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Yesterday's (lack of a) newsletter

No, you didn't miss Tuesday's newsletter. We had a major problem with one of our computers and just couldn't get the newsletter done. Yup, even the computer people sometimes have problems :-)

Computers 101

Q:
I'm running out of hard drive space, should I save some of my files to floppy disks then take them off the computer?

A:

That's probably a really bad idea.

OK, before you send me a nasty e-mail, let me explain. I get 5-6 e-mails a week where someone is trying to save hard drive space by keeping his / her stuff on a floppy disk (then deleting the file from the computer). This is a really bad idea for two reasons:

1. Floppy disks are NOT reliable. You're much more likely to lose info from a floppy disk than a hard drive. I can't tell you how many people I've talked to / e-mail with who ask me how to recover lost data from a floppy disk. Data that was there has "disappeared" or become unreadable. For the most part, when that happens the information is lost forever.

2. A floppy disk only holds 1.44 meg of info. You would need almost 700 floppies to save 1 GB of information. Since most newer hard drives hold 10+ GB, you can see that saving a few files to a floppy isn't going to save a significant amount of space.

My recommendation is if you don't have enough hard drive space, get a second hard drive. Most newer computers support multiple hard drives, and they shouldn't be too expensive to install (much cheaper than the purchase price of 700 floppies). In fact, if you're comfortable with the inner workings of your computer, you can probably do it yourself (it's takes me about 15 minutes to install a drive but about 45 minutes to dig the computer out from under my desk).

In general, only use floppies to transfer information from one computer to another or as a backup. Never put an important file on one, delete it from your hard and expect it to always be there. If you are really set on saving stuff on something other than your hard drive, try using a ZIP disk. You can get a zip drive for around $100.00 and they are more reliable than floppies (but still not as reliable as hard drives).

Finally, please don't misunderstand me. Floppies are a good way to back up important info - and you should always have your important info backed up some way or another. Just don't rely on 3.5 floppies to store your data forever.

Tip of the Day

Customizing Send To - Part 2

Web Link - http://www.worldstart.com/tips/sendtopart2.htm

Yesterday we looked at adding / removing stuff from the Send To menu. Today, we'll look at adding folders to it. In case you missed yesterday's tip, here's the link:

http://www.worldstart.com/tips/sendtopart1.htm

(Quick reminder- you get the Send To option when you right-click a file in either Windows Explorer or My Computer)

Adding a folder shortcut to your Send To menu gives you the ability to send files to that folder quickly and easily. I know it's sounds a little complicated, but you'll see what I mean.

1. Right-Click your Start button, Explore.

2. Head to your Windows\Send to\ folder (it's probably just above the folder you're currently in).

Special Note for XP users (know, I ran this note yesterday, but I don't want any confusion):

If you're using Win XP, you'll need to make sure you have your computer set to Show Hidden Files and Folders. You can do this under Explorer by hitting the Tools menu, Folder Options. Next hit the View tab. You'll see an option for "Show Hidden Files and Folders" there. Select that and hit OK. You'll be able to see the Send To menu under the Documents and Settings/USER NAME folder (The USER NAME is the name you use for your custom settings on XP).

3. Use your RIGHT mouse button (yes the right one) to drag a folder to your Send To folder.

4. You'll get a menu that will give you several options, including one to create a shortcut. Select that.

That's it. If you would like to send a file to the folder you just created a shortcut to, right-click it and select it from the Send To list.

Amanda's Cool Site of the Day

Need A Manual?

Have you ever had a product that you lost the manual to? Maybe a camera, computer, vcr, etc? Well, here's a site that'll help out. They are an online manual search engine. You tell them what you're looking for, they try to find a way for you to order a manual. Great idea, if you ask me.

http://www.livemanuals.com/

Do you have a cool site that you want to share? Send it to Amanda! Here's her address:

amanda@worldstart.com

Oh, and we're looking for non-commercial sites. We generally don't run sites that are strictly for shopping.