Windows Tips

Infopackets Reader 'Mule63' writes: " Dear Dennis, I would like to know how to get rid of Tracking Cookies. They seem to be using my email to send inappropriate messages to people and my Internet Service Provider (ISP) has threatened to cut my ... Internet service. Could this cause the computer to go slower? Thank you for any information you can give me. " My response: The short and sweet answer is that tracking cookies probably aren't the issue here. The more likely answer is that your computer is infected with Spyware, is part of a botnet, and is being used to proliferate spam. Allow me to ... (view more)

Would-be Windows 7 users have been warned to change a default setting which could leave them vulnerable to attack via bogus files. As a result, Microsoft is taking flak for failing to correct a problem found in previous editions of Windows. Hidden ... File Extensions by Default The issue involves the way Windows Explorer displays filenames. In all editions of Windows after Windows 98, the default setting hides the filename extension (which identifies what type of file it is). This means that a Word file titled 'partyinvite.doc' will show up in Windows Explorer as simply 'partyinvite'. The only ... (view more)

Infopackets reader 'NCombs' writes: " Dear Dennis, I have Windows XP. Do I need to download Service Pack 3? " My response: Yes, you should download Windows XP Service Pack 3 and install it immediately as it contains cumulative / major updates to the ... operating system. Without updating your PC on a regular basis -- whether it's a service pack or a hot fix, your PC is vulnerable to exploits (hackers, worms, Trojans, botnet, spamming, etc). In fact, Service Pack 3 includes a patch for Conficker worm that we've been talking about. Microsoft Recommends Backing Up Service Packs are a major update to ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader R. Thomas writes: " Dear Dennis, I forgot my user password (with administrator access rights). I tried booting into safe mode, hoping that it would login me in as the 'Admin' user, but I forgot the admin user password, too! How ... can I get past this? " My response: There are a number of ways to get past this. In fact, you can use a hidden Administrator account in Windows XP to reset your main user password. In this article, I'll explain how you can login as the administrator in Windows XP using Safe Mode. If that doesn't work, I've linked to another article ... (view more)

If consumer response is any indication, the public wants their modern technological devices to be hi-speed, visually stimulating, and offer more options than one will ever need or use in their lifetime. But can these features be detrimental to the ... overall experience for some people? If the user has autism, the answer is a definite "yes". John LeSieur, owner of the small software start-up "People CD", has a six-year-old grandson who has autism. For Zachery, the entire experience of using a computer is wasted on the countless options that confuse the child. The episode ends when Zachery hurls ... (view more)

The technological upgrades made to several U.S. airlines will not end with cellular paperless boarding passes. For the small fee of 10 dollars, passengers can now purchase in-flight Internet connections. JetBlue Airways was the first carrier to jump ... on board with the project, already offering their customers free email and instant messaging services. Virgin America also has major plans to link wireless technology directly into their back-seat entertainment systems. This would allow passengers not traveling with laptops or smartphones to still be able to transmit messages from the plane. ... (view more)

American broadcast heavy NBC recently launched the beta of a new direct-download initiative, NBC Direct , which offers many of the channel's new hits for free download. While functional and attractive, it doesn't hold up to the competition: NBC. The ... catch, in addition to the randomly-placed ads, is that it doesn't make sense when compared to the near-identical NBC Universal web app, Hulu , not to mention other "options". Unlike Hulu, which offers streaming episodes at any time, NBC Direct offers the ability to download episodes directly to your machine (which you can stream during download), ... (view more)

Although it seems as if everyone was wrong about the Microsoft purchase of Yahoo, there have been a few other notable acquisitions online in the last few weeks. First, there was Google's incorporation of advertising firm DoubleClick, a move that ... should consolidate the big G's hegemonic presence on the web. Now, there's word that major television broadcaster CBS has soaked up Last.fm, a hugely popular Internet radio project. So, what is Last.fm? We all know CBS for its Dan Rathers, corny holiday made-for-TV movies, and CSI crime-o-ramas, but many web users may still be unfamiliar with Last.fm ... (view more)

I've got some *very* exciting news to share today! The folks over at Ashampoo sent me a friendly email today to announce that the beta version of Ashampoo Burning Studio 7 -- their flagship, simple-to-use, feature rich CD / DVD recording program -- ... has now been released! Well, that may not sound too exciting, but read on -- because you won't want to miss this one! Ashampoo: Deal of the Century In order to celebrate the release of their flagship product, the company is offering an extremely generous discount of over 25% off Ashampoo Burning Studio 7 -- but only if you order Burning Studio 7 by ... (view more)

Patronizing is everywhere in the business world. It can happen between any two companies at any time, but there's always one reason behind it: money. Recently, the two competing Internet browsers from Microsoft and Mozilla were released to web users ... across the world. In the weeks since, two of the most popular search engines have "chosen" their favorites, with Yahoo recommending Internet Explorer 7 and Google pushing Firefox 2. The most recent finding is Yahoo's encouragement that searchers use IE7 over the competition. If a user decides to follow the engine's advice, he or she will find that ... (view more)