Tech Questions? Get Answers!

I have an old, old program I need to run in Vista, but it won't. Is there a way?

We use Visual BASIC for DOS, ver 1.0, to compile BASIC programs on Win 98SE and Win XP computers. The compiler doesn't work in Vista. Is there some way in which we can get the compiler to work under Vista? If the programs are compiled in XP, the programs run on Vista.

Boy, now there's a blast from the past. It's quite possible that you might actually be using software that I had a hand in creating, many years ago.

I can't guarantee that this will work for any specific program (like VB-DOS), but Vista does include some compatibility tricks that may be able to help.

Continue reading: "I have an old, old program I need to run in Vista, but it won't. Is there a way?"

Posted October 5, 2008 | Category: Windows Configuration

•••

Is a backup an alternative to having no Windows installation CDs?

I took your advice and purchased an external hard drive and Acronis backup software. Now, as a novice, I bought my desktop with Windows XP Media Edition pre-installed (no CD's). Since I am now backing up my whole Hard disk, am I safe if something bad happens with the operating system? (Referring to a recent question on missing or corrupt windows file.)

First, let me say "good for you" for having a backup solution, regardless of what solution you chose. That already puts you ahead of the game compared to most other computer users.

A full initial backup is an excellent safety net and can cover for not having installation CDs in many cases. However, from the way I worded that you can probably guess that there may be issues, but the good news is that they're rare.

Let's review the best way to use a full backup in a case like this.

Continue reading: "Is a backup an alternative to having no Windows installation CDs?"

Posted October 4, 2008 | Category: Maintenance and Backup , Windows Installation

•••

Am I stealing someone else's IP address by resetting my router?

I'm using DSL and I have a router, and I have a static IP. So one day I restarted my router manually by pressing a button on the back. Now my IP address has changed. I told my friend I had done this and he says I've made a huge mistake. He says I'm essentially stealing another person's IP address on the ISP. Is it true that I am committing a crime by changing my IP address by simply restarting my router?

No, you're not.

What your friend fails to realize is something very fundamental to how IP addresses work.

You don't take an IP address; an IP address is given to you.

Continue reading: "Am I stealing someone else's IP address by resetting my router?"

Posted October 3, 2008 | Category: Network IP Addressing

•••

How do I recover a corrupt system file if my Windows was pre-installed?

I have Windows XP home media edition. The message reads: "Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt - <windows root>\system32\ntoskrnl.exe Please re-install a copy of the above file." The computer came with pre-installed Windows. All I have is recovery disks. I already lost all of my data once and I can not afford to lose it again. Please advise. I also spent hours looking for an answer on the internet. I saw nothing that could solve my problem.

I've addressed this and similar questions here several times before, but I want to revisit this because there are two important reminders that arise out of addressing this situation.

The first, of course, is that even if Windows is pre-installed you should always get the installation, not recovery, CDs when you buy a new machine.

Why manufacturers think it's a good idea not to provide them automatically is beyond me.

Continue reading: "How do I recover a corrupt system file if my Windows was pre-installed?"

Posted October 2, 2008 | Category: Windows Installation

•••

Does a sandbox or virtual machine help protect your privacy?

I've been very interested in your articles on what a website can learn about you when browsing, cookies, and passwords etc. I wonder if you would like to comment on the pros and cons of using a sandbox (I use Sandboxie). Does using one overcome some of the issues you have discussed?

I'm going to add virtual machines to the mix that this question opens up, since the answer is (roughly) the same.

And the answer is that age old trio: yes, maybe and no.

The problem is that while sandboxes and VM's can help, they can help only in some ways, and that help comes at a cost.

Continue reading: "Does a sandbox or virtual machine help protect your privacy?"

Posted October 1, 2008 | Category: Browsers , Privacy

•••

What Security Software do you Recommend?

What anti-virus software should I use? How about a firewall? And what about spyware? Should I use one of the all-in-one packages that claim to do it all?

As you might imagine, I get these questions all the time. As a result, I do have recommendations in various articles on the site.

Here's the short version that sums it all up.

Continue reading: "What Security Software do you Recommend?"

Posted September 30, 2008 | Category: Software

•••

How else can websites get my information?

In a series of three previous questions, What can a website I visit tell about me? and What are browser cookies and how are they used? and What are tracking cookies and should they concern me? I discussed some of the information that websites get automatically, or through legitimate means by virtue of using cookies, and then how cookies can be used "behind the scenes" by networks of websites to track your visits to sites in the network.

In this article, I'm going to cover three loose ends that while unrelated to each other, are other ways that websites can get information you probably didn't realize you were giving them.

Continue reading: "How else can websites get my information?"

Posted September 29, 2008 | Category: Privacy

•••

Word Tips - Microsoft Word Tips, Tricks and Answers

I don't know everything. I know that's a shock to maybe one or two of you, but it's the truth. One of the techniques I use to make it look like I know more than I really do is to know where to look for information.

Allen Wyatt's Word Tips is one of these places. Yes, I've used Microsoft Word for many, many years and know it very well ... but Word Tips has more answers and more suggestions than I could ever hope to have.

Continue reading: "Word Tips - Microsoft Word Tips, Tricks and Answers"

Posted September 28, 2008 | Category: On The Web - Tech

•••

What are tracking cookies and should they concern me?

In two previous questions, What can a website I visit tell about me? and What are browser cookies and how are they used? I discussed some of the information that websites get, and techniques that they can use to collect and remember more.

One particular part of the original question leads to today's article:

Can [a] site collect ... my browsing history

To be clear, a site cannot.

However, through clever use of cookies typically associated with advertising, it is possible for some services to track who in their network of advertisers you visit.

And thus we have "tracking" and "third party" cookies to talk about.

Continue reading: "What are tracking cookies and should they concern me?"

Posted September 26, 2008 | Category: Privacy

•••

What are browser cookies and how are they used?

In a previous question What can a website I visit tell about me? I discussed the information that's made available to all websites no mater what they do. The original question included:

Can [a] site collect the following information:

- My computer name (the name I assigned to my computer)?

- Profile information???

- My browsing history (any/all sites I've visited and when) or can they just tell the number of items in my history?

- Email addresses associated with my computer?

The strict answer remains "no" to the question as posed, but in reality things aren't quite that simple.

For example, web sites can remember what you tell them, and we often tell them more than we think.

And the remembering? That's typically using something called a "browser cookie".

Continue reading: "What are browser cookies and how are they used?"

Posted September 25, 2008 | Category: Browsers

•••

Why can't I just use one password everywhere?

Can you use the same password for everything you need one for? Having a lot of different ones is really hard to remember, to the point that I have had to write each one down.

Yes, you can use the same password everywhere, but I really don't recommend it. It simply increases the risk of your accounts being compromised.

There are several approaches to password management that don't require using one password everywhere, and also don't require that you remember dozens, if not hundreds, of different passwords.

Continue reading: "Why can't I just use one password everywhere?"

Posted September 24, 2008 | Category: General Computing

•••

What can a website I visit tell about me?

When I visit a web site that collects visitor statistics - I understand they can see my IP which will tell them I am a Verizon customer with a Mac/Intel operating system, the area where I may live, what browser I use, if I'm new to the site, and click information on the site- but can the site collect the following information:

- My computer name (the name I assigned to my computer)?

- Profile information???

- My browsing history (any/all sites I've visited and when) or can they just tell the number of items in my history?

- Email addresses associated with my computer?

I've reviewed similar questions but I'm not sure I truly understand what information a web-server can collect from my connection/browser.

This turns into a fairly complex answer pretty quickly. It's both more, and a lot less, than you might think.

This article will start by covering what every website sees.

Continue reading: "What can a website I visit tell about me?"

Posted September 22, 2008 | Category: Web

•••

Where's the Recycle Bin on my USB Drive?

I had a file on a USB pen drive I accidentally deleted. I went to the Recycle Bin folder to recover it. But the file was not there. Luckily the file was not very important. I have experimented with deleting files on the USB pen drive and it appears the deleted files do not go to the Recycle Bin. Where do the files go? Is it possible to undo a delete from a USB pen drive?

As you've found out, there's not always a recycle bin. In fact, in my experience, occasionally there is, but it's not used.

It's quite confusing, and somewhat surprising, but the recycle bin seems to be used inconsistently across versions of Windows, at least when it comes to what Windows considers to be a "removable" device.

Continue reading: "Where's the Recycle Bin on my USB Drive?"

Posted September 21, 2008 | Category: Windows Oddities

•••