Announcements

Too Many Viruses!

We have been seeing tons of viruses lately. In fact, I can't recall when we've seen so many at once. It's not just an individual virus that's really bad, but lots of different ones. We receive around 800 e-mails a day, and between 1/3 and 1/2 are viruses - viruses that the sender didn't even know he had.

So, we have some help for everyone :-)

We have Norton System Works 2002 for only 19.97! And US Shipping is FREE! OK, I know it's not the 2003 version (can't get those at a good price), but you still get regular updates, virus definitions, and support with this version. The differences between the 2002 and 2003 versions are minimal, and to me it just isn't worth $50.00 more ($70.00 total) to go 2003.

I can't stress how important anti-virus software is. And this suite not only includes Norton Anti-virus, but lots more. Check it out:

# 1 Norton Antivirus - OK, if you've been on this newsletter for more than a week, you already know I like this one. I personally think this is one of the best AV software programs on the market. It's quick, easy to use, and runs transparently in the background, always protecting you. Plus the updates are automatic, so you're always safe.

It protects you from all types of viruses, checks outgoing e-mail for viruses (to protect your friends), stops malicious internet code / scripts, and tons more. It really is the AV program by which all other AV programs are judged!

# 2 Norton Utilities - Here's one I really like. Look at all it can do to keep your computer running smoothly it finds and fixes problem, keeps your data safe from most hardware / software problems, keeps an eye on your hard drive, has its own scan disk and defrag programs (much more advanced than the stuff included with Windows), and can even fix most of the problems it finds - quickly and easily.

It addition, it can also help you recover deleted files, help optimize your PC for better performance, plus give you detailed information about your system. This is a VERY short list of what this software can do, but I need to keep going...

# 3 Norton Clean Sweep - Have too much junk on your hard drive? This software can help you remove unwanted programs (better than the Windows Add / Remove program thing), clean up internet temp files (cookies, excess plug-ins, temp files, etc), compress seldom used programs so they don't eat up a bunch of hard drive space, help you copy a program from one computer to another, and TONS more.

# 4 - GoBack - This one is really cool. It provides quick and easy system recovery. GoBack gives you the power to immediately undo common user errors and serious system problems on your PC. If you've ever messed up in a big way with your computer, this is for you. It lets you go back in time and retrieve lost data, unfreeze your computer when the system unexpectedly quits, or recover from a nasty computer viruses.

Each one of these components does a LOT more than described here (and sell individually for $40-$50). Take a look at the site for more info:

http://www.worldstart.com/store/nortonsystem2002-cdm.htm

WARNING - This was a one time deal, and I can't get any more than the limited quantity I currently have (I've been trying for a week). Don't hate yourself for missing out on this one, get to the site early and finish reading the rest of this newsletter later!!

Computers 101

Q:
What is the Windows Clipboard?

A:
The Windows clipboard is used to temporarily store stuff. This "stuff" can come in the form of just about anything. Images, files, documents, etc.—they can all be placed on the clipboard. Once something has been copied to the clipboard it can be pasted into another location.

The clipboard isn't a program you can actually access and play with. It's a built-in windows component that works transparently. When you copy or cut, the info is put onto this clipboard. When you paste, the information that's on the clipboard is put into whatever it is you're working on.

For instance, if I have some information on a web page that I want to put into a word processing document, this is what would happen:

1. I highlight and copy (CTRL-C) the text from the web page. When I do this, the text is placed on the clipboard.

2. Now, I open my word processor. Right now, the info is still sitting on the clipboard and can be pasted into my word processor or any other program that can handle text.

3. OK, now I right-click a blank area of my word processing document and choose Paste from the resulting menu (or just use CTRL-V) . This will take the info that's currently sitting on the clipboard (i.e. the web page text in this case) and attempt to put it into my word processing document.

I say "attempt to put the info on the clipboard into the word processor" because sometimes the info that's on your clipboard is not compatible with the program you're using. For example, if you try to paste a picture into notepad, that just isn't going to work.

For example, lets say you were working on a report in MS Word and you would like to quote some information you uncovered on the web. Rather than printing out the web page and re-typing the block of text you would like to quote, you can highlight the text on the webpage and copy it to the clipboard (highlight by holding down your left mouse button and dragging it over the section of text you would like to have. Copy it by right-clicking that section of text and selecting Copy from the menu that pops up).

Now, head back to MS Word and position the cursor where you would like to insert the text. Hit CRTL-V (or click the Edit menu, Paste), and presto, the web page text you copied has now been pasted into your Word doc.

Oh, for more on Copy & Paste head to:
http://www.worldstart.com/tips/copypaste.htm

~Steve

Have a question for the newsletter? Submit it at the link below:
http://www.worldstart.com/submitquestion.htm

Tip of the Day

When you use the "copy" or "cut" command, it copies information to your Windows clipboard. That information is kept in your RAM memory until it's replaced by something else.

Unfortunately, if you're copying large items, this can adversely affect your computer's performance. How? Well, that large file, picture, object, or whatever it was that you copied is floating around in your RAM, regardless of whether it's been pasted or not.

For example, let's say I have 32 meg of free RAM. I copy a 10 meg file to my clipboard. Now, that file will continue to occupy 10 meg of RAM until something else is placed on the clipboard, the clipboard is purged, or I restart my computer.

So what can you do?

The simplest thing would be to just copy something small to your clipboard. Maybe copy a blank space in a word processor to your clipboard or possibly a short sentence. Anything small is fine. Since your clipboard can only hold one item at a time, the old 10 meg file is replaced with the new small file.

You could also open the Clipboard Viewer, hit the Edit menu, then Delete. This will quickly purge the clipboard contents.

You can get to the clipboard viewer by clicking Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools. It should be under there if it's installed (it's not always installed).

Oh, if you want more info on the elusive clipboard, head to:
http://www.worldstart.com/tips/termclipboard.htm

~Steve

Have a an original tip for the newsletter? Submit it below:
http://www.worldstart.com/writers-guidelines/index.htm

Amanda's Cool Site of the Day

Automatic Flatterer

Tired of people insulting you? Well see how your computer and friends should really treat you. Give yourself a pick me up and visit this site.

Type in your name and prepare to be flattered. This site could be habit forming, but hey visit it anyway.

Be appreciated for who you are.

http://www.cse.unsw.edu.au/~geoffo/humour/flattery.html

Do you have a cool, non-commercial site that you want to share?
Send it to Amanda at amanda@worldstart.com