computer

Infopackets Reader 'Mule63' writes: " Dear Dennis, I would like to know how to get rid of Tracking Cookies. They seem to be using my email to send inappropriate messages to people and my Internet Service Provider (ISP) has threatened to cut my ... Internet service. Could this cause the computer to go slower? Thank you for any information you can give me. " My response: The short and sweet answer is that tracking cookies probably aren't the issue here. The more likely answer is that your computer is infected with Spyware, is part of a botnet, and is being used to proliferate spam. Allow me to ... (view more)

In computing, a device driver or software driver is a computer program allowing higher-level computer programs to interact with a hardware device. How it Works A driver typically communicates with the device through the computer bus or ... communications subsystem to which the hardware is connected. When a calling program invokes a routine in the driver, the driver issues commands to the device. Once the device sends data back to the driver, the driver may invoke routines in the original calling program. Drivers are hardware-dependent and operating-system-specific. They usually provide the ... (view more)

In computing, an executable file causes a computer to perform indicated tasks according to encoded instructions, as opposed to a file that only contains data. Files that contain instructions for an interpreter or virtual machine may be considered ... executables, but are more specifically called scripts or bytecode. Executables are also called "binaries" in contrast to the program's source code. Binary Files A binary file is a computer file which may contain any type of data, encoded in binary form for computer storage and processing purposes. For example, a computer document file that contains ... (view more)

McAfee has launched a new website designed to help the victims of various cybercrimes fight back against Internet deviants. Dubbed the " Cybercrime Response Unit," it acts a lot like an "Online 911". A victim of an online hacking is left with very ... little options following an attack. On one hand, the thought of calling the police to report a random computer virus is comical, but if the virus is comprehensive enough that it affects a great number of people, the party responsible for its creation should be held accountable. In the U.S., online crimes can be prosecuted by ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader R. Thomas writes: " Dear Dennis, I forgot my user password (with administrator access rights). I tried booting into safe mode, hoping that it would login me in as the 'Admin' user, but I forgot the admin user password, too! How ... can I get past this? " My response: There are a number of ways to get past this. In fact, you can use a hidden Administrator account in Windows XP to reset your main user password. In this article, I'll explain how you can login as the administrator in Windows XP using Safe Mode. If that doesn't work, I've linked to another article ... (view more)

An interesting little piece of hardware promises to eliminate wasted upload time when sharing computer files, while reducing stresses associated with forgetfulness. The Pogoplug is a simple device that remotely accesses and shares files on a home ... computer over the Internet. Users connect the Pogoplug to their home network router (via an Ethernet cable), plug in a USB hard drive into Pogoplug, and the device pretty much does the rest. Leave Your Flash Drive and Worry at Home Since the files from your home hard drive are accessible via the Internet, forgetful people never again have to worry ... (view more)

Well, you made it through another April Fool's without being convinced your mother-in-law was moving in, your wife left with the mailman, or the Pittsburgh Pirates were Vegas' pick for the 2009 World Series. However, there were some pretty nifty ... jokes played this year, and we'll go over a few of them here. Some are simply ridiculous. For instance, it's unlikely Toshiba will fool anyone with its Petbook K9, which it calls the world's very first notebook for canines (and I don't doubt it). The tech giant's tag line for its goofy new device? "Playing fetch is so last year." It sure sounds like a ... (view more)

Update 2011/06/30: Links updated for our readers: save 42% off the retail price of Ashampoo Office 2008! A full 30 day money back guarantee is offered if you're not completely delighted with this marvelous program. Proceeds from this sale support ... our web site and staff of writers. Details at the very bottom of page . Offer ends July 14, 2011 at 11:59PM EST! The full review of Ashampoo Office 2008 is below. Quick! What's the name of the software you use most often to write letters, do financial calculations, create presentations, and all the rest? If you're like 95% of people using personal ... (view more)

The California woman suing Microsoft over Windows Vista's downgrade rights has revised her lawsuit to focus on the requirement that users must buy the most expensive versions of Vista if they want to downgrade to Windows XP. Los Angeles resident ... Emma Alvarado repeated her charges that Microsoft violated Washington state's unfair business practices and consumer protection laws by restricting computer makers' ability to offer Windows XP on new PCs after Vista's launch in the amended complaint. Microsoft Took Advantage Of Consumer Demand, Suit Says According to Computer World, the lawsuit says ... (view more)

10 Tips For Better LCD Image Quality The people at ExtremeTech think most users treat their gorgeous, colorful, and very expensive LCD displays as if they were CRTs. You've paid a lot for these ritzy monitors, and these ten important tips will help ... you get the best image for your money. http://www.extremetech.com Computer Repair Kit On A Thumb Drive Herein you'll find an impressive collection of some 57 handy tools that can help you diagnose and repair issues that might be negatively affecting your Windows experience. Most of the applications don't require installation and the kit can be run ... (view more)