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Ask Bob Rankin search results: editor
Windows Password Reset
"I changed my Windows login password yesterday, and now I can't remember it! Is there any way to reset the windows password, so I can regain access to my computer?"...
What is Data Execution Prevention?
"I keep getting an error that says 'Data Execution Prevention - To help protect your computer, Windows has closed this program.' What is Data Execution Prevention, and why is it suddenly blocking programs that I've been using for years?"...
Geekly Update September 21
Here's your Geekly Update for the week of September 21st, presented in small bytes. Get the scoop on gadgets & hardware, security patches, browser news, social networking, web tech and search engines. Read on......
Partition Managers
Partitioning your hard drive is like putting up a digital fence, splitting your hard drive into distinct sections, each for a specific purpose. It allows you to install multiple operating systems, or just keep different types of data in their...
Social Networking Backup
"A huge chunk of my life social life is stored on Facebook and Twitter. What would happen if I could no longer access that information? Is there a way to backup my social network postings?"...
Geekly Update - June 29
Here's your Geekly Update for the week of June 29th, presented in small bytes. Get the scoop on gadgets & hardware, security patches, browser news, social networking, web tech and search engines. Read on......
Alternatives to Adobe Reader
"I have to deal with a lot of PDFs, and Adobe Reader just takes too long to open. Are there any good, free alternatives for PDF viewing?"...
Portable Apps
Did you know that you can load up a flash drive with your favorite programs and run them on any computer, without installing, directly from the portable drive? Here's the scoop on portable apps......
Parental Control Software
"I have pre-teen children who are just starting to get interested in the Web. What parental control software do you recommend?"...
USB Turntables
"I want to buy a USB turntable to convert some vinyl record albums to MP3 format. Are there any specific turntables you can recommend?"...
Free Fax Software
"I want to send a fax, but I don't have a fax machine. Can I use fax software on my computer to send or receive a fax? If so, what free fax software is available for Windows? I have a...
What is Scribd?
Scribd is a type of a social networking website that allows you to publish all kinds of documents and images to the web. It's great for people who have something to share with the world but don't have a website,...
Online Photo Editing
"What do you recommend for quick photo editing when you're away from your own computer and you don't have PhotoShop or something similar available?"...
My Favorite Software
In the course of doing my job, I use certain programs on a regular basis. On any given day, I might be doing word processing, web design, programming, image editing, trouble shooting, and of course email and web surfing. Here...
Do I Need a Registry Cleaner?
"My computer seems to get slower and slower. A friend told me I need a registry cleaner. Will that really help? If so, where can I get a good free registry cleaner to do the job?"...
Content Management Systems
If you maintain a website, a content management system (CMS) can make it easier to add or update information, whether it has 10 pages or 10,000 pages. Read on to learn what a content management system can do for you,...
Build a Hackintosh
What’s a Hackintosh? Some call it the Frankenstein of the computer world. In short, it means installing and running Mac OS X Leopard on an Intel-based PC built with off-the-shelf parts. Since Apple started creating OS X to run on...
Automatic Digital Cameras
Are you a camera klutz? Don't know the difference between an f-stop and a fill flash? Then today's new automated digital cameras are just perfect for you. Just point and click, they do the rest. Here are my picks for...
Free Clip Art
"I'm a volunteer who creates lots of newsletters and presentations. Where can I find free clip art, stock photos and drawing tools to spice up my work?"...
Get Your Tech Fix
"There's so much happening with computers and technology. How do you keep up with all the latest cool stuff without getting information overload?"...
Share A Printer Online
"Is it possible to print over the Internet? Sometimes I'm working at home and would like to print directly to my office printer. Both computers are online, so it seems like it should be possible to print over the Internet....
Science Fiction Sites
It’s sometimes difficult these days to differentiate between science fiction and fact, because the two worlds often borrow ideas from each other. If you've ever read Alfred Bester's classic 1956 sci-fi thriller "The Stars My Destination", or Ray Bradbury's space...
Baby Care
The excitement and joy of new life is often met with a little anxiety. Here are some of the best parenting resources on the web today, providing you with confidence, support and information you need to make the best choices...
Photo Editing Software
"I take a lot of pictures with my digital camera, but the photo editing software that came with the camera is pretty lame. I looked into Adobe Photoshop but WOW it's expensive! Are there some good photo editors that are...
Hiding Profile Items
"On a Myspace profile, how do I hide the location and last login? I've seen other pages like this and it seems like a good idea for extra privacy on Myspace."...
Tricking Out Firefox
Firefox is an open source web browser that is rapidly gaining in popularity - approaching 100 million users worldwide and grabbing 15 percent of the browser market from Internet Explorer. A casual user might not even notice the difference between...
Online Shopping
Have you experienced the frustration of making a purchase, only to find that very same item offered somewhere else at a lower price? Smart shoppers can eliminate this problem by using online comparison shopping tools and coupon finders before the...
Convert WMA to MP3
"I have lots of music in WMA (Windows Media Audio) format but I want to convert it to MP3 for my iPod. How can I convert WMA to MP3?"...
Converting Vinyl Records to CD
For seasoned audio purists, nothing compares to good old-fashioned analog recordings on vinyl records. But those old records are fragile... here's an illustrated step-by-step guide to help you convert vinyl to CD so you can enjoy them for years to...
Hide Myspace Friends?
"I added some code for hiding my friends list on Myspace, but my ex-friend somehow got the whole list and sent it to me as proof. How did she do this? Isn't that a security problem on Myspace?"...
Cell Phones Cause Cancer?
Are you concerned about the risk of getting cancer from long-term cell phone usage? Finally, some scientific studies assessing the link between cell phones and cancer have been conducted. The results are in, and I for one was surprised......
Start Menu Missing Items
"All of a sudden, the Run and Search options are missing from the Windows XP Start Menu. What caused this, and how can I get them back?"...
Stock Investing
If you're a stock market investor, there lots of great resources on the Net that will help you keep tabs on your stock portfolio, keep up with the latest market news, do company research, and even do your trading online....
CDROM Icon Missing
"When I go to My Computer the CDROM and DVD icons are gone. They were there yesterday, and working fine. It seems like this happened after I removed some CD burner software. Now I can't install anything from a CDROM,...
Take A Screenshot
"I want to take a screenshot of my screen and save it in a graphics file, so I can email it to a friend. Do I need to purchase or download special software to do this?"...
Blocking Myspace
"My daughter is 12 years old and I just found out she has a Myspace account with some stuff that's not appropriate. The account was deleted, but I want to make sure she has no access to Myspace in the...
Eat Your Cookies
I often get mail from people who misunderstand or fear browser cookies, so I've written a a guide that tells you everything need to know about these tasty little critters. Read on for a closer look at the good, the...
The Best Free Software
"I see lots of freeware and shareware available on the Web, but I'm never sure if it's safe to download them. Are there good alternatives to the expensive shrink-wrapped software packages for sale in stores?"...
Internet Innovators: Dave Taylor
Back in 1995-96 I worked for BoardWatch Magazine, covering the world of Bulletin Board Systems and the fledgling Internet. One of my favorite parts of that job was interviewing prominent netizens of the day. Some may boast about being self-made...
Saving Word Files as HTML
"When I use the 'Save As' feature in Microsoft Word to save a document as a web page, the resulting HTML is a bloated mess. Is all that formatting stuff really needed? If not, is there a way to get...
MS Fax doesn't work with XP SP2
"I used the MS fax program in Windows XP for sending faxes on my telephone line. After installing SP2 updates, the program doesn't work. The fax console reports All fax printers are inaccessible and I also get a Microsoft Shared...
Scandisk doesn't work on Windows XP?
A reader asks "I had the SCANDISK program in Windows 98. Now I'm running Windows XP and I can't find ScanDisk. Is it under another name?" The short answer is YES......
Help with Basic Linux Commands
New to linux? A reader today said "I need to know some of the basic commands for a linux server that I accquired." Turns out I wrote the book on Linux. Well, one of them anyway......
Search Tips
For best results, use just ONE or TWO keywords. This search engine looks for all words in any order. To search for an exact phrase, enclose the phrase in quotes. You may also use AND, OR, and NOT keywords to specify boolean expressions. For example:
"format drive"
spyware OR virus
phone NOT cell