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PB Tech Guy #039
by Steve Lowe

Welcome to week four of the most popular questions that I am asked. Over the next coming weeks we will cover the top 50 questions you ask about your personal computer.

Question #8: I have just started using Microsoft Word and was wondering what the difference is between save and save as. While you are working on a document, it is a good idea to save your work. In the File menu of the program, you will typically find the options "Save" and "Save As." Choosing "Save" simply saves your work by updating the last saved version of the file. "Save As..." brings up a prompt to save your work as a file with a different name. For example, you might choose to save a document called "work - rev. 3" as "work - rev. 4". This way, you can save you file at different stages and keep multiple versions on your hard drive. Choosing "Save" and then "Save As..." is a good way to make a backup of your file. Just be sure to rename the file something new when you choose "Save As..." or you will overwrite the current saved version, just like choosing the "Save" command would do.

Question #9: When typing a letter using Microsoft Word what font style is the best to use? Microsoft Word gives you many options in using font styles the best answer I can give is try the different styles to see which you like the best. I think it also depends on what the document is going to be used for. The most popular font on a professional basis is Times New Roman; other popular fonts include Tahoma, Arial. Many other fonts can spice up a document for use such as invitations, letter heads, flyers and announcements.

Just a reminder, all of my past articles are listed on my website. You can also become a fan on Facebook. Please feel free to contact me with questions by e-mailing me at info@pbtechguy.com and be sure to visit www.pbtechguy.com

PB Tech Guy #038
by Steve Lowe

Welcome to week three of the most popular questions that I am asked. Over the next coming weeks we will cover the top 50 questions you ask about your personal computers.

Question #6: How do I change my default media player to Real Player? First, you will have to open Real Player. On the tool bar, left click on tools and then select preferences. In the content tab, click media types and choose “Make RealPlayer my Universal Media Player” and then click OK. If you want to make Windows Media Player your default player, begin by opening Windows Media Player. Click tools, options, and under options click on the file type tab. Choose the types of files you want Windows Media Player to open and choose OK.

Question #7: On my laptop I can no longer hear any sound. I have checked to make sure the sound is not muted and verified the volume is not turned down. I also shut the PC down and rebooted. What should I do next? You can access the volume control window by clicking the "Start" button and "All Programs." Click "Accessories," "Entertainment," and then "Volume Control." Alternatively, just click on the speaker icon that is in your System Tray. With a laptop or desktop the same troubleshooting steps apply. If you are using external speakers make sure the speakers are plugged in and the power is turned on if they are powered speakers. If you still not getting sound, try a different set of speakers or possibly try headphones to verify it’s not a speaker problem. Next, I would download a new audio driver. You may have a disk that came with the PC or you can go to the laptops manufacture website and download the driver there. If this does not work you could possibly have a bad soundcard.

PB Tech Guy #037
by Steve Lowe

Welcome to Week Two of the most popular questions That I am asked. Over the next coming weeks we will cover our top 50 questions about your personal computers.

Question #4: How can I delete my temporary internet files, cookies and browsing history? The best way to delete these files are by opening your internet browser such as Internet Explorer and left click on Tools / Internet Options / Browsing History / and check the categories that you want to delete and then click the delete button. There are several different browsers available today that are used such as Internet Explorer. There are different versions and some may have a slightly different way to delete the temporary files, cookies and browsing history. To delete these files in Mozilla Firefox click on tools / clear recent history then select the items you want to delete and on the drop down you can choose the time frame and then click “clear now.”

Question #5 How do I change my home page? If you are using Internet Explorer 7 or 8, go to the page you want to become your homepage. Go to the home icon on the tool bar and click the down arrow. Click “add” or “change home page” and select “use this webpage as your only home page” and click “yes.” In Firefox, navigate to the page you want to set as your home page and drag the small icon in the left of your address bar and drag it to the home button. There are usually several ways to perform a task but these stated are probably the easiest ways.

PB Tech Guy #036
by Steve Lowe

          Welcome to week 2 of our most popular questions. Question #2. I have installed Adobe Flash Player however several different apps and games that require Flash still don’t play. What do I need to do so I can play these games? There are several variables that could keep these games from playing, even if the most recent Flash is installed. Not knowing what operating system or browser that is being used there are several things I would do. First I would turn off the popup blockers and Phishing tool. I would disable unneeded toolbars such as Coupons, Google toolbar etc., Other suggestions check for updates for your browser, delete temp files and cookies, also may want to check your add ins to assure that Flash player is enabled. Another possible solution is; I would recommend to always having a second browser. If your main browser is Internet Explorer you may want to download Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome also make sure you download the updates and Flash player for those browsers.
          Question #3 A friend of mine is trying to email me a file and it keeps getting bounced back. I think it possibly may be too big. What is the best way to share the file? E-mail services has size limits on files that can be emailed the last I checked Hotmail’s limit is 10 mb, G-mail and Yahoo are 20 mb. They also have e-mail account limits which limits on the amount of file space you can keep on your account. There is a couple solutions I would look at, if it is someone that you see often or close by you can use a USB thumb drive also known as a flash drive, memory stick etc. You can also burn the file to CD/DVD especially if it’s a something you would like them to keep a copy of. Another way of sending a larger file especially someone away from you is a service such as yousendit.com which allows users to send files up to 2 GB.
          Just a reminder, all of my past articles are listed on my website. You can also become a fan on Facebook. Please feel free to contact me with questions by e-mailing me at info@pbtechguy.com and be sure to visit www.pbtechguy.com

PB Tech Guy #035
by Steve Lowe

This week I will start a new series. I will address the most asked questions from customers about their computers. Hopefully, like the courses we have completed the last six months, this will give you some further background in the world of computers. In my profession as a help desk technician, I am asked over one hundred questions a week.
Question #1. I am asked daily, “How can I change my desktop icons size?” or “Why is everything too big or too small on my desktop?” In Windows or other operating systems, everyone has their preferences as to how they want to view their desktop. The desktop is what you see when looking at the monitor with no programs up. It is basically your background and icons. Some like the display to appear smaller and some wants things big and easier to see. Some may have a 22” wide screen and some may have a 15” monitor. As you know, monitors come in different sizes so the display is going to look different by default according to the size of the monitor. To make the changes, right click on the desktop. Then click either display settings or properties depending on what operating system you are running. Now find the slider bar. Moving the slider will change the resolution of your screen. If you move it to the right, it will make things smaller and to the left it will make things bigger. If you do not see the slider you may have to click on the settings tab. Different resolutions will also change the way things are displayed on the width and height of your monitor. The best thing to do is check the different settings and find the one that works the best for you. Another thing to keep in mind, some monitors have special software and some changes can be made through the software. On my main PC at home, I have a nvidia graphics card. It has software were there are some display settings but I can still change the display resolution settings in the same location as stated above.

PB Tech Guy #034
by Steve Lowe

This week’s article is part twenty-four of “Computer 101.” Shortcuts with windows. A few months ago we hit on windows shortcuts a little and now we will add a little more information. We will be covering mouse and keyboard shortcuts.

This will also be our last class in Computer 101 and will be spending the next few weeks answering the most popular questions on computers. If anyone has a question please feel free to e-mail me.

One of the most popular shortcuts is copy and paste. This can be done different ways. The most popular ways are right click on the file left click copy and then this adds it to the clipboard then find the location were you want to place the file then right click on the location and choose paste. Another way is highlight the file by left clicking and holding the mouse button in and drag across the file and release then hold the ctrl key with pointer over the highlighted area and press the “c” key this also copies the file to the clipboard. To paste hold the ctrl key in and click the “v” key. Ctrl, “x” keys performs the cut task.
Another good shortcut is hold the ctrl key in and press the “p” key this brings up the default printer dialogue box up. Pressing the ctrl,alt del keys at the same time brings up windows task manager. To delete a file you can either highlight the file and right click and choose delete or you can highlight and simply hit the delete key on the keyboard. A shortcut in renaming a file is to highlight the file and and right click and choose rename or you can highlight and hit the F2 key.

PB Tech Guy #033
by Steve Lowe

This week’s article is part twenty-three of “Computer 101.” This article will give you a couple tips on restoring lost files and using the recycle bin. Deleting files is important for your file management and also for saving disk space. All of your deleted files are moved to the recycle bin. The recycle bin gives you the opportunity to restore files that you have deleted or decided if you still need them.

The recycle bin should be located on the desktop. Often I have been asked the question: My recycle bin is no longer on my desktop were did it go? In XP Click an empty area of your desktop, select Properties, click the Desktop tab, click the Customize button, click Restore Default, Exit all windows and restart your computer. In Vista click start, Control Panel, Appearance and Personalization, Personalization and then click "change desktop icons" from the left-hand column. From there, check Recycle Bin and click OK. To use the recycle bin you can double click on the desktop short cut and it will show you the deleted files. If you need to restore a file simply right click on the file and choose restore. To empty the recycle bin, double left click on the recycle bin and simply left click on Empty Recycle Bin.

Another related issue to last week’s topic on file management: Creating shortcuts for files and folders to the desktop. You can also create a shortcut for programs on your desktop by clicking start, programs, choose the program then right click and send to desktop. If you have some shortcuts on the desktop that you no longer want just right click on the icon and click delete. If it’s a program or file shortcut it will just delete the icon and not the program or file. If you want to rearrange the icons on your desktop just left click and hold the mouse button down on the icon and drag the icon were you want them and then release the button.

Answers to the previous test article #31 1.B, 2. A, 3.B, 4.D, 5.A, 6.C, 7.C, 8. D, 9.A, 10. C Bonus B.

PB Tech Guy #032
by Steve Lowe

This week’s article is part twenty-two of “Computer 101”: Managing the file system. Before we started this course, I had a discussion on file management so this will be a refresher lesson.
The first thing I will cover is creating a new folder. First thing you will need to do is open your “My Documents.” Find a blank space with the pointer and right click, then left click on “new”, then left click on “folder.” A new folder will appear in your “my documents” and it should be highlighted so you can name it. Just learning this will greatly assist you in managing your files. Keep in mind; you can have multiple folders inside other folders. One example would be saving photos to your PC. In “my documents” you can create a folder and name it “pics 2010” and inside that folder you can create other folders such as “vacation”, “race”, “picnic”, “car show”, “family”, etc. Then you can place the pictures in their proper folders. This way your photos will be better organized instead of all jumbled in your “my documents” or just in one folder. Another tip would be to rename your files, just right click on the file and choose “rename” and you will be able to rename the folder as long the file is not open.

Another way to help manage your filing system is to move files. To move files you can right click on the file and copy. Then open the folder where you want to place the file. Right click inside the folder on a blank space, left click and choose paste. If you want to delete a file just right click once on the file and then right click once, and left click delete. If there is a file or folder you want to have quick access to, you can right click on the folder or file, click “send to” and the choose “desktop”. This will put a shortcut on the desktop.

These few tips should assist you in managing your file system. Many years ago, I was asked, “How is your file system management?” My reply was, “It’s a lot better than it used to be.”

PB Tech Guy #031
by Steve Lowe

This week’s article is part twenty-one of “Computer 101” Review Test #3. After this review test I will just have a few weeks left then I will begin Q & A articles from some of my recent clients. The first person that e-mails me all correct answers will receive a free gift. All questions will come from week 25 through week 30.

The first form of the Internet started in the 1960’s called ARPNET, there were four colleges that were part of this, UCLA, Stanford, Santa Barbara and who else? (A) USC (B) University of Utah (C) University New Mexico (D) Cal state.
What year was the first e-mail sent? (A) 1971 (B) 1978 (C) 1988 (D) 1980
A computer that is connected to the internet is called a (A) IP Address (B) Host (C) Ping
What does HTTP stand for? (A) Hot Transistor Protection (B) Hyper Test Transfer protocol (C) Hyper Text Transport Protocol (D) Hyper Text Transfer Protocol.
What is the best way disable a Browser Tool Bar add-on Internet Explorer? (A) Right click on tool bar and uncheck add-on. (B) Go into Control Panel then double click the disable add-on icon. (C) Use disable icon short cut (D) press the ctrl, shift and D key and chose disable add-on
Which tab on your Internet browser do you save your favorite websites at? (A) current (B) safe sites (C) favorites (D) view
What doe GUI stand for? (A) Graphics User Internet (B) Graphical User Icon (C) Graphical User Interface (D) Graphical User Icon
What is the bottom part of the desktop called? (A) Tool Bar (B) address Line (C) Desktop Bar (D) Task Bar
What is the proper way to turn off your PC? (A) start/turn of computer (B) Hold in the power button until PC turns off (C) ctrl, alt and S key (D) Unplug at the outlet
How do you access the control panel? (A) start, search control panel (B) double click control panel short cut (C) start, settings, control panel, (D) start, programs, control panel.

Bonus: Who was the main star in the Disney Movie “The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes”? (A) Lee Majors (B) Kurt Russell (C) Burt Reynolds (D) Jerry Lewis

PB Tech Guy #030
by Steve Lowe

       This week’s article is part twenty of “Computer 101: Working with Windows.” This lesson I will cover working with menus and toolbars. A menu is basically a list of commands that you can use to carry out a certain task. Each program we use has its own set of menus. These are located on the menu bar. You may be wondering, “Were is the menu bar located?” Begin by opening the “Control Panel.” Click on the “Start” button in the lower left corner on your monitor, then “Settings”, and then “Control Panel.” On some Windows versions once you click on “Start” you may see the “Control Panel” option.
       The Control Panel widow contains icons for various programs that allow you to specify your preferences for how your computer environment looks and performs. Once you have the Control Panel open look at the very top and you will see file, edit, menu etc. That is the menu bar. As I mentioned, all programs will have this. Go ahead and explore. You can change the display view (don’t worry if you change something and you don’t like it you can always change it back.) A little short cut on the keyboard is to the (alt) and press the (V) key it will open the view menu. At the bottom of the Control panel is the section called status bar. The status bar gives a brief description of the item that is selected. If you select the “Add Hardware” icon in the status bar it shows (Installs and troubleshoots hardware).
        Just a reminder, all of my past articles are listed on my website. You can also become a fan on Facebook. Please feel free to contact me with questions by e-mailing me at info@pbtechguy.com and be sure to visit www.pbtechguy.com

PB Tech Guy #029
by Steve Lowe

This week’s article is part nineteen of “Computer 101: Working with Windows.” In the next few weeks, I will conclude Computer 101 and begin concentrating on the Windows Operating system. This week I will be looking at how to start a program. The “start” button is located in the bottom left hand corner of the task bar. Left clicking the “start” button brings up the start menu. By doing this, you can access your programs, documents, settings (control panel, printers, network connection, task bar and startup menu), search, help and run. You can use this for logging off the PC and shutting it down. All the following settings are based on the XP O/S however all the other Windows O/S is the past several years are very similar.
          By clicking on “programs”, it will take you to all your programs loaded on your PC. Just place the pointer of your mouse on the program you want to open and double left click to open the program. If it is a program that you often use you can right click and choose “send to desktop”. This creates a desktop shortcut and cuts down on access time. The programs section also has the “accessories” section which I will be covering later.
          In the documents section on the startup menu you can access “recent documents” and also access you’re “my documents” folder. The settings section will allow you to access the “control panel” where a lot of changes will be made. I will discuss a complete lesson on it soon. The “find” section is just a windows search engine for when you can’t find a file you have saved on your PC. The “help” key gives you an indexed topic reference guide. The “run” will allow you to access tools and programs based on a location and file name that you type or select. The last section for this week is the “shutdown” or “turn off computer”. Often I speak to someone that usually just kills the power by pushing the button on the PC when they want to turn the PC off. That is a big no-no! The correct way to turn the PC off is click “start”, “turn off computer”, “turn off”. If your PC is running slower than normal you can click on the “restart button.”
          Just a reminder, all of my past articles are listed on my website. You can also become a fan on Facebook. Please feel free to contact me with questions by e-mailing me at info@pbtechguy.com and be sure to visit www.pbtechguy.com

PB Tech Guy #028
by Steve Lowe

This week’s article is part eighteen of “Computer 101: Working with Windows. In the next few weeks, I will conclude Computer 101 and I will concentrate on the Windows Operating system. We will be referring mostly with the XP flavor of Windows; however these applications can be applied to nearly all versions of windows.

Your Windows operating system is designed to get the most out of your computer. Windows help manage your files and programs. The first thing I would like to want to discuss is the desktop. I have seen professional businessmen that don’t actually know what the desktop is. If you turn your PC and monitor on, everything that loads up and is displaying on the monitor is referred as the desktop. It is usually just the background and icons. Icons are just the little shortcut images to your files and programs. We often refer to them as GUI’s (pronounced “gooie”). I have spoken about these before. GUI stands for “graphical user interface”. One of the common icons is the “my computer” icon. It takes you to all of our drives and gives you access to different areas of the PC. There is also the popular “recycle bin” icon. It is a storage area that holds your deleted files. You can restore the files if you accidentally delete the file.

At the bottom of the desktop is the taskbar. The taskbar shows you what programs are currently running. At the left of the taskbar is the start button. It is used to start programs, access and search for files. One thing to remember there are often many ways or directions to carry a certain task out. A good example is accessing my documents you can use your shortcut icon on the desktop or click start/documents/my documents. That is the good thing about working with windows. One other common item on the desktop is the pointer. As many should know that is were the mouse is pointing. The last thing we will cover is the area on the far right this is the area were our clock is. The system tray contains miniature icons for easy access to system functions such as antivirus settings, printer, modem, sound volume, battery status, and more. Hover over or click an icon to view and access details and controls.

PB Tech Guy #027
by Steve Lowe

This week’s article is part seventeen of “Computer 101: More about Internet Explorer 8”. The past two articles I discussed how the internet works and given an introduction about the internet. This week, I will be discussing Internet Explorer 8. There are several things we all should know about IE8 that will help your surfing and help make navigating across the World Wide Web easier.

The first thing I will discuss is toolbar do’s and don’ts. The first thing I would like to recommend is to be very careful when adding browser add-on’s. Some are good but personally you’re asking for trouble with add-ons such as Toolbar Buddy, Coupon search toolbar, etc. Some may not be that dangerous but could still affect your computer’s performance. If you have a toolbar add-on and would like to remove it they are usually easy to delete or disable. Many can be removed by the add and remove utility in the control panel or can be disabled by right clicking on the browser and removing the check mark beside the add-on that is selected or checked. However some are useful. I use a stock ticker on one of my PC’s. I would just recommend doing a search to see if they are recommend as being safe.

The next part of the browser I will discuss is the tools tab section. The first in that section to discuss is the Pop-up blocker. I normally have mine turned on, however, keep in mind sometime you will have to turn it off for some information to appear. Then there are the internet options. Internet options is probably the most used utility in Internet Explorer. By default it comes up in the General tab. In the Generals tab you can change your home page, delete your browsing history; delete your cookies and temporary internet files. Under the Security tab you can adjust the level of security. I suggest medium or medium high. In the Content tab you can change settings in the AutoComplete and clear the AutoComplete history. The Connections tab allows you to make changes how your PC connects to the internet. The Advanced tab let you enable and disable features in IE.

The last section will be the Favorites tab. This is where you can add websites that you would like to have quick reference to. There is also a Help tab were you can get information about Internet Explorer. The About Internet Explorer will give you the version that you are using.

Just a reminder, all of my past articles is listed on my website. You can also become a fan on Facebook. Please feel free to contact me with questions by e-mailing me at info@pbtechguy.com and be sure to visit www.pbtechguy.com

PB Tech Guy #026
by Steve Lowe

This week’s article is part sixteen of “Computer 101: “How the Internet Works”. Last week he discussed the history of the internet and now this week we will be discussing how our current internet works. We will be discussing some terms that may be new to you.

The first term we will be discussing will be “host”. A host is basically is every computer that is connected to the internet. You may have heard of the term “IP address” it is a set of four numbers that is separated buy periods or as many call them dots. The IP address is similar to a telephone number. When you call a number on the phone you get connected to that number. That is exactly what happens when you attempt to type a web address in such as google.com it has its IP address is 74.125.47.105. These IP address are assigned by their web host who host their web sites. Just like you can change your phone number web host IP address can also change. All host PC’s has a IP address. In XP go to start/run and type cmd and enter and you should get the command field and type ipconfig and hit the enter key. This will show you your IP address. You can also look up websites IP addresses but going to the cmd and typing example “ping google.com” and look for the IP address. The IP address can be entered directly into the IP address bar and it will bring the website up.

Another term you may be familiar with HTTP, which stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol. It is basically a language from your (host) computer to a web server. A Web Server is just a computer that holds all the websites information and transmits the information across the internet.
One last term is URL (uniform resource locator). It is the complete web address (http://www.pbtechguy.com/archive.htm) the http:// is the language we spoke of, the www.pbtechguy.com is the actual web site and the archive.htm is a page or file on the website. All of this makeup the URL.
Just a reminder, all of my past articles is listed on my website. You can also become a fan on Facebook. Please feel free to contact me with questions by e-mailing me at info@pbtechguy.com and be sure to visit www.pbtechguy.com

PB Tech Guy #025
by Steve Lowe

       This week’s article is part fifteen of “Computer 101: “Introducing the Internet”. The internet has been with us for several years and nearly all of us rely on it daily. In this article, I will share a little history about the internet. I will also answer a few questions about the internet.
          What is the Internet? The simplest form of internetting is connecting two or more networks together so information (data) can be shared. The term “internet” actually was first used around 1974. The Department of the Defense started a form of the internet in the 1960’s called ARPANET. It started with a small network between UCLA, Stanford, University Santa Barbara and University of Utah. This was a four node network connection or “pc to pc”. The first message was sent from UCLA to Stanford and their attempt was to send the word “Login” they first sent the letter “L” and it was received. Then the letter “O” and it was received. Next, they sent the letter G and the system crashed. However, those first two letters that were sent began a change that would affect our daily lives. I have read that the ARPANET was mentioned in the 1969 movie “The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes.” The first e-mail was sent in 1971. In 1980 the internet had about 200 computers. In the 1990’s the technology really grew. My opinion is that the internet’s growth had to do with the creation of Windows 95. It was GUI driven instead of a command driven interface and of course, all of technology was moving swiftly. By 1997 there were 1.7 million computers connected to the internet. Today, it is hard to say how many PCs are connected to the internet. A large majority of the people now connect to the internet with their cell phones (pocket PC). Many families have a PC per person in their household. Some think that Al Gore invented the internet. When it was developed in 1969, Al Gore actually was far from congress. To his credit, he did give the internet technology a lot of support.
          Technology has greatly changed since those first two letters were sent in 1969. The internet has become a major part of our daily life from entertainment, school, work, and just simply communicating with our friends and family.
       Just a reminder, all of my past articles are listed on my website. You can also become a fan on Facebook. Please feel free to contact me with questions by e-mailing me at info@pbtechguy.com and be sure to visit www.pbtechguy.com

PB Tech Guy #024
by Steve Lowe

This week’s article is part fourteen of “Computer 101: Storage Technology.” This will be a review of lessons 8 thru 13.

1. What does the computer have to have to function? (A) E-mail (B) Anti-Virus (C) Operating System (D) Scan Disk
2. Which of the following is not a task of the operating system? (A) Manage Disk Space (B) Create Word Documents (C) Detects PC failure (D) Maintains Security.
3. Which operating system is the oldest? (A) Windows 95 (B) Windows 3.1 (C) Windows NT (D) DOS
4. What operating system is used on Apple PC’s? (A) LINUX (B) Mac (C) UNIX (D) Both B and C.
5. Which of these programs are not part of Microsoft Office Suite (A) Word Perfect (B) PowerPoint (C) Excel (D) Outlook
6. What Microsoft program is designed to create flyers and brochures? (A) Excel (B) Design (C) FrontPage (D) Publisher
7. Which of the following is not part of multimedia? (A) Text (B) Animation (C) Video (D) P-Bass
8. Which is a common photo format? (A) .doc (B) .bat (C) .pbt (D) .jpg
9. What is another word for data? (A) Source (B) Application (C) System (D) Information
10. What concept is used to make finding files easier? (A) Good file management (B) Advanced search Engine (C) My documents short cut (D) Large file cabinet
11. What is the C: Drive? (A) Floppy Disk (B) External Hard Drive (C) Internal Hard Drive (D) CD Drive
12 How many gigabytes are in a 1 terabyte? (A) 1240 (B) 10024 (C) 1024 (D) 1000

Bonus: Mathematically how many floppy disks would it take to hold 1 gigabit of information?

PB Tech Guy #023
by Steve Lowe

This week’s article is part fourteen of “Computer 101: Storage Technology.” This will cover the concept of storage device and the media it uses. A storage device is actually a mechanical device such as your computer’s hard drive that records and retrieves the data from a storage medium. A storage medium is the disk, tape, paper or substance that contains data. PC’s have a wide variety of storage devices. They might be the internal hard drive, floppy drive, CD/DVD external hard drive, USB flash drive etc. Your PC will assign a letter to the drives so you can determine at which drive you are looking. The C: drive is usually the internal hard drive. On PC’s that have a floppy they are usually assigned the A: drive. CD and DVD drives usually start at D: and E: if you have two of them and all the external add-on’s usually start after them.
The process of storing data or saving data is referred to as writing data or saving a file. Remember from my past articles that data is just information. The data is written or saved on the medium for later use. The process of reading the data is referred to as reading data, loading data or simply opening a file. Different types of data have different capacities. Over the years the capacity or volume of storage medium has grown. Now lets have a little computer math lesson. Here are some capacity terminology terms. Kilobyte (KB), Megabyte (MB), Gigabyte (GB) and Terabyte (TB). 1024 KB equals 1 MB, 1024 MB equals 1GB, 1024 GB equals 1TB.

A floppy disk holds 1.44 MB, CD’s hold 700 MB, DVD’s 4.78 GB, There are other types of DVD formats such as double-sided single layer that holds 8.5 GB and single sided double layer holds 8.5 GB, there is also double sided double layer holds 15.9 GB. Here is some added information pertaining to memory modules. Years ago on my first PC I had 1 MB of memory and had the ability to double it which would be 2 MB. Now let’s do some doubling on the memory, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024 which equals 1 GB. Those are the amounts of which you buy memory. Today, 128MB is about as small as you can find and the most common is 512MB and the 1 GB and 2 GB which are designed for the newer PC’s. I hope this lesson will help you understand more about memory and storage.

PB Tech Guy #022
by Steve Lowe

This week’s article is part thirteen of “Computer 101: Understanding file management.” This lesson we will be discussing file management. The main thing that brought this lesson about was back in the later part of the 1990’s someone asked me how is your file management? My reply was its a lot better than it use to be. I remember on my old Windows 95 system I somehow had removed all the files of a large game and moved them out of their folder and put them in ‘My Documents”. When I opened the folder I had about 100 or so game files. It was awful.

Good file management can make finding files much easier and you will spend less time using the search file tool. The main area we have to manage is the My Documents folder. Picture your hard drive like a large filing cabinet. Inside a filing cabinet are folders and often we place more folders inside of other folders. Once you open the My Documents folder you can create more folders which would be like drawers in the file cabinet. You can right click in the opened My Documents window and click on new folder and name it what you ever you please. Examples would be photos, letters, music, videos etc. Each one would be a drawer in your cabinet. Now, inside each drawer (like the photos drawer) are other folders that you create such as vacation, wedding, school, sports, family etc. Let’s say you are a NASCAR fan and you took 50 pictures at this past race. You open My Documents, then open photos, then if you don’t have a folder for the race pictures you can right click>new folder and name it “race pictures” or other name you choose. Open it and create another calling it “Bristol Spring 2010” and put the pictures in there. If you go to the fall race, you can make another folder in the “race pictures” folder. You will then have them separated by event. The main thing is to have good file management. This way all your pictures and other documents can be easily found and all are located in their proper folders. You can use this concept on your entire filing system and make things much easier to find.

PB Tech Guy #021
by Steve Lowe

This week’s article is part twelve of “Computer 101: Understanding computer files.” We have discussed in the past articles terms such as data, information and files. Data is defined as words, numbers and graphics that describe people, events, things and ideas. Information is defined as words, numbers and graphics used as a basis for human actions and decisions. A file is defined as a named collection of program instructions or data that exists on a storage medium such as your hard drive. There are several types of files. Executable, source, batch and data are all names of file types. Data files are what most computer user’s use when using application software that we discussed in the last article.
    Data files contain words, numbers, and pictures that can be viewed, edit, save, send and print. An example of a data file would be (.doc) file. This would be a word document. Another would be a (.jpg) file which would be a photo. Data files are used with application software.
      Executable files contain instructions that tell the computer to perform a specific task. An example would be files on your computer system such as used on your operating system or even your antivirus. They are also part of application software. They are the files that make the application run. I know most of you have seen the .exe files. They are executable files.
     We also have source files and batch files. Source files contain instructions that a computer user can understand and has to be translated before the computer can understand them. The translation is performed by the computer. It converts source files/programs into commands the computer can execute. Batch files are a series of commands that work together to perform a task. They have the .bat extension an example would be AUTOEXEC.BAT this file initializes DOS when you start the system. Next week we will discuss file extensions and file management.
     Just a reminder, all of my past articles are listed on my website. You can also become a fan on Facebook. Please feel free to contact me with questions by e-mailing me at info@pbtechguy.com and be sure to visit www.pbtechguy.com

PB Tech Guy #020
by Steve Lowe

        This week’s article is part eleven of “Computer 101”: Understanding multimedia computing. Multimedia computing is simply the use of multiple media types in computer technology such as text, graphics, sound, animation, photo images, and video. Advanced computer technology has made it possible to combine the various types of multiple media into a single interactive computer presentation. Examples would be a photo slide show, animation, gaming systems, movies, YouTube videos, a creative website or even a presentation for work or school.
          Multimedia projects can be stored in different ways. In the early years, they were stored on video tape and floppy disk. Now they can be found on CD’s, DVD’s, and Blu-Ray Media. You can also store them on memory cards/sticks, and even flash drives.
          One of the great things about working with multimedia is you can often hyperlink one application to another. You can create a PowerPoint presentation and link it to a word document or even to a website. It is basically the same technology that links web pages together. Hyperlinking can involve graphics, sound, text and even video. Often the term “rich media” is used when multimedia projects can be used interactively.
          Industry and education have really grown in the previous years. Nearly all businesses rely on multimedia for training or their daily work. East Tennessee State University is known to have one of the top digital media programs in the world. Former students that went through that program have worked on movies such as Avatar, Happy Feet, Land of the Lost plus many other blockbusters. More information on ETSU’s digital media program can be found at digm.etsu.edu.

PB Tech Guy #019
by Steve Lowe

This week I will be speaking of productivity software, this is week 10, concentrating on Microsoft Office. Office comes in different levels or groups called suites. Currently there are about eight different suites of Office. For now we will be discussing the basic programs that are included in most of the Office suites. Office 2007 is the most current while 2010 is in the beta or test stage. Office can come with your PC but generally comes as a temporary program or for a trial period. In the Office suites there are different programs that are also available for purchase individually. Some of these programs are Access, Excel, Outlook, FrontPage, PowerPoint, Publisher, and Word.

Access is used for business and is used to manage a database. Access stores, finds, updates, organizes and reports information. Excel is great business software that is designed to design and manage spreadsheets; it also can perform calculations on complex projects and can also convert data into charts and graphs. Excel is great for the financial analyst, creating a budget, or even keeping up with your baseball team’s batting average. Outlook is the ultimate e-mail software. You can incorporate multiple email accounts in Outlook. Outlook also has a great calendar system to schedule your personal events. FrontPage ended with Office 2003 however I still use it today and is a very popular web design software. In 2007, Microsoft came out with Expression which is also used to design websites. PowerPoint is used for presentations. PowerPoint is great for slideshows and is easy to use. You can even add graphics and sounds to your presentation. Publisher is used for creating documents, flyers, labels, and even brochures. Word has to be one the most popular of all the programs in the Office suites. Word is word processing software that gives you the ability to create, spell check, edit and format a document on the screen before printing or even e-mailing documents. You can even incorporate graphics into your Word documents. There are a few other programs that can be found in the Office Suites. Microsoft Office has been the standard in office and home business tools.

PB Tech Guy #018
by Steve Lowe

This week’s article is part nine of “Computer 101.” This week we will cover “different operating systems”. Last week we discussed what the operating does and this week we will be discussing different types of operating systems.

When Bill Gates first got Microsoft going he bought the rights to QDOS from “Seattle Computer Products”. In 1980, he paid $50,000 for the operating system. This quickly became what we know as DOS or “Disk Operating System.” At the same time, Bill Gates came up with the biggest deal in computer history from a fly by night operation by leasing DOS to IBM. IBM was shocked that Bill Gates was not trying to sell them the DOS operating system but just wanted to lease it to them and charge a per copy fee. A movie for you geekers to watch is “Pirates Of Silicon Valley.” It explains the history of Apple and Microsoft.

DOS was just a command driven interface and was also a single task operating system. My first computer had Windows 3.1 which added a graphical user interface. It also allowed you to do multi-tasking applications. Later, Windows 95 came out later which was much better than 3.1. In 1998, Windows 98 came out and it was mainly some 95 upgrades with added enhanced internet features. A couple years later, Windows NT came out which was designed for business workstations and servers. Also Windows ME came out and eventually XP, which many felt was the best of all of Microsoft’s operating systems. XP came out in 2001 and lasted till Vista came out in 2007. Most recently in 2009, we have 2007 which is a great operating system.

There are many other operating systems such as Mac which is not IBM or PC compatible that runs windows. Mac O/S is the operating system for Apple which has to be run in an Apple computer. Apple PC’s are becoming more popular and in the past years Apple was known to be great for graphic designers and for business use. Now they are Windows designed for all types of users. Other operating systems include UNIX and LINUX which are mainly streamline operating systems which don’t have a lot of thrills. Many are used on servers because they are very reliable. Linux is actually a free open source operating system which means it is open to be redeveloped and improved but has to remain free. LINUX comes in many different flavors (Red Hat, Ubuntu, Knoppix, etc.) and can be used in PC type computers. These have been developed to be somewhat like Windows but are known for their reliability, however at times have had driver issues.

PB Tech Guy #017
by Steve Lowe

This week’s article is part eight of “Computer 101.” This week we will cover “the operating system”. You may be wondering what is the operating system and what does it do. By definition, the operating system is the software that controls the computer’s use of its hardware resources such as memory and disk storage space. It is kind of like a conductor of an orchestra. An orchestra would never be able to function without a conductor. A computer will never be able to function without an operating system.

The operating system controls the flow of data in and out of the computer, as well as in and out of the peripheral devices. One thing the operating system does is manage the disk space for your programs. It also manages multitasking by allowing multiple tasks perform at one time. It also manages system resources such as the RAM that is being used. Another thing that your operating system does is it detects equipment failure and monitors your computer system and often can repair itself. The operating system also maintains security, especially in a work environment such as allowing a user ID and password protection. The operating system assists in updating software also. The operating system works in conjunction with programs and hardware to perform tasks. Application software can not carry out tasks without hardware and an operating system to support it. In our next article we will discuss the different types of operating systems.
Answers to last week’s test is 1:C, 2:A & D, 3:B, 4:D, 5:A, 6:B, 7:C, 8:A, 9:C, 10:A, 11:D, 12:B, Bonus:D.

PB Tech Guy #016
by Steve Lowe

This week’s article is part seven of “Computer 101.” This week is a quiz over the first six lessons of “Computer 101.” There are two questions for each chapter plus a bonus question. Answers will be posted on my website. It will be fun and will give you a chance to retain some of the information. If you miss more than 3 questions you may want to go back and read some of the past articles. Answers will be posted Friday evening.

What is the computer’s main function? (A) Surf the internet. (B) Create Documents (C) Process Data (D) Check E-Mail
What are examples of peripheral devices? Choose Two (A) Printer
(B) Memory (C) CPU (D) Mouse
The empty slots on the motherboard where we can add devices are referred to as (A) Device Slots (B) Expansion Slots (C) Motherboard Slots (D) Graphic Slots
Where are all of our main information stored on our PC (A) Memory
(B) RAM Bus (C) BIOS (D) Hard Drive
Which of these are referred to as a pointing device? (A) Trackball
(B) I-Pad (C) Monitor (D) Drag and Drop
The mouse is a pointing device that is used to (A) Scan Hard Drive
(B) Input Data (C) Read Text Files (D) All the above
What is the function of the keys of a keyboard (A) Search Google
(B) Type letters (C) Input Commands (D) Open Your Computer Case
The F Keys on the keyboard are referred to as what type of keys
(A) Function (B) Shortcut (C) Modifier (D) Task
What does GUI stand for? (A) Graphical User Input (B) Graphics User Input (C) Graphical User Interface (D) Graphics Underscore Input
Round select buttons are referred to as (A) Radio Buttons
(B) Radial Buttons (C) Circle Buttons (D) Check Boxes
A computer program is a set of instructions. What part of the computer
executes these instructions? (A) Memory (B) Hard Drive (C) CMOS
(D) CPU
Which is an example of application software? (A) Windows 7
(B) Microsoft Word (C) Boot Disk (D) Device Driver

Bonus: Who owns Microsoft? (A) Charles Peters (B) Steve Jobs
(C) Peyton Manning (D) Bill Gates

PB Tech Guy #015
by Steve Lowe

This week’s article is part six of “Computer 101: Understanding Software Basics.” We have all heard about programs, data and software and in this lesson I will explain more about what they are and what they do.

A computer program is a set of instructions that tells the computer what to do. These instructions are written in a language that the computer can understand. The language is often referred to as a “code.” The code is converted to an executable file and is executed by the CPU (central processing unit). Data is words, numbers and graphics that describe people, events, things and ideas. As you know, I have used the word data many times in previous articles and it is simply information. It can be numbers for an Excel graph or words and sentences for a Word document. The software determines what the computer is able to do. It can transform a computer from one type of machine to another. For instance, with the right software, a drafting station can become a typesetting machine or a gaming machine can convert into a music studio. Software by definition is instructions and associated data, stored in electronic format, which directs the computer to accomplish a task. There are two different categories for software. One is “application software” and the other is “system software.” Application software is the software that helps the computer to carry out a task, such as Microsoft Office, business softwares, and graphics softwares. System software includes your operating system (XP, Vista, Linux, Mac), your drivers that support your hardware, and your utilities. You can also buy a software package such as Microsoft Office which includes several pieces of software like Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, Access, Publisher etc. The package usually contains a reference manual. Software usually comes on a CD or DVD. Data can be included in software like a dictionary or encyclopedia. In our next article I will be discussing more about operating systems.
Just a reminder all of our past articles are listed on my website. You can also become a fan on Facebook. Please feel free to contact me with questions by e-mailing me at info@pbtechguy.com and be sure to visit www.pbtechguy.com

PB Tech Guy #014
by Steve Lowe

This week’s article is part five of “Computer 101”. Last week I discussed input devices concentrating on the keyboard. This week I will be discussing communicating with your computer. I have discussed inputting information or the more correct term, data. There are several ways we can do this. The means by which humans and computers communicate is referred to as, user interface. Through user interface, the computer accepts your input and presents you with output. I’ll will go more into depth and explain this.
There are three interfaces in communicating with computers. These are Menu Driven, GUI driven, and Command-line Driven interfaces. A menu driven interface is a message that is displayed that asks you for information, such as “enter your name” or “enter your e-mail address here”. Menus are used a lot for commercial software. Menus have a sequence of screens that directs you through multi-step software task like installing certain software. They also may contain check boxes or radio buttons (round select buttons). Some may have a drop down box for things like choosing your state. Menu driven interface are also used in Internet Explorer such as your favorites or even Microsoft Word when you click on file and then click on “save as” or even to print a document. A GUI (pronounced “gooie”) stands for “Graphical User Interface.” It is just an icon or a small picture that you click on, that brings you to another screen. They are mainly used to start programs or access files. The best example of GUI’s would be shortcuts on your desktop such as “my documents” or the “recycle bin.” The third interface would Command-line Driven Interface. A Command-line Driven Interface is an instruction you type to tell the computer to carry out a task. The commands you input must conform to a specific syntax. Syntax specifies the sequence and punctuation for command words, parameters, and switches. This also means that everything has to have the correct spelling and all the right periods and commas before they will work. Many years ago this was a must especially when using DOS. Even today we still troubleshoot using the command-line Driven Interface. Command-line Driven Interface is greatly needed in writing programs. Your browser’s web address line also serves as a Command-line Driven Interface.

Just a reminder all of our past articles are listed on my website. Please feel free to contact me with questions by e-mailing me at info@pbtechguy.com and be sure to visit www.pbtechguy.com

PB Tech Guy #013
by Steve Lowe

This week’s article is part four of “Computer 101”. Last week I discussed input devices. I concentrated on the pointing devices such as a mouse or a trackball. This week we will be discussing the primary input device of your computer: the keyboard.
The description of a keyboard includes parts such as keys or buttons. These keys have numbers, letters and several keys with special characters and special words to control computer-specific tasks. You use the keys to input commands that the cursor on the display shows as the commands appear. There are also Function keys. These are the keys that are numbered F1 through F12. These are designed to be used with different types of software, so therefore no particular key has a designated function. One program may ask for an F3 keystroke and a different program may ask for an F7 to do the same task. However, often they are consistent. A keystroke of F1 is often used for “help”. The F8 key in Windows is to allow you to go to “safe mode”. You can use the Function keys in combination with other keys such as the “Ctrl” or the “Shift” keys. In Microsoft Word, if you press the “Shift” and the F12 key at the same time it will save the document. The “Ctrl+Shift+F12” keys will print a word document. The “F11” key will change your internet browser to full screen. The “Ctrl”, “Alt”, and “Shift” keys are called modifier keys. They work in conjunction with other keys to perform specific task. “Ctrl+c” is copy. “Ctrl + v” is paste, “Ctrl+p” is print. Another type of keys are the cursor keys or arrow keys. These move the cursor up, down, left and right. The “home” key takes you to the beginning of a line or the beginning of a document depending on what software you are using. Like the mouse, keyboards are designed in different ways. Some are ergonomically designed to help prevent carpal tunnel, some have different color keys, some are wired and some are wireless. The main thing when purchasing a keyboard is to find one that is comfortable for you.

Please feel free to contact me with questions by e-mailing me at info@pbtechguy.com and be sure to visit www.pbtechguy.com

PB Tech Guy #012
by Steve Lowe

      This week’s article is part three of “Computer 101”. Last week I discussed in detail the internal hardware and a little about how those components work. This week I will discuss pointing devices. These are commonly referred to as a mouse or a track ball. A trackball is like an upside down mouse. I have used a track ball for years, but most popular by far is the mouse.
          The mouse is a pointing device that is used to input data and to manipulate objects that are displayed on the screen. The pointer or cursor on the screen shows to what the mouse is pointing. The cursor is usually shaped like an arrow. You single click by pressing the left button on your mouse one time to select an object on the monitor. A double click is performed by clicking the left button two times quickly and usually stimulates an action on the screen. You can use the mouse to drag objects from one screen location to another by left clicking on the object, holding the left button down, grabbing the object and moving it. When the object has been moved to the desired location, you simply release the mouse button. Some objects or programs require a right click on an object to stimulate an action or to display menus that give further options of actions. One thing for the lefties, most mice software will let you change the left and right button functions. In choosing a mouse, it is good advice to find one that ergonomically fits your hand the best.
          Many laptops use a track point or a touch pad as their pointing device. Wireless mice have also become very popular. I recommend anyone using a laptop to invest in a wireless mouse. It will make life a little easier.

Please feel free to contact me with questions by e-mailing me at info@pbtechguy.com and be sure to visit www.pbtechguy.com

PB Tech Guy #011
by Steve Lowe

     This week’s article will be part two of “Computer 101”. Last week I discussed what the computer does along with input and output devices. This week I will discuss the components inside of the PC. Often I have heard people say, “I need a new hard drive.” They actually mean a new computer system minus the monitor. I say, “Oh, you mean a new tower.” The hard drive is just a component inside the tower or computer. They would then say, “Yes. That is what I mean.”
       The computer has various items inside which connect to the motherboard. Several weeks ago I discussed RAM and memory. On the motherboard are memory slots that hold the memory cards. Remember that memory cards hold the data on which we are currently working. We also have the power supply that supplies power to the peripheral devices and motherboard. There are also empty slots on the motherboard that are referred to as expansion slots. These slots allow you to add additional devices.
        There are a few different kinds of expansion slots. The most popular expansion slot is called a PCI slots. Most computers have a couple empty slots. The computer also will have graphics and sound cards. Some graphics and sound cards are attached or referred to as integrated directly to the motherboard and some are separate cards which go in the expansion slots. Graphics cards are often in a slot called AGP, PCI or PCI Express. (AGP, PCI and PCI are just different types of expansion slots). Many motherboards will have a combination of available expansion slots.
        Also inside the computer is the processor which processes the information or data. A network card connects your computer to the local area network or LAN (ie: cable internet from your cable modem). Network cards can go into a PCI expansion slot or can be built directly on the motherboard. Computers also contain dial-up modems for people that use a dial-up connection for their internet. The computer will also have a CD/DVD drives, hard drive (the hard drive is where all the information is stored) and on some computers a floppy drive. All these connect to the motherboard directly through a slot or a cable. On the motherboard there are also other connections like inputs for USB devices, keyboard and mouse. Just think of the motherboard as the parent and all the other parts as her children connecting to her.

Please feel free to contact me with questions by e-mailing me at info@pbtechguy.com and be sure to visit www.pbtechguy.com

PB Tech Guy #010
by Steve Lowe

This week’s article will begin “Computer 101”. Have you ever wanted to take an entry level computer class to learn the basics? Here is your opportunity! In the coming weeks I will be teaching all about your computer from the very beginning.

Part 1: What is a computer and what does it do?
          A computer accepts “input” information, process information or data, saves and stores the data, and produces “output”. The main storage device in the computer is the hard drive and memory. These hold the data as it is being processed by the CPU (central processing unit). I will discuss those in more detail later. The computer can have devices connected to it called peripheral devices. Peripheral devices allows us to input and output data. The computer’s main input peripheral devices are the keyboard and the mouse. Other input devices can include scanners, modems, microphones and even a barcode reader like you see in retail stores. Output devices are items such as the monitor, speakers and printers. That should make sense. We use input devices to enter in information and output devices to receive information.
        Let’s review for understanding: If you want to type a letter, you would use a program (software) such as Microsoft Word or Notepad to type the letter. As you type on the keyboard, you are inputting data or information into the computer. The monitor displays what you are typing; therefore it is giving you information output. When you are finished with your letter, you can print the letter. The paper copy that the printer provides is output.
       Next week we will discuss the difference between hardware and software. We will also trace how the information you typed for your letter was processed how it got from your keyboard to your printer. Please feel free to contact me with questions by e-mailing me at info@pbtechguy.com and be sure to visit www.pbtechguy.com

PB Tech Guy #009
by Steve Lowe

This week’s article I will cover something to which you might not have given much thought, but may want to try. While I was at King College, we did a study on different web browsers. Did you know that you can surf the internet through a different browsers besides Windows Internet Explorer? I know several people that do not even use Explorer any longer. You might be asking the question, “Why change browsers?” Some reasons to change can include that your web sites may load faster than they currently do, some web browsers require less memory than Internet Explorer, and less popular browsers can encounter less security attacks than more popular ones. I currently have five different browsers on my computer.
      I would like to encourage you to try a couple other browsers to see how you like or even dislike them. The ones I will discuss are available as free downloads from the internet. There are a many different ones out there with which to experiment. I will discuss the four web browsers I use in addition to Explorer and a little information about them.
      First, I really like Mozilla Firefox. Unlike Explorer 8, Firefox installs on your computer very fast. Firefox is very similar in look and browse speed to Explorer. In years past, I thought Firefox was faster but now that I have more add-ons it may have slowed it down a bit. Firefox currently ranks around the number two spot in popularity with users. The next browser I like is Apples’ Safari. On the upside, Safari installs with built-in shortcuts for web favorites like Yahoo, YouTube, Wikipedia, and a variety of different newscast sites. It also installs with other easy access tabs. On the downside, it pushes Apple products on the main page, but that is ok. A third choice of a good browser is Opera. Opera is actually the fastest of all these browsers. One last browser to consider is Google Chrome. To me, it has the look and feel of Explorer.
      Take some time to check all these browsers. Sometimes it is good to have a backup browser. You can do this for a number of reasons: as a just-in-case, to customize your browser or perhaps to simply have a different look. So download and try them out. Please feel free to contact me with questions by e-mailing me at info@pbtechguy.com and be sure to visit www.pbtechguy.com

PB Tech Guy #008
by Steve Lowe

Recently I was speaking to a lady who had received a digital camera last year for Christmas. She had over 300 photos on her camera and had no idea how to view them on her computer. We will call this article “Digital Photography 101”. We will cover a few basics of using your camera and viewing pictures on your computer. I hope that this article will be of help to those who may be getting their first digital camera for Christmas or those who are having some difficulty with their current camera. First I will speak about the camera’s battery life. Some cameras have a built in battery pack that can be recharged and many require standard alkaline batteries. It is best to check your manual to see what is recommended for your camera. If it requires something like AA alkaline batteries, a good suggestion would be to invest a set of NiMH or Li-ion rechargeable batteries and charger. Your pictures are stored on memory cards or on the cameras internal memory. If your camera only has an internal memory, you may want to get a memory card as well. Having an extra memory card or two will allow you to store more pictures or use different cards for different subjects of events.
Now you’re ready to take a few photos. You can look through the viewfinder or use the camera’s LCD screen. Nearly all cameras work the same way. When you are ready to snap the picture, press the button lightly to focus the subject, then push the button the rest of the way down to finish taking the picture. Remember the more zooming and viewing with the LCD screen; the more battery life that is consumed. The LCD screen can also be used to view the pictures you have previously taken. After taking your pictures, you may transfer them to your computer. Your camera should have a USB cable to attach it to your computer. Attach one end to the camera and the USB end to your computer. If you double click on “My Computer” on your desktop or from the “Start” menu you should see your camera icon. You will need to turn your camera power “on”. Next, double click on the camera icon. This should open a window showing the pictures on your camera. A good idea is to have a folder on your computer dedicated to keeping your photos so you will know were to find them. As you view the photos, you can drag the ones to keep to your picture folder on your computer. Doing this transfers the pictures from your camera to your computer. After this you may want to edit the photos. Most cameras don’t have to have the software that comes with the camera installed. I recommend downloading Irfanview photo editing software. It is great for resizing, cropping and editing pictures. It’s easy to use and loads very fast. You may download this at www.irfanview.com. One final tip, after you edit the pictures you want to save them with a new name. If you want to email the picture it is best to save them in a jpeg format. You will get this option under the file name in the “Save As” dropdown box. I trust that these steps will get you started in the right direction with your digital camera.
Please feel free to contact me with questions by e-mailing me at info@pbtechguy.com and be sure to visit www.pbtechguy.com

PB Tech Guy #007
by Steve Lowe

          This week’s article is on Cyber Security. This topic is very appropriate for the holiday season and anytime we access the internet. We’ve all heard about someone stealing credit card numbers, catching email viruses, and the horrors of identity theft. But what about social engineering and phishing attacks? We all need to be aware of these and what to do to protect ourselves.
          First, let’s discuss e-mail do’s and don’ts. No matter which e-mail service we use, we need to be aware of scams and phishing. Phishing is a form of social engineering. Nearly all local businesses try to get you on their e-mail list. It is safe to say, that we all receive emails for coupons and discounts. Often we get so many, that we have no idea if they are for real or not. Many times the fake coupons or emails look like legitimate offers; however they lead you to a false website in order to get your personal information. That is phishing. Phishing comes across as a business or even a charity and often takes advantage of the holidays. In using our email, it is much safer to go directly to a website than to click on an e-mail link.
         Attacks can happen on social networking sites such as Facebook. Many Facebook users list hundreds and thousands of friends. Are all these contacts actually your friends? There are some people that make Facebook friends so they can get personal information by browsing other’s entries. This can give them an invitation to your home if you state you are not going to be at home or on vacation. Many people post pictures while they are at their vacation spot. You can use social networking to your advantage. PB Tech Guy has several friends on Facebook and that makes for a great way to advertise your business.
        Another security suggestion is to update your web browser. If you use Internet Explorer you should keep it updated and use the most current version. Microsoft is very good about updating Explorer’s security. To check your current version while in your web browser, click on help or the question mark. Then click on “about internet explorer” for a popup displaying the version. The most current version out is Explorer 8. There are several other good secure browsers such as Mozilla Firefox and Apple Safari.
       One last topic concerns ordering from the internet. Using a credit card actually can be safe. The best thing to do is keep up with your purchases and print your receipts. Credit card companies are pretty good about protecting the customer. It is not a good idea to use your debit card for online purchases very often. If your debit card information gets into the wrong hands, this can really cause you a lot of problems and headaches. Make sure to always create and use a strong password. I hope these tips and suggestions make your Cyber Life more safe.

Please feel free to contact me with questions by e-mailing me at info@pbtechguy.com and be sure to visit www.pbtechguy.com

PB Tech Guy #006
by Steve Lowe

            This week’s article will be part 2 of 2 in the topic “The Slow Computer.” Last week in part 1, I discussed how RAM works and how it is a major part of your computer’s speed. In previous weeks, I have discussed other contributing factors such as malware, viruses and DEFRAG.
            Now, I will discuss a couple other ways in getting your PC up to its potential speed. I discussed RAM and how it processes information, but often there are programs running in your background. These can be your system files and anti-virus programs. They also use your RAM. You can view your background programs through Windows Task Manager using your keyboard. By pressing the Ctrl/Alt/Delete keys at the same time you will display Windows Task Manager. There are several tabs at the top of the Windows Task Manager and by clicking on the Processes tab you can view everything that is running currently on your PC. The performance tab also checks our Processor (CPU Usage) and our Page File Usage along with information on the Physical Memory (RAM). My suggestion would be to close all applications and just have the Windows desktop running when viewing the Windows Task Manager. There are ways to remove unneeded items, however proceed with CAUTION. This should be done with some assistance if you do not have experience in this area. We will not go into details on the removal process in this article, but this will allow you to view the running items. Just a note, there are many items that should always be running such as your antivirus. Deleting needed files could cause harm to the PC and a headache for you.
            There is a great download that I highly recommended that can improve your computer’s performance. It is Advanced System Care v3. It’s the number one system utility download on the internet. It cleans your registry, temporary internet files, removes spyware, and even has a Disk Defragmentation program built in. I will have a link under the downloads section on my website. Please contact me with your questions by e-mailing me at info@pbtechguy.com and be sure to visit www.pbtechguy.com.

PB Tech Guy #005
by Steve Lowe

This week’s article is the Top 10 of The Piney Bluff Tech Guy gadgets for Christmas. Here is my under $300 list. (10) External Hard Drive. $79 to $200. These are great for backing up your system. One of the worst things you can do is have a hard drive crash and loose all your important data. For this price range you can get 250 GB up to 1.5 TB. (9) Netbook $299. If you shop around Netbooks can be found for under $300. These are great for traveling, school, work etc. The screen size usually varies around 9 to 10 inch screens. They also have much longer battery life compared to a laptop (8) Digital Cartoon $25 and up. I recently had one made by Dobyns Bennett art teacher Russell Bennett his website is www.theartcoach.net. He can take a digital image of you or family member and create a digital cartoon. These are very high quality 600x800 resolution this would be a great Christmas present with a personal touch. (7) Smart Phone Less than $300. The iPhone is still the #1 Smart Phone which uses AT&T service. One of the latest that recently came out that uses Versions service is the Droid. The Droid has quickly became popular and has recieved great reviews. The Blackberry is also a good choice. (6) WiFi / HD Radio Less than $300. These radios may not be as popular as some geekie items but they are very cool. I am planning on getting one also. I’m still trying to decide. If someone has one, send me an e-mail and tell me about them. I am looking at the WiFi Logitech Squeezebox, which receives radio through your router. I am also been looking at the Sangean HDR-1 which is a tabletop HD FM radio. (5) GPS $79-$199 One of the best investments I have ever made. Several too choose from top brands are TomTom, Garmin and Magellan. (4) iPod / MP3 player. $49 to over $300. These are still one of the most popular products made. They are great for listening to your favorite music, watching videos and pics. Lots of choices. (3) Digital Camera $79 and way over $300 My choice would probably be the Sony H20 which sells for around $229 on sale and for a smaller camera I would pick the Canon Powershot SD780 it sells for around $200 on sale. There are lots of good choices under $200. (2) Wii $199. These interactive gaming systems are great for the family. It at least gets the kids moving around and getting some type of exercise. (1) Wide Screen Monitor $99 to $249 . Nothing no better than going from an old 15” CRT monitor to a nice 19” LCD widescreen monitor.
Next week we will conclude with Part 2 of “The Slow Computer” Your questions can be e-mailed to info@pbtechguy.com or visit www.pbtechguy.com.

PB Tech Guy #004
by Steve Lowe

            “What is wrong with my computer?” “Why is it so slow?” “It’s taking forever!” Now, I know you all have said this before. A slow computer can be very aggravating. There are several reasons why our PC’s may be running slower than expected. We have discussed viruses and malware which can definitely contribute to slowing your PC. This leads us to the question of the week.
            Richard from Piney Flats asked “What causes my PC to run slower than it use to” Recently, I have worked on three computers that have 256MB of RAM. You may be thinking “What is RAM?” They are small circuit cards that fit on your motherboard and it stands for Random Access Memory. RAM holds the information with which you are currently working. Think of pouring water into a funnel and the small hole in the funnel is the RAM. The water represents the information your computer is processing. The smaller the hole, the longer it takes to pour the water or process the information. The larger the hole (more RAM), the faster your information will process.
            Not having enough RAM can definitely slow your computer. RAM upgrades are by far the best bang for your money. All applications such as Internet Explorer, the operating system, any graphics and even FreeCell and games all require RAM. Windows XP operating system requires a minimum of 128MB. That is already half the amount of total RAM on Richard’s PC. To run AVG antivirus, it recommends 256MB. All these things start to add up. I think 512MB should be the minimum amount of RAM needed today and 1GB would be preferred. Not enough RAM will cause a bottleneck in your system and may eventually lock it up. When you shut down and restart your computer, your entire RAM is released from all tasks. Most newer XP systems can hold up to 4 GB of RAM. (1024MB =1GB). First thing you should do is see how much RAM you have currently. To do this, right click on My Computer and then click on Properties. In the information block it will state your processor speed and the amount of RAM you have currently. Another option is to go to www.crucial.com. They can scan your system and tell you your upgrades options and what type of RAM you need for your PC. Your owner’s manual or the manufacturer’s website would also supply you with this information.
            Next week we will continue with Part 2 of discussing slow computers. Your questions can be e-mailed to info@pbtechguy.com or visit www.pbtechguy.com.

PB Tech Guy #003
by Steve Lowe

Some people may wonder, “Why should I change operating systems?” Of course we all know that technology is always changing and change makes money circulate. It always circulates from the consumer. Stating that, I am surprised that it took so long for Microsoft to come out with another system. The Vista operating system came out in 2007 and prior to that XP came out in 2001. Most users I know really do not care for Vista. I really like it and have it on one of my PCs. I believe most do not like it for several reasons including it is a resource hog, the lack of driver support and just because it is different. You have got to face it; we have all been spoiled by XP.
The question of the week comes from a former colleague of mine, Lee Roberts. Lee lives in Nashville and is a computer technician. Lee asks the question, “What do you think about Windows 7?” What I have read, it is basically an upgrade of Vista. Computer legend Leo Laporte states “It’s the best version of Windows ever”. I asked Lee her thoughts about Windows 7 and she thought it was a winner. She noted that it was easy to load and has a very nice layout. Also, Windows 7 has a XP mode so you don’t have to go looking for everything. Lee agrees with Laporte and she feels Microsoft got it right with Windows 7. My opinion, I would not recommend buying it just to have it. If I were in the market for a new PC, I would definitely buy one with Windows 7. Microsoft offers a free Windows 7 upgrade if you purchased Vista or a qualifying PC that has Vista preloaded after June 26, 2009. Questions can be e-mailed to info@pbtechguy.com or you can go to www.pbtechguy.com .

PB Tech Guy #002
by Steve Lowe

Before we get to the question of the week, I would like share some additional information about last week’s question, particularly malware. Most malware is detected by annoying pop-ups. There are around 350 different varieties circulating in cyber world. These pop-ups usually comes across as some sort of security program stating that your PC has become infected. You may also get a pop-up asking if you want them removed and if you click yes they try to charge you for their service. In all actuality, they are the ones that put it on your PC in the first place. Yes, it sounds like blackmail. Over the last couple of weeks, I have repaired five PCs with this problem. The good news is if you just download a small program these problems can be removed. The software I highly recommend is Malwarebytes Anti-Malware made by Malwarebytes Corporation. You can do a search and get the software, and for your convenience I have included on my website. Visit www.pbtechguy.com and you can get it from my download page. On the download page you will also find other helpful information. This is our free download of the week. If you have a question you can e-mail me at info@pbtechguy.com or visit my site.

The question of the week comes from Jerry in Piney Flats: How often should I defrag my hard drive? This was actually a question on the A+ exam. The correct answer when taking the test is once per month. However, I think it can vary according to the user. First I should explain what DEFRAG actually is. Your hard drive is divided in to areas called sectors where your files are stored. As you add and delete files on your hard drive the files get moved around from time to time and occasionally they get out of place. Think of your files as clothes that just came out of a dryer. They are all jumbled up, you fold them and place them in the location were they belong. That is basically what the Disk Defragmenter does. It neatens and organizes your files much like you do with your laundry. Doing this helps your computer run smoother. Back to the answer, once a month is a good rule. If you don’t use your PC that often, going 2 or 3 months should be acceptable. If you are like my mother and only use your computer to check your e-mail a couple times a week and to visit my website, it is safe to go a year or longer.

PB Tech Guy #001
by Steve Lowe

Welcome to the first column of the PB Tech Guy. This gives me the opportunity to help you with your personal computers. To ask a question you may e-mail me at info@pbtechguy.com or go to my website www.pbtechguy.com.

Debbie from Bluff City writes: I hear a lot about viruses, worms and trojans. I was wondering what is the difference between them? Hello Debbie. That is a very good question. Have you heard of H1N1, it is a virus!!! Seriously, just like the H1N1 can be contagious from person to person, so can computer viruses and worms. The main difference between worms and viruses is that a virus is designed to travel on one computer from file to file. Worms are designed to travel from computer to computer or through a network. Worms and viruses are usually transferred through e-mail. A trojan is different and recently has become more popular. A trojan actually comes in the category of malicious programs. These trojans do not replicate themselves likes worms and viruses. Many times they come as a popup on your PC stating your computer is infected. Then they try to sell you a program to remove it. Never give them your information. Please everyone remember to update your antivirus and malware removal software and always backup your important files on your hard drive.