Time to answers some mail.  Keep those questions and suggestions coming.

I have Windows XP why can’t I find Word?
Another confusing term for people is the difference between their operating system (O/S) and Microsoft Office. The O/S is what runs your computer and allows you to load programs and run those programs. There are various O/S, not all are related to Microsoft, but Microsoft is the company most people recognize. Windows ‘95 and Windows ‘98 are no longer supported and shouldn’t be used on a computer connected to the internet. Windows 2000 was meant for commercial interests, Windows ME, CE and NT were short-lived but are still in use by people who swear by them. (Rearrange ME, CE, and NT and what do you get?*)

The most popular O/S today is Windows XP Home & Windows XP Pro. Most people are using Home. Pro was designed for advanced users or commercial use where networking is required.

Windows VISTA is finally here and boy does it have problems.  This O/S was supposed to change the face of computers – or so Microsoft claimed.  Maybe they meant to change the face of computers by driving everyone to Mac?  VISTA is more power hungry than XP and a good many systems in use today will not support VISTA.  If you installed VISTA and your printer just isn’t working the same or your scanner only has some of its functions the problem is VISTA and no, drivers will not be created to solve the problems.  You can either revert back to XP or buy all new equipment.

Vista does have some fun features (the gadjet), tighter security and works amazingly well on newer systems.

Once you have a computer running an O/S you still need programs to do anything with it. So, just because you have Windows X (the X refers to any operating system version) you don’t necessarily have Word, Excel, etc. The O/S generally comes with WordPad, Notepad, and Outlook Express. Those are free versions of the real thing and don’t do nearly 1/4 of the things the full-blown programs can do.

Real or Recovery?
So you’ve decided you have no choice but to format your computer.  Only, when you go looking for the O/S disc you discover it’s a recovery disc.  That’s one of the ways computer resalers are saving money and driving the price of the computer down, they do not include discs for your O/S or for the Microsoft Office Suite programs.  A system restore disc is supposed to put your computer back to factory specs but they don’t always work.  Then you find yourself spending the money you "saved" buying the O/S.  This can become an even bigger problem when you discover that the O/S you have is no longer available to purchase ie Windows XP Home.

When buying a computer that comes with an O/S make sure you are getting the O/S disk and not a recovery disk. If your system crashes and you need to repair or reload the operating system, you can’t do that if you have a recovery disk. All you can do is recover your system back to what it looked like the day you booted it for the first time. A lot of people aren’t aware that those fantastic computers complete with Windows XP Home for $500 don’t actually come with the disk. They come with a special license that gives them a copy of XP, but not the actual disk.

Chatter

Ok, time to answer some mail.

Is Windows 98 still good?

Short answer – no. It is no longer supported by Microsoft and is open to security issues and compatibility issues. The good news is, because very few people are still using 98 most computer hackers aren’t bothering writing code for it, however, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t upgrade.

Should I stick with XP, I’ve heard Vista has problems?

Well, like anything generated by Microsoft, Vista does have…….issues, for some people. It seems to depend on what you are demanding from your computer on whether you have issues with Vista. The most common problem is hardware issues. Most people are finding their old hardware is not compatible with Vista. Sometimes you can make it work and sometimes it will work but with limited features. In short, unless there is something you really want from Vista, stick with XP for now.

What’s wrong with using a free Antivirus program like AVG.

Nothing, if it works. I’ve had to take AVG off of computers because it just wasn’t doing its job. On the other hand, some of my clients love it and have used it for years. If it’s working use it, if it isn’t, then you have to replace it with something that works. The good news, Trendmicro is now available in stores. More user friendly than Norton and not as widely attacked, it is an excellent antivirus program.

Important: Do not load more than one antivirus program on your computer, it will have a meltdown. You can run more than one antispyware program as long as only one is live, but antivirus programs use the same files to operate and they really do not like sharing. So, if you are switching from your current one to another brand make sure you completely uninstall the first one. Don’t know how to do that – what a coincidence, I can do that for you.

I turned on my pop-up blocker and now I can’t access some websites that I really need to get on.

Pop-up blockers have their uses, but they don’t know the difference between an advertising pop-up and a logon pop-up. Also, if you have too many pop-up blockers, ie Internet Explorer has a built in pop-up blocker, Vista has pop-up blockers, plus there are third party blockers, if you try to run them all then you will have issues surfing the net. If you are running Internet Explorer and have a lot of pop-ups try using Firefox – a much better browser, however, none of Microsoft’s websites will work in Firefox. Download Firefox: http://www.mozilla.com , also, don’t try to uninstall Internet Explorer -it’s an integral part of Windows and won’t allow itself to be uninstalled. Don’t you just love Microsoft’s marketing tools?

That’s all for today, keep those comments and questions coming.

Chatter