Tech Tutor Mark

Crucial.com - System Scanner and Memory Advisor Tools One of the online tools I use regularly to help me upgrade computers is Crucial.com's System Scanner, found at http://www.crucial.com/ . The System Scanner virtually eliminates the need to open up the computer's case to determine how much and which type of memory is inside. It makes recommendations and tells which memory slots are filled, and whether or not the system can handle an upgrade to say...1 gb, 2 gb or more of RAM. Wondering if you can run Windows Vista on your machine? Try Crucial's Vista Scanner and see if your computer passes or fails the test. The Memory Advisor Tool allows you to follow a 3-step process to find guaranteed-compatible memory for computers and motherboards. These are important tools when dealing with memory upgrades, but there are more resources on the site which are also worthy of looking at. There is a Mac memory section, and of course you can purchase by individual memory type, such as th

The World's Biggest DIY & How-To Show and Tell Site Here is a site for everyone. Instructables.com is an online community where people from all over the world share what they know how to do. It is truly a show-and-tell "how-to" site, with over 2 million visitors per month. You can learn such diverse skills as how to make a $5.00 space pen for your wallet or how to turn a Dell laptop into a digital photo frame. There are food tips like how to make you own tortillas and real Japanese ramen from scratch , as well as art, craft and home How-Tos , such as building a Web-controlled surveillance camera and more tips than I can ever begin to describe. Instead of giving you a manual and sending you on your way, you get to experience these articles through the words, pictures and ideas of Instructables.com's colorful collection of users. Some of the tutorials are truly useful, while others are simply unique. You can browse the site and see what it has to offer, amid a col

Acronyms & Glossary NetLingo.com Top 20 Internet Acronyms Every Parent Needs to Know Nothing is more humbling for a parent than seeing a list like the one below. And, nothing is more helpful to a parent than seeing a list like the one below. Armed with this resource, you suddenly understand a lot of what your kids are talking about online in chat rooms, instant messaging programs, or in cell phone text messages. It's very disturbing and very real. The fact is, they don't want you to see this list. Understanding this reality is a great start to becoming more aware. For a comprehensive acronym list, check out http://www.netlingo.com/emailsh.cfm . Also, for parents concerned about their kids' online safety, check out these helpful links from WebWiseKids.org : http://www.webwisekids.org/index.asp?page=helpfulLinks The NetLingo Top 20 Acronyms POS - Parent Over Shoulder PIR - Parent In Room P911 - Parent Alert PAW - Parents Are Watching PAL - Parents Are Listening

Remove Trialware and Other Annoying PC Crap Most people only get one new computer every 4-6 years. I, on the other hand, set up new computers almost every day. So, having the convenience of a utility that detects the "crap" (or unnecessary programs) is essential. For instance, many new computers from the big manufacturers like Sony, HP/Compaq, Toshiba, Dell, etc. ship with annoying 30-90-day trial applications, games, and other programs that simply bog down the machine and make it run slower than it would without them. Many people disregard these programs, but they simply add to the fat, and eventually contribute to slowing down that new computer very quickly. Also, with a trial version of a program like Norton Internet Security, the service provided by the application is only good for a limited time. In the case of Norton, only 60-90 days. Wouldn't it be nice to have a utility that detected this junk, commonly known as "bloatware"? Well, now there is. The PC De

Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows is dedicated to providing all of the information Windows users need to evaluate important upcoming technologies, including Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office, Xbox 360, plus related digital media, Internet, home networking and more from Microsoft and its competitors. This Web site provides continuous updates about these future products and technologies, while offering reviews, technology showcases, FAQs and other articles all designed to give you the information you need to decide which upcoming technologies are right for you. Anything that works with or competes with Windows will make an appearance on this site. But wait, there's more here. As a site venture, Paul also collaborates on a podcast with Leo Laporte (formerly of Tech TV) called Windows Weekly . This podcast started in September 2006 and continues to this day. On Paul's SuperSite for Windows, you will find reviews of the various components of Windows Vista, and when W

Storing Your Web Passwords the Free Way with KeePass People often ask me if there is a quick and easy way to save their online passwords so that they don't forget them. Right now, when more and more sites require passwords to access them, it is especially important to do two things: 1) Pick a password that is not easy to guess and, 2) Make sure you don't forget the password(s) that you chose. Also, with more and more sites having security rules, they are making it more and more difficult for us to remember passwords. Take Adobe.com for instance. I couldn't believe how many safeguards and hoops you had to jump through to just to create a password to enter their site. Many corporations, for instance, require you to change your password every 60-90 days. It's no wonder that there is great software out there to help us manage our passwords. The best one, in my opinion, is RoboForm . But, RoboForm also has a stipulation in its license. You can use it free, as long as you onl

Mark's "PC Maintenance & Security" Video Series Here is the Web link to the best class I have ever put together: http://movies.atomiclearning.com/k12/pc_cleansecure I recorded this video training series two summers ago, and it has been well received across the country. An AtomicLearning.com membership is $100 per year, but you can view ALL of AtomicLearning's content for free for the next 14 days if you request a 14-day demo account. To do this, just fill out the form on one of the free course outline pages, or off of the Home page. There are a lot of great online software training sites available now. Total Training, Lynda.com, CBT Nuggets and VTC are other great names. All cost about the same for a yearly membership (around $300), but AtomicLearning has a few advantages over these sites. First, it is geared toward teachers. AtomicLearning is the only site that offers "Lesson Accelerators," which are pre-designed lessons which are geared toward learnin

Excel Tips and Add-ins Galore The Excel users in the crowd have been overlooked in this blog until now. I am compiling some tips to help you through your work day a little more efficiently, with some help from our friends over at TechRepublic.com , who seem to always have the best tips for business software users. To receive the following downloads, you first need to register, but don't worry. TechRepublic.com's site registration is free, and well worth it. So do that first. Then log in to the site. Now, the first of two very useful links. The first is their list of " 75 Essential Excel Tips ": http://tinyurl.com/5tbztc These tips have been compiled by their staff of talented Excel users. This 30-page document covers techniques for Excel 97-2003, featuring time-saving tricks that range from data entry and cell formatting to currency conversion and workbook sharing. But wait, there's more... Some of my personal favorite Excel tips appear on this site: http://www.j-

The Ultimate File Converter/Unit Converter/Online Video Downloader/File Sender Thanks to an anonymous comment to my May 6th blog post, there has been a new winner in the online file/video converter sweepstakes. Previously I recommended sites like Senduit.com and YouSendIt.com for sending files of up to 100 mb to anyone, without having to install software to get the job done. I also blogged about Media-Convert.com which allows you to convert files of various formats using only a Web site. Again, no software needs to be installed. But thanks to this week's recommendation, I am now hooked on YouConvertIt.com and soon, you will be too! YouConvertIt is the all-in-one deal. Get this. It is a file converter. It converts virtually any file to Microsoft Word format, for example, as well as Excel and PDF. But it also converts to the various audio and video formats, including MP3, MP4, QuickTime, Real Media, all of the major graphic formats (including .png), and the list goes on and on. N

Tips and Tools for PC Building from If building PCs is a passion or an interest of yours, there is no better source than ExtremeTech.com. Their staff has the lowdown on what you need to know. From Pre-build Preparation to Software Tools to Post Assembly, this great article entitled " Tips and Tools for PC Building " will help you out. The article takes you through the steps, including recommended tools (like the Milwaukee 6546 Electric Screwdriver). For software tools, they recommend memtest86+ for initial boot testing and Bart's PE , the excellent Windows XP Live Boot CD. ExtremeTech.com is a site that is definitely for computer power users, but this particular article is for anyone with a thirst for taking computers apart and rebuilding them. The knowledge and experience here is outstanding, and this article is a terrific place to start if you're interested in building a PC of your own.

Easily Save YouTube & Google Videos I get this question all the time: "What is the best way to save YouTube videos so they can be moved from one computer to another? In the past, I used to tell people how to get to their Internet Temporary Files folder, delete all of their temp files, and then click on the YouTube video of their choice. It downloads a video file to the Internet Temp folder, which they could then copy and paste to their desktop. The remaining steps require a converter, such as Media-Convert , which I featured in my March 19th post . This process has all changed now that I have learned of SaveTube.com . SaveTube is another one of those sites that provides a much-needed service which we used to acquire through other methods, such as the one I just described. Although the site does feature advertising which may be of a scantily-clad supermodel from YouTube (I'm only warning you in advance if you're easily offended), or a blinking banner ad, it is worth its

Celebrating Freeware and Great Tech Forums ( http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic3616.html ) and ( http://www.techsupportalert.com/best_free_tech_support_sites.htm ) I recently stumbled onto a great forum post on bleepingcomputer .com/ that gives a very comprehensive list of freeware replacements for common commercial applications . These commercial products are some of the biggest names in software, but the challenge of coming up with great freeware that will meet most the same needs was met quite well. It was truly a beneficial topic for everyone, which brings up the point I want to make. I have learned more from the various online tech forums in the past year than from almost any other type of computer training. These forums are seemingly everywhere, but they generate the kind of wonderful exchange of experience and ideas that we need in the technology field. For instance, if you had a strange computer problem (like a cryptic Windows error message) that you could not fix y

Back Up Your iPod and iTunes Even people who don't use and write about computers all day probably realize that it is a good idea to make backups. But not everything on a person's computer is worth backing up. One thing that iPod users don't often think about is backing up their iTunes Library. As pervasive as Apple's iTunes is today, anyone with an iPod or even some version of iTunes installed on his/her computer, needs to back up everything contained within it. You would be surprised how many people don't back up their music, books, Podcasts , movies, etc. Then, when their computer or iPod crashes or is stolen, they suddenly have a dilemma. Today I will explain how you can back up iTunes and what is contained on your iPod rather easily, and in different ways. The first method is creating backup discs from iTunes . This is the way that I use, and the one I prefer. Back Up Within iTunes : iTunes 7 offers a great way to back up your iTunes library, includin