Skype Spam Chat

January 29, 2009

How can I stop spam chat from Skype?

Many of my customers have said that they really like Skype except for one thing…SPAM chats, more like annoying porn spam chat, stock spam chat, phishing spam chat and lottery hoax spam chat.  Currently, there is not a way to completely eliminate spam chat with Skype, but you can change your settings in Skype to help reduce them.

Here’s how

1.    Open Skype
2.    Click file
3.    Then click on privacy
4.    Select, “Only allow people in my contact list to contact me”
5.    Click on the show advanced options button
6.    If “Allow my status to be shown on the web” is checked, uncheck it.
7.    Be sure to click the save button or your changes won’t take effect.

When you receive unwanted Spam Chat pop ups be sure to click on the decline tab and select, “block this User”

You can also edit your blocked users

  1. Click file
  2. Then privacy
  3. Then click on the blocked users button on the left
  4. Select any contact from the bottom option by selecting their name
  5. Then click on the “block this person” button
  6. Be Sure to click save after making your changes
  7. This won’t stop all spam, but will help prevent repeats from the same Skype user name

Change the SkypeMe Status

  1. Open Skype
  2. Click file
  3. Change online status
  4. Don’t select “SkypeMe”
  5. Select either, online if you want your contacts to know you are online or do not disturb if
  6. You wish to not be contacted. I usually exit (Quit) Skype if I don’t wish to be disturbed.

Remove Personal information

  1. Open Skype
  2. Click file
  3. Then edit your profile
  4. Just leave a first name and remove gender and email
  5. Be sure when done editing your profile, that you click the update button so that your profile settings will keep

What else can you do about Skype spam chat?  Help by reporting abuse to Skype.

Or on their support site in the US:
http://support.skype.com/en_US/support_request?

You can inform Skype what type of spam chat you are receiving.  This will not change anything right away but reporting may help Skype improve on their program in their future versions.

Skype is my favorite messaging software.  Don’t have Skype?  You can check it out on www.skype.com

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By admin | Posted in Chat - Instant Messaging, Computer Help, Working Mouse Computer House Calls | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Mouse Won’t Work?

January 9, 2009

There can be many reasons why your mouse may not be working. The first question I would ask you is: Did you try to restart the computer?(Completly shut off, not sleep or hibernate mode.) Then turned it back on?  Sometimes your computer could have had an error or an update and just needs rebooting. 

 Wireless mouse connect & power reset buttonsIf the mouse is still not working I would ask if you have a wireless mouse or a mouse with a wire or cord? If your answer is a wireless mouse then the first thing you should try is replacing the batteries. After you replace the batteries with fresh ones, then make sure you press the reset button on the receiver and on the mouse, some mice just need to be turned back on and or reconnected. 

Can’t find the reset button on your wireless mouse? If you can’t find the documentation that came with your mouse, then look on the bottom of the mouse. You may also have a reset/connect button on the remote or receiver that came with your wireless mouse.  You may have to use a pencil or a pen to push in the reset button.  If you have mouse with a tail (wire/cable) then make sure it is plugged in and in the correct port.  If it is a ps/2 (usually with a green round connection, then make sure it is in the green ps/2 port on your computer, if it is a USB connection, be sure it is plugged in a USB port.  When unplugging and or plugging in a ps/2 type, turn the computer off, make sure it is plugged in all the way and then turn back on the computer.  USB mice are safe to unplug and plug in when the computer is still on.

Do you use the mouse touch pad on your laptop or notebook? If so, many laptops have a disable button usually located just above the mouse touch pad area.  If you cannot move the mouse and you have a button just above the mouse touch pad, then press and release it one time only because if you press it twice, it will just re-deactivate it.  Some mouse touch pads activate/deactivate buttons have a light that changes in color when they are activated or deactivated.

This is what a ps2 connection looks like
This is what a ps2 connection looks like

Have a mouse with a ball that won’t move freely? Some mice have balls that drag lint, hair and debris up into the rollers from all that rolling around.  This is the most important part to clean. You just need to rotate the mouse ball lock on the bottom of the mouse, then turn it at an angle and the ball will fall out.  You don’t have to use alcohol to wash the ball, just remove or wipe off any lint on the ball, remove any loose lint from the mouse by flipping it over and tapping it out in your hand and if you see lint that is stuck on the rollers carefully use your finger, or some tweezers to remove any other visible lint.  Place the ball back into the mouse and relock the mouse ball lock.  Try it out…if it is still giving you troubles and won’t move freely, its probably just worn out.  Buy a new optical mouse, you can buy them for $10-$20 now…optical mice work much better and don’t wear out as fast.

This is the bottom of a mouse that uses rollers to control the mouse.Mouse still won’t work?

Then you may be experiencing some other computer hardware or software problems…maybe low on Ram, too many programs running in the background or adware, spyware, malware, or trojans could be the culprit.  Seek out a geek friend or call computer expert to help you get your system up and running again. If you live in Brookings-Harbor, OR area give me a call.  Contact Me

Hope your mouse is up and working again!  :)

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By admin | Posted in Mouse Won't Work, Working Mouse Computer House Calls | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

How to Backup Outlook Express email messages

March 23, 2008

If your email messages  stored in Outlook Express are important to you, you should know how to back them up in case of a computer hard drive crash.  Just like your documents and pictures and other precious files on your computer, your e-mail should be backed up regularly. (Note: everytime one of my clients loses something…..I make sure I do my backups!)

How to backup email messages in Outlook Express :

1. Open Outlook Express

2. Click on Tools menu at the top

3. Click to select options from the tools drop down menu.

4. The Options window will open – Click on the maintenance tab

5. Just to the right of “click store Folder to Change the Location of Your message Store“, click on the Store Folder button

6. The Store Folder window will open.  Press the Tab key on your keyboard a few times until the entire line of text just under “Your Personal Message Store Is Located in the Following Folder” are selected (highlighted). Note: This is the location of where your email messages are stored.

7. Press and hold down the ctrl (control) key on the keyboard, then while still holding down the ctrl key, press on the C key, then let up off the keys (this will copy the selected text)

8. Click on the start button on the far lower left side of the screen

9. Click on Run

10. The run window will open on the bottom left side of the screen

11. Press and hold down the ctrl (control) key on the keyboard, then while still holding down the ctrl key, press on the v key, then let up off the keys (this will paste the text you copied from the store folder window)

12. Press the enter key on your keyboard once (or you can use your mouse and left-click once on the OK button.)

13. The folder that opens is where your email messages are stored.  You will not be able to open and read your messages from this window.  They are special files with .dbx file extension. 

14. Check the size of your outlook express messages. Press and hold down the ctrl (control) key on the keyboard, then while still holding down the ctrl key, press on the a key, then let up off the keys (this will select (highlight) all the files in this Outlook Express Store Folder. Click on the file menu in the far upper left corner of the screen, then click on properties.  If the file size is under 680mb.  Then it will easily fit on a CD-R.  If you have an external USB flash drive, check how many MB or GBs your USB flash drive will hold, back your email messages to an external USB flash Drive. 

Copy these files to an External Hard Drive, CD or DVD and store in a safe place.   It is recommended to backup to two other places and keep a copy at someone elses home or your bank safety deposit box.

For more information on backing up, See: Backing up Files To CD using Windows XP CD writing wizard, or Backing up Files to External Hard Drives or Flash Drives.

Please Back up Regulary! <:3)~ The Working Mouse Recommends:

Maxtor OneTouch III 750GB External Hard Drive

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Backing up files Using the Windows XP CD Writing Wizard

March 23, 2008

Please Tell me You Backed UP!

If you have other software like Roxio….You should use that software to backup rather than the CD Writing Wizard that come with Windows Xp.  I highly recommend purchasing an External Hard drive: Maxtor OneTouch III 750GB External Hard Drive It could save you hours of frustration and make backups much easier than backing up to CDs.

1.Insert a blank CD-R into Your CD Writer Drive.
2.Click cancel if any popup windows open.
4.Go to the folder or file you wish to backup (for example: if you want to backup your my documents folder, click start, then my documents) select the files you need to back up.  To select all files in this folder, click edit menu in the upper left side of your screen, click on select all.  To select only a few in a row, click once on the first file folder, the press and hold down the shift key and click on the last file folder in a row to select a all in between the files you clicked.
5.Click File
6.send to
7.Then CD drive (D:)  (Your CD Drive Letter May be different, depending on how many drives you may have. Click start, My Computer to check the drive letter for your CD Writer.

8.Wait for the files to copy (If you get a “Confirm Stream Loss” Popup window, about thumbs checkmark “repeat my answer each time this occurs”, then click yes.
9.When you see the pale yellow pop up balloon on the lower right side of the screen, click on “You have files waiting to be written to the CD” (not the X in the upper right or it will close the balloon popup.) Wait for the copying to complete (Note: if you lose the little pale yellow cartoon balloon and don’t see “You have files waiting to be written to the CD” before you have a chance to click on it…no biggie…just open my computer [Start, my computer, double left-click on the CD Drive (D:)]
10.The files will look faded (Note: if the files Don’t look faded, and it doesn’t say Backing up files Using the Windows XP CD Writing Wizard”, then you are in the wrong window.  Close all the windows and click on start, my computer, then click on the drive letter for your CD Writer. The Files will look faded…you should now be in the temporary CD writing file folder.  Now you should have files waiting to be written to the CD.)
11.Check the file size to be sure they will fit on the CD by clicking on edit, then select all, then click on file, properties. The properties window will popup. File size must be under 680-685mb.  click OK to close properties window. Even if your CD Rom drive says it will hold 700mb there are some files needed to close the CD so, I recommend staying under 680mb to ensure your copy will be successful.

12.Again. be sure it says files ready to be written to the CD at the top, this way you can be sure that you are not deleting your actual files just the temporary CD Burning Files. Delete any of the files that won’t fit onto the CD (right-click once on any one of the files, left-click once on delete-repeat until all the files that won’t fit have been deleted…you can always go back and copy those files later)
13.When finished deleting any files you don’t wish to burn, check the size of the files again. Click edit, select all. Click file, properties. If the size is no more than 680MB (if it is larger, you will have to delete one or more of the files)Then click OK
14.Over on the left side under CD Writing Tasks
15.Click on “Write these files to CD”
16.You can leave it the date, or type a new name for it
17.Then click next
18.Wait for the CD to burn
19.When complete the CD will eject
20.Click finish (or you can insert another CD and “make another”)
21.Re-insert the CD and verify that the files did copy—When the CD Window pops up, scroll down and click on “Open folder to view files” (Note: if you don’t see this popup window, click on start my computer or open my computer from teh desktop, then double-click on your CD Rom Drive letter.
22.Then click OK
23.Your files you burned should be there.  Yeah!  You did it.  Now. put them in a jewel case to protect it. Label the jewel case and keep it in a safe place. <:3)~

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Forwarding messages to more than one person using Hotmail BCC:

March 19, 2008

(Now known as Windows LIVE mail) – Classic Mode Instructions

1. Login to LIVE (hotmail)
2. Open the message you wish to forward at the top
3. Click on the Bcc: button (under the To: and CC: button)
4. If you don’t see the Bcc: button under the To: and CC:
5. Click on “show CC & Bcc” (upper right) – Click on Bcc: button just under the To: and Bcc: fields
6. Checkmark everyone you wish to forward the email message to
7. After everyone is checked
8. Click on “add contacts to message” at the top
9. After you have clicked to select all the recipients you wish to send to, remove any unwanted text or email headers with email addresses or other junk you don’t wish to pass on to other recipients by placing the cursor at the end of the last word or sentence you wish to remove and click and hold and drag the mouse over to the left and up while still holding down the left mouse button to select (highlight) the text you don’t want in this message.  Then let up off the left mouse button. Click on the scissors icon button in the toolbar (which means cut) or you can Press backspace or delete key on the keyboard to remove the selected text.
10. Click on send

What is the Bcc?

BCC: means Blind Carbon Copy. (This came from back in the day when we used to use carbon paper on our typewriters to make a “secret” copy that the recipient didn’t know about.) For email messages this means that every recipient you send to in the Bcc: field will NOT see the other recipients you sent your messages to at the same time.

Let’s say someone sends you something ‘cute’ in your email…you think, I’ll pass this on to a dozen or so of my friends in the To: or CC: field…They’ll think it’s ‘cute’ too!  Then that dozen of friends will each send it off to another dozen of their friends without removing the previous email addresses you used. Before you know it hundreds if not thousands of people now have your friends’ email addresses. I’ve received forwards of ‘cute’ emails that had nearly 350 email addresses in it.  Ever wonder how spammers got a hold of your email address? This is one way. Now, that email is NOT so ‘cute’ ANYMORE is it!

Be considerate and use the Bcc: column when sending to multiple recipients…just think what it would be like if your phone number went out along with your email address and was forwarded over and over all over the world. 

What is CC?

CC: Means Carbon Copy.  This will show the person or other people that you also sent a copy to. (This came from back in the day when we used to use carbon paper to make a copy to send to others. CC: was typed in the letter and told where the carbon copy went to.) For email messages this means that every recipient you send to in the CC: field will see the other recipients you sent your message to at the same time.

The above forwarding email instructions were written for Windows LIVE hotmail – Classic Mode.
If you wish to try the new features Windows LIVE mail hotmail offers and you have high speed internet look for:
a. “Try the full version of Windows Live Hotmail.” near the bottom of the email page and click on it
b. Select No message preview. (This is what I recommend, so that you can delete messages that look suspicious without ever opening or viewing them.)
c. Click on yes, I want the free upgrade and I have a fast internet connection.
d. (you can always switch back to the classic version if you don’t like it)

Forwarding messages to more than one person using Hotmail (now known as LIVE mail) – Full Version Mode Instructions

1. Login to LIVE (hotmail)
2. Open the message you wish to forward at the top
3. Click on the Bcc: button (under the To: and CC: button)
4. If you don’t see the Bcc: button under the To: and CC:
5. Click on “show CC & Bcc” (upper right) – Click on Bcc: button just under the To: and Bcc: fields
6. Click once on any recipient you wish to forward the message to from the drop down list
7. After you have clicked to select all the recipients you wish to send to, remove any unwanted text or email headers with email addresses or other junk you don’t wish to pass on to other recipients by placing the cursor at the end of the last word or sentence you wish to remove and click and hold and drag the mouse over to the left and up while still holding down the left mouse button to select (highlight) the text you don’t want in this message.  Then let up off the left mouse button. Click on the scissors icon button in the toolbar (which means cut) or you can Press backspace or delete key on the keyboard to remove the selected text.
8. Click on send
 

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By admin | Posted in Email Tutorials, Working Mouse Computer House Calls | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (2)

How to increase the font size in Internet Explorer 7

March 19, 2008

Open Internet Explorer 7 (blue e icon)
Option 1.   Click once or twice on the magnifying glass. To zoom from 100% left-click on the magnifying glass button, click once more to zoom into 125%, click the third time to zoom back to normal 100% (this is located on the lower right side of the Internet Explorer Window-if you don’t see the magnifying Zoom in click on tools, then toolbars, then status bar)

Option 2.  Press and hold down the ctrl and + keys to zoom in. Press and hold down the ctrl and – keys to zoom back

Option 3.  If you have a mouse with a scroll wheel; press and hold down the ctrl key on the keyboard, while still holding down the ctrl key; roll the scroll wheel on the mouse back and forth to zoom in and out. Pretty cool huh!

(Note: By default, if you close and re-open Internet Explorer 7 it will return to its normal 100% size, if you wish to change this to maintain the percentage of your choice, change to the percent of zoom you want, you can also click on the little tiny triangle arrow button just to the right of the 100% and then select the percentage you wish to view the webpage in, while still in IE7 click on tools, internet options, advanced tab. Under Accessibility, uncheck “Reset Zoom level to 100% for new windows and tabs.”

Option 4.  Click on the page icon in the Internet Explorer 7 Toolbar (upper right), click on text size; larger or largest.

Option 5. 

Windows Vista users: Changing DPI will increase everything including fonts for windows and Internet Explorer 7

1. Right-click once on a blank spot on the desktop (meaning where there are no icons)
2. Left-click once on personalize
3. On the upper right side of the window. Click on “adjust font size (DPI)”
4. Click on continue
5. Select larger scale (120 DPI) make text more readable
6. Click OK
7. Click on restart now (the computer will go off and come back on.)

Option 5.

Windows XP users: Changing your Screen Resolution will increase the size of everything as well

1. Right-click once on a blank spot on your desktop
2. Click on “Properties”
3. Click on “Settings” tab
4. Adjust the “Screen Area” lower to “800×600″ (Note: for wider screens and depending on your graphics card, you may have to select something different because it will look squishy and or not normal.  Just keep changing to get the size you want.  The smaller you go.  The larger everything will become.
5. Select “OK” – click yes if windows asks you if you would like to keep these settings.
6. Repeat above steps and slide it back to the way it was if it is too small or too large for you.

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By admin | Posted in Internet Explorer 7, Working Mouse Computer House Calls | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments (0)