Emerald Green Glasses

My mother has wanted to put together a slide show for her blog, the ones where she has a lot of pictures she wants to upload anyway.  After a little checking I found the site authorSTREAM which offers free streaming of uploaded powerpoint slideshows, a function which seems perfect for this sort of application, since they not only allow pictures but voiceover as well.

So as a test, I?ve signed up, made a powerpoint slideshow of a few hardware pictures I?ve took a while back, and I?ve just uploaded it.

Now the site takes a few minutes to process the uploaded files for viewing, at which point I?ll confirm that the embedding process actually is as simple as it seems by trying the embed here.  If it works, that means I?ll have a complete set of simple options to go over with mom.

Ok, let?s try it now:

OldPCSlideshow

See more presentations by BNavigator | Upload your own PowerPoint presentations

Now it?s just upload, and make sure it plays right.

Ok, had to mess with a few permissions, but it it seems to have embedded just fine.  It seems to be loading really slowly though, I?ll have to check to see if that?s the network or something else.

Curious, on chrome it isn?t finishing loading, but firefox loads it just fine.  Same with Internet Explorer.  Well, I?ll just delete and redo the upload and see if that changes things

Excel, Open Office Calc, Google Docs.  There are other spreadsheets of course, though the differences between them are either cosmetic, or involve things that only power users would really think about.  Excel is the Microsoft Office spreadsheet, which is the industry standard, and is part of every Office suite sold by MS.  Open Office is an alternate free office suite developed as an alternative to MS office.  And Google Docs are a ?Cloud based? program, designed to run all the programs on Google?s servers and let you use them from any web browser on any internet connected computer.

All three programs work very similarly.  At heart, spreadsheets are all about the cells.  Since it?s tax time, one example would be to create a column, B for instance, where you would specifically record income received, or several columns for recording multiple types of income that might be seen differently when it?s time to calculate your taxes.  I?m leaving Column A unmentioned, because that?s almost always used to record the extra information- The month, the specific date, etc.

The real magic of spreadsheets however is functions.  You can use them to work pretty much any sort of mathematical calculation on the data in the various cells.  Indeed, in smaller countries, most of the economic analysis is done with spreadsheet programs.  But for most people, the Sum and Product functions are all you need.

To put a function in a cell, click the cell to select it, then click the in excel or open office, or in google docs for the function wizard where you can work out you?re full equations.Sum is the function that will add up all the numbers in a group of cells.  You can also subtract either static numbers or the contents of other cells by typing ??? in front of what you want subtracted.  The example here is excel which add the contents of cell B11 to 42, then add the contents of Cells C9 ?C15.  I?m using a blank sheet to make the example, so naturally the result is 42.  If I wanted to subtract B11, or 42, or the group of cells, clicking in front of the number.

You can click any cell in the spreadsheet to add it to the numbers, to select a range, click the start, then click the end while holding down shift.  If you want to add up everything in a column, click the column?s letter at the top of the screen.  If there are a few cells in a column you want excluded, hold down CTRL while clicking those cells.

The product function works the same, except in multiplies numbers together.  You can also put functions inside other functions, but that?s something to pick up over time.

One other thing to remember about functions, when you cut and paste one, it will automatically adjust itself to it?s new position.  For instance, if you?ve set up your spreadsheet so row 4 lists one type of data, and you put a function in cell B4 to sum up the totals in cells D4, F4, H4, J4, and so on however far, if you?ve got a similar set up on row 6, instead of repeating the setup for the function, if you select cell B4 and use Ctrl C to copy it, you can then click cell B6, and use Ctrl v to paste the function, and it will automatically adjust to sum up D6, F6, H6, J6, etc.

So, for tax season you can maintain a spreadsheet where you maintain predesigned column?s and rows for specific income, expenses, deductions and other information.  When it?s time to figure out the numbers for your forms, you can use the sum function to rapidly add up everything , and the product function to work out all the percentages and fractions at play.  Though if you do a bit of searching on your spreadsheets support site, you?ll probably find a template that?s already designed to have all the labeling and calculations worked out in advance for you.

A few other spreadsheet tips.  Odds are you?ve already had some advice on how you can adjust the size of columns by hovering your mouse cursor over the line between cells until it changes to a double headed arrow pointing to both sides, then clicking and dragging the mouse out to the size you want.  But if you want to resize a bunch of cells to the same size, you can select them by clicking the first then holding shift while clicking the last.  Then when you click and drag to resize one column, every selected column will resize the same way.

Also, if you consider the Sheet listing in the lower left, multiple sheets is a very useful way to separate many different types of data, like different types of income, or specific car or medical expenses.  And because functions work across sheets, you can create a summary sheet where you set up cells to maintain the totals of the data in the other sheets.  In the sheet where you want to gather all the information, click the cell where you?ll want that total, Click the Function button, and select Sum.  Then after clicking a box for numbers, click the name of the sheet where the data is in the lower left, select the cells with the data in that sheet, and either click OK, or select another number box if you want more numbers.

You can individually name each sheet by right clicking it?s tab and selecting Rename from the pop up list it generates.

There are a lot of ways to slip up and find your computer infested with Malware.  Well, whatever the circumstances, you?ll want to get rid of it once you know it?s there.

First off, you will want to figure out what?s on your machine.  Here?s a few of the online virus detection resources:BitDefender?s Online Malware Scanner, Kaspersky?s Online Malware Scanner, TrendMicro's Housecall, Mcafee?s Online Malware Scanner, Symatec?s Online Security Scanner.  You might want to use more than one of them, though not at the same time.

The first thing to do is download and install a legitimate antivirus-antimalware program with the latest updates.  After installation it will immediately run a scan of your system, give it time to work, and with luck it will find and with your permission remove all the malware.  Some good free antivirus programs with antimalware features too include AVG Free, Avira Antivir personal, and Avast Home edition.  There are also some standalone antimalware programs that can effectively supliment these, including Spybot ?Search and Destroy, Malwarebytes, and Ad-Aware Free.  The last two only have proactive functionality for their paid versions, but the free version offers plenty of power for Malware removal.

Even if your program can?t get rid of the malware, it should be able to identify it, and there?s a chance you could find a specially crafted tool to remove it with a google search.  Just double check the tool before downloading, to be sure it?s legitimate.

With a little luck, all you have to do is download the right cleaning program,and install and run it to clean out your computer.  Unfortunately, not all malware writers will make it that easy.  Many types of malware will prevent your system from installing antivirus software, or will make it crash when it tries to run, or will have been designed in a way that makes it hard for antivirus programs to get rid of them.

Time for the first escalation ? Reboot to Safe Mode.  Basically just shut down your computer, give it a few seconds to start booting up and start tapping the F8 key above your keyboard?s number keys.  This should offer the option to boot into safe mode, which boots your computer in the most bare bones almost nothing running setting as possible.  Which means that the malware you?re after is less likely to be able to interfere with your ability to install and/or run your antimalware program.

But if you can?t get rid of Malware even from Safe Mode, there?s another escalation to try ? System Restore.  There are a series of files and settings that control what programs work on your system and how they work together.  As a precaution against problems, your system periodically creates copies of these files and settings at various points.

Use the windows button to open the menu list, and go to accessories.  Then to System tools in the accessories submenu.  There you should see the icon to double click to open the System Restore option.  Open it, and assuming system restore was turned on (Which it is by default), you should have an assortment of restore points representing various moments when you installed different programs, changed settings, and generally made changes.  If you see one dated at a point when you?re pretty sure malware wasn?t installed on your system, select it and run the restoration.

After a few warning system restore will run and with luck erase all the connections the virus has to your systems.  Of course, it will also erase all the connections of any program you installed after that restore point was created so you may need to reinstall some of your programs to make them work again.  After running your antimalware program and hopefully getting rid of the now impotent malware file of course.

Sometimes though, even system restore will be compromised.  At this point, your pretty much stuck with the final option of reinstalling windows.  If possible, your goal should be to perform a Repair Install.  There?s slight differences for Windows XP and Vista.  A repair install will install the OS off the CD without getting rid of all the files on your disk.  Of course, it will remove most of the integrations between the programs and the OS and erase all the updates, so you?ll have to then invest a bit of time into updating the system and reinstalling all your programs.  I?d advise you to install your antivirus first, and let it take it?s time running it?s scans.  While the repair install should have rendered the malware impotent, it will still be there and should be eliminated promptly.

If every other option is lost, you can still run a clean install.  This will erase everything from your hard drive and reinstall the OS.  Naturally before you do this (And indeed before you try some of the earlier steps, just in case), you should download all your important documents and data off your current hard drive onto whatever sort of removable media you can use.  I myself would favor a portable hard drive, which are pretty affordable nowadays.  Just make sure not to try redownloading your data until after you?ve installed all your system?s updates and an antivirus.  And have that antivirus scan your portable drive for any virus?s that hitched a ride.

Of course, if you?re investigating Malware because it?s interfering with your systems performance, you may find it hard to extract your files and data.  Fortunately if you have any access to a clean computer with a working cd burner you?ve got a solution- Ubuntu.  I could talk a bit about Linux and Ubuntu, but all you need to know is that a Linux LiveCD is a freely available OS that can run off the cd, and can also access your disks just like your regular OS.  Just get whoever has the clean computer to download a recent Ubuntu Iso, burn it to a CD, and then you just have to load it into your PC?s optical drive and reboot.  At which point, I could go into the process of getting your data, but it?s been done with screenshots Here.

There are a few ways to upgrade your computer?s hardware, but Memory is both the easiest, and the most likely to improve your system's performance.

Of course, you should know in advance whether or not more memory will aid in your system performance. Fortunately it's not that hard to find out. First open the start menu, then the control panel in the right column. Among the options in the control panel will be for System. The system menu has a lot of options, but what's important is that it will open to a summary page. Here you'll see information on your processor, your memory, and some details on your OS.

Which are interested in is a wine labeled Memory(RAM). This will be on number followed by either MB or GB. If it's MB, then additional RAM will definitely improve your computer's performance. In the GB range, additional memory will improve performance, but the degree of improvement will diminish with each GB.

Basically, if you're running Windows XP, 1 GB will be plenty to get by with most tasks. Though more intense applications will run better with more memory (My mother upgraded her Ram from 1 GB to 2.25 GB and found the improvement to XP's voice recognition software was noticeable and quite appreciated.)

If you're running Vista, the system has a lot more going on in the background, so it's usually a good idea to consider upgrading if your memory is below 2GB.  But if you?re thinking of a major memory increase, make a point to look at the OS information on the System menu.  If it doesn?t say 64, then you?re using a 32 bit OS, which means it can?t use more than 3.5 GB of RAM. 

As to what memory to buy, that varies from motherboard to motherboard, so you always have to do a little research. If your computer is brand name, then the odds are it's make and model are printed right on the front. If your system is more handmade, just open the side panel, and look at the motherboard to record it's make and model. Then when you go to wherever you're shopping for more RAM, either online or at a local source, there's pretty much always a location where you can input this data and get a list of the memory that fits it's requirements.

Here?s the underside of a stick of DDR2 Memory (Pretty common now, with the current advanced machine memory being DDR3).  While all the sticks of modern RAM are about the same dimensions, each standard is made with a differently located ofset slot.  This serves the dual purpose of both allowing the memory card to only be inserted into it?s slot the right way, and preventing incompatible memory from being installed in a machine. 

Once you have your appropriate RAM card, Installing is straightforward.  Open your system, and look for the memory slots on the motherboard.  The number of slots vary from board to board, but their design has been consistent through several generations of RAM cards.  Each slot has two latches on the side.  Besides clicking into two notches on the sides of each memory card, the latches also hook to small levers at the bottom of each slot.  This means that if you need to remove a memory card, pushing down the two latches will also pop the card from it?s slot.

In addition, this means that once you have the memory sticks lined up so the slot in the card matches up with the slot, pushing the card down into place will also close the two latches on the side.  And there will be a soft click when the memory card is fully in place.

That?s it.  Just reconnect your power, turn your machine back on, and it will recognize the upgrade and should handle memory intensive programs a bit faster now.

Of course, sometimes defective memory will be shipped out.  It?s not common, but when my mother upgraded her system?s memory, a few weeks later irregular instability necessitated a memory diagnostic that found an error on one of the sticks of RAM.  Though of course, the manufacturers warranty meant we simply identified the defective RAM and exchanged it for a new one.

The free tool for diagnosing RAM can be found at http://www.memtest86.com/.  Download the ISO file, use any cd burning software to burn it onto a blank CD, then have it in your computer?s optical drive when it reboots.  It will open into a simple window showing very basic data as it? runs a series of memory tests.  Let the tests run for about half an hour, and if they haven?t reported an error, you know that there probably isn?t one on your RAM cards.  If they do report an error, to find what?s defective you?ll want to power down your computer, remove all but one of the Memory sticks, and reboot the memory tester, repeating until you?ve identified which RAM stick is defective.  Since virtually all memory has a manufactures warranty, it?s just a matter of trading it for a working stick of RAM.

Basic physics says that when electricity flows through any non-superconductor, it generates heat in the process.  Computers need to get rid of this heat in order to keep working, so cases are built to maintain an airflow across hot components to cool them.  Of course, another side effect of flowing electricity is that it generates an electromagnetic field, and electromagnetic fields tend to draw dust.

This photo of my mother?s computer is actually not the dustiest system I?ve ever cleaned out, that would be my older brother?s system which hadn?t been cleaned for several years when I opened it up.

Dust isn?t just an aesthetic problem for computers, it?s potentially much more serious.  First of all, dust can act like a heat barrier, reducing the effectiveness of your computer?s cooling systems.  Overheating makes a system less stable and more error prone.  Plus it pushes the fans harder making the system noisier.  Also, some dust is conductive, which means that exceptionally dusty systems actually have a risk of short circuits forming.

To clean your system, you?ll want to first power down and unplug your system.  And considering how much dust can be thrown into the air, it?s a good idea to consider moving your system someplace with good ventilation. 

In the case of my mother?s system, I was able to use the deck behind our house.

The first step is to open the side panel of your system.  The how varies from system to system, but the majority of computers made today try to simplify the process, securing the panel with either thumbscrews or some form of latch mechanism.  Once you?ve opened the computer, it?s time to start using the compressed air to blow away the dust.  Keep in mind, this is going to be blowing a fair bit of dust into the air.  Many sources recommend using a cheap dust mask you can buy at any hardware store.

Or you could improvise if you don?t think to pick one up.

Anyway, try working in short bursts, starting with the visible clumps of dust.  Next, you?ll want to go to work on the the hidden dust surfaces.  Look over the power source (The big box that your system?s power cord plugs into) and alternate blowing puffs of air into the openings both inside and outside the case (The changing airflow should help dislodge more of the dust.)  Now look at the CPU cooler.  It?s the big fan and assembly at the center of the motherboard.

Take a little time to look it over to figure out which direction the metal fins are lined up in (Note, if the style of cooler has the fins exposed, don?t touch them, their sharp.)  Direct a few shots of air from both sides to dislodge as much dust as possible.

Then you?ll just want to give a quick once over to the motherboard and peripherals with your can of air to blow off the remaining dust that you can?t see.  Then angle the air on the bottom of the case to blow the dust there out and you can close up your case, return it to it?s normal resting place, hook the cables back up and power it on.