the noise of a door being slammed on my computer from time to time.
Why?
*
My psychic abilities tell me: you’re running AIM – AOL Instant
Messenger.
OK, it wasn’t my psychic abilities, but it was a hunch, a comment by my
assistant that she’d experienced this also, a question (“you running an IM
program, and if so which one?”) and a test.
I do get people reporting periodic unexpected sounds from their computer and
I’m fairly convinced they’ve simply forgotten that’s what their IM programs
do.
I’ll show you the setting in AIM.
Continue reading:
Why does my computer make the sound of a door slamming from time to
time?
http://ask-leo.com/C4363
* * *
How do I find out when a web page was written?
How do I find out what date a website or any thing on Google is written.
Many times I look at Google to find websites but can never find out when a
particular website is written.
*
In an absolute sense: you don’t. Surprising as it might seem, that kind of
information actually doesn’t exist. There’s no place, no standard, no way to
absolutely, positively say that this web page was written on this or that
date.
However.
While not absolute, and not 100% reliable, there are clues.
Let’s look at what some of those are.
Continue reading: How do
I find out when a web page was written?
http://ask-leo.com/C4362
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*** Comments
Is it
safe to delete duplicate files?
Ron writes:
I’m with you. Deleting dupes takes thought. The first thought being, MAKE A
FULL BACKUP BEFORE STARTING!
Second thought, NEVER, EVER, run a dupe finder in auto delete mode.
Third thought, stay away from system files/folders.
Next, be very very careful when deleting application related files.
Next, deleting dupes is safest when dealing with user files, until you
delete the wrong copy of one of your data files.
Finally, when in doubt, DON’T DELETE IT!
Instead of deleting dupes, I often use Windows file compression on Folders
for apps that I don’t use often.
One place I do find dupe finder tools handy is when apps install support for
multiple languages that I’ll never use (ie help files, EULA’s etc). The files
typically have the same name even though the contents are in different
languages. Them I gladly nuke (and search for folders with similar names,
typically 4 digit numbers). Granted, they don’t amount to much space freed up,
but they also represent larger blocks that are freed up. I’ll take any
advantage I can get.
*
Did I really just win an email lottery or sweepstakes?
David writes:
Thank you Leo for the straight answer. I (in the past month),have become a
multimillionaire in the minds of at least 10 people, but not financially. How
do I report these, they include Yahoo!, UKLottery, Coca Cola, United
Nations?
In all honesty – there’s little point in reporting them. They’re so common
that the appropriate authorities already know.
-Leo
*
Jim writes:
Leo-I tried MSE for a while at Paul Thurrott’s suggestion, but I found it was a
major resource hog. I was doing video editing and I would kill
the process, and it would pop right back up. It would not stop. I emailed Paul
and he recommended Panda, which I now use on 2 machines.
Good data. I’ve been running MSE on my primary desktop for several months,
and also do assorted video editing. I’ve not experienced what you’re
experiencing, though. It’s possible that it’s just a configuration difference,
or perhaps MSE is particularly sensitive to certain types of operations that
your editing software uses that mine does not. (I use Sony Vegas and
Camtasia).
-Leo
*** Leo Recommends
Kindle – Much more than an electronic portable book
reader
Not quite three years ago (has it been that long?) I received my original
Kindle as a Christmas gift from my wife.
I wrote an article back then So, what do you
think about Kindle? and discussed some of its more immediately striking
features. I ended that article with the statement “…I think Kindle might end up changing the way I read
books.”
2.5+ years later, I’m here to tell you that it has. And in some ways that,
in retrospect, I never would have predicted.
Kindle’s not about the device as much as you might think.
Continue reading:
Kindle – Much more than an electronic portable book reader
http://ask-leo.com/C4365
*
Each week I recommend a specific
product or resource that I’ve found valuable and that I think you may as well.
What
does my recommendation mean?
*** Popular Articles
Timely, given this week’s Microsoft Security
Essentials article.
Do I still need anti-virus software if my computer came with a
security suite?
The McAfee Security Center that came with computer or with my MSN
subscription. I’m not really sure where it came from, it was just there after I
had my computer re-built. I’ve updated everything that needs to be updated and
it says it’s now protecting me from Viruses, Spyware, Adware, Firewall,
everything.
What I’m still wondering is since the McAfee Security Center on my computer
is a free service, what’s all this ‘Needing-to-have-an-Anti-Virus-program’?
People are paying for other products – why wouldn’t they just get a free
service that comes with their set-up? Do i still need to buy an Anti-Virus
Package for my computer?
•
There are several reasons that people might choose to purchase an anti-virus
product.
The most obvious is that not everyone gets a security suite for free.
But even then, there are still reasons why people might elect to use a
different solution, even paying money to do so.
Continue reading…
Do I still need anti-virus software if my computer came with a security
suite?
http://ask-leo.com/C3074
*** Thoughts and Comments
A huge Thank You to everyone who’s participated in the
first step of my Windows XP maintenance ebook. Your comments on the
Introduction to Process Explorer ebook and video have been invaluable – I
really appreciate it.
If you haven’t yet, you can participate too: Help Me Write My Next Book! is
the place to go – you’ll get a free copy of my Introduction to Process Explorer
ebook and video, as well as other free chapters and videos from my upcoming
Maintaining Windows XP ebook. All I ask for is the occasional comment on what
I’ve provided so far.
*
This week’s Kindle recommendation actually stems from the fact that I’m
having a blast with my HTC Incredible, an Android-based phone from Verizon
Wireless. I’ve tweeted about an app called “Shazam” that can listen to and
identify music. I find that just an amazing example of the power of not just
technology in my pocket but what can be accomplished when you connect that to
what so many people are calling “the cloud” – meaning remote computing
resources. Email, twitter and even web surfing are almost all old news when it
comes to those little computers we still call cell phones. It’s the other stuff
that we didn’t even consider that continues to fascinate me.
Kindle on my phone is another great example. Not only do I have an MP3
player in my pocket, but all my Kindle books as well – not to mention a
gazillion other things 
.
And yes, I know that iPhone users have had something similar for a while –
my amazement extends to that device as well, I just wasn’t willing to switch
cellular providers to get it sooner.
I know that many will soon take this class of device for granted, and
actually that’s just part of the natural progression of things. Those of us who
didn’t grow up with a computer in our pocket, however, continue to be
amazed…
It’s just another reason I love what I do.
’till next week…
Leo A. Notenboom
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