Free Microsoft support for Windows XP, Office 2003 ends next month

Microsoft will end official free support for Windows XP Home Edition and Microsoft Office 2003 on April 14th. That doesn't mean the help center on your computer will stop working, but you won't be able to get free answers to your questions from Microsoft anymore. You will be able to pay for extended support for both products through 2014.

Microsoft will also continue providing free security-related hotfixes to non-subscribing customers. So unless you frequently make calls to Microsoft support, the April 14th deadline might not really affect you.

ctfmon.exe and how to disable it in Windows XP and Vista

If you’re like me, you probably like your computer to run as fast and efficiently as possible. One of the main ways to do this is to stop any unwanted processes from working behind the scenes and eating up your system’s resources. Most likely you have already gone through Windows Task Manager to stop unneeded processes, but what about that pesky "ctfmon.exe" that never seems to go away.

According to Microsoft, Ctfmon is the process that controls Alternative User Input and the Office Language bar. It’s how you can control the computer via speech or a pen tablet, or using the onscreen keyboard inputs for Asian languages. In other words, 90% of Windows users will never need nor want the addition, so how do you go about disabling it for good?

Here’s how to get rid of it on Windows XP:

Go to your control panel and open up "Regional and Language Options." Choose the "Languages" tab in the window that appears and click "Details" under "Text Services and Input Languages." Go to the "Advanced" tab in the new window that appears and check the box labeled "Turn off advanced text services." This will immediately close Ctfmon. Finally, go back to the "Settings" tab and verify the information under the heading "Installed Services." The first tier should read English (United States) followed by a second tier that reads "keyboard." followed by a third tier that reads "US." As long as there are no other services besides your keyboard, Ctfmon should never come back on. If you have any additional services installed, review whether you truly need them, and if not, remove them.

Here’s how to get rid of it on Windows Vista:

The process is similar to the steps taken in Windows XP, but since the layout is different, there’s a different route that must be taken. First, open your "Control Panel," and choose "Regional and Language Options." Find "Change keyboards or other input methods" which should bring up a new window. Choose the "Keyboards and Languages" tab and click "Change Keyboards." At this point, you should be at the same screen as in Windows XP. You’ll want to remove the extra installed services in the list other than your default keyboard language to make sure Ctfmon will never again activate.

To save your changes and to make sure Ctfmon will never again return, you need to alter your startup procedures. Go to "Run" in your startbar and enter "msconfig.exe" to open up a new window. Go to the "Startup" tab, and uncheck the box next to "ctfmon." After this, simply reboot your system to be completely Ctfmon free.

Windows Vista

I talked to my son John a few weeks ago and he was telling me that he was thinking about getting a new more powerful laptop computer for himself. Right now he has an almost one year old laptop running Windows Vista Home Premium and it just doesn't have the power that he wants. It has two gigs memory and a 383mb video card, and a 160gb hard drive. He also has two external hard drives that he uses for additional storage and an ipod. You can click here to see what he has now. I can understand him wanting a new one. John is a computer nut so to speak. He uses it for everything, music, movies, television, phone calls, programming, work and so on. Before John joined the Navy he was in college majoring in Computer Science and doing some tech support on the side. Usually he is doing several things with his computer at once and needs allot of power. "John is a power user".

Now, getting to my point, I have two desktop computers myself and my wife has one. My computers run Windows XP and Linux and my wife is using XP. I get allot of calls asking me for help with other peoples computers and since I don't have Vista I really can't help others that use that OS. John said that when he buys a new computer for himself that he would give me his current laptop. That will enable me to use and learn Vista. I am really excited by the prospect of owning a laptop with Vista. That would enable me to learn the OS and the flexibility to do work from other places besides my computer room/office. It will be nice to be able to sit in my living room in the recliner with my knees up instead of sitting here in my computer chair every time I want to do something with the computer. At the very least I'm sure that my blog will be updated more often when I get a laptop..... I'll let you know what he decides on when he finally buys a new computer, and thanks in advance John. :)

As a side note, I called my daughter Cindy but she was working and couldn't talk at the time. At least I know that she made it to Washington ok. :) I'm sure she will call me later when she has the time and I'll try to let you know what she is up to then.

Internet Speedtest

I just did a little internet Speedtest this morning and am very happy with the results from Cableone. Check out your speed and see what you get.

Windows XP Service Pack 3 Available on Microsoft's Servers

The gHacks blog sniffs out some installation files for Windows XP Service Pack 3 hosted on Microsoft's Windows Update servers, while official notice of the update seems to be running a bit late. You can grab the 32-bit English-language SP3 here, while other languages are available at the gHacks page. I installed the update this morning and all seems to be going well so far.

Is Linux Ubuntu usable enough for non-tech-savvy people yet?

Image by ktostereo via FlickrThe author asks his girlfriend to perform simple tasks using a fresh Ubuntu installation. It's surprising how some of the simple things we assume to be easy are actually hard for someone who's never used Linux. Interesting insight into how ready Linux is for the desktop.

read more | digg story

I finally got Synergy to work

What a day. I have been trying to get Synergy to work with my Windows XP and Linux machines for two days now and finally got everything to work tonight. What I had to do was so simple. I had to click the Scroll Lock button on my keyboard on my Windows XP ( Server ) machine. That was it. Once I did that I was able to move the mouse from one computer and Operating System to another. I can now control both computers from one mouse and keyboard. The Scroll Lock is a hotkey that locks the mouse and keyboard to one computer. LOL This will make things so much easier. :)

This is how I finally got Synergy to work. On the Linux desktop I installed QuickSynergy. That was easy. Just go to the Synaptic Package Manager and do a search for QuickSynergy and download and install it. In QuickSynergy you go to the Share tab and type in the Server computer name in the direction box ( in this case the left box ) then go to the Use tab and type in the IP address for the Server computer. Then click Start. ( the Server is the computer that has the mouse and keyboard that you want to use )

On the Windows desktop go to the Configure button next to Screens and Links and input all the variables for both computers. Do this for the IP addresses and the computer names. It using two computers you will have 4 entries here. Under the advanced setting put the windows computer name. Make note of the port Synergy uses.

Next: GO to the Windows firewall ( or whatever firewall you are using ) and add exceptions for synergy. Synergy will do this once when you set it up but you should do it again. I had to do this to get it to work.

Next: Go to your router settings and enable port forwarding for synergy for the port that you noted earlier. Do it for all IP addresses for the computers that you are going to connect using synergy. That's about it except for the pesky scroll lock button on the keyboard. The Scroll Lock button locks Synergy to one screen. If you are having problems getting it to work try clicking on Scroll Lock and try again.


If you have any questions just ask.

I want to say a special thanks to Sean over at "The Tech Juice" for his excellent tutorial on Synergy and all his help.


Synergy lets you easily share a single mouse and keyboard between multiple computers with different operating systems, each with its own display, without special hardware. It's intended for users with multiple computers on their desk since each system uses its own monitor(s). Redirecting the mouse and keyboard is as simple as moving the mouse off the edge of your screen. Synergy also merges the clipboards of all the systems into one, allowing cut-and-paste between systems. Furthermore, it synchronizes screen savers so they all start and stop together and, if screen locking is enabled, only one screen requires a password to unlock them all.



How to use Synergy Video from Cnet

My Linux Desktop

I just updated Ubuntu Linux to the latest version after downloading the iso file for it and burning it to a DVD. I inserted the DVD into the linux box and re-booted the computer and booted off the DVD, formatted the hard drive again, installed the latest version and am now doing the 206 updates that needed to be done. Here is a Screenshot of my current Linux desktop.

I found a good article called "Why Use Linux?" that you might want to read. So far it has been smooth sailing here. I installed Synaptic Package Manager on this computer yesterday and it made things allot easier. Now the next step is to get Synergy to work so I can use just one keyboard and mouse to control both computers.

Another Computer up and running

My wifes computer in her computer room

My computers in my computer room

I worked on a computer due to a lightning strike for a neighbor and they ended up getting a new one because this one didn't work ( several parts fried ) and insurance paid for the new one. After working on it here for two days and about 15hrs I was able to get it up and running again with the Ubuntu Linux OS installed. I downloaded Freedos and formatted and ran Chkdsk on the hard drive and then after several tries was able to get Linux installed. I had to replace some things inside but I had the parts here. You can see my setup in the picture.

The new ( old ) computer is a Dell Dimension 9100. All three of our computers are connected to the internet now through my Linksys router.

This is what it has:

*Pentium 4 3GHz with 2 MB Cache and Hyperthreading Technology Chipset Intel 945P

*375 W Power Supply

*3-V CR2032 lithium coin cell Battery

*1 Gig DDR2 SDRAM 2 DIMMS 667-MHz.

*160 Gig 7200rpm SATA 16MB Cache Hard Drive

*CD-RW drive

*DVD-RW drive

*3 1/4 Floppy Drive

*10/100/1000 Ethernet

*256meg PIC Express NVIDIA Video Card with TV Out

*Sound Blaster Live 24-bit Advanced Audio Sound Card

*Dell USB Keyboard

*Dell USB Optical Mouse

*56K PIC Data Fax Modem

*7 USB 2.0 Ports ( two front-panel and five back-panel USB 2.0-compliant connectors )

*Running the Ubuntu Linux Operating System

Dell Dimension 9100

Good morning. I have been busy trying to work on a Dell Dimension 9100 that was given to me after a client had it replaced due to this computer failing due to a lightning strike. The hard drive has failed and all test show that the drive it a total loss. I tried to run a linux live cd on it yesterday to see if that would work and still I had no luck. My son John called from Mayport Naval Base last night and he is going to get me a new SATA hard drive for this computer and then I will work on it some more. Aside from that I will upgrade the memory and video card and see how far I can get with this thing.

Memory Upgrade for the Dell Dimension 9100 Desktop/PC

The last few day here have been quiet

The last few day here have been quiet. Our neighbor had her computer fail due to a lightning strike a few days ago. She had me come over and test it and then write up an estimate for her insurance company. After I talked to the the Insurance Adjuster her Insurance company decided to cover the whole thing minus her deductible. I ordered her a new computer yesterday and should have it sometime next week.

This is what she did have:

Pentium 4 3GHz with 2 MB Cache and Hyperthreading Technology Chipset Intel 945P
375 W Power Supply
3-V CR2032 lithium coin cell Battery
1 Gig DDR2 SDRAM 2 DIMMS 667-MHz.
200 Gig 7200rpm SATA 16MB Cache Hard Drive
CD-RW drive
DVD-RW drive
3 1/4 Floppy Drive
10/100/1000 Ethernet
256meg PIC Express NVIDIA Video Card with TV Out
Sound Blaster Live 24-bit Advanced Audio Sound Card
Dell USB Keyboard
Dell USB Optical Mouse
56K PIC Data Fax Modem
7 USB 2.0 Ports ( two front-panel and five back-panel USB 2.0-compliant connectors )
Speakers
Microsoft Works Suite with Microsoft Word
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition

Her new one will be a little better.

Drinking Coffee

Good morning, I am still on my first pot of coffee for the day. I woke up at 4:45am today and took a shower and went to the store to get some breakfast food for our guest. I picked up a Danish, Donuts, Bagels, Cream cheese, English muffins and Orange juice. We also have Bacon and Eggs here.

We had allot of fun last night with Kara and Sheila. Mainly we just sat around and talked. :) Today I am going to fix Karas computer that she brought with her from Arkansas.

My daughter Cindy called last night from San Diego Naval Base. She got a 90 on her mid-term for FC CIWS C-School. Congratulations Cindy. She is going to fill out her dream sheet ( where she wants to be stationed next ) next week and is picking Hawaii first. She is at the top of her class so I am sure she will get her first pick.

That's about it for now. I will try to post some pictures later today if I get a chance.

Just waiting

Good morning. I sold the computer that I mentioned in an earlier post today. I had 3 calls about it this morning and one yesterday. The computer is going to a school teacher so it will go to good use.

My wifes friends Kara and Sheila from Arkansas are coming up to visit us this week. They should be here sometime today or tomorrow and are planning on staying until Sunday. My wife Vicki has been friends with them since they were kids. Kara is bringing her Dell Dimension 4600 with her for me to work on. It's running slow and has some other problems, but that is to be expected after 4 years. I will probably format the hard drive and reinstall the OS and suggest that she get some more memory for it.

Got the computer up and running

I spent several hours last night getting the new ( used ) computer formatted and then reinstalling the OS, drivers, and other software. This morning my computer room looked like a real mess with computer parts everywhere. Today I moved things around and cleaned up a bit. It will stay this way until I get rid on the computer that I got yesterday.

I have both computers right next to each other on the floor and the monitors on my desk. This way when I show it to people they can try it out before deciding on whether or not they want it.

Formatting Computer

Today was a good day. I went to help some people with a new computer that they bought a few weeks ago and when I was done they gave me their old one. It is a Dell Dimension 2400. Not that great by any standard but it will do. The first thing I did was to open it up and get the vacuum cleaner out and I then vacuumed all the dust ( 5 years worth ) out of it. Don't ever do that people, you could fry the insides. I have been using and working with computers since the 80s and know what I am doing. The next thing to do was to find a keyboard ( I had an extra one in a closet ), then I wiped the drive and am formatting it before I install Windows XP back onto it. You can see the computer and the 19in CRT monitor on the left on the pictures with the keyboard sitting on top of it.

UPDATE: I got the computer that was given to me to work. I have everything installed and am still doing windows updates. I had this computer up and running with Windows XP at 7:30pm. I am doing this Blog update on the new ( old ) computer. :)

This computer is a Pentium 4 2.4 GHZ, 256megs ram, 74 GB hard drive, 3 1/2 inch Floppy, CD/RW, and DVD Rom drive with a 19in CRT Monitor. It runs pretty good right now. Probably just like it was when it was new several years ago. If I were going to keep it I would probably upgrade the memory quite a bit ( you can get the memory from Walmart for $34.86 ) but aside from that this would be a great first computer for most people. Anyone need a computer?

I installed Firefox, IrfanView, SM Player, AVG antivirus, and CCleaner and did all the latest updates for the software.

Relocate the "Temporary Internet Files" folder to a different drive

If you have a second hard drive and want to move the Temporary Internet Files to it instead of your C: drive just follow these directions.


Relocate the "Temporary Internet Files" folder to a different drive

To redirect the Temporary Internet Files location to a different drive, follow these steps:

1 Save and close all running applications

2 Create a folder in the destination drive (say F:\TIF)

3 Click Start, Run and type CONTROL INETCPL.CPL

4 In the Temporary Internet Files section, click Settings

5 Click Move Folder button and browse to the target folder

6 Click OK

7 Click Yes, when you see the prompt

"Windows will log you off to finish moving Temporary Internet Files. Do you want to continue ?"

Windows will now copy all the Cookies, temporary internet files to the destination folder and log you off. Log back in for the changes to take effect.


To accomplish this via the registry, alter the Shell Folders path for TIF

The above method is effective as it copies the contents of the current Temporary Internet Files folder to the new location. Whereas, relocating the Temporary Internet Files shell folders path via the registry does not copy the existing content to the new location.

Open Registry Editor by typing REGEDIT in Start, Run dialog

Navigate to the following registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software Microsoft \ Windows CurrentVersion \ Explorer User Shell Folders

In the right-pane, double-click the value named Cache and set it's data to the new TIF folder
(F:\Temporary Internet Files)

Similarly, make the changes in this registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software Microsoft \ Windows CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ Shell Folders

Close Registry Editor and log off. Login back for the changes to take effect. The TIF will be stored in the new location which you defined. The old TIF files can be deleted manually by navigating to this folder from Start, Run dialog: %userprofile%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files

How to change the location of the My Documents folder

How to change the location of the My Documents folder in Windows.

In my computer I have three hard drives. Having more than one hard drive is becoming more and more popular these days.

By default, the My Documents folder located in Windows XP and Windows Vista is located on the same drive or partition as the Windows operating system. This is fine for anyone who has only a single drive or a single partition on their computer, such as the C drive, but if you have more than one physical or logical drive on your computer, it’s probably a good idea to move your My Documents folder off the system drive.

* Reasons to move the My Documents folder

* Free up hard drive space on the system partition.

With all of the monthly updates for Office and Windows, your C drive might be getting close to full. Also, other system files like the paging file, system restore files, and hibernation files are all stored on the system partition. Once you move the My Documents folder data off, you will gave Windows more space to live and breathe.

* Easy backup and recovery of data in case of Windows crash

Another reason to move the My Documents folder is to better help protect your data. For example, if Windows crashes on you one day and you have to perform a reinstall, all of your data on the primary drive will be lost. However, if your data is on the D drive, let’s say, and your Windows on the C drive craps out, you can reinstall a fresh copy of Windows on the C drive and the rest of your data remains intact. Of course, this will not save your data if the entire hard drive fails physically and your My Documents folder is on the same drive, just in a different partition. But there have been many occasions that I've seen when Windows has become unusable due to a virus, spyware or other problem.

* How to move My Documents folder to a new location

* Moving your My Documents folder is actually a simple process and can be done by anyone.

1. Right-click on the My Documents folder and choose Properties

2. Click Move and choose the desired location for your My Documents folder. Remember, it would be best to move it to a different PHYSICAL drive if possible. If not, move it to a different partition at least.

3. Click Ok and then click Apply. You’ll be asked whether you want to move all of the current documents to the new location or not. Choose Yes.

That’s all there is to it. Your documents will be moved to the new location. When you click the My Documents icon on your desktop, it’ll open just as before but your documents will be stored in the new location that you chose.

Protect Your Laptop Keyboard from Liquid Spills ( Video )

Preventing this from happening is easy. You could simply not drink near the computer, or keep a lid/cap on your beverages. You can also get a keyboard skin (cover) specifically made to protect your particular model.

The Family Tech Support Person

There is a good article over at lifehack.org called "How to Survive as the Family Tech Support Guy (or Gal)." I can relate to this. I am the tech guy for my family and friends. :) If your interested go on over and read he article.

They mention LogMeIn and I have advocated LogMeIn for a while now and it really comes in handy.

"Tip: install LogMeIn Free on all your family member’s computers and link them to your account. Then you’ll be able to log in to their computers from home and work on it just like you would if you were in front of the computer itself. This is obviously no good for problems when the computer won’t boot or there’s a hardware problem, but for little things like setting up email, updating a program, or troubleshooting a network connection, it’s just the thing. And it’s free."

Cat Schwartz on the Today Show

For all of the old TechTV fans out there that used to watch Call For Help, you can see Cat Schwartz tomorrow Tues. the 22nd, between 8-9am on the Today Show on NBC. She will be talking about back-to-school tech. If you don't know who she is you can read more here.