security exposure - Adobe reader

I just heard there is a PC security problem with Adobe Reader.

This is a surprise to me, as Adobe is a very good provider of useful products.

As with all media coverage, we must be patient and not be alarmed by the initial identification of a 'problem'.

However, as it does seem to be a security risk (hackers can access your computer without your approval), it is prudent to disconnect Adobe reader now and reconnect it when it is confirmed to b secure.

The simple answer is to uninstall Adobe Reader for now ... it is easy to re-install when they have fixed the exposure.

The more vague answer is there is no positive proof of if/what hackers extract from your system without your knowledge ... but they appear to be able to access your system without your approval.

If you need to read a PDF files in the near future, you can install this PDF reader which is quite safe and can be used for all PDF files. I have tried it and it seems to be faster than Adobe Reader.

I WILL STAY WITH THIS TOOL INSTEAD OF RE-INSTALLING ADOBE READER, FOR THE FORSEEABLE FUTURE.

I will let you know when Adobe Reader is secure once again. Planned for JAN 12, 2010.

The impact of fragmentation

There is a good (and free) tool - CrystalDiskMark - that will show you the read and write times (aka speed) of your PC's hard drive.

Go to my free tools site and install both Smart Defrag and CrystalDiskMark.

Here is a before and after view of read/write timing for my c-drive.

The before had quite a bit of fragmentation.

The after (running Smart Defrag) had only a very few fragmented files.

This is signifcant speed improvement!

More validation for a defrag tool ... nothing better than the FREE version of Smart Defrag.

sending a large file via the Internet

Have you ever tried to include a file in an e-mail and not be able to attach it because it is too large?

If so, you may have problems finding the answer ... but there is a FREE solution.

There are free tools on the Web that allow you to upload a large file and either indicate who the recipient is or then let the recipient know where to go to download it ... for FREE.

Most free offerings allow a file as large as 200MB. A few offer as large as 300MB and there is one that allows any size file ... but you only get to do it three times for free.

There is a way to send even larger files by splitting them before uploading and combining them after downloading. More on this in another blog item.

Memeo is free for the first three uploads (no file size limit!) then you pay as you go.

Sendspace is very easy to use and allows for up to 300MB file size.

Mediafire is another 200MB limit facility.

4shared is an easy file transfer facility and handles up to 200MB size files.

Rapidshare is a free facility and allows for file size up to 200MBs and up to ten e-mail addresses.

Just locate the file on your PC and use Rapidshare to identify users you want to make the file available to.

Wikisend is another file transfer offering and allows for up to 100MB ... thx to Bryan for identifying this one.

easy formatted printing of a Web page

(left-click to enlarge)

01/07/10 - tried a few web pages ... doesn't seem to handle anything that isn't quite simple.

Have you ever printed a page from your browser and wondered if there was a way to format the page for better presentation?

A very easy tool for formatting an Internet page and optionally not including any pictures on the page.

It is a one-click tool anyone can use. Try it out.

I have included it in my Blogs.

You might want to save the link in your favourites and use it as required.

Version of Windows Displayed on Desktop

Have you ever wondered what version (including updates) of Windows you have on your computer.
Here is an easy way to have it permanently displayed:
1. Start -> Run -> enter "regedit" and click OK
2. Click on HKEY_CURRENT_USER -> Control Panel -> Desktop
3. In the right panel, double-click PaintDesktopVersion and change the 0 to 1.
4. Close the Registry Editor window and restart your computer.

what starts up when I start my PC?

If you find your PC starts very slowly when you turn it on, it may be due to a number of applications (which you may or may not have asked for) starting at the same time.

Microsoft doesn't make it easy to check these items and add/delete as you require.

Here are three FREE methods of ensuring only those items start that you want to start ... which will speed up the starting of your PC:

1. msconfig - the Microsoft method Start -> Run > msconfig -> open the Startup folder and uncheck items
2. startup.exe - a standalone tool to list all items and allows you to de-select any
3. Advanced System Care - a useful collection of tools to optimize the running of your PC, including a startup analyzer.

As well as doing the above, you may need to open a stubborn application and turn off the option that allows it to start when Windows starts.

I realize some of the above may be more than you want to tackle ... give me a call if you want help.

Free and automatic defragging

I have found that next to adequate memory and hard drive, the most important item is efficient PC running (mainly WinXP, but also Vista) is regular defragmentation.

Think of it as a library where everyone leaves books lying anywhere (lots of fragmentation) and one where all the books are in their place (no fragmentation).

With lots of fragmentation, it takes longer to find what you are looking for ... PC runs slower.

Depending on what you use your PC for, determines how often you need to defragment.

If you add or delete a lot of files, more regular defragmentation is required.

Wouldn't it be nice if there was an automatic way of defragmenting ... and it was FREE?

There is and it is called Smart Defrag.

Once you install it, then set the option to run continuously. It will only run when the computer is hardly being used and you won't know it is running ... and your hard drives will be defragged all the time.

Set-it-and-forget-it ... for free!

Using Shutdown to run an application

Things such as defrag, registry cleaner, spyware remover and virus check do take time and decrease PC performance while running.

There is a useful (and easy) WinXP Pro and Vista procedure that will allow you to launch applications when you shutdown your computer. The applications will launch automatically and the PC will shutdown afterwards.

I find it quite useful and have been using if for some time.

Here is the link, to the instructions, in my free tools site.

Microsoft will optimize your PC free

I just scanned my PC for free using the Windows Live OneCare safety scanner.

It will check for and help remove viruses and spyware, improve your PC's performance, and get rid of junk on your hard disk.

Try it for yourself at http://onecare.live.com/scan.

Caveat, this tool only works with Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser.

for the CNTU - Easy things to improve your computer

I did a little Web research before selecting CNTU and found only these acronyms:

- Confederation of National Trade Unions

- Canadian National Tippler Union

My CNTU stands for Computer Non-Technical Users.

It is dedicated to highlighting items that are useful to those computer users who do not understand Internet technology (and really don't care about technology) but would like to reduce their time on the computer (e-mail, Twitter, YouTube, etc) so they can do more comforting things (gardening, walking, snoozing, or just not on the computer).

Here is the first item for this Blog:

Memory is Everything (not only for computers...)

My wife has been using a computer (2.4Ghz ... whatever that means) for some time, suffering the delays associated with only 256MB of memory (whatever that means ... henceforth referred to as WTM) .

After a few years, her technically savvy (?) husband decided enough was enough and looked into replacing her computer.

Before proceeding, he wondered if adding memory (WTM) might negate the requirement to replace the 4 year old computer (28 in dog years).

He found an eBay seller who would charge approx $50 for 1GB (for you WTMs, it is 4 x what is already on the computer).

Seemed like a worthwhile risk ... so he purchased and installed a GB chip instead of the 256MB in the computer (WTM).

The long and short of it is IT WORKED!

The computer is extremely fast (WTM) and .. and much less expensive than buying/installing/configuring (WTM) a replacement.

Caveat - only consider if your PC has less than 500MB memory (WTM).