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Archive for the 'Definitions' Category

How to Speed Up a Slow Computer (for non-technical PC users)

Posted: Thursday, September 1st, 2011 @ 9:00 am in Definitions | No Comments »

by Jerry Stern Computer Tech and Webmaster at PC410.com    Most computers run far more slowly than they should. Either they’re infected, or loaded with startupware, or they’re running too much old junk. The key to cleaning these up is knowing what software is running, and managing it. If the computer is infected, the cleanup [...]

Virus Warning! (Generic Reply to a Forwarded Hoax)

Posted: Thursday, August 18th, 2011 @ 9:39 am in Definitions | No Comments »

by Jerry Stern Computer Tech and Webmaster at PC410.com    Dear Friend– I’ve received your latest forwarded message about the virus that is going to destroy the internet as we know it if we open that email with the urgent-sounding title. Please don’t forward these to anyone–they create FUD. That’s Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt. They [...]

How to Write Instructions

Posted: Wednesday, August 12th, 2009 @ 9:42 am in Definitions | No Comments »

by Jerry Stern Editor, ASPects In the brave new world of always-online software, help files have changed. We used to write HLP files. Now, it’s compiled hypertext, or CHM files, or sometimes, it’s a web page, and not much else. Format shouldn’t affect function, but it does–the industry is getting horribly sloppy, and have forgotten [...]

WinDefender 2008 in the Wild

Posted: Wednesday, August 27th, 2008 @ 3:52 pm in Definitions | No Comments »

A recent rogue cleanup was easier than usual–there was an image backup to restore, and there was time to backup the contents of the infected drive before cleanup, and scan it a few weeks later with the newest, latest greatest antivirus/antispyware definitions. All the “infections” shown below are fake, of course. And WinDefender 2008 is [...]

Trialware and the Dell Vostro

Posted: Friday, July 27th, 2007 @ 2:56 pm in Definitions | No Comments »

Dell has had its share of bad press over bad decisions. Usually, they’re like most big companies that just don’t get it. Now, they’re advertising a new series of computers, called “Vostro”. No, I don’t know how they could possibly trademark that in Italy, where it would mean “Your Computer”. Like I’ve said, bad decisions. [...]