DEL TURNER

THE COMPUTER FILE
A file containing knowledge and hints for Microsoft Windows users.

INTRUDERS
Intruders into your machine mostly occur as the result of the action of the user. For instance, users who open e-mail and e-mail attachments from unknown sources, bring in spyware, viruses and more spam. Users who click on advertisements for "free" toolbars, screensavers, and prizes do the same. However, some intruders enter the machine without the help of the user. For instance, a machine sitting idly without a firewall can be "attacked", that is, have an intruder send a resident piece of spyware so as to monitor your private computing actions.

MICROSOFT WINDOWS SECURITY SOFTWARE
Microsoft has issued a free security suite maybe to eventually replace third party software for which you have to pay an annual fee. Coupled with the built-in Windows Firewall (see Control Panel Icon to turn it on), the new software can be downloaded from - http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/ and installed to then be automatically updated like Windows itself.

UPDATING SOFTWARE
Microsoft and other program manufacturers do their best to catch flaws in their programs before they reach you. They do this by offering to keep your machine up-to-date over the Internet. Large and infrequent updates are called Service Packs, frequent security updates are known as updates, while hardware updates are called hardware drivers. You can make sure you get these updates by installing a monitor program known as Windows Updates available in the Control Panel. Once a week the program checks to make sure are up-to-date.

SYSTEM PROBLEMS
Windows operating system is an example of system software. If one of the hundreds of files which instruct your machine to do what it does gets damaged, then your have a system problem. Luckily, Windows ME, XP and VISTA have a restore system built-in. This means that you can restore your computer to work as it did before it started to give trouble. Go to the Control Panel and click on the restore Icon. Your work files will nor be damaged by this action.

PROGRAM PROBLEMS
If you install a new program and then find that things are not working the same as before, then you have a program problem. Go to the Control Panel and choose Add-Remove Programs Icon. Select the program you have just installed and "remove" it.

E-MAIL ATTACHMENTS (OPENING BLOCKED ITEMS)
By default, Outlook Express blocks all e-mail attachments of an executable nature, that is, those that can be run by your computer. If such an attachment is sent to you, a yellow boxed message informs you that the attachment is suspicious and has been blocked. If you know that the attachment is from a friend and is not dangerous, you may work around the block by temporarily shutting down this security feature. Open the Tools menu, choose "Options" and then "Security" where you may turn off the block by unchecking the box beside it: "Do not allow attachments do be saved or opened that potentially could be a virus." After opening the attachment, return to the Tools menu to reactivate the security feature.

WEB MAIL FOR WHEN YOU ARE NOT AT HOME
When you are directly connected to your provider at home or in the office, regular e-mail works, and you can use Microsoft Outlook Express. When away from the connection using some other connection (wired or wireless) you can only reach the mailbox at your home provider by using web mail which uses Microsoft Internet Explorer (a browser instead of an e-mail client).
However, to use web mail you must sign in with a login name and a password allocated to you by the provider. To use web mail offered by your provider (Shaw, Telus, etc.,), open your browser, go to the site of your provider, and choose the Webmail option.
Another option when away from home is to use web mail provided by Microsoft (Hot Mail) or Google (G Mail) or Yahoo (Yahoo Mail). If you do open an account with one of these web mail companies (they are free), be aware that you will not be accessing your regular e-mail account, but will be using a second e-mail address and a second e-mail mailbox. Some laptop wireless users use web mail exclusively so as to have only one mail box.

There is a way to use Outlook Express instead of your browser to connect to the web mail provider: free Gmail (Google web mail) will let you do so. Free Hot Mail will not, although the paid Hot Mail service will.

BACKUP METHODS
Computers are such that regular backup of files important to you are required. To back up means to place copies of a file on at least two different media; maybe one on the hard drive and another copy on a floppy or CD disk. Regrettably, some important files are not easy to find, for instance, your e-mail messages and your address book. Luckily, there is a free program available that will back up your e-mail for you: http://www.genie-soft.com/products/oeb/default.html

SOFTWARE
Quality and prices for software can be expensive, however, there are a few bargains around. Consider these items which have all been tested by the author:
        Securtity Software: AVG Security Suite (free) and does everything the big boys do. Highly rated http://www.grisoft.com/
       Zone Alarm firewall: Best rated firewall around Free http://www.zonelabs.com/
        TurboBackup: Does everything, easy to use (about $30.00 on the Internet) http://www.filestream.com/
        Burning Studio: easiest disk burning program for the novice (under $30.00 on the Internet) http://www.ashampoo.com/
        DirPrint: prints out directories and files found on any drive or disk (free) http://www.majusoft.de/
        EnZip: simple zip/unzip program without all the unnecessary additives of pricey ones (free)
        www.findmysoft.com/EnZip-download.html

SECURE DOWNLOADS
Many download sites on the Internet are nothing more than scams trying to sell you something or trying to plant some spyware on your machine. These sites can be trusted: http://www.tucows.com, http://www.cnet.com, and http://www.microsoft.downloads.com. This does not mean you should throw caution to the wind: you should always be on the lookout for unintended outcomes arising out of any program you install and be prepared to remove it if trouble develops (see Program Problems above).

DEFRAGMENTATION
This term refers to the maintenance process of untangling the fragments of information which accumulate on your hard drive over use through time. As you add and delete files from your hard drive, the system eventually cannot find enough space at any one location, and starts to break the file in smaller pieces to distribute these pieces where ever space can be found: this tends to slow down your computer. Go to the Control Panel, select Administrative Tools, then Storage and finally Disk Defragmentation. Select the disk you want to defragment, and follow the instructions. The average user might choose to do this about once a month, however, if you have recently deleted a lot of files you might choose to do it sooner.

TUTOR SESSIONS
These sessions serve as introductions to the programs, and are in the Microsoft PowerPoint format:
Using Microsoft Outlook Express, Using Microsoft Front Page 2003, Using Microsoft Power Point,
Using Microsoft Word 2007