How2NotFail

This happened to me a long time ago, when I first started using windows, and I had NO idea how to fix it. All you see is a nice compact little border around your tasks, with no way to get back to the higher functions of your task manager. The File, Options, View, etc are gone, and you can’t even click the close button. It’s actually not broken! That, as with all ‘fun’ windows quirks, is a feature.

How Do I Fix It?

Double click any grey area in your task manager that isn’t a button or a menu item. This will toggle your window mode back and forth between the original and compact view.

If you have ever tried to take a screen shot of a video or movie playing in Winamp or Windows Media Player you may have found that after you save the file you are left with nothing more than a black square where your video used to be, even screen capturing utilities will often be unable to capture a screen shot from video playing on one of these media players. If you follow these simple steps according to the media player you prefer you’ll be able to save screen shots with Windows screen shot function or with third party programs just fine.

Windows Media Player

1. From the menu, go to Tools -> Options
2. Click the Performance tab
3. Slide the Video Acceleration setting as far as it goes to the left (None)
4. Hit OK to apply the settings
5. Take the screen shot you intended to take as you normally would
6. Slide the Video Acceleration option back to where it was

Winamp Media Player

1. From the menu, go to Options -> Preferences
2. Click on the Video menu
3. Un-check the box labeled “Allow hardware video overlay“
4. Hit OK to apply the settings
5. Restart Winamp
6. Take the screen shot you intended to take as you normally would
7. Check the “Allow hardware video overlay” box again to return it to normal

Everyone is always talking about SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and Pay Per Click campaigns. Trying to use that secret sauce to get onto the front page of google. To be quite honest, there are a lot of things that you can do, that don’t require any fancy know-how to greatly impact your success rate with getting indexed and ranking high in search engines. Here’s a few simple rules of thumb, that are easy to remember and implement.

1. Create Keyword Rich URL’s

Having the keywords you want directly in the URL is a great way to add more weight to those terms. A lot of CMS’ tend to like to give you some obscure URL ending in something like ?p=19&i=wt. I seriously doubt anyone will be searching for that. Many of the more popular Content Management Systems allow you to setup Permalinks (ex. WordPress). This lets you control the URL by hand. If your page is a walk-through for a popular video game, for example, consider something like /world-of-warcraft-guide.

2. Stay True to Your Site Structure

Using things like header tags (ex. H1, H2) and strong tags properly can make a world of difference. A good rule of thumb is to use one H1 tag per page, and follow up keyword rich titles with H2 tags. Always make sure that you never drop those header tags out of order. You never want to have an H3 tag before an H1 tag, and so on. The point of those header tags is not to provide a selection of font styles that you can attach to text, but rather to make search spiders better understand what your page is about.

3. Meta Information

Many people believe that Meta tags are going out of style. While they may not be as important as they used to be, they are still looked at. Always make sure you have a proper Doctype, Meta Keywords, Meta Description, Content Type / Char Set, and Title.

4. Valuable Link Text

The text you put inside achors is very important. Always make sure that your links are keyword rich. “Read More About Asbestos” is not nearly as good as “Read More About Asbestos” ( the bold here representing where you’ve placed your anchor ). Also, always include a the title property in your anchors (and the alt property in you images, for that matter).

5. Don’t Try to Trick Search Engines!

Trust me- don’t. You think you might be so clever using those terms of yours over and over again throughout the page, but let me tell you something- filling up 5 paragraphs with the words “Alaskan Trout” (if that’s the keywords you’re going after”) 300 times isn’t going to get you into high society. Trying to hide extra keywords all over your page by hiding them with styles.. naughty naughty. Google is designed to understand the natural imprint of a well put together page. And while there are many ways to improve your visibility by being more ‘clear’, cheating may very well get you blacklisted.

And remember kids, SEO is not an exact science. If you’ve read something here that doesn’t rub you the right way, don’t worry. We all bring our own experience to the table, and usually end up developing our own secret sauce, that flavors a combination of many different things.

Here’s a little gem that will save you time and effort when you’re trying to trouble shoot your computer’s internet connection. Windows comes standard with a fun little utility called ping, that can very quickly help you determine if your computer has an internet connection. Using your web browser or instant messenger to try and connect can sometimes give you a false positive, or misrepresent the problem you’re experiencing.

What is “Ping”?

Think back to those old war movies with submarines in them. At some point the submarine would have to dive, and a deadly game of battleships would begin with the enemy. There would be a brief shot of a radar with a spinning line on it, and a blip (or a ping). In computer terms, a ping is the response you get from another network device when you throw something at it. In this case it would be little packets of data, instead of sound.

A lot about a Ping is measurable, including how much data was sent, how long it took to get back, and where exactly you sent it (ie. what IP Address).

How Do I Use It?

To use the Ping utility follow these instructions:

1. Start->Run
2. Type in the letters: cmd
3. Hit OK

A black window should now appear (also known as Command Prompt)

4. Type the command ping followed by the host you wish to ping. For example: ping google.com
5. Hit Enter

If the command was executed successfully, you will receive several replies from that host. If it was unsuccessful, you may receive a “Ping request could not find ..” and so forth. Receiving a reply (unless under unique circumstances) usually means you’re good to go. When in doubt, try pinging a few hosts that you know will work. For example: microsoft.com, aol.com, bmw.com, or whitehouse.gov

6. When you’re done, type exit and hit Enter.

Putting it All Together

Feel free to explore the subject further. Ping will not only help you identify whether you’re online, but can also help you determine if a host or another computer on your network are available too. You can ping anything from a host name to an IP address.

JPGs, GIFs, and PNGs are common ingredients for many websites. Unfortunately it is not uncommon for these file types to be misused. When used properly, they provide an excellent method for keeping file sizes, and ultimately loading times, well under control.

Here is some general information about each file type.

JPG

Jpgs (or jpegs) are best used to display photographs, artwork, and other UI elements on the page. Particularly images with a lot of detail and color variation. Their compression level is very high, and provides an excellent means to bring the file size of those types of images way down.

GIF

Gifs are used primarily for images that contain solid blocks of color, and gradiants. Vector images do well in this format. In addition, Gifs are also able to store additional image data, such as a low quality alpha channel (transparency), and additional frames for animation.

PNG

Pngs are ideal for representing high quality images. They have a wonderful compression ratio while remaining lossless. In addition, they also have a high quality alpha channel to create soft transparencies and more antialiased looking edges, unlike the Gif which usually ends up looking like it was torn off the page. It is important to note that IE6 does not natively support the Png alpha channel, so make sure you use a proprietary library if you plan to use that feature (check with google).

Up until recently I too was one of those people that suffered from the choppy video on YouTube and other flash video sites. After fiddling around with a few of my audio settings, I was able to alleviate the symptom, and now have smooth video.

How to Fix It (Windows Vista)

The issue was resolved for me when I disabled my Audio Enhancements.

1. Start->Settings->Control Panel
2. Select Classic View
3. Double-Click the Sound Icon
4. Click on the Enhancements Tab
5. Check the box for Disable all Enhancements
6. Hit OK
7. Close all instances of Firefox and restart it

You should no longer have any problems with your video skipping or stuttering.

Sometimes when using an application in windows you may be thinking “there must be an easier way to do this”, fortunately for us there usually is. To save you the time of figuring them all out yourself, here is a quick list of some of the more usefull shortcuts you may find yourself using frequently once you know what they do:

Windows Key + D – Takes you directly to your desktop and minimizes any open applications.

Windows Key + L - Logs you out of your current Windows user account.

Windows Key + R - Brings up the Run menu, allowing you to easily start applications, such as those listed in the Start-Run Shortcuts list.

Windows Key + F - Opens up the Windows search where you can look for files.

Ctrl + Shift + Esc - Opens up the task manager, usefull when applications crash or stop working and you need to end them.

Prt Scr/Sys Rq - Most people have no idea what this button by their number pad actually does, when pressed it will copy a snapshot of your screen to your clipboard which you can then paste into any editing program such as MSPaint and save as a screenshot.

Alt + Prt Sc - Same as above, only it will capture just the window currently in focus.

Windows Key + Pause/Break - Brings up your system properties dialogue, same as right clicking ‘My Computer’ and selecting Properties.

Ctrl + T and Ctrl + W - Most browsers that support multiple tabs such as firefox will use these shortcuts to open a new tab or close the current tab respectively.

Shift + Enter - Will insert a line break in most applications that would otherwise use Enter as a ‘send’ command, such as messenger programs.

Most of these tips will work on Windows XP or Windows Vista, and some work on other operating systems as well.

Microsoft is getting better- at taking us for everything we’re worth.. lawl.

So I was at work a few days ago, trying to figure out how to setup my Windows Vista: Home Edition computer to connect to a domain. Don’t ask me WHY my computer has Vista Home on it, at work, and not Business or Ultimate (my boss likes to cut corners). Anyways, I guess Microsoft figured that there should be no reason for someone to setup a domain at home since it’s primary purpose is to serve as a “home entertainment center”, so Home Edition doesn’t support it.

I ended up getting on the network using Windows Vista’s native VPN support though. Still annoying- but hey, that’s Microsoft.

Is it Possible to Set Up a Domain on Windows Vista?
Long story short- No. It’s not supported.

Which Versions of Vista Support it?
Vista Ultimate and Vista Business

File extensions are usually the source of a lot of problems for novice windows users. Having them hidden makes it easy for file types to get confusing and even obscure, since you only have icons to go by. In some cases, it may even lead to the unknowing opening of an infected file, that packs your system full of fluffy virus’s and malware. ( Reference: Which Downloads Have a Virus )

What are File Extensions?
File extensions are the few letters and numbers that follow the last “.” (period, or ‘dot’ as it is commonly referred to as) at the end of your file, that associate it to a particular program. That is to say, windows keeps a list of file-types, and based on your system settings, will try to open that file-type with whatever installed application it has available (and associated to that file-type). For example, if you have an image file like MyDog.jpg, windows may try to use MSPaint to open it.

Why Can’t I See Them?
Good question! Microsoft likes to disable that little feature in case you don’t know what you’re doing. Should you accidentally rename a file extension (.xyz), windows will no longer know how to open that file. It’s a fail safe. Once your system is set to show file-types, it is important that you only rename the first portion of the file name. Ex. “MyDog.jpg” becomes “MyBestFriend.jpg“. The .jpg must stay the same in order for windows to still recognize that particular file as an image.

Alright, I get it. How do I show file-types?
1. Double Click any folder, or the Computer icon on your desktop
2. Tools->Folder Options
3. Click on the View Tab
4. Uncheck “Hide extensions for known file types”
5. OK

*Note* – The instructions above are intended for Windows Vista, but should be very similar in other windows versions as well.

Is there an easy way to tell for sure if a download has a virus? No. But- There is an easy way to tell if it doesn’t have one! The secret lies in file types. Generally speaking, there are two types of files. Executable files and data files. Executables are any type of file that has the ability to execute code on your computer. Data files (like pictures, or audio) are read by other programs.  No code is executed.

There are exceptions to the rule, and even ways to bend the rules a bit. Computers are very tricky business. In most cases, the below mentioned file types should be okay. I would like to caution against Microsoft Office file types, however, since those may contain macros that have the ability to execute malicious scripts if you don’t pay close attention.

( Reference:  How to Show File Extensions )

Here is a list of commonly used safe file types:

- Image Types -
jpg, jpeg, bmp, png, tif, tga

- Audio Types -
mp3, mid, ogg, au, wav

- Video Types -
mov, mpg, avi

- Office Documents -
xls, docx, doc, txt, rtf, ppt

- Compressed / Zipped -
(While the actual compressed file won’t be infected, note that what’s inside could be. Always check.)
zip, rar, ace, 7z, gz

The above mentioned file types are very common, and should under almost all circumstanced never be “infected”.

- Common File types that could potentially be infected -
(Always scan with an Anti-Virus if you’re not sure)
exe, bat, vbs, cmd, pif

In any case, knowing this tid bit of information goes a very long towards keeping your computer intruder-free. Always have a trusted anti-virus (ex. AVG, which is free) and try to download only from trusted websites and friends.