S!ickLeave a commentTTR Website, , , ,

Problems after enlarging items on monitors and screens

I have been often disappointed by Windows when making text on my screens larger…

Optimal resolution is supposed to be available, but…when enlarging my display…I have found many applications that have problems. Not so much with text, but the interface of the program being used.

And, Microsoft appears to make two different statements about this issue…at the same time:

“You can make the text and other items, such as icons, on your screen easier to see by making them larger. You can do this without changing the screen resolution of your monitor or laptop screen. This allows you to increase or decrease the size of text and other items on your screen while keeping your monitor or laptop set to its optimal resolution…

“You can also make text appear larger or smaller by changing your screen resolution, but if you’re using an LCD monitor or laptop, we recommend that you set your screen to its native resolution to avoid blurry text. This is the optimal resolution an LCD monitor or laptop screen was designed to display based on its size…”

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/Make-the-text-on-your-screen-larger-or-smaller

Problems have been documented:

“When you perform these steps, sometimes the fonts may not all get scaled properly. Certain fonts in the user inteface may be either too large or too small.

“This is the result of a timing issue between the Explorer and Winlogon processes. When this condition happens, certain fonts get resized twice.”

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2556182

I had been faulting the programs that I had problems with, and uninstalled them.  Now, for a while…in general…I’m going to try to suffer through my display being “too small”.  Until I need to change it for the moment.

S!ickLeave a commentTTR Website, , , , ,

The 64-bit version of Windows (7) is more secure

Below are some excerpts from The Microsoft Security Intelligence Report.  I thought some of the information in it might help in understanding what types of protection are available for computers (that use the Windows disk operating system).

Note that the 64-bit version of Windows 7 is the most secure of the Windows operating systems, for the reasons that I have been stating in defense of Microsoft:  third-party developers and manufacturers who do not build to the design specifications requested by Microsoft…risk causing the operating system to be unstable.

===================================

The Microsoft Security Intelligence Report (SIR) focuses on software vulnerabilities, software vulnerability exploits, malicious and potentially unwanted software, and security breaches. Past reports and related resources are available for download at http://www.microsoft.com/sir

Infection rates for the 64-bit versions of Windows Vista and Windows 7 are lower than for the corresponding 32-bit versions of those operating systems….Kernel Patch Protection (KPP), a feature of 64-bit versions of Windows that protects the kernel from unauthorized modification, may also contribute…

Windows Defender is a program that is available at no cost to licensed users of Windows that provides real-time protection against pop-ups, slow performance, and security threats caused by spyware and other potentially unwanted software. Windows Defender runs on more than 100 million computers worldwide.

The Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) is a free tool that Microsoft designed to help identify and remove prevalent malware families from customer computers. MSRT is primarily released as an important update through Windows Update, Microsoft Update, and Automatic Updates. A version of the tool is also available from the Microsoft Download Center…MSRT is not a replacement for an up-to-date antivirus solution…

The Windows Live OneCare safety scanner (http://safety.live.com) is a free online tool that uses the same definition database as the Microsoft desktop anti-malware products to detect and remove malware and potentially unwanted software. The Windows Live OneCare safety scanner is not a replacement for an up-to-date antivirus solution…

Microsoft Security Essentials is a basic, consumer-oriented anti-malware product, offered at no charge to licensed users of Windows, which provides real-time protection against viruses, spyware, and other harmful software.

The SmartScreen filter in Internet Explorer 8 and 9 offers Internet Explorer users protection against phishing sites and sites that host malware…When a user attempts to visit a site in the database with the filter enabled, Internet Explorer displays a warning and blocks navigation to the page.

 

S!ickLeave a commentTTR Website, , , ,

TRENDnet USB 3.0 external hard drive enclosures

Want to use an old hard drive…or have more storage available…and take advantage of the new, faster USB speeds?

The TRENDnet TU3-S35 3.5” USB 3.0 External Enclosure supports all current USB speeds: USB 3.0, USB 2.0, USB 1.1, and USB 1.0.  Many factors must be taken into consideration for the possibility of data to be transferred at up to 5 Gbps.  As is posted on their website:

“Data is transferred over USB 3.0 connections at up to 5Gbps. However actual data throughput may be significantly affected by choice of hard drive, computer system architecture, CPU loading, and other factors.

“USB 3.0 super speeds are based on compatible operating systems.”

(So far, I have not had an opportunity to configure the proper combination of hardware and software to get anywhere near 5 Gbps throughput.)

The enclosure is 5.25 x 1.5 x 7.75 inches (133.35 x 38.1 x 196.85mm).  SATA I and II drives of up to 2 TB are compatible.

To my surprise, I found that…to open the enclosure…a small Philips screwdriver is needed.  There is no notice on the packaging of this, but it does state that “hard drive mounting screws” are included (which need a larger Philips screwdriver).

The housing is made of aluminum, and there are large vents are on the front and rear.

Included is a 110 volt AC to 12 volt DC (2 amperes) power adapter, a 6 foot (1.8 meter) long USB 3.0 Type A to Type B cable, and a stand that will allow for the drive to sit vertical.

It’ll work with Windows, Macintosh, and Linux operating systems.

============================================

TRENDnet also has a USB 3.0 enclosure for 2.5-inch drives:  the TU3-S25 2.5” USB 3.0 External Enclosure.

A 2.5-inch SATA I or II hard drive, or a Solid State Drive (SSD), can be used.  Drives up to 2 TB are supported.

The enclosure can be used with Windows, Macintosh, and Linux operating systems.

(Again:  “Data is transferred over USB3.0 connections at up to 5Gbps. However actual data throughput may be significantly affected by choice of hard drive, computer system architecture, CPU loading, and other factors.”)

It uses a USB 3.0 Type Micro-B port.  A 1.5 foot (0.5 meter) USB 3.0 Type Micro-B cable to Type A cable is supplied.

Note that a power supply is not included…it is expected that the drive will be powered by the USB port.  In the past, I have had problems with external hard drives, and enclosures, that…because the USB port did not supply enough power…an external power supply was needed.  A power port is available on the device, and I checked the support section of the TRENDnet website for more information, but did not find any about using external power supplies with this enclosure.  I searched the internet, and also did not find any information.  If a situation arises where one is needed, I assume their support division and/or Helpdesk might be able to assist with locating a compatible power supply.

A Philips screwdriver (smaller than those needed for the TU3-S35) will be necessary to complete assembly.

 

Diamond DaveLeave a commentComputers, Hardware, Review, software, TechtalkRadio, , , ,

Soluto Solves Slow Startups

A quick trip to the Soluto “Anti-Frustration Software” site, an 80 second video, a small download and an easy install, netted this user over a 25% savings on start up times to an already speedy system!

image

The entire process is quite intuitive and user friendly, offering both beginner and advanced options to guide you step-by-step. With the end results listing all the programs that run at start up and exactly how long it actually takes.

As you can see above, my system took a little over two minutes to load, with 80 applications running AT BOOT UP (I had no idea).

The green section shows “No-brainer” applications to remove from the boot up list…to be delayed or paused to be more precise, and hovering over any of the slices reveals a drop drown information window that tells you how long that program is taking to load up, the name of the program and a recommendation to either pause or delay that program on future start ups.

After spending a couple of minutes deciding to either delay a program or pause it all together, I restarted my computer shaved off nearly 30 seconds from previous start ups.

Soluto‘s goal is “ to bring an end to the frustrations PC users encounter”; however, there are so many different programs, with so many different people – who have various levels of skill – being used in so many different configurations, that the task itself seems overwhelming…Enter: The PC Genome project.

“Soluto’s PC Genome is a knowledgebase of PC frustration data built automatically through the usage of Soluto software. Its objective and statistical information, gathered and analyzed by Soluto, is also editable by the community.”

Included in this beta version is even an option to let Soluto know when you’ve been the victim of some computer operation or lack there of. You simply right click on the Soluto icon in the systray, and click on “My PC just frustrated me” and the program sends a report back to the PC Genome project, with ‘Frustration Suspects’ that will be analyzed and ‘mapped’ in order to provide a future solution.

Who knows, maybe one day soon, we will live an a frustration free world…but until then, there’s always Call of Duty or Whack-a-mole for a therapeutic outlet. ~ DDTG