Best Antivirus | Goggle’s Free Wi Fi | Windows 8| More

(Wow. It’s Thursday already.) Here are some “informations” I think you’ll find helpful and/or interesting.

Yesterday, I reminded you that in today’s world, all your Internet-capable devices need to have an antivirus/security product. But which one? Are some better than others? Oh, yes. (And, last year’s top pick may be this year’s dud.) I no longer have time to do my own testing, but for years I have relied on Neil Rubenking at PC Magazine to do that heavy lifting for me. He has just published his Choose the Best Antivirus in 2013

“We put just about every antivirus product through rigorous testing to help you choose the one that will suit you best. We award the Editor’s Choice designation to those that we consider to be top-of-the-line in one way or another, but if your criteria are different from ours you can get details from our reviews of all of the available choices.” Read more..

Seems it’s (past) time for me to reevaluate my personal rankings of the free AV’s category…

Another article of his caught my attention as well. Why You Shouldn’t Trust Google’s Free WiFi Network

“Last week, Google unveiled plans to build a free wireless Internet zone in Chelsea, a New York City neighborhood. Pretty much every news report and social media conversation focused on how the free Wi-Fi would give people in the area easy access to the Internet.” Read more..

[Giving away free Internet. Hmm.. aside from TNSTAAFL.. how about cui bono?]

Also, Deb Shinder is writing a series those of you with Windows 8 may find very helpful. Talking Tech: Getting Your Favorite Features Back in Windows 8: Windows Media Center

“Last month, I started this series on how Windows 8 users can get back some of the features that were removed, beginning with the Start button/menu. My plan was to tell you, this month, how to install Windows Media Center. It’s good that I waited, because the process I would have described a month ago seems to no longer work. You can still get Windows 8 back, but you might have to pay for it – even though Microsoft says it’s free until January 31. Here’s a little background and the story of my recent experiences.” Read more..

Oh, there’s more I’d like to share with you today, but I’m out of time. Have a great day everybody!

“You can use a Chromebook to find videos of cats on YouTube. This proves it meets the needs of 99.9% of internet users worldwide.”
(Not only is he probably correct, but that says a lot about us.)

Okay. I found a minute, so here’s one more Reading reco: The Chromebook — it’s like an iPad, but with a keyboard

“I wasn’t expecting to like it, but in the end I loved it. The Chromebook could be the perfect post-PC device that has a keyboard.” Read more..

Today’s quote: “A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken.” ~ James Dent

(Okay. So? I’m ready for warmer weather.)

Copyright 2007-2013 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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How To Add A Custom Font To Your PC

Fonts Add Flair To Your Documents

Sometimes, our creative side demands that we use a special, uncommon font– a fancy and festive font perhaps. Fortunately, there are many fonts (and font “families”) available for downloading and adding to your computer’s repertoire.

Last year around this time, I published the article Add color to your documents, and I demonstrated a few word processor tricks to brighten up your Holiday letters of Season’s Greeting. This year, I’m going to suggest you enter “download fonts” in a search engine, and explore the world of typefaces. (Or.. see today’s free link below.)

When you have found one you like, and have downloaded it..
To install a font, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. Type the following command, “%windir%fonts” (no quotes) and then click OK:
3. On the File menu, click Install New Font. (Vista users: right-click in a blank area of the fonts folder, and select from the context menu.)
4. In the Drives box, click the drive that contains the font that you want to add, (usually C:) and turn it blue.
   Note The floppy disk drive is typically drive A. The CD drive is typically drive D.
5. In the Folders box, click the folder that contains the font that you want to add, and then click OK. (the Desktop is found in your User folder. C:\Users\username\Desktop)
6. In the List of fonts box, click the font that you want to add. (To select more than one font at a time, press and hold the CTRL key while you select each font.)
7. Click to select the Copy Fonts To Fonts Folder check box. The new font is saved in the WindowsFonts folder.
8. Click OK.

Windows supports TrueType fonts, or fonts that are designed especially for Windows which can be purchased and/or downloaded separately. Some programs also include special fonts (which are installed as part of the program installation). Additionally, TrueType or special Windows fonts are frequently included with printers.

Note: Now that your new font(s) are installed, you can use them as you would any other font, and they will appear in your list of font choices. You should be aware, though, that if you intend to send your document to someone else — and they have not installed the same font — they won’t see your fancy font unless you “embed” the font in your saved document. Which is easy. Click here for a quick how to on that.

Today’s free link: An excellent resource for fonts is 1001 Free Fonts. Each font is available in both a PC (Windows) and a Mac version, so be sure to click the right button.

I’m not sure why.. but this one grabs my attention..

.. but it’s not what I would use in a Holiday Greeting letter. Hmmm… maybe calligraphy?

Related: Want to create documents on your computer that use your own handwriting? See, Creating a personalized font from your own handwriting… for a cool way to turn your writing samples into a custom font.

Copyright 2007-9 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

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How To Install a New Font

Sometimes, our creative side demands that we use a special, uncommon font– a fancy and festive font perhaps. Fortunately, there are many fonts (and font “families”) available for downloading and adding to your computer’s repertoire.

Last year around this time, I published the article Add color to your documents, and I demonstrated a few word processor tricks to brighten up your Holiday letters of Season’s Greeting. This year, I’m going to suggest you enter “download fonts” in a search engine, and explore the world of typefaces. (Or.. see today’s free link below.)

When you have found one you like, and have downloaded it..
To install a font, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. Type the following command, “%windir%fonts” (no quotes) and then click OK:
3. On the File menu, click Install New Font. (Vista users: right-click in a blank area of the fonts folder, and select from the context menu.)
4. In the Drives box, click the drive that contains the font that you want to add, (usually C:) and turn it blue.
   Note The floppy disk drive is typically drive A. The CD drive is typically drive D.
5. In the Folders box, click the folder that contains the font that you want to add, and then click OK. (Desktop is found in your User folder. C:UsersusernameDesktop)
6. In the List of fonts box, click the font that you want to add. To select more than one font at a time, press and hold the CTRL key while you select each font.
7. Click to select the Copy Fonts To Fonts Folder check box. The new font is saved in the WindowsFonts folder.
8. Click OK.

Windows supports TrueType fonts, or fonts that are designed especially for Windows which can be purchased and/or downloaded separately. Some programs also include special fonts (which are installed as part of the program installation). Additionally, TrueType or special Windows fonts are frequently included with printers.

Today’s free link: An excellent resource for fonts is 1001 Free Fonts. Each font is available in both a PC (Windows) and a Mac version, so be sure to click the right button.

I’m not sure why.. but this one grabs my attention..

.. but it’s not what I would use in a Holiday Greeting letter. Hmmm… maybe calligraphy?

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

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Plug-and-Play Doesn’t Work, Pt 1*

Windows 95 introduced a method for automatically detecting and installing (configuring) newly attached devices, which was called “Plug and Play” (PnP). The idea was that you could insert a relatively new super-enhancer, like a graphics card, or sound card, (there was a big deal called “multimedia” happening then, if you recall– “The new Pentium II, with MMX!”) into a slot inside your machine and Windows would automatically make it work.

This worked so well that folks quickly re-dubbed it “Plug and Pray”.
(For the sake of fairness, and for those of you with a historical sense, it is my belief that the responsibility for the bad name PnP acquired lies at the feet of the card makers, particularly Creative Labs Sound Blaster cards, as much as it did Microsoft.)

Before Plug and Play came along, adding a new device to your PC was a huge ordeal. There were tiny switches (called “dips”) and little wire bridges (“jumpers”) and IRQs, and such, that had to be fiddled with in an agonizing series of trial-and-error attempts that would try the patience of the most stalwart soul.

Fortunately for all of us, Windows and device manufacturers have been (for the most part) working hard to make the concept behind PnP a reality. Each successive iteration of Windows has become better and better at easy, automatic, device installation. By the time of Windows XP, it was a rare occasion when Plug and Play required additional efforts on our part before our new scanner/webcam/printer/graphics card/etc. would function as it should.

With Vista we have a whole new set of issues. PnP works almost exactly as it should, effortlessly. As long as we’re adding a brand-new, Vista compatible device, all you have to do is plug it in and power it on. The problem we have in Vista is with our old devices — devices manufactured before Vista was a gleam in Microsoft’s eye — like that old, reliable Deskjet 970Cse.

Tip of the day: Get those recalcitrant devices working, Pt.1.
The first step in installing a new device is to follow the instructions that come with it, and (usually) inserting the Installation CD, and letting Plug and Play ‘do its thing’.
Frequently this is all you need to do (although you may be asked to reboot).

The first troubleshooting step, should this fail, or should Vista reject the device, is to go online and visit the device manufacturer’s website. There you should look in their “Support” section for “Drivers” and/or “download drivers”. Find the most recent release for your version of Windows (Vista users may have to do a Web Search) and take careful note of whether it is the 32-bit, or 64-bit version. Almost all of you out there want the 32-bit version. [If you are unsure whether you have 32 or 64-bit Windows: right-click My Computer and select Properties. The info titled “System” will tell you your version.]

Now click on the download link, and when asked if you want to “run” or “save” this program, click on “Save”. You will be (or at least, should be) asked where you want to save the program to, and since it will most likely have a bizarre and forgettable name, save it to your desktop.

Once the download is completed and saved, close your web browser and any other programs you have running — it shouldn’t be necessary to shut down your protection, like antivirus, but be prepared to hit “allow”, quickly.
Now double-click the download. Usually, a wizard will open, asking you to hit “Next”, “I agree”, “Next”…just follow along.

When it’s done, odds are good your device will now work as it should, but whether it does or not, the next step is to restart your machine (“reboot”). This process will resolve the majority of, but not all, device related issues. Vista users may run into a situation where the device in question is no longer “supported” by the manufacturer, or simply hasn’t gotten around to writing Vista drivers yet. A Search for “Vista drivers for make+model” will likely turn up a solution.

There are further troubleshooting steps you can take if this does not resolve your issue (see links below. Also, there are websites that specialize in nothing but device drivers, and these are often an excellent place to start looking for hard-to-find drivers. I am including one such site below.

https://techpaul.wordpress.com/2007/07/12/adding-hardware-when-pnp-doesnt-work-part-2/

https://techpaul.wordpress.com/2007/07/13/concluding-add-new-hardware-when-pnp-doesnt-work/

Today’s free link: DriversPlanet From site: “DriversPlanet.com is the Web’s trusted resource for technology enthusiasts, IT consultants and IT professionals searching for any device driver. DriversPlanet.com provides an easy way of finding drivers in one spot enabling you not to get lost in worldwide chaos of drivers.”

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

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Holiday Edition– IE questions & Security "Zones"

My recent article on tweaking IE 7 and using Security Zones has prompted several reader questions whose answers are worth posting here. So today there will not be my usual Tip of the day, but instead there will be several Q’s and their A’s. If for some reason you missed the original article and would like to get up to speed, click here.

Q. Can’t add a site to Trusted Zone, Why are my options “greyed out”?
A. The person who sent me this question did not specify if they were experiencing this at home, or at work, which can have different causes. If you are on your personal machine at home, the most likely cause for having any Settings or Options choices grayed out (unavailable) is that you are running in User mode. You need to be running as an Administrator to make changes to Windows’ behavior. Log out of your current session by clicking on Start >Log Off and switch to a user account with administrator privilege. Now your menu choices will not be grayed out and you can make your changes. When you’re finished, log off and return to your normal user account.
If you’re at work and using the company’s machine, it is likely that there are policies in place that prevent employees from making these kinds of changes. If you have a legitimate change (that will “help improve your productivity”) that you’d like to have made, submit a request to your IT department.
**Also, some types of malware will modify your Trusted Sites zone (adding poisoned, or junk sites such as a bogus lottery) and then change a setting in your Registry which blocks — greys outs — your ability to go in and remove them. Use anti-spyware programs to scan your machine and remove the infection. In this case, I would start with the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool, and then click here for my list of free, safe, and effective antispyware apps.

Q. How do I remove a site from a Zone?
 A. You can remove a site from any Zone by navigating to the Security tab of Internet Options as shown in the prior article, click on the zone you want to edit, and then click on the site you want to remove, as shown below.

Now click on the “Remove” button.
Actually, the fella who sent me this question was referring specifically to the Restricted Sites zone. He either really doesn’t trust Microsoft, or is trying purposely to load his machine with malware…either way, I would think twice before removing sites from the Restricted Sites zone!

Q. What should I do with these security warnings?
A. IE displays several types of warnings — suspected phishing, ActiveX, prevented download, open site in your Trusted Zone, et al — and so the answer depends on which warning you are getting…and what you’re doing when you get them.
If you are being warned that the site you’re looking at is a “suspected” Phishing site, then by all means do NOT enter any personal information! As these sites often also try to install trojan horses and malware downloaders, close down your browser and run a full antispyware sweep. Not all “suspected” sites are truly Phishing sites, sometimes mistakes happen, but in this day and age, it’s better to err on the side of caution.
ActiveX is a tool (a bit like Java) that usually is used for good purposes, more often than not actually (Microsoft Update uses ActiveX, and that’s something you definately want enabled), but in keeping with the thought expressed immediately above, you should decide on a case-by-case basis. If you can see and do everything you want to on a site without installing the ActiveX control, why install it?
Preventing unwanted downloads is a very good thing, so I strongly advise you: do not turn this warning feature off. Just click on the yellow bar and select “download this software” when you are downloading code. In fact, I believe this advice can be applied to all of IE’s warnings. We are living in a world where the Internet is relatively unpoliced, and so while it is irritating, it is safer (and wiser) to live with these warnings that to have our identity stolen and used to commit crimes, or have our PCs turned into a spambot.

Today’s free link: if you suspect a site is fraudulent and/or being used to “phish” for your personal information, and IE hasn’t flagged it as such — but you’re suspicious anyway — download McAfee’s free Site Advisor. This IE “plug in” will give you a valuable ‘second opinion’…and is updated more often than IE is.

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

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Make Outlook open when Windows starts

Do you have a favorite program that you’d like to start as soon as Windows does — perhaps your email client? I have told you in previous articles about stopping programs from loading at boot, and today I’ll tell you how to reverse the process, and gain further control your computer’s behavior.

Tip of the day: It seems a lot of you have been interested in how to remove unwanted programs from your Startup Folder, and if you’ve done so, you already know how to navigate to and open it. For today’s tip I’m going to use as an example adding Outlook Express, so that it will automatically open for you when you turn on your machine and start your day (simply substitute the program you use). Because if you’re like me, one of the first things you do is check your email…and you like to save steps and time. I will also show you a different way of navigating to the folder.

In the previous articles I told you that when you deleted programs from your Startup Folder you we not deleting the programs — merely shortcuts to the program. Today we’re going to add a shortcut.
In Windows XP, start by opening My Computer, either by Start >My Computer, or double-clicking the My Computer icon on your desktop. Now double-click the Local Drive (C:) icon, [you may get a window saying “these files and folders are hidden”. Just click on the “view these now” link.] and then locate and double-click the Documents and Settings folder.

If you wanted to make a change for all the users of your machine you would open the All Users folder. Since we are customizing the start-up behavior just for ourselves, we open the folder that matches our User Name — in this machine’s case, the folder named “Terry” (sharp-eyed, security-conscious types will notice that the Administrator account hasn’t been renamed on this machine — a “no no”.). Now we look for and open the Start Menu Folder. Open it and then open the Program folder, and finally, Startup.

As you can see, this User Account has no programs at all listed in its Startup folder. That doesn’t mean that no programs launch at boot. The programs I do want, (antivirus, firewall, etc.) I want to have run no matter who is using the machine, so they’re listed in the “All User’s” Startup folder.

In Vista, it is a little different: the Startup folder is listed in Programs, accessed from the Start button. Click Start >Programs and scroll down until you see the folder labeled Startup. Double-click it to open its contents window and drag your shortcuts into there.

Adding a program shortcut is easy, and it’s easiest if there is already an icon on the desktop (which is also a shortcut, btw). Simply right-click on the icon and drag it into the open Startup window, and let go. A menu will open: select “Create shortcut here”. And that’s it. You’re done.
If there isn’t a desktop icon, hover your mouse over the Start button, and then Programs. Now the list of all your programs appears. Again, simply right-click and drag the ones you want, as outlined immediately above. Now the next time you boot Windows, those programs will open for you automatically. A neat little trick.

Today’s free link: Trillion. For those of us who use Instant Messaging. This tool lets you combine your various IMs into a single “control panel”. From Website: “Trillian™ is a fully featured, stand-alone, skinnable chat client that supports AIM, ICQ, MSN, Yahoo Messenger, and IRC. It provides capabilities not possible with original network clients, while supporting standard features such as audio chat, file transfers, group chats, chat rooms, buddy icons, multiple simultaneous connections to the same network, server-side contact importing, typing notification, direct connection (AIM), proxy support, encrypted messaging (AIM/ICQ), SMS support, and privacy settings.”

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

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