This free program solves a problem I never knew needed solving—accessing Windows desktop icons without minimizing everything else. It works with Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7.
You launch and it runs in the background, waiting for you to type Ctrl+Alt+D to access the desktop icons.
The desktop icons are moved to the front visual [...]
Which tool is better Windows Charmap, Mac OS X Character Palette or the web-based CopyPasteCharacter.com?
Five years ago I wrote the following tip:
Charmap – Oddball Characters
We all need to insert strange characters into our text from time-to-time, whether it’s the copyright © symbol or the symbol for degree °, or [...]
Spring cleaning for your computer (part 5)
On 2009/06/11
Is your computer secured? Is your security software up-to-date? Are your applications patched? Is your firewall properly configured and turned on? When was the last time you scanned for malware? Are you the computer’s greatest security risk?
This is the last of a 5 part series, which covers both Windows and Macs.
Spring cleaning for your computer (part 4)
On 2009/06/07
Take command of your desktop. Remove the digital detritus and organize the remainder for the way you want to work.
This is part 4 of a 5 part series, which covers both Windows and Macs.
Part 1 covers physical cleaning Part 2 covers uninstalling applications and stopping unneeded ones from auto [...]
Using a battery as an iPhone/iPod Touch stylus
On 2009/06/04
This tip will come in handy. if your fingers are cold, damp, greasy or you are blessed with large, wide digits that make it difficult to type on your iPhone or iPod Touch.
A standard stylus does not work with Apple’s capacitance screens. The negative end of [...]
Why is Hewlett Packard installation software so awful?
On 2009/05/31
I frequently install HP printer and all-in-one software for myself and clients. It never works the way the instructions indicate. NEVER!!!!!!!!! And it takes forever to install.
Have the software engineers at HP ever tried to use this stuff? My experiences suggest the answer is no.
Setting up these devices on networks [...]
Spring cleaning for your computer (part 3)
On 2009/05/30
This post is part 3 of a 5 part series. It addresses deleting unneeded items and organizing your hard drive files, for Windows and Macs.
Part 1 covers physical cleaning.
Part 2 covers uninstalling applications or stopping unneeded ones from auto loading at boot time.
Computers collect temporary files [...]
Who names this stuff? What’s a Confiker?
On 2009/05/24
Biological infections have catchy names like the plague, measles, or swine flu. Hurricanes have peoples names, like Andrew or Katrina. But computer infections have epithets like W32.Simouk, W32.Gaobot.AJD and, of course, Confiker (AKA Downadup). At first glance you might mistake these for celebrity baby names. I am pretty certain they are not. [...]
Spring cleaning for your computer (part 2)
On 2009/05/21
I outlined a five-part computer cleaning process in my post Spring cleaning for your computer. I only covered cleaning the physical machine there. This post will cover part 2: Uninstall applications or stop unneeded ones from auto loading at boot time.
Uninstalling applications
If you are like me you install lots of applications. [...]
A client asked me, “Why her WordPerfect shortcut icon on her desktop had a small Windows security shield emblazoned on it and the other program shortcuts did not?” I did not know the answer.
The image to the right has four icons. The “Restore Computer” icon shows the Windows security shield. The [...]
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