Microsoft Office 2007

Many of us have been struggling to get to grips with the new look of Office 2007. In addition, Microsoft seems to have forced us to convert to Office 2007, as Office 2003 is no longer officially available.

However, for those who crave the "old days", there is a program that lets you use the previous, familiar, much-loved menu format with Office 2007.

It's called Classic Menu for Office 2007, from AddinTools.

You can download it from download.CNET.com at:

http://download.cnet.com/Classic-Menu-for-Office-2007/3000-18483_4-10637184.html?tag=mncol

As CNET points out:

"The program isn't free, but we were unable to locate any kind of trial period. It may be there, but the program doesn't make a point of advertising it."

Enjoy!

Prevent ID Fraud

It's National Identity Fraud Prevention Week, and there is a very useful site for businesses at:

www.stop-idfraud.co.uk

Safe Browsing for Your Youngsters

Parents naturally worry about where their offspring go to on the Web. You want to give them the scope to explore and discover, while at the same time wanting to do the "protecting parent" role.

Here's a website with some free software that could set your mind at rest. OpenDNS gets a mention, and it has been featured with acclaim on this blog. Some of the other software items look useful too.

If you're interested, go to:

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-free-parental-control-software-that-will-set-your-mind-at-ease-n/

Here's to keeping it safe on the Web for all of us.

Turning Off/Leaving On: The Great PC Debate

Although it seems a no-brainer that turning off your computer saves energy, there has always been a counter-argument: namely, that the power needed to switch on a PC is more than the saving when it is switched off.

Microsoft has pitched into the debate with the very latest views based on the most recent evidence, and the article is well worth a look:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/explore/turnoff-pc.aspx

If you own a business and you have PC work stations, what is your company's policy on what happens at the end of the working day? By reading the article, you may be able to save a good few pounds on your electricity bill.

Go Green - it's the new pink!!!

Security News

I know I go on about security for your PCs, but I'm afraid we're still at the stage in the digital world where eternal vigilance is needed.

It was, therefore, interesting to read an article from Windows Secrets about what we all need to do to be safe on the internet. The piece is at:

http://windowssecrets.com/2009/08/27/02-Security-Baseline-provides-basic-PC-protection

Basically, we all need to:

• use the hardware firewall in the router
• have good firewall and anti-virus software "on guard"
• make sure Windows is kept up-to-date
• use an internet browser that is secure

That message has been consistent for a good few years now, so no real changes. But it is timely to reinforce the message so that we can avoid the nastier consequences of getting malware in our systems.

Be alert. Be safe.

Dust

I know, it's not the most exciting of subjects, but it is an important one for computers. Remember, the PC is set up to draw air over a warm surface (the heatsink over the processor (CPU)), and then send the now warm air out of the computer case.

The air that comes in carries dust, and it is likely to deposit that dust on the heatsink. I have seen some very clogged heatsinks in my time, and for one customer it solved the problem of why his computer kept crashing. The dust clogging the heatsink was sending the temperature of the CPU way too high, so in a gesture of self-preservation, the PC kept switching itself off.

I have a standard item on my jobsheet - valet. You can do this for yourself, but some words of warning and advice. First, switch off the PC, and remove the power lead. Then, remove the side panel, so that you can access the inside. Now be gentle - don't just shove the hoover's extension tube in and waggle it about! Gentle blowing helps, and you can use a soft brush. Pay particular attention to the heatsink over the CPU. I use a artist's painting brush to clean the blades of the fan, and then to gently brush out the dust in the radiator-type area beneath it.

Working on customers' machines, I have found copious amounts of dog and cat hairs, as well as dead spiders. I haven't found any dead animals yet, but I have read reports of mice being found!

So, time to boldly go in search of dust! And then remove it - carefully. You could add years to the life of your beloved PC.

Free Software

I sometimes get asked why I advocate using free software, expecially for anti-virus protection. Surey, people say, the paid-for product must be better, the underlying principle being you get what you pay for - and if you pay nothing, you get ...

This article successfully addresses the doubts some people have about free software products:

http://crave.cnet.co.uk/software/0,39029471,49303157,00.htm

It's doubly noteworthy because it comes from a very successful company that supplies quality products, whether free or paid-for.

There's a lesson in there for lots of businesses, I think, and it is very significant that the great Microsoft itself is proposing doing something similar to AVG and the many other companies that have provided good products for so many years.

Free Small Business Software

Are you looking for free software to enhance the effectiveness of your small- or medium-sized business? To get information about some of the best free tools for SMEs, go to:

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsid=10424&ba=5

Open DNS

This could get a bit technical, so apologies, but please stick with it - I'll do my best to make it understandable.

A DNS (Domain Name Server) is a computer that translates the website address you type into, say, Internet Explorer (e.g., www.google.co.uk), into numbers - the internet is happier with numbers than with words.

Most of us use the DNS of our Internet Service Provider(ISP) - you didn't know that, but you do! There's nothing to set up, it's all automatic.

But you have a choice, and you can use another DNS. The main one available is called OpenDNS, at www.opendns.com - and it's free!

They claim their service is faster - well, that may be true, but I like the idea of being able to make a choice, and not being totally dependent on my ISP.

If you go to the OpenDNS website, there are clear details there of what you have to do. You will need to change some settings on your router, and then all the computers that connect to that router will have access to OpenDNS.

There is another advantage, though. You have to open an account with OpenDNS, with the usual features: access ID plus password. Your account lets you use what they call the "Dashboard". There, you can choose the security settings for your router - and, therefore, for ALL the computers in your house/network. The advantage over software like NetNanny is that you don't have to install it on all relevant computers - and it's free!

That seems to me to be a real bonus, especially in a house where there are youngsters or just multiple users of the network. As the "controller", i.e., the one with the password, you know that you are keeping the users around you safe from straying into inappropriate areas.

Purely for research purposes, you understand, I tried changing my security setting. I'm happy with "Minimal", but we're just two adults on this network. I changed it to "Low" to see what would happen. It would not let me access Page 3 of the Sun newspaper's website - all in the name of research, you must understand!

Seriously, though, this is well worth considering, and I shall certainly be mentioning it to my customers.

Firefox 3.5

The latest version of Firefox is ready to download. The reviews so far are very complimentary, saying it is stable and fast.

It's definitely worth updating to Firefox 3.5 - enjoy!

IT Security Procedures

Recently, internet and IT security company Sophos reported that "... 90% of work computers fail on basic security..."

That's really worrying, and led me to this thought:

What sort of policies and practices do you have in your workplace to make sure that your computers and networks are safe and secure?

There's plenty of advice "out there", I'm sure, possibly including model policies and procedures. But how much of a priority is it for those of us who are sole traders, or maybe employ 2 or 3 people?

I suspect it is an aspect of business practice that deserves much greater consideration. If anyone out there knows of companies or businesses in the UK that have good practices in this area, please respond and let me know. After all, we could all learn something really important.

Memory Sticks

Aren't they brilliant! And so useful. You can store and transport masses of data so easily. (I knew a school in Manchester, UK, that issued all teachers with a memory stick, and departments used them to store their schemes of work, units of study, lesson plans, worksheets, and other resources - so teachers had instant access to vital materials.)

But these USB devices are fast becoming the latest way that viruses and other unpleasantnesses are spread. It's always good practice to scan a memory stick that isn't yours before downloading any files from it. And get into the habit of scanning your own sticks regularly.

It used to be floppy disks (remember them?) that spread infections; now it's USB memory sticks. Be careful out there!

Security Vulnerability in Adobe Reader

Most of us have a copy of the free Adobe Reader on our computers - for reading pdf files. Please make sure your copy is the very latest, i.e., 9.1.2

There is an update option from the Help menu, so please check, as there is evidence that the out-of-date version poses a security threat.

Storage of Business Data

It worries me that too many business owners are not careful with their precious data. Too many of them do not have plans to backup that data regularly and safely. So I was interested in an article on the PC Advisor website on this very topic:

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsid=10428&ba

The hardware needed is very favourably priced at the moment, and the technology is there to make the process as painless as possible. All that is needed is to design the process to make sure backups are made regularly and safely.

The article also mentions having THREE separately stored versions of the data. The article is definitely worth a read - especially if you have a business that is not currently backing up!

Dealing with Threats

There was an interesting piece in Thursday's Guardian (23 April 2009) by Bruce Shneier about computer threats and risks:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/apr/23/conficker-panic

It makes some thought-provoking points on the wider issue of perceived threats, and concludes by reminding us to do the straightforward things to protect our computers - like turning on Microsoft Automatic Updates. None of us is immune to malicious attacks - trust me, I've had my fair share, and I'm supposed to be "on the ball" on this matter!

And that's my cue to remind my readers: keep Microsoft and anti-virus up-to-date, because that's your first line of defence. The next thing to do is to make sure all your other software is current, as some viruses exploit "holes" in out-of-date software. One of the main reasons software is updated by programmers is to plug vulnerabilities.

There'll be a further posting on how to keep software up-to-date, so please watch this blog!

Conficker Alert

There's a very good piece at CNET about Conficker, and how it could be adding some false security software to your computer:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10217386-83.html

The article also has links to a website that can check for Conficker, as well as a link to CNET's page on how to remove Conficker, should you be infected.

But the best advice is to make sure your Microsoft and security software are all up-to-date.

Software Trials

I just thought I'd share with you that I'm trying a couple of free software items that may be of interest.

The first one is RamBooster. No, it's not a hormone supplement for male sheep! (Could be though!!) It claims to keep your computer's RAM working efficiently. RAM is the PC's working memory, and it can get clogged. I'll let you know whether I think it makes a difference.

The second item I'm trialling is a free security suite from Comodo. The advantage of buying security software from, say, Norton is that you get three pieces of software (antivirus, firewall, antispyware) in one, handy package. The Comodo offering is the first free integrated suite I've come across.

Watch this space for reports.

Unwanted and Unpleasant Downloads

I'm grateful to Jack Schofield at the Guardian newspaper for his recent thoughts on unwanted downloads. Sometimes in our hurry to download legitimate stuff we end up saying yes to additional downloads - toolbars and the like. Mostly they are unnecessary, even if they are safe. Some are downright nasty and to be avoided at all costs.

As Jack says: "Be suspicious of downloads - especially codecs, free music and screensaver downloads - as they often come packaged with malware or unwanted software."

Customers often ask me: "How did the viruses get in? I've got good antivirus and firewall protection." It's a hard one to answer. Most viruses get in from email attachments, dodgy websites, vulnerabilities in out-of-date software, or downloaded files. Usually, I just say: "Well, these modern viruses are very clever, you know!"

But I also advise them (and anyone who'll listen) to save and scan any items they download or that are offered to them on memory sticks, etc. before opening or viewing or playing the file. I save files to the Desktop, and right-click to get a menu where I can choose to scan the file with my antivirus software or any other virus-scanning software I have installed.

Best to play safe - even with files from "trusted" websites.

You all take care, now.

Learning Lessons

Someone once said that one of the best ways to cope with the trials and tribulations of life is to regard each experience as a learning opportunity. So I'm going to have a go, and turn my recent email problem into a lesson for us all.

I use Outlook Express for my business email, and it worked fine until I could no longer send emails. Receiving was fine, but sending was a total no-no.

My hosting company checked at their end (the email address is linked to my website), but no problem. My ISP said that there were no problems with their systems. So the cause must be in my computer and/or network set-up.

I checked my router (and updated the firmware), but all seemed OK there.

I then removed my firewall, but no joy, then removed my antivirus software, and still no joy.

At this stage, I decided to see if I could get my emails from another computer in the house - and joy of joys, I could!

So back to the main PC, and after numerous scans for nasties (nothing found), I'm still unable to send messages. By the way, I forgot to tell you that I had searched Google for help on the error message that appeared in Outlook Express, but nothing of any substance was found.

My next plan was to download a copy of Internet Explorer 7, delete IE7, and re-load it. Why? Well, somewhere in the recesses of my memory was the thought that Outlook Express integrates with Internet Explorer. Perhaps the problem was with IE7 - and I remembered the problems my wife had with trying to log into her bank with IE7, and getting her to use Firefox instead.

Whe you delete IE7, you are left with IE6. And, joy of joys, I could send and receive emails with Outlook Express! If you've ever had a persistent computer problem, and found a solution to it, you will know my feelings at that moment!

And the lesson to be learnt here? There is value in approaching such problems in a logical problem-solving way, and what seemed to work for me was working from Hosting Company and ISP backwards to software in the computer. Next time, though, I'll be more suspicious of what's happening closer to home first.

When my joy had subsided, I thought I'd experiment with Internet Explorer 8, which is available in a pre-release download from Microsoft.

Outlook Express still seemed happy, and so was I!

But today is another day - and now Outlook Express will neither send or receive! Damn!! Back to square one. And writing this will help me remember what I did successfully last time. Here's hoping!

USB Memory Stick Threat

We all love memory sticks - they're so convenient. They are useful ways of moving files from place to place, from computer to computer. In addition, some people use them as a backup for important or precious files (e.g., photos, music, etc).

But those ever-creative virus makers have found a way of using these USB devices to spread viruses. So we need to be on the alert for yet another intrusion.

To avoid being infected, do the following:

• make sure your anti-virus software is up-to-date
• always scan a USB memory device that is not yours (insert into your computer, right-click over the device's icon before you open any of its contents, and use your up-to-date anti-virus software to scan the contents)
• scan all your own memory sticks - just in case something unpleasant is lurking
  

Vigilance is the price we pay for computer fun! You have been informed.

New Year Recession Thoughts

1. In times of economic recession, crime rates rise. Fact. We should all expect, therefore, that computer-related crime will increase. We need to be prepared for a variety of scams, and they will become increasingly sophisticated and plausible. (Already you can get a virus-induced message that looks as though it is a Windows Security warning, but don't click it!) Make sure all your on-guard security software is up to date: anti-virus, anti-spyware, and firewall. It's also important to use a stand-alone security scanner periodically, as no one product at the moment is guaranteed to find and remove all nasties.

2. Don't use unlicenced software! Some companies, for example, have been caught using unlicenced copies, and have been heavily fined. If you are in business, it is important that all the software you use is licenced appropriately. For example, some free software can be used in business contexts, but other software items are specifically prohibited from commercial use. I know those End Use Licence Agreements (EULA) are a pain to read, but business people, please check them out.

3. One of the possible areas for saving in the world of business is on IT. Replacing hardware can look like an avoidable expense. But there is also scope to revitalize existing machines, with a good service and some additional working memory (RAM). I would say that, of course, because I'm in that line of business, but I know that what I suggest can have a beneficial effect on productivity and user satisfaction. I can get you the testimonials if you wish! It won't cost you as much as a new system, it will prolong the life of current hardware, and the users will notice the difference. Think about it - and get in touch if you think I can help.

Something for Nothing?

It looks too good to be true, but free software and online services are long-established features of the computer world.

This article makes the point very well:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7811481.stm

The world of IT is not just Microsoft - and even that giant gives stuff away on occasions. But every time you ponder the purchase of some new software, think "free alternative" before you buy. In most cases, I bet there will already exist a free program that does what you want.

There are many websites and discussion boards dedicated to seeking out good free software, spreading the word, saving us money, and linking us to quality programs and web-based services. So, go hunting! If you want help, please get in touch.

Hard Disk Destruction

It really is worth returning to the topic of what to do with that HDD you've replaced.

Your hard disk contains sensitive data, and it can be tricky to ensure that all such data has been successfully wiped (although some specialist software can do a good job).

This article makes some very sensible points:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7816446.stm

If you're reading this in the South Manchester, UK, area, I'd be happy to destroy it for you! For a small fee, of course!!

Saving Money

At this time of economic turmoil, I guess most of us are looking for ways to reduce what we spend. Martin Lewis's website has consistently addressed that issue - and many others - for some time now.

His website is well worth a visit:

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/

While you're there, you can sign up for his email newsletter, a useful and regular digest of the latest issues and offers. Try it - I know you won't be disappointed!