Tech Tips [ Backing Up Your Computer - You're Doing It Wrong! + Icon Overload - Free Yourself Now + That Seems Sketchy - Top Apps You Gotta Try ] 07/18/2012

WorldStart Tech Tips 2012-07-18 Having trouble viewing parts or all of the newsletter? View the entire newsletter here! Bud from Nicholasville KY writes: If I backup only the Windows folder on my PC and then restore it, will I have a working PC? Backing up your Windows folder, (usually in c:\windows) is not enough to restore your computer should the PC's hard drive have mechanical problems. The best way to restore a computer back to a previous state is to use backup software that supports disk imaging. Disk Imaging software will make an exact duplicate of all of the information, files and settings needed to start and run your computer (along with all of your files), then package them into a single file to place on a backup drive. Windows 7 includes the ability to make image files natively, but I recommend Laplink Disk Image as it supports some advanced functions, like mounting images (so you can restore individual files), hardware independent restore, and comes with a bootable CD to let you restore the image file without having to reinstall windows first. If you don't want to backup your PC using an imaging program, the best bet is to just backup your personal files – and should your PC crash, to reinstall all the applications from the CDs or redownload them. Your personal files are usually located in c:\users\yourname (in Windows Vista/7) and in c:\documents and settings\yourname, but there can be other personal files stored in program folders and inside of programs configuration files. This is why imaging programs are so good to use. I highly recommend purchasing one. ~Tim Click here to rate this tip | Printer friendly version "How'd I Ever Get Along Without It?!?!?!" The ONE Incredible Tool Every Computer User Absolutely Must-Have! Finally! A Quick, Easy Way To Transfer Files From PC To PC! No Software, Drivers, Or Setup - Plug & Play! HUGE Discount Today!! You Won't Believe The Deal! Limited Quantity!! Grab Yours ASAP!! WOW!! This is SOOOO exciting! We just found your computer's new BEST FRIEND!! You are absolutely gonna LOVE this - It's the Smart PC-Link Data Transfer Cable and it's totally gonna change your computing world - FOREVER! It's the ONE accessory EVERY computer user positively MUST-HAVE!! See, we've heard about you and it's no secret - You need to get files from one computer to another! Only problem is getting the files from one place to another can be as frustrating as riding your bike across the Grand Canyon! I mean, don't you just hate it when... You get a brand new machine and your photos, music, and documents are all trapped on your old computer. You have a desktop and a laptop but sharing files between them is a complete nightmare. You and a friend want to swap files, but there just isn't an easy way. You have more than one computer in the house, and you'd like to get files from one to the other. Bottom line - You're gonna need to get files from one computer to another sooner or later! Sure there's lots of ways to do it - and they all fall under "hard and miserable"! You could spend your afternoon burning CDs, emailing the files to yourself (please tell me you don't do that), or grabbing an Ethernet cable and trying to networking the computers together. Yeah, that didn't sound very good to me either. Come ON! Your time is WAY more valuable than that!! Right? Join us here in this decade doin' it the EASY WAY... Grab the amazing Smart PC-Link Data Transfer Cable! It effortlessly networks your two computers together with just a cable - all automatic! In fact, I looked up the word "easy" in the dictionary and I think I saw a picture of the Smart PC-Link Data Transfer Cable! How's it work? Simple! Just plug the unit into the computer that has the files you want, then plug the included cable into the computer you want to transfer those file to - you're over half way done! That's right - if you can use a USB plug - YOU'RE already an expert! EASY! Oh, and you'll absolutely love this - once you plug in, a friendly "Windows Explorer" style window automatically pops open so you can quickly drag and drop your files from one computer to another! That's really it! So easy it ought to be illegal! Without a DOUBT - this is the one accessory NO computer user should be without! Just imagine - next time you need to transfer documents, loads of photos, tons of music - it can all be done with this little cable! Oh, and you are in for a real TREAT when you upgrade to your next computer! You know ALL those files you need to get from one machine to another? Yup, use this cable, sit back, and relax! It's done baby!! You and I BOTH know you've gotta be crazier than an outhouse rat to sit there trying to copy all your data to CDs or flash drives - or worse - trying to network two computers together just to get your data moved! If you're ever, in your life, going to buy another computer YOU need this!! Heck, if you're ever going to transfer a batch of files from one computer to another you need this! Best computer accessory. EVER. You'll wonder how you lived without it! Oh, and the deal we got can only be described as totally, absolutely 100% pure SWWWEEEETTTNNNEEEESSS!!! YOU get a deal so smokin' hot you should need a permit from the fire dept.! Today only, you can get this for just $16.97 and US shipping is FREE! Oh, and take it from me - once you get your hands on this bad boy you'll be patting yourself on the back for grabbin' it!! It's THAT good! http://store.worldstart.com/product/5139 PS - This special price is ONLY available for a short time, so make sure you sprint on over to the site and get yourself setup with one of these! Next time you need to move files, you'll agree that this is the best cable you've ever owned! The price is headed up soon - don't miss out! Mike from Nebraska writes: I have too many icons in my system tray. How can I get rid of the ones I do not want or need? Hey Mike, I don't blame you for trying to get rid of icons from the System Tray. It can be quite distracting to see the notifications pop up. Let me show you how to unclutter the System Tray. Since, you haven't specified the Windows operating system you are using, I'll provide the steps using the Windows XP operating system. The steps for other Windows versions are similar, though the screen shots may differ. Let's jump right into it by accessing the Taskbar and Start Menu dialog box. To access the Taskbar and Start Menu dialog box, either right-click the task bar and click Properties, as shown below, or go to the Start > Control Panel > Taskbar and Start Menu. Click the Customize button under the Notification area heading. The Customize Notifications dialog box appears. The list of items in your System Tray are listed under the Current Items heading. Next to each item, is a drop-down list box. The default option for these boxes is Hide when inactive. Since you want to permanently hide the icons on your Systems Tray, go to the drop-down list box next to each item and select the Always hide option. After you've selected the Always hide option for the items you don't want to see in your System Tray, click OK to save and close the Customize Notifications dialog box. Click OK to close the Taskbar and Start Menu dialog box. That's it! This will reduce the clutter in your System Tray. ~Rupen Sharma Click here to rate this tip | Printer friendly version Do you have a question for us? Ask it here! Top Sketching Apps for iPad Pt. 1 Looking to create a masterpiece on your iPad, but not quite sure what app will help you make the most of your artistic talents? There are a number of great drawing apps available for iOS. Here are the pros and cons of some of the very best drawing apps currently available for your iPad: SketchBook Ink One of the few third party Apps showcased by Apple during the New iPad's introduction a few months back, SketchBook Ink has quite a bit going for it for those looking to sketch to their hearts content on Apples' preeminent tablet. (Want these tips in their entirety? Sign up for Premium!) Dan from Alberta asks: Are there any programs that allow me to set a specific output size for my video files? Digital video is one of the most space consuming multimedia types. That, and not everyone can afford the luxury of storing huge amounts of video content on an internal hard drive. Of course, today it's also possible to host videos online, but this is more applicable to short clips which don't require much Internet bandwidth and hosting expenditures. Most video consumers are still after backing up huge video files onto DVD or CD discs which also have their capacity limits. Thus, in any case – storing video on HDD, uploading it to the Web or burning to discs – you can't do without alterations in video file size. In spite of the a great number of tools which could assist with the task of video file size reducing, it's a big problem to pick up a really working and easy-to-use one. Of course, to drop file size, you can use free compression software like WinRAR or WinZip. However, in our tests video file size didn't change a lot, while the compression process took a really long time. Read the whole tip here! (Want these tips in their entirety? Sign up for Premium!) Hide Your Username in Windows 7 The login screen of Windows Vista and Windows 7 makes it very easy to see the user name of the last person that logged in. This may be fine on personal computers, but on shared computers, this could be a security threat. A potential intruder would only have to find out the password, which is very possible with the right software. To solve this problem, we have to change a value in the registry. Don't worry; it is easier than it sounds. But before we change anything, it is best to make a backup of the registry. Note: If you're uncomfortable editing the Windows Registry do not attempt this tip. 1. Press [Windows Key] + R to bring up Run. 2. Type "regedit" (without quotes) into the text box and hit enter. Read more at Worldstart! (Want these tips in their entirety? Sign up for Premium!) For stories, jokes, quotes and cartoons every day, sign up for our Just for Grins newsletter. 3D Stereograms As a kid, I had no idea what a stereogram was. I just knew I loved those "find the image in this swirl of color" Magic Eyepictures. It was annoying that my sister always saw the image before I did. These pictures are called autostereograms, and are a type of optical illusion where you trick your brain into seeing a 3D image. When you arrive at the site, you'll find that you are greeted by a page full of stereograms, and if you want to see more just click Page 2, Page 3, or Page 4. There are a total of 33 stereograms that you can challenge yourself with, so don't be a afraid to dive right in! To get started, click on the stereogram you want to try out; this will take you to the larger version of the image. Focus your eyes softly in the center of the image and let the 3D image pop out at you! Have difficulty seeing the images? I do too at first. Check out the Stereogram Viewing Tips section to find helpful hint about how to help trick your brain into seeing them. My best advice is to be patient and really give your eyes a chance to adjust to what you're trying to see – in other words, don't get frustrated and stop in thirty seconds. I may be guilty of that on occasion. Are you ready to trick your brain? Then what are you waiting for? Head over to the site and check out those images! http://www.3dstereograms.com/ ~Amanda Click here to rate this tip | Printer friendly version Do you have a cool, non-commercial site that you want to share? Send it to Amanda at amanda@worldstart.com Your Laptop's on Your Lap and You Feel the BURN... Hear Your Cooling Fans Working Overtime? HEAT IS DESTROYING YOUR COMPUTER! Prevent Overheating The EASY Way - Just $4.13 One HUGE and POWERFUL Fan... Quietly Pulls the Heat Away! USB Powered - Plug & Play! The Good Old Days... Remember when you first got your laptop? It ran cool and smooth - the cooling fans hardly ever kicked on! It's not like that anymore... Remember 5 minutes ago? Or RIGHT NOW? Your laptop is so hot you could cook food on it! You probably know this by now, but this is a serious problem that, if not corrected, will eventually cause your laptop to die. Don't let your laptop die! We've Got the PERFECT Cooling Pad! High Quality: take a look! There are 4 feet that keep this thing sturdy and elevated and, as you can see, there's a MASSIVE fan right in the middle. This is the perfect spot - it quietely and efficiently sucks the heat away and keeps your laptop running cool and smooth! USB Powered - Simple to use! Plug it into your USB port, stick your laptop on top of it, and you're done! It's fully plug and play and compatible with any laptop - from PC to Mac! It's POWERFUL! You won't believe it until you see it! How Does it Work? It's SIMPLE! Think about what that heat is doing to the sensitive internal parts of your computer. Now imagine a powerful vacuum sucking that heat up and blasting it away from your computer. That's exactly what this thing does! The fan sucks the hot air away from your computer, and releases it from an opening on the back - away from your computer! The fan will first absorb and then transfer that heat away, resulting in a cooler, smoother running computer that's NOT overheating! One-Day Only BLOWOUT Price! Just $4.13 with FREE US shipping! Think about how much a new computer would cost you. This cheap, simple fan prevents overheating and extends the life of your laptop! http://store.worldstart.com/product/7853 July Wallpaper! WOW - It's July already! Time to spruce up your desktop with some new wallpaper! Choose from one of the three featured photos below or one of the 80+ others at the site! (Note the shot of Corkscrew Falls below will have black on both sides when displayed on your monitor, but still looks pretty cool) As always, all the desktop wallpaper below is 100% free. Prairie Dog Smooch Ahh, aren't they cute? We found these two prairie dogs on a hillside in Custer State Park, SD on warm June morning. They were having a great time playing, eating, and in this case, checking each other out. I knew when I went on this trip that I wanted to get some kind of shot like this. I had actually been trying for... (more) Coyote Gaze We spotted this cool coyote one evening in Yellowstone, and since coyotes just happen to be about my favorite animal of all time, well, I had to grab the camera and see about getting a photo. Now, the tricky part here was the light – we were running out of it – and FAST! I quickly set up the camera and put glass on this guy – but he was blocked by all kinds of brush – arrgh! However, I knew that if I... (more) Corkscrew Falls OK, first off, no clue if that's what the actual name of this falls is. In fact, I think it's an unnamed falls, so we're going with Corkscrew. Sound good? Cool At any rate, I had heard about this falls when doing a little Hocking Hills internet research. Getting to it involves pulling off to the side of a little highway, jumping... (more) It can all be found here: http://www.backcountrygallery.com/wallpaper/ Enjoy! ~Steve

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