Seniors - Friday Group

Group meets at 9:30am - 2nd Friday each month. Visitors welcome.

Seniors SIG Report - Aug 2010

Introduction

Emergency Procedures
Upcoming August SIGS

Communications
Tuesday Seniors & Genealogy
Smart Phone
Web Design
Main Meeting
Digital Photography
Our next meeting 10th September

Manuals - have you lost the manual for your Walther PPK or other gadget?

SIG leadership

It seems nobody wants the job full-time, but some have put their hands up for September to November - so your arms are safe from twisting until then. We may be able to sort out some schedule from the coalition of the willing, or continue on an ad-hoc basis.

Q&A

Q: Old Dell Xp hard drive clicking and occasionally failing - SATA . How to set up new disc and clone?
A: Acronis or Ghost can clone - from boot CD. Plug new one in to motherboard so no external power needed.
Q:Is there Freeware to run USB to USB crossover cable -
A: http://www.datapro.net/products/usb-2-0-host-to-host-cable.html has "prolific" drivers, a common chip for this, if you don't have the CD that should have come with the cable. Mine has a driver but “PCLinq3 is only for PL-25A1 chip and is not compatible with PL-2501” so you should get a strong magnifying glass and see what chip is in yours.
Q:Is there a Freeware driver check.
A: http://www.drivermax.com/ and http://www.fileguru.com/apps/totally_free_driver_check seem to be free.
Q:My Computer lost internet, AVG doesn't work, old version can't get updates! Want a stronger $ anti-virus.
A: People suggest - Eset NOD32, Trend Micro, AVG$, Norton360 or Internet Security, Kaspersky. AVG phone support OK, Norton not.
Q:A "Shredder Icon appeared on desktop" of unknown origin.
A: Google “Shredder icon on desktop” has some suggestions, or look at the properties and then use revo uninstaller to get rid of the underlying program (or use hunter mode to target the icon).
Q:How to clean a drive before disposing old desktop.
A: Eraser boot disk, complicated - Does it work? Probably but you could try Autoclave http://staff.washington.edu/jdlarios/autoclave-discontinued/usage.html which certainly does.
Q:Why does AVG check more files than there are on the computer?
A: If look in CAB ZIP etc. checked it will look in these too.
Q:When compacting Outlook Express and 4 months of files gone!
A: OE files/folders limited to 2GB but you shouldn't let them get above 1GB. Data stays in the in-box when mail moved to another folder, compacting removes this. Google "recover emails in outlook express after compacting" for some solutions, and remember to backup BEFORE compacting. If OE makes a backup before compacting, the files may be available as .db? in the same place as the .dbx files. Or see http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-5551863.html and then use Thunderbird. SyncBack can schedule backups of the OE data folder, and MailStore can backup the emails.
Q: HD-Digital STB "Strong SRT5425" has usb HD connection for recording and replaying (photos too).
A: VLC (but not WMP) will play them on computer. Can record from VCR too via a/v input. About $100.
Q: Is there a replacement for Juice podcast receiver, as it doesn't work on W7? -
A: Try http://www.podcastingnews.com/topics/Podcast_Software.html

Freeware

What it is

Open Source
Introductory / old versions as promotion
Free for personal / non-profit use
Cardware
Donationware
Crippleware
Nagware
Adware

Where to get it & How to find it

Filehippo
Pricelessware
Freewaregeeks
thefreewindows
portableapps
portable freeware
Linux software re-compiled
magazines & IT columns in newspapers

We'll have to continue this next month, due to an extended Q&A ...
Portable Software

Cheers,
Peter Collard

Friday Seniors SIG Report July 2010

Good Afternoon fellow SIG members,

On Friday we discussed many things including the following:

Q & A: Olin's emails: (1) I have got some DVDs and YouTube videos with music. I would like to record certain parts from them, both Video and Audio, so that I can then convert and transfer:
a. the Video & Audio parts into my HDD, and b. the Audio recordings into my iPod.

Peter Collard replied by email: ' SUPER can do this (see FileHippo.com). The audio extraction is straightforward - select output container = MP3, drop your videos into the blank space and start conversion. It can convert DVDs, but I'm not sure about picking bits out.' Peter elaborated on this at the SIG and I think Olin now has a few more options to assist in successfully achieving his task.

(2) Olin also sent an email describing how one of the 'computer gurus' suggests how to protect one's email address book. The relevant Word file is attached.

Malcolm spoke to me during the week regarding that perennial email query regarding pictures attached as opposed to pictures inserted. Well on Friday we continued with it at some depth discussing the situation in a few email clients including Outlook Express and Windows Live Mail. I think everyone contributed but I suggest we did not definitely 'resolve' it! I suggested this website might help with OE: http://www.computergeeksonline.net/email/express/attach-send-save.asp

To report on all we discussed on this subject would fill several pages'that's why one should 'be there'! This is another informative site, although a little out of date:

http://www.insert-email-vs_-attaching-files.html

Google this: 'attaching and inserting pictures in emails' for further info.

John Shortland has a problem with WinXP and Windows Update'I think most of us agreed that for the last few weeks there has been a problem with Windows Update and XP. I have a Windows Update that will not install and has been there for weeks; it is to do with the '.net framework' that belongs to Microsoft! So John's problem may be an extension of that. 'Windows Secrets' put out an article some issues ago regarding this with a note to say that they would publish a fix when received! Nothing yet.

I finally got a chance to run through that old favourite: CHKDSK; it is still relevant and the following three sites are quite informative:

1. http://vlaurie.com/computers2/Articles/chkdsk.htm How to use in WinXP

2. http://www.w7forums.com/use-chkdsk-check-disk-t448.html Windows 7

3. http://www.techsupportforum.com/microsoft-chkdsk-r-chkdsk-r-f.html

I mentioned again the very informative newsletter 'InfoPackets''subscribe on:http://www.infopackets.com/ have a look.

My desktop computer had been showing some unusual intermittent behaviour over the past few weeks and I sussed it out as faulty RAM ; when replaced with new RAM it was fine. This reminded me that there are quite a few free 'memory/RAM' testing apps out there; try this:

http://pcsupport.about.com/od/toolsofthetrade/tp/memorytest.htm 'memtest86' is a good one.

And for a bit further info on ISO files try this: http://pcsupport.about.com/od/termsi/g/isofile.htm

When on the RAM testing site scroll down to the bottom for a heap of interesting links on all sorts of info.

Some Housekeeping:

The next Friday Seniors SIG: 13 August 2010 at 10:00am which will be run by your new SIG Leader, followed by the Comms SIG with John Lucke et al at 1:00pm. The next Tuesday Seniors SIG with Graham Grant is Tuesday 20 July 2010 at 10:00am followed by Terry's Genealogy at 1:00 pm. Our next Main Meeting and AGM is Tuesday 27 July at 6:00pm which includes some nibbles and drinks. The next Digital Photography SIG with Peter Collard is on Friday 23 July 2010 at 10:00am. Please don't forget the Stocks & Shares SIG tomorrow (Monday 12 July) at 6:00pm and the Programming SIG the very next night (Tuesday 13 July) also at 6:00pm.

That's it for me, I wish your next SIG leader 'all the best'.

Cheers,

Bill Parry