Dotto Tech | Tech that matters to you.

Dotto Demos - TextExpander, save time and fix mistakes!

#54 / 2013-05-16 08:00:00 / 5:35 min.

TextExpander helps you communicate better and most importantly, catches and corrects common spelling mistakes AND typing errors.

Dotto Tech | Tech that matters to you.

Dotto Demos - Asana Task Management for Teams

#38 / 2013-01-17 08:00:00 / 8:52 min.

Asana is the shared task list for your team.

Dotto Tech | Tech that matters to you.

Dotto Demos - PostBox A Smarter Email Client

#36 / 2013-01-07 08:00:00 / 11:42 min.

PostBox tries to deliver a better and richer experience, and they mostly succeed! Available for Windows and Mac - it is the Mac client that is most needed. Steve Dotto takes you on a tour of PostBox, bet you try it!

Dotto Tech | Tech that matters to you.

Dotto Demos - How to Use Sugarsync

#27 / 2012-12-17 08:00:00 / 7:07 min.

SugarSync is a terrific cloud storage, backup and syncing tool, very different from it's main competitor in Dropbox, SugarSync lets you work with your existing file structure.

Lab Rats

Your Password Sucks

#306 / 2012-07-03 15:45:17 / 16:39 min.

The weakest link in your security is generally your own password strategy. People choose really weak passwords out of laziness, or because they're easier to remember than good, hard-to-guess passwords. Sean and Andy show you some tips for making your passwords stronger, and talk about Last Pass and 1Password.

Lab Rats

Top Five Dropbox Tips and Tricks

#301 / 2012-05-29 15:45:08 / 16:49 min.

Dropbox has become an incredibly popular cloud storage tool for both individuals and businesses. After you sign up for a Dropbox account, you can install it on your various devices, and share content between your machines. You probably already know that when you drop a file into your Dropbox, it will automatically sync to all of the other computers you have with Dropbox onboard. But there are a few other power tips you can use when using Dropbox!

Lab Rats

Reviewing the Windows 8 Consumer Preview

#295 / 2012-04-17 17:45:18 / 17:19 min.

Microsoft has made the consumer preview release of its forthcoming Windows 8 operating system free for download. It's optimized for tablets, but it's also what you'll use on your desktop machine. Andy and Sean take a look at Windows 8 Consumer Preview, give it the once-over and talk about whether it's going to work for you.

How do I root the NOOK Color to run Honeycomb

Installing Android Market and apps on your NOOK Color using a PC

#5 / 2011-05-06 10:00:00 / 2:19 min.

In our final episode, we'll show you

how to install Android Market

and

Google apps on your NOOK Color

. Once you're done

rooting your NOOK Color to run Honeycomb

, this will allow you to

get apps from the Market

, use Maps and more.

How do I root the NOOK Color to run Honeycomb

Using a PC to install Honeycomb on the NOOK Color

#3 / 2011-05-04 10:00:00 / 2:10 min.

In the previous episode of this series, we rooted a NOOK Color to run Honeycomb after using a Mac computer to put the Honeycomb image onto a microSD card. In this episode, we'll use a PC to move the image onto a microSD card using Windows.

How do I root the NOOK Color to run Honeycomb

Using a Mac to install Honeycomb on the NOOK Color

#2 / 2011-05-03 10:00:00 / 2:42 min.

Here, we'll show you how to put the

Honeycomb image onto a microSD card

so you can

install Android 3.0 onto the NOOK Color

. In this episode, we'll be using a

Mac computer

and Terminal to move the files.

How do I root the NOOK Color to run Honeycomb

Why you should root the NOOK Color to run Honeycomb

#1 / 2011-05-02 10:00:00 / 2:30 min.

In this episode, we'll go over some of the

reasons for rooting the NOOK Color

to

run Android 3.0

also known as Honeycomb. While the default software of the

Barnes and Noble NOOK Color

is based on Android, you'll want to root it if you want to run

Android Market on your Nook Color

and

download Android apps

.

How do I root the NOOK Color to run Honeycomb

#6 / 2011-05-02 10:00:00 / 12:59 min.

There are a number of reasons you might have for

rooting the Barnes and Noble Nook Color

to

run Android 3.0

, also known as Honeycomb. In this series, we'll explain some of the

benefits of running Honeycomb

and show you

how to root your Nook Color

and use a

Windows or Mac computer

to install Honeycomb along with

Android Market and other Android apps

.

How do I use the HTC HD7

Using the Settings menu on the HTC HD7

#10 / 2011-04-22 10:00:00 / 4:57 min.

In our last episode, we'll show you how to

change the settings

of your

Windows Phone 7 device

.

Using the HTC HD7

we'll show you what to expect in the

system settings

, show you how to

personalize your phone

, change your individual

application settings

and more.

How do I use the HTC HD7

Connecting your HTC HD7 to your computer

#9 / 2011-04-21 10:00:00 / 3:08 min.

In order to

transfer files

between your

Windows Phone 7 device

and your computer, you'll need to

download the Zune software

. We show you how to

connect your HTC HD7

to your computer and

sync your phone

in this episode.

How do I use the HTC HD7

Setting up an alternate email account

#8 / 2011-04-20 10:00:00 / 3:12 min.

After entering your

Windows Live ID

during your

Windows Phone 7 setup

, your device will have your associated

email accounts

ready. In this episode, we'll show you how to

add an alternate email account

, like a Gmail or work email account, to your

WP7 phone

.

How do I use the HTC HD7

Accessing the Marketplace on the HTC HD7

#7 / 2011-04-19 10:00:00 / 2:52 min.

In order to

download new apps

for your

Windows Phone 7 device

you'll need to go into the Marketplace. In this episode, we'll show you

how to use Marketplace

and how to

download apps to the HTC HD7

running Windows Phone 7.

How do I use the HTC HD7

Using Maps and GPS services on the HTC HD7

#6 / 2011-04-18 10:00:00 / 3:05 min.

The

HTC HD7

has a

built-in GPS

unit that can help you with

getting directions

,

sharing your location

or

geotagging your photos

. In this episode, we'll show you

how to use the Maps application

so you can get from point A to point B in the shortest time possible.

How do I use the HTC HD7

Taking photos and video with the HD7

#5 / 2011-04-15 10:00:00 / 3:58 min.

In this episode, we'll show you

how to use the HTC HD7

's camera to

take photos and video

. We'll also show you how to

adjust the settings

so that you can

change the photo or video resolution

,

add effects to your shots

, or

change the flash settings

.

How do I use the HTC HD7

Using your Windows Live ID

#4 / 2011-04-14 10:00:00 / 3:28 min.

If you want to

use Hotmail, Messenger and Xbox Live

from your

HTC HD7 phone

, then you'll need to

set up Windows Live

. We'll show you how to

set up a Windows Live ID

on your

Windows Phone 7

device in this episode.

How do I use the HTC HD7

Using Windows Phone 7 on the HTC HD7

#3 / 2011-04-13 10:00:00 / 3:36 min.

In this episode, we'll show you

how to use Windows Phone 7

on your

HTC HD7 phone

. We'll walk you through how to

boot up your phone

and get to the start screen, and we'll also show you how to

customize your start screen

by

adding or removing apps

.

How do I use the HTC HD7

Setting up your HTC HD7

#2 / 2011-04-12 10:00:00 / 3:57 min.

Here, we'll show you how to get started

using your HTC HD7

phone. We'll walk you through the

Windows Phone 7 setup

process and also show you how to

connect to Wi-Fi networks

so that you can save money on your data plan.

How do I use the HTC HD7

Introducing the HTC HD7

#1 / 2011-04-11 10:00:00 / 4:04 min.

In this episode, we'll give you an

introduction to the HTC HD7 phone

running

Windows Phone 7

. We won't talk about the software but will instead introduce you to the hardware and show you just what to expect with your

HD7 phone

.

How do I use the HTC HD7

#11 / 2011-04-11 10:00:00 / 4:00 min.

Throughout this series we'll show you

how to use the HTC HD7

. This is a smartphone running

Windows Phone 7

featuring a

4.3-inch touchscreen

. We'll show you how to

set up your HD7

,

how to use Windows Phone 7

, how to

get WP7 apps

and more.

What is the Roku

Playing content from an external drive

#4 / 2011-03-24 10:00:00 / 3:13 min.

In this episode, we'll show you how to

play files off of an external hard drive

using the

Roku XDS model

. The XDS has a

USB port

for plugging in

USB keys or hard drives

so you can

view your videos and pictures

or even

play music

. But first, you'll need to get the

Roku USB Media Player

from the

channel store

.

Introducing the Boxee box

Building your own Boxee device

#10 / 2011-03-11 10:00:00 / 1:43 min.

While the Boxee box is cool and has a unique shape, it might not be for everybody. If you'd rather

make your own Boxee box

so you can put one of your

old computers to good use

, you can do that too. Just download the appropriate Boxee software depending on whether you're using a Windows, Linux or Mac machine and follow along with this tutorial.

Miss Download

Top 10 PC downloads of 2010 numbers 1 - 5

#117 / 2011-02-15 17:00:00 / 2:34 min.

Cheryl Poirier picks her top ten PC downloads of 2010 from among the numerous products she looked at in a full calendar year's worth of shows. She finishes off her countdown with numbers one through five of her faves for 2010. Check out last episode for numbers six through 10.

How Do I Shoot video with the iPhone 4

Editing iPhone 4 video on your Mac or PC

#5 / 2011-01-28 10:00:00 / 1:44 min.

iMovie is useful for quick on-device editing. However, if you want a polished and professional looking end product, you'll want to do the

editing on your computer

. Sean shows us

how to edit video

shot on the iPhone 4 on the computer.

Using your Windows Phone 7

#11 / 2010-12-24 10:01:00 / 48:15 min.

In this series we show you how to use your Windows Phone 7. From setting up your phone to navigating through the Windows Phone 7 mobile interface we've got you covered. We'll also demonstrate how to use the various multimedia features, access Xbox Live from your phone and more all using the new LG Optimus Quantum.

Using your Windows Phone 7

Battery saving tips

#10 / 2010-12-24 10:00:00 / 5:16 min.

In this last part of our series we'll show you some

power saving strategies

for your

Windows Phone 7 device

. There are a number of ways you can

extend battery life

and we'll show you a few of them, including

turning off Wi-Fi or Bluetooth

, adjusting your brightness settings or changing your email retrieval settings.

Using your Windows Phone 7

Accessing multimedia features

#9 / 2010-12-23 10:00:00 / 6:20 min.

In this episode we'll show off some of the more

advanced multimedia features

of

Windows Phone 7 devices

. Not only can you

play music, movies and podcasts

on your Windows Phone 7 smartphone, you can also

listen to FM radio

and

stream media

to other devices. We'll show you how to do all that and more in this tutorial.

Using your Windows Phone 7

Xbox Live on your Windows Phone 7 device

#8 / 2010-12-22 10:00:00 / 5:47 min.

Xbox Live is a great feature that allows you to

download and play games

on your

Windows Phone 7 device

. In this episode, we'll show you how to

connect to Xbox Live

so that you can

get new games

or play online and give you a tour of the Xbox Live layout.

Miss Download

Actions automates common computer tasks

#112 / 2010-12-21 17:00:00 / 3:07 min.

Like a helpful robot pal who'll do the heavy lifting for you behind the scenes, Action(s) automates computer tasks like mass emails, resizing pictures, folder actions, Internet actions and many more. In short, like Mac OS X's Automator, Action(s) is your friendly bot helper whose goal in life is to take over from the drudgery of repetitive computer actions so you can do the interesting and important stuff instead. It's Windows and Mac compatible too.

Using your Windows Phone 7

Taking photos and videos

#7 / 2010-12-21 10:00:00 / 5:37 min.

In this episode, we show you how to use the camera on a

Windows Phone 7 device

. We'll demonstrate how to

take photos and videos

using the LG Optimus Quantum

, how to

change your camera settings

and more. We also show you how to

manage your photo library

and change background images.

Using your Windows Phone 7

Using Internet Explorer and Maps

#6 / 2010-12-20 10:00:00 / 3:50 min.

Like all the

best smartphones

, your

Windows Phone 7 device

has applications that can allow you to

browse the Internet

and

get directions

. The

Internet Explorer application

and the Maps application allow you to easily search the Internet for nearby locations and then

plot the quickest route

. We show you how to use them in this episode.

Using your Windows Phone 7

Using Marketplace to find applications

#5 / 2010-12-17 10:00:00 / 6:10 min.

In this episode, we show you how to

get Windows Phone 7 applications

using the built-in

Windows Phone Marketplace

. We'll demonstrate how you can

search for specific applications

or

browse applications by category

. You can even read

application reviews

and there are a lot of apps to choose from.

Using your Windows Phone 7

Using email on your Windows Phone 7 device

#4 / 2010-12-16 10:00:00 / 4:11 min.

Sending emails with your

Windows Phone 7

device is easy, as is

setting up an email account

on your phone. We'll show you how to

add a Gmail account

to your phone in this episode and how to

send emails using Windows Phone 7

. Along the way, we'll show you how to

create email shortcuts

and

add attachments to your emails

.

Using your Windows Phone 7

Managing your connections

#3 / 2010-12-15 10:00:00 / 5:10 min.

In this episode, we show you how to

manage your wireless connections

on your

Windows Phone 7 device

. We'll show you how to

join a Wi-Fi network

,

connect to a Bluetooth device

and

disable data roaming

, among other things.

Using your Windows Phone 7

Using the Windows Phone 7 interface

#2 / 2010-12-14 10:00:00 / 4:52 min.

The

Windows Phone 7 interface

is fairly easy to interact with, as we'll demonstrate in this episode. We'll show you

how to navigate the menus

as well as your

Windows Phone 7 dashboard

.

Calling your contacts

and keeping up with their Facebook and Twitter updates is just a tap and a swipe away.

Using your Windows Phone 7

Windows Phone 7 hardware features

#1 / 2010-12-13 10:00:00 / 2:39 min.

In this episode, we show you how to use your

Windows Phone 7

. We'll be using an

LG Optimus Quantum

and pointing out some of the various

hardware features

including the

slide-out keyboard

, built-in camera with flash and more. We'll show you all of the buttons that you'll have to work with on your

Windows phone

.

Miss Download

De-junk your PC with Uninstaller PRO

#110 / 2010-12-07 17:00:00 / 3:06 min.

The word "uninstall" can be a bit of a misnomer. "Make it so this program will no longer work but still leave some traces in the registry and elsewhere" doesn't have quite the same ring, but it's much more accurate. Cheryl finds a way to really, truly, honestly uninstall programs from your PC and avoid leaving traces and other junk behind. It does other things too.

Picasa beginner's studies

Creating albums on Picasa

#2 / 2010-12-07 09:00:00 / 2:22 min.

In order to properly

organize your photos on Picasa

you'll need to

create photos albums

to put them in. So in this episode we'll show you

how to create photo albums

as well as how to

add details and descriptions

so you'll be able to

find your photos on Picasa

easily.

Picasa beginner's studies

An overview of Picasa

#1 / 2010-12-06 09:00:00 / 0:48 min.

In this episode we'll introduce you to Picasa Web Albums, a photo organizing program and online service offered by Google. We'll talk about some of the features of Picasa including the ability to upload photos, edit photos and create albums. We'll be showing you how to do all that and more in the following episodes.

Tutorials

What is a desktop

#845 / 2010-11-17 09:30:00 / 1:24 min.

In this episode we explain

what the desktop is

in

computer terms

and explain how it got its name. We'll also show you some

common desktop uses

and give you some examples of items you'd find on your

digital desktop

.

Installing Windows from scratch

Finishing your Windows installation

#5 / 2010-11-12 09:00:00 / 2:04 min.

In this episode, we show you how to finalize your

Windows 7 install

. Once the

install process

is complete, you'll be prompted to

configure your computer

with your new copy of Windows. This involves entering your

product key

and following through with some other steps before you start

using Windows 7

for the first time.

Installing Windows from scratch

Continuing the installation process

#4 / 2010-11-11 09:00:00 / 1:41 min.

Now, you should be getting to the end of your

Windows install

. Before the

install process

finishes your computer will restart at least one more time. You can keep an eye on the progress bar at the bottom to see how your

Windows 7 installation

is progressing.

Tutorials

What is a folder

#840 / 2010-11-10 09:30:00 / 2:20 min.

You've undoubtedly used

file folders

already in either the real world or the digital world, but in this episode, we'll explain what folders are in

computer terms

.

Digital file folders

can be used to

store files, images, programs

and more, and can be used to separate batches of files from one another.

Installing Windows from scratch

Starting your Windows installation

#3 / 2010-11-10 09:00:00 / 1:01 min.

In this episode, we show you what to expect with your

Windows install

. The

install process

takes roughly half an hour and takes little more than a bit of patience on your part. Keep in mind that your computer will restart at least once when

installing Windows 7

.

Miss Download

A productivity audit with RescueTime

#106 / 2010-11-09 17:00:00 / 2:56 min.

If you've ever asked "where does the time go?" or ever wished there were more hours in the day, RescueTime is the app for you. This little widget monitors you web surfing habits and computer tasks and gives you a gauge on how productive you're being. From here you can figure out your most productive times and see some of the pratfalls that trip you up in order to avoid them in the future.

Installing Windows from scratch

Installing Windows to a partition

#2 / 2010-11-09 09:00:00 / 2:47 min.

If you want to

install Windows

to your hard drive and want to do a clean install, then you'll either need to have a fresh hard drive or

create a new partition

. In this episode, we'll be showing you both

how to start your Windows install

and

how to partition your hard drive

.

Installing Windows from scratch

A look at the install process

#1 / 2010-11-08 09:00:00 / 1:10 min.

In this episode, we give you an outline of some things you should know about

installing Windows to your PC

. For one thing, most PCs come equipped with

Windows 7

by default. In this episode, we'll be showing you

how to install Windows 7

yourself to a

fresh hard drive

or

hard drive partition

.

Tutorials

What is fragmentation

#832 / 2010-10-29 09:30:00 / 4:06 min.

When your

computer writes data

to the hard drive, the data is sometimes written out of order, or fragmented. In order to

speed up your hard drive

, you can do something called

defragmenting your hard drive

. We'll explain both

fragmentation and defragmentation

in this episode.

Setting up dual monitors

Options and tips for dual monitors

#5 / 2010-10-29 09:00:00 / 3:17 min.

There are many ways to

set up dual monitors

but it's important to choose a way that works for you and your environment. In this episode, we show you some

different monitor setups

and how you can

reduce neck strain

and make your setup more ergonomic.

Setting up dual monitors

Adjusting your dual monitors

#4 / 2010-10-28 09:00:00 / 2:02 min.

In this episode, we show you how to

complete your dual monitor setup

. We'll show you how to

change your monitor orientation

for either monitor, how to

change monitor resolution

and

how to detect new monitors

.

Setting up dual monitors

Configuring your dual monitors

#3 / 2010-10-27 09:00:00 / 2:20 min.

Configuring your dual monitor setup

to your liking will make your

computer time more productive

and help get you comfortable with using two monitors at once. That's why in this episode, we'll show you

how to configure dual monitors

on your computer.

Tutorials

What is an operating system

#829 / 2010-10-26 09:30:00 / 2:56 min.

You've heard of the

computer term

OS, or

operating system

, but you might not know

what an OS does

. That's why, in this episode, we'll explain

what operating systems do

for your computer and give you some examples of

popular operating systems

for

computers and smartphones

.

Setting up dual monitors

Connecting dual monitors to the graphics card

#2 / 2010-10-26 09:00:00 / 2:08 min.

Depending on your

graphics card and monitors

, there are a number of ways that you can

set up dual monitors

on your PC. In this episode, we show you some types of connections and give you a couple examples of how

video cards connect dual monitors

. We also show you

types of monitor cables

.

Setting up dual monitors

A look at dual monitor setups

#1 / 2010-10-25 09:00:00 / 1:18 min.

In this episode, we'll give you an overview of

dual monitor setups

and show you

how to configure dual monitors

. We'll also go over some of the

benefits to dual monitors

and give you an estimate of how much setting up

dual monitors would cost

.

Tutorials

What is malware?

#826 / 2010-10-21 09:30:00 / 1:20 min.

Here, we explain

what malware is

and what it means to your

computer's security

. Malware is a

computer term

that is used as a catch-all phrase to describe

malicious software and security threats

like

viruses, spyware, Trojans, worms

and more.

Tutorials

What is a shortcut

#824 / 2010-10-19 09:30:00 / 1:40 min.

For those of you who don't know

what a shortcut is

in

computer terms

, it's quite similar to what you might think. That is to say, it's a quick way of getting somewhere. In computers, you can

quickly access files and folders

by

creating shortcuts

. We'll show you what that means in this tutorial.

Miss Download

YoWindow weather

#102 / 2010-10-12 17:00:00 / 3:19 min.

Cheryl is a sucker for weather apps. There's just something about following weather patterns and seeing if the weather is balmy or blustery anywhere. YoWindow shows a graphical representation of the weather in the outside world; see the sunrise and sunset, see what it's going to look like at this time tomorrow and then fly halfway around the world to see what kind of weather your friends in far flung ports are experiencing.

The Sweet Stuff: Software

Top four text entry and macro programs for Windows

#64 / 2010-10-07 12:00:00 / 3:50 min.

You may feel like you're chained to your keyboard, entering the same text strings over and over again. Instead of working harder, you need to work smarter. Today, we're going to look at some of the best text entry/insertion programs. With these, you can insert blocks of text, launch programs and Web sites, have your spelling corrected and more.

Tutorials

What is defragmenting

#813 / 2010-10-04 09:30:00 / 2:17 min.

Defragmenting is a common process used to keep

computers running efficiently

and is part of

routine computer maintenance

. That being said, you might not know

what defragmentation means

. In this tutorial, we'll tell you

what fragmentation is

and explain

how defragmenting helps computers

work faster.

Miss Download

Around the world with Google Earth

#100 / 2010-09-28 17:00:00 / 4:00 min.

Cheryl Poirier rediscovers the joys of Google Earth. As a virtual tourist, she travels from the CN Tower and Rogers Centre in downtown Toronto to the base of the Grand Canyon. 3D models in Google Earth make it possible to go from a bird's eye view to a view from the ground while the timeline tool lets you see how a place looks at morning, noon and night.

Tutorials

How to add items to the Send to menu

#809 / 2010-09-28 09:30:00 / 2:10 min.

If you right-click on an item in

Windows Explorer

, you'll notice a menu pop up. This menu is known as the

context menu

and offers an option called Send to where you have several options of how you can

send files to contacts

or

move files on your computer

. We'll show you how to add more options to the

Send to menu

in this episode.

Tutorials

What is the system tray

#808 / 2010-09-27 09:30:00 / 1:45 min.

On

Windows computers

, you may be told to look to the system tray to find a program or icon. In this episode, we tell you

what the system tray is

and explain some of the things you can find in the system tray, such as the

time and date

,

volume controls

and more.

Beginner's Guide to Installing Ubuntu

Installing Ubuntu using Wubi

#6 / 2010-09-27 09:00:00 / 1:45 min.

A handy way for Windows users to

install Ubuntu

is by

using Wubi

, which is a

Windows-based Ubuntu installer

. Wubi gives your PC a

boot option

to

boot into Ubuntu

without formatting or creating a partition on your hard drive. It's also easy to uninstall, so you can go back to your old operating system.

Tutorials

What does encryption mean

#805 / 2010-09-22 09:30:00 / 1:35 min.

You may have heard of

encryption or encrypting

when it comes to matters of security on the Internet and wondered what exactly encryption does to

secure your data

. Well in this tutorial, we'll tell you

what encryption is

and go through the basics of

how encryption works

and how it helps protect your data.

Tutorials

What does open source mean

#804 / 2010-09-21 09:30:00 / 1:53 min.

The

source code

of a

computer program

is what defines that program and makes it unique. Therefore, most companies carefully guard their source code so it cannot be borrowed or tampered with. However, some programs are

open source software

, which means that the source code is available to the public so they can view or

modify the program code

.

The Sweet Stuff: Software

A full PC security suite with free software

#61 / 2010-09-16 12:00:00 / 4:54 min.

With all the threats that are on the Internet, it's foolish to venture out without protection. Running low on cash? Not a problem because you can put together a solid security suite with free security software!

The Sweet Stuff: Software

Free photo software for the photo guru

#60 / 2010-09-09 12:00:00 / 4:10 min.

With digital cameras, it's easy to take lots and lots of photos. Snapping a photo is just the first step though. You need a way to tweak them, resize them, organize and edit them. For most amateur shutterbugs, Adobe Photoshop is overkill. This week, Doc looks at four, free photo-related programs that give you a full photo suite.

Tutorials

How to make Aero faster in Windows 7

#795 / 2010-09-08 09:30:00 / 1:45 min.

Aero is one of the cooler

features in Windows 7

. It gives open windows that translucent, glass look. Unfortunately, it can put a bit of strain on older video cards. If you like

using Aero

but your computer isn't running it fast enough, there is something you can do to

make Aero faster

. Here's how!

Gadget TV

Microsoft Arc Keyboard video review

#153 / 2010-09-06 12:00:00 / 2:43 min.

Keyboards are utilitarian devices. As such, they tend not to be the most attractive things going. Microsoft's Arc Keyboard looks equally at home on the coffee table as it does on the desktop or in your carry-on luggage. With an ergonomic rake to the keys, a wireless "Nano Transceiver" and dedicated media keys, it's the ultimate home theatre PC keyboard.

Tutorials

What is firmware

#791 / 2010-09-02 09:30:00 / 1:20 min.

If you've ever wondered, "

what is firmware?

" you're in luck. Here, we'll give you a quick

definition of firmware

in easy to understand terms.

Tutorials

How to create a Windows system repair disc

#789 / 2010-08-31 09:30:00 / 2:00 min.

It's important to

create a Windows system repair disk

just in case something goes horribly wrong with your computer. The Windows system repair disk will help you get your computer back up and running should disaster strike.

Tutorials

How to enable extensions in Safari 5

#787 / 2010-08-27 09:30:00 / 1:00 min.

Safari 5

can now

run extensions

but you have to first enable them. To

enable extensions in Safari 5

, you have to change some of your

browser settings

first. Then you'll be able to run extensions just like in other browsers.

How to change a notebook hard drive

Swapping your hard drive on a Windows notebook

#4 / 2010-08-26 09:00:00 / 2:06 min.

In this episode, we'll show you how to

replace a notebook hard drive

on a

Windows-based laptop

. The steps are different between various laptop models, but we'll show you the general steps to

remove the hard drive

and

safely replace your hard drive

with a new one.

Miss Download

VideoSpirit Pro

#95 / 2010-08-24 17:00:00 / 2:24 min.

If you're looking for the simplest and most cost effective way to edit your home movies, look no further than VideoSpirit Pro. This simple video editor and converter will let you piece together all the vacation footage shot on your camcorder or digital camera and can even convert said video into a universally viewable file type. Your adoring public will be able to watch vids on their iPhone and BlackBerry devices, their set-top boxes, computers and just about any other device going. You can even create a YouTube friendly file for quick uploading and optimized viewing.

Tutorials

How to hide the ribbon in Office 2010

#783 / 2010-08-23 09:30:00 / 1:18 min.

The

control ribbon

that has all of the tools for

Office 2010

can be hidden if you'd like. Although it is handy to have, it does take up a bit of space so we'll show you how to

hide the control ribbon in Office 2010

whenever you want.

How to change a notebook hard drive

#6 / 2010-08-23 09:00:00 / 15:23 min.

In this series, we show you

how to change a hard drive

for your

Windows or Mac notebook

. We'll show you

how to find a compatible drive

,

how to backup your computer

, and walk you through the steps it takes to

uninstall and replace hard drives

for both Windows and Mac systems.

The Sweet Stuff: Software

Four free desktop timers

#57 / 2010-08-19 12:00:00 / 4:22 min.

Whether you're timing a freelance project or counting down to your next coffee break, a desktop timer is a handy addition to any PC or laptop. You can use these

free timer apps

as an alarm clock, a clock radio or an egg timer come lunch time.

Tutorials

How to pin Control Panel to the toolbar in Windows 7

#777 / 2010-08-13 09:30:00 / 1:25 min.

There are many times when you will need to pull up the

control panel

.

Windows 7

makes things easier for you by allowing you to

pin the control panel

to the

taskbar

. You can also take

components of the control panel

and pin those to the taskbar too to make them

easier to access

. It's easy to do and we'll show you how in this tutorial.

Miss Download

Sticky Password solves your online password woes

#93 / 2010-08-10 17:00:00 / 2:50 min.

Remember to never forget your online passwords or failing that, forget about remembering them altogether (whoa) with Sticky Password. This handy password keeper remembers your passwords for you so you'll never again be stuck trying to get into your email, online shopping or banking sites.

Tutorials

How to share files with your Home Group

#769 / 2010-08-03 09:30:00 / 1:36 min.

Home Group

was introduced with

Windows 7

and makes it easy to share files between any computers that have access to that Home Group. We'll walk you through

how to

share files using Home Group

over your

home network.

It's easy and makes

sharing and accessing your files

much easier.

On Deck

Andy Walker On Deck and the new top 100 feature

#73 / 2010-07-30 17:00:00 / 4:20 min.

Andy Walker previews new Lab Rats episodes and unveils the new butterscotch.com top 100 software feature on butterscotch and Tucows. This is the place to find the top of the top downloads from the Tucows, butterscotch and mobile.butterscotch libraries. You can also hit the butterscotch.com top 100 freeware software list.

Tutorials

How to speed up Windows 7 by using Boot-Only Fetching

#767 / 2010-07-30 09:30:00 / 2:22 min.

Windows 7

is a quick

operating system

, sure, but it could be quicker when it comes to booting. In fact, we have a simple

registry edit

that will allow you to

increase Windows 7's boot speeds

so that it

focuses resources on booting

when it's

starting up

. It's called

boot-only fetching

and we'll show you how to enable it right here!

Pimp my PC

Pimpin' your Windows login screen... the lazy way

#42 / 2010-07-29 17:00:00 / 5:00 min.

Forget the registry hacking and command line pimping. Lucas finds the lazy man's way to hack your Windows login screen. This handy app lets you change every element of your Windows login screen with a simple click through interface. Change your login screen wallpaper no matter the size of the file or the resolution of the image file.

Tutorials

How to view hidden system files in Windows 7

#765 / 2010-07-28 09:30:00 / 1:50 min.

By default,

Windows operating systems

will hide certain files from you and this includes

Windows 7

. There are ways to

view hidden files

but it requires a little tweak in

Windows Explorer

. This will allows you to view, modify and delete these files, but use caution! These files were hidden for a reason and are often

necessary for Windows operation

.

Tutorials

How to change a color scheme in Office 2010

#759 / 2010-07-22 09:30:00 / 1:28 min.

If you like to

customize your software

then you'll be pleased to know that you can

create color schemes

for your

Office 2010 Suite

. Each program can be given it's own

unique color scheme

so that

Microsoft Word

could be blue,

Excel

could be black and so on.

Gadget TV

Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex portable hard drive

#138 / 2010-07-21 12:00:00 / 3:40 min.

If you're waiting for USB 3.0 to reach ubiquity, you've got a while to go yet. Seagate has come up with an excellent idea to bridge the gap though. Interchangeable "personality cables" let you swap out your connection method. Choose between eSATA, FireWire 800, USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 by buying after market cables that interface directly with the drive. It's a smart idea that future-proofs this drive... as much as one can future-proof any piece of consumer electronics or computer gear.

Miss Download

PCsync moves files from one PC to another via USB

#90 / 2010-07-20 17:00:00 / 2:56 min.

With PCsync and a special USB cable, you can easily connect two PCs, a PC and a laptop, a Mac and a PC or any combination thereof to transfer files. Simply link the two computers and then drag and drop files from one to the other. Miss Download likes it when things just work.

Tutorials

How to use the calendar in Windows Live Mail

#755 / 2010-07-15 09:30:00 / 2:22 min.

In this tutorial, we'll show you

how to create calendars

using Windows Live Mail

. You can have a number of calendars and you can

add calendar descriptions

or

separate your calendars by color

. It's an easy way to get organized and keep track of your important dates.

Tutorials

How to self-clean your PC with Belvedere

#752 / 2010-07-12 09:30:00 / 3:59 min.

Your computer can wind up with a lot of files and you may find yourself routinely doing the same procedures to

keep your computer organized

. Fortunately there is a

free PC application

called

Belvedere

. Belvedere allows you to

create your own cleaning tasks

so that, for example, you don't have to keep manually moving files off the desktop to a separate folder.

Tutorials

How to import contacts in Windows Live Mail?

#747 / 2010-07-05 09:30:00 / 2:48 min.

Windows Live Mail is loaded with cool features and among them is the ability to

import contacts from other contact lists

. Here we'll show you

how to import contacts

using Windows Live Mail

right from your Windows Live ID account or from a variety of other file formats.

Tutorials

How to change the amount of space allocated to the Recycle Bin

#746 / 2010-07-02 09:30:00 / 1:58 min.

The Recycle Bin has been a part of Windows for a long time. It can also sometimes act as a shoebox for files you're not quite ready to part with. Conveniently, for those of you who can't yet commit to "delete," you can actually

change the Recycle Bin's capacity

so that it can store more. Or less, it's totally up to you.

Pimp my PC

Turning your computer into Picasso with IOGraph

#38 / 2010-07-01 17:00:00 / 5:18 min.

Turn your humdrum daily computing into an Etch-a-Sketch-esque work of art that Mom will be proud to put up on the fridge. That'll make up for the years of disappointment and all the grey hairs now gracing her head. And when are you going to give her grandchildren already?

Tutorials

How to set up an account in Windows Live Mail

#743 / 2010-06-29 09:30:00 / 1:48 min.

Windows Live Mail

is the

free email client

that replaced Outlook Express for

Windows 7

. It's part of the

Windows Live Essentials

package and it's easy to install. We'll show you

how to set up Windows Live Mail

in this tutorial.

Windows Live Mail is a part of the Windows Live Essentials package. It replaced Outlook Express as the free email client in Windows. Once you've installed it, you'll want to set up your email.

Tutorials

How to get Windows Live Essentials

#742 / 2010-06-28 09:30:00 / 1:48 min.

Windows Live Essentials

is a package of cool tools that don't come bundled in with

Windows 7

. However, you can choose to download them from your computer and you have the option to install just the programs that you want. You can get

Messenger

,

Mail

,

Photo Gallery

, and lots more.

Miss Download

Sending mass emails with SendBlaster Pro

#85 / 2010-06-15 17:00:00 / 4:38 min.

If you've ever wanted to

become a spammer

or, alternately (and preferably)

send legitimate mass emails

to people that have requested them, you need to meet SendBlaster Pro. With this handy download you can administer a mailing list and

easily send mass emails

. To people who have OPTED IN. Got that? Opted in; that's important.

The Sweet Stuff: Software

Three top multi-function suites for computer maintenance

#47 / 2010-06-10 12:00:00 / 4:45 min.

There are a number of ways to maintain your computer. One way is to find a good utility program for each thing you want to do — remove junk files, clean the Registry, defragment drives in Windows 7 and the like — or you can find a good program that does all the things you need in an easy-to-use suite. This week, Doc going to look at three cool programs that do just that.)

Miss Download

Jigsaw puzzles gone digital with BrainsBreaker

#84 / 2010-06-08 17:00:00 / 4:48 min.

Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow? Cheryl finds a new way to procrastinate while still feeling a sense of accomplishment. BrainsBreaker (don't let the name turn you off) is a digital take on the classic jigsaw puzzle. You can create your own custom puzzle from an image on your computer in the full version or use one of the pre-loaded puzzles in the trial version.

Breaking news tutorials

Apple releases Safari 5.0

#71 / 2010-06-08 11:38:41 / 1:14 min.

Apple has officially released version 5.0 of its Safari Web browser for Mac and Windows PCs. This new version is faster and much more secure. It also offers many new features. Among them are support for HTML 5, a reader to remove ads, extensions and lots more.

OpenOffice.org 101 - Beginning Studies

A summary of OpenOffice.org

#10 / 2010-06-04 09:00:00 / 1:26 min.

We hope that you've enjoyed this 10-part series on OpenOffice.org, Beginning Studies. We've tried to give you a rundown of Writer, Calc, Impress and the other programs included in this

free office suite

. Now that you're armed with all of those handy programs and you know the basics of

how to use OpenOffice.org

you're ready to

create professional documents

, spreadsheets, artwork and more. Not only do you now have some great

productivity software

, it didn't even cost you a dime!

Tutorials

How to make a bootable system repair disc in Windows 7

#729 / 2010-06-03 09:30:00 / 2:12 min.

There may come a time when your computer just won't boot. Hopefully not, but it's better safe then sorry. With a

bootable system repair disc

, you can access and perhaps

fix your computer

. Here, we'll show you

how to create a boot disk

for Windows 7!

OpenOffice.org 101 - Beginning Studies

How to use Templates in OpenOffice.org

#9 / 2010-06-03 09:00:00 / 2:12 min.

OpenOffice.org

is not only an awesome

free software suite

, it's also got some of the best online communities around. One of the benefits to that is having a wide range of templates available for all of the different OpenOffice.org programs. You can go to the OpenOffice.org website to search for a template that meets your needs and grab it for future use free of charge. We'll show you where to go and

how to download templates

for OpenOffice.org in this episode.

Tutorials

How to backup Windows 7 with Image for Windows

#727 / 2010-06-02 09:30:00 / 3:24 min.

When you've had a computer for a few months or years (or days), you'll find that you get attached to the files that are on it. Anyone who's had a hard drive failure can attest to the fact that losing those files is a real disappointment. To avoid that situation, it's important to

backup your data

as often as you can. One way to do that is by using

Image for Windows

to

backup your hard drives

. We'll show you

how to backup your data

this tutorial.

OpenOffice.org 101 - Beginning Studies

How to use Math by OpenOffice.org

#8 / 2010-06-02 09:00:00 / 1:16 min.

Another program included with

OpenOffice.org

is Math, which is great if you want to

create math formulas

. The formulas that you create can be used in Writer, Calc and the other OpenOffice.org programs. We'll show you how to get started using Math in this episode.

Tutorials

How to stop your mouse from waking your Windows PC

#725 / 2010-06-01 09:30:00 / 1:45 min.

When your

computer sleeps

, it can easily be woken up by a movement of the mouse. If you're sick of your local four-legged friends nudging the mouse and waking the computer up, or even if you have a tendency to bump the computer desk and wake it up yourself, we have a solution for you. You can set Windows to

sleep through mouse movements

so that the

mouse won't wake the computer

.

OpenOffice.org 101 - Beginning Studies

Using Base by OpenOffice.org

#7 / 2010-06-01 09:00:00 / 2:00 min.

Databases can be used for so many things. You can maintain employee records, accounts and all kinds of other information. Not only is it good for businesses, you can also

create a database

at home to record recipes, grocery lists and more. As a full-featured

office suite

,

OpenOffice.org

comes with a powerful database appropriately called Base. We'll show

you how to use base

in this tutorial!

OpenOffice.org 101 - Beginning Studies

Using Draw to create graphics

#6 / 2010-05-31 09:00:00 / 2:16 min.

If you want to

create your own artwork

on your computer then you'll need a

drawing program

. One such option is

Draw

which is included with

OpenOffice.org

. You can make your own art, make slides to use with Impress and more. We'll show you how to get started with draw in this episode.

OpenOffice.org 101 - Beginning Studies

Using Impress by OpenOffice.org

#5 / 2010-05-28 09:00:00 / 2:50 min.

You might be familiar with

presentation programs

such as Microsoft PowerPoint. Well with

OpenOffice.org

being the full-featured

office suite

that it is, it's got a presentation program of its own called Impress. As with all of the other programs included in this suite, Impress is free and comes loaded with all of the features that you'd find in a paid-for product. In this episode we'll show you how to

create presentations using Impress

.

OpenOffice.org 101 - Beginning Studies

Using Calc to create spreadsheets

#4 / 2010-05-27 09:00:00 / 2:11 min.

Having a

spreadsheet program

can be extremely handy, which is why it is a staple part of any office suite.

OpenOffice.org

is no exception, as it offers Calc for spreadsheet purposes. In this episode, we'll show you

how to use Calc to create spreadsheets

.

OpenOffice.org 101 - Beginning Studies

Using Writer in OpenOffice.org

#3 / 2010-05-26 09:00:00 / 2:04 min.

An important part of any office suite is the word processor. Writer is the word processor in OpenOffice.org and it's full of features and is compatible with Microsoft Word documents. Here we'll walk you through some of the basics and what you need to know to get started

creating documents

using Writer in OpenOffice.org

.

OpenOffice.org 101 - Beginning Studies

Installing OpenOffice.org

#2 / 2010-05-25 09:00:00 / 2:32 min.

If you want to get started using OpenOffice.org the first thing you'll need to do is download and install it. Since OpenOffice.org is a completely

free software package

, it's only a couple of clicks away. In this episode we'll walk you through the

installation process

so that you can

get started using OpenOffice.org

.

Tutorials

How to pin Control Panel to the taskbar in Windows 7

#714 / 2010-05-24 09:31:00 / 1:24 min.

One of the cool new features in Windows 7 is the ability to

pin items to the taskbar

. These items work as shortcuts that are always available and you can make a sort of "dock" out of the programs you use most. Those users who use the Control Panel frequently might wonder if there is a way to add the

Control Panel to the taskbar

. Actually it's quite easy and we'll show you how in this tutorial.

OpenOffice.org 101 - Beginning Studies

An overview of OpenOffice.org

#1 / 2010-05-24 09:00:00 / 1:18 min.

You may have heard of "office suites" before. These are packages of productivity programs and chances are you've used at least one even if you didn't know what an office suite was. Perhaps most popular is Microsoft's Office Suite. These software packages generally come with a

word processor

, a

presentation program

, a

spreadsheet program

and more. They're also usually quite expensive. Here we'll give you an overview of a

free office suite

,

OpenOffice.org

!

Tutorials

How to disable hibernate Mode In Windows 7

#712 / 2010-05-21 09:31:00 / 1:42 min.

Hibernate mode was created so it would save the current state of your computer to your hard disk. Then, your computer could turn off and when it started again, it would reload all of the data it had loaded when it started hibernating, good as new. It's almost like waking up from a deep sleep or from... you get the picture. The hibernate feature, however, uses a lot of disk space. Here, we'll show you how to

disable the hibernate feature

using

Command Prompt

if you want to

save that disk space

.

Tutorials

How to put a Recycle Bin icon in the taskbar under Windows 7

#708 / 2010-05-19 09:31:00 / 1:54 min.

Several viewers wrote and asked if it was possible to put an icon for the Recycle Bin in their

taskbar in Windows 7

. It turns out that it is and we'll show you how to do just that in this tutorial. Once you're finished, you'll be able to view your windows in full screen and drag undesired items straight into the

Recycle Bin on the taskbar

, or have access to your Recycle Bin files at any time!

Tutorials

How to have Thunderbird automatically save images

#706 / 2010-05-18 09:31:00 / 1:48 min.

If you find that you're getting lots of

images in your email

you might wish there was a way that you could save those images to your computer automatically. Fortunately for Thunderbird users there is a relatively easy way to do just that. We'll show you how to tell

Thunderbird to save images

that are sent to your email instantaneously in this short tutorial!

Tutorials

How to make Aero faster in Windows 7

#704 / 2010-05-17 09:31:00 / 1:45 min.

Aero is one of the cooler

features in Windows 7

. It gives open windows that translucent, glass look. Unfortunately, it can put a bit of strain on older video cards. If you like

using Aero

but your computer isn't running it fast enough, there is something you can do to

make Aero faster

. Here's how!

Tutorials

How to change the delay time for Aero Peek in Windows 7

#702 / 2010-05-14 09:31:00 / 2:58 min.

Aero Peek replaced the old

Show Desktop

icon that used to be in the Windows taskbar. Now the

Aero Peek function

is activated by holding your cursor over a section in the lower right corner. Want it to take longer or shorter to activate? It's another

Windows setting

that you can change and we'll show you how.

Tutorials

How to enable the hidden Administrator account in Windows 7

#700 / 2010-05-13 09:31:00 / 1:44 min.

We're sure that you know about the

Administrator account in Windows 7

. You may just have it on it's default settings, but chances are it has popped up to warn you of changes to your computer. There's a way to avoid that extra step of clicking Run as Administrator altogether. We'll show you how to

turn off the Administrator account

and how to activate it again.

Tutorials

How to get Gmail notifications in Google Chrome

#698 / 2010-05-12 09:31:00 / 1:38 min.

It's always nice to know when you have new email waiting. If you use Gmail and browse with Google Chrome, we've got a treat for you! With a simple

extension for Chrome

you can not only know when you have new Gmail, but also

manage your email

by deleting, archiving and more!

Tutorials

How to have Gmail as the default email in Opera

#696 / 2010-05-11 09:31:00 / 3:33 min.

Opera is a wonderful

web browser

. It's fast, it's lean and it has a world of cool features. Plus, it keeps getting better and better. If you use Gmail for your email needs, however, you may wonder if there's a way to use

Gmail as Opera's default email

. There sure is and we'll show you how right here.

Tutorials

How to set Windows Media Center to start when Windows starts

#694 / 2010-05-10 09:31:00 / 1:46 min.

If you've got a media-heavy PC loaded with Windows 7, you might frequently use Windows Media Center. In fact, you might even want to set

Windows Media Center to start automatically

when

Windows 7 boots up

. It's possible and we'll show you how to do it right here!

Tutorials

How to listen to Internet radio in Windows Media Player 12 in Windows 7

#692 / 2010-05-07 09:31:00 / 2:18 min.

Those of us looking for diversity in music might find traditional radio stations to be a bit of a bore. Of course, some people like to hear the same song eight or nine times a day. If you're not one of those people and you're looking for

new radio content

, you'll be happy to hear that

Media Player 12 in Windows 7

has

access to Internet radio

. We'll show you how to use it in this video!

How to use Skype

Advanced Skype settings

#10 / 2010-05-07 09:00:00 / 1:50 min.

There are many more options to Skype beyond the basics that we have already covered. We'll go over some of the more

advanced settings in Skype

here and show you how to do things like

change notifications, allow call forwarding and voicemail, and set up hot-keys

. You'll be a Skype pro in no time!

Tutorials

How to change the amount of space allocated to the Recycle Bin

#690 / 2010-05-06 09:31:00 / 1:58 min.

The Recycle Bin has been a part of Windows for a long time. It can also sometimes act as a shoebox for files you're not quite ready to part with. Conveniently for those of you who can't yet commit to "delete," you can actually

change the Recycle Bin's capacity

so that it can store more. Or less, it's totally up to you.

How to use Skype

Privacy settings in Skype

#9 / 2010-05-06 09:00:00 / 1:38 min.

Just in case you don't want to get bombarded with calls or messages, Skype gives you the option to

change your privacy settings

. These allow you to toggle whether people need to be contacts in order to call you or to send messages or video. We'll show you how to do all that and more in this tutorial!

Mr. Mobile

Planon PrintStik thermal printer for road warriors and no one else

#68 / 2010-05-05 17:00:00 / 5:10 min.

If you're a travelling salesperson or otherwise a road warrior or if you particularly enjoy printing out pages that look like they came out of a circa 2000 fax machine, Jay Goldman has just the device for you.

Tutorials

How to have multiple signatures in Gmail with Google Chrome

#688 / 2010-05-05 09:31:00 / 1:56 min.

By default, Gmail lets you have a signature that can be inserted into every email you send. However, using a

Chrome extension called WiseStamp

you can have

more signatures in Gmail

so that you're not limited to just one. We'll show you how to do just that in this tutorial!

How to use Skype

Changing your ringtones

#8 / 2010-05-05 09:00:00 / 1:16 min.

Just like many other phones,

Skype allows you to change the ring tones for individual contacts

, so that each has a unique tone. You can also change any of the sound effects that Skype uses. We'll show you

how to modify all of those audio settings

in this episode!

Miss Download

Home brewing beer with QBrew

#79 / 2010-05-04 17:00:00 / 4:00 min.

Cheryl Poirier, AKA Miss Download, takes a look at QBrew;

free software for home beer brewing

. If you're an old hand at making your own beer at home, you'll feel right at home here. You can manage your own

full-grain brewing recipes

, get specific gravity measures, an International Bitterness Unit maximum and minimum based on how much hops you use and create your own brewing notes. It's also perfect for anyone looking to move beyond beer brewing from kits.

Tutorials

How to speed up booting in Windows 7

#686 / 2010-05-04 09:31:00 / 2:20 min.

Sometimes it may seem like your Windows 7 PC takes a long time to boot. There are a number of things that can cause this slowness. If you have a lot of programs that load at startup, that could be the cause. We'll show you how to make your

Windows 7 computer boot faster

by

editing the registry

!

How to use Skype

Call logs and group calls on Skype

#7 / 2010-05-04 09:00:00 / 1:28 min.

If you tend to make a lot of calls, you probably appreciate phones with built-in call logs. You'll also be grateful that

Skype has a call log

that lets you see who you called, who called you, and also to

view past text conversations

. We'll show you how to view the log as well as

how to make group contacts

so that you can call multiple contacts simultaneously!

How to use Skype

Using the directory in Skype

#6 / 2010-05-03 09:00:00 / 1:48 min.

If you want to

find a person or business that uses Skype

, an easy way is by using the built-in directory. This directory contains the details of all people and businesses that use Skype. For businesses, you can even

read reviews or leave your own comments

. We'll show you how in this episode!

How to use Skype

Using Skype credits

#5 / 2010-04-30 09:00:00 / 2:46 min.

While Skype is free to users who just want to communicate with fellow Skype users, it can also be used to contact regular phones as well. But to

use Skype to call someone who doesn't have Skype

, you'll need Skype credits. We'll show you

how to buy and use Skype credits

as well as how to set up a number people can call you on from standard phones!

How to use Skype

Making your first call

#4 / 2010-04-29 09:00:00 / 2:14 min.

Skype has many more features other than just being used to

make calls online for free

. You can also

use Skype to make a video call, send instant messages or files

, or even share screens. We'll walk you through it in this tutorial.

How to use Skype

Customizing your Skype profile

#3 / 2010-04-28 09:00:00 / 1:54 min.

There are many things that you can do to your

Skype account

to make it stand out.

Personalizing your profile

might even make it easier for potential contacts to identify you. Here we'll go through some of the things that you can do to

make your profile unique

.

Miss Download

How to use WordWeb

#78 / 2010-04-27 17:00:00 / 2:49 min.

If you like to use (or even misuse) words then you'll love WordWeb. It's a small but helpful program that can give you the

definitions of words or act as a spell-checker

. It also connects to Wikipedia, Wiktionary and WordWeb Online for more information on highlighted words. Here Miss Download shows you

how to use WordWeb

and how it can help everyone with proper pronunciation.

How to use Skype

Adding contacts to your Skype account

#2 / 2010-04-27 09:00:00 / 1:28 min.

Now that you've got Skype installed, you'll want to add contacts so that you can start

making and receiving calls

. It's easy to do, and we'll show you how to get your

Skype contact list

growing right here.

Tutorials

What is a directory

#673 / 2010-04-26 09:30:00 / 1:58 min.

You hear the term "directory" from time to time but what does that mean? It seems that some people use it almost interchangeably with the term "folder." Here we'll tell you

what the definition of directory is

and where the word originated.

How to use Skype

Installing Skype

#1 / 2010-04-26 09:00:00 / 1:07 min.

If you want a quick and easy way to contact people outside your city, state or country, you can't get much better than Skype. Here, we'll show you where to get it and

how to install

it!

Tutorials

What is a buffer?

#665 / 2010-04-20 09:30:00 / 3:05 min.

In chemistry, a buffer resists changes in pH. In geography, one country might be a buffer between two countries that are arguing. In

computer terms

a buffer is a little different. Michael "Doctor File Finder" Callahan describes the

definition of a buffer

and how buffers can affect your digital life.

Spyware Doctor with Antivirus

An introduction to Spyware Doctor with AntiVirus

#1 / 2010-04-14 08:00:00 / 2:41 min.

Anyone with a working Internet connection is well aware of the dangers lurking out in cyberspace. There are

viruses, spyware and all sorts of malicious software

that are constantly trying to attack your computer. Here we'll tell you how to protect your PC for free using Spyware Doctor with AntiVirus!

Spyware Doctor with Antivirus

Installing Spyware Doctor with AntiVirus

#2 / 2010-04-14 08:00:00 / 3:12 min.

Protecting your computer from spyware, viruses

and other malicious programs is not only important, it's easy! In this episode of the series we show you

how to install Spyware Doctor with AntiVirus

so you can surf the Internet safely and

keep your computer secure

.

Spyware Doctor with Antivirus

Exploring the features of Spyware Doctor

#3 / 2010-04-14 08:00:00 / 3:36 min.

Now that you have Spyware Doctor with AntiVirus installed, we're going to look at some of the options that are available to you in the program. The IntelliGuard features are the main protection systems offered by Spyware Doctor. We'll go through some of the basics and show you how to register and unlock the program's full potential!

Spyware Doctor with Antivirus

Running your first spyware and virus scan

#4 / 2010-04-14 08:00:00 / 3:13 min.

Scanning your computer for threats

is one of the main

features of Spyware Doctor with AntiVirus

. Now that you have the program installed and ready to roll, we'll walk you through your first scan and show you what to expect along the way.

Spyware Doctor with Antivirus

Removing malware using Spyware Doctor with AntiVirus

#5 / 2010-04-14 08:00:00 / 3:02 min.

Running a scan is only the first step to spyware security. The next step is to

safely remove any spyware or malware

that the scan might have found. We'll show you

how to remove that malware using Spyware Doctor with AntiVirus

and show you how to make sure the selected files are really threats to your system.

Spyware Doctor with Antivirus

Other PC Tools software

#6 / 2010-04-14 08:00:00 / 1:50 min.

If you liked using

Spyware Doctor with Antivirus

, you may enjoy the security and convenience of other PC Tools products. Here we'll

introduce you to Registry Mechanic

, a program that can clean and remove any problems with your PC's registry. If you don't know

what a registry is

, we'll tell you what that is too!

Tutorials

How to rip a CD on your Windows PC

#653 / 2010-04-12 09:30:00 / 2:20 min.

You've got a bunch of CDs, but you'd like to

have the music on your computer

and mix it up a little. So, all you need to do is "rip" the music from the CD and save it to your computer's hard drive.

Tutorials

Using iTunes alternative doubleTwist to sync music, movies and more

#651 / 2010-04-09 09:30:00 / 1:47 min.

If you're looking for a different program for

managing music, photos

, and more, then take a look at doubleTwist. This free

iTunes alternative

makes it easy to manage your media collection and

sync music to an Android phone

or other media device.

@

CTIA 2010 video - Windows Phone 7 Series

#264 / 2010-03-25 19:00:00 / 4:31 min.

Video coverage of CTIA 2010

: From the

CTIA 2010 show floor

, Andrew Moore-Crispin learns what we can expect with the

launch of Windows Phone 7 Series

.

Windows Phone Series 7

hopes to do for phones what

Windows 7

did for desktop PCs. With an interface inspired by the

Zune HD

and a release date set for the holiday season, 2010, things are looking good for Microsoft's current, beleaguered mobile offering. Early signs suggest good things for this

Windows Mobile update

.

The Sweet Stuff: Software

10 must-have free Windows applications 6 to 10

#36 / 2010-03-25 12:00:00 / 4:09 min.

When you install Windows it comes with the basics to get online, chat online, send and receive email and more. However, you'll soon find that specialized applications do the job better. For everyone who loves

free software

Michael "Doc" Callahan chats up his

top 10 must have free Windows applications

. He going to cover a range of tools for browsing, instant messaging and much more. Part one covers the final five of his

top 10 free Windows apps

.

Tutorials

A better way to read articles online

#631 / 2010-03-25 09:31:00 / 1:47 min.

Generally speaking, online articles don't offer the best reading experience. Readability gets rid of the online article clutter and presents you with just the article you want to read, presented in a clean, reader-friendly format. Michael "Doctor File Finder" Callahan demonstrates.

Tutorials

Extracting an ISO file to your computer with WinISO

#629 / 2010-03-24 09:31:00 / 1:18 min.

If you find yourself needing or wanting to work with ISO image files you'll want to take a look at WinISO. It gives you all the features you need to deal with ISO files. You can

see the contents of an ISO without burning it to disc

,

extract the contents of an ISO file

and more.

Tutorials

How to grab audio tracks using Audiograbber

#622 / 2010-03-19 09:30:00 / 2:08 min.

You find yourself with a CD full of music that you just love to listen to. Well, no reason you can't listen to it while you're at your computer. Just use Audiograbber to "grab" the tracks you want and put them on your PC!

Miss Download

Speak and e-Speaking 2 shall listen

#70 / 2010-03-02 15:00:00 / 2:28 min.

Concerned that she's feeling the early signs of a repetitive strain injury (RSI), Miss Download goes looking for a solution. She finds e-Speaking 2,

free voice control and transcription software

that transcribes her words and even lets her take control of the computer with her voice.

Miss Download

Microsoft Security Essentials

#69 / 2010-02-23 17:00:00 / 2:28 min.

Windows users hopefully know that their systems are open to

online attacks

without some

reliable security software

installed. Be it Windows' overwhelming market share or security oversights in the code (or both), Microsoft's flagship product gets the lion's share of the bad guys' efforts.
If you're running a legit copy of Windows XP, Vista or 7, Microsoft Security Essentials is free and protects your computer from all kinds of Internet nasties.

Malware, spyware, viruses, Trojans

et. al. be gone!

Tutorials

How do I open a DOC file with or without Microsoft Word

#575 / 2010-02-15 09:31:00 / 1:26 min.

The DOC file extension was originally created by Microsoft Word. The "DOC" stands for document. Today you have other options when it comes to

opening or viewing a .DOC file

and you don't necessarily need to have Microsoft Word installed.

Tutorials

How do I open a .DOCX file

#546 / 2010-01-26 09:30:00 / 1:36 min.

The

.DOCX

first came on the scene with the release of Microsoft Word 2007. The "X" represents new support for XML. If you get one of these in email, you may be puzzled as to how to open it, but here's how.

Tutorials

Bulk installing your favorite programs

#537 / 2010-01-19 09:31:00 / 2:10 min.

Many of us have programs we use all the time and that we put on every computer we use. Perhaps Firefox, Pidgin, Skype, among others. Wouldn't it be great if there was an easy way to

install all those programs at once

when you get a new computer? Well, there is and it's called Ninite.

Tutorials

How to import a virtual machine into Parallels Desktop

#528 / 2010-01-05 09:30:00 / 3:24 min.

Sometimes you create a virtual machine from scratch using a disc or a disc image. Other times, however, it's nice to be able to import a physical computer or another virtual machine. Here's how.

Tutorials

How to uninstall a program in Windows 7

#527 / 2010-01-04 09:30:00 / 1:19 min.

In Windows 7, besides making lots of cool improvements, they moved a few things around. Changed how they look. So, if you're wondering

how to uninstall a program in Windows 7

, you may find it's not where it used to be. We'll show you where to find and how to use the Uninstall Programs and Features utility in Windows 7.

Tutorials

How to update a driver in Windows 7

#517 / 2009-12-21 09:30:00 / 2:28 min.

Nearly every device connected to your computer, be it a printer, an MP3 player or a keyboard, has a device driver that coordinates communication between the device and your PC. Manufacturers update drivers and here's how you can

update drivers in Windows 7

.

Tutorials

What is a Restore Point in Windows 7

#512 / 2009-12-14 09:30:00 / 2:36 min.

There are times when you're computer is working fine and you're really pleased. Then you install a piece of software or make some other change and nothing seems right. You may wish you could go back to that earlier time when things were good. And, you can!

System Restore

has been present in Windows since XP and is a great way to roll your computer back to a happier time.

Tutorials

How to update a driver in Windows

#503 / 2009-11-27 09:31:00 / 1:47 min.

Drivers tell your operating system how to interact with and address hardware like printers, scanners, DVD drives, video cards and, well, just about everything. Nearly all the devices that work with your computer use a driver to let the operating system know how to talk to it. Driver updates often fix problems and can sometimes speed up your computer and the devices it uses or even unlock new functionality.

Miss Download

Keeping time with TempoPerfect metronome software

#57 / 2009-11-24 17:00:00 / 2:59 min.

Miss Download takes a look at TempoPerfect Computer Metronome; software that's perfect for the musically gifted but tempo challenged. This software helps keep time when practicing or playing your instrument of choice. And its

free software

. You can change the tempo, measure and much more. Try doing that with your analog metronome!

Tutorials

How to add a footer in Word 2007

#481 / 2009-11-12 09:31:00 / 1:31 min.

A footer is a good place to put information that you want to appear at the bottom of all or select pages in a document. This can be used for contact information, copyright information or just about any information you want to repeat across multiple pages of your document.

Tutorials

How to bookmark a search in Gmail

#472 / 2009-11-06 09:30:00 / 1:38 min.

Are there searches you find yourself doing in Gmail over and over again? If so you might be interested to know that you can actually

bookmark your searches

so you can return to them easily. Just click on the bookmark to launch your inbox and perform the search in an instant.

Tutorials

How to add a watermark to a Word document

#458 / 2009-10-28 09:30:00 / 1:55 min.

Watermarks

have long been used to convey special information in documents. Whether it's the fact that the document is not to be copied or that it's top secret, watermarks do the trick. Here's how to add a watermark to a Word document.

Tutorials

Take a new view with Cooliris

#454 / 2009-10-26 09:30:00 / 2:50 min.

If you like a visual perspective then Cooliris is something you need to try. You can use it to see videos, news, pictures from around the world and so much more.

Tutorials

Grab a web page screenshot and edit it with Talon

#452 / 2009-10-23 09:30:00 / 3:38 min.

Aviary Talon is a cool tool for grabbing

screen captures

right from Firefox. Sure you can save it to your desktop, but you can also save it to your free Aviary account. Make changes, save them and come back to work on it later.

Tutorials

How to add colors to shapes in Word 2007

#450 / 2009-10-22 09:30:00 / 1:56 min.

In an earlier tutorial we showed you how to add shapes to your Word 2007 documents. You can really perk up or call attention to basic shapes, however, simply by

adding some colors

. We'll show you how.

Tutorials

How to create strong passwords you'll be able to remember

#448 / 2009-10-21 09:30:00 / 2:22 min.

When

creating a password

for your computer, your online bank account or your email, you need to balance a strength with making sure you'll remember. The most

secure password

is useless if you forget it and the most easily memorized password is useless if it's cracked. Here's how to create a strong password you won't soon forget.

Tutorials

How to add 3D effects to shapes in Word 2007

#446 / 2009-10-20 09:30:00 / 2:24 min.

In an earlier tutorial we showed you how to add shapes to your

Microsoft Word 2007

documents. You can really perk up those basic shapes, however, simply by adding some cool

3D effects

. We'll show you how.

Tutorials

BumpTop gives a new view on your old desktop

#442 / 2009-10-16 09:30:00 / 3:03 min.

You've been looking at the same old Windows desktop for years. Sure, you switch the wallpaper every now and again, but it's still so... flat. Check out BumpTop

free Windows demo software

that offers a whole new way to look at and interact with your Windows desktop.

The Sweet Stuff: Software

Three free screen capture utilities

#17 / 2009-10-15 12:00:00 / 3:56 min.

Capturing the screen, or a portion of it, can be a function that's very handy. You can use

screen capture programs

to save the screen to a file for later reference. You can use them to snag an error message before it disappears or you can use them to grab pictures from the Internet. This week Doc Callahan takes a look at three

free screen capture programs

that make it easy to save your screen.

Tutorials

How to manage your network with Cisco Network Magic

#441 / 2009-10-15 09:31:00 / 3:28 min.

For many computer users,

managing their home network

can be a real problem. There are terms you may not understand and concepts that can be a bit confusing. With

Cisco Network Magic

however, you see everything in a clean, useful interface.

Tutorials

How to get text columns in Microsoft Word

#439 / 2009-10-14 09:31:00 / 1:44 min.

Most of the documents we create in

Microsoft Word 2007

are of the simple one-page, one-column variety. However, for a bit of visual interest and to make your newsletter feel more professional, consider using columns

Microsoft Word 2007

makes it easy to

add columns to your documents

.

Tutorials

How to check the speed of your Internet connection

#437 / 2009-10-13 09:31:00 / 1:38 min.

Does it seem like your Internet connection is slow? Not what your provider promised? Well, there's a way to find out. Just use the

speed test

found in the free trial of

Cisco Network Magic

.

Tutorials

How to add a header to Word documents

#434 / 2009-10-12 09:30:00 / 1:45 min.

When you're working in certain types of documents you'll sometimes need to

add a "header."

You can have a header that appears at the top of every page, only on odd pages, only on even pages and other custom options. Here's how to add a header to Word 2007 documents.

Tutorials

How to use Aviary to take a screenshot in Firefox

#433 / 2009-10-09 09:31:00 / 1:58 min.

As more and more things move to the "

cloud computing

" concept, more and more companies are coming up with cool cloud products. For example, Aviary gives you the ability to do screen shots right from Firefox.

Tutorials

How to strengthen network security with Cisco Network Manager

#432 / 2009-10-09 09:30:00 / 2:13 min.

Many home users don't have their

networks as secure

as they could be. In many cases the networks aren't secured at all. With

Cisco Network Magic

you can improve network security and even put a "lock" on your network.

The Sweet Stuff: Software

Four free startup management programs

#16 / 2009-10-08 12:00:00 / 3:45 min.

You're probably aware that a number of programs automatically load each time you start Windows. Many of these load because you want them to, but some have been slipped into your startup group by the programs that installed them. If you have too many items loading it can slow down startup and rob you of valuable RAM. In fact, being selective in which programs start with Windows is one of the first things you should do to

speed up a slow PC

.

Tutorials

How to add a hyperlink to Word 2007 documents

#430 / 2009-10-08 09:30:00 / 1:52 min.

With so many things on the Internet today it can be really handy to

insert hyperlinks

into your documents.

Microsoft Word 2007

gives you the ability to add web and email links directly into your documents.

Tutorials

How to add SmartArt to documents in Word 2007

#428 / 2009-10-07 09:30:00 / 2:32 min.

Let's face it. Page after page of black text on white paper can get really, really boring. So why not spice things up with a little color? The

SmartArt feature of Word 2007

makes it quick and easy to do.

The Sweet Stuff: Software

Free software to manage your many bookmarks

#15 / 2009-10-01 12:00:00 / 4:25 min.

When you wander around the Internet and visit sites you can begin to accumulate a lot of

bookmarks

. This week Doc Callahan takes a look at three

free bookmark programs

that make it easy to

back up and manage your bookmarks

. Each one takes a different approach and they're all free!

Tutorials

How to use page borders in Word 2007

#421 / 2009-10-01 09:31:00 / 1:40 min.

If you want to give your documents a little extra pizazz try

adding borders

. It gives any document a different look. It's also a great way to

create special documents

because the borders help make the text stand out.

Tutorials

How to add symbols to Word documents

#419 / 2009-09-30 09:31:00 / 1:40 min.

There are countless symbols that are derived from various languages and areas of study. When working in

Word 2007

, however, you never have to worry. You have a full range of

symbols

at your disposal. You just have to know where to look.

Tutorials

Working with tables in Microsoft Word 2007

#417 / 2009-09-29 09:31:00 / 1:54 min.

Tables are great for

creating charts

of information, like and address list.

Word 2007

makes it amazingly easy to

create and insert a table into your word documents

.

The Sweet Stuff: Software

Three free software calculators, from scientific to simple

#14 / 2009-09-24 17:00:00 / 3:15 min.

Every operating system comes with a simple calculator. However, for students, engineers, mathematicians and others, a simple calculator won't do. This week, Doc takes a look at three

free scientific calculators for Windows

with with advanced equation options and even graphing capabilities.

Tutorials

How to add hardware that isn't plug and play

#410 / 2009-09-24 09:30:00 / 2:34 min.

Many hardware products today are "

plug and play

" also called UPnP for "

Universal Plug and Play

." Not all devices are, however, which is why Windows gives you an easy way to add such devices.

Tutorials

How to change margins in Word 2007

#409 / 2009-09-23 09:31:00 / 1:46 min.

If you're a student or know a student, this one's for you. Generally, the default margins in

Microsoft Word

are fine, but often for school reports and assignments, the school or teacher will have very specific requirements for margins. Whether you want narrow margins or wide ones,

Microsoft Word 2007

gives you lots of defaults to choose from, or you can choose to

set custom margins in Word

.

Tutorials

How to find your basic computer information

#406 / 2009-09-22 09:30:00 / 1:16 min.

So you call tech support at some company. First thing they ask you is

what version of Windows are you running

? Then how much RAM do you have? What speed processor? All easy questions to answer, if you know where to look...

Tutorials

How to create an Aviary account

#403 / 2009-09-18 09:31:00 / 1:52 min.

Aviary Inc. has created a series of excellent tools including

Image Editor, Effects Editor and Image Markup

among others. To get the most use of these

free image editing tools

it's best to have a free online account. Here's how to

get started with Aviary

.

Tutorials

How to create a sound profile in Windows

#398 / 2009-09-16 09:30:00 / 2:10 min.

Windows comes with a set of default system sounds. For the most part they're pretty dull, but you aren't stuck with them. If you have sounds you'd rather use, it's easy to

customize your Windows sounds

. Here's how.

Tutorials

What is Windows Activation

#397 / 2009-09-15 09:31:00 / 2:20 min.

When you get a new computer or install a new copy of Windows on your computer, Windows prompts you to "activate" it. You have 30 days in which to

activate Windows

. Fine... but

what is activation

and what does it do?

Manage Hard drive Partitions with EASEUS Partition Manager

Learn to manage hard drive partitions with EASEUS Partition Manager

#6 / 2009-09-11 13:49:44 / 2:00 min.

Hard drives are widely available at sizes in excess of 1 terabyte. That's 1,000 gigabytes. That's one huge drive! With EASEUS Partition Manager, it's easy to partition your big hard drive into two or more virtual drives that look and act like separate physical hard drives on your computer. We'll even show you how to set up a dual-boot PC!

Tutorials

How to format a drive in Windows

#393 / 2009-09-11 09:31:00 / 1:34 min.

Perhaps you've got a

hard drive

that you'd like to

format

so you can start fresh. Or maybe you just added a new hard drive to your computer. You'll probably need

format the drive

before you can use it. Before you go out to look for fancy formatting software look to Windows itself.

Tutorials

How to change your computer's boot order

#380 / 2009-09-03 09:30:00 / 3:29 min.

Boot order

refers to which device your computer looks at first when you first power it on. This order is established in the

CMOS or BIOS settings

in your computer. You can decide to

make a USB key the first boot device

or slightly

speed up your computer's boot time

by telling it to look on the disk that contains your operating system first. Here's

how to easily change your computer's boot order

. It will also allow you to

boot from a CD or DVD

if you need to reinstall an operating system or run diagnostics on a misbehaving PC.

Tutorials

How to prevent children from changing computer settings

#367 / 2009-08-25 09:31:00 / 2:26 min.

Children are naturally curious. They explore their world and everything in it. When they're on your computer they may want to fiddle with or adjust your settings. That can be frustrating or dangerous.

SteadyState will help keep your family safe and your settings secure

.

Tutorials

How to get Gmail alerts on your desktop with Gmail Notifier

#356 / 2009-08-18 09:30:00 / 2:00 min.

Cloud applications

are like Gmail are great. They let you access your data anywhere, on any Internet-connected computer. However, they sometimes lack the convenience of desktop applications in that you have to actively check for new email messages by logging in.

Gmail Notifier

helps to bridge the gap from

desktop to cloud

by alerting you to new messages as they arrive.

Tutorials

Organize your desktop with Stardock Fences

#351 / 2009-08-13 09:31:00 / 3:34 min.

If you're feeling overwhelmed by your Windows desktop there are ways to fix it. One of those ways is Stardock Fences. This free software helps you change your jumbled mess of a workspace into a clean and organized desktop.

Lab Rats

Analyze This! Google Analytics Explained

#182 / 2009-08-03 17:00:00 / 20:39 min.

Every day, people are visiting your web site, checking out your message. Perhaps sharing their find with a friend. Wouldn't it be nice to know where these people are coming from? How they heard about you? Which of your links they're clicking on? Then again, maybe you're

not getting anywhere near as much traffic as you'd like and you're wondering why

. Andy and Sean take a look at Google Analytics a free, full-featured web stat reporting service, and show how to integrate it into your web site to get

detailed reports about your site traffic

.

Tutorials

Create your own online newspaper with Instapaper

#335 / 2009-08-03 09:31:00 / 2:20 min.

It happens to all of us as we surf the Web. We see an article that looks interesting, a recipe we'd like to try, a how-to we think would be helpful, but we don't have time to read it. With InstaPaper you can

save web clips to read later

.

The Sweet Stuff: Software

Top five free note taking programs

#9 / 2009-07-30 12:00:00 / 3:58 min.

There are times when all you need to do is jot a quick note, a reminder or a phone number. For times like these, a full word processor would be overkill. What you need is the

software equivalent of a Post-it Note

. For just such occasions, here are the

top five free note taking programs for Windows

. Doc Callahan delivers.

Tutorials

How to organize your desktop Part 2 of 2

#322 / 2009-07-24 09:30:00 / 2:31 min.

Continuing where we left off in part one of Organize your Windows Desktop, Michael "Doc" Callahan demonstrates how to

organize your desktop

and provides solid strategies for

keeping your Windows desktop organized

going forward.

Understanding and Editing the Windows Registry

Restoring the Windows Registry from a back-up

#5 / 2009-07-24 09:00:00 / 3:34 min.

There are times when the

Windows Registry becomes corrupted

to the point where the computer can no longer boot. Perhaps your own

Windows Registry editing went awry

or perhaps the Registry just got corrupted over time. Whatever the case, it's possible to

restore the Windows Registry from a back-up

(like the one we made in part 3 of this series, Precautions for using the Windows Registry editor. Even if

Windows won't boot

it's possible to get it back up and running with your

Windows Registry back-up

.

The Sweet Stuff: Software

Top four free Windows reminder software suites

#8 / 2009-07-23 12:00:00 / 2:42 min.

This week, Doc Callahan looks at four,

free reminder programs

that will ensure you

never miss an important date

. Whether you're working hard or playing a game on your PC, you'll never miss another appointment, birthday, meeting, class, or assignment. These reminder programs offer a variety of features, but all of them are

free Windows software

!

Tutorials

How to organize your desktop Part 1 of 2

#320 / 2009-07-23 09:30:00 / 3:20 min.

We've all see people who have a

mass of icons on their Windows desktop

. Sometimes it seems like every file on their computer is right there on the desktop in a jumble of color. This need not be however. With a little planning it's easy to

organize your Windows desktop and keep it organized

.

Understanding and Editing the Windows Registry

Tweak windows by editing Windows registry

#4 / 2009-07-23 09:00:00 / 3:26 min.

Entries in the

Windows Registry

have names that mean something to Microsoft programmers and to tech gurus... however, to most of us they're just gibberish. Armed with a list of useful Registry tweaks and a little

Windows Registry editing know-how

, you can

completely tweak Windows

so it works the way you want it to.

Understanding and Editing the Windows Registry

Precautions for using the Windows Registry editor

#3 / 2009-07-22 09:00:00 / 3:33 min.

Editing the Windows Registry

is good way to

tweak your Windows PC

... if you do it right. However, blithely

changing Windows Registry entries

is a recipe for disaster. Michael "Doctor File Finder" Callahan offers some common sense tips that will ensure your Registry changes are tweaks and improvements as opposed to train wrecks and a disappointment. First and foremost:

make a full backup of the Registry

before editing. Here's how.

Understanding and Editing the Windows Registry

Editing the Windows Registry

#2 / 2009-07-21 09:00:00 / 2:53 min.

Windows comes with a Registry editor built right into the operating system. It isn't elegant or fancy, but it gets the job done. Here we'll take a brief look at its functions. After viewing this

video tutorial

, you'll be able to go in and start

editing the Windows Registry

to

tweak Windows

Tutorials

Logging into Windows XP without a password

#315 / 2009-07-20 09:31:00 / 1:00 min.

Entering a username and password every time you

start Windows XP

can seem like a waste of time, especially if you're the only one who uses your computer. We'll show you

how to disable the Windows XP login screen

so you'll

go straight to your Windows desktop upon starting your computer

.

Understanding and Editing the Windows Registry

What is the Windows Registry?

#1 / 2009-07-20 09:00:00 / 2:15 min.

The

Windows Registry

is actually a database that stores all the information about your computer. The software, the devices, the files and much, much more has a home here. It's perfectly safe to work with the Registry as long as you understand certain things about it.

tweaking the Windows Registry

can also

speed up your computer without buying software

, can

fix computer problems

and more. Michael "Doctor File Finder" Callahan runs through this

beginner's guide to the Windows Registry in this video series

, complete with handy

Windows Registry tips and tricks

.

The Sweet Stuff: Software

Top five free password management programs

#7 / 2009-07-16 12:00:00 / 4:40 min.

Today it seems we have a

password, PIN, or passcode

to access just about everything. From banking to shopping we need to remember an ever increasing number of these things to get through our day. So, today we're going to look at

five free password managers

that make it easy to

choose secure passwords

and just as easy to

remember all those passwords

. And they're all

free Windows downloads

to boot.

Tutorials

How and why to use Windows Safe Mode

#308 / 2009-07-15 09:30:00 / 2:41 min.

Computers are pretty complex devices. You install software, device drivers, data. You hook up printers and cameras and scanners and more. Sometimes things conflict and it makes using your PC nearly all but impossible. For those times there's

Safe Mode

. Michael "Doc" Callahan explains how

Safe Mode

can save you when your

Windows computer won't boot up

.

Tutorials

How to create a system restore point in Windows Vista

#304 / 2009-07-13 09:30:00 / 1:57 min.

Starting with Windows XP there's a feature called

System Restore

. This

creates restore points

that preserve the state of your computer at a specific date and time. Some

restore points

are created automatically, but here's how you can

create a new restore point

yourself.

Tutorials

How to wipe data clean from your hard drive

#302 / 2009-07-10 09:30:00 / 3:01 min.

You may

erase a file

and you think it's gone, but it really isn't. You may

format the hard drive

and believe that everything is gone, but again it's really not. All that's really happened is you've flagged the space on your hard drive where the file(s) used to reside as over-writable. If you want to be really sure you have to

completely wipe a disk clean

before you give it away. Here's how to do just that.

Tutorials

How drive letters are used

#300 / 2009-07-09 09:30:00 / 2:56 min.

If you've used DOS and Windows you're probably well aware of

drive letters

. Under Windows everyone has a

C: drive

. Other operating systems like Unix, Linix, and Mac don't use drive letters. Here's a little background information on

what drive letters are and why Windows uses them

.

Tutorials

How to update a device driver

#298 / 2009-07-08 09:30:00 / 1:41 min.

A PC can connect to a near unlimited number of devices. Printers, scanners, DVD players, TV cards, external hard drivers and so much more. The link between a device and the computer is the

device driver

. If you have device drivers that are up-to-date your PC will run smoother. If you've ever asked yourself "

how do I update a device driver on my PC

?" then this is the tutorial for you.

Tutorials

How to solve problems with System Restore

#296 / 2009-07-07 09:30:00 / 3:54 min.

Sometimes you're working on your computer and it just isn't acting right. Perhaps you just installed some new software a few days ago and the problem started then. You've tried uninstalling, but the problems continue. Often the best way to get back to normal is to

use System Restore

.

System Restore

lets you roll your computer back to a time when it was working well without losing any of your documents, images, movies or music. We'll show you how.

Tutorials

How to browse privately in Internet Explorer 8

#292 / 2009-07-03 09:30:00 / 1:49 min.

There may be times when you'd like to

surf the Internet without leaving traces

behind for others to see. For those times you can use the new InPrivate feature in Internet Explorer 8. This feature lets you

browse privately

.

Tutorials

How to compress files with WinRAR

#278 / 2009-06-24 09:30:00 / 2:21 min.

Many files on your computer can get quite large. This is true of documents, text files, photos, and more. You can use WinRAR to

compress files into a RAR archive

and make them smaller.

Miss Download

Growl doesn't bite

#35 / 2009-06-23 17:00:00 / 3:06 min.

Many Mac users are already familiar with Growl. This software gives you notifications for things that happen on your PC. When a friend comes online, a new email is received, a file download finishes or the now-playing song changes in iTunes, Growl will tell you. You can also choose where Growl pops up to notify you, unlike a lot of the other notification pop-ups (or "digital toast") we have to deal with. The Windows version doesn't have quite the polish of the Mac version, but it's a good start.

A Beginner's Guide to Ubuntu

Running Windows programs on Ubuntu

#9 / 2009-06-18 09:00:00 / 2:25 min.

Ubuntu

has a lot to offer, but if you use

Windows

you probably have some favorite programs. It just so happens that you can

run your favorite Windows programs in Ubuntu

by using

emulators

.

Tutorials

How to extract files from a RAR archive

#263 / 2009-06-12 09:31:00 / 3:01 min.

Just what the heck are the RAR files that you sometimes see online? If someone sends you a compressed file with the .RAR file extension, you'll want to download WinRAR so you can open it. Extracting files is quick and easy.

Reinstalling Windows XP

Protect and update your Windows XP install

#10 / 2009-06-12 09:00:00 / 3:12 min.

Your computer is an investment of time and money. You've just invested a few hours to

make it run better

. Now, it's time to protect that investment. You need to maintain your computer and protect it from threats it may encounter.

Reinstalling Windows XP

Restoring Your Data After Windows XP Reinstall

#9 / 2009-06-11 09:00:00 / 2:27 min.

You've visited Windows Update and gotten everything you needed from
there. Now it's time to

restore all the items you backed up

before this adventure started. Your documents, photos, music, bookmarks, desktop items, and more. If you backed up programs and data you can use your backup program to restore everything as it was. If you only backed up data then it's time to

reinstall your programs

and put the data back in its place.

Reinstalling Windows XP

Get Updates For Windows XP

#8 / 2009-06-10 09:00:00 / 1:44 min.

We've finished our

clean install of Windows XP

, but we're not quite done. Remember, this copy of XP is freshly installed so it doesn't have any updates installed. You need to visit the

Windows Update center

to get all the updates your newly installed copy of Windows needs.

Reinstalling Windows XP

Finalizing Windows XP reinstall

#7 / 2009-06-09 09:00:00 / 2:43 min.

Just a few things to

finalize and our reinstall

will be done. There are just a few more steps until we have a fresh,

clean copy of Windows XP

up and running. First, we set the date, time and regional options, get a quick tour of

Windows XP

, set up our network information, computer name, user account and other pertinent details.

Reinstalling Windows XP

Finishing Windows XP Reinstall

#6 / 2009-06-08 09:00:00 / 3:41 min.

As we progress with our

reinstall Windows

needs some input from us.
There are regional settings, network settings, and other options and preferences that we'll need to set. We're on the downhill side of doing a fresh,

clean install of Windows XP

.

Tutorials

Define file attributes

#252 / 2009-06-05 09:30:00 / 2:15 min.

File attributes are like tags that tell the operating system and programs information about files. File attributes convey whether a file has been backed up, if it can be altered, if it's used by the operating system, and so on.

Reinstalling Windows XP

Changing the Windows XP boot order

#5 / 2009-06-05 09:00:00 / 3:26 min.

Sometimes when you put your CD in the drive and restart Windows it just reboots and goes straight back to Windows. Misses your CD all together. The reason? Your computers "boot order" probably isn't set to see your disc drive before your hard drive. No problem because we can go in and fix that.

Reinstalling Windows XP

Reinstall XP Understanding Your Formatting Options

#4 / 2009-06-04 09:00:00 / 2:40 min.

In part 3 of our video guide to reinstalling Windows XP we got as far as selecting a partition to install to. Now it's time to pick a formatting option. Your options are to do nothing, to do "quick" formats, or to do full formats, but using FAT32 or NTFS? Here's where I'll give you some tips.

Tutorials

What is a RAR file?

#248 / 2009-06-03 09:30:00 / 1:04 min.

There are a large number of compression formats available. The best known is the ZIP format created by Phil Katz in 1986. Another popular compression program is WinRAR. It creates compressed files that have the file extension .RAR.

Reinstalling Windows XP

Starting the Windows XP reinstall process

#3 / 2009-06-03 09:00:00 / 4:11 min.

With a thorough backup in place, we undertake the first step in reinstalling Windows XP: booting from the Windows XP CD, selecting to do a clean install of Windows and selecting a filesystem to use when formatting the hard drive.

Tutorials

How to get more information from Windows Explorer

#246 / 2009-06-02 09:30:00 / 1:34 min.

Window Explorer is configured to give you certain information by default. If you wish, however, you can configure it to give you all the information you'd like. Get the date modified, file attributes and much more with just a few clicks.

Reinstalling Windows XP

Backing up Windows XP before you reinstall

#2 / 2009-06-02 09:00:00 / 3:28 min.

You're going to be very happy with your nice, fresh, "clean install" of Windows XP. I'm pretty sure about that. I'm also very sure that you won't be happy if you forget to backup your photos, or music, or documents, or program data. This segment helps you get a handle on things to backup and things you don't want to forget. Trust me on this.

Reinstalling Windows XP

Reinstall Windows XP - Overview

#1 / 2009-06-01 09:00:00 / 2:28 min.

Over time your computer, like your car, doesn't run as well as it once
did. You may do all the things you're supposed to like defragment the
hard drive, clean the registry, remove junk files and so on. Often,
after a period of time, it's not your maintenance that's the problem.
More likely your copy of Windows has become corrupted. Through power
outages, power surges, turning the computer off improperly, and many
other factors. You don't need to clean your PC and you don't need to
repair Windows. What's needed is a "clean install" of Windows XP. Here's how!

Tutorials

Protect against spyware with Spyware Doctor

#232 / 2009-05-22 09:30:00 / 2:50 min.

Spyware and Adware are very real threats on the Internet. Spyware can steal your personal information, lead to identity theft and has many more nefarious tricks up its sleeve. In order to protect you and your family you need to run software that will protect you against these threats.

Tutorials

Find your Windows computer's default gateway

#210 / 2009-05-07 09:30:00 / 1:41 min.

Most home networks are connected to the Internet via cable, DSL or satellite connections. These connections run into your router and it becomes the "gateway" for all the computers on your network. Sometimes you need to know the IP address for your default gateway so here's how to find it!

Tutorials

How to find your Windows workgroup

#208 / 2009-05-06 09:30:00 / 1:46 min.

Your Windows workgroup is assigned during the installation of Windows. The standard defaults for this have been either "WORKGROUP" or "MSHOME". Home networks run better when all the computers are part of the same workgroup. Here's how to find your workgroup name and change it if you like.

Understanding Internet Explorer 8

Navigation in Internet Explorer 8

#2 / 2009-05-05 09:00:00 / 2:49 min.

In Internet Explorer 8, Microsoft developers really improved some of the navigation features. There's a compatibility view that you can use on pages that don't display quite right, there's an amazing improvement to tabbed browsing, and and a much improved Find On Page function.

Tutorials

Customize folder options in Windows

#204 / 2009-05-04 09:30:00 / 2:11 min.

Windows comes with certain options as defaults. For example, double-click to open something, open new folders in the original folder, and the like. Just because that's the way it works by default doesn't mean you can't change it. Using the Folder Options you can customize how Windows behaves in this regard and perhaps find a way that suits you better.

Understanding Internet Explorer 8

A close look at Internet Explorer 8

#1 / 2009-05-04 09:00:00 / 1:15 min.

Internet Explorer 8 is one of the most talked about releases of Internet Explorer in quite some time. That's probably because it has so many cool new features, functions, and improvements. From Accelerators to Web Slices and InPrivate browsing, you won't want to miss a single part of this ten-part series.

Tutorials

Track your mouse with Cursor Trails

#201 / 2009-04-30 09:31:00 / 1:30 min.

There are times when the mouse cursor can be elusive. It gets hidden under windows or in a corner. To make your mouse cursor more visible you can turn on mouse trails. This leaves a trail of mouse pointers as you move it.

Tutorials

Tweak your mouse to use ClickLock

#199 / 2009-04-29 09:31:00 / 1:41 min.

For many people it can get tedious when you have to hold down a mouse button while you drag things around. Well, it doesn't have to be that way if you turn on ClickLock for you mouse. Click to drag, click again to let go, it's just that easy. Let's find out how.

Tutorials

Tweak your mouse options in Windows

#196 / 2009-04-28 09:30:00 / 1:55 min.

Your mouse has certain default values, but that doesn't mean you have to stick with the defaults. It is possible to go in and change things to your personal preference. Change the look of your cursors, alter the speed of double-clicking, turn on ClickLock and more.

Tutorials

Using the Windows logo key

#194 / 2009-04-27 09:30:00 / 2:43 min.

Your keyboard probably has a Windows logo key sitting in the bottom row on either side of the spacebar. But what the heck do these keys actually do? Turns out, quite a lot! Learning a few quick Windows key shortcuts, you'll be a power-user in no time.

Tutorials

Keep Windows XP safe and secure with auto-updates

#193 / 2009-04-24 09:31:00 / 2:08 min.

Microsoft frequently releases patches for the Windows operating system. The updates and patches are designed to fix bugs, plug security holes, and make the operating system more stable. Many worms take advantage of computers that have not applied these updates. Here we'll show you how to make sure Automatic Updates are on.

Tutorials

Change that boring mouse cursor in Windows

#192 / 2009-04-24 09:30:00 / 2:32 min.

Windows comes with certain mouse cursors as defaults. What many people don't realize, however, is that you can change them to something more to your taste. There are tons of alternative mouse cursors available. You can find some right within Windows and you can find many others on the Internet.

Tutorials

Keep Vista safe and secure with automatic updates

#191 / 2009-04-23 09:31:00 / 2:09 min.

Windows Updates are designed to fix bugs and patch security flaws within Windows. To keep you and your computer safe from security threats you need to make sure that these updates are installed as they become available.

Tutorials

Locate that lost mouse cursor on screen

#186 / 2009-04-21 09:30:00 / 1:44 min.

I work on a dual monitor system. Every now and then I can't find my mouse cursor. I wiggle it, I jiggle it, and still it eludes me. Ahh, but
if you turn on the option to show you where your mouse cursor is you'll
always be able to find it!

Earth Week: Green computing solutions

Green software to monitor and reduce energy usage

#1 / 2009-04-20 09:00:00 / 2:33 min.

Computers use a lot of power. You can make your own computer as energy efficient as possible using these simple software tools. Windows XP and Vista (as well as Mac OSX and open source alternatives not covered here) include power management software. The programs we look at here go much further and allow you to fine-tune your computer's power management strategy. You'll save money on your energy bills and, more importantly, you'll be working toward minimizing your computer's impact on Mother Earth.

Tutorials

How to find system information on your PC

#163 / 2009-04-03 09:31:00 / 2:35 min.

Sometimes you need some specific information about your Windows computer. Like when you're talking with someone in tech support. They ask you how much RAM you have, or what size hard drive, or what version of Windows and you just aren't sure. For those times, or in case you're just curious, there's a handy utility called System Information that will tell you all you need to know.

Tutorials

How to use Windows Firewall

#161 / 2009-04-02 09:31:00 / 2:45 min.

Windows Firewall protects you from threats that try to sneak into your computer without any action from you. Antivirus and antispyware software help to protect against threats that you may have unwittingly taken some part in getting by opening an infected email or visiting a bad Web page. In this tutorial we'll show you how Windows Firewall works and how to configure it.

Tutorials

How to find your PC's Internal IP address

#158 / 2009-04-01 09:30:00 / 1:42 min.

Your computer has an Internal IP address and an External IP address. It may have been set manually or it may have been set automatically. Regardless of how it was set there are times when you need to know what that IP address is. In our previous tutorial we showed you how to find your External IP address. In this tutorial we'll show you how to find the Internal IP address.

Tutorials

How to find your external IP address

#157 / 2009-03-31 09:31:00 / 2:09 min.

Your computer most likely has an IP address that it uses on your local network. Often it's assigned by your router. This is an internal IP address. You also have an external IP address that is the address that's available to the world when you surf the Internet. Just as it's easy for you to trace your IP address with the tools below, it's also easy for someone else to trace an IP address to find out where it's coming from.

Tutorials

GoToMyPC: remote access to your PC part 2

#156 / 2009-03-31 09:30:00 / 1:47 min.

GoToMyPC is a powerful tool to help you get remote access to a PC, even if it's hundreds or thousands of miles away. When you're trying to collaborate on a project, when a friend or family member needs help with a PC problem, when you need to access a document on your home PC but you're in the office, or on the road, or in another country, there's GoToMyPC. This software lets you remote control an authorized PC from anywhere.

Tutorials

GoToMyPC: remote access to your PC

#155 / 2009-03-30 09:31:00 / 2:29 min.

GoToMyPC allows you to access your PC from anywhere you can get an internet connection. There are times when you want or need to access other computers from a remote location. For times like that I use GoToMyPC. It's safe, secure, and easy-to-use. In this tutorial I'll show you how to give it a try for yourself.

Tutorials

Customize your Windows Taskbar

#154 / 2009-03-30 09:30:00 / 2:40 min.

Everyone knows the Windows Taskbar. How can you not? It's sitting there at the bottom of every copy of Windows since version 3.1. Even Windows 7 has a taskbar, albeit a much improved one. There are some clever tweaks you can use with the taskbar that you might not know about, so here they are!

Tutorials

Defragment your computer with DiskRescue

#153 / 2009-03-27 09:31:00 / 1:49 min.

Defragmenting your computer is important to the well being of your PC. Just by using your hard drive the file system gets "fragmented." Adding file, removing files, there's just no way to avoid it. When your drive is fragmented it slows down your PC and makes your hard drive work harder. So, defragmenting is a way to clean up the mess so your drive can work a little easier. Uniblue's DiskRescue does a great job of defragmenting and keeping your performance where it should be.

Tutorials

How to turn off auto-run programs in Windows

#152 / 2009-03-27 09:30:00 / 1:37 min.

There are quite a few programs that automatically run each time you start Windows. Some you know about, but others you don't. There are times when it's helpful to turn off all those programs when you're trying to track down a problem. Auto-run programs can be easily turned off, here's how to do it!

Tutorials

How to use the Character Map in Windows

#151 / 2009-03-26 09:31:00 / 1:53 min.

Every font set can display a range of characters. Yes, they display the alphabet and numbers, but they can also display much more. To find out take a look at Character Map. Character Map will not only show you every character that's in a font set, but it gives you a way to use those characters.

Tutorials

How to add new hardware to your Windows PC

#149 / 2009-03-25 09:31:00 / 1:41 min.

Every now and then you'll try to add hardware that Windows simply doesn't recognize. It may be something that's not "Plug and Play" or PnP as it often appears on packaging. It may just be something that Windows doesn't see. In these cases it's handy to know how to add hardware yourself.

Tutorials

How to clean up your Windows Desktop

#142 / 2009-03-20 09:30:00 / 3:20 min.

You install programs, you create shortcuts, your programs create shortcuts. Before you know it your neat Windows Desktop is a battleground. You have to hunt to find anything other than the things you use most. Ah, but there is a solution.

Breaking news tutorials

Microsoft Releases Internet Explorer 8

#15 / 2009-03-20 09:00:00 / 1:46 min.

Microsoft Corporation launched Internet Explorer 8 and it's loaded with new features. Improved navigation, better history management, much improved Favorites, Web Slices, Instant Search, and greatly improved performance.

Tutorials

How to clean up your Start menu in XP

#141 / 2009-03-19 09:31:00 / 3:14 min.

Every time you install a program it creates a folder. In general, you seldom if ever need those folders. If you keep the icons of the program you need most on your Desktop, then you can hide away all those folders. That makes your Start menu much easier to navigate.

Tutorials

How to clean the Windows Start menu in Vista

#139 / 2009-03-18 09:31:00 / 2:41 min.

Your start menu can become cluttered; folders, program icons, documents, all of these can lead to a messy directory tree. Before you know it your Start menu can stretch across the screen and it's often difficult to balance the Start menu while you try to launch a program. On top of that many users insist on using the "classic" start menu and that supports disorganization. Let's clean it up!

Tutorials

Resize lots of images at once for free

#129 / 2009-03-11 09:30:00 / 2:35 min.

Posting large images online can take a long time hog your bandwidth, so before you post all those high-res photos of your family vacation to Flickr or Facebook, consider resizing them first. We'll show you how to resize multiple images at once, quickly and easily with Fotosizer.

Tutorials

Clean up Windows junk with TuneUp Utilities

#124 / 2009-03-06 09:31:00 / 2:02 min.

Your PC is a lot like a car. If you keep it tuned up and clean it will run well. Let it get junked up, miss scheduled maintenance appointments generally don't look after it, it will slow down. TuneUp Utilities 2009 acts like a PC mechanic and clears out the junk.

Tutorials

Take it back: Using Windows System Restore

#117 / 2009-03-03 09:30:00 / 2:20 min.

Windows System Restore is a feature that was added in Windows XP. Restore Points are created when you install or uninstall software, install devices, and so on. You can also create your own Restore Points, just in case you encounter a problem. In those times you can restore your computer to an earlier time when there wasn't a problem. Very handy.

Breaking news tutorials

Safari 4 Beta in the wild

#12 / 2009-02-26 09:45:00 / 2:40 min.

Apple announced a public beta of the new Safari 4, available on both Windows and Mac machines. This new version of the Apple browser is chock full of cool new features. It supports style sheets, top tabs, "Top Sites," cover flow, complete search history, and plenty more. Take it for a spin and see what you think.

Tutorials

Create your own toolbar in Windows

#110 / 2009-02-23 09:00:00 / 2:11 min.

Windows provides you with lots of ways to get at your files, folders, and programs. Some ways are more complicated than others. If you'd like a really easy way to quickly access a folder or even a set of folders you can create your own toolbar. These toolbars can be accessed right from the Windows taskbar which makes them quick and easy.

Tutorials

Change icons in Windows XP

#109 / 2009-02-20 09:30:00 / 1:17 min.

Whether you want to change the way shortcut icons appear on your desktop or you want to change the appearance of a particular folder on your PC, changing the icon associated with that file or folder is a great way to customize your PC.

Tutorials

Configure automatic updates in Windows Vista

#107 / 2009-02-18 09:30:00 / 1:11 min.

For Windows to work best and for it to be as secure as possible, you need to make sure you always have the latest updates. Microsoft releases fixes for security vulnerabilities, along with new device drivers and other system tweaks. Updates are free for registered Windows installs.

Tutorials

Create a guest account in Windows XP

#106 / 2009-02-17 09:30:00 / 1:30 min.

Creating a guest account is a great way to allow visitors to use your computer without giving them access to your personal files, your browsing history, saved passwords and so on. Guests accounts allow your friends to use your computer to do just about everything they might need to do but stops them from making changes to your system.

Safe Surfing - beginner's guide

Get protected: Create user accounts

#7 / 2009-02-17 09:00:00 / 2:20 min.

One of the best ways of limiting what your children are able to do on the Internet or on the computer is to limit their options. This can be done easily by creating a special User Account for each child.

Tutorials

How to find a file in Windows

#102 / 2009-02-11 09:00:00 / 2:36 min.

Have a document you wrote but you don't know where you saved it? Looking for a particular file, but you don't recall the name? Trying to find a report you created about a month ago but don't know where that's at either? Not a problem because Windows can help you find things.

Tutorials

Skip the recycle bin

#101 / 2009-02-10 09:30:00 / 1:36 min.

The recycle bin in Windows is a handy way to keep deleted files just in case they ever need to be brought back. That's why it's called the "recycle bin" as opposed to, say, the File Disintegrator. However, you may wish to bypass the recycle bin when deleting a file or, if you're really brave, turn off delete confirmation too.

Lab Rats

The 411 on Windows 7

#158 / 2009-02-09 17:00:00 / 21:23 min.

Andy and Sean take a look at Windows 7, the latest operating system from Microsoft. Windows 7 has yet to be officially released. That said, there's a "beta" version available that lets Windows lovers get a taste of Windows 7 before its official release, slated for early 2010.

Tune in: Novice guide to iTunes

Sorting your iTunes content

#8 / 2009-02-04 09:00:00 / 1:45 min.

The whole idea behind iTunes is that it acts as your one-stop media library. All your music, movies, TV shows you've downloaded, iPhone apps you've grabbed, podcasts you subscribe to and more are all there. To avoid information overload, Molly McDonald has some practical tips for navigating your ever-growing iTunes library.

Tutorials

Customize Windows with TuneUp Utilities

#95 / 2009-01-30 09:00:00 / 1:47 min.

Sometimes you just get tired of looking at the same old screen. With TuneUp Utilities you can completely change the look and feel of Windows XP. Everything from the system icons, the login and logout screens, the behavior of windows and more can be customized in just a few simple steps.

Breaking news tutorials

The Downadup / Conficker Virus - finding and getting rid of it

#5 / 2009-01-27 10:26:43 / 2:32 min.

The Downadup/Conficker worm has already infected over 15 million computers in China, India, the United States, England and other countries. The worm affects primarily corporate networks, but personal computer users need to be vigilant. The worm is spread primarily via pirated software and through network connections. Microsoft released a patch that fixed the security flaws, but the infected systems did not apply the patch, often because the copy of Windows is pirated.

@

CES 2009 - What is Windows 7

#61 / 2009-01-15 16:30:00 / 4:39 min.

Windows 7 was launched as a public beta at CES 2009. That means that just about anyone with a Windows Live ID can log on, snag the ~700MB download and try out the new Windows operating system. Learn what's new and exciting in Windows 7 from Sue Borden, Consumer Audience Manager with Microsoft Canada.

Breaking news tutorials

Critical Windows patch released

#3 / 2009-01-14 14:16:00 / 2:40 min.

One Tuesday per month, Microsoft releases patches for its software products -- Windows, Office etc.. Appropriately, this day is deemed "patch Tuesday." Yesterday's patch release saw a critical patch released for Windows that fixes a security flaw. Consider this a must-have update and if you don't already have it installed, follow this breaking news tutorial download and installation guide.

Tutorials

Alphabetizing your programs menu

#85 / 2008-12-19 09:00:00 / 1:24 min.

If you hate hunting through your growing list of software shortcuts in your programs menu, there is an easy way to arrange them in alphabetical order to save you time and hassle.

Tutorials

Getting a panoramic Desktop

#77 / 2008-12-11 09:00:00 / 1:29 min.

Need more space on your desktop but don't want to pony up for a bigger monitor? 360desktop is a fun interface enhancement software that offers a spacious panoramic view.

Tutorials

Convert documents into PDFs with PrimoPDF

#74 / 2008-12-08 09:30:00 / 2:50 min.

If you're looking for a free tool that creates PDFs simply, quickly, and accurately without unsightly watermarks - look no further! PrimoPDF is a free document conversion tool that can quickly create PDFs from over 300 different file types and acts very much like a printer within windows.

Tutorials

Add IrfanView to your Windows Send To menu

#73 / 2008-12-05 09:31:00 / 1:24 min.

If you like working with graphics you can't beat IrfanView. Being able to send graphics to the program makes using it even easier. This way, you can quickly open files in IrfanView without having to go through the file > open dialogues.

Tutorials

Change the appearance of Windows

#72 / 2008-12-05 09:30:00 / 3:00 min.

Tired of the way Windows looks on your PC? Using the Windows Appearance options, you can change it quickly and easily. You can make your PC harken back to the days before Windows XP and completely change the color scheme, background color and more.

Tutorials

Clean the Registry with RegistryBooster 2009

#71 / 2008-12-04 09:31:00 / 2:59 min.

To keep your computer running at peak efficiency you need to keep the Registry clean and compact. RegistryBooster 2009 does an amazing job of doing just that.

Tutorials

Create a new user account in Windows

#67 / 2008-12-02 09:31:00 / 1:30 min.

Windows makes it possible to have multiple user accounts. This is great because each user can have their own private files, sounds, wallpaper and other settings. Here's how to create a new user account.

Tutorials

Capture the screen with SnagIt

#64 / 2008-12-01 09:30:00 / 2:32 min.

There are times when you want or need to take a capture of your screen. SnagIt, by Techsmith, is one of best ways to do it.

Making the Move to Mac

System preferences

#5 / 2008-11-28 09:00:00 / 2:19 min.

Your Mac isn't your Mac until you've customized it. System Preferences is where you need to be in order to do that. We'll run you through where you go to make changes to your desktop wallpaper, to change your screen saver, set up printers, Bluetooth, your Internet connection and more.

Tutorials

Make your personal folders private

#60 / 2008-11-27 09:30:00 / 1:21 min.

Make the folders in your profile private, including My Documents, Favorites, Cookies, the Desktop and the Start menu, so that users who share your computer cannot access them or the files within.

Making the Move to Mac

Window management

#4 / 2008-11-27 09:00:00 / 2:38 min.

When making the switch from PC to Mac, you'll notice that things are a little different. Most of the basic functionality is the same, it's just that the interface functions are unique to each operating system. Program and application windows work in much the same way in Mac as in Windows but are controlled slightly differently. Permit us to demonstrate...

Making the Move to Mac

What's up (with the) Dock?

#3 / 2008-11-26 09:00:00 / 2:38 min.

The Dock in Mac OSX functions somewhat like the Taskbar in Windows. You can customize the Dock to show the programs you access most frequently, you can hide it away when it's not being used, you can enable or disable neat Dock animations and more. In this episode, The Doc gets down with the Dock.

Tutorials

Understanding the Windows system tray

#57 / 2008-11-25 09:31:00 / 2:45 min.

Many users don't understand what the Windows "tray" is. It's sometimes called the system tray or just the tray and it's really a handy area of your Windows taskbar.

Making the Move to Mac

The Apple menu and taskbar

#2 / 2008-11-25 09:00:00 / 3:10 min.

When making the switch, it's the little details that can get more than a little confusing. In Windows, you're used to each application or explorer window having it's own menu bar at the top. The Mac "thinks different." We'll show you how to ease the transition.

Tutorials

How to turn off the navigation click in Vista

#53 / 2008-11-19 10:17:01 / 0:56 min.

By default, Windows Vista makes a clicking sound when you navigate through Windows Explorer windows. What is a neat touch for some is an annoyance to others so today, we'll show you how to turn off the clicking sound when you navigate folders in Vista.

Lab Rats

Aaaaaaannnd...ACTION!

#147 / 2008-11-17 17:00:00 / 22:57 min.

In this episode of Lab Rats, the guys talk video editing. Software, hardware and some Don't Do What Donnie Don't Does no-nos that make your videos look like they're a part of amateur hour. Andy and Sean arm you with useful tips and tricks and demystify video editing.

Tutorials

How to install a font in Windows

#49 / 2008-11-17 14:18:57 / 1:03 min.

Windows Vista comes with a wide array of fonts included. However, for more creative or stylized work like creating a desktop calendar or a greeting card, these fonts might not cut it. We'll show you how to install a new font in Windows Vista with tips that translate to Windows XP too.

Lab Rats

Speeding up a slow PC

#145 / 2008-11-06 15:30:00 / 22:30 min.

In episode 145 we look at some of the reasons your computer is running slower today than it did when you first brought it home. And it wouldn't be Lab Rats without some practical tips on how to remedy the situation. We cover cleaning up software you no longer use, organizing your hard drive to speed up access time, quickly and easily upgrading the RAM on you MacBook and more.

Tutorials

Rename multiple files in Windows

#17 / 2008-10-30 10:37:07 / 1:08 min.

Rather than make you go through the trouble of renaming a hundred files one at a time, Windows allows for batch renaming of a group of selected files. These could be image files, documents or any other file type.

Tutorials

How to download and install Mozilla Firefox

#9 / 2008-10-28 00:00:00 / 1:14 min.

A step-by-step guide to installing Mozilla Firefox.
We walk you through downloading and installing the latest version of Mozilla's increasingly popular Firefox browser.

Tutorials

How to change your default sounds in Windows

#2 / 2008-10-21 00:00:00 / 2:00 min.

Tadaa!
Windows sounds are a little on the boring side. We show you how to create your own set to act as your computing soundtrack. Change one or more sounds, from the Windows start-up music to the critical battery alarm, and set your own sounds to personalize your PC.

Lab Rats

Undelete Your Files

#120 / 2008-05-12 17:00:00 / 15:30 min.

Andy and Sean show you how to recover your deleted data (and your marriage!) using oranges.

Lab Rats

Next Generation Flash Drives

#116 / 2008-04-14 17:00:00 / 17:16 min.

Andy and Sean look at how flash memory could be a replacement for magnetic hard drives.

Lab Rats

Lab Rats Mailbag

#113 / 2008-03-17 17:00:00 / 22:45 min.

Andy and Sean respond to viewer questions about podcast production, external hard drives and frost-bite in a can.

Lab Rats

Vista to XP Networking

#98 / 2007-11-12 17:00:00 / 26:56 min.

Andy and Sean show how to share files between Windows computers.

Lab Rats

Software Troubleshooting in Vista

#85 / 2007-08-13 17:00:00 / 19:38 min.

Andy and Sean show you how to make older programs work in Vista.

Lab Rats

Transform XP into Vista

#77 / 2007-06-18 17:00:00 / 17:28 min.

Andy and Sean retrofit a Windows XP machine to look and work like Vista.

Lab Rats

Backup 101

#73 / 2007-05-21 17:00:00 / 24:29 min.

Andy and Sean take a look at backup technologies in Vista and on the Mac.

Lab Rats

Hot Windows Vista Features

#66 / 2007-03-26 17:00:00 / 15:30 min.

Andy and Sean show you hot Windows Vista tricks including how to use your USB key to boost system performance.

Lab Rats

Run Windows on a Mac

#63 / 2007-03-05 17:00:00 / 21:26 min.

Andy and Sean show you how to run Windows (or Linux!) on your Apple computer.

Lab Rats

Windows Security 101

#61 / 2007-02-19 17:00:00 / 19:44 min.

Andy and Sean show you how to tighten security on Windows XP and Vista PCs.

Lab Rats

Defrag Demystified

#54 / 2006-12-11 17:00:00 / 14:25 min.

Andy and Sean show how disk defragmentation works using eggplant and zucchini.

Lab Rats

Network File Sharing

#9 / 2005-12-19 17:00:00 / 18:03 min.

We explain how to share files and folder on a home network for both Windows and Mac. Plus Boo makes a surprise appearance.

Manage Hard drive Partitions with EASEUS Partition Manager

Hard drives are widely available at sizes in excess of 1 terabyte. That's 1,000 gigabytes. That's one huge drive! With EASEUS Partition Manager, it's easy to partition your big hard drive into two or more virtual drives that look and act like separate physical hard drives on your computer. We'll even show you how to set up a dual-boot PC!

Explore the world with Google Earth

With

Google Earth

installed on your Windows, Mac or Linux PC, you can circumnavigate the world in considerable less than 80 days. You can dive the the depths of the ocean or check out the constellations in the night sky at noon. All without leaving your desk.

Google Earth

has many practical applications too. Get driving directions, see what amenities are available in the neighborhood you're thinking of moving into and even see how said neighborhood has changed over the years. Perhaps best of all, Google Earth is free for home users.

How do I use the HTC HD7

Throughout this series we'll show you how to use the HTC HD7. This is a smartphone running Windows Phone 7 featuring a 4.3-inch touchscreen. We'll show you how to set up your HD7, how to use Windows Phone 7, how to get WP7 apps and more.

Installing Windows from scratch

If you're going to

install Windows to a PC

then the best way to do so is by doing a

clean install

. That means installing it to an empty hard drive or to a fresh partition. In this series we'll be showing you

how to install Windows 7

to a clear partition and, along the way,

how to partition a hard drive

.

Expand your iPhone use using myPhoneDesktop

There a great app out there for iPhone users who want to integrate their

iPhone with their desktop

. The

myPhoneDesktop app for iPhone

allows you to easily

send text, images and URLs

to your iPhone from your computer so you can

save time

typing on your iPhone. You can also use it from any computer running Windows, Linux or Mac OS X.

How do I root the NOOK Color to run Honeycomb

There are a number of reasons you might have for rooting the Barnes and Noble Nook Color to run Android 3.0, also known as Honeycomb. In this series we'll explain some of the benefits of running Honeycomb and show you how to root your Nook Color and use a Windows or Mac computer to install Honeycomb along with Android Market and other Android apps.

How to change a notebook hard drive

In this series we show you

how to change a hard drive

for your

Windows or Mac notebook

. We'll show you

how to find a compatible drive

,

how to backup your computer

and walk you through the steps it takes to

uninstall and replace hard drives

for both Windows and Mac systems.

OpenOffice.org 101 - Beginning Studies

One really important set of software that most people can't do without is called an office suite. You've probably used these before, they usually consist of a

word processor program

, a

spreadsheet program

, a

presentation program

and more. They often come in a bundle and most people are familiar with Microsoft's Office Suite. What many people don't know, however, is that there are many great alternatives like OpenOffice.org. What sets

OpenOffice.org

apart from the rest is that it is a completely

free office suite

!

Setting up dual monitors

If you've ever wanted to have a

dual monitor setup

then you'll want to watch this series where we show you how to set up

dual monitors on your PC

. We show you

how to connect dual monitors

to graphics cards, how to

change display settings

for each monitor and how to

create an ergonomic work space

.

How to use Skype

If you've got friends or family living outside of the country, you know that long distance bills can quickly pile up with the calls. Fortunately there are many ways to

communicate online for free

, such as Skype.

Skype allows you to make phone calls for free over your computer

. Skype is also a free download and in this series we'll tell you where to get it and how to use it.

Tucows TV

Your one-stop shop for everything relating to software on butterscotch and Tucows. Tips and tricks to working with your favorite programs, Video Cow Reviews, slick software trailers that highlight the latest and greatest and software recommendations that help you do more with the technology you already own.

Spyware Doctor with Antivirus

The Internet is full of all sorts of foreign wonders and useful information. Unfortunately, it is also full of many threats to your computer such as spyware, viruses and other malware. Fortunately, you can

protect your computer from all that malware by using Spyware Doctor with AntiVirus

by

PC Tools

. It's easy to install and we'll walk you through all of the steps involved, including

setting up the IntelliGuard protection

and

running scans on your computer

!

Beginner's Guide to Installing Ubuntu

If you've heard a little bit about Linux then you might have been curious to try a

Linux distribution

yourself. In this series we'll give you an

introduction to Ubuntu

, a free

Linux-based operating system

that gives you multiple installation options. We'll walk you through

how to install Ubuntu

using each of those, including using

LiveCD or DVDs

,

running a persistent image

, and

dual booting

.

Using your Windows Phone 7

In this series we show you how to use your Windows Phone 7. From setting up your phone to navigating through the Windows Phone 7 mobile interface we've got you covered. We'll also demonstrate how to use the various multimedia features, access Xbox Live from your phone and more all using the new LG Optimus Quantum.

Understanding and Editing the Windows Registry

The

Windows Registry

has long been the domain of geeks and PC tweakers. However, it's nowhere near as complicated as you might think. With this

five-part video how-to

, Michael "Doctor File Finder" Callahan explains and shows you

how to edit the Windows Registry

safely and effectively.

Control which programs and services start with Windows

,

speed up a slow PC

and just generally

take control of the Windows Registry

. With these

practical Registry tips and tweaks

, you'll go from Registry editing newbie to pro in five video steps.

Upgrading from Windows XP to Windows 7

Michael "Doctor File Finder" Callahan leads butterscotch.com viewers through the process for upgrading from Windows XP to Windows 7 in this eight-part video tutorial guide. Learn about the pros and cons of dual-booting Windows XP and Windows 7 on the same physical machine, get your files, folders and settings from Windows XP to Windows 7 and follow along with the install process to learn the ins and outs.