January 2012 Q&A
Unless otherwise noted, Toby Scott of Ventura County Computers answered the questions and Michael Shalkey handled the computer duties.
Laptop keyboards, external hard drives
Q: I have a Dell laptop with some keys missing. How do I get replacements?
Toby Scott: You can buy keys, but you want to be very careful about it. It's better to just replace the keyboard.
Michael Shalkey: Most people don't want to replace single keys on a laptop. You're better off to buy a new keyboard and install it. The problem with replacing single keys is that those keys failed for some reason, and if replace them, all the others will be ready to fail for the same thing. It's cheaper and more logical to replace the entire keyboard. Buy a new keyboard from Dell (or on eBay if you are brave).
Q: I have an enclosure that I put a hard drive in, and Windows doesn't recognize the drive. I have another one that's not an external drive, and Windows recognizes that one. Is there any other program or something else that will get the drive recognized? Could I put it in a Linux connection or something? I bought a new enclosure and it worked in that.
A: If you have a hard drive that you put in an enclosure and Windows didn't recognize it and then put it in as an internal drive and Windows did recognize it, you have a bad enclosure. Buy a new one. Enclosures can go bad, sometimes right out of the box, and it's not worth it to repair them.
If you want to be sure the drive will work outside the computer case, use a SATA/PATA/IDE drive to USB adapter to test it.
Kaspersky Internet Security
Q: I have Kaspersky 2012 Internet Security. I had a different anti-virus program on my desktop that I uninstalled and replaced with the Kaspersky. It worked fine. I had the 2011 program on my laptop and just punched in the new activation number, and it added time. Should I have uninstalled the program on the laptop and installed the 2012 version? Is there enough difference in the two programs that I should have installed the 2012 version?
A: I don't know Kaspersky that well. I know that Norton, which we sell and use in the shop, will automatically upgrade you to the latest version if you extend your subscription. You can do the manual update in Norton, and it will move you up. I'd run the update in Kaspersky and see if it doesn't move you up to the 2012 version.
Michael Shalkey: Somewhere in the program, look for Help > About, which should tell you what version you have.
Toby Scott: Norton usually issues a new product in September. If you buy the 2011 version in June you could run the update, which would take you to the newest version. Most anti-virus programs will do that because they want you to have the latest versions because the viruses get progressively nastier.
Q: If I have to reinstall, would it recognize that a version of the program is already on the computer and being updated or will it count as a new installation using one of the three licenses in the new program?
A: I don't know for sure, but my guess is that it would recognize what you're doing as an update and not use one of the new licenses. If you do have to reinstall to get the latest version of the program, I'd do it. With Norton, when you uninstall it will ask you if you plan on reinstalling and if you say "Yes" it will save your subscription settings. Probably Kaspersky has a similar solution.
Q: Should the Windows firewall be activated or inactivated to install?
A: Again, you'll have to read the instructions for the program. Norton does not require you to turn off the firewall to install. Norton 360, which I don't especially like, does have its own firewall and turns off the Windows firewall. If a program has its own firewall, it will tell you and either turn off the Windows firewall itself or ask you to do it. You don't want two firewalls running at the same time. (The questioner said Kaspersky does include a firewall.)
Firefox passwords
Q: Firefox does not remember my password for logging in to email. When I go to Tools > Options > Security, I can view all my passwords. Does that mean that anyone who is on my computer can also see all the passwords?
A: Yes, but in the Tools > Security option there's a way to obscure the passwords. It's up to you to choose how you want them. There's also a choice to use a master password, so no one can see them unless they have the master password.
The site does not show in the show exception.
Michael Shalkey: Look at the exceptions, which list sites for which the passwords are not remembered.
Toby Scott: If it's your laptop, I definitely recommend not remembering the password for your bank accounts and unless you have real-site control on who has access to your desktop computer I wouldn't there, either.
Q: I just got a 64-Gig SanDisk flash drive. It looks like it has security but it recommends an online backup. How secure is that?
A: Reasonably secure. It's a good company.
Michael Shalkey: We've mentioned LastPass (https://lastpass.com) before. It's a password manager that has instituted multifactor authentication. The user name and password is one part; the second part is a number sent to your smartphone when you try to sign in. It also has a flash drive protective device for those who buy the paid version.
Q: My business bank account requires multifactor authorization now in the form of a dongle.
A: They're good. They have been hacked, but usually only on very large institutions that would have enough money available to make it worthwhile to pay for the hours of work required. That pretty much leaves out everybody in the room.
Q: Sometimes when I'm trying to log in to an account - not a bank account - a site will want a security code that I can't see in Firefox. I have to go to Internet Explorer to see it.
A: You probably have Flash Block installed. Look for an options message and allow scripts on the page or site temporarily or all the time. Programs blocking scripts can't tell the legitimate from the illegitimate so it blocks all of them. It's up to you to pick the ones that can be exceptions.
Q: My bank site doesn't seem to work with Firefox, only International Explorer.
A: I'm not sure. Go to the bank site in Firefox and look in the footer for any messages about blocked scripts.
Q: If I allow scripts on a page does it remember that or do I have to allow scripts on the entire site to remember it?
A: If you allow the page, it allows it permanently. That would be like a login page, but it won't allow scripts on other pages. If you allow the site, it normally remembers for everything. But some of the Flash and other scripts still turn off when you allow on the site.
Q: Isn't there a bypass for Firefox that makes a workaround for the Internet Explorer problem?
A: Yes, IE Tab. If you want to use Internet Explorer from Firefox, use IE Tab. If Internet Explorer 9 will get to the site, Firefox should. I know it does for Bank of America because that's what I use.
Q: I have Rabobank.
A: That's Dutch. They don't like Microsoft much, so I doubt that they'd block Firefox, but I don't know for sure.
Computers slow down
Q: I have several computers, some with Windows 7 and some with Vista. Each one tends to get lost in its own thoughts sometimes. It takes Task Manager a long time to open.
A: Open Task Manager (Ctl-Alt-Del or right click on the taskbar). Click on Memory at the top of the Processes tab, which lists processes in the order of how much memory they're using. Turn off the ones you don't need by right clicking on the process and then End Process.
There are two likely causes. You've used up all your memory and something has to stop using it or you've run out of RAM and it's paging out the hard drive. It's almost always some kind of memory error. If you go to Performance, you can see how much RAM you have and how much you're using. You can easily go 30 seconds to a minute if it's paging out (questioner said he's talking five minutes). Another problem could be malware, which goes after each open tab in a browser. There were questions about the amount of RAM in the computer, which belongs to the questioner's son, and he wasn't positive about the amount of memory available. I'd run a virus scan and a malware scan and go to MSCONFIG to determine Startup programs. Then go to Services, check on Hide all Microsoft services and start searching them to be sure you need them all. If you don't recognize something, do a Google search before stopping it, or you might turn off something you need. I accidentally shut down the touch pad on a laptop because I didn't recognize the name of its manufacturer. I'd also run an anti-virus and malware scans and chkdsk, just in case.
Dragon Naturally Speaking
Q: We have Dragon Naturally Speaking, which converts speech to text. We were considering it but learned it doesn't work with Google Gmail. It wants to work only with Microsoft email software. Is there any other program that does the same thing and works with Gmail?
Michael Shalkey: This shows it works in Google Docs, but other people have the same problem with Gmail.
A: There is basically no alternate program. And Dragon might not be around much longer because voice recognition will be incorporated in Windows 8.
Alphabetizing Control Panel
Q: My Control Panel items seem to be random. Can I alphabetize the list?
A: Right click on the Start menu and go to Properties. You can customize Start Menu, Taskbar and Toolbars. If you want to make the Control Panel items show as a menu go to Control Panel, display as a menu. It might take a minute or so to take effect. You can also make My Documents, My Pictures, Administrative Tools, Downloads, saved email and several other items. You can get to a tremendous amount of stuff right off the Start menu.
Text size in Firefox
Q: I haven't been able to change the text size in Firefox.
A: Control + makes the text bigger; Control - makes it smaller. Control 0 takes it back to the original size. If it doesn't work, it means you're looking at a graphic or the page designer didn't design the page properly.
Michael Shalkey: The scroll wheel on the mouse also works (Control and the scroll wheel.)
Ad-Watch alert
Q: Ad-Watch found malware and said it fixed it. Do I need to do anything else?
A: Toby: What is Ad-Watch?
Michael: It's by Lavasoft.
Toby Scott: So it said it removed it. Did it?
Questioner: I don't know. The last time I turned the computer on, it wasn't there.
Toby Scott: Without sitting in front of the machine, I can't tell. If it says you did, the problem doesn't come back and other scans don't find anything, you're probably OK.
How many of you have heard of malvertising. It's malware put on your computer by third-party sites that place ads on sites like the New York Times.
Start menu
Q: You talked about the Start menu. Is there a way to eliminate the Additional Programs list and just show the programs I want to use regularly?
A: You can switch to small icons, which allows more icons in the same space and then pin the programs you want to always show to the Start menu. That should get all the ones you use regularly to show in the Start menu. You can also use smaller icons on the Taskbar.
Q: Does that use up more memory?
A: It takes a very small amount of memory, but not enough to be meaningful. (For more on this topic, see the separate article on StartMenu, a freeware program. - Editor)
