Fix PC Errors

I have had a few emails in the past month about blogs, and one feature that a few people seem to be struggling over is being able to embed a Youtube video within a post. There are a few different blog scripts that you will be using (blogger etc), but one of the main ones and what I use is Wordpress. So I will tell you how to set your Wordpress blog so that you can easily play any Youtube video on your blog.

Firstly you will need to get the appropriate plugin, just use this one (plugin), or you can also type in Youtube within the Wordpress plugin directory (I find the plugin I gave you does the best job). Now just unzip the folder and extract the plugin.

You will now have to upload the plugin to the plugin folder of your wordpress blog (wp-content > plugins).

Now within your Wordpress admin go to your plugins area and you will see the plugin you just uploaded there, just click activate and it will automatically be activated on your site. But that doesn’t mean you can just add the Youtube embed code now.

You now have a options area in your admin for the plugin, just go to options > WP YouTube and you will be there. In this options area you can set a bunch of different options for your embedded Youtube clips, this is a really useful tool. But also down the bottom you will notice details on how to add your embedded clip to your blog.

• Grab the last digits after the = in your Youtube url
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWYi4_COZMU
  • Grab - MWYi4_COZMU
• Add these digits to this piece of code
  • [ wp_youtube]Add Here[/wp_youtube ]
• So you will get - [ wp_youtube]MWYi4_COZMU[/wp_youtube ]
• NOTE: I have added spaces in the code (I didn’t want a clip embedded here!), so just use that code with no spaces.

Now with this code you simply add it to your post and you will be able to post any Youtube clip in your blog. Check out this post and you can see how I have added my Youtube clips.

I hope this was a little helpful! Talk to you all next time..

If you have a copy of Windows Vista and you need to run it faster then perhaps you should disable the Vista Aero desktop feature (Note: if your computer does not have the appropriate graphics cards then you will not even be running Aero). To check if your computer is running Aero and disable it then just do the following, or watch the video (new feature to PC Error Free!);

• Right click your desktop
• Click personalize
• Click windows color and appearance
•  If the appearance setting box shows up you are probably not running Aero (but you can check this from the list)
• If you see the windows color and appearance box then click the open classic appearance link
• In the color scheme drop down click windows vista basic
• Click apply (could take a few seconds)
• Now click OK and you are done

Here is a quick video demonstration

As most of you probably know by now, the Vista SP1 has been released. However, wanting to install this is a different issue completely. Most users we have spoken to were quite reluctant to install this without first knowing the side effects.

Well quite a few Vista users got a shock when SP1 was installed on their systems via the Windows Update service.  This was apparently due to a mistake at Microsoft, with a staff member pressing the wrong button??

Anyway, if you got the Vista SP1 update by choice or accident, it is supposed to have improved security and a few other things. Unfortunately it is also known to break a bunch of programs. You can see the affected programs right here at the Microsoft support site.

You can also try the free scan to repair any other PC errors you might be experiencing due to the update.

I had an email overnight from a reader in the UK asking about Outlook. They wanted to know how to change the color of a note, although I don’t use much of Outlook I do remember how to change the color. Just follow these points;

• Click on Notes on the Navigation pane
• (or you can simply use your down arrow and scroll down to Note)
• (or Keyboard Shortcut is CTRL+SHIFT+N)
• Write any information you want in the note
• You must now close the note
• Right click on the closed note
• Select the arrow by Color
• Here you can choose any new color you want
• All Done!

Take it easy guys and I will be back tomorrow with some new updates.

You may already have received the new updates, so what are they all about?

Following its meager security updates in January, Microsoft came back with a huge release for February. The company released 11 security bulletins containing 17 fixes.

In total, 17 individual software flaws were patched in the updates. Microsoft rates six updates as critical, meaning they should be installed as soon as possible, while the remaining five updates are considered “important.” Last month was an easier month on IT administrators, when Microsoft released just two updates.

A major source of the patches this month are the Office products including fixes for Microsoft Word and Publisher as well as in Office itself. One critical update is for Windows OLE or object linking & embedding. The rest of the updates were for Active Directory, Vista TCP/IP, the Microsoft Works file converter, and the Internet Information Services Web server.

The MS08-007 update fixes a critical flaw in the Windows XP and Vista WebDAV redirector software. The flaw is rated important for Windows Server 2003 users. The updates also include critical fixes for Microsoft Word, Office Publisher and in Office itself. Another critical update for Windows’ Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) Automation software is also included.

Cannot Copy Files to Recordable Disc

Windows Media Player cannot copy the selected files to the CD-R or CD-RW disc. To fix the problem, do one or more of the following:

• Clean the disc and ensure that it is not damaged.
• Select a slower recording (write) speed.
• Try a different brand of CD-R or CD-RW disc.
• Quit other programs.

To select a slower recording speed

1. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Devices tab.
2. In Devices, double-click the name of the CD-R or CD-RW drive, and then click the Recording tab.
3. In the write-speed list, select a slower speed.

Today many people depend on computers for a multitude of purposes including work related, personal business related, and even entertainment related. With so much dependency on computer systems for so many things, it becomes evermore critical to protect personal computers from hackers, malware, and other types of potential difficulties.

Many of the computer viruses which are produced today are designed to obtain personal data for illicit purposes. Some of these computer viruses can wreak havoc by destroying an entire hard drive. It is critical to understand computer security in order to protect from complete data loss due to these types of malicious programs.

The right type of computer protection can ease one’s mind from any undue worry related to potential computer data loss. Regular computer backup of files and good security measures are the underpinnings for a good data protection routine. These simple measures can make a big difference.

Computer data can easily be protected with a few specific techniques:

1. Security Programs

A frontline protection for any personal computing system is a quality security software. A little online research can help one discover the best security software for his or her personal needs. The Internet contains much in the way of useful information to help one narrow down the search for an appropriate type of security software.

Certain “computer geek” forums lend themselves to discussions on the best ways of securing a computer for particular computing styles and levels of knowledge. Software download sites are also useful places in discovering the popularity of a security software as they provide a forum for looking at number of downloads and examining reviews which address the pros and cons of any given software.

The addition of this information can help the consumer make quality choices in regards to computer data protection systems and security measures.

A good anti-virus software program provides the foundation of personal computer security. Other security measures include password encryption programs and anti- spyware programs. Many security software programs can be found for free or for a free time limited trial offer at certain download sites on the Internet. Installing and updating the software regularly can ensure that your computer is protected.

2. Computer Backup

System backups which are routine provide significant insurance against a total data wipeout. In some cases of a computer system failure, windows operating system can create a “restore point” by returning to an earlier time in the computer’s “life” and restoring the system to the earlier point by use of the command “system restore.”

Despite having access to this technique, it remains advisable to ensure the protection of all computer data by investing in a portable hard drive to which personal files and important data can be backed up outside of the computer system. Many people store their portable hard drives in locations away from their computers in order to provide more protection.

Other people utilize online storage systems in which they pay “rent” for the privilege of being able to backup their system to the service provider’s servers. Many people, however, are not comfortable in releasing the contents of their hard drive to such a service. Consequently, personal storage devices, be they portable hard drives or flash drives, etc, appear to be the best choice for many.

3. The Maintenance of Routine Updates

This is just an integration of the first two techniques. Most people actually create system backups and use security software but the problem that I usually see is that people do not update these things regularly.

If your computer data is always being stored and updated, make sure that you do these things in a routine fashion. especially for the hard drive backups. I actually lost a lot of data due to poor system backups and it cost me a lot of time and money, so I highly advise that you constantly update your information in your backup hard drives.

It is clear, that computer data protection is a critical activity and that regular backups and adequate security will prevent potential data loss from occurring. A little bit of prevention is worth a pound of cure in regards to ensuring that one’s personal data is protected and one’s computer system is secured.

Microsoft today announced that Service Pack 1 (SP1) of Windows Vista has been released to manufacturing.  Eagerly anticipated by Vista aficionados around the world, SP1 will be initially available in five languages—English, French, Spanish, German and Japanese.

Users will be able to download SP1 beginning in mid-March, as Microsoft is timing its release to coincide with the retail availability of new systems pre-installed with SP1.

Many of the fixes for Vista have already been released as part of regular monthly updates in the year since the operating system went on sale to consumers.

Microsoft has also begun burning Vista SP1 DVDs for distribution to business customers who subscribe to the company’s volume licensing program. New personal computers with Vista SP1 will start showing up in stores “in the coming months,” said Microsoft Windows product manager Mike Nash, in a blog post Monday.

Microsoft will release SP1 to Windows Update and the Microsoft.com download center in mid-March, Nash said.

If “Windows Update determines that the system has one of the drivers we know to be problematic, then Windows Update will not offer SP1,” Nash wrote. “Since we know that some customers may want to update to SP1 anyhow, the download center will allow anyone who wants to install SP1 to do so.”