Pamela's Computer Help for Seniors Blog

Monthly Publication from Computer Tutor Inc.
Volume 2. Issue 2.
November 2010
Each month this publication will contain computer related information that will assist readers with their computer problems and inform them of features and products of interest.
Please view the November issue on my website HERE.

Monthly Publication from Computer Tutor Inc.
Volume 2. Issue 1.
October 2010
Each month this publication will contain computer related information that will assist readers with their computer problems and inform them of features and products of interest.
If you wish to view this issue on my website please click HERE.

Welcome to the First Issue of the Second Volume of Pamela’s Monthly Review. The First Volume ran for four years and then the publication was put on hold while I was writing the First Edition of my new book Computer Tips for Seniors. Now that it has been published I decided to continue with my tips and information on computer related products and services through this newsletter.

In the coming months I will also be featuring products that I have reviewed and tested for ease of use and reliability. If the manufacturer has a promo code it will be available through my website. Only products that I have tried and tested will be featured in this publication.

Through my FREE Question and Answer Service you will be able to ask questions about the products and any features that you would like explained. My answer will reach you within 24 hours if not at once. This may be faster than writing to the manufacturer or going online for additional information.

Don’t forget to listen to my Live Radio Talk Show every fourth Tuesday of the month. If you miss the live shows you can listen to them through Windows Media Player by clicking on the links.

EASY FIX: Do you have a computer printer in your northern residence and one in Florida? Do you have a problem accessing the correct printer when you change locations? If you do, follow the steps below to make the task easier:

Write the following instructions on a document and keep it in an easily accessible place on your computer.
1. Write the name of the printer that you use in your northern residence.
2. Write the name of the printer that you use in your Florida residence.
3. When you change locations you will need to make the correct printer the “DEFAULT PRINTER”
4. To change the “Default Printer” Click on START in Windows XP or on the “Vista Orb” in Windows Vista.
5. If you do not see “Printers and Faxes” on the Start Menu, click on the “CONTROL PANEL.”
6. Click on PRINTERS and FAXES.
7. Choose the printer that you will be using and click on the option to “Make this the Default Printer.”
8. Repeat this action each time you change locations or wish to use a different printer.

Fast and Easy: Use the “Copy and Paste” feature to complete the tasks on your computer in the least amount of time. You will find that it is one of the most useful features and if you are not familiar with these tasks please contact me and I will send you a FREE tutorial.

EASY FIX:  Having trouble deleting the second page of a Word Document when it is blank? The solution is simple; place your marker after the “period” at the end of the last sentence on page one of your document. Keep hitting the DELETE key until the second blank page disappears. Job Done!

TIP OF THE MONTH: If you suspect that a WORD document is corrupt and you can still open the document, the steps below may be tried as a first attempt to recover the document:

1. Open the corrupt document.
2. Create a brand new document.
3. Return to the corrupt document.
4. Press Ctrl+A. This selects the entire document.
5. Press Ctrl+C. This copies the selected portion of the document to the invisible Clipboard.
6. Return to the new document; the one you created in step 2.
7. Press Ctrl+V. The contents of the invisible Clipboard are pasted into the blank document.
8. Save the new document.
9. Close the document you suspect is corrupted.

If you are using Word 2003 or Word 2007 there is something else you can try:

When you open a document, you’ll normally find an Open dialog box. Use the controls in the dialog box to locate the file you think is corrupted, then click the down arrow at the right of the Open button. In the resulting options, choose Open and Repair.

SEASONS PHOTO ALBUM: 
Have you ever wondered how EACH SEASONS flowers and foliage look in other parts of the world? Here is your chance to share photos of the changing seasons in your area with others. Each season I will be adding your photos to the online SLIDESHOW for other readers to enjoy. FALL or AUTUMN is this month’s theme and I am looking forward to receiving your BEST photos of AUTUMN in your area. I think that the FALL colours display the most wondrous sites but the months pass quickly SO GO OUT WITH YOUR CAMERA TODAY!  Visit the SEASONS PHOTO ALBUM to see how your photos will be displayed along with others that have been submitted. Please take your pictures in the highest resolution and make them at least 3.5 inches square before sending them to me.

NEED HELP to learn a computer program or fix a problem with your computer? I can help you RIGHT AWAY with my FAST RESPONSE SERVICE for all computer users WORLDWIDE. I provide FREE connection SOFTWARE and a DETAILED TUTORIAL to enable me to access your computer while you watch me fixing the problem or explaining features of a program. It’s just like me being next to you in your home or office chatting about the procedures and/or problems.

To begin this EASY and CONVENIENT service please go to Remote Assistance and follow the steps to get connected. You get 30 Minutes FREE Just For Signing Up! I look forward to hearing from you.

Every day I receive questions from computer users who email me from all parts of the world. Many of them are published monthly in PC User Group Magazines listed below. I have a convenient online form HERE that you may fill out and submit with your question. The answer to your question usually arrives within 24 hours unless there is a power cut! This is a FREE service that I offer to all computer users around the world.

Every month my answers to frequently asked questions are published in the Newsletters listed below. These articles always have up-to-date information to help with your every day computer problems.

Orange County – IBM – PC Users’ Group Newsletter – California – U.S.A.
Canadian Snowbirds Association Quarterly Publication – CANADA
Sarnia Computer Users’ Group – Newsletter – Sarnia – CANADA
Hilton Head Island Computer Club – S. Carolina – U.S.A.
Free Q & A for Canadian CARP Members – CANADA
Front Range PC Users Group – Colorado – U.S.A.
ICON Users Group – Springfield – U.S.A.

Information and Government Sites
for
Seniors Living in the United States and CanadaThe Information is ALWAYS Up-to-Date

REMINDERS...

EMAIL ADDRESS CHANGE: If you change your email address please remember to inform me so that you will continue to receive important computer related notices. Click
HERE to send me your NEW email address.

ADD MY EMAIL ADDRESS TO YOUR BOOK: To ensure delivery of answers to your questions “add my email address to your address book” and place it in your “Safe Senders” list otherwise they may end up in your “Bulk File” or “Spam File” and you will miss valuable information.

QUESTIONS:
Please send all questions via this webpage to receive answers within 24 hours.

WORLD-WIDE IN-HOME HELP AND TUTORING: Request in-home help to fix your computer or learn a program via REMOTE ASSISTANCE the NEW and EASY way to receive HELP WITHIN MINUTES WHEN YOU NEED IT!

Standing Room Only!
At our Dec. 9th meeting we were once again witness to the reason that some presenters are unique and deserving of all the praise that can be heaped upon them

Pamela Tabak is the Presenter that I am talking about. Having her as a speaker means that you don’t have to worry about her being prepared or that her presentation will not be well received . No matter what the subject matter is, you know that she has done her homework and that all our members will thoroughly enjoy what she puts before them.

We go back a long time with Pamela. She has been educating and bringing enjoyment to our members with presentations at least once a year since 2004. Her topic this time was “Tips and Tricks”, and we all became privy to some bit of information that was new to us. In addition, all our members are always eager to ask her questions related to problems with their computers. She did not disappoint them with her answers. Pamela relates to seniors in a very remarkable way. In this connection, she is the author of a widely read book entitled “Computer Tips for Seniors” – “How to become a computer wise Grandparent”

With any luck, we will have her back next year.

Lou Strumlauf – President – Huntington Lakes Computer Club – Delray Beach – Florida

  Review: by Gregory West
  prospector16 (at) gmail.com
  PC and Mac Instructor
  Tech Columnist
  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   
Click HERE for more info.

  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 New Book.

It will make a perfect gift for computer users who have everything else.

You Asked and I Listened! 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 into 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 a new computer user 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 and faster to access.

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 also 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 HERE

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?”