PCinfospace

I decided to write this article because I have run into many individuals and small businesses that ran into this particular problem. It even happened to me.

When you update from a previous version, you are asked if you want to keep duplicates if you are using a pst file for your backup. When you install Outlook 2007 it automatically brings in your old Outlook or Outlook Express messages and addresses. If you import the “old” pst file you may get the duplicates.

What about new installs?

I have seen the same effect (in some cases) in new installs also. I am just as confused why it does not always do it. After much research I do not see a real solution. It appears you can BUY a plug in to solve it. These programs appear to cost around $30.00. I feel it just is not worth doing that. In spite of the fact you have to work a little more by deleting the duplicate e-mails.

Are there other solutions?

Yes and no! You could try other e-mail clients such as Hotmail, gmail or Thunderbird. They are ok but mostly do not have the same functions as outlook.

If you have entered more than one email setup with the same pop server and SMTP you will get double messages. You need to eliminate one of the setups.

Here is what I found on one Blog:
1. You must have at least one rule set for the “Rules and Alerts” selection to show up.
2. Select “Rules and Alerts” from the tool menu.
3. Check under “Rule Description” if there are some that are then delete one of them.
4. After you delete the rules recreate them again.

I did try this. It does work (at least in my case).

You need to ask yourself what will work for you. I personally like Outlook because it has e-mail and scheduling all in the same place. You can prioritize and set rules for your messages also.

What I do not like about Outlook?

I wish it would have a better way of backing it up. Although they do provide a way to do it, I feel it is too deep in the file structure and the average person will not even think of backing it up. If it were a little more automatic I think it would be better. I think a scheme similar to QuickBooks would be good. At least it asks you if you want to. If you don’t back it up and your computer crashes you will lose all your contacts and messages.

Another suggestion:

If you have your contacts already put into your address book print them out (just in case). Just open the contact group you want, click on “file”, click on print and there you are. You will need to do this for each group you want to have printed. This will give you a paper copy.

Lets first say that it is not the typical spider that you have in your home.  It does not have legs and it is not an insect.

There may be numerous definitions to this term.  However, when it comes to the Internet it sort of is a creepy crawly thing.  It is a software program that crawls or works it way through the internet and scans web pages and stores information about each page. These programs are automated and are normally called Bots for a reason.  They can be programmed to do whatever the programmer tells them to do. As an example: they can be programmed to look for specific files, video or even images.  They can even look for contact information if they are programmed to do so.

The Good Thing

If you have a web page the spider will crawl the page. This information can be stored so that search engines can find the site easier.  If your site has the right criteria it will appear closer to the top of the search page. The closer it is to the top, the more likely somebody will click on it and the more likely somebody may read about or buy what you have for sale.

The Bad Part

Unfortunately spammers and scammers take advantage of this technology. They write spiders (known as bots) to gather your personal data.  This data can be used against you by either spamming (unwanted e-mails or web sites) you or by sending you spyware that will continue to gather information about you.  This information can become identity theft if used for illegal means.

What Should You Do?

The main thing to do is keep your computer protected by having high-quality Anti-virus and spyware programs.  DO NOT take a chance. The evil-doers of this world are highly aggressive and literally don’t care how they hurt you. Also, do not go to porn or other high risk sites.  These sites only need to be opened to spread these unwanted threats to your computer.

Removal of Spyware and Malware

When it comes to computer repair, numerous spyware and Malware programs have been raising havoc for most people that have Internet access.  If a spyware or Malware program is suspected, special software is used to remove the threat. This makes it even more important to have updated Anti-virus and spyware programs. If spyware or Malware does get through, it is sometimes necessary to totally reformat the hard drive.  If this is necessary some personal information and vital programs can be lost.

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Many people are going to the multi-function machines that can print, scan, copy and even FAX.  However, it still could happen that you can’t do the scan function for some reason.

I will start with the independent scanners.  That is to say scanners that are separate from other devices.

1. Be sure it is powered on.  Maybe the plug or power supply has been turned off.
2. If the unit is plugged into electric power, you now need to be sure the USB cable is “really” securely attached to both the printer and computer.  (older models use a parallel cable) DO NOT assume anything.  Maybe somebody tripped on it or it just got unplugged for whatever reason.
3. If everything looks good, you now need to look at error messages.  Is there an error that shows up when you try to scan? If so look it up in the book, CD, or on the Internet.
4. Is the scan unit moving? If not it may be mechanically bad.
5. If all this checks out PLEASE reinstall the software. However, you need to uninstall it first. Some companies have the uninstall utility on the installation CD.
6. If you have uninstalled the software, you now need to reinstall it.
7. Restart the computer so it sees the new installation.
8. Test the unit.
9. If it does not scan, you should contact the Manufacturer.  Nobody likes to do that but if you want to resolve the problem you may have to.
10. If you feel more comfortable, find a technician in your area that can help you.
11. One last thought! You can try scanning from the computer using the utility that came with the scanner. If this works, you found the way you MUST do it.

What about multi-function machines?

• Follow the same steps shown above. If you can’t scan with a multi-function machine you probably can’t do anything else either. The difference is that it is possible for paper to get jammed if you are trying to copy something. It may be out of paper also. They are a little more complex to operate. Some have numerous buttons and indicators.  They usually have a small screen that shows the current mode and any errors that may occur.

You can scan using the software that comes with these units. In fact you can let the picture or copy of printed page come to your computer.  You can then edit it.  If it is a picture you can crop it or change it with the software that came with the unit or you can use any photo editing software. After that you can print it, e-mail or fax it.

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You hear so much about protocols.  To the average person this may seem like French or at least a language you don’t understand.

I will attempt to simplify it here.  It is a language or process that uses certain rules. It is the kind of language needed to communicate between one device and another, one computer or another or even one network and another. It is the process need to accomplish a specific task. EXAMPLE: The phone rings, you pick up the receiver (with a cell phone you maybe just flip open the cover). You normally say hello and the conversation begins. If the person doesn’t answer you know there is a problem and you use a certain process to solve it.

In networks very stringent rules must be followed for things to work. A network card must know how to talk to other network cards in order to pass on information. Operating system must know how to talk to networks cards etc.

Some examples of protocols are TCP/IP,FTP,IPX/SPX along with many others.

If you plan to work with networks at all you must understand what a protocol is and which ones work together. For example: if you want to send large amounts of data to or from a server you may want to know what FTP is. This stands for File Transfer Protocol and is widely used to move files to and from servers and of other data transfer points.

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This is a very common problem.  This can also relate to trying to open a document that is sent to you over you office network or through a USB drive or CD or other media.

Here is an example: If you receive an e-mail with an attachment that you can’t open it is probably because you have an earlier version of the software program.  If you have Word 97 and the person that sent the document has Word 2007 you will not be able to open it.  Also, if you do not have the program at all you will not be able to open what somebody sent you.

What about PDF files?
There are quite a few PDF file being sent these days.  In fact a high percentage of all Company attachments are PDF format.  If you don’t have Adobe Reader or a version that is up to date you may not be able to read the PDF form sent to you.

In the past most people were not upgrading their computers or at least not their production packages such as Office.  With the introduction of Window XP many of the old programs were not compatible and people were forced to change.  When Vista came around this became more urgent than ever.  In XP most of the old programs would work in compatibility mode.  Not so in Vista.  Now Windows 7 is here. Prior programs may not work in this operating system either. This quickly weeded out old printers because manufactures did not make drivers that were compatible to older systems.  A wider range of people were buying laptop also.  These all came with the latest and greatest operating system only adding to the already complex problem.

Driver updates
The biggest problem when you change operating system is drivers for video cards, sound or even your network card may need to be updated and/or even totally changed.

Hardware issues
Periodically you may need to change your hardware because the manufacturer doesn’t make a driver or software compatible to the newer operating system.

How to fix this
You can ask the person that sent the document to send you a copy that is farther back or equal to the one you have. Most programs such as Word allow you to save it in an earlier version. This is a fix if you just don’t want to upgrade.  However, the number of times you have to do this may become unbearable.

Try to keep your computer up to date the best you can.  You will most likely be forced to buy the latest and greatest word processing program or other programs that will work with your system. Mostly it should be worth the upgrade.  The newer computers are much faster and have features that may help you in doing things better and maybe faster.