Ahhh yes January. Time for New Years resolutions, weight loss commercials, and exercise equipment. It’s also a reminder of what we have been too relaxed about in our lives, and what we need to reclaim for next year.

The end of 2008 is quickly approaching. There’s a great deal of blogs displaying their New Years reflections and 2009 wish lists. For me, I have never been one to make a New Years resolution; it seems pointless to promise to do something that will not be. Instead, New Years is a time to be more organized. Out with the old, and in with the new. I am a computer geek chick, for those of you who are unfamiliar with me. The beginning of the New Year is a time for a fresh start (on my computer).

Whether you’re a Mac or a PC owner:

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I just love that saying. It has saved my butt many times over.

Isn’t it funny how we spend more time caring for our car, than we spend on preventative maintenance for our computer? Most individuals spend at least 8 hours a day on their computers and tend to take for granted it will always startup without any technical issues. Let’s start the New Year by giving a little TLC to our friend, “The Computer.”

Organization of files

Clear off that desktop. Come on, I can see the mess from here. How many times have we quickly downloaded something from the Internet and plunked it on our desktop? How many times have we copied something from a USB stick and dragged it onto our desktop? The list goes on, and on. So, your personal challenge is to dispose of the unneeded files on your desktop, and create a new “STUFF” folder for everything else you don’t want to deal with - for now. Or better yet, choose a specific day and sort through EVERYTHING 110% and move things into their rightful place (ie: new folder, recycle bin, external hard drive).

Backup-Backup-Backup!!!

Or else you may regret it sooner than later. Backup frequently and regularly. Backing-up computer files is a task most people dread completing. If you’re like me, I tell myself “I will do it later.” Although, “later” never comes around here much. So, January is when things are put into perspective and “later” is recognized as “right now.”

Uninstall

Now is a great time to uninstall those games your kids put on your computer that’s occupying prime hard drive real estate and causing it to slow down (especially if your a PC user). Also, uninstall any programs you no longer use, have not used, disliked once you installed them, and have no future plans of utilizing. Don’t be afraid - uninstall those unwanted programs.

Virus/Malware

Once you’ve organized, backed-up, and uninstalled unnecessary programs; I would highly recommend running a virus/malware scan on your PC computer. Refer to my prior post “Make Your PC Run Faster,” for tips, software recommendations, and web sites.

Not for the Light Hearted

This isn’t for everyone. I once read an article years ago which suggested formatting your PC and reinstall your operating system. Starting fresh each year is a great way to start fresh and get the bugs out. Without getting to technical, this is a very complex job. Not only because of the reinstallation of the operating system, but because of the reinstallation of all the files that were backed-up. Restoring music into iTunes is what I dread most. I find myself praying to the iTunes Gods. This is not for the simple hearted, however it is my preference and New Year practice.

If you are contemplating this route, make sure you have all of your recovery discs prior to completing this task. More and more companies are hiding a partition on PC hard drives, which contain everything needed for this task. Unfortunately, step-by-step instructions are beyond the scope of this post. Due to the various types of computers, it would be virtually impossible for me to address each individual circumstance completely.

What is on “YOUR” Computer?

Drop a comment and let me know what your preventative maintenance habits are for your PC/Mac. Please share with others what programs you tend to use & what works for you. I do realize the PC has more virus/malware software available than the Mac (we all know why, shhhh “big brother” is watching), however we would be very interested in knowing what you enjoy running on your computer. Through the sharing of information, we can all help each other.

Happy New Year

I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year. I hope everyone finds time to give their trusted friend, “The Computer” a whole bunch of TLC this holiday.

Thank you for stopping by, and thank you for sharing!

Happy Holiday’s

Tags: Computing, Mac, OS, Operating System, PC by Chris Hebert
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I love trying to repair something I have never been challenged with before. The only fear is the possibility of not being able to fix the issue after I play around and break it further. Let me explain this. A computer geek has to not only diagnose the issue, but has to use trial and error often in order to fix the situation.  Given that explaination, I would like to share what recently happened to my husbands PC computer.

Backup Blackberry

While driving home one night I mentioned to my husband, “you should probably backup your Blackberry contact information onto your computer in case something ever happens to your phone.” Just like most individuals, his entire personal & business contact list is inside this little piece of metal. Nothing is wrote down anywhere, and he has never used the software that came with the phone to back it up.

He agreed I was right (rarely happens). After he found the USB connection and the CD which came with the Blackberry phone, he then proceeded to install everything on his own. Outlook was his method of choice on his PC, to sync (backup) his contact list with.

Not only did he backup his Blackberry contact list, but he decided to clean house on his computer desktop. He started throwing as much as possible into his “Recycle Bin.” I am sharing this information with you because the result of what happens next cannot be precisely explained. I am uncertain if the installation of the Blackberry software (my guess) caused the problem, or the vast amount of mixed matched files/icons he disposed of caused the issue.

Delete Everything but the Kitchen Sink

After dragging everything but the kitchen sink into his “Recycle Bin,” he then tried to open a MS Word document and received an error message; “Microsoft Word has encountered a problem and will open in Safe Mode.” There was no alternative to opening MS Word, other than in “Safe Mode.” No matter what I tried to do/not do - MS Word was not starting up other than in Safe Mode!

My first reaction was for him to try and shut off the computer and turn it back on. This did nothing. During my research on the Internet, I found (or didn’t find) out there is not a great deal of supporting material to help fix this error within MS Word. What I did find, I would like to share with you in hopes it will save you more time in fixing the issue than what I had to spend fixing it.

What? Word in Safe Mode…

First off, I learned through others comments - the installation and reinstallation of MS Office will not fix the problem (which was something as a last resort, I was willing to try). Therefore, I didn’t wast my time trying this option. I did however try to “Restore” his computer to an earlier time. This did nothing except put back the ugly icons on his desk which were in the Recycle Bin.

Second, I found a website which recommended backing up the registry and navagativing deep in the Registry, where Word’s Registry key lives. The website suggested to delete a certain folder. I love to live on the seat of my pants - so guess what… I did this one, and I hate to tell you this, but I didn’t work.

Third, further research on the subject mearly explained a hiccup in MS Word’s hidden “Normal.dot” file.  The “Normal.dot” file can become corrupt for unknown reasons.

To Technical ~ Dumb it down please…

The least “geeky” way for me to explain this phenomia would be this: MS Word uses the hidden file “Normal.dot” to create blank documents. It is a Global Template which Word uses when it starts. If ”Normal.dot” becomes a corrupt file - you’ll receive the wonderful error message “Microsoft Word has encountered a problem and will open in Safe Mode.” Not only will you receive this message, but “Safe Mode”  is the only option for MS Word to startup in.

Quick Fix

Delete the hidden file “Normal.dot” which is corrupt, and upon the restart of MS Word, it will create a new file because it cannot locate the old one.

1. Select My Computer -> Tools ->  Folder Options -> View -> UNCHECK “Hide Protected Operating System Files” (close Folder Options window)
2. Select Start -> Search -> All Files/Folders 
3. Select More Advanced Options -> make sure “Search hidden files and subfolders” IS checked
4. Type normal.dot in the search box -> select Search

Once the “Normal.dot” appears in the search results window, delete the file. As stated earlier, Word will recreate this file upon startup. There may also be a file “~Normal.dot” as well. I deleted both files just to make sure, and the issue was resolved. You choose…

Start MS Word. Just a note, you may or may not have to re-enter your name/initials upon restart of the program, in a pop-up box. If so, enter the appropriate information and enjoy MS Word without having to work within “Safe Mode.”

The information which I have provided serves as a diary for my future reference in case of a similar situation. If you benefit from my research, please leave a comment.

Tags: OS, Operating System, PC by Chris Hebert
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Since my conversion to the other side (Apple), I have found myself steadily trying to prepare my Mac G5 to run with similar software as my PC. I do not wish to use Apple’s dual boot “Boot Camp” program, when I have an office already set up with a PC and a Mac. I can easily slide my chair from one computer to the other, depending on my task at hand. The Mac is starting to dominate my life, however there are small details which still require my attention on a PC.

One puzzling feature which consumed my life for 3 days straight was the inability to copy/burn a Mac .dmg file from my PC onto a DVD. I researched this missing link on Google, and many other forums. Nothing worked as it should have. One individual posted, “Nero” would do the trick. Each and every time I would try to open the .dmg file to copy it within the burning software, my “.dmg” file either could not be seen by the software or the program gave me an unhappy error. Believe you me, I was more unhappy than the program was.

Help is on the way…

My failed attempts landed me on a discussion between two individuals. This is where I stumbled upon a great program called “TransMac.” TransMac allows Windows Vista/XP/2003/and 2000 to access/view Mac CD/DVDs .dmg and sparseimage files. TransMac has a built in copy/burn feature to create Mac CD/DVDs on your PC. This program also supports HFS, HFS+, and HFSX volumes (Mac OS). Lastly, it can format disks for use on a Mac from your PC.

TransMac

Finally, after days of dead ends and headaches I found a program that would work. Upon first opening the TransMac program, it initializes and scans available drives. Once the program is open, your main hard drive will not be an option in the disc drives. Do not be alarmed!

TransMac is very straight forward with the toolbar and navigation. To copy/burn a CD/DVD simply select:

1. Tools
2. Burn CD/DVD
3. Select your CD/DVD drive
4. Select the location on your computer where the file is located that you wish to copy “Disk/ISO image file to write”
5. Select “OK”

Test your newly created CD/DVD on your Mac.

Happy burning!

Tags: Computing, Mac, OS by Chris Hebert
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Mac or PC

I have had a Mac G5 computer sitting at my house since 2005. My husband used it for his media business for only one year. After his project ended, the Mac sat in a corner very lonely and unused.

Recently I decided to up my skill-set of graphic design to a higher level by enrolling in a local community college. Here I met some wonderful individuals of all backgrounds. My instructor has a vast amount of knowledge in many areas within graphic design, and I thank him for his patients with my many questions.

Back to School

During my quest to learn Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator better, I decided to dust off my husband’s Mac G5. Using the Mac at home made the transition to and from school much easier. I found myself using the wrong fingers and keystrokes using a Mac at school and a PC at home.

Since I am a curious geek chick, I enjoy breaking and exploring computers as much as possible. Sometimes I get myself into a pickle, and other times I feel well accomplished by my success to push the envelope and conquer the situation between machine and computer geek.

The Basics Can Drive You NUTS

Recently, I felt intimidated using a Mac. I wasn’t familiar with how to install software, eject a USB device, delete a program, or burn a CD/DVD. I lacked the basics. I always understood the cosmetic appearance between a PC and a Mac were 100% opposite. Browser open/close are on the right in a PC environment and on the left in a Mac environment. However, beyond navigational purposes I was quite lost.

Prior to these college courses, Adobe lived on my PC. Anything which had to be done within web design or graphic design was completed on my lovely PC. Yes I was a die hard PC user, I must admit. In addition, I guess one could say my recent purchase of an iPhone helped me to evolve to a Mac user.

Conquer This Baby!

Along the way of learning how to set up my Mac to resemble the comfort zone environment on my PC, I had a great deal of road blocks. My lack of knowledge could even be frustrating at times. This only made me dig deeper into to the situation to “conquer.” If you are a computer geek, you can understand this gut wrenching notion of feeling helpless to a hunk of metal.

During my quest to dust off a wonderful piece of machinery, I have learned a great deal of programs available to the Mac world. Needless to say, I am the proud owner of my husband’s Mac G5 and would love to own a Mac Book Pro in the near future! Hint Hint!!!

Tags: Computing, Mac, Misc, OS, PC by Chris Hebert
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The most common problem with a PC is the neglect of preventive maintenance. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. However, most PC owners neglect simple preventative maintenance, which can save them countless hours of unproductively.

As a IT professional, I would like to share with you a favorite website along with many tips. One of my all time favorite websites as a geek (don’t worry if your not) is Major Geek.

Recently I was approached by a client with a PC which was running dirt slow. You could actually watch windows open and close. The poor computer had four different anti-virus programs trying to run at the same time. You can over due it! In addition, it had malware, Trojan’s, and a outdated Windows XP Service Pack. All of these things can lead to a very sick PC.

Use the Major Geek website as a reference for excellent downloads.

How To Protect Your Computer

1. Install an up to date anti-spyware:“Malwarebytes” was recently recommended by a friend, to use on a heavily infected PC. Malwarebytes worked flawlessly for me. My long time favorite has been “Spybot-Search & Destroy,” although I would choose Malwarebytes over Spybot.
2. Install an up to date anti-virus: AVG Free Edition comes highly recommended. Currently, I personally use this software on all of my personal and business computers. With the free edition, the user can adjust the setting to accomodate a desired system scan time.

Don’t Forget Your Memory

1. Install more Memory: Installing more memory is a quick fix to a faster running PC. Windows XP can operate on 256 Mb RAM. Microsoft Windows Vista memory requirements are larger than those of its predecessor Windows XP. My recommendation is at least 1Gb RAM, possibly more depending on the software used.
2. Belarc Advisor: A very useful software program which identifies what is under your hood. This free tool identifies your hardware and software. Use this program if you do not want to dig inside your computer, but wish to upgrade your memory. Belarc Advisor produces a detailed profile of hardware and software installed on your computer, including all software serial numbers.

Updated Service Pack

Lastly, make sure your PC has the most current Windows Service Pack installed along with any security updates. These updates are created specifically to fix any existing bugs, and enhance the performance of your software.

Tags: Computing, Mac, OS, Operating System, PC by Chris Hebert
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