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Page Last Updated 04/21/2018

Notes and information from: Computer Club Of Sun City SIG's

Make a simple 'Home Page' for your Favorites

External Storage

April 21, 2018 - We again have an operational Linux Mint 18.3 - Cinnamon in Room A. 
The Friday Roundtable SIG will attempt to answer your Linux questions and / or demonstrate how various aspects function.

I found a website with very good information for beginners and four of their pages are listed below.
Four links to Easy Linux tips project - Primarily Mint 18.3

Linux Mint: what it is and how to select the right flavour for you
https://sites.google.com/site/easylinuxtipsproject/mint

10 things to do first in Linux Mint 18.3 Cinnamon
https://sites.google.com/site/easylinuxtipsproject/mint-cinnamon-first

Solutions for 24 bugs in Linux Mint 18.3
https://sites.google.com/site/easylinuxtipsproject/bugs#TOC-Weak-graphics-card:-disable-hardware-acceleration-in-your-web-browser

SSD: how to optimize your Solid State Drive for Linux Mint 18.x
https://sites.google.com/site/easylinuxtipsproject/ssd

April 19, 2018 Linux Workshop Supplement

I have taken an Acer One Cloudbook 14 A01 - 431
https://www.acer.com/ac/en/GB/content/model/NX.SHGEK.001
and installed  the 64 bit Linux Mint 18.3 - Cinnamon with Legacy BIOS to completely replace
the WinDOZ 10 operating system which was severely constrained by the 32GB HD available for the OS. 
Attempts to install with UEFI BIOS were too complicated for most users, whereas by simply
changing to the Legacy BIOS mode the install was quick, simple and error free, with good performance.

I also have installed WPS Office which is a Free M$-Office clone that is available for Windows, Linux,
iPOD and Android systems.  The user interface allows the Legacy style of Office 98, 2000,
2002 [XP] and 2003 or the newer Ribbon interface starting with 2007 and on. 
Since the installation is not done with the Software Manager in Mint, I have included the files below
that provide more detailed instructions.  In Linux the True Type Fonts are not automatically
installed and WPS gives an error message.  The files below use both the Software Manager
and the command line Terminal to correct the error message and add all of the Fonts. 
The files are provided, in digital form, because it becomes very simple to use
the command line processor in Terminal if you can just copy & paste the commands
from a file into the terminal program.

To install WPS Office in Mint - Cinnamon.doc  [WPS or M$ Word format]

To install WPS Office in Mint - Cinnamon.pdf  [PDF format]

May 5, 2017 Roundtable SIG

I have done a brief review of four email clients that can be used on your
Windows PC from XP to Win 10 in place of the Microsoft offerings,
for the creation and saving emails on your PC. 
All of Microsoft's offerings from XP to 8.1 have been discontinued
[and I do not think the Win 10 App is worth using].

Take a look at the paper in the link below and we can have a Roundtable discussion during the SIG

Review of Four Alternate Email Clients.pdf

November 6, 2015

For those who wish to download the "free" Windows10 here are some instructions for a "Clean Install".
[right click and Save to your PC].
How to do a clean installation of Windows 10.pdf

Do you need to do a recovery or Clean Install of Windows 7, 8x or 10 ?
Do you need a copy of a Windows installation DVD ?
The file below has links and information to find the files to create the DVD's.
You will need the 25 digit key code from the sticker on the box or PC to activate an installation.
The key is not required if you just need the DVD to do a Repair.
[right click and Save to your PC].
Win7-8-10_ISO-USB-DVD-Dld-Tools-Installers.pdf

For the info on putting Windows  7 Games [i.e. Solitaire, FreeCell etc] back into Win10
download this Windows 10 revised link below and unzip.  Read the "Read Me First" file for instructions.
You may find using 7-Zip easier than the Windoz version to extract the files.
[right click and Save to your PC].
MS_7-4-10_Gms.zip

For those who are interested in turning off Automatic Updates in Win 10, the ZIP file below has
a program and some instructions for installing Policy Editor in Home Versions
of Windows 10, which is required before disabling Automatic Updates.
[right click and Save to your PC.]
Win10_GPEdit_4Home.zip

The link below has the directions for disabling Automatic Updates using the Policy Editor.
[right click and Save to your PC]
How to Disable Windows 10 Automatic Updates.pdf

August 7, 2015

Micro$oft has a special "Administrator" called "Trusted Installer"  which will prevent you from
modifying or removing many system files.  In some cases [WGX for instance] you may need to
revise the Administrator settings to gain access. Below is a link to a page that describes the process.
[CAUTION: Be sure you really know what you are trying to fix, before changing the settings !]
How to take ownership permission of a file or folder manually in windows

Already there are (too) many questions about Windoz10.
In the link below I have started a page with links to some of the questions.
Win10_QnA.htm

June 29, 2015

As discussed in the "Win10" SIG today the link has somewhat current information [likely obsolete tomorrow]
on the upcoming Windows 10 Free release at the end of next month. These were some notes to myself,
with further references to the websites in the blue underlined links in the document.
Windows 10 Upgrade info.pdf

For those who are interested, the ZIP file below has a program and some instructions for installing
Policy Editor in Home versions of XP, Vista, Win7 and 8/8.1 and possibly 10. [right click and Save to your PC.]
GPEdit_Tool4Home.zip

For the info on putting Windows  7 Games [i.e. Solitaire, FreeCell etc] back into Win8
and possibly Win10 see the link below dated February 1, 2013.

May 2, 2014

Internet Explorer 6 to 11 Zero Day Problem
[actually IE 1 through 11]
Brief Summary from the Technet article and some links
Technet on IE Prob

February 1, 2013

Download the link below and unzip.  Read the "Read Me First" file for instructions.
You may find using 7-Zip or jZip easier than the Windoz version to extract the files.
Win 7 MS Games For  Windoz 8

December 4, 2012
An Introduction to Thunderbird Email
Synopsis

Interesting tutorials from Intel 05/25/2012
Intel_Links.htm

Note: The newer versions of Calibre and the Tools are all that are needed
Links below.  Be sure to read the readme notes in the tools download.

calibre-2.22.0.msi
 or latest current version for Vista, Win7 or Win 8 [v 2.22.0 as of 3/30/2015]
NOTE:  For Win XP the latest compatible version is v 1.48.0 calibre-1.48.0.msi

Apprentice Alf's Blog for link to latest Tools [current version 6.2.1 as of 3/30/2015]

Note:  The Adobe Key File for Adobe Digital Editions, and other Key files will be located in XP in the following directory location:
C:\Documents and Settings\<User Name>\Local Settings\Application Data\DeDRMPrefs\adeptkey.der
In Win 7 and Win 8 it will be:  C:\Users\<User Name>\AppData\Local\DeDRMPrefs\adeptkey.der

 Pam's Calibre Presentation Notes from February 19, 2013

Updated Presentation February 14, 2012
E-Readers and Converting File Formats with Calibre
Now covering Kindle, Nook and Adobe Digital Editions for Overguard and Freading Libraries as well

Roundtable SIG May 6, 2011 Notes Updated for February 14 Presentation
Converting eBook Formats
Kindle/MOBI & Nook/Epub emphasized because that is what I know about.
Links updated 2/5/2013

Updated this area on 10/04/2010 Added links to remove cut and paste

September 21, 2007 Tech SIG

October 26, 2007 Computer Clinic

December 19, 2007 Useful Links, Most from PC World
copy & paste or type link into your browser.

Placed the links to Useful XP USB utilities on this site below
USBView and ShowHiddenDevices

October 4, 2010

Here is my latest page to neat programs with Links

September 30, 2010

Recently I needed a simple drawing program and here is a page with programs, links and comments.
Updated 10/04/2010

July 9, 2010

Win Software Tricks from PC World August 2010
This is a rev 2 document of the Word file that I showed at the July 9th SIG
 

March 18, 2010

Have you seen this message on your downloaded file properties ?
Security: "This file came from another computer and might be blocked"
Another Miracle$oft feature in group policies that prevents you from moving your files in XP, Vista and Win 7 !

Here is the fix:  This file came from another computer and might be blocked.pdf

October 10, 2009

Ubuntu - Linux Sig Page

February 3 2009

The following material covers several recent requests that appear difficult to discover:

Turn off Vista UAC [User Account Control]
Excerpted from 13 page PCWorld article Windows Tips for Everyone

Bounce account controls:
Without a doubt, the most annoying thing about Windows Vista is User Account Control (UAC), which causes Windows to ask you for permission before accessing various system resources.
True, this setup will help to keep your PC safe, but do you really need to see yet another pop-up and click through yet another prompt before doing something as simple as changing the size of Windows' main font?
Luckily, you have an easy way to turn off UAC:

Choose Start, Control Panel (or Start, Settings, Control Panel on the Classic Start menu) User Accounts, and then click Turn User Account Control on or off.
At the UAC prompt, select Continue; when you move on to the next screen, uncheck Use User Account Control (UAC) to help protect your computer. Then click OK.

After you restart your computer, you will no longer be bedeviled by those insistently feckless UAC prompts.


Turn off Security Center Alerts in Windows XP and Vista
Gets rid of the annoying popups and shield in the bottom right corner
 

A Power User's Hidden Weapon: Improve the Context Menu - Hack # 28
The context menu is an often-underused tool.
But with these four additions and edits to the menu, it'll turn into a powerhouse that you'll use every day

Also in the O'Reilly book [of 120 Hacks]
Windows XP Hacks - Tips & Tools for Optimizing Your OS - Second Edition
by Preston Gralla          IBSN: 0-596-00918-6

or try this one

Improve The Context Menu, [In 4 parts] Written By Saman Sadeghi
Part 1
Add And Remove Destinations For The “Send To” Option
[no registry edits on this approach - and very simple to do]

Part 2   Part 3   Part 4


If you do not like to use Regedit to do these things go to Microsoft Power Toys and look at what is available,
 or just get the Open Command Window Here utility to work on the Context Menu in XP.

Microsoft Power Toys will only work with XP !      Read the Power Toys Page first  !

And finally for today:

Ubuntu Pocket Guide and Reference PDF edition
This is an excellent book [and free download] for anyone contemplating an installation of Ubuntu Linux.

This area is