Archive for January, 2006
Things to consider when buying a PC
Anybody who has ever bought a PC is probably familiar with the seemingly inevitable situation that shortly after you get a new PC there are better ones available at a lower price. The pace of change in PCs has always been rapid but this year there are likely to be even more developments than typical. [...]
Notepad tip- Go to a given line
The Windows accessory Notepad is a humble but very useful little program. I use it all the time. Here is one of its lesser-known features. When you have a file open in Notepad, you can send the cursor to a particular line by pressing the keyboard combination “Ctrl+g” and then entering the line number [...]
A multitude of ways to use a thumb drive
“Thumb” drives or USB flash drives or whatever you call them have become the medium for all kinds of applications. PC World has an article on some of the many ways that these handy little gadgets are being used. Not only are they great for moving files from one computer to another but they can [...]
Microsoft issues patch for WMF problem
Microsoft released a fix for the WMF security vulnerability in Windows on Thursday, several days before the previously announced date of Tuesday. The patch is for Windows XP. There is no patch for Windows 98/Me and Microsoft says these systems are not affected.
Gone but Not Forgotten: Recovering Deleted Files
The usual procedure for deleting a file in Windows contains the safety feature of first placing the deleted file in the Recycle Bin. If you change your mind and want the file back, it can then be restored. But what about permanently deleted files? If you bypass the Recycle Bin or empty it, the “deleted” [...]
Easy ways to access favorite folders with custom toolbars
If you have several folders that you access frequently, you can have them readily at hand by creating a custom toolbar. First, create a folder that contains the shortcuts you want. Then, to create a taskbar-based toolbar, right-click an empty area of the Task Bar, select Toolbars and then New Toolbar. Choose your folder in [...]
How to change the case of a file name in Windows
As mentioned in the previous entry, Windows does not distinguish between upper and lower case in file names. Sometimes, however, you may want to change the case of one or more letters in a file name. This is not uncommon when maintaining a website. If you try to change case by using the usual Windows [...]
Windows and case conundrums on the Internet
Windows does not distinguish between upper case and lower case in file and folder names. As far as Windows is concerned, “MYfilename†is the same file as “myfilenameâ€Â. This may not make much difference as long as you are working locally but as soon as you go on the Internet, you have to be strict [...]
The Uncertainty Principle of Computer Security
Microsoft’s dilemma discussed in the previous entry is but one example of a general problem that I am calling the Uncertainty Principle of Computer Security.
A basic tenet of physics at the microscopic level is that certain kinds of information have inverse relations. For example, the more precisely that we know where an electron is [...]
Microsoft’s Security Dilemma
I am not always an admirer of the way Microsoft does things, but I have to say that I sympathize with them as they face the dilemma of dealing with security problems. It’s almost a Catch-22 situation.
One of the reasons behind the success of Microsoft has been their efforts at creating interoperability for their various [...]