You gott'a do it

I just finished removing 85 spyware files and 35 virus infected files from a computer that I have had here in the shop at least 4 times before. This gal is one of my wife's best friends, she is a single mother with 2 kids. She must have a computer for the part time home job she has. The problem is always the same, it is loaded with games that the kids download, also it is always loaded with spyware and viruses. I spent 3 1/2 hours cleaning it up this afternoon. The bad thing is, I know it will be back in 3 months or so. I use notepad to create a "read me now" file and put it right in the middle of the desk-top so she will have to click & read. It tells her what I fixed and what to do to keep it from getting messed up again. It tells her to keep the anti virus program updated, this is a must. It also tells her to update the spyware remover program and run it at least once a week. Don't use IE, use Firefox for browsing the internet. Use Thunderbird mail, not Outlook Express to read and send email. Stop the kids from downloading all those games loaded with ad on programs, get'em an X-box instead. If she would do these little simple things I bet I would never see her again. If everyone would do these little simple things I would have nothing much to do but watch TV.

Lost postcard page

Sometimes when you have so much stored away you loose track of things. I found a page that I do not have a link for anywhere. It is a postcard page, I have borrowed most of them from the Web but some are mine also. I will post a link from RipleyCounty Dot Net & WB9OTX.com in a few days. Here is the URL:
http://ripleycounty.net/postcards/PostCards.htm

More Radio Scanner

I have coded a page to make it a breeze to hear the
Versailles Radio Scanner. Just click HERE and you
will be directed to the Scanner splash page. If you
are using IE for your browser you are only one click
away. If you are using Firefox it is a few extra clicks.
If you have the IE Tab - extension that was in the
last Blog post you are still one click away. The new
Versailles Scanner page is:
http://scanner.wb9otx.com

I have been typing out the complete URL because
of the AOL and CS users. Someone emailed & told
me I do not need to do this as AOL has changed their
goofy browser to except clickable links. Can some-
one tell me if this is true. Can you AOL users tell
me if the scanner works in the AOL browser.

I go back to the hospital on the 29th (Thursday) to
get a stint removed. The Doc tells me it won't hurt
(much) but he will be going in from my bottom front
end. It ain't going to be pretty, so if you hear a load
scream Thursday you will know its me.

At any rate I'm sure this Blog will suffer when I get
back to normal health. It has been a big time killer
for me while I was shut in. I was never a book reader
but I have read two books and one great e-book
"The Art of Deception, Controlling the human
element of security" By Kevin Mitnick
This is a great book for anyone that is the owner of a
small or large company. Keven is one of the most famous
hackers of all time. If you are worried about security,
you will like what he tells you. You can download it
here: http://www.hackemate.com.ar/textos/taod/

Internet Explorer in tabs of Mozilla/Firefox.

A guru friend told me I was eat-up with FireFox, I think he
is correct. I hate to eat crow but some of Bill's pages just
won't look or work right in FireFox. This includes my new
Radio Scanner Page. I went looking on my old friend
Google and in a few clicks I found the cure. IE Embedding
in FireFox. As my Son tells me "You got it all Dad".

This is a must have extension, so go get it.

IE Tab - an extension from Taiwan, features: Embedding
Internet Explorer in tabs of Mozilla/Firefox.

If you need some instructions. (& you do)
Please visit our official website on http://ietab.mozdev.org
Install from here:
https://addons.mozilla.org/extensions/moreinfo.php?id=1419

Radio Scanner back on

Open Windows Medea Player (to Maximized) Version 7 or higher
On "File" (top left) Click "Open URL"
Copy & paste or type in: http://216.45.171.36:8080
Click "OK"
Look at the bottom left and you should see "buffering"
Then playing 12 K Bits / seconds
Now just wait a few minutes to hear the audio. The
digital audio is warblely by nature.

This is analog and the new 800 Mhz digital coming
from the Versailles Safe-T tower - Ripley County, In.
It will sometimes be off air when I'm using the computer
and off at bedtime. (drives my wife nuts) It has very low
bit rate, so it should work on a dial-up connection OK.
Let me know how you hear it.

Do I upgrade or buy new ?

Q.
I have a 700 Mhz HP computer with ME as the operating system. It has 128 Meg of RAM and a 20 Gig hard drive. I only use it for light word processing, Email & Web surfing. I also have a digital camera that I download my photos to the computer. Now with that known my question is, do I want to upgrade or just buy a new one, what would be better/cheaper ? Thank you for helping.

A.
I see nothing wrong with the processor speed as you are doing nothing that would demand a faster one. Don't get me wrong, a state of the art 3 + meg would get you there faster but at a cost. You would also need a mother board for a faster chip. I would ad memory to 512 total, do a clean Install with XP Home, then if you are low on hard drive space ad a second hard drive. The cost of this upgrade would run $200 to $250 if you do it yourself. If you take it to a computer shop the labor cost will make it unwise. If you can't do it yourself I would just plunk down about $425.00 for a new one. You can use your old monitor if it is working OK.

Look on the Web for a deal. Look at NewEgg.com http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16883102810
This is a very good company to deal with. I have used them for years and never had a bad experience. There are lots of other good companies, so shop around for the best deal. You may also shop local, most cities (small & large) have a computer store now. The good thing on buying local is if you have a problem you can get help without the hassle, but it will cost slightly more. Don't do eBay for new computers, why ? just don't, take my word for it.

One other thing, consider moving from dial-up to a broadband ISP. If you are close to the telephone switch (exchange) DSL is great. Cable is faster but at a higher price. Wireless and satellite are just too expense at this time, but keep checking as the price will come down sooner or later.

Hope this helps you decide on what to do.

Do you have a question or need advise ? email: jack.demaree@gmail.com and I or one of my guru nerd friends will help.

Please support my sponcers

http://skfuneralhome.com/ Stratton - Karsteter Funeral Home
http://frenchsurvey.com/ French & Associates Land Surveying
http://boschlights.com/ Bosch Lights
http://turnoverballhitch.com/ Turnover Ball Hitch
http://www.villageantique.net/ Village Antiques
http://betty.wb9otx.com/ The Master's Message
http://ripleycounty.net/ Ripley County Dot Net
http://wb9otx.com/ My personal Page
Need a Web Host I host mine here

My Hopewell

A little more than a year ago I received a phone call from a young lady wanting some advice on creating a Web Page for her church. She said she new very little on the subject. I thought this was going to be a nightmare, and I would have to code it for her. I told her to come to my home and I would do my best to help. I tried to explain the basics in layman terms the best I could on the complete process. I told her what software was needed to do the job at hand. I told her to call for anything she got confused or stuck on. I expected my phone to ring off the hook, but you know what ? no calls, that is only one telling me to look at what she had set up on a test site. I looked at it and I was amazed to say the least. There it was and it looked very professional, She had coded and FTPed it up to a temporary location. I looked it over and gave her a few thoughts on the page and obtaining a domain name from a company that I use. In a few weeks she had cleaned up the code and dressed the page up slightly, It looked very nice. I just could not believe the hard work and the amount of time she had invested. Believe me, to start from grown zero and not understanding how the programs work or even knowing any of the terms or buzz words, it was hard work to do what she did in the short amount of time. I look at this page about once per week to see the updates and changes added.

Pastor David Shivers of Hopewell Baptist Church should be very proud to have Mrs. Melissa Menchhofer as his Web Master. Look at her work at: http://myhopewell.org You also may want to email the Paster at: hopewell@seidata.com and brage on what a nice page it is.

You should be using FireFox

As you have been told "Do Not Use the default browser that comes with Microsoft Windows". You should be using FireFox. If you are not, go here and get it, It's free. Version 1.5 has now been released from beta. If you have an older version, its time to upgrade to 1.5. If you never ever take any of my advice, please make an exception and get the FireFox browser. Take advantage of "Tabbed Browsing, Pop-up Blocking, and Clear Private Data". I'm always telling you to clear your browser's cache, do it with 3 key strokes "ctrl+shift+Del", poof its gone.

get it here: http://getfirefox.com
or: http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/

Better Web Experience

Firefox 1.5 has an intuitive interface and blocks viruses, spyware, and popup ads. It delivers Web pages faster than ever. And it’s easy to install and import your favorites. Packed with useful features like tabbed browsing, Live Bookmarks, and an integrated Search bar, Firefox will change the way you experience the Web, for the better.

Faster Browsing

Enjoy quick page loading as you navigate back and forward in a browsing session. Improvements to the engine that powers Firefox deliver more accurate display of complex Web sites, support for new Web standards, and better overall performance.

Automatic Updates

The new Software Update feature makes it easy to get the latest security and feature updates to Firefox. Firefox automatically downloads these small updates in the background and prompts you when they are ready to be installed.

Tabbed Browsing

Use tabbed browsing to open multiple Web pages in a single browser window, and quickly flip back and forth. Drag and drop open tabs to keep related pages together.

Improved Pop-up Blocking

Firefox’s built-in pop-up blocker has been enhanced to block more unwanted pop-up and pop-under ads.

Integrated Search

Tap into the power of the Web’s most popular search engines with the built-in Search bar, and easily add new engines.

Stronger Security

Firefox keeps you more secure when you’re browsing the Web, closing the door on spyware, worms, and viruses. The Firefox community of developers and security experts works around the clock to monitor security issues and release updates to better protect you.

Clear Private Data

Protect your privacy with the new Clear Private Data tool. With a single click, you can delete all personal data, including browsing history, cookies, Web form entries and passwords.

Live Bookmarks

Stay up to date with your favorite Web sites and blogs. Use Live Bookmarks that update themselves automatically with the latest content from the Web.

Accessibility

Firefox 1.5 delivers easier navigation for everyone, including those who are visually or motor-impaired. Firefox is the first browser to support DHTML accessibility, which, when enabled by Web authors, allows rich Web applications to be read aloud. Users may navigate with keystrokes rather than mouse clicks, reducing the tabbing required to navigate documents such as spreadsheets. Firefox 1.5 (Windows version) is also the first browser to meet US federal government requirements that software be easily accessible to users with physical impairments.

Customize Firefox

Select new button controls for your toolbars, install extensions to add new features, or change the look of your browser with themes - the way Firefox looks and works is under your control.

Next Generation Web Support

Innovative new Web applications and services deliver a richer Web experience. Support for open Web standards in Firefox ensures you can get the most out of this emerging class of Web-based tools.


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Please support my sponcers:

http://skfuneralhome.com/ Stratton - Karsteter Funeral Home
http://frenchsurvey.com/ Jeffrey P. French & Associates Land Surveying
http://boschlights.com/ Bosch Lights
http://turnoverballhitch.com/ Turnover Ball Hitch
http://www.villageantique.net/ Village Antiques
http://betty.wb9otx.com/ The Master's Message
http://ripleycounty.net/ Ripley Couty Dot Net
http://wb9otx.com/ My personal Page
Need a Web Host I host mine here

A Christmas Card for You

Here is a little page I whipped up about 3 years ago.
I think you will like it if you have not seen it in the past.
http://ripleycounty.net/card/card.htm
Click on the link or copy and paste it into your browser.
Merry Christmas to all.

you get what you pay for

I have been having a problem with a clients web page that I do the coding and hosting for. I called the hosting company for advice and talked to a very sharp tech that solved the problem with just a few key strokes. You have heard the saying "you get what you pay for", this is so true. I pay $12.95 per month for each domain, this is above the average price, but one call to someone that is courteous and can fix what is broke makes it well worth the extra cost. If you need a Home Page I hope you will call me to create it for you, but if you feel you need another webmaster perhaps closer to your location, Please consider IX Web Hosting. They are not the cheapest but as far as I'm consurned they are one of the best, may be the best. Check them out HERE.

2006 calendar

Remember when businesses gave away free calendars. This is pretty much a thing of the past but you can get a free 2006 calendar from me. I must confess I downloaded it from Microsoft and stored the file on my server. You must have Microsoft Word or one of the clones to print it out. You can print one month or all 12. Download it HERE and save it to disk. It is only 150K, load it in Word and type your memos on it if you like before sending it to the printer. You may want to look at others at:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/CT011653371033.aspx

Performing a repair with XP

The advantage to performing a repair, instead of reinstalling, is that you do not need to re-install any applications, restore any data, or reconfigure any of your settings. The downside of this type of installation is that it does not clean up your system at all. In other words, it does not remove any clutter that has accumulated on your computer.

The basic steps for performing a repair are as follows:

Boot your computer using the Windows XP CD.

1. When prompted press Enter to install Windows XP.
2. After pressing F8 to accept the End-Use License Agreement, setup should detect your existing Windows installation.
3. Press R to begin the recovery process.
4. Setup will copy the necessary files to your hard drive and then reboot.
5. Do not press any key to boot from the CD-ROM this time. Instead, let setup continue.

After the repair is complete, be sure to reinstall the latest service packs and updates since they will have been removed during the repair process.

WinZip files - encrypted

Q: I need your help once again! I have some WinZip files on my computer that I previously encrypted for security purposes. However I have forgot the password and have tried everything I can think of. Is there a program out there that will break the password? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

A: There's a ton of programs out there that will do this for you. Do a Google search for "winzip password", with the quotes. I found lots that will crack this file for you. Some are free - some not, take your pick.

Send your questions to jack.demaree@gmail.com

I think I got it

After a few hours of experimentation, try this, try that, delete this, delete that, and on and on. I have this Blog looking and acting the way I want it. The archives from the old blog was the harest thing to be added and held in the side bar. I have decided to keep the Blog at this new location as it seems like a slightly faster server and it is not taking up any storage on my server (that I pay for). So please delete the old Blog bookmark and create a new bookmark here. How do I bookmark ? Just right click on this page anywhere there is no print and select "Bookmark this page". This Blog was created more than one year ago, sense then many people have sent questions, comments, and photos. I have enjoyed posting to this goofy thing alot. I just hope a few people enjoy reading my ramblings also. A great deal of work and lots of time goes into any type of page being it Blog, Web Page, FTP site, or what have you. You never finish and there are always new ideas to try, some work out and are added, some don't and are deleted never to return. I have a favorite quote that states "the more you know - the more you know you don't know". This is a very true statement.
Send your questions, comments, & photos to Jack.demaree@gmail.com You can also sign my guest book at the right on the side bar. Thanks for reading this Blog !

Jack

Find the two cars

Can you find the two cars ? This is the great Christmas snow
of 2004 Versailles, Indiana.

Dump your browser’s cache (Again)

I do a page for Stratton - Karsteter Funeral Home and it changes with each new obituary. I receive complaints quite often that the new postings do not appear. This is caused by your browser’s cache being full. You should clear (delete) these files that are stored there if your pages are not displaying the latest postings. The first thing to try is click the refresh icon located on the tool bar. Hitting F-5 will sometimes do the refresh also. If either of these do not work………….> Here is how you fix it:




Clearing Cache on Internet Explorer



Instructions on how to clear the History/Cache in Internet Explorer 4.0 and above on a PC.

1. Select "Internet Options" under the "View" or "Tools" option (depending on the version you are running) on the toolbar.
2. Under the "General" folder under "Internet Options", there is a section called "History". Change the "Days to keep pages in History:" to 0 and click the "Clear History" button.
3. Click "Apply" at the bottom of the "Internet Options" box, then click "OK"
4. To double check that everything is cleared, click the "History" button on the web browser toolbar - it should be empty. Also, click the arrow on the right of the URL Address box - it should be empty as well.




Clearing Cache on Firefox

1. Click Tools and select Options on the Firefox menu bar.
2. Click the Privacy Icon on the Option menu bar to open the Privacy Properties.
3. Click Clear across from the Cache option.
4. Click Ok to return to the browser main page.
5. Exit and re-launch the browser.




How To Clear Your AOL 9.0 Browser Cache


From the horizontal toolbar at the top of your screen, click on: Settings
A box appears called "Settings: Essentials".
Click on Internet [Web] Options - this will launch a window called "AOL Internet Properties".
Click on the 'General' tab.
Under 'Temporary Internet Files', click on the "Settings" button.
On the 'Settings' page, make sure "Every visit to the page" is Selected.
Click OK.
When you return to the 'General' tab, click on "Delete Files" to clear the cache.
Click OK.



You need to perform this cache cleaning about once a month or if you notice pages are displaying old content.

Look'in out my back door #2 (not CCR)

Its a nice snowy cool (28 deg) morning here in Versailles. The light snow is covering the old that was becoming a little dirty. I spent a few minutes talking with ham radio friends and gathering all the local gossip. I also have been listening to the scanner radio. The state and county are getting the snow plows ready for the slick becoming roads. My old Blog may become a thing of the past soon if my Web host doesn't get it fixed so I can upload. This means I must correct the links directing your browser to this Blog. I would like to merge the two togeather but have not figured out just how to do that as of yet, may be never. As some of you know I have had a kidney stone blasted to fragments with a laser. I have a stint inside and it won't be removed till the 29th of December. Hopefully about a week latter I will be back to normal. Until then I will be looking out the window a lot. I just heard the State Police say Highway 50 West of Versailles was becoming snow covered and very slick, but the Interstate (I-74) was clear so far. This rambling has just been a test file to see how the new blog is working. You may send questions, comments, or photos to me to be posted here if you like and don't forget you can still read the archives from the old Blog at:
http://wb9otx.com/blog/
Have a great day and stay warm if you live in the mid-west..........

Jack
wb9otx@gmail.com

Christmas Lights

This is a photo of a Christmas scene on Perry Street Versailles, In. Photo by: James Furiya