This 5 minute video shows you how you can easily transfer the pictures from your camera to your Windows XP computer.
Apologies to anyone who tried – and failed – to view this earlier…
One of my small business client’s is still using Microsoft Access 2000 for two of its databases. There never was any need, nor was there a desire, to upgrade the version of Access when the rest of the Office suite was upgraded.
Now, Windows 7 is being rolled out across their office and they want to continue to contain costs. At my recommendation, they started using the Access 2010 Runtime. This will permit their databases to continue to function without change – or without too much change.
One thing that was discovered early during testing was that the Calendar control (MSCAL.OCX) is no longer supported in Access 2010. However, it is possible to continue to use the Calendar if you copy the file and register it.
More importantly and just recently discovered was the errant output of one of their reports. The function uses Stephan Lebans’ Report to PDF code to take a report and convert it to PDF format. While this has worked for a very long time, with only a minor hitch or two as the DLLs changed, it has proven to be a valuable utility.
Imagine the client’s surprise when a recently created document was produced in A4 landscape format (11.69 x 8.27) – resulting in a loss of data on the report! Well, I was surprised and, at first, figured that some random printer setting was at fault. That wasn’t it at all.
Another aspect of Access 2010 that Microsoft changed was the elimination of the snapshot format for reports. Because this is the “driver” for Lebans’ code, the output defaulted to – I don’t know what, but it didn’t generate a valid report.
On the plus side, Access 2010 allows you to create a report and send it directly to PDF. So, once it was clear that that some kind of coding change was necessary, it was relatively easy to implement.
I simply had to test for the current version of Access, because the shop is still in transition. Those folks who haven’t been upgraded continue to use the Lebans’ code, while those who are using the Runtime, get to take advantage of the new functionality that Access 2010 provides.
Here’s a sample of the code:
{code type=HTML}
Dim blRet As Boolean
‘If greater than Access 2003, use the built-in PDF functionality
If Int(Val(SysCmd(acSysCmdAccessVer))) > 11 Then
Dim acFormatPDF As Variant
acFormatPDF = “PDF Format (*.pdf)”
DoCmd.OutputTo acOutputReport, strRptName, acFormatPDF, strPDFName
blRet = True
Else
‘ Call Stephen Lebans’ convert function
blRet = ConvertReportToPDF(strRptName, vbNullString, strPDFName, False, False)
End If
{/code}
Now, everyone in the office can continue to produce PDF reports without any errors.
For several weeks, Staples has been selling laptop and desktop computers with a unique offer. They will give you a $50 discount if you give them a laptop or desktop to recycle. That is between a 5 and 10 percent discount on the price of a new computer. I am all for saving money when the opportunity arises. Nevertheless, you have to be cautious when something appears to be “too good to be true,” and this offer bears some scrutiny.
The fine print of the Staples offer is quite specific. They want you to give them a computer that works. Yes, your trade-in has to be able to boot to Windows (XP, Vista, or even Windows 7), have a “working AC adapter and undamaged screen. At the time of trade-in, laptops must power on and boot up to operating system, desktops must power on.”
I am not at all certain why they have this requirement, but I don’t like it. If you give them a working computer, it has all of your files on it. It has all of your e-mail correspondence. It also has all of the web browser sessions where you have plugged in your user id and password, because you cannot remember what you used for you bank account versus Amazon.com. In other words, it is a treasure trove of personal information that could – in the hands of a malicious individual – be used run up charges on your credit cards, ruin your credit rating, or steal your identity.
To their credit, Staples has text on their web site that assures customers that their technicians will, in no way, look at any of that information before they run a utility program to delete all of the data on the computer’s hard drive. I believe their lawyers had to insist on that. At the same time, do you really want to take that kind of risk just to save $50? I certainly don’t!
Yet there is something you can do to protect your personally identifiable information before you give them your computer for trade-in. It takes less than half an hour and requires just a few simple steps.
The “trick” is to create a new user ID on your computer. You will then log on to your computer as that user, and remove your existing user ID. This will eliminate the majority of the personal information that can easily be obtained and give you some peace of mind if you decide to take Staples up on their $50 offer.
Here’s what you need to do:
Click Start and select Control Panel. Whether you are in Category View or Classic View, double-click User Accounts.
Under “Pick a task…” click Create a new account
Under “Name the new account” type in the name for the new account. I would suggest the following, NoOne, and click Next.
Under “Pick an account type” use the default, Computer administrator, and click Create Account.
Close this window and the Control Panel.
Now restart your computer. Click Start, Turn off computer, Restart. The new user ID will appear on the Windows Welcome page.
Click that new account. Windows will spend a few minutes creating the desktop – it will not have any of your customizations, but will look just like when you first got your computer. (Some of you may not remember that far back…)
Once again, click Start and select Control Panel. Double-click User Accounts.
If you are using Category View, under “Pick a task” click Change an account.
Then, under “Pick an account to change” click your old user ID.
Under “What do you want to change about your account” click the Change my account type link.
Under “Pick a new account type” select Limited and click Change Account Type.
You will be returned to the “What do you want to change about your account” window. This time, click the Delete the account link.
Windows asks if you want to keep the files – and the whole purpose of this exercise is to eliminate them – so click Delete files.
Windows has a final prompt, to make sure you know that everything will be deleted. You want to do that, so click Delete the Account.
Depending on the number of files you have, and the age of your computer, the delete process can take either a few minutes or a half hour. Get a cup of coffee, read a magazine, or go run some errands. You must have the patience to wait this one out.
After it is finished, you can close Windows and feel better about giving your computer to Staples knowing that you have eliminated the bulk of your personal information and can save $50 on a new computer.
One morning you had a problem connecting to the Internet. So, what did you do? You turned the Internet box off and on a couple of times, you rebooted your computer, but nothing much changed.
Next, you unplugged the Internet box and headed over to the local retail office supply store. You asked one of the sales people (you know, the guys in the colorful shirts) what to do with the box that no longer worked. He said you needed a new box and proceeded to sell you one.
You got home, and plugged everything in the way you remembered it. Lo and behold, you still had a problem connecting to the Internet.
It was only at this point that you decided you really needed help, so you called your computer consultant. You told him you had a problem, and asked if he could stop by to see what was wrong.
It only took a few minutes for your consultant to diagnose the situation, because several things were wrong.
The most obvious one was that the “geek” at the retail office supply store took your broken DSL modem and sold you a Linksys router, which would never, ever, work as a replacement. Without a DSL modem, there was no way you were going to access the Internet.
As a side note to office supply store personnel: If you do not know what you are talking about, please don’t waste someone’s time. If the customer complains (or if enough customers complain), you are going to be out of a job.
Your computer consultant managed to obtain a replacement DSL modem from your Internet Service Provider by using a little subterfuge. The net result was that you would be back up and on the Internet in a few days. You were grateful for your computer consultant’s prompt responsiveness to your call for help and his advocacy for your situation.
I was going to turn this post into a rant, but I was reminded that harsh sounding words wouldn’t get the point across.
The truth is that you are not a computer consultant. You are a real estate agent, or a dentist, or a lawyer, or just someone’s mom. However, you are not trained to handle computer problems. That’s my job, and that’s why you ask – and trust – me to take care of your computer systems.
Because, after all, that’s what I do – you just have to let me.
Too many people seem to be having a problem connecting their Vista laptops to Windows XP-connected printers. It took me a while to get the steps right, but I believe this should help anyone else who has been similarly vexed.
Here’s a default configuration:
- Existing Windows XP desktop with USB attached printer
- New Windows Vista laptop
To network the laptop to the desktop printer, you need to do the following:
- Gather computer information
- Install printer drivers on Windows Vista
- Install LLTD on Windows XP
- Set up printer sharing on Windows XP
- Establish Vista user on Windows XP
- Add the network printer to Windows Vista
Step 1. Gather the required information
In Vista, click Start, right-click Computer, and select Properties. Scroll down until you locate the Computer name and the Workgroup name. Write both down.
In XP, click Start, right-click My Computer, and select Properties. Click the Computer Name tab. Write down the name of the Workgroup.
You must use the same workgroup name, so change one of the computers. Afterwards, you must restart the computer.
Step 2. Install printer drivers in Windows Vista
Unplug the USB cable from your Windows XP desktop. Download the appropriate drivers to your Vista laptop and start the installation. Don’t connect the USB cable until directed. Print a test page to make sure everything works.
Step 3. Install LLTD on Windows XP
Download and install a Microsoft file that allows you to see your XP desktop on your Vista network. Use the following link: http://tinyurl.com/2b3lkn.
Step 4. Set up printer sharing
In the XP Control Panel, select Printers and Faxes. Right click the printer you want Vista to use and select Properties. Click the Sharing tabe and select “Share this printer.” Make a note of what Windows calls the printer; you can change it if you wish.
Step 5. Create a new Windows XP user
To use the printer, Windows Vista needs access to the Windows XP controlled device. So, you have to create a user with the associated privileges.
In the XP Control Panel, select User Accounts. Click the Create a new account link and enter the user name that you use on your Vista laptop. Click Next. On the next screen, take the default option and make this user an Administrator. Click Create Account and close the open windows.
Step 6. Add the network Printer to Windows Vista
On the Vista laptop, open the Control Panel and select Printers. Click the “Add a Printer” button at the top of the page. Select “Add a local printer.” Select the “Create a new port” radio button and leave the drop-down menu on the default.
A small window will open for you to enter the port name, which is in the form of \\computername\printername (you wrote down the computer name in Step 1).
Select the manufacturer and printer from the list and keep the existing drivers. You can set the name of the printer and print a test page to ensure that this process works.
I hope this post helps anyone else who might be struggling with the same problem. Please let me know if this has helped you, or if there is anything I may have overlooked.
In the January/February 2010 issue of Mainframe Executive, Eric L. Vaughan makes a point about language as it is used by different groups of people, and the shorthand each group adopts to convey different concepts.
I have always taken a direct approach when describing computer-related problems to anyone, either a home computer user or a small business owner. The fact is, most people don’t care about why something is broken or not operating correctly, they just want the darn thing to work.
Vaughan expounds:
Our industry as a whole must learn to posture technology differently. Users don’t want architecture. They want results. They want software to work, easily and simply. They want to use it, not have to be schooled in it. We need to change the way we talk about it, starting by speaking in plain language rather than abbreviated, contrived terms designed to imply creative complexity. Language has played a key role throughout history and it’s no different in our industry.
We need to make a stand. CxOs throughout the world are begging for less complexity. They want to run their businesses with what the technology community can provide, but we’re making it too difficult for them to grasp what we’re doing simply by the terms we choose.
The magazine’s audience primarily consists of mainframe-based technicians, programmers, and senior managers. However, I believe Vaughan’s premise should be taken – in context – for all IT consultants, like myself, who act as technology advisers for a specific client base.
If a computer’s hard drive has crashed on a small network server, does the business owner care about the read/write heads or how the high RPM of the disk could have contributed to extensive data loss? I don’t think so. He or she is concerned with getting their business up and running, and how to handle the appointments and customers that are scheduled for that day.
Some technicians would immediately launch into a description of their efforts to perform data recovery using clean rooms and the painstaking process of accessing data on the disk. The small business owner stands there, eyes getting glossy, and says, “Whatever,” because that explanation doesn’t help him or her one bit.
Using “plain talk,” I would say something like, “The drive may be repairable, but that’s not our immediate concern. Let’s use the back-up from yesterday and restore that to get you back in business. We can figure out how to handle today’s data afterward.”
No jargon, no obfuscation, just simple, clear, concise statements. The business comes first, the technology takes a back-seat.
Isn’t that what you would want?
Tell me what you think.
If you search the Internet on a regular basis, you might have Google (http://www.google.com) set as one of your Favorites or as your browser’s home page. You have undoubtedly gotten very used to the simple interface, the way the page loads very quickly because of the lack of graphic images, and the utilitarian aspect of simply performing a search. (See http://www.msn.com or http://www.yahoo.com for opposite experiences.)
However, don’t think there is something wrong with your computer when you go to Google’s home page and only see the logo, the search box, and two buttons. That is what Google has decided should appear – until you move your mouse. This “fade-in” effect was first introduced as an experiment back in October 2009. It was slowly rolled out as a test and was modified during some rather violent (and often virulent) feedback. The earliest versions did not include the search buttons, which elicited no end of scathing retorts. Now the test has been concluded and the change has been made permanent. It appears to be the same in all web browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, and Safari).
So, no, there is nothing wrong with your PC. It doesn’t have a virus, you aren’t being affected by malware, and your broadband connection doesn’t have a problem. It is none of those things. It is simply the largest search engine on the planet giving you something you did not ask for, something most people do not want, something no one needs.
What do you think? Let me know!
A major office supply store has been promoting technical support services – often at a discount. All of their offerings are directed to PC or laptop owners, and the discounts only apply to a machine that you bring into the store.
Well, if you think you have a virus on your PC and are willing to get under the desk, unplug everything, schlep the PC to the store, and hand it over to a stranger, you are a very hardy and an incredibly self-sufficient individual. After all, once the work is done, you have to bring the PC back home, crawl down under the desk, and hook everything back up. All that effort was worth the money you saved with the discount, right?
But what happens when one of your frequently used programs stops behaving the way you expect it to? And what happens when you get an error message from your printer? Those things didn’t happen before you brought your PC to the store – they only happened after you brought it home.
So you call the store and complain, “Hey, this program doesn’t work right any more, and I can’t print anything because of this error message.” The likely response you will get form the store’s technical support representative is, “Bring the PC in, along with the printer and the cables, so that we can see what’s going on.” I am not certain how you are going to respond to that – if at all. But for the store, that’s easy, isn’t it?
Instead of trying to be so self-sufficient (just to save a few bucks), you should have contacted a reliable computer consultant so that you could have avoided the headaches associated with an incident like this. You should be looking for a company that offers an affordable service plan that makes sure your anti-virus software is always up-to-date, and that a system scan is run on a regular basis.
Most top-notch computer consulting firms can establish a remote session to determine exactly what actions to take to eradicate any malware on your PC. If you didn’t have access to the Internet, you should make certain the computer consultant is located nearby.
In either case, your problem would have been solved without your having to take everything apart and bring it to some other location. Now that’s what I consider easy tech support!
A customer who uses AOL for both personal and business-related e-mail recently called me with a problem. He had encountered the following error message when starting AOL on one of the accounts:
“An error occurred while loading a file. AOL will attempt to restore the file.”
All he could do at that point was click OK. Afterward, he connected to AOL, but when he looked at the list of e-mails, all he could see were the envelopes – everything else was blank! To make matters worse, he was able to open these e-mails, but that was ridiculously dangerous without knowing who had sent them.
This customer was using the latest version of AOL on Windows Vista. I searched in the usual places, and read every discussion thread to make sure I understood what the problem was. However, nothing seemed to indicate what actions would be appropriate, especially when this customer could use a different screen name and have full functionality (meaning he could see who the e-mails were from). That fact alone ruled out uninstalling and re-installing the AOL software.
It took some time, but I was able to uncover a solution that worked. First, I backed up the Personal Filing Cabinet (PFC). Next, I compressed the PFC.
Note that each of these processes requires you to be signed out of AOL.
To backup the contents of your PFC:
- Click the Mail menu and select Mail Settings.
- Click the Manage Saved Mail drop-down menu and select Backup.
- Click the Backup Now button.
- When the task is finished, click the Save button.
To compress the PFC:
- Click the Mail menu and select Mail Settings.
- Click the Manage Saved Mail drop-down menu and this time select Compact.
- Click the Compact Now button, and then click the OK button.
- When the task is finished, click the Save button.
After both of these tasks were completed, we checked his mail. Amazingly enough, all of the information was displayed for all of his e-mail!
Despite what the text of the error message indicated, the AOL software did not restore any file, nor did it attempt to do the correct thing. It is clear the program detected a problem – perhaps the PFC was too big for AOL to handle properly, or had some slight form of corruption – but who ever coded this section of the program simply issued the wrong error message. (Alternatively, it could be the correct error message, but the AOL software failed to perform the task correctly.)
I do not think that the AOL programming staff is going to correct this situation. Despite the dozens of threads that I found in various Internet searches, I am not certain if they are aware of this problem. Nonetheless, my customer is very pleased that I was able to solve his AOL e-mail problem.
I hope this blog post helps anyone else who encounters this error message. Let me know!