A Tip A Day ~ {ERG}

[LoneRanger]

{ERG} ~ A Tip A Day ~

In many ways, XP is the most reliable and user-friendly version of Windows to date. However, it is not without problems. If you use XP on a regular basis, you’ve probably been infected once or twice by Windows Fever — a serious condition marked by elevated blood pressure, sudden verbal outbursts at your computer screen, and the mad desire to toss your entire PC out a window. If you are currently experiencing these symptoms, step away from your computer, count to 10 (better yet, make it 1,000), and start visiting this thread everyday for:

A TIP A DAY - ANOTHER QUALITY RELEASE FROM YOUR FAVORITE {ERG} GROUP.

If you haven’t contracted the disease yet, consider yourself lucky. With a good diet, regular exercise, and the digital preventive medicine that I will be sharing with you all, you can expect to remain free of the fever.

PLEASE NOTE THAT NONE OF THESE TIPS HAVE BEEN ACTUALLY WRITTEN BY ME (though I have tried and used successfully quite a few) THEY HAVE ALL BEEN COLLECTED FROM VARIOUS SOURCES IN MY SOJOURNS THROUGH THAT WIDE AND WONDERFUL PLACE WE CALL THE INTERNET.

[/center]

22 October 2007:



FIX INTERNET ISSUES

One day your Internet is sailing smoothly. The next day it is dead in the water. Sound familiar?

From connection difficulties to broken downloads, Internet issues are some of the most common problems.

A common problem experienced by Windows XP users is a malfunctioning Internet connection.

There are several reasons why this occurs — and just as many remedies.

Repair a broken Internet connection

Temporarily Disable Your Software Firewall

Sometimes a software firewall like ZoneAlarm or Norton Personal Firewall can experience a digital “hiccup” that interferes with the way it monitors and manages your Internet connection.

Common symptoms of this problem include a suddenly slow Internet connection,Web pages that stall or are unresponsive, or the complete inability to access the Internet.To determine if your firewall is the cause of your problems, you can temporarily disable it as follows:

1. Right-click the icon for your firewall, which is usually located in the lower-right corner of Windows near the clock.

2. Select the Stop All Internet Activity option.

3. Try connecting to the Internet. If you are successful, then restart your
firewall by right-clicking its icon near the Windows clock and selecting Enable or Restore. If the firewall’s icon is not there, then you must manually restart the program by doing the following:

a. Click the Start button in the lower-left corner of Windows.

b. Click All Programs.

c. Select the folder containing the name of your firewall software. For example, if you use ZoneAlarm, then select the Zone Labs folder.

d. Click the shortcut to launch the program.

4. If re-enabling your firewall causes your Internet connection to malfunction again, then it is likely that your firewall is corrupted and must be reinstalled by following the steps below. This requires its original installation CD-ROM or its digital installer and license key.

a. Click the Start button in the lower-left corner of Windows.

b. Click the Control Panel. (If you don’t see this option, your Start menu is in classic mode. In that case, click Settings, and then select the Control Panel.)

c. Double-click Add or Remove Programs.

d. A window opens. Scroll down the list until you see the name of your firewall.

e. Click the name of your firewall, and then click the Remove button on its right. If a message pops up and asks you if you want to uninstall the program, click the Yes button.

f. After the firewall is successfully removed, reinstall it by using its CD-ROM or installer program.

[LoneRanger]

23 October 2007:



Reboot Your Modem, Your Router, or Both

Sometimes a malfunctioning Internet connection can be caused by an error in
computer hardware such as a cable or DSL modem or a router. To correct any problems with these devices, you must reboot them as follows:

1. Shut down your computer.

2. Unplug the power cord from the back of your modem and router. An alternate method is to use the tip of a pencil to push the small reset button located at the rear of the modem or router.

3. The lights on the front of your modem or router go dark. Wait 30 seconds, and then plug the power cord back in. This causes the lights on the front of the modem or router to begin blinking rapidly in a particular pattern. Wait for an additional 30 seconds, and then restart your computer.

[LoneRanger]

24 October 2007:



Use ipconfig

If temporarily disabling your firewall or rebooting your hardware didn’t get you
back online, then there might be a problem with your IP address. To resolve this issue, you must use a program called ipconfig. Here’s how:

1. Click the Start button in the lower-left corner of Windows.

2. Click Run.

3. A window will open. Type cmd in the blank space, and then click the OK
button or press the Enter key.

4. A command window opens. Type ipconfig /flushdns , and then press the Enter key.

5. Type ipconfig /release and press the Enter key.

6. Type ipconfig /renew and press the Enter key.

7. Close the command window by clicking the X button in the upper-right corner.

[LoneRanger]

25 October 2007:



Reinstall TCP/IP

On rare occasions, corruption or damage can occur to the section of Windows that handles your Internet connection.

To fix this problem, you must reinstall the TCP/IP stack, like this:

1. Click the Start button in the lower-left corner of Windows.

2. Click Run.

3. A window opens. Type cmd in the blank, then click the OK button or press the Enter key.

4. A command window opens. Type netsh int ip reset c:\resetlog.txt and then press the Enter key.

5. If you can successfully connect to the Internet, you may discover that this fix has altered or corrupted your antivirus program, antispyware program, software firewall, or other programs that monitor your Internet activity. In that case, you must reinstall those programs by following the steps below.

This requires their original installation CD-ROMs or their digital installers and license keys.

a. Click the Start button in the lower-left corner of Windows.

b. Click the Control Panel. (If you don’t see this option, your Start menu is in classic mode. In that case, click Settings, and then select the Control Panel.)

c. Double-click Add or Remove Programs.

d. A window opens. Scroll down the list until you see the name of your Antivirus, antispyware, or firewall program.

e. Click the name of the program, and then click the Remove button on its right.

f. If a message pops up and asks you if you want to uninstall the program, click the Yes button.

g. After the software has been successfully removed, reinstall it by using its CD-ROM or its installer program.

[LoneRanger]

26 October 2007:



Repair the Winsock

Another potential cause of your inability to connect to the Internet is a winsock file that has been altered or damaged by spyware or other digital threats.

Fortunately, repairing the winsock is easy to do. The appropriate method of repair depends on whether you have installed a special collection of Windows security patches known as Service Pack 2. Check for it by doing the following:

1. Right-click the My Computer icon on your desktop. If this icon is not available, then click the Start button in the lower-left corner of Windows and right-click My Computer. If you can’t find the My Computer icon anywhere, do the following:

a.  Right-click in the empty space on your desktop.

b.  Select Properties.

c.  A window opens. Click the Desktop tab.

d.  Near the bottom of the window, click the Customize Desktop button.

e.  Another window opens. On the General tab, beneath Desktop Icons, place a checkmark next to My Computer.

f.  Click the OK button.

g.  You are returned to the previous screen. Click the Apply button.

h.  Click the OK button.

i.  The My Computer icon appears on your desktop. Double-click it.

2. Select Properties.

3. A window opens. Under the tab labeled General, look for System.

Beneath it, you should see some words identifying your version of Windows as well as any service packs that are installed. To repair the winsock, try the fixes in the following sections that correspond to the type of service pack you have (if any).

To repair the winsock if you have no Service Packs or have Service Pack 1:
1. Click the Start button in the lower-left corner of Windows.

2. Click Run.

3. A window opens. Type regedit in the blank, and then click the OK button or press the Enter key.

4. The Windows Registry Editor opens. In the left window pane, double-click the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE registry key. If you can’t find it, do the following:

a. In the left window pane of the Registry Editor, scroll to the top.

b. If any of the HKEY registry keys are open — as indicated by a minus sign (-) on their left side — then close them by clicking that minus sign. When a registry key has been properly closed, it will have a plus sign (+) next to it.

c. Repeat this process for the remaining HKEY registry keys until the only things visible in the left window pane are the five HKEY keys.

d. Double-click the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE registry key.

5. A new column of registry keys appears. Double-click System.

6. Another column of registry keys appears. Double-click CurrentControlSet.

7. Double-click Services.

8. A long list of registry keys appears. Scroll down until you see Winsock, and then right-click it and select Delete.

9. You are asked to confirm the deletion. Click the Yes button.

10. Repeat this procedure to delete the Winsock2 registry key.

11. Exit the Registry Editor by clicking the X button in the upper-right corner.

12. Shut down your computer and restart it.

13. After returning to Windows, click the Start button in the lower-left corner.

14. Click the Control Panel. (If you don’t see this option, your Start menu is in classic mode. In that case, click Settings, and then select the Control Panel.)

15. If the Control Panel is in category view, click the Network and Internet Connections category, and then click the Network Connections icon. If the Control Panel is in classic view, simply double-click the Network Connections icon.

16. In the right window pane, right-click the name of your network connection.

17. Select Properties.

18. A window opens. Click the Install button.

19. Another window opens. Click the Protocol icon, and then click the Add button.

20. Under the Network Protocol heading, click Microsoft IPv6 Developer Edition (unless your version of Windows is configured differently, in
which case you might see the words Microsoft TCP/IP version 6).

21. Click the Have Disk button.

22. Another window opens. In the box below Copy Manufacturer’s Files From, type C:\Windows\inf (unless Windows XP is installed in another location, in which case, replace C: with a different drive letter followed by a colon).

23. Click the OK button.

24. A new window opens. Under the Network Protocol heading, click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and then click the OK button.

25. A moment later, you are returned to one of the previous windows. Click the Close button.

26. Shut down your computer and restart it.



To repair the winsock if you have Service Pack 2:
1. Click the Start button in the lower-left corner of Windows.

2. Click Run.

3. A window opens. Type cmd in the blank, and then click the button labeled OK or press the Enter key.

4. A command window opens. Type netsh winsock reset, and then press the Enter key. This restores your winsock to its original, default configuration.

5. Shut down your computer and restart it.

[LoneRanger]

27 October 2007:



Use the System File Checker

Yet another possible cause of your Internet woes is corruption that has occurred
in Windows’ critical system files. By using a program called System File Checker, you can search for and automatically repair any of these damaged files.

Here’s how:
1. Click the Start button in the lower-left corner of Windows.

2. Click Run.

3. A window opens. Type sfc /scanow in the blank, then click the OK button or press the Enter key.

4. Windows scans your computer to determine whether or not your system files are corrupted. If any files need to be replaced, a message may pop up and ask you to insert your Windows XP CD-ROM.

Follow the on-screen instructions.

5. If repairs are made, your damaged files may be overwritten by older versions. As a result, some recent security updates and patches may no longer work properly. This could make your computer vulnerable to Internet threats like worms and hackers. To restore your protection, visit the Windows Update website to re-download the patches.

[LoneRanger]

28 October 2007:

Back Up Your Bookmarks

During your many Internet journeys, you have probably collected countless bookmarks that can whisk you away to your favorite websites with one click of the mouse. If your bookmarks are erased, you’ll probably have a difficult time finding your way back to some of those sites, so don’t take any chances — backup your bookmarks today.

Follow these steps:
1. Open Internet Explorer.

2. Click the File drop-down menu.

3. Select Import and Export.

4. The Import/Export Wizard opens. Click the Next button.

5. Select Export Favorites, and then click the Next button.

6. To export all of your bookmark folders, click the Next button. To export only one folder, click its name, and then click Next.

7. Under the Export to a File or Address heading, click the Browse button.

8. A window opens that allows you to choose the location on your computer where your bookmarks will be saved. Click the Save In drop-down menu, and then select a drive or folder.

9. In the box labeled File Name, type a name for your backed-up bookmarks, such as My Bookmarks or Exported Bookmarks.

10. Click the Save button.

11. You are returned to the previous window. Click the Next button.

12. Click the Finish button.

13. Use a backup device like a CD or DVD burner to save a copy of your exported bookmarks.

[arney]

Zorrow, No need........ That was a fuckin' pain in the ass to read.

[LoneRanger]

29 October 2007:



Restore Missing “Favicons”

Favicons are the small pictures displayed alongside a website’s address. When you create a shortcut to a website — known as a bookmark or a favorite — the favicon for that site is attached to the bookmark. Many computer users enjoy having their bookmarks enhanced by the fun, eye-pleasing favicons and are puzzled when the favicons suddenly vanish. The reason for this disappearance is that favicons are stored in your Temporary Internet Files folder. Whenever this folder is automatically or manually emptied, the favicons are deleted along with all of your old Internet files. Unfortunately, this leaves your bookmarks looking rather bland and lifeless. To correct this problem, you can use a free program called FavOrg that will automatically find and replace your missing favicons, or you can replace them manually.



Automatically Restore Favicons

There is a wizard, called Extraction Wizard, that you can use to automatically restore your favicons. To use this wizard, follow these steps:
1. Open your Web browser.

2. Go to an Internet search engine like Google, MSN , or Yahoo!, and search for the word FavOrg.

3. Visit one of the websites offering FavOrg, and then download the program (usually it is packaged in a compressed “zip” file).

4. When the download is complete, right-click the zip file and select Extract All.

5. The Extraction Wizard opens. Click the Next button.

6. If you want to unzip FavOrg in the same folder it was downloaded to, click the Next button. If you want to unzip it in a different folder, click the Browse button, select a new location, and then click the OK button.

7. FavOrg is extracted to your selected folder, which should only take a few seconds. When the process is complete, click the Finish button.

8. Double-click the unzipped FavOrg folder to open it. Inside, doubleclick the Setup program.

9. The installation of FavOrg begins. Follow the on-screen instructions.

Manually Restore Favicons

If you want to manually select which favicons to restore, follow these steps: Note This technique might not work with some websites.
1. Double-click the My Computer icon on your desktop.

2. A window opens. Double-click the icon for your C: drive (unless you have Windows XP installed on a different drive, in which case, doubleclick the letter for that drive).

3. Click the File drop-down menu located in the upper-left corner.

4. Select New.

5. Select Folder.

6. A new folder appears on your C: drive. Rename this folder Favicons.

7. Open Internet Explorer.

8. In the address bar, type the address of a website that has a favicon you want to capture.

9. After connecting to the website, click the Tools drop-down menu located at the top of Internet Explorer.

10. Select Internet Options.

11. A window opens. Beneath the Temporary Internet Files heading, click the Settings button.

12. Another window opens. Click the View Files button.

13. A Temporary Internet Files folder opens. At the top of this folder, click the View drop-down menu.

14. Select Details.

15. Scroll through the Temporary Internet Files folder and find the favicon that corresponds to the website you just visited.

16. Right-click the favicon and select Copy.

17. Return to your C: drive.

18. Double-click the Favicons folder you created.

19. Inside this folder, right-click in the empty space and select Paste. This pastes the new favicon into the folder.

20. Return to your C: drive.

21. Double-click the Documents and Settings folder.

22. Double-click the folder containing the name of your Windows account. For example, if your account is named Bob, then click the Bob folder.

23. Double-click the Favorites folder.

24. Locate a bookmark you already have that corresponds to the favicon you just copied. If your bookmarks are organized into different folders, you might have to search through them until you find the proper bookmark.

25. Right-click the bookmark and select Properties, which opens the Properties window.

26. Click the Web Document tab.

27. Click the Change Icon button.

28. A new window opens. Click the Browse button that is next to Look for Icons in This File.

29. Another window opens. At the top of it, click the Look in. Next drop-down menu and, select your C: drive.

30. Double-click the Favicons folder.

31. Double-click the favicon you copied.

32. You are returned to the previous window. Click the OK button.

33. You are returned to the Properties window. Click the Apply button.

34. Click the OK button. This creates a permanent link between the bookmark and the favicon.

35. To create lasting favicons for all of your favorite websites, repeat this process as many times as necessary.

[LoneRanger]

30 October 2007:



Prevent Crashes When Copying Text from a Website

Sometimes when you copy a Web page and try to paste it into Microsoft Word, the graphics in the Web content will cause Word to freeze or crash. To prevent this, try these fixes:
• Do not paste an entire Web page into Word.

• Copy small sections of the Web page and paste them into Word one by one.

• Do not copy text and Web pictures simultaneously.

• If possible, copy and paste each picture or image individually.

• A never-fail alternative is to paste the Web content into Notepad, and then transfer it to Word. This option is ideal for large blocks of text. A word of caution: pasting Web content into Notepad strips out all pictures, images, and graphics, leaving only plain text. If you’re okay with that, follow these steps to transfer Web content:
1. Click the Start button in the lower-left corner of Windows.

2. Click All Programs.

3. Select Accessories.

4. Click Notepad.

5. Copy the website text and paste it into Notepad, which will strip the text of its Web format and convert it to plain text.

6. Copy the text from Notepad and paste it into Word.