bearly bytesbearly bytes president's message first i would like to “thank” karen tangeman,...

BEARLY BYTES

President's MessageFirst I would like to “thank” Karen Tangeman, VP, for conducting the April 8th Big Bear Computer Club meeting while I was on vacation. My vacation took me to Baja, CA to visit the Whale nursery in San Ignacio Lagoon half way down Baja. The

whales make the trip from Alaska to the Lagoon to have their babies a trip of 4,000 miles. The mother whales present their babies (20 feet long) to us humans so we can pet them. It was an awesome experience petting these gentle giants.

It appears that our members are enjoying the training being conducted at the meetings and we are glad to provide this training. It would help us prepare better if you can use our website to tell us what type of problems you need help in. Training will continue thru May and June then in July we will have Terry Currier, President of the WINNERS, will be our guest speaker. He always has great websites to share with us for free software.

See you Tuesday, May 13, 2008 at 5:30, Big Bear Discovery Center.

-- Yomar Cleary

Award Winning Big Bear Computer Club Newsletter

Volume 8May 2008

Published Monthly • Edited by Norene Lieser www.bigbearcc.org

Vista WorkshopAs more and more people are buying new computers with Microsoft VISTA, we are doing a Workshop to help you understand the new operating system. It is scheduled for Saturday, May 17, 2008 from 10:00 am until 2:30 pm at Bear Coffee & More in the Big Bear Village. Rosemary Lloyd is the instructor. Each attendee will receive a VISTA Reference Book. The cost of the workshop is $25.00. This will be a fundraiser to get a new laptop computer for the Club.

Crash Proof PCby Robin Wark — With permission of Parentologic

A few easy ways to keep your computer running rock solid.

There are few computer situations more frustrating than constant crashes. These crashes can cost you in time, work and money. A common cause of crashes is problems with the computer's registry, which is a key component of the Windows operating system. The registry keeps track of the relationships between the hardware, memory space and addressing. It also records the settings and preferences for all of the PC's hardware, software and users. When your computer is operating, it continually references the information in the registry.

Unfortunately, over time, modifications to the registry cause problems. For example, if programs do not uninstall properly they can leave items behind. These can cause the registry to increase in size and become unstable.

A way to combat the crashes and poor performances is to use a registry cleaner 1. This powerful software can clean up your registry and reduce the chances of crippling errors.

Cleaning your registry can be greatly beneficial. However, it is something that must be undertaken carefully. When looking for a registry cleaner, be sure to look for an easy-to-use interface that will lead you through the process.

As well, you will want to consider a registry cleaner that includes system restore point and backup files. A system

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Inside...April Meeting Door Prizes......................................2Excel Tip................................................................. 2Windows XP SP3.................................................... 2Word Tip................................................................. 3My Recent Documents Folder................................ 4Phone Phishing........................................................4Roxio Easy Media Creator Suite 10........................4Cash Flow Statement.............................................. 5Southwest Computer Conference........................... 6New O'Reilly Books............................................... 6Member Review Program....................................... 6Club Calendar......................................................... 7Recycling ewaste.................................................... 7

restore point allows you to return your system to its previous working state. This involves backing up system files and registry entries. It is important to look for a registry cleaner that creates backup files. These backup files are saved so that they can be restored. Backup files and system restore points help make sure mistakes cleaning your registry can be fixed.

System crashes can result in the loss of data. Data recovery software can assist in getting your information back. 2. They scour your PC to find files that are not readily available, but still exist. Some have the power to bring back partial files due to bad sectors as well as recovering deleted files and emails. 3. Having your computer crash all the time is no fun. However, with regular registry maintenance, this can usually be avoided.

RegCure Registry Cleaner is a well known and respected registry cleaner.

ParetoLogic Data Recovery and ParetoLogic Data Recovery Pro are sophisticated programs that can bring deleted files back to life.

ParetoLogic Data Recovery Pro is capable of retrieving deleted emails as well as partial files caused by bad sectors.

Crash Proof PCContinued from First Page

Big Bear Computer Club's Bearly Bytes Newsletter

April Meeting Door Prize WinnersWhite Microsoft Mindshare T-shirt — Angie PezinaBlack AMD T-shirt — Sharon Jasperson2 Vinyl CDRs and DVD-R by Verbatim — Bill FlanaganTK8 Backup — Ray NormanStudio Plus Titanium Edition by Pinnacle — Harry HinzWinDVD Platinum by Intervideo — Dorothy EvansPolitical Cartoon Book — Jim AppleburyBottle of Merlot plus 50/50 ($27.00) — Dorothy Sirk

Windows XP SP3 Set For ReleaseBy Paul McDougall, InformationWeek

The service pack includes all updates issued since Windows XP Service Pack 2 was released in 2004, and some new elements.

Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) on Monday said it has finished work on the third and final service pack for its Windows XP operating system and that the update will be available for public download on April 29.

Windows XP , Service Pack 3, will be released to Microsoft business customers through their MSDN and TechNet subscriptions sooner than that -- but Microsoft didn't provide a specific timetable.

"Windows XP SP3 bits are now working their way through our manufacturing channels to be available to OEM and Enterprise customers," a Microsoft staffer said on a company blog Monday.

The service pack should offer a number of enhancements over the current version of the OS. It includes all updates issued since Windows XP Service Pack 2 was released in 2004, and some new elements.

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Excel Tip: Putting Headers and Footers On Multiple WorksheetsOne of the typical last touches to a worksheet before printing is to place headers or footers. This is very easy to do if you have only a worksheet or two in which to place the headers and footers. What if you have quite a few worksheets in the same workbook, and you want them all to have the same header and footer.

Actually this isn’t too hard to do, either. All you need to do is work with a group of worksheets as a single unit. Just follow these general steps:

1. Decide which worksheets you want to have the same headers or footers.

2. Select the first worksheet in the series (click the tab for that worksheet).

3. Hold down the SHIFT key as you click on the tab for

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Among them: A feature called Network Access Protection that's borrowed from the newer Windows Vista operating system. NAP automatically validates a computer's health, ensuring that it's free of bugs and viruses before allowing it access to a network.

Windows XP SP3 also includes improved "black hole" router detection -- a feature that automatically detects routers that are silently discarding packets. In XP SP3, the feature is turned on by default, according to Microsoft.

Windows XP SP3 also steals a page from Vista's product activation model, meaning that product keys for each copy of the operating system don't need to be entered during setup. The feature should prove popular with corporate IT managers, who often need to oversee hundreds, or even thousands, of operating system installations.

Microsoft is in a bit of a Catch-22 with XP. The more it strengthens the OS, the less reason users have to upgrade to Vista, which by many accounts has failed to catch on with computer users in both the home and office since it debuted last year.

Microsoft recently released Windows Vista Service Pack 1, which includes more than 300 hot fixes designed to improve the operating system's speed, security, and stability. Many users, however, have complained that installation of Vista SP1 on their systems caused numerous problems.

Word Tip: Using Large Toolbar ButtonsLet's face it — for those of us getting to the bifocal age, the toolbar buttons are sometimes a bit too small. In fact, it is sometimes downright impossible to tell exactly what that is on an icon! (Is that a chain link or a sausage beneath that ball?) This problem seems particularly acute when working with a monitor set to a high resolution.

Fortunately, if you use a version of Word prior to Word 2007 you can make the toolbars appear a bit larger. Just follow these steps:

1. Choose the Customize option from the Tools menu. Word displays the Customize dialog box.

2. Click on the Options tab.

3. Make sure the Large Icons option is selected.

4. Click on Close.

Notice how the toolbar buttons now seem huge-but you can at least see them! This change doesn't affect just Word, but any Microsoft Office program you have installed on your system.

Applies to Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2007


Windows XP SP3 Set For ReleaseContinued from Page 2

the last worksheet in the series. A range of worksheets should now be selected. Excel also adds the word [Group] to the title bar to indicate you have a group of worksheets selected.

4. Set your header or footer as you normally would. Your changes are automatically made on all the sheet in the selected range.

5. When done, select a single worksheet by clicking on its tab. (Click on the tab of a worksheet other than the first in the range.)

That’s it; you’ve now set the headers or footers of all the sheets to be identical

Applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, 2003, and 2007

Excel Tip: Putting Headers and Footers on Multiple WorksheetsContinued from Page 2

The Paper ClipStationers

In the Stater Brothers Shopping Center909 866-0505

Bear Coffee and MoreCoffee • Yogurt • Ice Cream

At Stone Road and Pine Knot in the Village626 378-8178

How to Set Up "My Recent Documents" Folder in the Start MenuAt the March Computer Club meeting, one of our members was asking how to get her My Recent Documents folder set up in the start menu. In the May issue of the Smart Computing Magazine, they had the answer to that question. Here it is:

“To add the My Recent Documents item to your Windows Start menu, right-click the Start button and click Properties. Click the Customize button and the Advanced tab. Locate the Recent Documents section and click to add a check mark to the List My Most Recently Opened Documents checkbox. Click OK and click OK again. Now when you click the Start menu, you should see a menu option called My Recent Documents.


Phishing over the Phoneby Karen Tangeman, BBCC Vice President

I hope that most of our members are all aware of phishing scams because I would like to inform you all about vishing (or voice phishing), which is a scam very similar to phishing tactics, but performed mostly through the telephone or cell phone rather than through Web sites or e-mails.

his process of vishing is an electronic fraud tactic where unsuspecting people are called or left a message in one form or another, using an automated process (voice recording) stating that your financial account has been possibly compromised and your verification is needed to ensure it hasn't been compromised. What usually follows the message is a prompt requesting you to enter personal information (credit card information, PIN, Social Security number, etc.). Or if it is left as a message on your answering machine, it leaves a number for you to call back and once you call back, it will prompt you to enter your information. Either way, if you do enter that information (and I hope no one does), before you know it, someone out there has your personal information and is probably laughing all the way to the bank.

These scam tactics come in all shapes and sizes; the bottom line is that they're out to get your personal information--if you allow them to! And once you read through the answers that Judie received from our members, you'll get a good sense of what's out there.

I know for a lot of you this whole vishing or even phishing thing sounds trivial and simple common sense tells us to hang up or ignore it. But unsuspecting people will fall victim to these scams, and unless we as a community raise awareness to our families, friends, and co-workers, scammers will continue to prey on those uninformed folks. So as a community, I urge you all to do a good deed and spread the word about these malicious scams to hopefully stop this crime.

Product Review: Roxio Easy Media Creator Suite 10

Roxio Easy Media Creator 10 Suite tells consumers it is: "The Essential Complement to Windows XP and Windows Vista to the power of 10. Embrace the next generation experi-ence of Windows Vista like never before with Creator 10. Certified for

Window Vista, it leverages the power of the new OS and its cool-looking transparent glass user interface. With streamlined work flow and easy access to essential tasks, you'll get more done in less time. Built-in support for the latest electronic and mobile devices and media formats, ensures plug and play conveniences. Works with Windows XP, too."

This amazing product does so much that I find it almost impossible to use all of it's features presently. I mainly desire to use the audio transfer element in order to move all of my analog LP records into a digital CD format. I discovered that this software is so simple, that the user manual is unnecessary to accomplish this task. It was just a matter of connecting the turntable into the input jack of my sound card. My turntable has a built in pre-amp which makes it quite simple. Turntables without the pre-amp will need to run into some sort of a stereo receiver or amplifier.

The first album recorded to CD was done without any

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The Abacus GroupFor All Your Computer Needs

Jim Applebury909 584-1733


sound modifications whatsoever, and sounded great except for the annoying clicks inherent in LP records. I did another recording using the same album, but this time checking the box for noise reduction and the annoying clicks were gone. I'm now in business. Anyone want some slightly used LP albums? I have not tried to load any audio files into my MP3 yet, but it looks like it's also a very straightforward process.

I did load some photo files from my camera and this also was very straightforward. But I already possess a very popular video processing program, so this element isn't necessary for me to use, but it seems like a very good substitute for what I have. I might have tried to see what the video element was like, but this program is loaded onto my desktop and my camcorder uses firewire, which I can only connect with my laptop. Perhaps I can report using this feature when I get a firewire card for my desktop.

This program will backup all your files to whatever backup device you have. It automatically catalogs disks and burns data to the latest HDVD or Blue-ray disks. In fact, you can save up to 50GB on a Blue-ray disk and compress and copy an entire 9GB dual-layer disk onto a standard 4.7 GB disk.

Well, in closing I must say that this fantastic software certainly is worth the money. I wasn't able to check out

Roxio Easy Media Creator Suite 10Continued from Page 4

all the features, but I can without doubt recommend this amazing software to anyone who wants to simplify their digital lifestyle; thanks to Roxio and Sonic Solutions.

Windows XP (with 500MHz) & Vista (with 1.6GHz)Ram required: 512MB for Vista and 128MB for XPHard drive space: 1GB for all componentsVideo card: 1024x768 16-bit color

Windows Media Player 10 or higher

Sonic Solutions (866-280-7694 for Roxio help)Retail price: $100$20 upgrade rebateAmazon price: $80

-- Don Odekirk

Don Odekirk was born in Hollywood and joined the club sometime way back in the last century. Drafted into the Army in 1959 and served in Albuquerque for 18 months. Following discharge I bummed around for about 25 years, working for five world fairs. I received a BA degree at San Francisco State in 1970, in Physical Science. I then traveled twice to Europe; once for 14 months and Central/South America for 4 months. I came back to Southern California in 86 and got my first laptop pc (DOS). I then moved to Big Bear in 92 and was welcomed by the big quake. I then got into webbing sometime after that when they brought the internet up here. The rest is ho hum.

April 2008 Cash Flow Statement Beginning Cash in Bank $3,114.93

Cash Received Membership Dues 180.00 Donations 50/50 27.00 Donations 10.00

Total Income $210.00

Cash Disbursed Fundraising 43.15 Promotion 28.95 Supplies 31.31

Total Expenses $103.41

Ending Cash in Bank $3,228.52

Philipson & ErdmierAttorneys

• Criminal Law • Personal Injury • Family Law • Workers Compensation • Civil Litigation • Probate Law

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Fun in the Sun and Computers Too!!The 15th Annual Southwest Computer Conference will be held May 30, 31 and June 1, 2008 at the Town and Country Resort & Convention Center in San Diego, CA. The conference is open to all Windows, Mac and Linux end users who will learn about the latest technology. The conference fee postmarked by May 15th is $60 which includes workshops, seminars/tech sessions, networking with other computer users, vendor presentations, meals, and the ever-popular Vendor Expo. This conference is open to the general public over the age of 18.

From your computer hardware to your software, batteries, electrical cords, microchips and surge protectors, all of these legitimate items are represented by counterfeit, pirated or illegal goods coming into the United States, as well as the rest of the world. The National Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Center was up and running in 2000 as a multi-agency response to the growing issue of Intellectual Property crime in the United States. Dixie L. Faries, will be the Keynote Speaker on Friday, May 30, at the Southwest Computer Conference being held in San Diego, CA. Ms. Faries is the Management & Program Analyst for National Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Coordination Center, U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. She will address the dangers involved in purchasing and using these products.

Fill out the registration forms by going to www.theswcc.org. For further information attendees should contact Judy Taylour @ theswcc.org or vendors should contact Patricia Hill @ theswcc.org.


New Books Out From O'ReillyFine Art Printing for Photographers, Second Edition

This comprehensive book provides the necessary foundation for fine art printing with inkjet printers; the understanding of color management, profiling, paper, and inks. Using today Ts digital cameras and inkjet printers, it demonstrates the printing workflow as it guides the reader step-by-step through the process of creating outstanding fine art prints from an image file.

Practical Artistry: Light and Exposure forDigital Photographers

This beautifully illustrated book teaches you how to apply the techniques and principles of classic photography so you can make great images with today's digital equipment. With a focus on light and exposure, two crucial concepts you need to understand and master if you are to truly capture the images you see, author and renowned fine art photographer Harold Davis presents his own images as examples and inspiration.

Club Member Product Review ProgramInstead of listing a few review programs that are available, I would like to inform you that any program you are interested in and would like to install on your computer is probably available for review. All you have to do is ask for it and review it. The program could be on landscaping, any kind of crafts, digital photos, video, any kind of home decorating, games, office or accounting programs, gift cards, label, and printshop programs, any program you are interested in having. All you have to do is let me know which program you would like to review. I will then contact the vendor and it takes about 10 days to receive the program.

Sometimes the vendor will grant the reviewer a license online and all the reviewer has to do is download the program. Reviews are not hard to write; in fact they are quite easy. You are given instructions on how to write a review plus I have many samples you can look at. Also if you need any help all you have to do is e-mail or call me. Writing a review is like telling someone about the new program you just received. You tell them what you like about the program, what you don’t like, and how the program could be better, that’s it. There’s your review. And you can review books, also.

— Karen Tangeman, Review Editor

About Bearly BytesBearly Bytes, past winner of SWUGC & APCUG newsletter contests. is the official publication of the Big Bear Computer Club. Views expressed in Bearly Bytes are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Big Bear Computer Club. Other computer user groups are welcome to reprint our articles as long as they give credit to the author and Bearly Bytes, Big Bear Computer Club.

Submissions: All BBCC members are encouraged to send letters, articles, questions, and comments to Bearly Bytes for inclusion in future issues. Submit as plain text in the body of an email and attach any graphics as JPEG or GIF format.

Send to Yomar Cleary. [email protected]

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May 13 — General Meeting5:30 pm at the Discovery Center

May 17 — VISTA Workshop10 am at Bear Coffee and More

May 27 — Board Meeting1:30 pm at Bear Coffee and More


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June 24 — Board Meeting1:30 pm at Bear Coffee and More

Recycling e-wasteBy Deloris Mansfield

More than 1.5 million tons of e-waste—TVs, computer monitors, desktop computers, cell phones, batteries etc., are thrown into landfills and incinerators around the United States every year. These electronic computer parts contain toxic materials such as lead, mercury, and cadmium. Did you know that a typical 17-inch computer monitor contains about 2.2 pounds of lead and a 27-inch television could produce as much as 8 pounds? As a result, the toxins are released into the air and water, making e-waste a public health issue as well an environmental one. Beryllium is commonly found on motherboards and connectors and is a known human carcinogen.While both the government and the private sector agree that e-waste is a huge problem, there’s no consensus on how to solve it. There are no federal regulations that address household electronic waste. However, the European Union has policies in place that make manufacturers responsible for recycling their products and decreasing the levels of harmful metals used in them.

California and many other states have passed laws banning disposal of electronics in a landfill. Since 2005, California has also imposed an e-waste fee when buying CRT or LCD monitors or TVs, adding portable DVD players with LCD screens to the list in 2007. The intent

of this fee is to reduce, or eliminate, the costs associated with properly recycling these materials when they become waste. At present, California is the only state with such a program.

What Was Old is New Again

When recycling electronics, many different materials can be recovered, keeping unnecessary waste out of landfills and providing resources for use in other markets. For example a CRT monitor can be recycled into plastic, metal, circuit boards, glass, etc. Each component is then sent to other recyclers who further process each item to make it usable for the market again. Some items that are rebuilt or remanufactured from used products are toner cartridges or computers.

How to Recylcle Your e-waste

First, donate any working equipment to a school or nonprofit organization. If it’s broken, find out if your state has an e-waste disposal program. Check with your local waste management company or private companies in your community. One company in my area accepts e-waste free of charge the first Saturday of every month.

If you’re not sure how to recycle something in your area, you can visit earth911.org. Type in what you want to recycle and your zip code and the site will bring up locations where you can take your items.

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Yet another option is to send the machine back to its maker. Many companies, including Apple, Dell, and Sony, will take back their products, although you may have to pay for shipping.

A pilot program just launched by the U.S. Postal Service allows customers to recycle small electronics and inkjet cartridges by mailing them free of charge.

The “Mail Back” program now being tested makes it easier for consumers to discard small electronics and ink cartridges in an environmentally responsible way by providing free, postage-paid envelopes in 1,500 Post Offices. There is no limit to the number of envelopes customers may take.


Recycling e-wasteContinued from Page 7

Pet goods supplier PetSmart offers a recycling program that yields donations to help save homeless pets AND the environment.

The EPA provides a detailed list of manufacturers and retailers who will assist you in recycling e-waste. Visit epa.gov to find a store near you.

What's Your Carbon Footprint?

Whether you agree with global warming theories or not, you can’t deny that recycling e-waste and hazardous materials is a good thing. It’s a no-brainer; it just makes good sense. So now you’ve recycled your electronics and all e-waste. Don’t pat yourself on the back just yet. There’s more you can do to help the planet. Use the calcu-lator at carbonfootprint.com to see just how much your activities impact the environment. This could be an eye-opener.

Bearly BytesBig Bear Computer ClubP.O. Box 645Big Bear City, CA 92314909 878-5822