Email - Show File Extensions For Safety

Set Windows to show file extensions to make it easier to determine attachment safety. By default Windows is set to hide file extensions and hackers have used this to hide the real extension of an attachment to look legitimate, as most users do not change the defaults.

An example of goodattachment.txt.exe would show as goodattachment.txt, unless Windows is set to show file extensions and, if opened would run the executable file with probable bad results.

Showing file extensions is a simple process:

• Left click Start.


• Left click Control Panel.


• Double click Folder Options.


• Select the View tab.


• Un-check the "Hide extensions for known file types." box.


• Click OK.


• Close Control Panel.

Sowing file extensions is one of the first things I do when someone asks me to help them with a computer problem and I explain why they should keep this setting. Not only is this a good precaution for email, it helps me understand what the different files are in the folders on the computer that is having problems, as most leave the file extensions hidden and I can not then determine whether a particular file is a data file, an executable, a zip, etc.

Do yourself and your computer repair/consultant personnel a favor and set Windows to show file extensions.

If you know of any other reasons to show file extensions, please leave me a comment.

Gmail - Overview

Gmail is a free, web based, email service that I have been using for quite a while now, primarily for backup of important documentation, rather than a normal email service.

In this posting, I want to give an overview of my impressions and usage of Gmail, and later posts will deal with more specifics of how I have Gmail work for me.

All posts related to Gmail will be labeled Gmail for your convenience in locating them.

There are a lot of features in Gmail, but here are the ones most important to the way I use the service, in no particular order:

• Storage - Currently 2,768+ megabytes, and increasing all the time.


• Labels - Labels are used instead of folders, unlike most other email applications.


• Attachment Size - Up to 10 megabytes of attachments are supported.


• Searching - Very easy to find the specific email you are looking for.

Earlier in this posting, I said that I use Gmail more for backup of important documentation; I have several regular email accounts and use the Thunderbird email client for those. The Gmail account, is what I use to send myself a compressed folder containing all data from work each day, as well as backups of newsletters, handouts, etc. from the BPCA and BRCS computer user groups.

This enables me to get the most current information I need, when I need it, from anywhere I can access the internet.

Gmail is by invitation only at this point. Luckily there are ways to obtain an invitation.

• I have some invites available from my account, that will be available to BPCA or BRCS members, as long as the supply lasts, just send me a request.


• Request an invitation from a friend, who has an account with invitations.


• Do a web search for "gmail invitations"; there are many constantly changing listings.

In future posts, I will show you how to use various features of Gmail to organize your correspondence using labels and filters.

Current Gmail users are invited to comment with how they use Gmail to increase their productivity.

Blog - Lifehacker

Occasionaly, I will post about a blog I find interesting or useful. These blogs will not be computer related necessarily.

The interesting blog for today is Lifehacker, which touts itself as a "Productivity and Software Guide".

Typically there are multiple daily entries, mostly dealing with technology. Sometimes announcements of interesting technology, sometimes how to articles, etc. I usually check it out once or twice a week, as I find time and have yet to have a day when there wasn't something of interest.

For instance, check out the September 20, 2006 post by Adam Pash "Download of the Day: tinySpell (Windows).

The post tells you about a Freeware cross-application spell checking utility. I have read it and followed the link and think this will be something worthwhile to try. If this works out for me, I will let you know in a latter posting.

Try it out for yourself and let me know what you think.

This post and any following posts regarding blogs I frequent will have Blogs as its label to make them easy to find.

XP - Full Screen Mode

Sometimes maximized windows just do not contain enough room when viewing Windows Explorer windows, this is where the full screen mode comes in handy.

Just press the F11 key and the window will instantly expand to cover all the viewable space on your monitor.

When you have finished using full screen mode, just press the F11 key once again, to return the window to the previous size.

This should also work in Internet Explorer and Firefox recent versions.

Format Update

I have gone back and labeled all my previous posts, in order to categorize them. Some will have 2 or 3 labels, to make it easier to narrow down a posting that applies to what you are looking for.

The sidebar order has also been changed, now the different elements are (from the top down):

• Links - Some of my favorite links.
• Labels - Categorized postings.
• Blog Archive - Self explanatory.
• Special Emails - Also self explanatory.
• About Me - Short description, with link to full profile.

I hope this will make the blog of more use to you, my reader, as this is more for you than for me.

Blogger - Conversion to Blogger Beta

Well as you can see, I have finally been able to make the conversion to the new Blogger Beta.

I have settled on this template for now. I think it is simple and easy on the eyes.

I have not had time to fix things up very much, but there is a lot more available in the Blogger Beta, so check back often and let me know what you like or don't like about the new look, as changes occur.

I intend to go back and tag my previous posts to make it easier to find relevant entries, as the next part of the conversion.

XP - Single Click File Open

Some people have asked me if there is a way to use only a single click with Windows Explorer, to open a file, like clicking on a link in a web browser.

The answer is yes, if you use Windows ME or XP.

To set it up:

• Access your Control Panel.


• Open the Folders Options applet.


• Under the General tab, select Single-click to open an item (point to select).


• Also select Underline icon titles consistent with my browser, to have all icons underlined (Default).


• Or select Underline icon titles only when I point at them. (Optional)


• Click Apply.


• Click OK.


• Close Control Panel.

Personally, I leave my options to be opened by a double click, as I find myself opening things I don't really want opened, using the single click method. This is really a matter of personal preference, so if you can get used to the single click option, it should make your computing experience better.

Try it out for a while, if you can not get used to the change, or just find it doesn't work for you go back to the Control Panel General tab and reselect Double-click to open an item (single-click to select), click Apply and then OK and close Control Panel.

Portable Apps - Firefox and Firefox Portable Settings Part 2

This is a follow up of my 31AUG06 Portable Apps - Firefox and Firefox Portable Settings Part 1 posting, in which items in the General and Privacy settings were discussed. Part 2 will be concerned with the Content settings, subsequent postings will contain the information for the Tabs, Downloads and Advanced settings.

I use the same settings for both the local and portable versions, for the most part. See the tables below:

Firefox and Portable Firefox Contents Tab
Option	Secondary	Comments	My Preferences
Block Popup Windows		Checked: Popup windows blocked. Unchecked: Popup windows not blocked	Checked.
	Allowed Sites	A section to list exceptions to the above.	A very few sites, that use Popups are set up in both local and portable versions I use.
Warn me when web sites try to install extensions or themes		Checked: Warning given if website tries to install extensions or themes. Unchecked: No warning. At the time of the warning you can give permission or not.	Checked.
	Exceptions	A section to list exceptions to the above.	None, I always want to know what extensions or themes are being installed.
Load Images.		Checked: Images loaded.. Unchecked: Images not loaded.	Checked, but if using Portable Firefox somewhere with only dial up access I change this before accessing the Internet.
	Exceptions	A section to list exceptions to the above.	None.
	For the originating web site only	Checked: Images will only be loaded for the originating web site.	Unchecked, not sure what the advantages or disadvantages would be.
Enable Java		Checked: Java enabled. Unchecked: Java disabled.	Checked.
Enable JavaScript		Checked: JavaScript enabled. Unchecked: JavaScript disabled.	Checked.
	Advanced	More detailed JavaScript options.	Allow: Move or resize existing windows. Raise or lower windows.
Fonts & Colors		Control default fonts and colors.
	Default Font	Drop down of available fonts.	Times New Roman.
	Size	Drop down of available point sizes.	12 points.
	Advanced	More detailed font option controls.	Proportional: Serif: – 12 points. Serif: Times New Roman. Sans-serif: Arial. Monospace: Courier New – 13 points. Display resolution: 96 dpi. Minimum font size: None. Allow pages to choose their own fonts, instead of my selections above: – Checked. Default Character Encoding: Western (ISO-8859-1).
	Colors	Controls default colors.	Text: Black. Background: Light Grey. Use system colors: Unchecked. Unvisited Links: Blue. Visited Links: Violet. Underline links: Checked. Allow pages to choose their own colors, instead of my selections above: Checked.

As you can see the Content settings, are rather involved and give you quite a bit of control. Try out different settings for yourself, to see what works for you; you can always put it back the way you had it.

Let me know what works for you that is different from my preferences, maybe it will work better for me also.

Internet - Ixquick Search Engine

Today I read the posting September 1, 2006 "Search Engine Embraces Privacy" on Sandy Berger's Blog "Keeping It Short and Simple" and the related Compu-Kiss article "Ixquick Search Engine Embraces Privacy".

I was intrigued enough by these, to try out Ixquick www.ixquick.com myself; from what I have seen and experienced so far I think that I will be using this myself, along with my current favorite Google.

My reasons are not so much privacy related. If the Justice Department really wants to know my surfing habits, I am sure they can find out by other means anyway.

I personally like the star system to show the relevancy of the search results, see the Compu-Kiss article for more details. As Ixquick is a Meta Search Engine, you are actually searching multiple search engines at the same time and the stars indicate how many of those turn the result up in their top 10./P>

All in all, at this point, I think the Ixquick Meta Search Engine, is well worth trying out.

Once you have tried it out, let me know what you think.