Leo's Answers
A Weekly Newsletter From
Ask Leo!
Leo Notenboom

I am so pleased to find your site.
-Ken

Hello!

If you're having problems with the formatting of this newsletter in email it's always available on the web here: http://ask-leo.com/currentnewsletter.html

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*** Contents

*** This Week's New Articles on Ask Leo!

Why don't PDF's print at the same size as the original?

I'm going to assume you mean slightly smaller, since that's a very, very common scenario. I see it myself all the time.

The answer, in a word, is margins. And depending on the PDF document and the capabilities of your printer, you may, or may not, be able to work around it.

Continue reading: "Why don't PDF's print at the same size as the original?"
http://ask-leo.com/why_dont_pdfs_print_at_the_same_size_as_the_original.html

* * *

Can I delete pagefile.sys? What is it?

Sure, you can delete it. It takes some special steps, but it's not really all that difficult.

The problem is that you probably don't want to.

Continue reading: "Can I delete pagefile.sys? What is it?"
http://ask-leo.com/can_i_delete_pagefilesys_what_is_it.html

* * *

Does accessing my computer's hard disk over the network impact the computer's performance?

Sure! You both are.

You see, it really depends on exactly what you're doing. Some of your scenario leads me to believe that you are right, and other portions of your scenario have me siding with your friend.

I'll give you the slight edge here because I can't see your friend's "almost as bad" comment really coming into play.

Continue reading: "Does accessing my computer's hard disk over the network impact the computer's performance?"
http://ask-leo.com/does_accessing_my_computers_hard_disk_over_the_network_impact_the_computers_performance.html

* * *

My anti-virus performed a virus removal but I still have a symptom, how do I get rid of it?

That's a composite question since I get many variations of it on a regular basis.

The scenario is simple: you've been infected with a virus of some sort, and your anti-virus program reports, much to your great relief, that it has cleaned it out for you. And yet, there's some nagging leftover specific symptom.

The solution isn't nearly as simple as the scenario.

Continue reading: "My anti-virus performed a virus removal but I still have a symptom, how do I get rid of it?"
http://ask-leo.com/my_antivirus_performed_a_virus_removal_but_i_still_have_a_symptom_how_do_i_get_rid_of_it.html

* * *

How do I get wireless internet?

I want to use this question to clear up a misconception that appears to be surprisingly common.

Wireless internet is not just "out there" for you to connect up to. You need to take steps, whether it's setting something up, paying for something, or at a minimum, asking for permission.

It's definitely not the case that you can just grab a wireless card and suddenly be connected anywhere you want. The wireless capabilities of your computer are only half of what's needed.

Continue reading: "How do I get wireless internet?"
http://ask-leo.com/how_do_i_get_wireless_internet.html

*** A Word from our Sponsor

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Advertisement. Ask Leo about advertising here.

*** Featured Comments

A sampling of some of the comments that have been posted recently on Ask Leo!

* * *

How do I add a signature with a picture to my emails?

I tend to agree. Some time ago I wrote about this in more detail on my "Taming Email" site: Use Plain Format - Substance Over Style.

-Leo

*

Can my computer get a virus from my camera?

I don't know. I would assume that those dedicated single-purpose devices are not prone to infection, and I've not heard of it happening, but ... it seems like it could if the particular device is poorly architected or configured. Right now I consider the risk very low, but would be interested to hear from others if they've heard of or experienced an infection from a photo-printing kiosk.

-Leo

*

When do I actually need to run a virus scan?

It's difficult to say without knowing exactly what anti-virus program you're using. Some "real time" scans only scan what's coming in over your internet connection, for example. If a file arrives some other way, say through windows networking, it might not be caught. Similarly some programs don't real-time scan everything even on the internet - they scan browser activity and email, but might skip peer-to-peer file sharing applications or other apps. As you've seen, a periodic full scan is an important step in addition to real-time.

-Leo

*** This Week's Most Popular

The ten most popular articles in the last 7 days on Ask Leo!

1. How do I change my MSN Hotmail password?
2. I accidentally deleted my Recycle Bin in Vista - how do I get it back?
3. How do I delete history items from my Google tool bar?
4. My desktop Recycle Bin has disappeared - why, and how do I get it back?
5. How do I make a new MSN Hotmail account?
6. Can I send text messages between a computer and a cell phone?
7. How do I put a picture into the caption of a picture on myspace.com?
8. How do I delete my Hotmail account?
9. What are MSN HotMail's POP3 and SMTP settings for Outlook Express?
10. Svchost and Svchost.exe - Crashs, CPU maximization, viruses, exploits and more.

*** Leo Recommends

Recuva
A free, easy to use undelete and file recover tool

As you might expect, I have a small collection of useful tools that I keep available for assorted system maintenance and troubleshooting tasks. However, for the longest time I haven't really carried a file un-delete utility with me. Not because there aren't some good ones out there, but more because I never really got comfortable with any of the one's I'd tried. Certainly not comfortable enough to recommend.

I recently discovered Recuva, which I just added to my toolkit. It's free, it's easy to use, and it's from the same people that bring you CCleaner, which gives added credibility.

When you delete a file the contents of that file are not necessarily immediately overwritten or removed. Instead the space used by that file is marked as "available" so that it can be used the next time data is written to the disk. As long as that doesn't happen and the old data is not overwritten by something new, there's a chance you can recover the file.

This is where utilities like Recuva come in. They scan the available space and the control information on the hard disk to identify files that might be recoverable.

Recuva starts with a Wizard that allows you to specify what drives to scan, and what classes of files to look for. Say you just deleted a picture on your flash drive by mistake, you can tell Recuva to scan all the removable media for pictures, and it'll do exactly that. Or, you can dive right into the programs advanced interface and have it scan a specific drive you specify, and then filter the results based on type or name.

Continue reading: "Recuva - A free, easy to use undelete and file recover tool"
http://ask-leo.com/recuva_a_free_easy_to_use_undelete_and_file_recover_tool.html

•

Each week I recommend a specific product or resource that I've found valuable and that I think you may as well. What does my recommendation mean?

*** Popular Articles from the Archives

I get lots of questions that I can't answer simply because they're not questions, they're impossible to understand, they don't have the information I need, the email addresses are wrong, and so on. As I'm prioritizing what questions I'm going to spend my time on, there are things you can do to stack the deck in your favor. Understanding why I might not answer (or even ever see) your question is a start:

Why didn't you answer my question?

It's a fair question. I don't answer all the questions I get, and I also don't respond to all the comments that are posted.

It's not that I don't want do. I can't. There are simply too many questions coming in every day for me to address each and every one.

But I can give you some tips that'll help increase the odds.

Continue reading...
Why didn't you answer my question?
http://ask-leo.com/why_didnt_you_answer_my_question.html

*** Bonus Article

Resolve to Do the One Thing That Can Save You From Almost Any Computer Disaster

There's one thing that you can do that almost guarantees you'll never face the catastrophic loss of your important computer files including photos, documents, emails and more. That simple thing is backing up. A good backup can allow you to recover from almost any computer related disaster. Backups don't have to be confusing and complicated, and for the home and small business can be downright simple.

Read the Full Article.

(This bonus article is posted at http://articlesbyleo.com and is available for free republication courtesy of EzineArticles.)

*** Thoughts and Comments

This week's bonus article, a first, I might add, serves two purposes:

It's an important reminder. If you're making New Years resolutions, add backing up to the list. It's the closest thing to a magic elixir / silver bullet for recovering from problems that you'll ever find.

It content that you can republish. I do get asked from time to time if people can publish my articles in their newsletters, newspapers and blog. In general the answer is no, but the articles at http://articlesbyleo.com are available for exactly that purpose for free. Follow a few simple terms of service guidelines, and you're on your way. It's a great way to spread the word about technical issues, and about Ask Leo!.

•

I never thought I'd be so happy to see rain. Lovely, wet, grey, miserable Seattle rain.

We rarely get snow here, and when we do it's an inch or two at most, maybe every other year. This year was different. This year I measured 21 1/2 inches of snow in my back yard at its peak. (You can see some pictures out at LeoOnFlickr.com.) Given that this area has no infrastructure to deal with that much snow (we never need it!), that left us mostly house bound for the last week. Thankfully the power and internet connection stayed on for the most part, or we would have had some "interesting" times.

On Saturday we did take a rather harrowing trip to the grocery store which also convinced us that Sunday was another good day to stay home. Not until Monday did I venture out again for some routine errands.

Here's hoping your 2009 is a happy and healthy one, and that you only get the weather you and your local community always know how to handle.

'till next time year...

Leo A. Notenboom

* * *

A selection of Leo's articles are available for free re-use at http://articlesbyleo.com.

You can also subscribe to Ask Leo! on your Kindle.

Perhaps you'd like some Ask Leo! Stickers?

Some of Leo's other sites: The Ask Leo! Store, Leo's Online Business Card, Forwarded Funnies, Taming Email, MovableType Tips, Leo's Blog, Buy Leo a Latte (or a Beer), A Letter To Myself, Corgwn.com

*** Newsletter Administration

Do you have a question? A comment, perhaps? Visit http://ask-leo.com/ask to submit your questions.

I'll be honest: I'll try to respond, but I get a lot of questions every day - I just can't answer everyone. Rest assured, though, that even if you don't hear from me directly, every email gets read.

Leo's Answers Newsletter is a weekly publication of Ask Leo! and Leo A. Notenboom. It's also available as an RSS feed at this URL: http://ask-leo.com/newsletter.xml. Archives of previous newsletter issues can be found on the Ask Leo! web site, http://ask-leo.com/newsletter.html.

Forward Me! You're quite welcome to forward this email in its entirety; it's a great way to help Ask Leo! grow. But you should probably delete your unsubscribe link below, so your friends don't unsubscribe you by accident.

You may forward individual articles from this newsletter only if you include all and only the text of that article as found in this newsletter, including any links therein. You may not copy full articles from the Ask Leo! website - more on that in my section on copyright: http://ask-leo.com/terms.html#copyright.

I'd sure appreciate it if regular readers got a subscription of their own. You can sign up at http://newsletter.ask-leo.com.

Interested in advertising on Ask Leo! or in this newsletter? Advertising details here.

Newsletter contents Copyright © 2008, Leo A. Notenboom & Puget Sound Software, LLC.

Leo's Answers
A Weekly Newsletter From
Ask Leo!
Leo Notenboom

You solved my issue and I had no trouble following your instructions on what to do.
-K

Hello!

If you're having problems with the formatting of this newsletter in email it's always available on the web here: http://ask-leo.com/currentnewsletter.html

Share Me!

Do you know someone who would benefit from this newsletter? Forward it to them! (See below for details.)

Did someone forward this email to you? Subscribe to get Leo's Answers in your own inbox every week.

*** Contents

*** This Week's New Articles on Ask Leo!

Why can't we use https for everything?

They could.

Heck, I could do it for ask-leo.com as well, though I'm not that huge a target for phishing attacks.

There are some costs and some ramifications, though.

Continue reading: "Why can't we use https for everything?"
http://ask-leo.com/why_cant_we_use_https_for_everything.html

* * *

Should I get Windows Vista or XP?

Oh boy.

I get this question a lot, and it's a difficult one to answer. Vista's not nearly as bad as the rumor mill or Apple's TV commercials might have you believe, and yet there are, for lack of a better term, issues.

Continue reading: "Should I get Windows Vista or XP?"
http://ask-leo.com/should_i_get_windows_vista_or_xp.html

* * *

I accidentally deleted my Recycle Bin, but got to thinking: do I even need a Recycle Bin?

Windows Vista made it very easy to accidentally delete your recycle bin (but it's easy to fix). But you raise a good point: is that necessarily a bad thing?

The fact is, you don't actually need a recycle bin. It's there solely as a convenience. You may want it, but you can live without it too.

Let's take a closer look at exactly what the recycle bin is and how it works. Maybe you'll decide you don't even need it.

Continue reading: "I accidentally deleted my Recycle Bin, but got to thinking: do I even need a Recycle Bin?"
http://ask-leo.com/i_accidentally_deleted_my_recycle_bin_but_got_to_thinking_do_i_even_need_a_recycle_bin.html

* * *

Can my computer get a virus from my camera?

I'm actually going to reverse a statement I made in an article over 4 years ago.

Yes.

Yes, it is possible that your computer can catch a virus from your camera's memory card.

We need to understand that, though, because I didn't say from the camera, I said from the memory card.

Continue reading: "Can my computer get a virus from my camera?"
http://ask-leo.com/can_my_computer_get_a_virus_from_my_camera.html

* * *

How do I add a signature with a picture to my emails?

First, we have to realize exactly what a signature is: it's nothing more than some additional content automatically added by your email program to the bottom of the body of an email when you send it.

Which in turn means that there is no single answer to your question, since signatures are a feature of your email program, and how you do it will depend entirely on which email program you're using.

So we'll look at it at a high level, and hopefully that'll point you in the right direction for whatever program that might be.

Continue reading: "How do I add a signature with a picture to my emails?"
http://ask-leo.com/how_do_i_add_a_signature_with_a_picture_to_my_emails.html

*** A Word from our Sponsor

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Advertisement. Ask Leo about advertising here.

*** Featured Comments

A sampling of some of the comments that have been posted recently on Ask Leo!

* * *

Do people really still fall for this stuff?

*

'Can my computer get a virus from my camera?

A good suggestion for those cards that support being write protected. Not all do.
-Leo

*

*** This Week's Most Popular

The ten most popular articles in the last 7 days on Ask Leo!

1. How do I change my MSN Hotmail password?
2. How do I delete history items from my Google tool bar?
3. How do I make a new MSN Hotmail account?
4. I accidentally deleted my Recycle Bin in Vista - how do I get it back?
5. My desktop Recycle Bin has disappeared - why, and how do I get it back?
6. Can I send text messages between a computer and a cell phone?
7. How do I delete my Hotmail account?
8. Svchost and Svchost.exe - Crashs, CPU maximization, viruses, exploits and more.
9. What are MSN HotMail's POP3 and SMTP settings for Outlook Express?
10. How do I put a picture into the caption of a picture on myspace.com?

*** Leo Recommends

Acronis TrueImage Home
Backup Software

As long time readers know, I frequently mention backing up as one of the biggest and most important missed opportunities that too many people are overlooking to protect themselves. And I get reports every day of people who've lost important data, sometimes everything, that a simple backup solution would have protected them against.

If you're still without a backup solution I recommend Acronis True Image Home as an easy to use solution for anyone who should be backing up but isn't. Acronis is easy to set up, can back up files and folders, or your entire machine, and can similarly restore individual files and folders, or your an entire machine image, quickly and easily.

When used with an external hard drive, Acronis True Image can be a nearly "set it and forget it" backup solution.

In fact, it's what's running on the very machine I'm using as I write this.

Continue reading: Acronis TrueImage Home - Backup Software
http://ask-leo.com/acronis_trueimage_home_backup_software.html

•

Each week I recommend a specific product or resource that I've found valuable and that I think you may as well. What does my recommendation mean?

*** Popular Articles from the Archives

This is an article I point people at on a regular basis.

How should I reinstall Windows?

It's time to reinstall Windows. Things are flaky, the machine's crashing every once in a while ... I just know it's time. How do I do that and still preserve as much of what's set up on the machine already? How do I reinstall Windows without losing all my installed programs and data?

There are definitely scenarios where a reinstallation of Windows is required. Be it simple "software rot" (the degradation of your system as you add, and remove, programs over time), or something more malicious like a virus or an accumulation of spyware.

The first question isn't really "how?", it's "how much?"

Continue reading...
How should I reinstall Windows?
http://ask-leo.com/how_should_i_reinstall_windows.html

*** Thoughts and Comments

I stumbled into another "ask" resource a couple of weeks ago: Ask the Computer Lady. I subscribed to the newsletter to check it out, and it's another great resource. Elizabeth Boston answers questions from average computer users and does so in clear, plain English. Her newsletter is worth checking out.

Yes, I'm pointing you to people that might be considered "competition". That's simply because I believe there's plenty to go around. You need your problems solved and your questions answered, and sites like Ask the Computer Lady (and my friends Ask Bob Rankin and Ask Dave Taylor, Allen Wyatt's Word Tips and Excel Tips, and Jake Ludington's MediaBlab among many others) are more places that you can go for help when you need it.

Tell 'em I said "Hi!"

So I'm getting one unexpected Christmas gift this year. It's likely that by the time you read we'll have crossed the 50,000 subscriber mark for to this newsletter. Welcome all! And thanks for subscribing. I hope you like what you see.

From a record setting snowy Woodinville Washington, where there's 13 inches of snow in my backyard (where normally we might get an inch or two every other year), best wishes for the Holiday Season and a very, very Merry Christmas.

'till next time...

Leo A. Notenboom

* * *

A selection of Leo's articles are available for free re-use at http://articlesbyleo.com.

You can also subscribe to Ask Leo! on your Kindle.

Perhaps you'd like some Ask Leo! Stickers?

Some of Leo's other sites: The Ask Leo! Store, Leo's Online Business Card, Forwarded Funnies, Taming Email, MovableType Tips, Leo's Blog, Buy Leo a Latte (or a Beer), A Letter To Myself, Corgwn.com

*** Newsletter Administration

Do you have a question? A comment, perhaps? Visit http://ask-leo.com/ask to submit your questions.

I'll be honest: I'll try to respond, but I get a lot of questions every day - I just can't answer everyone. Rest assured, though, that even if you don't hear from me directly, every email gets read.

Leo's Answers Newsletter is a weekly publication of Ask Leo! and Leo A. Notenboom. It's also available as an RSS feed at this URL: http://ask-leo.com/newsletter.xml. Archives of previous newsletter issues can be found on the Ask Leo! web site, http://ask-leo.com/newsletter.html.

Forward Me! You're quite welcome to forward this email in its entirety; it's a great way to help Ask Leo! grow. But you should probably delete your unsubscribe link below, so your friends don't unsubscribe you by accident.

You may forward individual articles from this newsletter only if you include all and only the text of that article as found in this newsletter, including any links therein. You may not copy full articles from the Ask Leo! website - more on that in my section on copyright: http://ask-leo.com/terms.html#copyright.

I'd sure appreciate it if regular readers got a subscription of their own. You can sign up at http://newsletter.ask-leo.com.

Interested in advertising on Ask Leo! or in this newsletter? Advertising details here.

Newsletter contents Copyright © 2008, Leo A. Notenboom & Puget Sound Software, LLC.

Leo's Answers
A Weekly Newsletter From
Ask Leo!
Leo Notenboom

Thanks so much for this useful tip, but more importantly, for the effective way in which you convey it.
-Peter

Hello!

If you're having problems with the formatting of this newsletter in email it's always available on the web here: http://ask-leo.com/currentnewsletter.html

Share Me!

Do you know someone who would benefit from this newsletter? Forward it to them! (See below for details.)

Did someone forward this email to you? Subscribe to get Leo's Answers in your own inbox every week.

*** Contents

*** This Week's New Articles on Ask Leo!

How can I be sure my actions aren't being logged on this computer I'm using?

I hate to burst your bubble, but you can't.

Things are bad enough on your own computer, where you have some semblance of control, but when you use someone else's computer - especially a public computer - all bets are off.

Continue reading: "How can I be sure my actions aren't being logged on this computer I'm using?"
http://ask-leo.com/how_can_i_be_sure_my_actions_arent_being_logged_on_this_computer_im_using.html

* * *

Do people really still fall for this stuff?

You're right, and you're wrong.

Like you, for a long time I too believed that people just wouldn't be naive enough to fall for 99% of what shows up as spam.

I was wrong. Very wrong.

Continue reading: "Do people really still fall for this stuff?"
http://ask-leo.com/do_people_really_still_fall_for_this_stuff.html

* * *

Why do I get spam that's not addressed to me?

Spammers are doing everything the can to get their garbage in front of you. And that means using and abusing every tool at their disposal.

One of those tools is something that's available to you and me when we send messages as well.

Continue reading: "Why do I get spam that's not addressed to me?"
http://ask-leo.com/why_do_i_get_spam_thats_not_addressed_to_me.html

* * *

Why isn't my wireless operating at full speed?

Wireless connectivity can be affected by many, many things.

The first thing to realize is that while your equipment may claim 54 megabits per second, that's only its maximum speed. In my opinion you'd be quite lucky to actually see it.

Continue reading: "Why isn't my wireless operating at full speed?"
http://ask-leo.com/why_isnt_my_wireless_operating_at_full_speed.html

* * *

What's a Volume Name?

The volume name, or "label", is a name you can assign to each drive on your system. The conversion (and some other utilities) will ask you for it as a way to confirm that you're really asking them to operate on the drive you think you are.

We'll look at how to see, and set, the volume name on your drives.

Continue reading: "What's a Volume Name?"
http://ask-leo.com/whats_a_volume_name.html

*** A Word from our Sponsor

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Advertisement. Ask Leo about advertising here.

*** Featured Comments

A sampling of some of the comments that have been posted recently on Ask Leo!

* * *

Why am I getting spam from myself?

No. You are not sending anything. Spammers are sending things from wherever they send things that look like you, but are not you.
-Leo

*

What does "There is a problem with this website's security certificate" mean, and what should I do?

There are cases, but they're typically very geeky in nature, and not something that the average user ever needs to consider. Essentially it's saying "permanantely trust this certificate", but you should not do this unless you really, absolutely, positively know what you're doing. Cert warnings exist for a reason, and the underlying issues that cause them should be investigated and resolved, not worked around.
-Leo

*

Why is using Hotmail for my business such a bad idea?

*

How should I erase my hard drive before I give it away?

Yep, like I said in this article, I'm partial to a drill press myself. (Though I recently posted a new article recommending DBAN - Darik's Boot And Nuke, a tool for securely erasing hard drive contents without actually destroying the drive).
(BTW: Tim's a friend, and posts less destructive home-improvement tips over at Ask The Builder.)
-Leo

*** This Week's Most Popular

The ten most popular articles in the last 7 days on Ask Leo!

1. How do I make a new MSN Hotmail account?
2. How do I delete history items from my Google tool bar?
3. How do I change my MSN Hotmail password?
4. I accidentally deleted my Recycle Bin in Vista - how do I get it back?
5. My desktop Recycle Bin has disappeared - why, and how do I get it back?
6. Can I send text messages between a computer and a cell phone?
7. How do I delete my Hotmail account?
8. What are MSN HotMail's POP3 and SMTP settings for Outlook Express?
9. Svchost and Svchost.exe - Crashs, CPU maximization, viruses, exploits and more.
10. How do I put a picture into the caption of a picture on myspace.com?

*** Leo Recommends

refdesk.com
A Comprehensive, Free and Family-friendly Internet Reference Portal

There are reference sites, and then there's refdesk.com.

I was always fascinated by the reference desk at my school or local library. There were always hundreds of books, encyclopedias and other materials that you could find in that one special place.

Refdesk.com is the internet version of exactly that. Just like the library version, I could spend hours browsing the various materials that refdesk.com points to.

Continue reading: "refdesk.com - A Comprehensive, Free and Family-friendly Internet Reference Portal"
http://ask-leo.com/refdeskcom_a_comprehensive_free_and_familyfriendly_internet_reference_portal.html

•

Each week I recommend a specific product or resource that I've found valuable and that I think you may as well. What does my recommendation mean?

*** Popular Articles from the Archives

You have a Windows CD, and you want to install it on your computer, but the product key is missing. It'd be natural to think that the product key is somewhere on the disk itself, and that you could find it there. It'd also be wrong.

How do I find the Windows CD Key from the CD?

How do you find the CD Key of the Windows CD you have? I have a Windows XP Pro SP2 installation disk but I don't know the CD Key. Can you locate it on the CD? I do not have this installed on any other computers so I can't search the registry for it either.

There's a lot of confusion about CD, or more properly "Product Keys", those long strings of numbers and letters you need to type in when you install Microsoft Windows.

One source of confusion is where the CD Key comes from.

One hint: it's not on the CD.

Continue reading...
How do I find the Windows CD Key from the CD?
http://ask-leo.com/how_do_i_find_the_windows_cd_key_from_the_cd.html

*** Thoughts and Comments

Ah, sigh... major milestone at the Notenboom household this week. I've mentioned it before here, but if you go visit http://dollsandfriends.com you'll see what I mean. After 14 years my wife's business is closed. (Minor related milestone: I just removed that from my list of "Leo's other sites" that appears below these notes each week.)

14 years ago I was the development lead on Microsoft Money version 3, Windows 95 hadn't been released yet, and we decided to open a retail collectible doll store. Being who and what I was, the "cash register" was a PC running a program I wrote in Visual Basic (still being used today), all of the bookkeeping was in that program, Microsoft Excel, or - as you might expect - Microsoft Money. The business evolved over time: the whole internet thing really caught on, we changed locations once, fads came and went (remember Beanie Babies anyone?), we identified market cycles, and managed to play them pretty well. We had a grand total of 8 employees over that period of time, which as I understand it, is pretty darned good for consumer retail.

I also ended up learning more about dolls than I ever would have expected, or cared to.

And now we focus on cleaning what remains of the business our of our living room and garage.

I've mentioned to people that Ask Leo! is portable - anywhere I can take my laptop and have an internet connection, well, that's Ask Leo! world headquarters for the moment. Not so with a retail business, so we've been kinda tied down for a while. Now we're looking forward to seeing a little more of the country and even the world, starting with Orlando in January (ok, it's for a doll show - my wife can't stay away).

To paraphrase the old TV commercial: We've just closed our doll shop; what are we going to do next? Yep ... we're going to Disney World. (among other things ).

'till next time...

Leo A. Notenboom

* * *

A selection of Leo's articles are available for free re-use at http://articlesbyleo.com.

You can also subscribe to Ask Leo! on your Kindle.

Perhaps you'd like some Ask Leo! Stickers?

Some of Leo's other sites: The Ask Leo! Store, Leo's Online Business Card, Forwarded Funnies, Taming Email, MovableType Tips, Leo's Blog, Buy Leo a Latte (or a Beer), A Letter To Myself, Corgwn.com

*** Newsletter Administration

Do you have a question? A comment, perhaps? Visit http://ask-leo.com/ask to submit your questions.

I'll be honest: I'll try to respond, but I get a lot of questions every day - I just can't answer everyone. Rest assured, though, that even if you don't hear from me directly, every email gets read.

Leo's Answers Newsletter is a weekly publication of Ask Leo! and Leo A. Notenboom. It's also available as an RSS feed at this URL: http://ask-leo.com/newsletter.xml. Archives of previous newsletter issues can be found on the Ask Leo! web site, http://ask-leo.com/newsletter.html.

Forward Me! You're quite welcome to forward this email in its entirety; it's a great way to help Ask Leo! grow. But you should probably delete your unsubscribe link below, so your friends don't unsubscribe you by accident.

You may forward individual articles from this newsletter only if you include all and only the text of that article as found in this newsletter, including any links therein. You may not copy full articles from the Ask Leo! website - more on that in my section on copyright: http://ask-leo.com/terms.html#copyright.

I'd sure appreciate it if regular readers got a subscription of their own. You can sign up at http://newsletter.ask-leo.com.

Interested in advertising on Ask Leo! or in this newsletter? Advertising details here.

Newsletter contents Copyright © 2008, Leo A. Notenboom & Puget Sound Software, LLC.

Leo's Answers
A Weekly Newsletter From
Ask Leo!
Leo Notenboom

It was of terrific help! Thank you so much Leo!
-Paula

Hello!

If you're having problems with the formatting of this newsletter in email it's always available on the web here: http://ask-leo.com/currentnewsletter.html

Share Me!

Do you know someone who would benefit from this newsletter? Forward it to them! (See below for details.)

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*** Contents

*** This Week's New Articles on Ask Leo!

How do I convert to NTFS?

First, we need to be clear about something, it's not Windows that you are converting, but the way that Windows stores information on your hard disk.

It's the disks that use either FAT32 or NTFS as they "file system" for storing data.

Converting from FAT32 to NTFS is relatively easy. Converting back ... not so much.

Continue reading: "How do I convert to NTFS?"
http://ask-leo.com/how_do_i_convert_to_ntfs.html

* * *

What do I do if a program requires 16 bit color?

First, I'm certain that it downloaded just fine. A download won't fail simply because of your color settings.

What it probably did was fail to install, which is what happens after the download completes.

There are a few different ways to handle this without resorting to returning the game.

Continue reading: "What do I do if a program requires 16 bit color?"
http://ask-leo.com/what_do_i_do_if_a_program_requires_16_bit_color.html

* * *

What is "signature scanning"?

It's a term that we throw around a lot, but it's easy to overlook that it's not all that clear what we mean by a "signature". There are several definitions, so I'll try to clarify what it means when it comes to anti-malware tools.

First, we have to step back and take a look at exactly how computers store data, keeping in mind that computer programs are themselves just data of another sort.

Continue reading: "What is "signature scanning"?"
http://ask-leo.com/what_is_signature_scanning.html

* * *

How do I change my Windows Live Hotmail password?

This is something that's also changed recently with Windows Live Hotmail updates. As I've said before, if you use Windows Live Hotmail, you should expect change. Sometimes small change, sometimes dramatic change, but change nonetheless.

Let's walk through how to change your password in the current design.

Continue reading: "How do I change my Windows Live Hotmail password?"
http://ask-leo.com/how_do_i_change_my_windows_live_hotmail_password.html

* * *

What does "There is a problem with this website's security certificate" mean, and what should I do?

The problem is most likely not yours to correct. In the case you're asking about, more often than not, it's a problem with the web site itself.

Though you still need to be careful.

Let's look at security certificates on https connections, what they mean and what you should do when faced with messages such as this.

Continue reading: "What does "There is a problem with this website's security certificate" mean, and what should I do?"
http://ask-leo.com/what_does_there_is_a_problem_with_this_websites_security_certificate_mean_and_what_should_i_do.html

*** A Word from our Sponsor

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Advertisement. Ask Leo about advertising here.

*** Featured Comments

A sampling of some of the comments that have been posted recently on Ask Leo!

* * *

Why is using Hotmail for my business such a bad idea?

While I'm reluctant to endorse relying on a free service for business related email, this is definitely an approach to consider particularly if you also include in your backup strategy a "what if we lose our Google account?" contingency.
-Leo

*

What kind of maintenance should I do to avoid software rot?

In general, there's no easy answer to that. Typically you do, when installing from scratch, have to start over - including driver updates. One way to mitigate this is to take a backup image of your system after taking all the updates (and ONLY taking updates, no other installations), and use that as a snapshot to start over with next time.
-Leo

*

What kind of maintenance should I do to avoid software rot?

No.
System restore does not restore everything you think it does. Yes, it does backup and restore the registry, but assorted other files that may have been left behind by an improper uninstall (a common contributor to software rot) will not get cleaned up.
More on that here: Why can't I rely on System Restore for backups?
-Leo

*** This Week's Most Popular

The ten most popular articles in the last 7 days on Ask Leo!

1. How do I make a new MSN Hotmail account?
2. How do I delete history items from my Google tool bar?
3. How do I change my MSN Hotmail password?
4. My desktop Recycle Bin has disappeared - why, and how do I get it back?
5. I accidentally deleted my Recycle Bin in Vista - how do I get it back?
6. Can I send text messages between a computer and a cell phone?
7. How do I delete my Hotmail account?
8. Svchost and Svchost.exe - Crashs, CPU maximization, viruses, exploits and more.
9. What are MSN HotMail's POP3 and SMTP settings for Outlook Express?
10. What kind of maintenance should I do to avoid software rot?

*** Leo Recommends

DBAN
Darik's Boot And Nuke

I get questions surrounding data recovery fairly often. People are often concerned that files they've deleted might be recoverable after the fact, and it's good and security conscious of them to be concerned.

At the other end of the spectrum are people who give no thought at all to the potential recoverability of their data, and discard old computers and hard drives without giving it a second thought. We often hear about people who've picked up an old computer at a recycler or yard sale, only to find that the hard disk is full of the previous owner's sensitive data.

Identity theft often follows.

DBAN, short for Darik's Boot And Nuke, is a free utility dedicated to doing one thing, and one thing well...

Erasing hard drives.

Continue reading: "DBAN - Darik's Boot And Nuke"
http://ask-leo.com/dban_dariks_boot_and_nuke.html

•

Each week I recommend a specific product or resource that I've found valuable and that I think you may as well. What does my recommendation mean?

*** Popular Articles from the Archives

Another frequent topic that people ask about is IP tracing. People are frequently in a near panic that they might be "found" via their IP address, or conversely, people are absolutely convinced that given an IP address they can find whoever it is that's at the other end.

Nope. At least, not easily.

Getting all worked up over IP tracing

How far can people really get with an IP address?

A frequent question I get on Ask Leo! relates to IP addresses, and how much you can find out from one.

It get this from both sides. On one hand, I hear from people who are concerned that someone can track them down physically - perhaps find out their home address - based on their IP address. On the other hand, I also hear from people who want to find out who's at some IP address, because they're being contacted in some form, and that's the only bit of potentially identifying information they have to grab on to.

Continue reading...
Getting all worked up over IP tracing
http://ask-leo.com/getting_all_worked_up_over_ip_tracing.html

*** Thoughts and Comments

DBAN came up as this weeks recommendation because I found myself using it.

As long time readers might remember, my wife is shutting down her business, and it's all coming to a close this month. Naturally that means that her IT Department (aka me) has started to tear down the infrastructure that was used to support it. With the departure of our two employees last week, two computers were freed up as no longer needed.

One, an ancient (in computer terms) Dell 333Mhz desktop running Windows 2000 is destined for the scrap heap / recycler. Before doing that, though, it was important - critical even - that all data on the machine's hard disk be erased. I didn't think there was anything sensitive on it, but that's not a chance I'm willing to take.

A few minutes with DBAN, and problem solved. All data gone. Machine ready for recycling.

So, my question for you: what did you do to protect your data the last time you got rid of a machine?

'till next time...

Leo A. Notenboom

* * *

A selection of Leo's articles are available for free re-use at http://articlesbyleo.com.

You can also subscribe to Ask Leo! on your Kindle.

Perhaps you'd like some Ask Leo! Stickers?

Some of Leo's other sites: The Ask Leo! Store, Leo's Online Business Card, Forwarded Funnies, Taming Email, MovableType Tips, Leo's Blog, Buy Leo a Latte (or a Beer), A Letter To Myself, Dolls and Friends, Corgwn.com

*** Newsletter Administration

Do you have a question? A comment, perhaps? Visit http://ask-leo.com/ask to submit your questions.

I'll be honest: I'll try to respond, but I get a lot of questions every day - I just can't answer everyone. Rest assured, though, that even if you don't hear from me directly, every email gets read.

Leo's Answers Newsletter is a weekly publication of Ask Leo! and Leo A. Notenboom. It's also available as an RSS feed at this URL: http://ask-leo.com/newsletter.xml. Archives of previous newsletter issues can be found on the Ask Leo! web site, http://ask-leo.com/newsletter.html.

Forward Me! You're quite welcome to forward this email in its entirety; it's a great way to help Ask Leo! grow. But you should probably delete your unsubscribe link below, so your friends don't unsubscribe you by accident.

You may forward individual articles from this newsletter only if you include all and only the text of that article as found in this newsletter, including any links therein. You may not copy full articles from the Ask Leo! website - more on that in my section on copyright: http://ask-leo.com/terms.html#copyright.

I'd sure appreciate it if regular readers got a subscription of their own. You can sign up at http://newsletter.ask-leo.com.

Interested in advertising on Ask Leo! or in this newsletter? Advertising details here.

Newsletter contents Copyright © 2008, Leo A. Notenboom & Puget Sound Software, LLC.

Leo's Answers
A Weekly Newsletter From
Ask Leo!
Leo Notenboom

Your explanation was great & advice will help others like me.
-JoAnn

Hello {!name_fix}!

If you're having problems with the formatting of this newsletter in email it's always available on the web here: http://ask-leo.com/currentnewsletter.html

Share Me!

Do you know someone who would benefit from this newsletter? Forward it to them! (See below for details.)

Did someone forward this email to you? Subscribe to get Leo's Answers in your own inbox every week.

*** Contents

*** This Week's New Articles on Ask Leo!

Where did my folders go in Windows Live Hotmail?

I'm getting several reports of people who are unable to access the folders that they may have set up in Hotmail. Typically, the claim is that the folders are "gone" after the Hotmail UI update.

I did a little looking into it, and found at least a couple of possibilities that would indicate that the folders aren't gone at all.

They're just hiding.

Continue reading: "Where did my folders go in Windows Live Hotmail?"
http://ask-leo.com/where_did_my_folders_go_in_windows_live_hotmail.html

* * *

Why does copying a large file sometimes slow down or fail?

These types of problems are very difficult to diagnose, even with access to the machine. So what I'll offer is the list of things that come to mind and what I'd look at in your shoes.

I'll also ask readers to contribute ideas as well.

Continue reading: "Why does copying a large file sometimes slow down or fail?"
http://ask-leo.com/why_does_copying_a_large_file_sometimes_slow_down_or_fail.html

* * *

Just what is the Malicious Software Removal Tool that I keep getting in Windows Updates?

Microsoft's "Malicious Software Removal Tool" is somewhat mysterious. It shows up in Windows updates, apparently gets installed, and then ...

Nothing?

Not quite. Let's look at what Microsoft says, how I interpret it, and just what the MSRT does.

Continue reading: "Just what is the Malicious Software Removal Tool that I keep getting in Windows Updates?"
http://ask-leo.com/just_what_is_the_malicious_software_removal_tool_that_i_keep_getting_in_windows_updates.html

* * *

What kind of maintenance should I do to avoid software rot?

"Software rot" is what happens to your machine slowly over time as you install and uninstall, and in some cases simply use, software. Settings get left behind, files don't get properly uninstalled, and things just get slightly messy. Eventually it can lead to some amount of instability.

The question is, can it be avoided or delayed, and if so, how?

Continue reading: "What kind of maintenance should I do to avoid software rot?"
http://ask-leo.com/what_kind_of_maintenance_should_i_do_to_avoid_software_rot.html

* * *

My computer was stolen. It's password protected, what files can the thieves see?

It'll take a computer savvy thief about 5 minutes to gain access to everything on your computer.

Yep. Everything.

Everything that you haven't otherwise protected, that is.

Continue reading: "My computer was stolen. It's password protected, what files can the thieves see?"
http://ask-leo.com/my_computer_was_stolen_its_password_protected_what_files_can_the_thieves_see.html

*** A Word from our Sponsor

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Advertisement. Ask Leo about advertising here.

*** Featured Comments

A sampling of some of the comments that have been posted recently on Ask Leo!

* * *

My computer has started to shut down randomly, could it be the fan?

Personally I've not had problems with careful use of a vacuum, particularly for the exterior. But you are very correct, care and caution are called for particularly when cleaning the inside.
-Leo

*

My computer has started to shut down randomly, could it be the fan?

Yes, I confess to being a CTRL+S addict as well. Been burned too many times. Even wrote an article on it: My computer froze, and I lost my work in progress - what can I do?
-Leo

*

My computer was stolen. It's password protected, what files can the thieves see?

*** This Week's Most Popular

The ten most popular articles in the last 7 days on Ask Leo!

1. How do I make a new MSN Hotmail account?
2. How do I delete history items from my Google tool bar?
3. My desktop Recycle Bin has disappeared - why, and how do I get it back?
4. I accidentally deleted my Recycle Bin in Vista - how do I get it back?
5. How do I change my MSN Hotmail password?
6. How do I delete my Hotmail account?
7. Can I send text messages between a computer and a cell phone?
8. How do I put a picture into the caption of a picture on myspace.com?
9. How do I resolve my MSN Hotmail sign in problems?
10. What are MSN HotMail's POP3 and SMTP settings for Outlook Express?

*** Leo Recommends

Security Now

From the site:

I subscribe to a number of podcasts, as you might imagine. There are few - very few - that get my attention nearly 100% of the time.

Security Now with Steve Gibson and Leo Laporte is one of those podcasts.

And it's not because the co-host's name is also "Leo".

Continue reading: "Security Now"
http://ask-leo.com/security_now.html

•

Each week I recommend a specific product or resource that I've found valuable and that I think you may as well. What does my recommendation mean?

*** Popular Articles from the Archives

Three years after this article was published, SVCHOST still causes problems, and confusion...

Where is it alright for svchost.exe to be?

Indeed, you were told correctly ... kind of.

I just took a look at my machine, and found all those copies and one more. Fortunately they are not the result of a virus, and you and I are quite safe.

Let's look a little more closely as to why.

Continue reading...
Where is it alright for svchost.exe to be?
http://ask-leo.com/where_is_it_alright_for_svchostexe_to_be.html

*** Thoughts and Comments

From the "It Happens to Me Too" department...

The server that hosts the Ask Leo! web site is, essentially, a PC. It's an industrial strength PC to be sure, but in it's heart of hearts, it's just a PC (running Linux).

About three weeks ago we upgraded its RAM from 2 to 3 gigabytes. Unfortunately after doing to the server, which normally would run for months if not years without a problem, started to crash, hard, roughly every other day. Replacing the RAM did not help. The next step would be to replace the motherboard and chassis, including things like the power supply. Unfortunately the system is old enough (Ask Leo!'s been around for a while), that this was no longer an option at my hosting company.

Perhaps you can guess where this is headed.

A) the extra RAM has been removed and we're back at 2 gig. The server's been up for over 5 days as I write this, which is longer than would have happened with 3 gig.

B) sometime next year, Ask Leo! will get an upgrade to newer, faster hardware.

C) in the mean time, I'm slowly migrating some other sites on that server to a second sever. (That server's been up for 384 days and counting. )

I mention all this not for sympathy or ideas or anything like that. It's a part of doing business, and of course it'll get dealt with.

I mention it because it's similar to many problems that I hear about every day. I think it helps to realize that it's not just you, that these types of problems happen all the time, and like mine, they're often never explained. Yes, ultimately, I'll be moving to a new machine because this one crashes if you add a gig of RAM, and we don't know why. It shouldn't be that way; things should just work.

But the reality is, for my computers as well as yours, sometimes things simply are what they are and we do what we need to keep working.

'till next time...

Leo A. Notenboom

* * *

A selection of Leo's articles are available for free re-use at http://articlesbyleo.com.

You can also subscribe to Ask Leo! on your Kindle.

Perhaps you'd like some Ask Leo! Stickers?

Some of Leo's other sites: The Ask Leo! Store, Leo's Online Business Card, Forwarded Funnies, Taming Email, MovableType Tips, Leo's Blog, Buy Leo a Latte (or a Beer), A Letter To Myself, Dolls and Friends, Corgwn.com

*** Newsletter Administration

Do you have a question? A comment, perhaps? Visit http://ask-leo.com/ask to submit your questions.

I'll be honest: I'll try to respond, but I get a lot of questions every day - I just can't answer everyone. Rest assured, though, that even if you don't hear from me directly, every email gets read.

Leo's Answers Newsletter is a weekly publication of Ask Leo! and Leo A. Notenboom. It's also available as an RSS feed at this URL: http://ask-leo.com/newsletter.xml. Archives of previous newsletter issues can be found on the Ask Leo! web site, http://ask-leo.com/newsletter.html.

Forward Me! You're quite welcome to forward this email in its entirety; it's a great way to help Ask Leo! grow. But you should probably delete your unsubscribe link below, so your friends don't unsubscribe you by accident.

You may forward individual articles from this newsletter only if you include all and only the text of that article as found in this newsletter, including any links therein. You may not copy full articles from the Ask Leo! website - more on that in my section on copyright: http://ask-leo.com/terms.html#copyright.

I'd sure appreciate it if regular readers got a subscription of their own. You can sign up at http://newsletter.ask-leo.com.

Interested in advertising on Ask Leo! or in this newsletter? Advertising details here.

Newsletter contents Copyright © 2008, Leo A. Notenboom & Puget Sound Software, LLC.