Screen Capture

Posted on August 4, 2010 by David Rier

One of the most useful tools that you can carry in your tech support toolbox is a good screen capture software package.

Yes, you can capture a screen image using the Ctrl-PrtScn keys on your PC and it’s free.  However, that method of screen capture has some limitations.

I personally use the Snagit software program from TechSmith (www.techsmith.com/snagit/).  It has a 30-day free trial available and its purchase cost is $49.95.

Snagit has a number of advantages over Ctrl-PrtScn.  Some of them are:

  • You can set your own activation key combination
  • You can determine what you want to capture (I.e. part of a screen, an active window, a full screen, etc.),
  • You can capture a Window that spreads past the visible screen size (E.g. a tall web page),
  • You can edit the captured image (E.g. crop, annotate, etc.)
  • You can save the edited image in over 20 different file formats (including .jpg, .bmp, .tif, .gif, .png, etc.)

Accurate, annotated screen captures can help you in a number of situations.  You can generate your own professional-looking documentation and operating instructions, pass on exact and annotated information to tech support companies, etc.

Posted in Computer Advice, PCs, Personal computing | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Software Tools

Posted on July 27, 2010 by David Rier

IT support professionals, spend a large part of their time diagnosing and fixing problems.  The problems can be in hardware or software.

For hardware problems, you need a set of tools.  Screwdrivers, pliers, etc. help you to install, remove and access various parts of the hardware.  Using the tools, you diagnose the hardware issue and (hopefully) come up with a remedy for the problem.

For software problem, you also need a set of tools.  However, such tools are not standardized (like a Phillips screwdriver).  There are lots of interesting and specialized software tools available to you.  In some future posts, I will discuss some favorite and useful software tools that you may want in your “tool box”.

Posted in Computer Advice, IT Manager 101, PCs, Personal computing | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Internet Explorer vs. Mozilla Firefox

Posted on July 23, 2010 by David Rier

Internet Explorer (IE) and Mozilla Firefox represent almost 5/6 of all web browser use at this time.  They can each be used as your PC’s primary (or sole) browser.

Do you have to make an irrevocable choice between IE or Firefox?  No.  In fact, you can load both browsers onto your PC.  One must be designated as your primary (default) browser, but you can use the other browser at any time.

I currently use Firefox as my primary browser.  I still use IE in certain situations (which I will explain below).

Why do I use Firefox as my primary browser instead of IE?

  1. It is a free, open source application, so I it does not have to serve the corporate needs of its developer.
  2. IE has the largest “bulls-eye” on it with respect to malware attacks.  At the moment, malware writers seem to be focusing more of their attacks on IE than on any other browser.  As a result, Firefox seems safer.
  3. Firefox has a plethora of add-ins available that give it additional capabilities.  With such add-ins, I customize my browser to work more fully and more smoothly for me.
  4. The release schedule of updates to Firefox is much more frequent than the schedule for IE.

Note: I have both Firefox and IE on my PC.  Why?

  1. There are some web sites that are written to work only with IE.
  2. If my Firefox application gets damaged and I do not have the time to uninstall and reinstall it, I can immediately use IE as my web browser.
Posted in Computer Advice, PCs, Personal computing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Web Browsers

Posted on July 20, 2010 by David Rier

A web browser is a software application that allows you to retrieve and display information.  Browsers can be used to display information from and interact with devices and files on your network.  However, the primary use of web browsers is to interact with information on the World Wide Web.

There are a number of web browsers available on the market today.  According to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_web_browsers) the top four browsers in use (and their overall percentages of usage) are:

Browser Percent Usage
Internet Explorer 50.53%
Mozilla Firefox 31.26%
Google Chrome 7.72%
Safari 5.15%

As you can see, the top four browsers represent almost 95% of the usage on the Internet.  In my next post, I’ll examine some of the differences between IE and Firefox.

Posted in Computer Advice, PCs, Personal computing, Technology | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Freeware and Shareware

Posted on July 15, 2010 by David Rier

Sometimes you need to accomplish some technical wizardry.  There must be some software available to do what needs to be done, but you don’t yet own anything like it.  Where do you go to get specialty software without spending an arm and a leg?

I recommend the site Tucows (pronounced like “two cows”) at http://www.tucows.com/.

They have a myriad of software titles with availability in the Windows, Mac and Linux worlds.  Software is rated by the editors (up to 5 “cows”) and by users.  You can search for and immediately download the software for your use.

What is the cost of the software?  That depends.  Some of the software is free (I.e. “freeware”).  Some of the software is “shareware” (I.e. shared for free with the expectation that you will like the software and show your appreciation with a “donation”.)  Some software programs on the site are “demo” versions.  They work for a set period of time and/or they only include certain features of the retail version.

In any respect, Tucows has helped me out of many technical jams when I needed software “now” and my budget couldn’t afford much.  I’ve also used the site as a way to locate and test out new software when that was needed.

Posted in Computer Advice, IT Manager 101, PCs, Personal computing | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Windows 7 – The Only Game in Town?

Posted on July 13, 2010 by David Rier

Let’s assume that you’re an IT Manager and support a number of XP-based PC’s, but you haven’t purchased one with Windows 7 on it.  Are you out of luck if some of your applications only work on Windows XP?

First, Microsoft still supports Windows XP.  SP2 support stops in July of 2010 (tomorrow, actually!).  All support of Windows XP ceases in April of 2014.  Therefore, at some point in time, you will have to “bite the bullet” and move in Windows 7 if you want to remain in the Windows world.

Can you still purchase a PC with XP installed on it?  Yes, but it’s getting harder and harder almost every day.  You can purchase a Windows 7 PC, buy Windows XP separately and downgrade the PC yourself.

Do you need to go to such extremes?  Not according to Microsoft.  They have a feature called “XP Mode” that can be added to Windows 7 via a free download.  They say that programs that will not run directly on Windows 7 can run in XP Mode.  See the following page for the download: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx

Posted in Computer Advice, PCs, Personal computing | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Is On-Line Banking Safe?

Posted on July 6, 2010 by David Rier

Some people think that doing all their banking on-line (I.e. paying bills, checking balances, money transfers, etc.) is the best thing ever.  Others fear on-line banking, convinced that their accounts can be easily plundered.

So which is it?

If you’re careful, I come down on the side of “it’s safe”.  Here are some things you should do to make sure it stays that way:

  • Make sure your banking site is encrypted.  Check to see that there is a small “lock” icon on the lower right-hand side of your Internet banking site’s screen.  If there is no lock icon, your data is not secure.  Move your on-line banking to another institution that protects your data.
  • Make sure you choose and use a “strong” password.  If you don’t know what that means, so my blog entry “Passwords (2) – Make them strong!” at http://davidrier.com/?p=29.
  • Remember to log off of your banking website when you are done.  Don’t leave your accounts open to prying eyes or unexpected transactions.
  • Finally, if your banking website looks different in any way from what you expect, don’t sign on.  Call customer service at the bank and describe what concerns you.  If they made a change to their website, then “no harm/no foul”.  However, if a hacker is trying to steal your password or your money, you can have your password changed or your account temporarily frozen to keep your money safe.

In other words – if you stay observant and careful, on-line banking is safe.

Posted in Computer Advice, PCs, Personal computing, Technology | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Policies and Procedures

Posted on July 1, 2010 by David Rier

IT support can sometimes be very frustrating.  A new problem appears and it can take a lot of research, testing and mental gnashing of teeth to finally fix it.

Stop before you just walk away (patting yourself on the back for another feat of technical magic).  Fully document the problem and the procedure that fixed it.

Why should you “waste” your time when you have already fixed the problem?  The reason is that problems come back.  It’s rare that a fix is universally permanent.  It may not come back tomorrow or even next month.  However, if it comes back (in a year or 2?) will you remember all the steps in the fix?  Do you really want to re-invent the wheel and go through joy of research/test/fix again?

Gather all of you problem resolution and technical documentation in one place – a formal set of policies and procedures for your IT function.  Collect all the technical information, fixes, procedure steps, etc.  Put them in a notebook, file folder and/or network directory.  Once they are in place, fixing a problem can be as simple as finding the right procedure and following the documented steps.

Posted in Computer Advice, IT Manager 101, PCs | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Just Another Day

Posted on June 29, 2010 by David Rier

It’s just one more, long day at work.  It’s just one of the more than 10,000 work days in your life.  Nothing special about today … or is there?

Take a minute and visit the “ANYDAY” site at www.scopesys.com/anyday.  It’s a site that lists some of the many historical dates, people and events that make each day of the year special and unique.

Did you know that James Brown and Barry Manilow share the same birthday?  Did you know that the first kidney transplant took place on June 17th or that Microsoft released MS DOS 4.0 thirty-eight years later?  Did you know that June 17th is the day to celebrate Bunker Hill Day?

There’s lot’s of information here for every day of the year.  Check it out.  Each day is special and this site gives you some of the reasons why.

Posted in PCs, Personal computing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Microsoft Technet

Posted on June 25, 2010 by David Rier

So you’re supporting Microsoft-based computers and you have a technical question.  Where can you go to get answers to your technical questions?  Try going to the source – I.e. go to Microsoft Technet at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/default.aspx.

The site is huge and has massive amounts of information. Most of it is free (although you can purchase Technet subscriptions and classes if you want).

What is available?  Here are just some of the areas covered:

  • Products (E.g. Office, SQL Server, etc.)
  • Tools (E.g. Scripts, Sysinternals, etc.)
  • Topics (E.g. Deployment, Security, etc.)
  • Resources (E.g. Videos, Technet Magazine, etc.)
  • Technet Library
  • Learning (E.g. How Do I? videos, Books, Webcasts, etc.)
  • Downloads
  • Forums

The only problem I have with Technet is its size.  It takes a bit of poking around to get to the appropriate area and then (maybe) find what you’re looking for.  On the other hand, the information is authoritative and accurate.

Posted in Computer Advice, IT Manager 101, Technology | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment