Leo’s Answers #6 – December 26, 2005

Leo's Answers
A Weekly Newsletter From
Ask Leo!
Leo Notenboom

Hello!

I hope the holiday season is treating you well. My Christmas present appears to be a nasty head and chest cold that put a crimp in our Christmas dinner plans. Fortunately my computer doesn't care. My wife, on the other hand ... well, we're just hoping she doesn't catch it as well. In the mean time, I'm undergoing "fudge therapy" - I keep hearing that chocolate is good for you in several ways, so who am I to argue?

One of the things I love about the internet is how it's made the world smaller. Because of the internet I've reconnected with family overseas (my parents were from The Netherlands), and my wife's small retail business regularly ships collectible dolls all over the globe. Amazing.

That thought prompted me to check: this newsletter will be sent to subscribers in over 100 countries around the world!

As we start the new year, I'm honored to have you all here. May 2006 be successful, profitable, happy and joyous for you all, wherever on the planet you may be.

Weekly publication resumes with the next newsletter, January 6, 2006.

*** Contents

• New Articles of Note on Ask Leo!
• Popular Articles from the Ask Leo! Archives.
• Interesting Sites and Useful Resources.
• Newsletter Administration Department

You're receiving this newsletter because you subscribed, and confirmed your subscription. Instructions for unsubscribing are at the end of every newsletter.

*** New Articles of Note on Ask Leo!

How can I make my computer run faster?

Please tell me that how can I make my PC run faster, I'm using windows XP Service Pack 2 on Pentium 4 2.40ghz, 40 GB hard Disk, 120 mb of ram and I have also install Mcafee Virus Scan but still it is getting slower and slower.

There are a number of steps that you can take to attempt to speed up your system. Most require simply tweaking the software you already have, not adding more.

However, if the information you've provided is accurate, the problem with your system is much more fundamental.

Continue reading: "How can I make my computer run faster?"
http://ask-leo.com/how_can_i_make_my_computer_run_faster.html

* * *

How do I disable the "remember me" feature of Instant Messaging clients?

I run a Cyber Cafe and my customers log into their MSN/Yahoo Messenger account - sometimes they check in the "save username and password" or other variations of "remember me". I need to disable that feature - how?

One the most common classes of questions I get has to do with people who've lost access to their own accounts because someone else changed their password. Setting "remember me" on a public computer is a quick way to set yourself up for having your password changed and your account stolen.

I laud your efforts to help prevent this.

Sadly, the news isn't all that good.

Continue reading: "How do I disable the "remember me" feature of Instant Messaging clients?"
http://ask-leo.com/how_do_i_disable_the_remember_me_feature_of_instant_messaging_clients.html

* * *

How do I change my "From" user name in MSN Hotmail?

Can you please tell me how to change my Hotmail user name? Every time I email someone my full name and email address comes up and I don't want that to happen, I just want my email address to show on their email. How can i fix this?

Hotmail automatically fills in the "From:" address in the mail you send with your email address, and your name.

Changing your name is actually fairly simple, but getting exactly what you want? Not so much.

Continue reading: "How do I change my "From" user name in MSN Hotmail?"
http://ask-leo.com/how_do_i_change_my_from_user_name_in_msn_hotmail.html

* * *

How should I reinstall Windows?

It's time to reinstall Windows. Things are flaky, the machine's crashing every once in a while ... I just know it's time. How do I do that and still preserve as much of what's set up on the machine already? How do I reinstall Windows without losing all my installed programs and data?

There are definitely scenarios where a reinstallation of Windows is required. Be it simple "software rot" (the degradation of your system as you add, and remove, programs over time), or something more malicious like a virus or an accumulation of spyware.

The first question isn't really "how?", it's "how much?"

Continue reading: "How should I reinstall Windows?"
http://ask-leo.com/how_should_i_reinstall_windows.html

* * *

Podsafe for Peace - If Every Day Were Christmas

A musical interlude for the holidays - for a worthy cause.

Continue reading: "Podsafe for Peace - If Every Day Were Christmas"
http://ask-leo.com/podsafe_for_peace_if_every_day_were_christmas.html

* * *

Why shouldn't I use the "Report Spam" or "Junk" button?

As I was dealing with my email the other day, a friend was with me. He nearly when ballistic when I used the "Report Spam" button to get rid of some email in my in box. He said I was using it wrong. There's a right and wrong way? Why shouldn't I just use it?

Oh, my, yes - there is most definitely a wrong way to use it. In fact it's so wrong, that you could be contributing to other people not being able to get their email.

Their legitimate, non-spam, email.

Continue reading: "Why shouldn't I use the "Report Spam" or "Junk" button?"
http://ask-leo.com/why_shouldnt_i_use_the_report_spam_or_junk_button.html

* * *

Why can't I send mail from my hotel room?

I checked in to my hotel which provides free high speed internet. All was well and good, except that after a while, I could no longer send email. I could receive all I wanted, but all my attempts to send failed. And the weird thing is that the next morning, sending mail worked ... for a while. What's going on?

I've run into this as well. It's very strange, but once I understood it, it kinda, sorta, made sense. And understanding it allowed me to work around it.

But it's the kind of thing I wouldn't expect the front desk to be able to help with at all. You're kind of on your own.

And I think you can blame spam.

Continue reading: "Why can't I send mail from my hotel room?"
http://ask-leo.com/why_cant_i_send_mail_from_my_hotel_room.html

* * *

Does spam blocking prevent spam from reaching my machine?

I just discovered "blocking" to keep spam from coming in my mail box. I'd been choosing words to make the spam go to the deleted messages folder but seemed I couldn't keep up with them. I'd also tried to write back and "unsubscribe" but then I'd get a message that said it bounced. So I found blocking and am giving that a try. Now, does this keep the message from ever getting into my computer or does it accept it and then delete it?

Welcome to the world of spam - and the never-ending battle against it.

Choosing words and blocking based on that is one approach, but as you noted it's tough to keep up.

In fact, it's darned near impossible.

Continue reading: "Does spam blocking prevent spam from reaching my machine?"
http://ask-leo.com/does_spam_blocking_prevent_spam_from_reaching_my_machine.html

*** Popular Articles from the Ask Leo! Archives

The second in a series of articles on changing your Hotmail password - one of the most popular topics on Ask Leo! I get this question at least every day.

How do I change my MSN Hotmail password if I forgot it?

Passwords seem to be a hot topic among MSN Hotmail users. Apparently people lose them frequently, because I get a lot of questions relating to password loss and theft.

If you've simply forgotten your password, MSN Hotmail does provide at least one level of back-door that you can use to recover it - your alternate email address or secret question. If you don't have those, you're probably out of luck.

Here's the approach to take when you've lost your password....

Continue reading...

*** Interesting Sites and Useful Resources

Word Tips - http://wordtips.vitalnews.com, and Excel Tips - http://exceltips.vitalnews.com

Allen Wyatt is a friend I met a couple of years ago, and he has perhaps one of the best kept secrets on the internet. Both Word Tips and Excel Tips are fantastic resources if you're using Microsoft Word or Excel on any regular basis. For detailed and in-depth questions on "how to" do just about anything in these incredibly powerful applications, these are the sites to visit.

Word Tips and Excel Tips are also available as free or premium weekly newsletters, and the sites include a "Daily Nugget" RSS feed - a tip every day!

*** Newsletter Administration Department

Do you have a question? A comment, perhaps? Newsletter subscribers can drop me a line at leo <at> ask-leo.com. (I only give that email address to newsletter subscribers, so I'll know it's from one of my loyal readers.) If you like, you can make sure you get past any spam filters by simply posting your question or comment using the Ask Leo! Question Form.

I'll be honest: I'll try to respond, but I get a lot of questions every day - I'm currently quite backlogged. I simply cannot answer absolutely every one. Rest assured, though, that even if you don't hear from me directly, I read every email I get.

Leo's Answers Newsletter is a weekly publication of Ask Leo! and Leo A. Notenboom. It's also available as an RSS feed at this URL: http://ask-leo.com/newsletter.xml?UD=nl. Archives of previous newsletter issues can be found on the Ask Leo! web site, here.

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Till next week!

Leo Notenboom