Internet Tips: March 2006

BOTH AMD AND INTEL WILL WORK WITH WINDOWS VISTA

I received an e-mail from Ruth, in Quincy, IL. She wants to buy a laptop. But she was told by salespeople that she needs a Turion microprocessor from Advanced Micro Devices. Why? Because, they said, Windows Vista will require it.

That isn't necessarily correct, Ruth. Both AMD and Intel microprocessors will run Windows Vista. But let's take a deeper look. Turion is AMD's mobile chip. As such, it is intended specifically for notebooks. Intel's Pentium M also is intended specifically for notebooks. So, which is best?

At this point, AMD's chips might be a better choice. AMD is leading in 64-bit processing and in the production of dual cores, according to the tests I have seen. That may be why AMD was recommended. But Intel chips should be fine for the average user.

Windows Vista is expected to be released late this year. It will be the successor to Windows XP, which will be five years old by then. Minimum hardware requirements have not been established. But if you are interested in upgrading to Vista in the future, I'd buy a higher end microprocessor. A 64-bit chip would be preferable. Also, I would get 1 gigabyte of memory, at minimum. People who do a lot of video work may need more. Remember this: You aren't required to use Vista when it comes out. You can continue to use Windows XP. It should work well for several more years. Besides, upgrading to Vista could be a hassle. Many of my listeners still use Windows 98. That operating system is eight years old. It's creaky, but it still works. KIM KOMANDO

How to copy IE Favorites to Firefox

Favorites are easily transferred to Firefox, which calls them bookmarks. When you install Firefox, you will be asked if you want to transfer them. Select IE and click OK. You can also do this manually. Open Firefox and select File, then Import. Select Microsoft Internet Explorer and click Next. On the next screen, select Favorites. You can also select passwords, Internet options, cookies and more. Then click Next.

Is Bluetooth the same as Wi-Fi

No, Bluetooth is not Wi-Fi. Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology used to connect such devices as mobile phones, wireless headsets, computers and PDAs. Bluetooth on phones is only good for about 30 feet. Wi-Fi, on the other hand, has a much greater range and is generally used to network computers and connect to the Internet.

Lock The Taskbar

If your computer is accessible to others—to children, especially—your Taskbar and Taskbar icons can turn up in all kinds of places. Next time you clean up such a mess, prevent it from happening again by locking the Taskbar: Just right-click any blank area of the Taskbar and choose Lock The Taskbar.

Make those windows fill the screen

Alfred, sent his computer to the shop for repairs. When it came back, he found that when he opened a program, it did not fill the screen. The windows are only about half-size. He wants to fix that.

This is a common problem, and an irritating one. The half-size window is called Normal. But I don't know anyone who uses it.

You can fix this. Identify the programs with which you are having a problem. Click Start>>All Programs. Find each program in the list. Each entry in All Programs is a shortcut.

'll use Microsoft Word as an example. Right-click it, then click Properties. On the Shortcut tab, find the Run box. Click the down arrow and select Maximized. This works with any shortcut, including icons on the desktop and in the Quick Start area.

Often, if you click a link in Internet Explorer, it opens a new Window that is not maximized. When that happens, close the original window. Then drag the borders of the "normal" window to the screen's edges. Close that window, too. That should solve the problem.

If it doesn't, download IE New Window Maximizer. This free program works very well. It's available at: http://www.jiisoft.com

Red X appears instead of image

Ah yes, another case of software saving us from ourselves... There are a bunch of reasons why you might see the dreaded "Red X" instead of an image while viewing a web page with Internet Explorer or an email with Outlook.

Here are some possible reasons why the Red X may appear, and suggested fixes for each:

Problem: The "Show Pictures" setting has been turned off in Internet Explorer.

Solution: In Internet Explorer's Tools menu, click Internet Options, then click the Advanced tab. Make sure the Show Pictures check box is selected under Multimedia, and click OK.

Problem: Your anti-virus or firewall is a little too uppity. Check to see if your anti-virus or firewall software has a privacy setting to "disable web bugs".

Solution: Uncheck or turn it off. (The term "web bug" is a misnomer. They are really just harmless tiny images on a web page or email, sometimes used for tracking purposes.)

Problem: Your Internet Explorer security settings are set too high, preventing you from accessing the web site which hosts the image.

Solution: Reset to the default security settings. In Internet Explorer, click on Tools -> Internet Options -> Security -> Default Level.

Problem: You've installed the Windows XP/SP2 updates and you're being bitten by the "Block images and other external content in HTML e-mail" security option. This is automatically turned ON in Outlook Express after you install Windows XP/SP2.

Solution: Click on Tools -> Options -> Security. Then UNCHECK the "Block images and other external content" check box, and click OK.

Problem: You are the SENDER and others are complaining that they can't see images in emails you sent,

Solution: In Outlook Express, Click Tools -> Options -> Send. Under Mail Sending Format, select HTML, then press the HTML Settings button. Make sure the "Send pictures with messages" box is checked

Problem: The image is hosted on a website that's busy, temporarily offline or defunct. Or the image file on the website might have been renamed or deleted.

Solution: Try again later or ask the sender to send it as an attachment instead of an inline image.

Problem: The image is hosted on a website, and you're not online.

Solution: Make sure your internet connection is active and try again.

WinXP SP2 Firewall Can Disrupt File-Sharing

The Windows Firewall with SP2 (Service Pack 2) can prevent many network-based attacks, but it also can prevent file sharing over a local network. If you’re using the Windows Firewall but can’t share files (and you already disabled the firewall to test that it is indeed the problem), you can configure it to allow sharing. Open the Windows Firewall dialog box from the Control Panel and choose the Exceptions tab. Select the File And Printer Sharing checkbox, choose the Advanced tab, select the Local Area Connection option, and click OK. This annoyance also can occur with other software-based firewalls, but you can usually change their settings to allow local file sharing. For example, in Sygate Personal Firewall , click Tools, click Options, and choose the Network Neighborhood tab. Choose your local network adapter under Network Interface, select both entries under Network Neighborhood Settings, and click OK.