Dennis Faas

Infopackets Reader Fred S. writes: " Dear Dennis, I recently download a program called PCMighty Max. The web site said it was free and would fix errors on my computer. The problem is that it has the most annoying warnings and popups which ... practically force you into purchasing the full retail version. Question is: how can I remove PC Mighty Max from my computer? I have tried to remove mightymax from my Control Panel, but, the remove feature is not there. Thank you in advance for your help -- I am a new subscriber and look forward to my first edition! " My response: After a bit of ... (view more)

On many computer operating systems, " SuperUser " is the term used for the special user account that is controlled by the system administrator. SuperUser: Unix and Unix-like In Unix-style computer operating systems, root is the conventional name of ... the user who has all rights or permissions in all modes (single- or multi-user). The user root can do many things an ordinary user cannot, such as changing the ownership of files and binding to ports numbered below 1024. Generally, it is not good practice for anyone to use root as their normal user account, because simple typographical ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Sandie R. writes: " Dear Dennis, You are always so helpful with the tips you give in your newsletter! I hope you can help me. Three years ago, I purchased a used HP Pavilion desktop computer with Windows XP installed on it. After ... 1 year of usage, I decided to upgrade and packed away the old computer. The other day, I was doing some spring cleaning and decided to unpack the old computer and fire it up. Unfortunately, I forgot my Windows XP user password, and now I can't login. Is there anything I can do to get past the password? Thanks in advance for any suggestions you ... (view more)

Synopsis: What's one of the most played card games of our time? Answer: Canasta! Introducing: Bitz and Pixelz Canasta: a popular card game with an exciting new challenge. With Bitz and Pixelz Canasta, you can play against the computer, or play a ... friend online over a network -- and even meet new friends and play online the Internet! If you love Windows Solitaire or Hearts, you'll love Bitz and Pixelz Canasta! Bitz and Pixelz Canasta: Screenshots Click to view: Page 1. Bitz and Pixelz Canasta: Features Drilldown Easy installation: Everything is handled automatically including creating an icon ... (view more)

A CD key, or product key is a specific software-based key for a certain computer program and is used to identify that the copy of the program is original. For official products the key might be used offline, at other times with software like ... Windows, it is registered online to prevent multiple people using the same key. The term CD key likely comes from the fact that the key is usually on the case or the CD. Computer games and Window Install discs come with CD keys to verify that the disc has been not been illegally copied. The key itself consist of a series of numbers and/or letters. This ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Linda R. from the United Kingdom writes: " Dear Dennis, Thanks again for all the help in the past. I have an urgent question, however. The past two days when I reboot my Windows XP machine, I am getting message 'Windows has to be ... Activated within [now] 6 days', and prompts me to click on Yes. When I do this, a larger box comes up with the message, 'Windows already activated.' What does all this mean? " My response: That's very strange! If you have the original Windows XP install disc, you (or the person who installed XP) were supposed to enter the CD Key in the ... (view more)

Synopsis: Run your programs faster and make your PC become more stable than ever before! CacheBoost optimizes the Windows Cache Management System by monitoring and controlling all the processes that run in memory. The built-in Memory Zipper engine ... and Data Safe Technology enhances the available system memory, thereby ensuring complete reliability and safety of data. CacheBoost's integrated suite of programs can not only recover memory leaks, but also prevent Windows crashes! Systweak CacheBoost: Screenshots Click to view: Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5 | Page 6 | Page 7. Systweak ... (view more)

In computing, phishing (also known as carding and spoofing) is the act of attempting to fraudulently acquire sensitive information, such as passwords and credit card details, by masquerading as a trustworthy person or business with a real need for ... such information in a seemingly official electronic notification or message, such as an email or an instant message. It is a form of a social engineering attack. The term phishing comes from the fact that Internet scammers are using increasingly sophisticated lures as they "fish" for users' financial information and password data. With the growing ... (view more)

wiredNews.com is reporting that an anti-phishing tool (currently only available in the beta stage of Internet Explorer version 7 ) will be available to all Windows XP Service Pack 2 users before the full release of IE7. Here's the full story: " ... Microsoft Corp. will soon make available to the general public a tool for warning users about 'phishing' scams that could lead to identity theft. Currently, such a tool comes only with the Internet Explorer 7 browser, which is available in tests only to a select group of developers. But within a few weeks, Microsoft will incorporate it into a ... (view more)

Synopsis: Is your system running a little sluggish? Want to squeeze a little more juice out of it -- all the while customize and clean it at the same time? In that case, try BoostXP2! BoostXP2 is a comprehensive and easy-to-use Windows utility suite ... that lets you fine-tune Windows and Internet Explorer and makes your computer run faster. Whether you want to tweak your Windows Registry, clean up your hard drive, erase tracks, or increase your multimedia and game performance, BoostXP2's integrated suite of programs can get your system running at peak performance levels. BoostXP2 gives you ... (view more)