EL, downloaded and defragged in 25 mins very quick (not done a defrag for some time)
cheers
opto

Run an office? You might like this.

In fact, you might even like to look at it if you don't run an office.

Tips for everyday problems, like renaming an account after losing an employee and taking on a new one, levels of security, disaster recovery, policies, layered e-mail security, problem solving sequences, resources, drivers, typing tests, tech purchasing, computer training tutorials, the answers to questions on Internet firewalls, protecting your passwords, etc, etc, etc.

Bill the Computer Guy - IT Support

10 Google Chrome tips and tricks:

From http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/...

1. Surprisingly handy keyboard shortcuts
Chrome offers some unique shortcuts that go beyond the typical CTRL and T for opening new browser tabs. The full list of Chrome shortcuts can be found here, but the three most unusual and unique to Chrome are:

CTRL and SHIFT and N
Automatically opens up a Chrome 'incognito' window which allows you to surf on a PC without leaving behind any digital footprints.

SHIFT and Escape
Allows for fast access to Chrome's Task Manager utility that allows you to nix browser processes that have gone awry.

CTRL and SHIFT and T
Will open recently closed browser tabs.

2. Custom searches
When you want to run a search directly from Google's address bar , also known as the Omnibar, just type a question mark (?) followed by a keyword. The default search engine is Google. To change the default search engine to anything you want go right-click inside the address bar and select 'Edit search engines'. You can choose from a predefined list, or create your own.

Here is how to create your own shortcut to search the site of your choice directly from Google Chrome's address bar.

Right-click inside address bar and select 'Edit search engines'.

With that dialog box remaining open, now go to a website you would like to create a custom search for. For the sake of example try Dictionary.com.

Once you visit the site now look at your 'Search Engines' configuration window and you'll notice under the 'Other search engines' field Dictionary.com has been added.

Next you'll want to change the 'Keyword' to something short and easy to remember such as DIC.

Now when you want to look up a word at Dictionary.com all you have to do is type in Chrome's address book 'DIC' proceeded by the word you want to look up.

3. Everyone loves an easter egg
Type 'about:internets' into the address bar and you'll see a tribute to United States Senator Ted Stevens' take on the internet. (This only works in Windows XP)

4. Larger comment boxes
Comment boxes on websites soliciting feedback can sometimes be way too small. With Chrome you simply click on the corner of any web-based comment field and stretch it out as large as you like.

5. Help! Direct me home, please
I appreciate Google Chrome's minimalist approach to design that leaves the interface clutter-free. But without a Home button Chrome feels a bit like a house with no front door. To regain the Home button on your browser simply go to the wrench icon, select the Google Chrome Options, click on the Basics tab, and check the 'Show Home button on the Toolbar' box.

6. Fun with tabs
Browser tabs are an incredibly useful feature in browsers today. Google has spent some time and made them even more useful by allowing more tab flexibility than is currently possible with IE or Firefox. Chrome allows you to peel browser tabs off a browser so they can become their own browser window. Chrome also allows you to take two separate Chrome browsers and drag them together creating one window with two tabs.

7. More privacy please
As privacy issues continue to swirl around Google new concerns have been raised regarding Google's Chrome browser. According to reports Google's auto-suggest (featured in the Chrome browser Omnibar) allows Google to know everything you type into it - even if you don't hit enter.

To disable the auto-suggest feature right-click inside the Omnibar and un-check the 'Use a suggestion service to help complete searches'.

8. Go incognito on the fly
Not sure what awaits you when you contemplate clicking on that link? If you want to make sure your web tracks are covered just right-click the link and select 'Open link in incognito window'.

9. No Google Toolbar for Chrome? No problem:
Google Chrome doesn't support the handy Google Toolbar. Available for IE and Firefox, the Google Toolbar brings much versatility to the browser including a shortcut to Gmail, access to online Google Bookmarks, a spell checker, and the ability to send URL links via email in just a few clicks.

Harry McCracken, explains on his Technologizer website that he has found a way to create an approximation to the Google Toolbar by tweaking Google Chrome with a technique he calls 'Project Fakebar'. For those with idle time, visit the site and find out how to put a Fakebar on your Chrome Browser.

10. Really want to stay with Firefox?
How to Enable Google Chrome's Best Features in Firefox

My daughter spends too long on MSN. We've already stopped her from downloading and installing MSN Messenger, but she can still access it on the web via Ebuddy, etc.

Is there any time restriction software out there that will enable us to restrict her usage to certain times?

Cue Doc.

:o)

Put a remote timer on the plug?

A chastity belt would probably be better, Chocopops, judging from some of the boys she chats to.

:o)

Hils

:-)

Hmmm? Try this:

Nice boots, Doc.

Ta muchly for the link.

The trouble with TimesUpKidz though, is that it seems to restrict computer access fullstop. I don't mind her using her PC, nor do I mind her accessing the internet. She needs to do both for school.

I just want to restrict her usage of MSN to a an hour or two a day.

Do you have a Netgear router Hils by any chance? That allows you to restrict access to certain sites between certain hours. Anyway the facility you need is normally part of a firewall - you may already have it if you run a third party firewall.

Thanks, K. We often just block Ebuddy, etc when she's been up to mischief but it didn't occur that we could be time specific. Will give it a go.

Here's an active MSN Forum you can try on which punters and techies are currently posting right up to the present date:

Mess with MSN Messenger

I also found this: Browse Control - Use it to create a 'Black List'

- to block virtually any application including personal messaging appplications such as MSN Messenger, AOL Messenger (AIM), Yahoo! Messenger, Trillian and many more. This has 'Advanced Scheduling Controls' and you can try it 'Free for a 30 Day Trial' too.

Went in to Comet today as I need a new monitor for my P.C.
Can anyone please explain simply what the difference is in the connections?
I was offered VGA, DUG, DMI & HDVI, sometimes combinations of two.
Sadly the sales staff didn't seem to know & the selection of monitors was poor, but it's a bit dangerous buying on the internet if I don't know what to ask for.

most PC's will use SVGA - that's a 9-pin D-connector usually with tiny screws for retention, but with 15pins inside. It provides more than enough quality for normal PC use.
HDVI is a connector for video-player/tv use ( and TV-cards on a PC, even fancy graphics cards will have the option)...these allow fast video data and I suspect correct interlacing for large widescreen TV, HD and so on. It's nice to have, but not essential...unless you need it.
Generally you should look at the screen using the type of application you use most. If it's text, then create some text on a USB memory-stick and try viewing it on the monitor. But beware that the one you buy might be subtally different.

Far better to go to a computer fair, where several vendors will have monitors working and you can try before you buy. Look at British Computer Fairs - they are all over the country, but mainly in the SE, as far as Bracknell....one sunday /saturday per month...but some are fortnightly.
You might even find they'll sell you a better video-card if you want to play games, with fast action. Upgrading can be addictive!
Beware that most monitors have speakers - these are rubbish, so don't pay too much. "exctra" since a cheapo speaker-kit will be far better. Also, some have additional USB-ports, which might be useful, but hardly worth paying extra for. It is the screen quality, evenness of light and maybe a Review or two....before you part with dosh.
Cheaper makes can be just as good as big-brands...check out Computer Shopper, whose reviews are usually comprehensive...IMHO.
+These fairs are the place to buy ink and printer-paper, blank CD's etc. but beware software may be pirated and next month they may not be there!
If you need extension leads - there will be plenty.
Good luck.

If you need cables etc have a look at, good prices and service:

www.cableuniverse.co.uk

Just a word of warning on Drive Caddies friends.

I took my two PC's to my supplier to have caddies fitted in each. It took about an hour and a quarter to fit the two.

Both PC's then displayed software problems. One booted with StartUp errors. The other would not boot at all. After several attempts to get the non-booter to run in Safe Mode we decided to dis-install the caddies and re-mount the hard drives in their original fittings.

Machine one booted perfectly without the StartUp errors. Machine two would not boot at all and it turned out that the boot disk was now corrupt.

Luckily both machines had been backed up with Acronis 11 on to separate USB hard drives. Unluckily those back up drives were 100 miles away (at home).

We decided to mount a clean unused disk in the machine that would not boot in the hope that Acronis would restore. I also left with another hard drive that had Vista installed as a second recovery situation as (in addition to the Acronis) I had a copy of my drive C made by Karen's Replicator on yet another USB hard drive.

The good news is that the Acronis restore worked perfectly - but it did take 11 hours to restore around 175 gig of software and data. Forget this 'get you running again in a couple of hours' chat. But leaving the machine to restore itself overnight is a jolly site better alternative than spending an 11 hour day re-installing software and data!

Moral to be learnt. Firstly take several backups of any hard drive you are planning to mount into a caddy as 'Caddies are a Health Risk'.

The brand was Plexus and they were bought in by my PC supplier. The people who supplied the caddies now wonders whether they were not designed for the new faster SATA drives - but take it from me they are lethal when they can corrupt a boot disk!

TP

TP

I'm sorry to hear about your problems with the drive caddies, as you know I'm a big fan of them. The ones that I have have been totally reliable although I'm using SATA2 disks on a SATA1 controller, I can even hot swap them which should not be possible with SATA1.

Can you post the link to the model of the ones that you used?

Opt,

Link. No, sorry. As you know the PC's came from Computer Doctors who are considerably disappointed and most apologetic. I left them to source whatever they felt confident in fitting.

I must say that they looked pretty cheap and nasty to my un PC eye. Retailed for a tenner. My comment during yesterday that I'd far rather have paid double or more as the real cost is in installing them.

Anyway I have now seen hard drives come in and out of PC's so many times over the last 24 hours that I'd have no fears in fitting one. The main reason for wanting the caddies was to be able to test Acronis - and that need has now been overtaking by events!!

TP

My stockwatch screen is not showing the same prices as the intraday charts ?

give AAL,NWr as examples. Chart showing lower prices.

Any ideas?

CH
Put it on the BUGS thread
mac

In 2003, Prime Minister Tony Blair's top communications aide, Alistair Campbell, released a Word document with hidden information that proved that the British government had used plagiarised documents as a way to justify its involvement in the Iraq war.

Did you know that what's hidden in your Microsoft Office documents could harm you?

There's a lot more information than you may imagine, lurking in your Office documents, and anyone who receives and views them can see everything.

Documents hold hidden text, names of authors, revision history and markup, hidden cells, hidden spreadsheets, the total number and time of revisions, and other details.

So?

Here's a free program, which will make sure that nothing similar happens to you.

Point it at any document, and it analyzes the file, showing you all the private information lurking within. The program will then clean up the document so that the information drops out of sight.

It's called Metadata Analyzer and is just one of 15 downloads available to improve Microsoft Office. Not all of them are Free, however.

There's another similar type of download utility to Metadata Analyzer. It's called SendShield. When you send a Microsoft Office document in Outlook, the utility examines the document for private information. It then shows you the results and lets you delete that information. The program deletes information only from the copy you send; the original file stays intact. This utility is on trial, the price hasn't yet been set.

15 downloads to improve Microsoft Office

Well worth a quick look, I think.