May 2008 Updates
As you all probably know, the Windows Updates for May 2008 came out this past Tuesday (May 13, 2008). I'm sure most of you have already installed them (at least you should have!), but you might still be a little curious about what was actually updated on your computer. It's always hard to decipher that information, especially when you're in a hurry to just get the update done and move on with your work. So, I'm here to help you out!
For the month of May, there were three critical updates and one listed as moderate. All three of the critical updates had to do with vulnerabilities that could eventually lead to remote code execution. The programs involved were Microsoft Word, Microsoft Publisher and the Microsoft Jet Database Engine. If you have any of those programs on your computer, they were updated and fixed.
The moderate update dealt with vulnerabilities within the Microsoft Malware Protection Engine, which, if not taken care of, could lead to denial of service. That one was also fixed with no trouble whatsoever. The Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool was also updated for you, as well as, some non-security, high-priority updates. Again, if you haven't run your Windows Updates yet, I urge you to do so soon. Otherwise, your computer will not be as safe as it should be. Until next month, I wish you happy computing!
~ Erin
Q:
How can I tell if my computer has a CD burner or not? Please help!
A:
Oooh, good question! We've actually been getting a lot of e-mails here in the office lately about this very thing. It seems as if a lot of you don't know if your computer has a burner or not and if you're one of them, you've come to the right place. There's a very easy way to check on that and I'm going to show you how right now!
There are a couple of things you can do. For starters, you can open up your CD/DVD ROM drive and look on the front of the tray. There should be some sort of logo written on the very front of the tray telling you if it's a burner or not. If it just says something like "CD Drive," there probably isn't a burner there. If it says CD/DVD R-RW, you do have a burner. That's the easiest way to tell.
The other thing you can do is look in the Device Manager. To get there, right click on the My Computer icon on your desktop. Choose Properties and then click on the Hardware tab. Once you're there, click on the Device Manager button and you will be taken to a list of all the hardware you have on your system. Double click on DVD/CD ROM Drive to expand it. If an extension comes up that says something like CD-RW or DVD-RW, you have a burner. If anything comes up at all, you more than likely already have a burner in your computer.
Once you figure out if you have one or not, you just need some burning software and you can go to town, burning CDs and DVDs as you wish! Some burners are external, so you may have that option as well. Most newer computers automatically come with a burner, but otherwise, you have to request one to be installed. If you don't remember requesting one, you probably don't have one, but use the above guidelines to know for sure!
~ Erin
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Always Looking for a Shortcut?
Have you recently made the switch over to MS Word 2007? If so, do you miss your custom keyboard shortcuts from previous versions?
Looking for a way to get those back?
No problem!
They're still there, but the route you take to get to them is slightly different.
You either need to get into the Word Options via the Office Button, Customize section or you can right click on the Quick Access Toolbar and choose Customize Quick Access Toolbar.
Now, take a look at the bottom of the Options dialogue window. See it?
Yep, that's right. It says "Keyboard shortcuts" with a Customize button. Click it.
You'll now find yourself in a somewhat familiar place. Obviously, there are some changes, such as you're looking through commands that are grouped based on the ribbon where they're found instead of a menu, but the rest is pretty much the same.
Select a category on the left and choose a command from the right.
Click into the "Press new shortcut key" field and then actually press the key combination you're looking to use.
Check the key combination's availability below the "Current keys" box.
If it's listed as unassigned, you have one you can use without consequence.
If it lists something else, that combination is currently in use and you can either find something else that's unassigned or go ahead and assign that one anyway. Keep in mind that whatever was already used will no longer have that shortcut, so make sure it's not something you may need in the future.
When you have something you're ready to use, verify that Normal is selected in the "Save in" field (so that it's available in all of your documents) and then click Assign.
There you have it. Keyboard shortcuts done just the way you like them!
~ April
RSSFWD: RSS to E-mail
To begin, I'd like to ask you a question: do you have any Web sites you like to visit on a regular basis, but you don't always get to? You know, maybe you don't have enough time or perhaps it's just too inconvenient. If that's the case, how would you like to receive RSS feeds from those sites right in your e-mail? That would make things a little easier, huh?! I mean, with RSS feeds, every morning when you check your e-mail, you'll get updates for your favorite Web sites too, all at the same time. Let's check this out!
1.) First of all, you need to get the RSS feed URL for your favorite Web sites. If you know the site has a feed URL, you can usually find it right on the homepage. If you're not sure or you can't find it, a Google search, such as "[site name] RSS feed," should help you locate it.
2.) Once you've found the RSS link, right click it and choose Copy.
3.) To actually get the feed into your e-mail, we'll be using a free service called RSSFWD. Now, you'll need to go to their Web site, which can be found here.
4.) The homepage will look a little something like this:
5.) Right click again and choose Paste to lock in the RSS URL you copied earlier. Then click Submit.
6.) Next, enter in your e-mail address. A sample of what your e-mail updates will look like will then be displayed at the bottom of the e-mail.
7.) The next part is very important, so please pay attention! You need to select how you would like your e-mails to be formatted. There are six different options to choose from.
8.) I liked the Digest option the best. With that one, you receive all of the updates in one single e-mail in the morning. That way, your Inbox won't be so crowded with RSS updates. You can select whichever option looks right for you though. When you're finished, press the Subscribe button.
9.) You will then receive a confirmation e-mail.
Just click the confirmation link inside the e-mail and you'll be good to go! The RSSFWD service will start sending you e-mail updates in accordance to the preferences you chose. Enjoy!
~ Neil Patel
