Here are notes, Web links, and videos from our meetings:
Subject/Title
Meeting & Date
Submitted by
Background Checks On the Internet
The Internet has massive amounts information for doing background checks on people.
Most "background check" Web sites try to trick you into getting forever month-to-month paid subcription to their various services.
Our advice for doing accurate, informative background checks without getting ripped off
is located at
http://aztcs.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/background-checks/background-checks.pdf
BUG AND WORK-AROUND FOR HAUPPAUGE'S "WINTV 8.5":
Hauppauge's "WinTV 8.5" program is the only current "Windows.." desktop application for receiving ATSC Over-The-Air television in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
When a television station changes Radio-Frequency channels, it must be done by all television sets and television software on or after the television station's "Rescan Day".
If you run a "Rescan" from inside "WinTV 8.5" on or after a television station's "Rescan Day", it will fail to find the new RF channel that is associated with the "virtual channel" that your television set or television software displays. The workaround for this bug is:
Close all windows that are associated with "WinTV 8.5" by clicking on their "x" buttons in their upper-right corners><br />: For Windows XP, Vista, 7, and 10:
With the WinTV application closed, click on Start -> All Programs -> Hauppauge WinTV -> Advanced Options and select Empty Channel Database. This will clear your current channel database and bring up the Device Setup Wizard window so you can rescan for channels.
For Windows 8/8.1:
With the WinTV application closed, locate the WinTV Advanced Options icon on your desktop and double click it. From this window double click the Empty Channel Database icon. This will clear your current channel database and bring up the Device Setup Wizard window so you can rescan for channels.
(Source:
https://www.facebook.com/hauppaugecomputerworks/posts/wintv-wednesdaya-very-popular-question-we-get-in-our-tech-support-department-is-/1122008894492821/)
Window 10 / Hardware SIG Meeting
of the
Tucson
Computer
Society
on
04-03-2019
and
Meeting
of the WINdows usERS Computer User Group
of
Costa Mesa,
California
on
03-20-2019
The "End User License Agreement" of "Windows XP Mode" permits the owner of a legitimate copy of Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, or Ultimate to download and install a single copy of "Windows XP Mode" without having to activate the single copy of "Windows XP Mode".
USING "VMWARE WORKSTATION PLAYER" TO RUN A FREE, TIME-LIMITED COPY OF "WINDOWS 10.." IN A "VIRTUAL MACHINE" INSIDE THE FREE "VMWARE WORKSTATION PLAYER" PROGRAM INSIDE A REAL "WINDOWS.." COMPUTER:
If you use a purchased "Windows 10 product key", you get a "Product Key" activation.
If you use a Windows 7 or 8 or 8.1 product key, you get a "Digital License".
Both methods of activation store the UUID of your computer's motherboard up in Microsoft's activation servers.
If you link your Microsoft Account to your Windows account, you get the ability to use the "Activation Troubleshooter" in "Windows 10" to activate after changing out your computer's motherboard.
However, you then have to log into "Windows 10" with your "Microsoft Account".
If you go back to logging into "Windows 10" with a "Local Account", you lose your ability to use the "Windows 10 Activation Troubleshooter" to change your computer's motherboard.
If you activate "Windows 10" with a purchased "Windows 10 Product Key" and then you replace the hard drive but keep the same motherboard, you can do a "fresh re-install" with an Installation Media DVD or an Installation Media USB thumb drive. During the "fresh install" process, you can either "Skip activation" or enter in your purchased "Windows 10 Product Key". If you enter in your "Windows 10 Product Key", your "fresh install" will have a "Product Key" license. If you "Skip activation", your "fresh re-install" will have a "Digital License".
The activation process for "Windows 10..", is different for the "Product Key Channel" that a specific copy of "Windows 10.." is sold from.
For the end-user of a "Windows 10.." computer, their are three possible "Product Key Channels": Retail channel, OEM_DM channel (= "Original Equipment Manufacturer_Direct to Manufacturer")
and OEM_COA_NSLP channel (="Original Equipment Manufacturer_Certificate of Authenticity_Non-System Locked Pre-installation"= "OEM System Builder")
For details on how each one of these "channels" result in an activated "instance" of "Windows 10",
see http://aztcs.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/win10/activation/win10-channels.pdf
where we explain that the 25-character "Activation Keys" that are stored in the Registry in "Windows 10.." are of no actual use to the user of a "Windows 10.." computer.
For organizations that buy lots of copies of "Windows..", there are two volume licensing channels: "Volume_MAK" channel (= "Multiple Activation Key")
and "Volume_KMS" channel (="Key Management Services")
Window 10 / Hardware SIG Meeting
of the
Tucson
Computer
Society
on
04-03-2019
and
Meeting
of the WINdows usERS Computer User Group
of
Costa Mesa
California
on
03-20-2019
Meeting
of the WINdows usERS Computer User Group
of
Costa Mesa,
California, U.S.A
on
02-20-2019
and
Window 10 / Hardware SIG Meeting
of the
Tucson
Computer
Society
on
02-06-2019
Meeting
of the WINdows usERS Computer User Group
of
Costa Mesa,
California, U.S.A
on
01-23-2019
and
Window 10 / Hardware SIG Meeting
of the
Tucson
Computer
Society
on
02-06-2019
Francis Chao
Image Backups of Hard Drives in "Windows.." Computers
The Truth About Microsoft's Bundled "System Image Backup"
Microsoft's bundled "System Image Backup" works wonderfully well for "Windows 7.." but it is horrible for Windows 10.." and "..8..".
Drive image backups and restores using third party software also has a high rate of failure
so here are some alternative strategies
for dealing with these unfortunate <profanity deleted> annoyances: http://aztcs.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/software/utils/image-backup/System-Image-Backup-deprecated.pdf
You can use the free "Macrium Reflect Free" program to make "hard drive backup images" which can then be used at a future time to do "bare metal restores" of the internal hard hard drive of a Windows.. computer
Our step-by-step instructions
are available at
http://aztcs.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/software/utils/MacriumReflectFree.pdf
Window 10 / Hardware SIG Meeting
of the
Tucson
Computer
Society
on
02-06-2019
Meeting
of the WINdows usERS Computer User Group
of
Costa Mesa,
California, U.S.A
on
01-23-2019
and
Window 10 / Hardware SIG Meeting
of the
Tucson
Computer
Society
on
02-06-2019
The "version 1809""Feature Upgrade" for "Windows 10.." has "broken" the capability for Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education for using the bundled "Windows To Applet" to make non-certified bootable "Windows To Go" USB flash drives, USB SSDs, and USB hard drives
We tested many third-party software utilities and discovered that only Hasleo's "WinToUSB Professional" can now make non-certified "Window To Go" devices that let you boot up non-destructively from inside Windows 10 Home, Pro, Enterprise, or Education.
For details about how to perform this wizardry, please see http://aztcs.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/software/utils/WinToUSB/WinToUSB.pdf
Meeting
of the WINdows usERS Computer User Group
of
Costa Mesa,
California, U.S.A
on
01-23-2019
and
Window 10 / Hardware SIG Meeting
of the
Tucson
Computer
Society
on
02-06-2019
There are lots of free and not-free utility software programs that you can use to prevent and resolve problems that might develop with a Windows.. computer.
The "uninstaller" wizards that are bundled with most "Desktop apps" (that "Programs and Features" in the Control Panel utilizes to remove software) leave all sorts of junk in both your Registry of "Windows.." and on your C: hard drive.
When you are upgrading or installing software programs, the software companies often attempt to surrepticiously sneak unwanted additional software programs and non-optimal settings into your "Windows.." computer. You should "just say no" to these "ride along" changes to your computer, as shown
in http://aztcs.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/uninstaller/avoiding-unwanted-software.pdf
Our how-to advice on Using "Windows To Go" To Make an External Hard Drive to Non-Destructively Boot Up An Existing Intel or AMD-based Windows or Linux Computer
is available at
http://aztcs.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/external-parts/Windows-To-Go.pdf
This capability has been available in Mac OS X and Linux computers for many years but it sort of arrived with the free "Windows 8.1 Enterprise Evaluation" and continued to be sort of available in the free "Windows 10 Enterprise Evaluation".
Meeting
of the WINdows usERS Computer User Group
of
Costa Mesa,
California, USA
on
11-28-2018
and
04-29-2017
and
08-27-2016
and
Windows 10 / Hardware SIG meeting
of the Tucson Computer Society
on 12-05-2018
General Meeting
of the
Tucson
Computer
Society
on
11-19-2018
Francis Chao
USING "VMWARE WORKSTATION PLAYER" TO RUN A FREE, TIME-LIMITED COPY OF "WINDOWS 10.." IN A "VIRTUAL MACHINE" INSIDE THE FREE "VMWARE WORKSTATION PLAYER" PROGRAM INSIDE A REAL "WINDOWS.." COMPUTER:
The better "USB 3.x" hard drive enclosures that have cooling fans and more reliable printed circuit boards are:
Model "5G" that is made by Thermaltake and model "HX" that is made by Vantec.
Unfortunately both models have been discontinued by their respective manufacturers.
The remaining models of "USB 3.X" hard drive enclosure that do have fans are not as reliable, based on our testing.
The models of "USB 3.x" hard drive enclosures that do not have fans make the hard drives that you install into them run hotter and shorten the life spans of your hard drives.
All of the "consumer" models of hard drives that are sold as "external hard drives" also have a poor track record for reliability.
We have discovered that you can build a much more reliable "external hard drive" by buying and the assembling the following parts, which are sold separately.
If you "home brew" your own external hard drives, you will also save money relative to the cost of buying either an external hard drive enclosure or buying an external hard drive.
Here are the parts that you need to buy:
An internal SATA hard drive,
a fan assembly that bolts onto the internal SATA hard drive,
and
a SATA-to-USB 3.x adapter.
Our how-to instructions for "growing your own" external hard drives or external hard drive enclosures
can be found at
http://aztcs.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/harddrives/external/external-hard-drives.pdf
When they break, most external USB hard drives can be repaired or recovered from if you follow the brilliant technical advice
at https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-6121
If you purchase or build an external USB or SATA or eSATA hard drive:
you can use the same external USB hard drive in three ways at the same time: First, you can use free software to make the external hard drive into a bootable clone of your existing internet C: hard drive and
Secondly, you can use free software to store "backup drive images" on the external hard drive
and
Thirdly, you can use the external USB hard drive to store important data files in their regular format
USB 3 extension cables work fine for extending USB 2 devices such as USB keyboards, USB mice, USB Webcams, USB 2 flash drives, USB 2 external hard drives, and USB 2 external hard drive enclosures with a standardized total cable length of 5 meters written into the USB 2 standards and a standardized total cable length of 3 meters (9.8 feet) that was originally written into the USB 2 standards.
However, for USB 3 external hard drives, USB 3 external hard drive enclosures, and other USB 3 devices, you will have to determine if a specific USB 3 devices works with a specific total length of USB 3 cable and a specific USB 3 port on your computer or USB 3 hub.
To do so, you can use the free "USBTreeView" program to view the stablity and signalling rate of a specific USB 3 external hard drive or a specific USB 3 hard drive enclosure.
To download "USBTreeView", go to the bottom of the Web page at
"USBTreeView" is especially useful for detecting problems with USB 3 ports and USB 3 devices:
When you have a USB 3 device attached to a USB 3 port and the port type changes from "3.0" to "2.0" or a USB 3 device disappears from view entirely, a failure of the attached USB 3 devices, or the connecting USB 3 cable or the USB 3 port is imminent. You can determined which of these three items is about to fail by substituting with a "known good" USB 3 port, a "known good" (or shorter) USB 3 cable, or a "known good" USB 3 device.
Measuring Wi-Fi Coverage and Speeds in Your Local Network:
To download and install the free "NetSpot Free Edition" for a "Windows" or "MacOS" computer,
use a Web browser to go to http://www.netspotapp.com/netspotpro.html Then scroll or page-down to get to the free edition of "Netspot..s".
To download and install the free "Acrylic WiFi Home" analysis program for a "Windows.." computer,
use a Web browser to go to https://www.acrylicwifi.com/descargas-versiones-gratuitas-programas-software-herramientas-wifi/descargar-escaner-wifi-gratis-para-windows/
The "Tarlogic" company is located in Spain.
If and when your Web browser displays a "Translate" button, click on it to convert the Spanish text in the Web page into English.
If this does not happen, click on "EN" in the upper-right corner to convert the page content to English.
Scroll or page down.
Then click on the "Try it for free" button.
To get a more complete picture of your Wi-Fi environment in a "Windows.." computer, you can use both the free "Acrylic WiFi Home" program AND the free "Netspot" program. However, do not use both programs at the same time.
See http://aztcs.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/networks/Wi-Fi/Wi-Fi-advice.pdf
Using the free "Speedtest.net" apps or Website to measure Internet Speeds
To Remediate Bottlenecks In Your Local Network:
Your broadband Internet download and upload speeds will usually be much slower than the speeds at which the network devices on your local network run at.
However, many home and business networks have old, tired network components that bottleneck your actual Internet speeds below what the Internet provider is providing at the broadband modem which as as the Itnet "point of entry" .
To prevent the components of your local network (routers, switches, powerline links, etc.) from bottlenecking the Internet bandwidth that your Internet Service Provider (ISP) provides you,
measure the Internet bandwidth speeds and the local area network speeds at various locations in your Local Area Network (LAN)
as described in http://aztcs.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/networks/bottlenecks/bottlenecks.pdf
Getting into the UEFI configuration screens in "Windows 10":
Two ways to get into the UEFI configuration screens in "Windows 10":
METHOD ONE:
Use the computer manufacturer's proprietary key sequence during the power up of the computer.
METHOD TWO:
Use the buttons inside the "Settings" function inside "Windows 10.." as follows:
Use the left mouse button to click on the "Start button".
The "Start Menu" will show up.
Click on the "Settings" icon. (It looks like a gear wheel.)
Click on "Update & Security".
Click on "Recovery".
Click on "Advanced startup".
Click on the "Restart now" button.
Click on "Troubleshoot--Reset your PC or see advanced options".
Click on "Advanced options".
Click on "UEFI Firmware Settings".
Click on "Restart".
Meeting
of the WINdows usERS Computer User Group
of
Irvine, California
on
07-28-2018
and
Windows 10/
Hardware
SIG
of the
Tucson Computer Society
on
08-01-2018
George Harding
You can use the free Recuva software utility to recover recently-deleted files/folders from a hard drive or a USB flash drive.
You can also use "Recuva.." to determine whether a wipe with "cipher /w" was successful in removing deleted files from a hard drive.
You can use the
cipher /w:C:
command-line command
to remove deleted files permanently so that software such as the free Recuva software utility cannot be used to "undelete" files/folders that you have deleted.
To wipe deleted files from a drive other than C:, substitute the actual drive letter that you wish to scan:
For example, to scan the M: drive, type in
cipher /w:m:
Please note that above-mentioned "9 Windows Treasures.." article erroneously tells you to type in
cipher /w:c
Since "c" is not a valid path designation in Windows.., "cipher /w:c" is seen by "Windows.." as "cipher /w:c:" which then defaults to wiping free space in the C: drive. However, when Francis ran "cipher /w:f" in an attempt to wipe a USB flash drive, the result was that his internal C: hard drive was wiped.
When he ran "ciper /w:f:", his USB flash drive was wiped.
Apparently, the colon (:) is necessary if you want to wipe any drive other than C:
Meeting
of the Winners Windows Users
of
Irvine, California
on
09-29-2018
and
Windows 10 /
Hardware SIG
of the
Tucson Computer Society
on
09-05-2018
Francis Chao
Free Online Training for "Windows.." Computers:
Hundreds of hours of free training and technical advice can be obtained online
with an Internet-connected "Windows" computer. The online training is almost as
good as training in a traditional classroom setting. Most computer users get the
best training experience by combining instructor-led classroom training and
online self-directed training since the two modes of training reinforce each other.
To access our categorized folders of training hyperlinks,
please follow the instructions at http://aztcs.org/training/training.pdf
for access our
archive which is actually located at https://www.box.com/shared/ff0p9m41h0
Free Online Training for Apple "MacOS" Computers:
Dozens of hours of free training and technical advice can be obtained online
with an Internet-connected "MacOS" computer. The online training is almost as
good as training in a traditional classroom setting. Most computer users get the
best training experience by combining instructor-led classroom training and
online self-directed training since the two modes of training reinforce each other.
See http://aztcs.org/apple/apple.htm
Our lessons-learned advice about TELEVISION ANTENNA SECRETS
is available at: http://aztcs.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/add-ons/TV/Antenna-secrets.pdf
You can use both antenna gain and amplifier gain to increase the number of television channels that you receive over-the-air.
To prevent a pre-amplifier from causing the stronger television stations from overloading your television set, you can insert an attenuator between the antenna and the pre-amplifier.
Mohu "Sky.." antennas are the best indoor television antennas that we have ever tested.
Mohu "Sky.." antennas can be installed either outdoors or indoors.
However, Mohu "Sky.." antennas are not the best antenna for outdoor installations because there are lots of outdoor antennas that are as good or better.
However, when installed indoors, Mohu "Sky.." antennas have performed better than any other antennas that we have tested indoors.
This makes the premium price of the Mohu "Sky.." often worth paying for if you are in the market for an indoor television antenna.
If you are fortunate enough to be located where even a paper clip antenna can pick up all of the television channels that you wish to receive, then the Mohu "Sky.." woud be overkill becaue of it's high retail price point.
For the best possible antenna and antenna amplifier combination that you can install indoors, you should install a Mohu "Sky 60" antenna without it's bundled Mohu "Jolt" amplifier. Then install a Winegard "Boost XT" amplifier for the Mohu "Sky 60" antenna.
In other words, if you procure and install a Mohu "Sky.." antenna, you can usually get even more television channels and more stable television channels over-the-air by removing or not installing the bundled "Jolt" amplifier by substituting a Wingard "Boost" or a Wingard "Boost XT" amplifier. In our testing, we discovered that the Winegard "Boost XT" amplifier received 1 to 3 more television channels relative to the Winegard "Boost" amplifier.
For details about the unbeatable "MOHU SKY 60"/"BOOST XT" HYBRID ANTENNA/AMPLIFIER CONFIGURATION,
see http://aztcs.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/add-ons/TV/MohuPlusWinegard.pdf
Our lessons-learned advice about WINEGARD ANTENNA AMPLIFIERS:
Mohu "Sky.." antennas are the best indoor television antennas that we have ever tested.
However, the "Jolt" conical or "Jolt" trapezoidal amplifiers that they are bundled with are not as good as the models of amplifiers that are provided by the Winegard company.
For our details about the superior "Winegard Boost XT" antenna amplifier and the cheaper "Winegard Boost" antenna amplifier,
see http://aztcs.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/add-ons/TV/Winegard-secrets.pdf
Windows 10 /
Hardware SIG
of the
Tucson Computer Society
on
09-05-2018
and
Meeting
of the WINdows usERS Computer User Group
of
Irvine, California
on
04-30-2016
and
03-26-2016
Use 2 (or more) routers to protect your home or small business network against the security vulnerabilities of "Internet of Things" ("IoT") devices:
For a level of security that is better than an existing, single router, use two routers as follows:
Router 1 = "Border and IoT router" connects to the Internet provider. This router is used to connect to cloud-connected security cameras, cloud-connected motion detection devices, smart refrigerators, smart TVs, video doorbells, smart thermostats, cloud-based voice-operated assistants, etc.
Router 2 = "Trusted router" is used to connect to your most-secure computers, Network-Attached Storage devices, home servers, etc.
For even better security, use three routers as follows:
Router 1 = "Border router" connects to the Internet provider.
Router 2 = "IoT router" is used to connect to cloud-connected security cameras, cloud-connected motion detection devices, smart refrigerators, smart TVs, video doorbells, smart thermostats, cloud-based voice-operated assistants, etc.
Improving the Speed, Reliability, and/or Area Coverage of Your Wireless Wi-Fi Connection:
Upgrade from 802.11n to 802.11ac:
802.11ac has Multiple User-Multiple In-Multiple Out and Beam Forming while 802.11n only has Single Users-Multiple In-Multiple Out
so replace or add a 802.11ac-capable router or Wi-Fi extender to your home or small business network.
To analyze and resolve Wi-Fi problems, you can install free Wi-Fi software into your "Windows.." or Mac "OS X" computer.
Then you can use these software programs to view numerical and graphical information in order to modify your Wi-Fi settings.
To download and install the free "Acrylic WiFi Home" analysis program for a "Windows.." computer,
use a Web browser to go to https://www.acrylicwifi.com/descargas-versiones-gratuitas-programas-software-herramientas-wifi/descargar-escaner-wifi-gratis-para-windows/
The "Tarlogic" company is located in Spain.
If and when your Web browser displays a "Translate" button, click on it to convert the Spanish text in the Web page into English.
If this does not happen, click on "EN" in the upper-right corner to convert the page content to English.
Scroll or page down.
Then click on the "Try it for free" button.
To download and install the free "NetSpot Free Edition" for a "Windows" or "MacOS" computer,
use a Web browserto go to http://www.netspotapp.com/netspotpro.html Then scroll or page-down to get to the free edition of "Netspot..s".
To get a more complete picture of your Wi-Fi environment in a "Windows.." computer, you can use both the free "Acrylic WiFi Home" program AND the free "Netspot" program. However, do not use both programs at the same time.
See also http://aztcs.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/networks/Wi-Fi/Wi-Fi-advice.pdf
Measuring Network Speeds To Remediate Bottlenecks In Your Local Network:
To prevent the components of your local network (routers, switches, powerline links, etc.) from bottlenecking the Internet bandwidth that your Internet Service Provider (ISP) provides you,
measure the Internet bandwidth speeds and the local area network speeds at various locations in your Local Area Network (LAN)
as described in http://aztcs.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/networks/bottlenecks/bottlenecks.pdf
Wireless Video Doorbells
are the fastest growing sub-segment of the nascent "Internet of Things" (IoT) product lines
See http://bestdoorbellcamera.com/
Guidelines For Wireless "Internet of Things" (IoT) Devices
Most wireless devices such as video doorbells depend on the speed and radio frequency signal strength of the wireless network that they communicate to so you need to have a later model wireless router that has the following features:
802.11ac Wi-Fi (instead of the old 802.11n Wi-Fi standard),
MIMO (Multiple In-Multiple Out),
and
beam forming.
No wireless video doorbell will work well without a wireless router that has the above three features.
The electricians who install your video doorbell may not consider it to be their responsibility to upgrade your home router to one that has these state-of-the-art features but reallly good, knowledgeable electricains would tell you about the need for these features.
If you house is reasonably well-built and there are well-built walls or a ceiling for your wireless router's signal to penetrate, you might need to install a "wireless extender" to get enough and fast enough of a radio frequency signal to your video doorbell:
There are three kinds of wireless extender installation configurations:
Configuration 1:
Wireless extender repeats the radio signal from the wireless router.
Configuration 2:
Wireless extender is connected to the wireless router by means of a Category 5 or Category 5e or Category 6 cable.
Configuration 3:
Wireless extender is connected to the wireless router by means of a "Multimedia Over Coax Alliance" (MOCA) link riding on top of existing coaxial cabling in the house.
If This Then That (IFTTT)
makes "IoT" devices more usesful but putting in helpful logic into IoT Devices.
For example, if you have a wireless recording camera that records detected motion, you can make it only record when you are more than 100 feet away from your home:
Your wireless recording cameras would communicate with a location app inside your cell phone and your cell phone would constantly report your GPS coordinates to your wireless recording cameras.
"M.2 NVMe PCIe" Solid State Drives (SSDs) bring a 3 to 5-fold increase to hard drive reads a writes relative to legacy 2.5-in SATA SSDs at only about a 50 percent increase in price.
Our how-to explanation for these revolutionary SSDs
can be found at http://aztcs.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/harddrives/SSDs/SSDs.pdf
Al Guevera is working with Adam D Technology and Francis Chao to update our legacy Web site.
The in-construction Web site is located
at http://www.wphosting1.com/TCS/
"Power Over Ethernet" (PoE) technology provides for network-attached video Web cams that install with a single Cat 5/5e/6/6a cable that transmits both wired Ethernet data and DC power to the Webcam. For our advice on installing PoE Webcams,
see http://aztcs.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/webcams/PoE-cam.pdf
Most power supplies in Windows and Linux desktop computers conform to or are close to adhering to Intel's ATX and ATX12 computers. For our advice on replacing ATX.. power supplies,
see http://aztcs.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/ATX/ATX-PS.pdf
The "uninstaller" wizards that are bundled with most "Desktop apps" (that "Programs and Features" in the Control Panel utilizes to remove software) leave all sorts of junk in both your Registry and on your C: hard drive.
To do a really clean uninstall of a "desktop app" in Windows.., use the free "Revo Uninstaller Portable" program.
See http://aztcs.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/uninstaller/RevoUninstallerPortable.pdf
When you are upgrading or installing software programs, the software companies often attempt to surrepticiously sneak unwanted additional software programs and non-optimal settings into your "Windows.." computer. You should "just say no" to these "ride along" changes to your computer, as shown in http://aztcs.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/uninstaller/avoiding-unwanted-software.pdf
Four Seasons
Computer and Technology Club
in
Beaumont,
California
on
02-13-2018
and
Windows 10 /
Hardware SIG
of the
Tucson Computer Society on
02-07-2018
Skype version 7.x is the original "Desktop app" that many of us have been using since 2005.
Skype version 11.x is the new-fangled "Universal Windows Platform" app that is bundled with all copies of "Windows 10 S".
"Skype 8.x" is a beta that is actually called "Skype for desktop Preview"that Microsoft is beginning to prematurely install by means of "Windows Update".
"Do you want to all walkme.com to use additional storage on your computer?" is not malware.
It is an annoyance that only occurs with Internet Explorer 11.
Something in your computer that keeps trying to send a Web browser to rtb.adservme.com is not malware.
It is a adware which is an annoyance.
Most antivirus/antimalware programs will block the rtb.adservme.com Web site.
It may have been a malicious Web site in the past.
However, our test with a secure virtual machine indicated that it is a non-existent subdomain Web site of the legitimate
adservme.com
Web site.
"Generation 1" virtual machines running inside Hyper-V have a virtual motherboard that has a virtual legacy BIOS chip. "Generation 2" virtual machines running inside Hyper-V have a virtual motherboard that has a virtual UEFI chip.
Microsoft offers you free, time-limited virtual machines of all of their "Windows.." desktop operating systems from "Windows XP" to "Windows 8.1"for you to download at http://modern.ie
We have information about the following topics:
"VMware Player", "Oracle VM VirtualBox", "Hyper-V", "Windows Virtual PC", "Microsoft Virtual PC 2007", Virtual Networks Provided by Virtual Machine Programs, Physical to Virtual (p2v), Virtual to Virtual (v2v),
Firewire Devices, Printservers, etc.
Data breaches occur in large and small sizes:
A large data breach means the private data for millions of people are obtained.
A small data breach means that the private data for one or a few or a few hundred people are obtained.
To check out suspicious buttons and hyperlinks at Web sites and in email
to see the URL that the button or hyperlink is trying to take you to.
You might have to turn on the bottom status bar
and/or maximize the browser or email Window in order to see the bottom status bar.
Use the "Task Manager" in "Windows.." to close down a stuck or suspicious browser display
by either
pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc
or
right-clicking on unused space on the Task Bar and then selecting "Task Manager".
Use the "Force Quit" function in MacOS by pressing
Command + Option + Esc
in MacOS to close down a stuck or suspicious browser display.
Windows 10 /
Hardware SIG
of the
Tucson Computer Society on
09-06-2017
and
04-05-2017
Francis Chao
RESOLVING SOUND "PLAYBACK" ISSUES IN "WINDOWS.."
"Windows 10", "Windows 8.1", "Windows 7", and "Windows Vista" computers have many sound-enabled devices that automatically re-configure themselves as "default" when you do not want them to do so. Our explanation of how you can tame this "beast"
is available at
http://www.aztcs.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/win/easier/win-sound.pdf
Windows 10 /
Hardware SIG
of the
Tucson Computer Society on
09-06-2017
Francis Chao
"Windows 10 S" was released on July 26, 2017.
"Windows 10 S" is a super-light, super-fast edition of "Windows 10.." but it is very limited in features.
In order to run "Windows 10 S" as an end user", you can either buy a new Microsoft "Surface Laptop" or you can downgrade an existing "Windows 10 Pro" computer or an existing "Windows 10 Pro" virtual machine.
For details, see http://aztcs.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/Win10/Win10S-downgrade.pdf
Even though "Skype 11" has been around for about 4 years, it is still very beta in behavior so we still do not recommend the use of it for a lot of reasons.
Despite Microsoft's documentation to the contrary, "Skype 7" runs fine in "Windows 10" and we will continue using it until some of the problems in "Skype 11" are resolved.
Windows 10 /
Hardware SIG
of the
Tucson Computer Society on
09-06-2017
and
Meeting
of the WINdows usERS Computer User Group
of
Irvine, California on
08-26-2017
On April 3, 2017, President Trump signed Senate Joint Resolution 34 to repeal some Internet privacy regulations for Internet Service Providers that had previously been proposed by the Federal Communications Commission back on December 2, 2017.
The net result of this new law is to permit Internet Service Providers to monitor and sell information on the activities of their customers.
At the present time, no Internet Service Providers are openly engaging in these activities.
Comcast claims that they will never do so.
The intentions of other Internet Service Providers are not known.
Free VPN Service from "Opera Software"
("VPN" = "Virtual Private Network")
You can get free, unlimited VPN service by using the
"Opera" Web browser.
Their VPN service is provided without requiring you to get an account from either the Opera company or their "SurfEasy VPN" subsidiary.
The "SurfEasy VPN" subsidiary of "Opera Software" is the provider of the VPN service that is bundled into the "Opera developer 41.0" program.
To use this amazing free service, go to http://www.opera.com
Then, click on the "Download now" button to download the "OperaSetup.exe" file.
Then double-click on the "OperaSetup.exe" file to start the installation process.
Locate the "Opera" icon on the Windows desktop and double-click on it.
Click on the "Opera" icon in the upper-right corner of the "Opera" window.
Click on "Settings" in the pop-up utlity menu.
Click on "Privacy & security".
Place a checkmark in the box next to "Enable VPN".
Click on the orange "VPN" icon that is located to the left of the URL address box.
Click on the drop down list button that is to the right of "Optimal location".
Select the location of the VPN server that you wish to connect to.
As long as the "VPN" icon stays blue, any Web sites that you visit with the "Opera developer" browser will be secured by the VPN connection between your computer and the VPN server that is provided by "SurfEasy VPN" subsidiary of "Opera Software".
However, any Internet downloads and uploads that you perform with other Web browser programs, FTP client programs, and command line utilties such as FTP, ping, etc. will not be protected by Opera's free VPN service, since their free VPN service is a bundled part of the "Opera developer" browser.
Advantages and Disadvantages of the "Opera" Web browser:
1. Free, bundled VPN does not require a user log-in = No data gathering for advertisers.
2. Free VPN feature does not protect activities outside of the Opera Web browser such as other Web browsers, FTP access, etc.
3. Can block ads but the bundled ad blocker breaks parts of some Web sites.
For Web sites such as http://gocomics.com, it works wonderfully and makes the Web site easier to use.
For other Web sites such as some of the photo albums at http://cnn.com, the Opera Web browser causes various buttons and features to fail.
4. "Turbo" feature can speed up Web browsing but is not compatible with the free VPN feature.
Windows 10/
Hardware
SIG
of the
Tucson
Computer
Society
on
05-03-2017
anda
Meeting
of the WINdows usERS Computer User Group
of
Irvine, California
on
09-24-2016
Francis Chao
The computer industry's "elegant solution" to secure remote access is called "Virtual Private Network" (VPN).
Almost every medium-to-large sized company, government entity, and not-for-profit institution including educational institutions uses VPNs to provide employees, students, and contractors with remote access to their internal and cloud-based computer resources.
VPNs were originally intended to provide secure remote access into local area network resources such as servers, printers, and mainframes.
This technology has been adapted for private computer users as "VPN services":
"VPN services" give you an extra measure of security by protecting you from the more common hacks such as "man in the middle" spying, "Evil Twin" wireless access points, and WiFi over-the-air recordings with free tools such as "WireShark".
"VPN services" reduce most of the risk of using public Internet access by encrypting the near end of the Internet connection--where you first connect to a public Internet service.
However, with the exception of the VPN that is part of the "Opera 40" Web browser, all "VPN services" reduce data throughput relative to what a "raw" Internet connection is capable of.
The terms "VPNs" and "VPN Services" are often used interchangeably so you have to figure out from the context in which these terms to determine whether someone means the original VPN (which is a secure remote connection into a Local Area Network" and a "VPN Service" (which is a secure remote connection into the Internet which uses a local area network as an intermediary).
Sometimes you can use free VPN services as a temporary workaround for download and upload slowdowns in broadband Internet access:
For example, Comcast cable modem Internet in the Tucson area was very slow on Friday August 9, 2013 through Saturday August 10 with download and upload speeds so slow that they are unmeasurable (as measured at http://speedtest.net at their Los Angeles server and http://pcpitstop.com/internet/bw.asp using their Dallas, Texas server). When we used the free version of "Hotspot Shield", we obtained Internet download speeds above 20 Megabits per second and upload speeds above 1.5 Megabits per second (via our Comcast cable modems).
Windows 10/
Hardware
SIG
of the
Tucson
Computer
Society
on
05-03-2017
and
10-05-2016
and
06-05-2013
and
Meeting of the WINdows usERS Computer User Group
of
Irvine, California
on
09-24-2016
and
09-27-2014
Getting into the UEFI configuration screens in "Windows 10":
Use the left mouse button to click on the "Start button".
The "Start Menu" will show up.
Click on the "Settings" icon. (It looks like a gear wheel.)
Click on "Update & security".
Click on "Recovery".
Click on "Restart now". (It is in the "Advanced startup" section.)
Clock on the Troubleshoot" button.
Click on the "Advanced options" button.
Click on "UEFI Firmware Settings" button.
Click on the "Restart" button.
Maintaining and Repairing Hard Drives for "Windows.." Computers:
When confronted with hard drive problems, you should perform low-risk, less invasive procedures first, followed by increasingly aggressive, higher risk procedures. As you perform these increasingly invasive procedures, you will either repair the hard drive and return it to service or at some point youj will decide that it is beyond economical repair:
If the above procedures fail to restore the hard drive and the hard drive has data that you or the end-user deem worth spending one to five thousand dollars to recover, you can obtain professional data recovery assistance which is the most expensive option for recovering data files from a failed hard drives. This data recovery option involves the shipping of the hard drive to a clean room operation where they open it up, read each platter in specialized equipment. Then they use their proprietary computers to reconstruct the data files on the hard drive. Then they ship the recovered data back to you on external hard drives or DVD-R discs. See:
Radical "Surgery" to Extend the Life of Failed Hard Drives:
If you are unable to recover the data files from a failed hard drive and it's platters are still spinning, you can usually use "Disk Management" in "Windows" to create partitions to "block out" the bad sections of the hard drive, in order to extend the userful life of the hard drive. See Perform Radical Surgery on a Hard Drive in Order to Extend Its Useful Service Life
The network industry's elegant, rigorous solution to protecting a local area network from internal and external intrusion is to use network appliances and routers in a "DMZ" configureation:
Windows 10/
Hardware
SIG
of the
Tucson
Computer
Society
on
10-05-2016
and
Meeting
of the WINdows usERS Computer User Group
of
Irvine, California on
09-24-2016
and
05-23-2015
and
General Meeting
of the
Tucson
Computer
Society
on 06-17-2013
My demonstration of homegroups for sharing files between two "Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit" virtual machines can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wgLn64KJ-Q
Building a Controlled-Temperature Box with Equipment Redundancy and Uninterruptible AC Power
Off-the-shelf thermostats are good at maintaining building HVAC (heating-ventilation-air conditioning) systems at a controlled ambient temperature of 50 to 90 degrees Farenheit.
Portable cooler/heater devices generally either cool or heat to about 40 degrees below or above the ambient temperature.
Interconnecting the two devices results in a reliable, energy-efficient means of storing medications and cosmetics that are temperature-sensitive.
Free Software-Based Virtual Timers and Alarm Clocks For "Windows..":
PC Chrono is the best virtual clock, timer, and stopwatch
that we have tested. It does not have an alarm clock function. "PC Chrono" only runs when your computer is powered on.
Free Alarm Clock 4 is the best virtual alarm clock that we have tested. It does not have timer or stopwatch functions:
"Free Alarm Clock 3.1" can trigger an alarm even if your computer is in a sleep state. After you aknowledge the alarm with a mouse click, it then puts your computer back to its original sleep state.
"Free Alarm Clock 4.1" is unable to wake up a computer from the "Hibernate" state: If you want it to wake up your computer from a "sleep" state, set your active "Power Profile" to prevent "sleep" from being converted to "hibernate".
To analyze and resolve Wi-Fi problems, you can install free Wi-Fi software into your "Windows.." or Mac "OS X" computer.
Then you can use these software programs to view numerical and graphical information in order to modify your Wi-Fi settings.
See http://aztcs.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/networks/Wi-Fi/Wi-Fi-advice.pdf
iView's "Digital Converter Box" (model 3200STB) is an ATSC tuner that sells for approximately $30.
To use it as a television set, you have to attach it to the following additional equipment:
An over-the-air VHF/UHF antenna,
a computer monitor that has a HDMI jack,
and a pair of computer speakers.
For details, see http://aztcs.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/add-ons/TV/iView_tuner.pdf
Meetings
of the WINdows usERS Computer User Group
of
Irvine, California
on
04-30-2016
and
03-26-2016
and
Windows 8.1 /
Hardware SIG
of the
Tucson Computer Society
on
10-02-2013
A "Mac mini" is usually used as a desktop computer. However, by adding a few accessories to it, a "Mac mini" can travel well with you. When you travel with it, your "Mac mini" can be used as your main portable computer or as a backup for your existing laptop computer.
USB 3 extension cables work fine for extending USB 2 devides such as USB keyboards, USB mice, USB Webcams, USB 2 flash drives, USB 2 external hard drives, and USB 2 external hard drive enclosures.
However, for USB 3 external hard drives and USB 3 external hard drive enclosures, you will have to determine if a specific model works with a USB 3 extersion cable.
To do so, you can use the free "USBTreeView" program to view the stablity and signalling rate of a specific USB 3 external hard drive or a specific USB 3 hard drive enclosure.
To download "USBTreeView", go to the bottom of the Web page at
Then read the rest of the Web page for instructions on using this useful software utility. "USBTreeView" is especially useful for detecting problems with USB 3 ports and USB 3 devices.
When you have a USB 3 device attached to a USB 3 port and the port type changes from "3.0" to "2.0" or a USB 3 device disappears from view entirely, a failure of the attached USB 3 devices is imminent.
When this happens, you will be unable to use a specific model of USB 3 external hard drive or a specific model of USB 3 external hard drive enclosure at the far end of a USB 3 extension cable. Your only option will then be to attach the USB 3 external hard drive or USB 3 external hard drive enclosure with a shorter USB 3 cable physically nearer to your computer.
For details about "Chromecast", see http://aztcs.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/wireless/Chromecast.pdf
"Chromecast" is totally-dependent on an external wireless WiFi router that does NOT have "wireless isolation" turned on.
"Wireless isolation" is also known as "AP isolation" and "Access Point isolation".
All home-type routers default to having "wireless isolation" disabled. All public WiFi Internet have "wireless isolation" turned on.
To stream Internet-based video and audio using public WiFi Internet, you have to have a separate "travel router" with "Wireless Internet Service Provider" capability.
To determine which Internet Service Provider you are using and it's "Autonomous System Number" (= "ASN" = wide area network number):
go to http://www.whatismyasn.org/
To look up the Internet Service Provider than belongs to a specific "Autonomous System Number":
go to http://mxtoolbox.com/asn.aspx
Struggles With Installing "Windows 10.." Into Computers with "Gigabyte" Motherboards:
If you attempt to upgrade or clean install "Windows 10.." into a computer with a Gigabyte motherboard, you might end up with a non-functional boat anchor.
This has happened for about 25 percent of our attempts to install "Windows 10.." into a computer with a "Gigabyte" motherboard.
Despite several discussion group posts telling you to flash the BIOS with a later version of firmware, flashing the UEFI/BIOS firmware of the motherboard does not resolve this problem.
Here is what you need to do to get "Windows 10" installed into a recalcitant Gigabyte motherboard:
Go to the "Support" section of http://gigabyte.com
Locate the drivers for your exact model of Gigabyte motherboard.
Select "Windows 10" for "OS".
Download and unzip the "Intel SATA Preinstall Driver".
Place the unzipped folder than contains the drivers onto a USB flash drive.
Insert the USB flash drive into a USB 2 or USB 3 port of the computer.
Use Microsoft's "Media Creation Tool" for "Windows 10.." to create an installation DVD disc for "Windows 10..".
Use the installation DVD disc to boot up your computer.
When the "Press any key to boot up from CD or DVD...." message is displayed, press any key on the keyboard.
When the installation wizard gives you a "Load drivers" icon, click on it.
Browse to the USB flash drive and click on the folder that contains the "Intel SATA Preinstall Driver" to install the "Intel SATA Preinstall Driver".
Then continue on with the installation of "Windows 10..".
General Meetings
of the
Tucson
Computer
Society
on
10-19-2015
and on
09-21-2015
and
General Meeting
of the
Tucson
Computer
Society
and
Meeting
of the WINdows usERS Computer User Group
of
Irvine, California
on
07-25-2015
and
Windows 10/ Hardware
SIG
of the
Tucson
Computer
Society
on
09-02-2015
Malware often "hides" in hidden files and folders to make sure than your computer is displaying hidden files and file extensions by following our procedure in how how-to document called "Some Simple Techniques For Making 'Windows..' Easier To Use"
at http://aztcs.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/win/easier/win-easier1.pdf
A Technician's "Recipe" That Contains a Standardized Procedure for Removing Malware:
"Ransomware" is malware that takes over your computer or part of your computer and offers to give you back access to it when you pay a ransom
fee. In a "Windows.." computer, some of the more benign variants of "ransomware" can be removed by booting up the computer in "Safe Mode".
http://www.txtdrop.com/
can often send text messages to the email addresses of cell phones when your regular email service is unable to do so.
Windows 10 /
Hardware SIG
of the
Windows 10/ Hardware
SIG
on
03-04-2015
George Harding
WORKAROUND FOR UPDATING FIRMWARE AND MAPS IN "GARMIN" GPS DEVICES
Garmin's GPS devices are some of best that are available. However, the two software utilities that they provide for updating the
firmware and maps in their devices are problematic:
"Garmin Express" software fails to install map and firmware updates when it is run by itself. After you run this program, it tells you to attach
your Garmin GPS device to your "Windows.." or Mac "OS X" computer by means of a USB cable. After you do so, all map and firmware updates fail to complete.
Garmin's "WebUpdater" software is able to install firmware upgrades for a Garmin GPS device. However, it does not have the ability to install
map updates.
In order to install both firmware updates and map updates into a Garmin GPS device, you have to use both "Webupdater" to update the device's firmware. Then, you can use "Garmin Express" to update the device's maps.
Future Meeting
of the
Windows 10/ Hardware
SIG
on
03-04-2015
George Harding
INSTALLING AND RUNNING "WINDOWS.." AND LINUX.. OPERATING SYSTEMS INTO "VIRTUAL MACHINES" THAT HAVE A VIRTUAL "UEFI" WITH "SECURE BOOT" ENABLED
Since August of 2012, all "Windows 8", all "Windows 8.1", and all "Windows 10" computers that are sold at retail
AND that display the "Windows 8" logo, or the "Windows 8.1" logo, or the "Windows 10" logo,
must boot up with a "UEFI" with Secure Boot" enabled instead of the legacy "Basic Input/Output System" ("BIOS")
"UEFI" stands for "Unified Extensible Firmware Interface".
"UEFI" replaces the "BIOS" that has resided as firmware inside "..DOS" and "..Windows.." computers since the early 1980's.
In order to accurately and rigorously use a virtual machine to simulate a current desktop or laptop "Windows.." or "Linux.." computer, you have to use a virtual machine program that provides a virtual "UEFI" with a virtual "Secure Boot" capability in "enabled" status.
At the present time, the only virtual machine program that can provide a virtual machine with a virtual UEFI with Secure Boot enabled for distros of Linux that support "Secure Boot"
is the bundled Hyper-V program running inside
a "Windows 10 Pro 64-bit" host computer
or a "Windows 10 Enterprise 64-bit" host computer.
Windows 10/ Hardware
SIG
of the
Tucson
Computer
Society
on
01-07-2015
Francis Chao
Installing a PCie-type Controller Into a "Windows.." Computers:
You can procure and install a PCIe-type USB 3 controller card to add USB 3 ports to either a "Windows.." computer that does not have any USB 3 ports or to add more USB 3 ports to a "Windows.." computer. However, you might have a protracted struggle to find a make and model of USB 3 controller card that works for a specific "Windows.." computer.
Detecting and Predicting Failures of "USB 3" Devices Attached To the "USB 3" Ports of "Windows.." Computers:
Unlike "USB 2", "USB 3" does not have any cable length specifications.
You can buy "USB 3" cables and "USB 3" extension cables with lengths from 6 inches up to 16 feet and it is up to you to determine if a particular "USB 3" device will work right with a specific total length of "USB 3" cable.
As you increase the total cable length between the attached "USB 3" port and a "USB 3" device, you will start incurring data errors.
At some finite distance, the "USB 3" device will fail to operate reliably. At some finite distance, the "USB 3" device will not work at all.
Sometimes the maximum cable length that you can use will be only 2 feet.
Sometimes the maximum cable length that you can use will be as much as 9 feet.
This means that cable lengths that exceed a total of 9 feet will only work for legacy "USB 2" devices.
This also means that longer cable lengths will cause the chipsets that power USB 3 ports and USB 3 devices will sometimes heat up because of the requirement of re-transmissions as data error rates increase.
If you are having problems with a specific "USB 3" devices, you have to do some trial-and-error with different total cable lengths and different "USB 3" ports in order to resolve the problem.
You can use the free "USBTreeView" program to troubleshoot slowdowns and failures of USB 3 devices that are attached to a "Windows.." computer.
To download "USBTreeView", go to the bottom of the Web page at
Then read the rest of the Web page for instructions on using this useful software utility.
"USBTreeView" is especially useful for detecting slowdowns in USB ports.
When you have a USB 3 device attached to a USB 3 port and the port type changes from "3.0" to "2.0", a failure of the attached USB 3 devices is imminent. When this happens, you can "head off" the problem by gracefully ejecting the USB 3 devices.
Windows 10 /
Hardware SIG meeting
of the
Tucson
Computer
Society
on 02-04-2015
George Harding
Workarounds For Failures of "USB 2" Devices Attached To the "USB 3" Ports of "Windows..", Mac "OS X", or Linux Computers:
Despite claims to the contrary by the "USB Implementers Forum" and USB device manufacturers, there are occasional compatibility problems between USB 2 devices and USB 3 ports:
----------------------------------------------------------------
Some USB 2 devices will fail or become intermittent when attached with USB cables longer than 5 feet in length.
The simple workaround for this annoyance is to attach USB 2 devices with USB cables that are shorter than 5 feet in length.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Some USB 2 devices will fail or become intermittent when attached to a USB 3 port, irrespective of the length of the cable that is utilized.
The simple (but somewhat costly) workaround is to attach the problematic USB 2 devices to a USB 3 hub which is then attached to a USB 3 port.
Windows 10 /
Hardware SIG meeting
of the
Tucson
Computer
Society
on
02-04-2015
George Harding
Using "Skype" As a "NannyCam":
If you wish to dial in remotely to look in on a live "Webcam" at your home or business:
Step 1: Get a second "Skype" account (for your child, your cat, or your dog!)
Step 2: Use this second "Skype" account to set up "Skype" to do the following:
"Answer incoming calls automatically and
Start my video automatically when I am in a call and
"Start Skype when I start Windows"
Step 3: Set your active "Power Options" profile so that your computer does not go into "Sleep" or "Hibernate".
Now, you can use Skype to access your live "Webcam" using a computer, tablet, or some cell phones from anywhere in the world.
The "Boot Camp" capability of Mac "OS X" lets you dual boot between "OS X" and "Windows..". When you select to boot up "Windows.." in a Mac, it becomes a full-fledged "Windows.." computer with the help of drivers from Apple's "Boot Camp Support Software" that you can download and install inside the "Windows.." operating system.
Microsoft is still offering free, time-limited trial copies of "Windows 8.1..", and "Windows 10.." for you to try.
This gives you a chance to test and evaluate the current versions of "Windows.." with your existing hardware and software:
The free versions of "Windows 10" and "Windows 8.1" give you a great free way to create a "throwaway" computer inside a clonable "virtual machine". If you then use isolate the "throwaway virtual machine" from your real, host computer and/or other computers on your local network, you then have a secure way to access the Internet.
Also, the free "Windows 10 Enterprise Evaluation" and the free "Windows 8.1 Enterprise Evaluation" have a "Windows To Go" applet inside the "Control Panel". This means that you can make an external USB hard drive into a "Windows To Go Workspace" that can be used to non-destructively boot up any Intel- or AMD- computer that is capable of running "Windows 10.." or "Windows 8.1..". When you use a "Windows To Go Workspace" external hard drive to boot up a computer, the existing internal hard drive(s) of the computer are untouched and inaccessible to the "Windows 10 Enterprise.." or "Windows 8.1 Enterprise.." operating system that is running from the external hard drive.
Meetings
of the WINdows usERS Computer User Group
of
Irvine, California
on 09-27-2014 and< 04-12-2014
and
Windows 8.1 /
Hardware SIG
of the
Tucson
Computer
Society
on
11-06-2013
Francis Chao
Transitioning Between "Windows XP", "Windows Vista", "Windows 7", "Windows 8.1", and "Windows 10":
There are important differences between "Windows XP", "Windows 7", "Windows 8", and "Windows 8.1".
To help you make your leap from one version of Windows to another, see
If you are still using "Windows XP" and you are about to make a leap to a more modern version of "Windows..", there are a few things that you need to know about the changes that Microsoft made for all versions of "Windows.." after "Windows XP":
For a short description of the differences between "Windows XP", "Windows Vista", "Windows 7", "Windows 8.1", and "Windows 10", see
You can use "Remote Desktop Connection" to operate your
"Windows 10", "Windows 8.1", or "Windows 7"
computer from another computer or tablet.
The "Windows.." computer that is being controlled is usually
called the "host computer" or the "remote computer".
The computer that you are using to access the "host computer"
is usually called the "client computer".
o For example, if you have Hauppauge's "WinTV" software
and one of their USB television tuners running in your
"Windows.." computer, you can use "Remote Desktop
Connection" to view "WinTV" from a Windows.. laptop, your Android tablet or
your iPad.
o For a Windows laptop, desktop, or tablet, you can start
"Remote Desktop Connecton" by running mstsc.exe from
inside a "Windows Explorer" window, a "File Explorer"
window, or an elevated command prompt window.
o For an iPad or iPhone, you can download and install
Microsoft's free "Microsoft Remote Desktop" software from
the Apple Store app.
o For an Android tablet or phone, you can download and
Microsoft's free "Remote Desktop Connection" from the
"Play Store"
o For a Mac OS X computer, you can download and install
the free "Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Client for Mac" software from
the Apple Store applet.
In addition to helping you control the amount of electricity that
your "Windows.." computer uses, the energy management
features in your "Windows.." computer let you do partial powerdowns
of your computer so that you can re-start exactly where
you left off in your open and minimized Web browser windows
and in all open and minimized windows of your software
programs. These energy management features can
dramatically reduce the delays that are caused by multi-tasking
between your computer and non-computer activities.
Making "Windows To Go" Bootable USB Flash Drives and Bootable USB External Hard Disk Drives
for Non-Destructively Booting Up Computers with "Windows 10 Enterprise Evaluation":
For USB 2 or USB 3 external hard drives, use the "Windows To Go" icon inside the "Control Panel" of a real or virtual computer that is running the 32-bit or 64-bit version of "Windows 8.1 Enterprise Evaluation".
For USB 3 flash drive devices that emulate a hard drive, use the "Windows To Go" icon inside the "Control Panel" of a real or virtual computer that is running the 32-bit or 64-bit version of "Windows 10 Enterprise Evaluation".
For USB 3 flash drive devices that do NOT emulate a hard drive and for USB 2 flash drive devices, do the following from inside a computer that is running any version of "Windows 7", or "Windows 8" or "Windows 10":
Run the diskpart, imagex.exe, and bcdboot commands, as described in
Warning: "Windows To Go" will run much slower in USB 2 flash drives and USB 2 external hard disk drives
compared to USB 3 flash drives and USB 3 external hard disk drives.
Warning: When running "Windows To Go" with "Windows 8.1 Enterprise Evaluation", you CANNOT remove the USB flash drive or USB external hard drive while the computer is powered on: Wait until the computer is totally powered off before pulling out the USB flash drive or USB external hard drive.
Windows 8.1 / Hardware SIG
on 11-06-2013
George Harding
Virtual DVD/CD Drive Inside Your "Windows XP" or "Windows Vista" or "Windows 7" Computer:
"Virtual Clonedrive" is not needed in "Windows 8" or "Windows 8.1": For these two new-fangled versions of "Windows..", use your left mouse button to double-click on an .ISO file or a .BIN file to mount it as a virtual CD or DVD inside "File Explorer".
Virtual Fax Machine inside Your Computer:
Temporary Workarounds For Accessing Inaccessible Web Sites With A Web Browser:
Sometimes you can use free or not-free
Virtual Private Network (VPN) services
to tunnel around your broadband Internet provider's router throttling, blockages and slowdowns.
Here in Tucson, Arizona, when our Comcast Cable broadband has slowdowns in their Pima, Arizona router node, we have a 70 percent chance of restoring our download and upload speeds by using the free version of "Hotspot Shield" to tunnel past this occasionally-problematic router node.
Sometimes when a Website is inaccessible with a Web browser, we can temporarily access it using the Web site's IP address instead of its regular URL address, as described in our "how-to" document entitled Workarounds For Temporary DNS Failures On The World Wide Web.
Windows 8/
Hardware SIG
on
08-07-2013
and Virtual Technology Conference 8
of
APCUG
on
08-03-2013
and
General Meeting
on 06-17-2013
and
Windows 8/ Hardware
SIG
on 06-05-2013
In order to print an accurate ruler, you have to select the "Actual Size" radio button in the "Print" dialog box BEFORE clicking on the "Print" button.
With "Windows 7.." you get a bundled applet called "Windows Fax and Scan". The fax function within this applet is a virtual fax machine that you can use to send and receive faxes using an (real) analog modem that is connected to a landline telephone line. This allows you to avoid the cost of maintaining a real fax machine and its corresponding costs for paper and ink or toner cartridges. Step-by-step instructions for using the fax function of "Windows Fax and Scan" are available at
http://aztcs.org/meeting_notes/winhardsig/windowsfax/windowsfax.htm
By using your own computer, fax modem, and phone line to send and receive faxes, you are guaranteed that any information that you send or receive remains confidential. However, the use of Microsoft's "virtual fax machine" is more work for you than using the free Web-based services in the following section:
If you do not have a fax modem or you want to send faxes with less work than needed for Microsoft's "virtual fax machine", you can fax for free from any Web browser by using the following "Software as a Service" applications: http://faxzero.com
You can find all available broadband Internet services at an specific United States address at http://broadbandmap.gov
You can use the "AntennaWeb"
Web site to create a list of television stations that can be received over-the-air from any specific address/location in the United States. For each television station transmitter that you have "line-of-sight", "AntennaWeb" provides you with information on the type of antenna that you need to use. "AntennaWeb" is a free service that is provided by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB). By combining "off-the-air" television reception with various streaming Web sites such as "Hulu"and "boxee.tv", you might be able stop paying for cable television service.
Windows 7/
Hardware SIG
of the
Tucson Computer Society
on 09-07-2011
Please download and try out the
Keyboard Tester which is a Windows software program that TCS member Tom Warburton has developed.
Windows 7/ Hardware
SIG
on 07-06-2011
Tom Warburton
There are three ways for you to get (slow) dial-up Internet access for free with a service called "Netzero Free":
Option 1: Go to http://www.netzero.net/start/landing.do?page=www/free/index
from a computer at a public library or a friend's house where they have an active Internet connection. At this Web site, you can sign up for a free "Netzero" account and then you can download the "Netzero" software to a "USB flash drive" or a CD disc. Then install this "Netzero" software into your home computer and you will have 10 hours of free dialup Internet access for each calendar month.
Option 2:
Phone Netzero at 1-888-349-0029 to ask them to mail you a free "Netzero CD" by means of "snail mail".
When this "Netzero CD" arrives, insert it into the DVD/CD drive of your home computer. Follow the on-screen instructions to sign up for a free "Netzero" account.
Option 3:
Or go to any "Best Buy" store and ask for a free "Netzero CD". They are usually hanging in the computer accessories section of the store. They sometimes run out but all "Best Buy" stores get shipments of the free "Netzero CD" on a regular basis.
Windows 7 / Hardware SIG
on 05-04-2011
George Harding
There are two ways for you to get (slow) dial-up Internet access for free with a service called "Juno":
Option 1: Go to http://www.juno.com/start/landing.do?page=www/free/index
from a computer at a public library or a friend's house where they have an active Internet connection. At this Web site, you can sign up for a free "Netzero" account and then you can download the "Netzero" software to a "USB flash drive" or a CD disc. Then install this "Netzero" software into your home computer and you will have 10 hours of free dialup Internet access for each calendar month.
Option 2:
Phone Juno at 1-888-349-0029 to ask them to mail you a free "Juno CD" by means of "snail mail".
When this "Juno CD" arrives, insert it into the DVD/CD drive of your home computer. Follow the on-screen instructions to sign up for a free "Juno" account.
Linux SIG
of the
Tucson Computer Society
on 01-23-2011
Paul Scott
The different versions of "Windows.." ("XP", "Vista", and "7") handle user's "My Documents" folders differently, with "Windows 7" using the most complex scheme:
In "Windows 7", a user's "My Documents" folder is displayed in "Windows Explorer" as a "My
Documents" folder. However, the real name of this folder is "Documents" and "Documents" is shown in path designations both in the Properties boxes that Windows displays to the user. Whenever the user is asked to type in a "path" location, he/she must use "Documents" instead of "My Documents".
Windows 7/
Hardware SIG
of the
Tucson Computer Society
on 11-03-2010
George Harding
If you do not like the "Ribbon Bar" of "Microsoft Office 2007" and "Microsoft Office 2010", you can put the classic menus (Menu bar+Standard toolbar+Formatting toolbar) back in with one of these two free software utilities:
Windows 7/
Hardware
SIG
of the
Tucson Computer Society
on 10-06-2010
Earl Newkirk
If you are running "Windows 7" as your operating system, you can
create a system repair disk now, and add it to your collection of "just in case" tools.
If you are running "Windows Vista" or "Windows 7", the original installation disk (that Microsoft provided) can be used as a "system repair disk".
Both the "full version" and "upgrade version" installation disks (from Microsoft) of Windows Vista" are bootable and can function as a "system repair disk".
If you are running "Windows XP", only the installation disk of the "full version" of "Windows XP" can function as a "system repair disk". The installation disk of the "upgrade version" of "Windows XP" cannot be used to boot up a computer.
If the computer is already booted up, the "upgrade version" of "Windows XP" can be used as a system repair disk.
The following commands can be used to repair the "ntldr" boot manager of "Windows XP":
fixmbr
fixboot
bootcfg /rebuild
chkdsk
For additional instructions on using the "Windows XP Recovery Console", see:
http://www.simplyguides.net/guides/recovery_console/recovery_console.shtml
and
http://tech.icrontic.com/articles/repair_windows_xp/
and
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307654
Windows 7/ Hardware
SIG
of the
Tucson Computer Society
on 10-06-2010
General Meeting
of the
Tucson Computer Society
on 05-17-2010
Paul Scott
Ctrl+Shift+Esc gets you to the "Windows Task Manager" faster than Ctrl+Alt+Delete
Another quick way to get to the "Windows Task Manager" is to perform a right click on gray space anywhere on the Windows "Task Bar" and then select "Start Task Manager" from the pop-up utility menu. All of these ways for getting to the "Windows Task Manager" work for "Windows XP", "Windows Vista", and "Windows 7"
Windows 7/ Hardware
SIG
of the
Tucson Computer Society
on 11-04-2009
