Tip for a smooth start-up when you turn your PC on

We have all become so used to instant gratification through technology that we expect our PCs to behave instantly too. And this is what can lead to a bumpy start up when you turn on your PC.

We all want to be able to instantly start clicking the mouse as soon as we see that familiar screen picture known as the 'desktop'.

But unfortunately, when your PC has cooked up to the point where you see your desktop picture and all the icons on the left, it is still not ready to carry out commands.

Often it still has operating system parts to load, even though it may appear ready since you can see the familiar desktop picture, and if you get in a hurry and try to launch your browser or open a program, don't be surprised if it hangs and won't open.

All PC towers (and laptops) have an activity light located somewhere within usually easy view. Watch it closely when you turn on your PC. You will see it blink and flicker. This means your PC is still in the process of preparing itself.

For best results, wait until it has stopped flickering completely, because only then will it be fully loaded and ready to operate smoothly.

To avoid bumpy, hanging starts, a good rule of thumb is this: Wait 5 minutes before you use it. Turn it on and go do something else for 5 minutes. When you return, it will be fully loaded and ready to zoom smoothly!

Error Message Of The Day ;-)

Net Survey Shows High Threat Risks

I'm always spot-lighting various scams out on the net, hoping to enable you to spot them before you become the next victim.

A new national survey by Consumer Reports shows just how likely it is that you will indeed become a victim. According to the report:

1 in 2 U.S. surfers experience high levels of spam.

1 in 4 had a major, often costly virus problem, with an average cost per incident of $109.00.

1 in 8 had a major, often costly spyware problem, with an average cost per incident of $100.00.

1 in 115 lost money in various phishing scams, with an average loss of $850.00.

The best advice is to stay on the Internet's paved roads! It's when you get off on the dirt roads in "questionable neighborhoods" that your risks of problems go up!

An Easy Way To Find Old Emails

Have you ever found yourself wanting to go back and see an old email again, and you have thousands of messages stacked up in your inbox, going back a year or longer?

Here's an easy way to find it in a heartbeat, if you are using Outlook Express, the standard Microsoft email program (and probably Microsoft Outlook as well, even though I haven't tried it).

If you can remember some word that was in it...maybe a name, or part of the email address, you can find it in a snap!

Think of that word (or words) as "keywords" for a search engine, only the search engine is already built into the email program for just that purpose.

At the top, second from the left, is "Edit." Left-click one time on it, and in the resulting drop-down you will see "Find" with a little black triangle to the right. Hold your cursor over "Find" and in the resulting pop-out, move your cursor over to the right, and left-click one time on "Message..."

In the resulting window are four different places to type in your word/words for search purposes. Choose the most appropriate one, type it in, then click on "Find Now" and it will find any messages with your "keywords."