Monthly Archives: March 2008

QuickTime, iTunes install Safari — like it or not

The auto-update routines for QuickTime and iTunes, two programs that play multimedia files, have quietly begun installing Apple’s Safari browser unless PC users are sharp enough to turn off a little-noticed option.

This week’s abomination makes me question the entire concept of trusting auto-update mechanisms as a way of seeking better security.

Read More »

Is that a good spot over there?

It’s a vehicular jungle out there, with packed traffic, surly drivers, and a paucity of parking places, all begging the question, “Where the Sam Hill is everyone going to park?”

Read More »

Reader tips on portable computing flow in

In my Mar. 20 article, I described techniques for putting an entire Linux OS on a flash drive, which is almost like having a pocket computer that can run many of your favorite applications.

I mentioned some limitations and presented a warning, but readers have come to our aid with insights on protecting and using your diminutive computer accessory.

Read More »

XP virtual computing avoids dual-boot complexity

It’s possible to have Vista and chow down on your XP cake, too, if you apply a free — for now — virtual machine.

If you’re stuck with a Vista PC, but you really prefer using XP, I’ll show you how to set up XP as a virtual machine on Vista, plus some tricks you can use to get the most out of this setup.

Read More »

No Windows XP setup disk? Here’s how to create one

Many PCs don’t come with a full bootable Windows Setup CD. Instead they come with a “Recovery CD” or, worse still, no CD but a special recovery partition on the hard drive. In most cases running the recovery CD or hard drive program will take the PC back to its original state.

Read More »

Another outstanding free program launcher

In issue #154 I gave my hearty endorsement to three freeware application launchers: Launchy [1], Find and Run Robot [2] and Enso [3]. However, subscriber Ryan Reif has suggested yet another program.

Read More »

How to copy DVDs using freeware

Need to backup your DVDs? This article [1] will show you how using the freeware program DVDShrink.

Read More »

Automate tasks in Firefox and Internet Explorer

IOpus iMacros is a free Firefox extension [1] and IE add-on [2] that may save you a lot of work. Here’s what the site says about the Firefox version:

Read More »