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Free files!! and computer help tips.

The TVClubHouse: General Discussions ARCHIVES: 2005 Jun. ~ Aug.: All Things Technical: The Help Desk ARCHIVES: Free files!! and computer help tips. users admin

Author Message
Crossfire
Member

08-07-2001

Saturday, January 08, 2005 - 8:31 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Still on the subject of the MS anti-spyware program I mentioned the other day, it did something tonight that pleased me. I had been previewing another piece of software for the last week or so, and finally decided to elevate it to that much vaunted status of being permitted to start automatically with windows.

A couple of seconds after I did that, I was presented with a new window I had never seen before. The MS anti-spyware software had intercepted the new programs attempt to set itself to autostart, and requested my permission.

That was nice to see, and a feature MS should have had years ago. Nice product so far.

Phatcat
Member

03-08-2004

Sunday, January 09, 2005 - 9:16 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I'm not sure if this is where I should post this, but I need some help with writing a will. Does anyone have a suggestion?

Weinermr
Member

08-18-2001

Sunday, January 09, 2005 - 9:22 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
If you're looking for a software program that will help you write a Will, there are programs out there.

If you want my real advice, it would be to visit a competent estate planning attorney to write it for you. Even if your estate is small, and your estate plan simple, there are all kinds of pitfalls that can be avoided by having a professional do it.

And it doesn't have to be expensive. Check your local or state bar website for lists of estate planning attorneys in your area. Good luck.

P.S. And for those who will scoff at the idea that you would need an attorney for a "simple" estate - I've seen the results many times. Let an attorney write your estate plan for you. Your heirs and your executor will thank you.

Mocha
Member

08-12-2001

Sunday, January 09, 2005 - 9:23 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
<scoff scoff>

Phatcat
Member

03-08-2004

Sunday, January 09, 2005 - 9:28 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Thanks, Weiner. My estate is small, and I really can't afford an attorney. I'm thinking about deeding my home to my daughter now. Just have a bunch of questions.

Weinermr
Member

08-18-2001

Sunday, January 09, 2005 - 9:41 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Phatcat, legal aid attorneys can help you, and attorneys do work pro bono.

If you deed your house to your daughter now, and it has appreciated in value since you bought it, and she sells it after you die, she may have to pay capital gains taxes unnecessarily.

I'm not an attorney, but I work with people's estates, and have for the last 24 years. If you'd like to email me some questions with the understanding that I'm not an attorney, I'll do my best to help you.

Tishala
Member

08-01-2000

Thursday, January 13, 2005 - 2:54 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I downloaded the MS anti-spyware software, too. Seems good to me; even though I've switched from IE to Mozilla Firefox as my primary browser, I still open IE from time to time because it has passwords I don't remember to a couple sites so I figure I need spyware protection.

Anyhow, I'm not opposed to using BETA versions of software. It seems to me that all of MS's programs are so buggy when they first come out they are releasing de facto BETA versions of software and charge me for them. So I'll go for the free BETA version any time.

Jed245
Member

11-01-2002

Friday, February 18, 2005 - 9:23 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
pro bono.... I never understood that phrase. I always thought it was like sonny... er chere maybe? Instaway....

I know I haven't been around to post tips/files/games/and other useless to useful information. But, I wanted to drop a hello in here. :o)

Jimmer
Member

08-30-2000

Wednesday, February 23, 2005 - 7:07 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Does anyone know of a simple clock program (preferably freeware) that will have the computer chime on the hour? I'm using Windows XP. I know there are probably a lot of programs out there but I'm looking for one that people feel comfortable with. I want to avoid spyware or a program that will cause memory leaks or screw up the system. Thanks!

Draheid
Moderator

09-09-2001

Wednesday, February 23, 2005 - 3:08 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Jimmer: If you only need an hourly reminder, you might look at setting up a 'Scheduled Task' on XP. You can have it start on the hour and repeat hourly. You can even specify what hours you want it to be active for (ie only during the day, etc.). Click on 'Start - Programs (or All Programs) - Accessories - System Tools - Scheduled Tasks' to add an event. For the 'Program', locate a sound file and select that for the event. That should launch a player and play the sound for you every hour. I have WinAMP MP3 player installed and set to play .wav files so that is what runs when the event occurs.

Hope this helps.

Jimmer
Member

08-30-2000

Wednesday, February 23, 2005 - 7:30 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Thanks Dra. That sounds like a very clever idea. I'll give it a try and see how it works.

Jimmer
Member

08-30-2000

Thursday, February 24, 2005 - 10:02 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Actually, let's say that I do that, unfortunately my default player for wav files is Windows Media Player. Don't you think it's a little heavy in over-head to run that (or WinAMP) every hour for this? Is there a small player or program out there that would fit the bill?

Crossfire
Member

08-07-2001

Thursday, February 24, 2005 - 6:35 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Ok...lets work it out.

How about creating a batch file that calls sound recorder to play a sound? Then schedule the batch using task scheduler as Dra describes above.

Here is something you can paste into a batch file (e.g. beep.bat) to test with:

%SystemRoot%\System32\sndrec32.exe /play /close %SystemRoot%\media\tada.wav

That will open sound recorder, play the tune (tada.wav in this case), then exit.

No funky third party junk with suspected spy or adware. Just the junkware MS supplies. :-)

Jimmer
Member

08-30-2000

Thursday, February 24, 2005 - 7:30 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Well that works nice! Thanks Crossfire!

Juju2bigdog
Member

10-27-2000

Monday, April 18, 2005 - 10:32 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Here is something really cool that I got from Kim Komando's Cool Sites the other day.

It is an e-mail stripper. It takes off those annoying little > marks from e-mails that have been forwarded too many times. It is a very small downloadable file. You don't even need to download it as a zip version.

http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm

To use it, you start to forward the e-mail, and you get a messy page with all those >'s. Then you copy the page, go to e-mail stripper, hit Paste, then Strip, then Copy and then go copy it back into your forwarded e-mail. It sounds cumbersome, but it is a pretty quick process.

As a result of using a laptop all winter, I am having to forward some laptop Juno messages from myself to myself at Yahoo and back to myself at desktop Juno (don't ask), and it is coming in very handy.

Lumbele
Member

07-12-2002

Wednesday, April 20, 2005 - 12:50 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
yoohoo Julieboo and other photo nuts!

Dh is all enthused about this free program he downloaded from a university, which is an image browser, viewer, converter and editor.

Julieboo
Member

02-05-2002

Wednesday, April 20, 2005 - 1:40 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Lumbele: thank you!! :-)
...off to check it out.

Jimmer
Member

08-30-2000

Wednesday, April 20, 2005 - 8:02 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I recall seeing this before at some point, but I had forgotten about it. Thanks for the tip. I'll give it a try.

Watching2
Member

07-07-2001

Sunday, June 12, 2005 - 10:46 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I have a question that probably everyone else in the world knows and I've wondered about forever, but have NEVER asked about!!!

Can someone explain to me why sometimes when I go to do corrections, be it in Word, an email program like Yahoo or even a message board, instead of just letting me fix the words I want, it starts TYPING OVER the rest of the text? Is there a way to make that stop when it happens? The only thing I've figured out to do is to hit a return to make a space between lines and then just adding the letters I want to change, then backspacing until the two connect. Really annoying and I'd really love an explanation and how to make it stop when it happens! I hit keys all the time by mistake and I wonder if it's that or just a fluke that happens sometimes! Thanks!!!!!! :-)

Juju2bigdog
Member

10-27-2000

Sunday, June 12, 2005 - 10:59 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Watching2, you are probably hitting the Insert key by accident. You see how the keys are grouped in three sets on your keyboard? Look at the second set, second row from top, and you will see a key called Insert. Next time it happens, hit the Insert key and see if that stops it.

Jimmer
Member

08-30-2000

Monday, June 13, 2005 - 5:38 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Yes as Juju said .... it's kind of weird. Because most programs assume you want to insert rather than type over, it's set to default that way so hitting the insert key changes it from insert to type over. Hitting it again changes it back to insert.

Watching2
Member

07-07-2001

Tuesday, June 14, 2005 - 6:03 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Whoa.....thanks for the info!! I'll try that the next time it happens. I'm thinking I don't usually hit those keys by accident, but since the "insert" key is right next to the backspace, I probably have!!! I'll let you know how it goes!! Thanks again!

Watching2
Member

07-07-2001

Friday, June 24, 2005 - 4:37 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
IT WORKED!!!!! All those years of being annoyed and frustrated and all I needed to do was ask here!!! Thanks again!!!!

Juju2bigdog
Member

10-27-2000

Friday, June 24, 2005 - 10:56 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Yippeeeeeee!!

Jimmer
Member

08-30-2000

Saturday, June 25, 2005 - 8:02 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
It's nice when something works!

Watching2
Member

07-07-2001

Thursday, July 07, 2005 - 12:37 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Amen to that!!!!!!! :-)

Cathie
Member

08-16-2000

Saturday, July 30, 2005 - 7:35 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I discovered a new Google service today, Google Earth, and I have spent hours using it (a great alternative to BB today!)

It is similar to Mapquest, but soooo much better. It uses actual satellite photos, so you get color 3D maps of actual streets, and can even zoom in to cars in the driveway, etc. The only problem I have found is that the images are a couple of years old, but it was fun to go and find my inlaws old home, which was demolished in 2004. I captured a screen print of it for posterity. The basic program is free, and for $20 a year they offer an upgrade that is supposed to have better resolution, but the basic resolution is great to me.

http://earth.google.com/

Julieboo
Member

02-05-2002

Saturday, July 30, 2005 - 7:49 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Thanks Cathie, but;
Apple Macintosh computers are not supported at this time (but we are working on it).
:-(

Cathie
Member

08-16-2000

Sunday, July 31, 2005 - 12:04 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Sorry, Julie... Hopefully they will work on it soon!