Tame That Monster - WindowWalk Computer Education Spring is finally here - so we are told! It's hard to tell by looking out the window these days. Nonetheless, spring makes us think of opening windows and doors and getting out into the world we've missed all winter. For some, though, going outside is not an option.

People who have physical challenges often don't get to experience the sheer joy of being outdoors in the spring. There is an option, though, and it is in the computer. The internet has opened the door to the world for all of us, and especially for those who can't physically go there. One of the best advantages is the ability to work and earn an income online, as well as being able to shop, play, and make new friends. Introduce a computer to someone you know (of any age) who has physical challenges and watch the world bloom for them.

"Hands-on" QuickBooks workshops start on March 4/08 with our ProAdvisor at DaTang Language School on Spring Garden Rd. in Halifax. Click here for the details.

Free workshop for business owners and managers: The Metro Business Association is offering another free Small Business Success workshop, 6:30 - 8:30 pm, Thursday, April 24 at the Coastal Inn on Windmill Rd. in Dartmouth. Seating is limited and fills up fast. To register or for more information, call 830-9336 or email mba@mbadartmouth.com.

WindowWalk Computer Education offers on-site courses and hourly training ranging from the basics to advanced "power user" features. We pride ourselves in making your computer education a fully personalized, comfortable, and convenient learning experience.

Visit on the web, send an email , or call 830-9336 to learn more about our effective software training or to give us your comments and suggestions.

Small Business Owners: WindowWalk Computer Education specializes in QuickBooks and Simply Accounting training to help make your and your tax preparer's task easier. Take advantage of our QuickBooks ProAdvisor's 20+ years of small business accounting and teaching experience.

Beginners: Our Windows Foundation course gives you all the basics you need to use your computer. Learn about the internet and email with us and raise your comfort level quickly to get you out exploring cyberspace on your own.

We want everyone to have a more comfortable experience with their computer. Call us today for a free consultation or assessment .

WindowWalk Computer Education is proud to serve you as a QuickBooks ProAdvisor and as a member of:

Serving Seniors - Your Resource of Dedicated Professionals
Metro Business Association
Centre for Women in Business

TECH EXPERT

Vista Problems Persist

Vista continues to have acceptance issues. It especially is having issues when "playing well with others" - better known as other hardware and software. Microsoft has come out with the first SP for Vista - SP1. An SP or Service Pack is the collection of all fixes that Microsoft has for a given software family. Microsoft is providing unprecedented support because of install difficulties. Meanwhile Microsoft has announced the SP3 release for Windows XP (without the support provided for Vista). See below.

Windows Vista SP1 complaints draw free support from Microsoft
Posted Monday , March 24, 2008
by Paul McDougall

Microsoft has responded to numerous complaints about its new service pack for Windows Vista with an offer of free support for anyone having trouble installing or running the update.

According to Microsoft's support Web site, the company is offering no-charge Vista SP1 help for all users via e-mail and online chat. The wait time for an online chat session as of mid-afternoon Monday was about 20 minutes, according to the site. Microsoft is also offering free Vista SP1 support via telephone for customers of its Software Assurance, TechNet, MSDN, and partner programs.

Microsoft ordinarily directs Windows users with support issues to the PC makers from whom they purchased their systems. It typically provides direct support only if the user bought a boxed, standalone copy of the operating system. But Microsoft manager Brandon LeBlanc revealed in a blog post that the free support is available to all Vista SP1 users -- regardless of how they acquired the software. "We are offering free-of-charge support to *anyone* who is having issues installing Windows Vista SP1," LeBlanc confirmed.

The move is an apparent response to widespread criticisms from would-be Vista SP1 users who say they can't get the software to install or run on their computers. "I downloaded it via Windows Update and got a blue screen on the third part of the update," wrote Iggy33 in a comment posted last week on the Vista team blog. Iggy33 was just one of dozens of posters complaining about Vista Service Pack 1's effect on their PCs. "What a disaster," wrote SeppDietrich of the update. "It exiled all my Nvidia drivers to the Bermuda Triangle."

Other troubles reported by Vista SP1 users ranged from a simple inability to download the software from Microsoft's Windows Update site to sudden spikes in memory usage. It's not uncommon for major software patches to cause problems when first released. Windows XP Service Pack 1 inflicted numerous glitches on host computers when it shipped in 2002. Microsoft fixed many of the problems with subsequent patches.

Microsoft last week made Vista SP1 widely available for the first time. The update is designed to increase Vista's speed, security, and reliability. But the company has admitted SP1 isn't perfect. The service pack will not install on computers that use device and system drivers that Microsoft has deemed incompatible. The list includes audio and display drivers made by Realtek and Intel, as well as drivers from several other manufacturers.

Microsoft said it's working to resolve the compatibility issues.

This article was submitted by Andy Butler of Compatible Computer Services; (902) 420-1212. CCS provides sales and service support for PCs and Restaurant & Retail Point of Sales systems and develops client-specific custom-built business software applications.

SURFIN' SAFARI

Some Useful and Interesting Web Sites

Free Music Downloads	Free is a good thing--no, it's a great thing. So with that in mind, welcome to the world of CNET Download Music. They've been growing their library of free MP3s since their site launched in 2004, and today that collection stands at more than 110,000 songs. Rip and burn to your heart's content!
First Showing	There has always been a line between people who make movies and people who watch them. As movie watchers, many of us have no idea what goes into making a film and what takes place behind the scenes. For those who are interested in peeking behind the curtain, movie blog FirstShowing will keep you up to date on all the hot gossip from back lots, movie sets, and Hollywood bigwig offices. (It's also a great place to find new teasers, trailers, and production stills.)
Television without Pity	Ever feel a bit behind at the water cooler? Get lost in those Lost office e-mail threads? TWOP has a staff of professional "recappers" armed and ready to give you the full dirt on TV's most popular shows - complete with snarky quips that you can feel free to pass off as your own. (Ed. Note: Some reviews may contain offensive language.)

WHAT DOES IT DO?

PrimoPDF

PrimoPDF is a free tool for high-quality PDF creation, comprising a user-friendly interface that enables printing to PDF from virtually any Windows application. Additionally, PrimoPDF provides the ability to optimize PDF output for screen, print, ebook, and prepress, secure PDF files with 128-bit encryption, and add document information (e.g. title, author, subject, keywords) to converted PDF files.

Version 4 comprises a new intuitive, more straightforward interface as well as additional productivity enhancements such as the ability to easily e-mail PDF files upon conversion.

PrimoPDF 4 converts just about any file type to a PDF, using the source program the file was created with and its print command. Two new changes make the program easier to use and more useful. The interface redesign is definitely easier to navigate, and users can now choose to email the PDF instantly after its creation.

The conversion process from whatever document is on your screen to PDF is quick and efficient. Other features include a security feature, which allows the user to wrap the PDF in 40-bit or 128-bit encryption, PDF merging, and password protection. The user also can restrict editing of the new PDF, leaving comments and making other changes.

Learn more and download PrimoPDF here

SAY WHAT!?

Sound Like a Computer Wizard

Hang	A hang is a condition that sometimes occurs when computer programs conflict or do not run properly. The computer seems paralyzed. Clicking the mouse has no effect, regardless of where the arrow or cursor is placed. Sometimes a hang will resolve itself. If it doesn't, you will have to terminate the application or reboot the computer. Pressing CTRL, ALT, and DEL at the same time will usually allow you to exit the program in question.
Bluetooth	Bluetooth is a telecommunications industry specification that describes how mobile phones, computers, and personal digital assistants (PDAs) can be easily interconnected using a short-range wireless connection. Using this technology, users of cellular phones, pagers, and personal digital assistants can buy a three-in-one phone that can double as a portable phone at home or in the office, get quickly synchronized with information in a desktop or notebook computer, initiate the sending or receiving of a fax, initiate a print-out, and, in general, have all mobile and fixed computer devices be totally coordinated.
Defragment	Defragmentation is the process of locating the noncontiguous fragments of data into which a computer file may be divided as it is stored on a hard disk, and rearranging the fragments and restoring them into fewer fragments or into the whole file. Defragmentation reduces data access time and allows storage to be used more efficiently. "Defrag" is a short form of the verb to defragment and sometimes the name of the utility used for defragementing, which is also called a defragmenter.

HARDWARE HELPER

Top 5 LCD Monitors

ViewSonic VX2025wm

Though its dapper design makes it a smart choice for home use, the ViewSonic VX2025wm is also a great display for light graphic and design work. It's not nearly as adjustable as other displays, but what it lacks in flexibility it makes up for with excellent performance. And because it's been out for a while, it can be had for cheap.

Price: Sorry, pricing not available

Dell UltraSharp 2407WFP

Dell's 24-inch wide-screen LCD delivers excellent image quality and a ton of connectivity options, including video inputs and picture-in-picture settings. Add in a great price, and the Dell UltraSharp 2407WFP is the best value in its class.

Price: Sorry, pricing not available

Gateway FPD2275W

With a bright, vivid image, a rock-solid, sturdy base, and pretty much any video port you could want outside of HDMI, the Gateway FPD2275W is an outstanding, versatile 22-inch LCD.

Price: Sorry, pricing not available

Dell UltraSharp 2007WFP

Loads of features, lots of flexibility, and stellar image quality place Dell's wide-screen 20-inch UltraSharp 2007 among the top of its class. It's ultra-low price doesn't hurt either.

Price: $399.00 - $477.95

HP W2007

It's not chock full o' features, but the 20-inch HP w2007 keeps things simple by serving up attractive looks and a rock-solid image.

Price: $249.08 - $269.99

To read the full review at CNET, click here.

SOFTWARE SEARCH

Adobe Acrobat 7.0

With the file formatting in Adobe Acrobat 7.0 Professional, your carefully written, thoughtfully presented, and beautifully illustrated presentation will come across in a Portable Document Format (PDF) file just as you intended it, no matter who reads it on what platform. And although some other software utilities now allow you to save or convert PDF documents and even let you do basic PDF work, Adobe's Acrobat line of products remains the premier option, with the latest productivity enhancements.

Adobe Acrobat 7.0 Professional introduces a host of good new features. Adobe also claims that newly generated PDF files result in smaller file sizes than with previous versions of Acrobat, which is true, allowing you to e-mail or post larger documents than you could before.

Tight integration with Microsoft Office 2003 allows you to convert most Word, PowerPoint, and Excel files within the applications themselves to PDFs. Acrobat 7.0 can also make PDFs of captured Web pages.

Acrobat 7.0 Professional also gains security features, including custom password protection for PDF files; a thumbnail-based organizer; new commenting tools, such as virtual sticky notes; and the ability for users of the free Acrobat Reader 7.0 to review documents and add their own comments. Collected reader comments then appear in their own PDF document, which you can search and index later - handy for office collaboration on team projects.

CNET Rating: 7.6 Very Good

The Good	New security, collaboration, and organization features; Microsoft Office 2003 compatibility; Professional version allows Acrobat Reader users to annotate PDF documents.
The Bad	Expensive Standard version; telephone support might or might not be free.
The Bottom Line	Adobe Acrobat 7.0 Professional is a comprehensive application that's necessary for publishing documents that can be read on any platform.

Read the full CNET review

WEB WARY

Urban Legends

Urban legends, hoaxes, and misinformation abound on the internet and most of it finds its way into our email inboxes on a regular basis. We’ve gathered up some of the most recent legends for you. Remember to delete these kinds of messages whenever they come to your inbox. We’ve also included some information on real viruses for you to watch out for.

Gasoline Boycotts

Glade Plug-In Fires

Bride’s (or Groom’s) Revenge

Postcard Virus

Life is Beautiful Virus

Aspartame

Cell Phone Electrocution

Don’t Flash Your Headlights

Secret Shopper Scams

The Five-Second Rule

For many, many more stories, visit Snopes.

TIZZIE'S TIPS AND TRICKS

Add an Address to Safe Senders in Outlook

The junk mail filter built into Outlook is not perfect and a helping hand does not hurt its performance. One way to improve spam-filtering is to add known senders to the list of Safe Senders. Email from senders on the Safe Senders list will go directly to your Inbox all the time. You can also add a whole website to the Safe Senders list, which is useful if you receive several newsletters from one website.

Add to Safe Senders from an existing message:

Open the message from the sender to be added to the list.
Select Actions - Junk Email - Add Sender to Safe Sendors List.

Add to Safe Senders manually:

Select Actions - Junk Email - Junk Email Options from the menu in Outlook.
Go to the Safe Senders tab.
Click Add.
Type the email address or domain name you want in the whitelist.
Click OK.
Click OK again.

Send Tizzie YOUR Question!

Phone: (902) 830-9336
Email: learn@windowwalk.com
2375 Roosevelt Dr. Halifax, NS. B3L 3H8