Reference & Help

This library is a collection of help page that have been helping people with computers and the Internet since around 2000. Learn how to create a basic web page, or a business website that works for you while you sleep. Don't miss Pat's Converter, a units converter tool.

Internet Help

1. Software downloads - best free browsers, email readers, Web editors, FTP, anti-virus, firewalls, utilities, office suite.
2. Searching the Web - My favorites for finding information, people, news
   • Reference Sites
   • Deep Web - vast reservoir of information, where to find it.
3. Email & Web mail
   • Stop Spam with Email filtering - manage your mail by moving spam or mailing lists into separate folders.
   • Stop Spam by "Munging" your address - don't become a spam target in newsgroups and Web sites.
   • Outlook Express - setting up a email (POP) account.
   • Synchronize Outlook with Android apps
   • Sympatico email setup in Thunderbird
   • RSS feed setup in Thunderbird
   • Emailing MS-Word documents
   • Email links in web pages don't work!
4. Internet Terms
5. Tweets via SMS (Twitter Canada)
6. Computer Viruses- What are they, how to protect your computer, and how to get rid of them.
   • Anti-Malware software
   • Famous Computer Viruses
   • Six Virus Rules (Internet Tourbus)
   • Virus Notes
   • Palm Viruses
7. Online hoaxes - don't get fooled!
   • Internet hoax that was real
   • "Phishing" Attacks - online scams
   • Scam Attacks - protect yourself from identity theft
8. Start a Blog - online news for a club or your family.
9. File Associations - changing the program that opens on a double-click.
10. Cookies - tiny files left behind by Web sites
11. Downloading a browser update as a file (install later)
12. Firefox & Thunderbird addons
13. Bookmarklets - bookmarks that are actually javascript tools that do amazing things. More Bookmarklets
14. Youtube Videos - Play & Download
15. 10-digit dialing connections - change phone or modem dialing from your computer from 7 to 10 digits
16. Send an SMS / Text Message for free
17. Getting "around" interactive voice response (IVR) systems
18. Online Books - most are free to download
19. Google Maps - create a map for web forums, sale ads, and emails.
20. 2 letter Country Codes - used in Internet domains (i.e. "ca" for Canada)
21. Canadian provincial digraphs (abbreviations used for addresses)
22. 
    The icon at right will tell you if you are already using OpenDNS, the free DNS service (I use it). Improve online speed and security for every device in your home network. Website filtering (prevents phishing, porn, botnets) or block entire nasty domains. Create shortcut addresses.

Computer Help

1. Software downloads - best free browsers, email readers, Web editors, FTP, anti-virus, firewalls, utilities, office suite.
2. My Favorite Software - my favorite free and almost free software. Also a list of my favorite ezines and mailing lists. (see #1 above)
3. Windows 10 - tips and improvements
4. Organizing Start Menus (Win 7)
5. Windows XP & Office 2003 support ends - your options after 2015
6. Computer Basics - Karl Tipple's explanation of computers, operating systems and software.
7. Computer problem checklist - before you call the shop
8. Godmode: Create a special folder to access Windows Services
9. Back up your computer - restoring corrupted files and operating systems.
10. WINDOWS BATCH PROGRAMS:
    • Back up personal files using ROBOCOPY
    • Back up your XP/Vista Registry using ERUNT
    • Back up personal files using XCOPY
    • Starting a program faster
    • Starting several Windows programs
    • Create Dated File Names
    • Create a list of files in a directory
    • Add a timed pause or sound to batch programs
11. Display last modified date in a webpage - 2 different formats (Javascript)
12. Direct X diagnostics - check graphics/games capability
13. Converting PDF files - convert PDF to text.
14. Emailing MS-Word documents - send email directly from MS-Word the easy way!
15. Removing Windows Messenger (Windows XP)
16. Windows Tips - Keyboard shortcuts, change screen resolution and colours, using the file explorer, and more.
17. Making Windows 7 easier to use. Learn how to search for different types of files.
18. Windows Task Scheduler Problems - web pages that open in the wrong browser, bad file icons
19. Create a screenshot image - using the PrintScreen key
20. Laptop Travel Tips
21. Laptop Cleaning
22. Saving your Cell Phone Battery
23. Digital camera - quality, resolution, and size for fast Web photos or quality printed photos.
24. Screensaver - display a slideshow of your own photos as a screensaver (Win XP)
25. Desktop Web page - how to put a web page right on your Desktop (Win XP)
26. Windows Vista Task Scheduler - how to edit tasks
27. Why does my computer wake up? - tips for solving annoying startups when your computer should be on standby.
28. Keyboard suddenly displays the Wrong Keys [PatDrummond.blogspot.com]
29. Computer Security & Malware
    • Computer Viruses - protection, removal
    • Famous Computer Viruses
    • Virus Rules (Internet Tourbus)
    • Virus Notes
    • Palm Viruses
    • Online hoaxes
    • Internet hoax that was real
    • "Phishing" Attacks - online scams
    • Scam Attacks - identity theft
    • Mal-ware scanners will scan and remove mal-ware and spyware from your computer.
    • Online Malware Testing - test and fix viruses and malware for free online
    • Wireless router security. More Wireless router security.
30. Android operating system, apps, phones
    • OnePlus One smart phone - buying it, getting started
    • Android Help - forums, tips, getting apps without Google "Play"
    • Editing and FTP'ing HTML files in Android
    • Android Phone & Ford SYNC - how to connect an Android HTC Tattoo (instructions don't work)
    • Access Pandora radio in Canada on Android
    • Synchronize Outlook with Android apps

Web Design

1. HTML - Create your first Web page, testing it
   • Basic HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)
   • Latin1 Accent Codes for HTML
   • Web Design Bad Practices
2. File formats (text, images)
3. Web Images - formats, palettes, file size and speed.
   • Web Page Colours
   • RGB Colour Codes
   • Screen Size Test
4. Creating Beautiful Titles without Images
5. QR CODE image for smartphones to scan
6. Web Style - Design for accessibilty and speed
7. Copyright protection for your work
8. Twitter Widgets for your web page
9. Push a Footer to the bottom of the browser screen
10. Robots File to control search robots
11. Redirecting Web Page URL Requests
12. Coding a Popup box (Tool tip, mouseover)
13. FTP publishing- Using software to publish Web files.
    • FTP publishing using Ms-Word
14. Digital camera - quality, resolution, and size for fast Web photos or quality printed photos.

Business on the Web

1. Web 101 for Business
2. Web 102 Web Marketing
3. Business Web Plan
4. 8 Steps to creating a Web site
5. Starting a Consulting Business
6. Domain Names explained :: Domain Name Authorities
7. Internet statistics
8. Canadian Provincial postal digraphs

People Power on the Net - This Hour Has 22 Minutes proved how easy it is to get 3% of Canadian voters to support a referendum! (humour 2000)

Online Tools

1. Pat's Converter (Javascript) converts kilometres, knots, kilograms, Celcius, litres, US prices, degrees - even Canada/US gas prices.
2. Pat's Calculators (Javascript) - scientific calculator and popup calculator
3. PDQ Monthly Calendar (Javascript) - this month's calendar
4. Moon phase display (Javascript) - displays what the moon will look like tonight, and how many days until a full moon
5. QR CODE - image for smartphones to scan
6. Send a Text Message (SMS) to a mobile phone for free

WindowsSecrets.com provides a free e-zine with very useful information about computers and the Internet, plus forums and searchable library. (Plus! Edition is well-worth the small fee.)