Dennis Faas

It's a fact: a clean install of Windows is *always* preferable to upgrading a new version over top of a previous Windows installation. Why is this so? The answer is three words: The Windows Registry. For example: when you install and uninstall ... programs to a Windows PC, things get added to the Registry -- the 'heart' of the Windows Operating System. The Registry is a complex database that keeps track of installed programs, program preferences, user data, operating system settings, and the like. However, over time, some programs may not install or uninstall properly, and the Registry becomes ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Patrick L. writes: " Dear Dennis, I love your articles! I was just wondering: many sites out there, including eBay members are selling copies or 'cracked' software. Some use 'kegen' programs to generate software keys in order to ... unlock software. I always purchase new software and from the company itself -- example: Adobe, Corel, etc. However, my friends want to purchase keygens and cracked software so they do not pay full retail. So my question is, aside from viruses or such, can programs like keygen and such be harmful to your computer? " My response: The short-and-sweet ... (view more)

Do you use Norton Security or an "all-in-1" solution to protect your PC? You might not want to after you read this: Infopackets Reader Mike L. writes: " Dear Dennis, My problem is that I'm a relatively naive computer user and have -- for some time ... now -- depended on Norton's 'all in one' security package (firewall / anti-virus / anti-spam) to blanket my PC from Internet nasties. A friend told me that Norton tends to configure a PC to best meet their own specifications, and that this causes periodic corruptions. Can you point me to information about the best way for a less than ... (view more)

Discover how to create stunning letters, effortless spreadsheet reports, dazzling PowerPoint presentations, and much more -- just like the professionals! Attention MS Office users -- Do you just muddle through and make do with the basic features of ... MS Word? Do you gawk at the gigantic array of features found in MS Excel? Do you feel powerless when using MS PowerPoint? Enough already! If you're like one of the millions of bewildered users around the world aching to unlock the simple secrets behind MS Office, now's your chance to shine! Announcing Carol's Corner Office Tips and Tricks eBook ... (view more)

Patronizing is everywhere in the business world. It can happen between any two companies at any time, but there's always one reason behind it: money. Recently, the two competing Internet browsers from Microsoft and Mozilla were released to web users ... across the world. In the weeks since, two of the most popular search engines have "chosen" their favorites, with Yahoo recommending Internet Explorer 7 and Google pushing Firefox 2. The most recent finding is Yahoo's encouragement that searchers use IE7 over the competition. If a user decides to follow the engine's advice, he or she will find that ... (view more)

Tor Anonymize your web browsing and publishing, instant messaging, IRC, SSH, and other applications that use the TCP protocol. Tor also provides a platform on which software developers can build new applications with built-in anonymity, safety, and ... privacy features. http://tor.eff.org/ Techlogica Http Server Techlogica Http Server is intended to be used for locally testing your script-based website. PHP and CGI. http://www.techlogica.us/software/httpserver/ (view more)

Infopackets Reader Paul D. writes: " Dear Infopackets Team, I was impressed by the reviews of Genie Backup that I read through infopackets. However, one thing is unclear: can Genie Backup Manager (GBM) also backup installed programs and ... applications? I ask this because backing up an installed program is not as obvious as just copying over the folder where the program is installed to; it is a well known fact that many programs install to multiple [unknown] locations on a PC, including the system registry. I have Paint Shop Pro 9 and a few other applications I'd like to backup but am worried ... (view more)

Here's one for the weird files -- Not only is Victor De Leon synonymous with Halo 2's most prominent game artist, it's also the real name of Halo's tiniest gunslinger. Just recently, reports have surfaced about Halo's 8-year old phenom, "Lil ... Poison," a frag master who is making some serious waves in the gaming world. Little Victor De Leon is officially a professional gamer, and might just be the world's youngest. Although he has to shave down the thumbsticks on his Xbox joystick to use them effectively, the tyke has been kicking arse at Microsoft's flagship game for a few years now. Halo ... (view more)

Without a doubt, the one device capable of interrupting a special, personal moment is Research in Motion's (RIM) Blackberry. The handheld device combines all of your typical PDA abilities, including: phone, schedule, email, and other features ... exclusively designed to ruin vacations. As if the Blackberry hadn't become popular enough with the world's VIPs, RIM has now unveiled a slimmer, sexier phone dubbed the "Pearl". Whether you're CEO of Best Buy or just digital media supervisor, the Blackberry has become a useful tool for every ambitious businessperson. The Pearl is meant to appeal to more ... (view more)

Most section-level formatting is controlled by the Page Layout dialog box found on the File menu of MS Word. The dialog box is made up of four tabs, each controlling a separate category of section formatting: Margins, Paper Size, Paper Source, and ... Layout. Margins Since margins are section-level formatting, when you change any margin at any point in a section, you change that margin for the entire section. If your document is just one section, then changing any margin at any point in the document changes that margin for the entire document. To change one or more margins: Click File | Page ... (view more)