Ask Leo! #404 - Moving windows you can't see, dynamic IPs, defragging, freezing computers and more... - Confident Computing

The Ask Leo! Newsletter

*** Featured

I can't see the top of a window, so I can't minimize, maximize or close. What can I do?

Every once in a while for a variety of reasons, it's possible for a window to get positioned such that its title bar - the bar across the top of the window with the program name as well as the Minimize, Maximize, and Restore buttons - is off the screen, becoming both impossible to see and impossible to click on using the mouse.

Almost as common are windows that are completely off screen - perhaps due to unplugging a second monitor before moving all windows back to the remaining screen.

If you're used to using the controls on a window's title bar to move, manipulate, or otherwise deal with the application, you're kind of out of luck.

At least if you're using a mouse.

It might be time to break out the keyboard interface.

Continue reading: I can't see the top of a window, so I can't minimize, maximize or close. What can I do?
http://ask-leo.com/C1898

* * *

*** Answercast

Answercast #67 - Hanging videos, defragging oddities, missing print, freezing computers, bouncing Hotmail and more...

Are you worried about what happens to audio or video calls when you hang up, or why defragmenting results are so odd? Having troubles with printing, bouncing emails or a freezing computer? Curious about IP addresses or audio tracks? All that and more in this Answercast from Ask Leo!

Continue reading: Answercast #67 - Hanging videos, defragging oddities, missing print, freezing computers, bouncing Hotmail and more...
http://ask-leo.com/C5988

Why has my computer started freezing, but not in Safe Mode?
Everything indicates this is a hardware related issue. I think you're looking at having a technician take a peak at the hardware.
Continue reading: Why has my computer started freezing, but not in Safe Mode?
http://ask-leo.com/C5989

How do I get rid of this old Hotmail message that keeps coming up?
I'm going to suggest that you clear your browser cache. But my guess is that this is as simple as removing the message from your Drafts folder.
Continue reading: How do I get rid of this old Hotmail message that keeps coming up?
http://ask-leo.com/C5990

How do I get multiple tracks on a CD full of audio?
If you want to have separate tracks for audio playback, you have to break it up into several separate mp3 files.
Continue reading: How do I get multiple tracks on a CD full of audio?
http://ask-leo.com/C5991

Why am I seeing these odd defragmenting results and why is it taking so long?
What you're really going for with defragging is speed. It doesn't have to be perfect to get the lion's share of speed improvement from defragging a disk.
Continue reading: Why am I seeing these odd defragmenting results and why is it taking so long?
http://ask-leo.com/C5992

Why do I lose 10-15% of the right hand side of my printed documents sometimes?
It is very possible that the default driver is set wrong, or that paper and margin settings are incorrect for your printer.
Continue reading: Why do I lose 10-15% of the right hand side of my printed documents sometimes?
http://ask-leo.com/C5993

When is a dynamic IP address assigned?
It happens at some part of the boot process. It's independent of when you login. It's just that sometimes it takes a little longer than others.
Continue reading: When is a dynamic IP address assigned?
http://ask-leo.com/C5994

My computer hangs when I stream video. Where do I begin to look?
Nine times out of ten, this sort of difficulty in playing videos indicates a problem with the video driver.
Continue reading: My computer hangs when I stream video. Where do I begin to look?
http://ask-leo.com/C5995

I plugged in an old drive via USB and Windows Explorer doesn't see it. How should I access its contents?
The drive is showing; what's unfortunate is it doesn't have a drive letter. So, you can assign it one.
Continue reading: I plugged in an old drive via USB and Windows Explorer doesn't see it. How should I access its contents?
http://ask-leo.com/C5996

People who send to my Hotmail address are getting a bounce from some other email address. Why?
The bounce message isn't coming from Hotmail; the bounce message is coming from somewhere else entirely. That implies that there are some faulty settings involved.
Continue reading: People who send to my Hotmail address are getting a bounce from some other email address. Why?
http://ask-leo.com/C5997

Are streaming audio or video calls kept somewhere?
The basic technology is to get the audio/video from my machine to yours so you can hear me. Nobody's in the middle storing it; we're just not that interesting.
Continue reading: Are streaming audio or video calls kept somewhere?
http://ask-leo.com/C5998

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*** Last Issue's Articles

*** Word o' the Week

Focus

Focus is the concept that in a multi-window operating system (such as Microsoft Windows or Mac OS), user input can be directed to only one application's window at a time.

An application (such as a keyboard or mouse) is said to have focus when it receives user input. This application is usually (although not always) in the foreground; its window is displayed on top of or in front of any other application windows.

The concept can apply within an application as well. A dialog box - perhaps a File, Open file selection box - may take the focus away from the main application window until the dialog is dismissed.

An application that takes focus from another application unexpectedly or without interaction from the user is sometimes said to "steal focus." An example might be typing in one program and suddenly seeing that some or all of the input is being entered into some other application that at some point stole focus.

Word o' the Week features a computer term or acronym taken from the Ask Leo! Glossary. If there's a word you're not sure of and would like to see defined, click here to let me know.

*** Thoughts and Comments

With all the devastation on the eastern U.S. a reader shared this press release from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. The bottom line is that people aren't making an inventory of what they have so that when disaster strikes they can report what's been lost. As a result insurance settlements are often estimated and then not covering the appropriate replacement cost.

They have an iPhone and Android app that they suggest you use, which is one great approach.

Here's another idea: grab your video camera or smart phone or tablet capable of making videos, and ... video your house. Open the cabinets and walk through with the camera running, slowly panning around each room. Nothing has to look pretty, but with today's high resolution devices that's a pretty good alternative to a paper inventory.

What's also great about it is that it's easy for you to ... you guessed it ... back up. Smile .

Back it up at a friends house who lives out of your area, or back it up online, and you'll have something you be able to refer to should the worst happen.

Remember to update it every so often as well. I'll admit that's where I've fallen down.

•

Sorry if you've submitted a question in the last week or so - I'm very behind getting things answered, for a number of reasons. While every question can't get an answer, there are just too many, I believe I've answered exactly zero in the last couple of days.

So with that, I'll cut this short and ... go answer a few. Smile

Take care,

Leo
Leo A. Notenboom
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