More of your email
By Cate Eales
Appeared September 22, 2005 on castanet.net
Thank you once again to everyone who contacted me with questions. They
are all good questions, and every so often I batch them up and answer them
in this column. Here's a sample.
Q: I bought a new computer and it works great, but how do I get my email
and my Internet Explorer Favorites onto my new computer?
A: Windows XP includes a File and Settings Transfer Wizard which makes
this almost completely painless. The Wizard will guide you through the
process. Begin by going Start | All Programs | Accessories | System Tools
| File and Transfer Wizard on the new, XP computer. I don't know why the
boys at Microsoft hid that. It should be a big, bright, icon on the
desktop of every new computer with Windows XP. You can also use this
Wizard to create a copy of your files and settings on the new computer in
case you ever need to reload Windows XP.
Q: I have a group of documents in the computer and carefully put them in
the proper order and transferred them to a folder. When I copy them, they
come out in an entirely different sequence. I have also placed them in
order on the screen and again copied them to a CD and again they just seem
to go in random order. I really need them in a correct sequence.
A: You can display the documents in a folder any way you want to, but in
the end, "the computer" is going to sort them alphabetically. If it's
important to you that they be in a certain order, you can do that by
renaming each of the documents so that a number is in front of the name
and the computer will sort by that. If you have more than nine docs, you
have to start with 01, then 02. Otherwise it will sort 1, 10, 11, 12, 13,
14, 15, 16, 2...
So, rename your documents something like:
01-documentname
02-documentname
03-documentname
and so on.
To rename a document, just open the folder it's in, place the cursor so
the document is highlighted (don't click to open it). Then right-click and
select "Rename" from the context menu. Type in the name you want. When you
have done that, click anywhere else in the folder, on the desktop, where
ever, and you should see the document's new name.
Q: When my computer is on standby, or asleep (is that the same thing?), is
it vulnerable to hackers?
A: This is an interesting question, and it's been a challenge tracking
down an answer. There are several states in which you can place your
computer. One is ON; another is OFF. Those are pretty easy to understand.
The more complicated states are STANDBY and HIBERNATE. The more I read on
this the more difficult it became to answer the question. Why? Because
different computer manufacturers mean different things by STANDBY and
HIBERNATE. So you would have to check the documentation for your computer
(look in the section on power management) and see that means for you.
But the very best answer I can give you is that if you are connected to
the internet, and your computer is in some other state than OFF, you
should be running a firewall to decrease the chance of being hacked.
Windows XP has a built-in firewall. If you have an older version of
Windows, or if you want better protection and/or more flexibility than the
built-in one offers, there are several free firewalls that are perfectly
adequate for home users. Your anti-virus package may also have a firewall.
There is a good definition and discussion of personal firewalls here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_firewall
Q: I have been using the Firefox browser and I really like the features,
but it's a pain to update it, and sometimes I even miss the updates.
A: Firefox puts a yellow or red icon at the top of the browser when you're
supposed to update something, but you're right --- it's easy to miss that.
The way it works now, you have to download a whole new version of the
browser every time there's an update. The good news is that there is a
major upgrade to Firefox on the way. Now in beta, it will be in general
release to the public next month, and one of the improvements will be
automatic upgrades and a more graceful way to install them.
Thanks again to everyone who wrote in. Please keep the questions and
suggestions coming!
---
Cate Eales has been helping people make online computing safe, accessible
and fun for over 20 years. She lives in Kelowna with her husband, Eric,
and her dog, Sandy. Cate is a partner in Real Life Internet Solutions ,
helping individuals and small businesses with viruses, spyware, personal
computer training and management, digital image and music transfers, and
websites. Email Cate with your comments, suggestions, or questions. To
browse the column archives, visit the Real Life Internet Solutions website
at http://rlis.com/
© Cate Eales 2005 - All Rights Reserved
Related Links:
About Personal Firewalls:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_firewall
Real Life Internet Solutions:
http://rlis.com/
