Posts Tagged ‘Windows’
Monday, July 26th, 2010
Here’s a touchy question, are you good enough to run your machine as an administrator? I say no. And if you would have asked me that a year ago, I would have had a different answer. The owner of Solution Innovators challenged me to NOT run my machine with administrator rights at all times. Many people do and survive, but it’s a risk. What risk you ask?
If the phrase “running as an administrator” is greek to you, you should probably listen up. On your computer (doesn’t matter, Windows, Mac, or Linux) you have an user account. It’s probably named after you, after all, it is your computer. Well each user account has specific privileges, what we call rights, or permissions. If you operate your computer with administrative privileges, it means you can make changes to some very important system files as well perform what seem to be valid tasks as installing software or hardware. However whether you know it or not, the programs you run (and the ones you don’t) also have administrator access (generally speaking) and this creates an opportunity for bad things to happen.
Example 1: You accidentally make some changes or deleted important system files – now how do you get them back? Oops…
Example 2: A virus is downloaded without your knowledge and now has access to delete or infect the core files of your computer. It’s going to be very difficult to clean that computer and the safest bet is to reload the operating system which means time and money…Oops.
Example 3: Nothing tragic here, just some thinking. When you need administrator privileges for a task, installing software, hardware etc, you may be able to authenticate with your administrator account right then and there, or you simply have to logout, login as administrator, perform your tasks and log back in as yourself. This isn’t the end of the world and it actually got you to stop and think about why you have to put in your administrator password. “Do I really want to make these changes? Could there be any significant repercussions for my actions?”
So you’ll find a lot of people run as the administrator, however I do not and it hasn’t killed me yet. Think about it.
See you next time
Matt
Tags: Apple, Desktop, Linux, Security, Tips and Tricks, Windows
Posted in Desktop, Security, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Friday, May 28th, 2010
Today’s Freeware Friday brings you Paint.NET. (From their website:) Paint.NET is free image and photo editing software for computers that run Windows. It’s like Adobe Photoshop, but a lot cheaper! It features an intuitive and innovative user interface with support for layers, unlimited undo, special effects, and a wide variety of useful and powerful tools. An active and growing online community provides friendly help, tutorials, and plugins. I’ve haven’t used it myself yet, but my coworkers claim it’s one of the best freeware programs they’ve found.
Check it out at Paint.NET
Tags: Windows
Posted in Freeware Friday, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Friday, April 23rd, 2010
Today’s Freeware Friday post brings to you ImgBurn. ImgBurn is a lightweight CD / DVD / HD DVD / Blu-ray burning application that everyone should have in their toolkit. One of the greatest features of ImgBurn is the ability create ISO’s. An ISO file is an “image” of a CD or DVD and can then be saved to your computer.This is useful in organizing many disk’s and prevents the actual disk from becoming scratched. ISO’s can be used as a virtual CD/DVD or burned to a physical disk. To check it out their website, click here.
Note: You are responsible for the contents of your discs, do not commit software piracy!
See you next time,
Matt
Tags: New Technology, Tips and Tricks, Windows
Posted in Desktop | No Comments »
Friday, April 2nd, 2010
CutePDF is a PDF writer/printer. PDF stands for Portable Document Format and is often used to make electronic copies of documents we would normally see in print. The PDF format is a better choice than a Word document when we wouldn’t want anyone to change the contents of the document. Many people view PDF’s with Adobe Reader or other software, but what if you wanted to make your own?
On a Mac, it’s pretty easy since it’s built in. Simply choose Print from the menu of anything you would normally print and on the lower left of the Print dialog box, select PDF, and “Save to PDF,” choose a location to save the document and you’re all done.
In Windows, Microsoft has a Document XPS writer, but PDF is by FAR the standard way to preserve documents. Download CutePDF and install it. Now print any of your documents and be sure to use the File > Print method so you can change your printer. Instead of printing to a real printer, we’ll choose CutePDF Writer from the printer drop down, clock “Print” and save the PDF to a location of your choice.
Congratulations, you’re done!
See you next time,
Matt
Tags: Apple, Mac OS, Tips and Tricks, Windows
Posted in Desktop, Online | No Comments »
Friday, January 15th, 2010
So everyone asks the question, “What’s the difference between a Mac and a PC?”
Without giving a history lesson, there was a stereotype that Mac’s were good for artists but not for business. And of course, EVERYONE uses Microsoft Windows so that’s the way to go…
Well I hope to set a few things straight without starting a war, I’ll do my best.
There are some key differences between Apple and Microsoft. First of all, Apple decided long ago that for the best outcome, their operating system (based off of Unix) would run best on hardware they made themselves. This makes sense to a degree, the code can be tested against known hardware configurations. Microsoft on the other hand, made their money on their operation system known as Microsoft Windows. Microsoft doesn’t sell hardware (desktops and laptops) but instead relies on many manufacturers to build hardware that will run Windows. With this business model, Microsoft could focus on Windows and software and not necessarily the corresponding hardware.
Needless to say, both companies made decisions to what abilities they would include in their operation systems. At different points in time, these decisions weren’t known as features, but limitations. “Oh I can’t do that on my Mac but I can my PC” and visa versa.
If we fast-forward to today’s computing world, to the average person, both Mac and PC’s are different yet comparable. Many of the visual features were first introduced from Apple and many of the networking/corporate structure were introduced by Microsoft.
The computing giants are still sticking to their business models and that answers the question, “Why are Macs so expensive?” For more detail, it could be said that Apple uses high quality hardware that they stand behind much better than their competitors. Apple’s has built a reputation that there products will work day in and day out. Now, there are many PC’s that will do the same, but Apple’s customer service is tough to beat.
Tags: Apple, Windows
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Saturday, December 5th, 2009
So many people see us “computer guys” do a lot with the keyboard that appears to be magic. I will promise you we aren’t magicians, but knowing some keyboard shortcuts can cut down on the time your hand reaches for the mouse. The short cuts listed below work in most Windows applications and programs.
To use these, hold down the Ctrl key, press the secondary key and then let go of both. For real speed, use only one hand to complete these shortcuts (usually your left hand).
To copy (leaves the original) a file, image, or selection of text = Ctrl + C
To cut (removes the original) a file, image, or selection of text = Ctrl + X
To paste a file, image, or selection of text = Ctrl + V
To open the Open dialog box = Ctrl + O
To open the print Dialog box = Ctrl + P
To open a new document or file = Ctrl + N
To select all items in current window = Ctrl + A
To bold a selection of text = Ctrl + B
To italicize a selection of text = Ctrl + I
To underline a selection of text = Ctrl + U
To save a file = Ctrl + S
To undo an action = Ctrl + Z
To redo an action = Ctrl + Y
To search a web page or document = Ctrl + F
To open a new tab in Internet Explorer or Firefox = Ctrl + T
For Windows
To lock your screen = Windows key + L
To open start menu = Windows key
To open file explorer = Windows key + E
To show the desktop = Windows key + D
To minimize all windows = Windows key + M
To change windows = Alt + Tab
Hope these shortcuts can speed up your daily tasks!
Thanks for reading and check back soon for more useful information.
Tags: Desktop, Microsoft Office, Tips and Tricks, Windows
Posted in Desktop | No Comments »
Sunday, November 1st, 2009
Apple’s jump to offer quad-core processors in their iMac line-up with their new OSX Snow Leopard was a great move to rival Microsoft’s release of the much anticipated Windows 7. I’m looking forward to using both new operating systems soon in a production environment. For now, we are seeing many companies making the choice to stay with Windows XP for a few more years.
To view the new iMac, click here
To view Mac’s Snow Leopard, click here
To view Windows 7, click here
Tags: Apple, Buzzwords, Windows
Posted in Desktop | No Comments »
Wednesday, September 30th, 2009
As many of you have seen, there is a new version of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook etc), Microsoft Office 2007. Although the new version has been around a couple of years, many offices are still using the previous editions. One of the major changes is the way the program looks. I can promise you you’ll be in love with some of the new features as soon as you round the bend of the learning curve.
A more common change with the new version is the file format. In previous versions of MS Office, Word documents had a .doc at the end of the file, .xls for Excel files and .ppt for PowerPoints. The new version comes with the default of .docx, .xlsx, and .pptx respectively. There is the fear that previous versions of MS Office will not be able to open files saved in the new format. This is true unless the “compatibility plugin” from Microsoft is downloaded and installed. If you are unsure if your version has the compatibility plugin, contact Solution Innovators and we can test, and if necessary install it for you.
We have recently upgraded a client’s entire office at once and have a rolling distribution with other clients. If you are looking to upgrade, we can assist you with either upgrade method.
Tags: Microsoft Office, Microsoft Office 2007, Windows
Posted in Desktop | No Comments »
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