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 | January 2008 Updates As you all know, the time has come yet again for the monthly Windows updates from Microsoft. Most of you have probably already installed the updates on your computer, but just in case you're not sure what kinds of changes were made, allow me to give you a brief explanation. I must say, this month's updates were very minimal compared to some of the ones we've seen in the past. I guess that's something to be thankful for! Let's take a look and see what we've got. Two main updates were released for January 2008, one which was rated as "critical" and the other as "important." The critical update dealt with some vulnerabilities that were found in the Windows TCP/IP area that could eventually lead to remote code execution. The second update had to do with a vulnerability found in the LSASS application that, if not repaired, could allow for local elevation of privilege. I know all of that is a little confusing, but trust me, it's a very good thing Microsoft fixed these flaws. Now, a couple other security updates were released as well, but they weren't as high priority as the others. Along with the first two, five non-security updates were released for both the Microsoft Update and the Windows Server Update Services. Also, two non-security updates were released for the Windows Update and again, the Windows Server Update Services. An updated version of the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool was also released, which is pretty standard. Well, there you go. All of those changes were made to your computer for the month of January and as long as you installed them, you're safe for another month! ~ Erin It's Friday, it's Friday! Make sure you keep reading to learn all about adding your favorite programs to the Quick Launch Toolbar in Windows Vista, find out how you can underline with pizzazz in MS Word and learn how you can get rid of that dreadful clicking noise in Internet Explorer. Also, be sure to check out the Friday Funnies for your daily laugh and as always, don't miss out on Amanda's Cool Site of the Day. Enjoy and have a wonderful weekend, everyone! : )
"If You Only Buy One Program This Year - Grab This One!!" WOW! The response to System Mechanic 7 this week continues to AMAZE us! Thank YOU to the THOUSAND+ who've already ordered! You'll love it! If you missed out, we want to give you another shot at this amazing program! We've been so impressed by the excellent speed gains - not to mention system tweaks and hard drive space this has saved - that we're going to try to keep it available as long as possible! Give this one a try - you'll be glad you did! Make Windows Run Up To 300% FASTER!! Customize, Tweak, Secure, Optimize, And Make 'Er FLY!! It's Time To Get That "New Computer" Feeling Back! Oh WOW!! We just got System Mechanic 7 in and it's by far, the very best program I think I've ever seen for getting the most out of Windows! This thing is just gonna blow you away! It did me - and I've seen a LOT of software! This thing is nothing short of amazing! Read on - and get ready to be really - and I mean REALLY - impressed! First, I'm seriously blown away at how easy this software makes it to really get your computer crankin'! I mean, I don't think there's anything on your computer this can't tweak and optimize! To test, I installed it on my personal machine and it did a quick scan, and it came up with a warning about a few security problems and gave me some really helpful speed improvement suggestions. With just a couple mouse clicks, I'm now enjoying a MUCH faster -and more secure - computer! And I thought I was as tweaked out as I could be! Not even close - this was incredible - and automatic! What can it do for you? Let's talk speed - this can make your computer act like it did when you first brought it home - just flying through programs and impressing the livin' daylights out of ya! Heck, your computer might even be faster than when you first got it home!! This has a whopping 19 different ways to crank up the speed on your machine! In fact, many systems see an absolutely incredible 300% improvement after just some automatic adjusting by this program! WOW!! Want to surf the internet at up to 300% faster? This can help! Windows isn't necessarily optimized for the fastest connection out of the box, but this program can grab your settings and squeeze out the speed - you'll surf the internet like crazy! Who wouldn't want to surf up to 300% faster?!!? Heck, it even has a speed tool to measure how faster you connection speed is! Just fantastic! Want more? - Sure ya do! Another thing this does that I'm in absolute love with is it lets you customize over 100 "secret" Windows settings! Stuff that you always wish Windows would let you adjust but there isn't really any direct way to do it. This makes it point-and-click easy!! You can: Optimize the way Windows' Start Menu behaves, speed up networking performance, log in automatically, edit your computer registration data, change multimedia behavior, improve pagefile security, customize explorer's context menus, edit advanced administration options, and much more!! Oh, and just wait till you point your mouse at the Automatic System Maintenance section! I just love this! This part of the program will watch in the background and wait till the system is idle. As soon as you're not using the computer, it will work in the background tuning your computer for absolute peak performance! Here's the really cool part - just touch your mouse, and it stops what it's doing and gives the system back to you! Really! If you've ever been slowed down by a stubborn anti-virus that insisted on scanning while you were working, you know just how cool this is! Oh, and it even lets you pick and choose what optimizations to run! Another automatic feature I think is just brilliant is the "One-Click" option! It's just what it sounds like - just click the button and System Mechanic runs all of its system enhancement programs and cranks your system up to the next level! Just a button push away! It makes it easy for EVERYONE to have a smokin' system! Of course, no utility suite would be complete without some killer security tools - and this has the best! This program will quickly scan your system and help you find all the holes - then just plug them with a mouse click! I was really surprised when it found not one, not two, but THREE major holes on my personal PC! I clicked the mouse and the world was safe again!
Oh, and that's not all! This also includes both a world-class Anti-Virus (one of the easiest, most comprehensive AVs I've ever used) and a really top-notch Firewall! Either one retails for more than we're selling the entire suite for! WOW! PLUS - it destroys spyware, adware, malware and more. OK, put it this way - if it was made to attack your system, this is going to seek it out and destroy it like a battalion of ticked off Marines! OK, all that's great, but what if your PC is really messed up - like it won't boot? This software can handle that too! Just pop in a recovery CD and System Mechanic will examine your system and get your computer running right again! If you've ever had that sick "why isn't my computer booting" feeling, you can appreciate how great this will be next time it happens! One more thing and I'll try to stop! System Mechanic is just fanatical about grabbing up wasted space on your hard drive! This just blew me away when it found a whopping 1.5 GIG of wasted hard drive space! Geeze - I've had whole hard drives that were smaller than that! This made grabbing that space back a mouse click away! I tell ya - you just can't go wrong here! As you can tell by all the great customer testimonials - I'm not the only one that's impressed! And, there's still a LOT more this can do! I'm currently running this software and couldn't be happier with it. My system is definitely faster than before it was installed and I just love the performance increase! If you only buy one software program this year - GRAB THIS! Your price? Well, this is the current version and sells for $69.99 at my local Best Buy. Your price? Get this - just $18.97 and US shipping is FREE! AND - this is a 3 license pack too! WOW!!! Check it out: http://store.worldstart.com/product.php?productid=4052 PS - Seriously, after just using this for a short time, I wouldn't be without it. If WorldStart wasn't carrying it, I'd happily pay the $70 for it somewhere else - it really is that good! PLEASE - take a look at this one, I've NEVER seen a better, more complete utility program! Blows everything else right out of the water!!
Q: A: Before I go any further, I want to make sure everyone is clear on what the Quick Launch Toolbar is. Basically, it's the set of icons that sit right next to the Start button on your desktop. They sort of look like mini icons, which makes it even more fun! The purpose of the Quick Launch Toolbar is to give you a quicker option when it comes to opening the applications you use most often on your computer. So, what can you add to the Quick Launch Toolbar? Well, just about anything. I usually just add the programs I use the most, but you can customize yours however you want! So, once you decide what you want to add to your Quick Launch Toolbar, it's time to work on getting it all set up. Here's how you do it! 1.) Click on the Start button. 2.) >From your Programs list, find one you'd like to add to your Quick Launch area. 3.) Right click on the program and choose Add to Quick Launch. That program will then be added to your Quick Launch Toolbar for easy access. You can then go back to your Programs list and add any others you'd like. You won't be able to add every single one, but you should be able to get the majority of your favorites set up. Now, if you don't like that method, there is an alternative. You can also drag and drop your programs into the Quick Launch area. To do that, find the one you want to move from your Programs list and then just drag it down and drop it into the area right next to the Start button. It will then automatically be added to your Toolbar. Or, if you ever need to delete an item from your Quick Launch Toolbar, you can do that by right clicking it and choosing Delete. Either way you look at it, it's one of the easiest things you can do with your Vista computer! Here's to taking the frustration out of one more Vista how-to. Enjoy! ~ Erin Have a question for the newsletter? Submit it at the link below:
Underline with Pizzazz in Word Have you ever wished you had a better way to emphasize your point? (You know, besides raising your voice, of course!) Unfortunately, MS Word seems to be pretty immune to that tactic. You've done the normal bold, color change and underline thing, but this time, you're looking for a little something "extra." (It's like the sprinkles my niece likes to decorate cakes with. Just a little something to add that extra touch!) Yes? Good, because I've got a possible solution for you! How about a different underline for a change of pace? Instead of the old stand-by, here are a few of the others you can try on for size: So, now that you know you have options, let's get to the "how-to!" Once you've decided what text should be underlined, go ahead and highlight it. Now, it's time to get busy with the underlining. Go to the Format menu, Font choice. In Word 2007, you can click the arrow located in the bottom right hand corner of the Font section on the Home ribbon. Under the Font tab, locate the Underline or Underline Style field. Click the down arrow to display your choices. If you have Word 97, you should see this in the menu: In the newer versions of Word, you'll see something like the screenshot below. (Also note that this list has a scroll bar, so the list contains more choices than you can see at once). Also, I found that in Word 2007, some of the options were accessible right from the Underline button on the Home ribbon. If you look closely, you'll see that there's a down arrow on the right side of that button. If you click that, you'll see this: If none of the choices presented in this partial list are what you're looking for, you can choose More Underlines from the bottom and the Font dialogue window will open, allowing you to choose from the entire list. Either way you go to find your preferred style, simply select the underline style of your choice and then click OK. And just like that, you have an eye-catching underline that really packs a punch! ~ April
Incredible Deal On Wireless Router! Don't pay $75, $100 or more! Get This Dirt Cheap - Just $38.97! It Even Has A Firewall - So It's FAST and SECURE! Do you need Internet access on more than one computer? Want to do away with all the network cables? Well, we have a great solution for you! This awesome 802.11g 4-Port Cable/DSL Wireless Router allows 2 or more people to access the Web at once! (Plus it has 4 regular ports if you want to hook some up via network cables). OK, for those who don't know, a router allows you to take your cable / DSL connection and share it between several computers. It also features a built-in Firewall and 64/128-bit WEP Encryption for added protection. The great thing about a wireless network is that you can access the Internet from anywhere in your home! Just log on via your laptop, tablet PC, or other network enabled device for easy access. No more waiting in line to do school research or check the latest stock prices. With a wireless network, everyone can be on the Net at the same time. Oh, and if you're a broadband user who doesn't need to share a connection, this is still something you'll want. The built-in NAT Firewall offers some of the best hacker protection money can buy. Software firewalls are good, but hardware firewalls are best (I use both). I have friends who have a single computer but always use a router due to hacking problems. It's a great thing to have (and this one is priced less than most software firewalls). What I like best about this router is that it can be used both wireless and wired (at the same time, of course). At our house, I have the router on my desk. Since I'm close, I just use a cable to plug the computer directly into the router. On the other hand, my wife uses her laptop wherever the kids are playing at the time, so she goes the wireless route. We even use it to share a printer! Features:
This is an awesome router and is one of the easiest on the market to setup! If you're using broadband without a router, now's the time to get one! If you have more than one computer in your household, then this should be a no-brainer. Share access today without spending a fortune. Plus, you don't have to worry about security with its awesome firewall protection. Your price on this is incredible - just $38.97 and US shipping is FREE! A "cheap" wireless router from your local electronics store will usually run around $70+ - heck, a "standard" 4 port router is usually $50! Check it out here: http://store.worldstart.com/product.php?productid=4068 PS - Again, I really, really want to stress that quantities are very limited. Get to the site early or pay big bucks somewhere else! Once these are gone, no more are available. No More Crawling Around Under The Desk!!! Back by popular demand... 7-Port Super Slim Compact Hub w/LEDs!!! This hub has been selling like CRAZY - our supplier can't keep 'em in stock and neither can we! This expands a single USB port to seven! Not only that, it's also a powered unit, so big devices like scanners, printers, webcams, etc. run perfectly! You get super-fast high speed transfer rates - up to 480 Mbps - WOW!!!!  It's been my experience (and most of our customers too) that you can never (and I mean NEVER) have enough places to plug in USB accessories. Well, this handy unit solves that problem with ease. As most of you know, it's not a matter of if you'll need more space, it's a matter of when. With all the new gadgets for computers constantly coming out, having a USB hub is practically a necessity! It's so much easier (and less time consuming) than plugging in and unplugging my devices all the time! It generally takes me several minutes just to figure out what USB plug goes to what and whether or not I can afford to be without that item. Not to mention the needless crawling around under the desk with a flashlight ;-) Well, that's all a thing of the past now!!! Oh, and setup is a super-easy! Just plug it in and it's ready to go. That's all there is to it! Even the most novice computer users can do that ;-) Everyone who tries a USB hub says the same thing - "Wow, what a difference - I can't believe how much I love this thing! Instead of crawling around on the floor swapping plugs every 10 minutes, I can have ALL my USB devices plugged in at once!" As if all that wasn't enough, we have about the best price on the planet on these right now - just $18.97 and FREE US Shipping! This has a list price of $49.99, so it's a fantastic deal! Check it out: http://store.worldstart.com/product.php?productid=3943 PS - Once again, VERY limited quantities on this. We tend to sell out on this item pretty quick, so be sure to get to the site before these are all gone! You'll be glad you got one when you could ;-) Stop That Clicking Sound Have you ever noticed that when you click a link in Internet Explorer, there is a distinct “clicking” sound that plays through your speakers? As if the actual click of the mouse button wasn’t realistic enough! If you’ve never heard that sound, you should consider yourself lucky, because by default, it is always activated. At first, it’s unnoticeable, but as you become more experienced with surfing the Web and you begin to follow links to your favorite Web sites, you will start to hear it more frequently. Luckily, there is an easy way to turn this sound effect off. Let's see how!
Below is a screenshot from the Windows XP Control Panel in the Classic View: Here is one of the Windows XP Control Panel in the Category View: For older computers, you can find the same settings by clicking on Sounds and Multimedia Properties or simply Sounds, depending on the version of Windows you're using. Now, once you’ve clicked on the Sounds and Audio Devices icon, you will see the Sounds and Audio Devices Properties window. Across the top of that screen, you will see various tabs that can take you to different parts of the Properties area. Go ahead and click on the Sounds tab. In the second half of the screen, you will see a scroll menu that lists all of the Windows sounds in different categories. Scroll down until you reach the Windows Explorer category and then click on the Start Navigation option. When you click on the Start Navigation sound, a drop down menu will become available at the bottom of the window. This is where you can change the sound for each action. Click on the drop down arrow and a list of available sounds will appear. The one at the very top is the one we want. Find it and select [None]. Once you select [None], the last step is to click the OK button at the bottom. Ah, silence sure is golden, isn’t it?! So, the next time you click on a hyperlink in Internet Explorer, you will no longer have to listen to that artificial clicking sound that has plagued you for far too long! ~ Brandon Freund If you enjoy our tips, tell your friends. That's what keeps this newsletter growing.
Friday Funnies For stories, jokes, quotes and cartoons every day, sign up for our Just for Grins newsletter. Finally! A Web site that lets you store all of your bookmarks in one place and is 100 percent free. It is really easy to get started with too. Just click Create Account beneath the username field. You do need an account, because it will keep track of all your bookmarks, allowing you to access them from anywhere. To register, just fill in the fields: Username, E-mail Address, Password, Security Question (this is a drop down box), Answer and Time Zone. Then just agree to their terms and conditions and click Register. There’s nothing to confirm, so you can get started right away! After you’ve registered, they will start you off by having you get netRocket buttons for your favorite browser. Right now, I’m a fan of Opera, so I chose that one. Once you’ve selected your browser, you will get a browser specific installation guide to get your netRocket button installed. Just follow the instructions to get it all set up. If you run into any snags, check out the Rocket Manual link at the top of the page. You'll also find great tips on how to get the most out of netRocket there too! This site is great for me, because with all the sites I research, I can schedule reminders for myself to go back and look at something I didn’t really have time to check out at the time. That way, I won’t forget to investigate what could be a really cool site. I think the scheduling feature is probably my favorite on netRocket! Another nice feature is being able to label the sites I bookmark with tags. With that, if I’m looking for a specific kind of site, I can just click on the tag and browse through my bookmarks that fall into that category. An example of tag categories in my links would be: Music, Art and Funny. I hope you all get as much use out of this site as I already have! ~ Amanda Do you have a cool, non-commercial site that you want to share?
Enter The WS Photo Contest! Please note that due to technical problems we were unable to do photo contest voting for last month and have no winner. We will extend last month's contest into this month and have a winner next month. If you submitted a photo last month then you do not need to re-enter - we still have it and you are still in the contest :-) We are looking for your best photo of a Winter Wonderland. Snowy, icy, frosty, cold or anything that depicts winter where you are at! http://www.worldstart.com/photo-contest/
January Wallpaper Here's January's wallpaper. It's all free, so enjoy!
All can be found here: http://www.worldstart.com/wallpaper/index.php Enjoy!
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Thursday, January 10, 2008
Computer Tips [ Critical January Updates + Stop All That Clicking + Friday Funnies ] 01/11/08
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