Pamela’s Computer Help for Seniors Blog

  Review: by Gregory West
  prospector16 (at) gmail.com
  PC and Mac Instructor
  Tech Columnist
  http://gregorywest.wordpress.com
  Sarnia, Ontario, Canada

  Computer Tips for Seniors
  by Pamela Tabak
  Published by Computer Tutor Inc. 2009
  Cover Design by Linda Gonse
  Pages: 204
  USA: $24.95 plus shipping
  www.computertutorinc.net/order.htm

  All too often we find ourselves sinking in   the mystery sea called Windows. We   know what we would like to do but just     can’t figure out the “how”. The further we    click through our computers the worse our adventure becomes. We end up at a DEAD END, completely frustrated to the point of never wanting to turn the computer on ever again.

Several years ago Pamela Tabak, better known as “The Computer Tutor” started helping seniors with their computer issues. Pamela began offering a free 24/7 help desk. She would have people email her their computer problem and guaranteed to return an answer within 24 hours at no charge. Of course this took off quickly and became a huge success.

Born from this concept of an email help desk, Pamela developed a book comprising of some of the most popular, nagging, questions that were asked. In Pamela’s words she explains the book’s conviction as “easy answers to frequently asked questions”.

This book comes with easy to read and view coloured graphics depicting each step in the solutions process. There are three main sections: Knowledge Base, How To, and of course Answers to Frequently Asked Questions.

The “Knowledge Base” section deals with topics such as ergonomics, the health of both you and your computer. There is an interesting section on whether to “Recycle or Reuse Your Old Computer”; a section we all should read up on. The book does an excellent job of covering most other areas of computing topics including computer maintenance, Internet security, Flash Drives, Web Browsers, Ebay and Emailing.

As I went through this book finding things I already knew, I found myself wondering what type of answer would go with the question, and then finding out various things I had either forgotten or didn’t know existed. Going the extra mile, as Pamela does in this book, she has include several little “Tip” bits where you find yourself gathering even more quick and helpful information.

Whether you are a senior who is just starting out in the world of computing, or you have been around the block a few times with your hard drive; this book is a great read and a good reference book to keep nearby the desktop.

At last my new book is available. The cover has been professionally designed by Linda Gonse, graphic designer and my long time email friend. What a joy it is to hear positive comments from those who have received it!
I must admit that I was nervous after I mailed out the first few books and waited anxiously for feedback. When I realized that my first edition was a success I began writing the second edition. Thanks to the computer users who send me questions everyday, I will never be short of frequently asked questions for future editions; keep ‘em coming! Your questions and my answers will help to make computing easier for so many others.
Read more about my book. It will make a perfect gift for a computer users who has everything else.

You Asked and I Answered! Computer users who have been asking me computer related questions in past years have been urging me to compile all the questions, with my illustrated answers in book form. For sometime my daily project has been to collect all this data and now the book is almost ready.

The book is divided into subjects i.e. Microsoft Word, Micorosft Excel, Pictures, System Problems to name just a few. I believe that most frequently asked questions will be answered in this First Edition. As soon as the First Edition is ready the Second Edition will be started. As technology advances there are always new questions to ask so I will always have more information to give computer users world wide.

The biggest challenge that I have had, while writing the book, has been the index. I have tried to make the index “user friendly” so that even the beginner will be able to find the answer to their questions easily. I am thinking carefully about the phrases that computer users use when searching for answers to their problems and use these phrases to compile the index.

I am also including with the book a laminated “Bookmark Cheat Sheet” that can be kept near the computer for reference, showing everyday shortcuts. I use shortcuts for most of my computer work and want to share these with my readers to make their computing experience more fun and features easier to use.

Keep checking back for more information as I progress. Hopefully it will be ready soon.

Are you having a problem disposing of your old computer or laptop? Here is a solution that has worked really well for me and it will give you pleasure as well as help to save our environment.

Most of my readers know that I am not only dedicated to the computer education of seniors but dedicated to the preservation of our delicate planet. With the importance of recycling foremost in my mind I thought of an idea that would prevent the pollution that is emitted when computers and CRT monitors are stripped and burned on so called recycling facilities. Your old computer or laptop can become a feature in your home that will display all your treasured photos in a constant slideshow and give you and your family hours of pleasure.

If your old computer is really slow and full of unwanted data you will not mind cleaning it out and bringing your old computer back to the state it was on the day it was purchased. This can be done by using the Recovery Discs that came with your computer when it was purchased.

Once you have decided to purchase a new computer or laptop and get rid of your “old faithful” you will need to transfer all your treasured photos onto an external medium i.e.CD, DVD, Flash Drive or External Drive. You may also wish to save some of the important files and folders that you have created and you can transfer these to the same external medium to be ready when it’s time to transfer them to your new computer or laptop. Of course you may have already made a backup of these files and if so you are ready to begin.

Find all the software that came with your old unit when it was purchased. If you saved the “Recovery Discs” place the first CD in the CD tray of your old computer and turn the computer off. When you turn it on again the CD will prompt you to reformat your hard drive and bring it back to the state it was when it was purchased using the software contained on the Recovery Disc. The procedure is easy. You just need to follow the instructions as they appear on your screen.

Once your computer looks the same as it did when it was purchased it is time to load all your treasured photos into your “born again” computer. Connect the external medium where the photos are stored to your old computer and save them in your “My Pictures” folder in Windows XP or your “Pictures” folder in Windows Vista. This can be done by “dragging” them into the “Pictures” folder one by one or as a group. If you need more information on this procedure please contact me.

When you have transferred all the pictures it’s time to turn on the slideshow; you can add more pictures at anytime to bring your photo album up to date. There is plenty of room on your old computer now that it has been cleaned out. Right click in a space on your desktop; there will be a great deal of space now that your computer is “lean and clean.”

For WINDOWS XP: Click on PROPERTIES and then on SCREENSAVER. Set the SCREENSAVER to MY PICTURES SLIDESHOW and set the WAIT TIME to one minute.
For WINDOWS VISTA: click on PERSONALIZE then SCREENSAVER. Set the SCREENSAVER to PHOTOS and set the WAIT TIME to one minute.

Place your old computer or laptop on a table where the slideshow can be enjoyed by all and turn it on. After one minute the slideshow will begin. No need for an internet connection so it doesn’t even need security software. It’s just a very special PHOTO ALBUM that can be enjoyed 24 hours a day. You will be surprised how many photos you can load in place of all those files and folders that you deleted. It will also be a treasured memory for your family especially if you can add some of the photos of your ancestors and name and date the photos before loading. It will be just like a FAMILY TREE.

When you change your old computer into a PHOTO ALBUM you can feel very satisfied knowing that you not only have added an interesting and enjoyable feature to your home but you have also helped to preserve the health of our delicate planet and all its inhabitants.

From the numerous emails that I receive on a daily basis it is apparent that most computer problems are software related. Hardware rarely fails if computer maintenance and security is taken seriously. Computer problems can also be caused by the lack of organization.

In my opinion no one should ever have software related technical problems with their computer if Computer Maintenance (disk cleanup, error checking and defragmentation), Windows Updates, Spyware and Antivirus software are updated and run regularly.

To begin with; clearing the desktop of all icons except the “Recycle Bin” and clearing the “System Tray” of unnecessary icons can speed up the startup and performance of your computer. The icons that appear on your “System Tray” which is next to the clock in the bottom right hand corner of your screen are programs that are running in the background whilst you are working on your computer. The only programs that you need in this “tray” are your “security program icons” and notification icons i.e. sound icon, internet or wireless connection, etc. Others like Real Player – QuickTime – Picasa and other photo or office programs do not need to be running constantly. If you remove them from the “System Tray” and need to use them you can easily access them from the Program List, Start Menu or Quick Launch bar depending where you have placed them.

Keep your frequently used programs on the “Start Menu” by “pinning” them from the Program List and put the MOST frequently used programs on your “Quick Launch Bar.”

Documents kept in your “My Documents” folder (Windows XP) or “Documents” folder (Windows Vista) and pictures stored in your “My Pictures” folder (Windows XP) or “Pictures” folder (Windows Vista) will be quickly accessible. The folder that you are working on can be placed on the desktop temporarily until your work is completed and then filed away in the appropriate folder as described above.

“Lean and Clean” is my motto and “less certainly is better” when it comes to computer software. Install ONLY the programs that you need and do not duplicate i.e. have more than one photo editing program and stay away from free programs unless you are going to use them.

It’s very tempting to download programs if they are FREE but many of these programs come down from the internet with ‘Spyware” attached to them so it is very important to run your Anti-Spy program every day that you surf the internet. Spy files can steal your identity and compromise your security so be diligent and make sure that you not only have the “Anti-Spy” software but you update and run it regularly.

Don’t wait until a catastrophe occurs! If you have used the above suggestions to arrange your folders, copy your “Documents” and “Pictures” folders onto a “Flash Drive” or another external medium regularly to backup and keep these files safe. If you would like to have a complete backup of your entire hard drive an external hard drive can be purchased and used for this purpose. Remember to detach the external hard drive from the computer and from the power supply after each backup to ensure its safety should a power surge or crash occur. Make sure that you use a powerful Surge Protector to connect all your computer peripherals and it’s a good idea to disconnect it from the power source when you leave for holidays or long periods of time or if there is a pending weather alert.

These simple procedures will ensure that your files and folders are easily found and your computer, regardless of its age, is running as fast as it was the day it was purchased.

If you would like a free detailed tutorial on any of the above procedures please do not hesitate to contact me and I will answer within 24 hours; weather permitting.

Request your free tutorial at: http://tinyurl.com/ask-pamela or http://computertutorinc.net/survey/questions_2008.htm

I look forward to hearing from you.

Most of us receive many emails each day and it can be quite a chore to sort through them if you have not organized your folders in your “inbox.” Organizing the folders and making “rules” to direct the incoming emails into the folders will solve many of your problems and save you a great deal of time.

The “inbox” in Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express or Windows Mail has the capability of holding many folders that will help you organize incoming and outgoing mail. You can also add folders to Web Mail in a similar manner.

Adding folders is a simple task and can be done as follows in Microsoft Outlook:
• Click on the down arrow next to NEW and select FOLDER in Outlook or FILE, NEW, FOLDER in Windows Mail.
• Make sure that you click on the INBOX to highlight it and then type the name of the new folder in the supplied box . For my purposes I would name one of my folders “QUESTIONS” and then I would make a RULE so that every email that is sent to me through the QUESTION LINK on my website ASK COMPUTER TUTOR will arrive in my QUESTION FOLDER. Right away the folder will be highlighted and I will know that a question from an anxious computer user is waiting for a reply.

To make sure that your selected emails arrive in the correct folders you will need to make RULES.
• Click on TOOLS.
• Click on RULES and ALERTS in Outlook or MESSAGE RULES in Windows Mail.
• Select NEW RULE
• Then select the options that you require when your message arrives.
• Type the name of the folder you have made to receive the email message.
• Choose more options if required, then click OK.

You can make as many folders as you need for friends, family, business associates, clubs, committees making the emails easy to locate as soon as they arrive.

Find easy ways to operate your computer and make computing a pleasure instead of a chore.

It never ceases to amaze me when younger people look at me with surprise when I tell them that I am a Computer Tutor, Technician and Webmaster. They seem to think that because I am a senior and female I could not possibly be part of the “technology age.”

Certainly there were no computers available to me when I was growing up but when they became available I was eager to explore all the possibilities. I then found out that other seniors were starting to use computers but they were not as “technical” or “mechanical” as I and needed help to get started.

Unfortunately their children or grandchildren did not have the time or patience to help them along so they struggled along getting more frustrated every day or giving up altogether. The youth of today does not realize that the computer is a “window to the world” for their parents and grandparents and especially for those who are housebound. If only they realized what a special gift they would be giving if they took the time to show them a few simple tasks like sending emails, receiving and storing pictures, surfing the internet and being able to order their flight tickets online, to name just a few.

Seniors are gathering together in weekly or monthly computer clubs to share experiences and socialize with others who share a common interest. What a great life seniors who use computers, have to look forward to.

Teaching seniors is the most rewarding moment of my day and seniors are learning fast because they are eager to keep in touch with their friends and family through email, video internet phone and instant messaging. Seniors have a new lease on life when they look forward to opening their email each day and I have noticed a great improvement in their memory as well.

Instead of the grandchildren saying “why don’t you know how to do that?” they will be saying “Hey Grandpa, where did you learn to do that?”

When the grandchildren leave and the house seems empty you go to your computer to write them a message. To your dismay the computer will not “boot-up” and if it does the whole appearance of your desktop has changed! “What could have happened?” you ask. The answer is obvious; your grandchildren have been having fun on your computer and have changed not only the appearance of your desktop but many of the settings in your programs. They may have even downloaded games and music which often come along with “spyware” which has slowed down the system.

My advice would be to be a Computer-Wise Grandparent and protect your computer before problems occur. Here are a few simple steps that you can take:
• Create a “Guest Account” with limited access so that no important changes can be made and no programs can be installed or downloaded. (VISTA: Start > Control Panel > User Accounts > Manager another account > Create a new account) (Windows XP: Start > Control Panel > User Accounts > Create a new account)
• Place a “Password” on your account and do not give it to anyone. You may even decide to change the password from time to time to make doubly sure that no one has access to your files. (Start > Control Panel > User Accounts > Change your password)
• Make a “Restore Point” the day before your visitors are expected and return to that “Restore Point” after they leave. This really clears out a great deal of unwanted “matter” from your computer. (Start > All programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Restore > Create a restore point.)
• Place a password on your important “Office” program files i.e. EXCEL or WORD and make sure that they are not displayed in “Shared Folders.” (With your “Office” document open click on Tools > Options > Click on the Security Tab > Add a password.) Now your personal files cannot be access or changed.

Making the above adjustments to your computer before your visitors arrive will ensure that you will be able to bring your computer back to “normal” after your visitors leave and none of your important files or folders will have been changed.

Since most people own a laptop it may be a good idea to ask them to bring it along with them. Nevertheless I would suggest making the security changes above in case they decide to use your computer instead.
If you have additional solutions to this problem I would love to hear from you.
If you have a computer problem that you cannot solve please visit me at:
http://tinyurl.com/ask-pamela and more often than not my answer will arrive within 24 hours.

My aim is to help seniors to understand and enjoy using their computers with the aid of this blog and my FREE Question and Answer service at ASK COMPUTER TUTOR. Visit this site to ask your question and more often than not you will receive my answer within 24 hours. I look forward to hearing from you.