Windows Tips and Tricks

The possible solution given here is insufficient. Use the patch mentioned in the Steve Gibson reference given by Joel May in his comment.

The security problem mentioned previously grows apace. One possible temporary solution is to remove the WMF file type. Go to any folder and open the menu Tools-Folder Options- File Types. Scroll down the list of file types until you find WMF. Click the “Delete” button. (Picture below) If the “delete” button is grayed out , as sometimes happens, Click the “Edit” button (not shown) and remove “Open” as an action. Then try deleting again. The WMF file type can be reinsituted with the “New” function. See the extensive discussion here for more on this exploit.

Ever since Windows 95, I (and many others) have been complaining about the default setting in Windows that hides file extensions. I have seen innumerable examples of how this decision by Microsoft causes confusion. I can’t count the number of times that I have told people in classes or lectures how to make file extensions visible. Lest you think that I am just being cranky, consider this recent article on Mastering File Types in Windows XP by Paul McFedries, who is the author of several books on Windows. He outlines problems that arise from invisible file extensions and comments

One of the fictions that Microsoft has tried to foist on the computer-using public is that we live in a “document-centric” world. That is, that people care only about the documents they create and not about the applications they use to create those documents. This is pure hokum.

And goes on to say

Unfortunately, we’re stuck with Microsoft’s worship of the document and all the problems that this worship creates. A good example is the hiding of file extensions.

For more on file extensions, including a slide show on how to make them visible, see this article.

Ever wonder what a particular file was for? Want to check if a file really belongs on your system? Process List is a site with a compendium of information on a host of different files. I use it to check suspicious files or just out of curiosity.

These days there are hosts of gadgets that use batteries. Maybe you got a few for Christmas. With all those batteries around, it pays to know a few facts about how to use them properly. PC Magazine has an article Getting the Most from Your Batteries.

The security hole mentioned in the previous entry is being actively exploited by crackers. IDG has an update

According to a blog today by Ed Bott there is a very dangerous security hole in various browsers, including Internet Explorer, that exploits a graphics setting. The latest version of Firefox seems to be the only browser without the problem. He says

I expect that all major antivirus companies will have detection and prevention for this by the end of the day. I don’t know of any workarounds, but will update this post if I hear any more. For now, use the most recent version of Firefox rather than any other browser and steer well clear of unknown/untrusted sites.

John Dvorak is the resident curmudgeon at PC Magazine and also writes for the financial site MarketWatch. In a recent column he makes the intriguing suggestion that Microsoft should dump Internet Explorer and buy Opera. He says

But could Microsoft be planning a bigger surprise for everyone? The smart move for the company would be for Microsoft to discard the entire code base of Internet Explorer and buy the Opera browser (from Norway) outright and use it instead.

Looking for a new monitor? Want to know how LCDs compare with CRTs? PC World has an article with some useful information about monitors and tips on buying.

I was using a computer with Windows 98SE for a few days while traveling and I have to note that I longed to get back to Windows XP Professional. Getting wireless Internet connections to work in various motels was a pain with Windows 98, not to mention the occasional system crashes.

I will be traveling for a couple of weeks and blog entries will be sporadic at best. Until 2006, happy holidays and best wishes for the New Year!