May 2008

Having Remote Access capability is a great aid to anyone that needs to keep someone else’s computer going--especially if there is a disparity in desires or skills to maintain a computer. Bob DeGrasse, at the last CompuSIR meeting put me wise for what I had been looking for: a free, simple, working remote access program. CrossLoop fits that bill quite nicely.

Bob was able to get the program installed, up and running by just walking me though the procedure – and I am a slow learner. Then, when I got home, I tried out the program on the dining room table with my main computer and a laptop and it performed flawlessly. So now, thanks to Bob, I have a new tool to help those that cannot wait for the Clinic or have a minor call or can’t describe it. Great for everyone. Service for anyone that has broadband. Bob, both SPAUG and CompuSIR thank you.

For years I have used PCAnywhere to view 16 computers located in Mountain View but have balked at setting the same situation for SPAUG members because of the extremely difficult and meticulous setup of PcAnywhere which includes the discovering of the IP address currently in use on the object computer and setting in parameters in the IP and UDP sections. OK for a long run but certainly not worth it for a one-shot help session. The CrossLoop product (free) handles the one-on-one help situation quite nicely. Does require the user to be in attendance to at least get the connections going. Web Help seems to be adequate. Try it with a friend some time.

I’m very happy the sound system was able to handle the excellent speaker last month — especially when he stood three feet in front of one of the speakers with an open microphone. The system didn’t even chirp. We do have a place where the handheld microphones fight with the head-worn microphone. I will be putting a table in front of the left speaker so the speaker carried units can’t set up a standing wave. Perfect Disk is a defragmenter that, when run for the first time, lets you know how much the Microsoft defragmenter is not doing. Each visitor to the Clinic can have a copy run for him or her.

Windows Secrets Newsletter is the name of an electronic newspaper that is sent about twice a month and reviews the status of software. A recent newsletter reported on the testing and reviewed which anti-virus programs were worth buying and which ones to skip. The newsletter personnel have the skills to be able to set up several operating systems and many anti-virus programs and then to report which ones are worth purchasing. There is also an optional paid section that goes into more detail and includes additional subjects not discussed in the freebie version. The additional amount is trivial and well worth it.

In Windows Secrets Newsletter the Windows Live Scanner gets a drubbing because Windows Live missed a large number of viruses. Turns out that my interest in cleaning up a computer using Windows Live Scanner isn’t for its anti-virus capabilities but for the cleanup that it goes on in the registry. I was having problems with crashes and instability until I started running the freebie Microsoft product on a weekly basis and lots of little problems seemed to go away.

The latest Windows Secrets Newsletter also discussed the fact that flash ads are now bearing malware and it appears that the scourge will not go away soon. The Firefox add-on of NoScript is best downloaded to block the inappropriate responses that might have malware in them.

It is necessary that you spend about 5% of your computer time doing computer maintenance. Failure to do so means that eventually your computer will slow down as it gets cluttered with malware and files that you can do without. Unnecessary files accumulate, adware and spyware abound, and patches get missed. If you are having difficulties, ask for a remote call.