Diablo Blue

The Newsletter of the Diablo Valley PC Users Group

June 4, 2009 MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT

Video Editing Shootout
Presenter: Nick Chase, Peggy Johnson, and Mel Lundgren

Digital video cameras are becoming less expensive and thus more popular. While a video camera is a wonderful piece of hardware, you need a way to make your home videos look professional and prepare them for showing to family and friends. The video software you will use to edit your videos and copy them to DVDs or VideoCDs is constantly improving. At our June 4th meeting we'll have a "shootout" to show the difference between three video editing software packages that range from low-cost and easy to use through semi-professional but still affordable. And all of these packages support HD Video. Nick, Peggy, and Mel have graciously offered their time to show us the packages that they used for video editing. We'll see demonstrations of Corel Video Studio 12, Pinnacle Studio 12, and Sony Vegas 9, and the pros and cons of each package will be discussed.

This month's meeting will be fun, interesting, and informative. We'll see you on Thursday, June 4, 2009 at Diablo Valley College room H109.

NOTE: Diablo Valley College has parking permit dispensers that take dollar bills as well as nickels, dimes, quarters, and dollar coins, and will at some time in the future take credit cards. Note that these parking permit dispensers do not make change.

NOTE: There will be no DVPC meeting in July. The Diablo Valley College campus will be completely shut down for the break between spring and summer sessions, and there will be no access allowed to any buildings on campus. See you in June and then on August 6!

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Where and When We Meet

DVPC monthly meetings are held on the first Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at Diablo Valley College In Pleasant Hill, California, on the Main Campus located at 321 Golf Club Road. We meet in room H109 in the Humanities Building. See the campus map on the About DVPC page for driving directions, parking information, and how to get to room H109. Remember: there's a $2.00 parking fee, payable at the ticket machines in each lot. These ticket machines take dollar bills and quarters, but do not give change so be sure to bring correct bills and/or quarters to buy your parking ticket. Place the ticket face up on the driver's side of your dashboard.

We have a Networking Table from 6:30 to 7:00; if you have something to sell or trade, need technical help, or just want to exchange views, visit the Networking Table. The regular monthly meeting starts at 7:00 p.m. with Random Access where you can ask questions or report on technical problems, followed by a presentation by our guest speaker. Also, as usual, we'll have SIG news and some of our usual great door prizes.

Driving Directions:
680 Northbound:
Exit at Willow Pass Road
At the end of the exit ramp turn left onto Willow Pass Road
Continue on Willow Pass Road to the second signal and
turn right onto Contra Costa Blvd.

680 Southbound:
Exit at Concord Ave.
At the end of the exit ramp turn left on Contra Costa Blvd.

Direction into the Campus:
Continue on Contra Costa Blvd. to the signal at Golf Club Road and turn into Golf Club Road. At the second entrance into the campus turn left then immediately right to parking lot 7. Turn left into lot 7. Park (but don't use parking spaces that are reserved for faculty and staff only), then purchase a parking permit (see Parking Fees below) and put it on your dashboard. Click on this link (www.dvpc.org/about.html) to see:
> a detailed DVC map showing parking and our meeting room
> a map for driving to DVC
> an aerial view of the DVC campus

Parking fees:
On the Pleasant Hill campus parking permits are $2.00 per day. You can purchase permits at the parking permit machines marked with a red star on the maps on the DVPC website. Parking permit machines take nickels, dimes, quarters, and dollar coins. Note that these parking permit dispensers do not make change. DVC parking permits are required Monday through Friday at all times that classes are in session. That includes the times that DVPC meetings are held! Do not park in metered or faculty/staff spaces.

You need to purchase a parking permit and place it face up on your dashboard so it is clearly visible through the windshield. If you attend classes at DVC and have a campus parking permit, you can use it when you attend DVPC meetings.

Some members park (for free) in the College Park High School lot across Viking Drive from the DVC campus. Do so at your own risk!

Parking violations:
Be sure to purchase a parking permit! Fines range from $35 for parking in a regular space without a permit, to over $275 for illegally parking in a space reserved for the handicapped.

Parking alternatives:
Some members carpool and share the parking fee; they park at Sun Valley Mall, have dinner at one of the many restaurants in the mall, then take one car to the meeting. Some members park in the lots in front of College Park High School, which is across Viking Drive from DVC. Remember: if you decide to use any of these parking alternatives, you do so at your own risk!

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Diablo Blue Password Access
by Ron Ogg, DVPC

You will need the monthly password to access the current issue of the newsletter. If you are a paid-up member of DVPC you'll receive an email message, usually on the Weekend prior to the meeting, with the password.

As each month's issue is uploaded, it's placed in a password protected folder on dvpc.org. When you click on the link to go to the newsletter, a dialog box will be displayed asking for the password from the email message. The password is case-sensitive; either copy it from the email message or make sure you type it correctly.

As we add the current month's newsletter, the password on the prior month's newsletter will be removed so anyone coming to the DVPC website can access older issues of Diablo Blue.

If you have any problems accessing a password protected newsletter, please email webbie@dvpc.org.

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Watch for Updates!
by Ron Ogg, DVPC

With our new method of producing and publishing the monthly Diablo Blue newsletter, we can easily add updates to each month's issue. If an article is updated,the word Updated will be added in red

When we add a new article "mid-month" the entire entry will be shown in red in the Table of Contents.

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DVPC Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
by Tom Krauss, DVPC

Only a person who does not read newspapers or magazines, does not have a TV or radio, and does not use the internet would be unaware that times are tough. Unemployment is at record levels and jobs are hard to come by. Maybe that’s why Alan has decided to develop a new career as a home repairman. Yes, he passed up another opportunity to guide the Board through our monthly meeting, instead spending a quiet night rebuilding his home.

Peggy, Barry and Richard were also no-shows. Fortunately, however, the A-Team rose to the occasion. Ron, Charlie, Mel, Nick and I quickly got down to our usual serous club business. In no time at all we were deep in a discussion of old movies and TV shows. Mel critiqued the new Star Trek movie (two thumbs up from her and Ron). We reminisced about the original TV Star Trek series. We touched on cameras and France. Video editing software was addressed, and the next release of Windows considered. Ron has tried the beta of the software that will load the new Windows software and it locks up his computer. Definitely a bad omen, but there is plenty of time to fix it before the pre-Christmas release in 2010. I mean 2009. Probably.

Eventually we came around to the topic of speakers for the next two meetings. A quick check of the calendar brought disappointment: the Fourth of July will not conflict with the general meeting, so we will need a speaker after all. Bummer. Mel tentatively offered to share the July meeting with Peggy. Both are learning new video software, but Mel thought there was no way they would be able to present at the June meeting as they are just starting to learn the programs. Somehow, ten minutes later we had Mel and Peggy scheduled for June anyway. The effort wore us out, so we agreed that July would probably best be left in the capable hands of Alan the Carpenter.

As we neared quitting time we had a little show and tell from Nick. He demonstrated a device he made out PVC and various fittings that serves as a camera stabilizer and as an extension for filming (or should I say “digiting”?) over the heads of a crowd. It is currently in beta stage but should be ready for distribution within the next few weeks. Look for it wherever fine video accessories are sold.

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Links to Interesting Online Articles
by Ron Ogg, DVPC

Here are links to some interesting articles I've found online. Check them out!

NetworkWorld — The legal risks of ethical hacking
When ethical hackers track down computer criminals, do they risk prosecution themselves? One such researcher introduced himself by saying “Hi, I’m Dave Dittrich, and I’m a computer criminal”...
Read more

cnet news — Windows 7 to have an ‘XP mode’
Microsoft is trying to make it easier to sway users of Windows XP onto the latest version of its operating system. For some time now, the company has been quietly building a "Windows XP mode" that uses virtualization to allow Windows 7 to easily run applications designed for XP...
Read more

cnet news — Photos: Part insect, part timepiece
Portland, Maine, artist Mike Libby customizes real insect specimens with antique watch parts and other technological components...
Read more

About.com — Swine Flu Spam and Phishing Attacks
Domain names related to 'swine flu' are being snatched up and may be used to host malware, or for spam campaigns or phishing attacks...
Read more

cnet news — McAfee launches free online cybercrime help center
Is your computer acting funny? Are you worried that you may have visited a malicious Web site or opened an e-mail attachment with malware? Instead of worrying about it you can now go to a new Web site McAfee launched that is designed to help computer users figure out if they have legitimate reason to be concerned ...
Read more

PCMag.com — Hands On: Windows 7 Release Candidate (Build 7100)
Quicker to install, more polished and customizable, and easier to use than earlier builds, the Windows 7 Release Candidate (build 7100) is a nice step towards finalization of the operating system...
Read more

IEEE Spectrum Online — Ohio Engineers "Ink" New Electronic Paper Technology
Researchers at the University of Cincinnati’s Novel Devices Laboratory, in collaboration with color experts from ink manufacturer Sun Chemical Corp., have developed what they call electrofluidic display technology. It promises to make thin electronic displays that are as bright and vibrant as the pages of a magazine...
Read more

PCWorld — Master the Software Updating Process to Keep Your PC Safe and Stable
Beyond having security software installed on your PC, the best way to keep malware off your computer is to maintain a fully patched Windows system. This includes patching desktop applications that may not come from Microsoft...
Read more

cnet news — FAQ: Demystifying ID fraud
The trail of online fraud leads through malicious Web sites, hacked databases, underground criminal forums, and across country borders. We'll guide you through it...
Read more

cnet news — An expert's guide to YouTube
Video-sharing site YouTube is... massively popular and incredibly simple to use, but also has a few powerful features that are tucked away. We show you what they are...
Read more

PC World Online — Check the Strength of Your Password
Microsoft's free password-checking site tells you instantly if your password is hacker-friendly or Pentagon-safe...
Read more

examiner.com —Education and awareness are major tools to protect against cyber crime
Karen was a victim of identity theft who chose to do the "legwork" to understand this crime – and ultimately captured her own identity thief. Now she’s diligent in providing awareness to help others...
Read more

ZDNet Online — The Web's most dangerous keywords to search for
Which is the most dangerous keyword to search for using public search engines these days? ...Upon searching for 2,658 unique popular keywords and phrases across 413,368 unique URLs, McAfee’s research concludes that...
Read more

cnet news — In search of a do-it-yourself Wall-E
A lot of people adored Pixar Animation Studios' 2008 dystopian robots-in-love story, "Wall-E." But one loosely connected organization can probably lay claim to being the biggest, or at least the most dedicated, group of fans...
Read more

infopackets — MS Quietly Patches Firefox: Vulnerable, No Uninstall
Users of Mozilla's Firefox web browser may have received an unpleasant surprise when they performed a routine security update for a Microsoft Windows component...
Read more

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DNSstuff.com Offers Trusteer Rapport
DNSstuff.com Press Release

Proven online banking security technology now available for all the sites users log into.

Newburyport, MA - Thursday, March 19, 2009 – DNSstuff.com (www.dnsstuff.com) today announced in partnership with Trusteer that it is offering Rapport, a tool that protects your transactions from being tampered with and private information from being stolen, through its website, dnsstuff.com.

Rapport is an easy-to-use browser plug-in that provides users with a secure connection to any online site they log into, protecting their most valuable online assets - login credentials. "Any tool that secures the connection between your desktop and any site you have to log into is truly a real benefit. Protecting your user credentials should be every consumer's top priority, Rapport makes that automatic! Rapport is proven, lightweight and effective," said Paul Parisi, CTO at DNSstuff.com.

Malware is growing at an alarming rate. Today, malware programs are capable of bypassing the most advanced authentication and security controls implemented by most websites. If this occurs, your most vulnerable assets are at risk including your login credentials. Rapport protects login credentials and transactions, from desktop to website, even if a computer is infected with malware.

How it works

The Trusteer Rapport product secures personally identifiable information (PII) when users conduct business online with financial institutions and other goods and services providers. It acts like a vault inside a user's web browser to protect online transactions from malicious software resident on customer computers, prevents redirection to fraudulent websites, and locks down communications during transmission.

Rapport protects users against the following forms of attacks: Man-in-the-browser, Man-in-the-middle, session hijacking and screen capturing.

Added layer of protection

When it comes to identity fraud, even antivirus software and firewalls aren't enough. That's because criminals can easily bypass these defenses, to prey on your login details. Rapport shields your online details and safeguards your identity. It works in tandem with your antivirus and security software.

Pricing and availability

DNSstuff Rapport will be available on March 23, 2009. You can download it for free and protect up to 3 websites. Pricing starts at $29 per user for unlimited site protection. Volume pricing is available by contacting sales@dnsstuff.com

About DNSstuff.com

DNSstuff is often the company IT professionals turn to for help in configuring, monitoring and resolving email, internet and connectivity issues. These on-demand tools and alerts services reduce downtime and minimize domain vulnerability. DNSstuff solutions combine the effectiveness of command line tools with the efficiency of point tools. DNSstuff.com users are a uniquely large, knowledgeable and trusted community of IT professionals, and its resources are featured in several authoritative books on the Internet which can be found at www.dnsstuff.com.

About Trusteer

     Trusteer enables online businesses to secure communications with their customers over the Internet and protect personally identifiable information (PII) from a user's keyboard into the company's website. Trusteer's flagship product, Rapport, allows online banks, brokerages, healthcare providers, and retailers to protect their customers from identity theft and financial fraud. Unlike conventional approaches to web security, Rapport protects users' PII even if their computer is infected with malware including Trojans and keyloggers, or is victimized by pharming, phishing attacks. Trusteer is a privately held corporation led by former executives from Cyota/RSA Security, Imperva, and NetScreen/Juniper. For more information visit www.trusteer.com.

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Magix and APCUG Special Offers
by Don Singleton, APCUG

Magix has teamed with APCUG to offer special pricing on their software for DVPC members at special introductory prices.

MAGIX is proud to work closely with APCUG to offer our lowest discounts to APCUG members. Both MAGIX and the APCUG believe in putting excellent software solutions in the hands of its users. APCUG is one of the largest North American user group communities, while MAGIX provides world-class multimedia products to millions of users worldwide.

Click here to see and take advantage of these offers.

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O'Reilly User Group Special Offers for DVPC Members
by Author, From

oreilly.com Spreading the knowledge of innovators

New Releases — Books, Short Cuts, and Rough Cuts

Get 35% off from O'Reilly, No Starch, Paraglyph, PC Publishing, Pragmatic Bookshelf, Rocky Nook, SitePoint, or YoungJin books and ebooks you purchase directly from O'Reilly. Just use code "DSUG" when ordering online or by phone 800-998-9938. oreilly.com/store

Free ground shipping on orders of $29.95 or more. See details.

Did you know you can request a free book, ebook, or PDF to review for your group? Ask your group leader for more information.

For book review writing tips and suggestions, go to: ug.oreilly.com

New Releases:           

O'Reilly School of Technology

OSTO'Reilly School of Technology Courses: UG Members Receive a 30% Discount — By enrolling in the O'Reilly School of Technology, you can stay competitive in Information Technology without the high cost or huge time commitment. Our courses work around YOUR schedule, not the other way around. And within months, not only will you have the University of Illinois Certificate to display on your resume, you'll also have a portfolio of projects that are sure to impress in your interviews!

OST's full-price tuitions are already lower than comparable continuing education or community college courses. However, as an O'Reilly User Group member, you save an additional 30% on all the courses in the following University of Illinois Certificate Series:

  • New--Database Administration Certificate
  • Java Programming
  • PHP/SQL Programming
  • Linux/Unix System Administration
  • Web Programming
  • Open Source Programming
  • .NET Programming
  • Client-Side Web Programming featuring AJAX

To redeem, use Promotion Code "ORALL1" good for a 30% discount, in Step #2 of the enrollment process. Each course comes with a free O'Reilly book and a 7-day money-back guarantee. Enroll now.

(This discount is not combinable with other offers.)

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XP SP3 — Access Denied
By Bob Elgines, President & Editor, Colorado River Computer Club, AZ

I tried installing the Windows XP SP3 upgrade several times and, after talking with Microsoft reps, I shut off my antivirus, updated my BIOS, but nothing seemed to work. Then I decided to do a search and found “Access Denied” information and over 340, 000 other people had used this same area. For some reason a changeable entry in the Register is locked and will not allow SP3 to change it.

First, do a right click on "My Computer" icon and select "Properties" to see if it has been installed.

Here is what you need to do, if the Error message read “Access Denied” or “Service Pack Installation Did Not Complete”. First read your Svcpack.log, located under the Windows folder in case you forgot what the error message said, it should be at the bottom of the log.

Next Backup your Register, then download and install “Subinacl.exe” from www.microsoft/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=e8ba3e56-4a91-93cf-ed698Se3927b&displaylang=en

Start Notepad, then the text in this file and Save As “Reset.cmd”. Now double click on this .cmd file you just saved. It will take a while to complete its job.

Reboot your computer, you are now ready to install Win XP SP3. Go to windows update if you need to find SP3 update.

This article has been obtained from APCUG with the author’s permission for publication by APCUG member groups; all other uses require the permission of the author (elginesz (at) rraz.net).

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Free PC Utilities from Comodo
Adapted from an article by Ira Wilsker, APCUG Director; Columnist, The Examiner, Beaumont, TX

Comodo (www.comodo.com) is one of those sleeper companies that quietly provides very good products and services, but just seems to dwell in the background while it adds paying customers and clients. Comodo is an international company with offices in the U.S., the U.K., the Ukraine, and in India. While not visible to the ordinary internet user, Comodo is the exclusive provider of digital security services to the top level internet domain name registrants. Comodo has over 200,000 commercial customers in over 100 countries, and protects over a half-million businesses and private individuals. As is common in the field, Comodo offers some excellent free products available to all users that Comodo hopes will spread its reputation and services, and eventually attract paying clients to its more sophisticated commercial products.

Comodo has free Comodo security products, including its antivirus, firewall, antispam, and other security products, all of which can be downloaded individually, but work together as do many of the competitive commercial security suites. To ease the download process, and even better integrate the protective functions, Comodo has introduced its free Comodo Internet Security, a fully functional, but basic antivirus, firewall, and proactive security suite. This free suite has been recognized by the media for its quality, by being awarded CNET’s highest 5 star rating, and was selected by PC Magazine as its “Editors’ Choice”. Comodo hopes that users of the free security suite will want to eventually upgrade to its commercial big brother ($40) that offers additional and enhanced features along with free 24/7 online chat support.

Comodo offers a somewhat unique free product in its “Comodo Memory Firewall Version 2.0”. This is an unusual utility in that unlike a conventional firewall (which is also required to maximize security), this Memory Firewall monitors the memory of the computer and the running applications. It is on the lookout for attacks on running programs such as buffer-overflow attacks, a common and damaging threat to our computing security. Attacks such as these, which can be prevented with this Memory Firewall, can cause system crashes or steal confidential information from the targeted computer.

An extremely common threat faced by all web surfers is a form of identity theft through the use of “phishing” or otherwise fraudulent websites. Comodo offers its “Free Forever” Comodo Verification Engine, which notifies the user if a website is legitimate or fraudulent. If a website is known to be legitimate, simply placing the mouse over the website logo will display a green border. This is an excellent tool to prevent some of the more common online forms of identity theft.

Many thousands of computers are lost or stolen each year. It is a known fact that thousands of laptop or notebook computers are stolen in airports and other places annually. One major concern of the owner of a lost or stolen computer is the potential disclosure and abuse of the personal data on the hard drive. Comodo offers a solution to this vexing problem, its free Disk Encryption Software, which can be used to encode the data on a hard drive, preventing its use by unauthorized individuals. This provides continuous protection of the data on the drive, and includes two levels of data authentication. This protects sensitive data without disrupting the ability to legitimately utilize the data, but makes the same data useless to an unauthorized user, such as a thief.

You may have heard commercials on radio and TV about a “VPN” or Virtual Private Network, where selected computers can be connected together over the internet, just as if they would be connected over a wired in-house network. For those who may need to connect distant computers, Comodo offers its free “Comodo EasyVPN”. This VPN provides secure encrypted communications over the internet, and allows for the safe transmission and reception of sensitive communications. It also allows for remote access to connected computers, including a “remote desktop” feature that allows one user to access control over another distant computer. For family use, EasyVPN allows for the quick and easy internet exchange of music or photos, and even allows connected users to play multi-user games. This is like having a remote office, where the office computer can be securely accessed from anywhere there is an internet connection. This may be a very useful utility.

I hate spam, that unwanted junk email. Comodo offers a free anti-spam utility that can stop spam, phishing (identity theft), and other fraudulent email from getting into your inbox. The software can import the address book from most popular email clients to create a safe senders’ list, and provides for a challenge and response system to verify unknown senders, and adds verified senders to a safe “white list”. Using Comodo’s Anti Spam utility can significantly reduce the unwanted mail in your inbox.

Sometimes we must send and receive sensitive information via email that we would not want others to be able to access or read. Comodo has a free solution to this problem, its SecureEmail utility. This utility encrypts and digitally signs email such that it cannot be read by anyone except the intended recipient. This utility seamlessly integrates with all major email clients, and has a wizard to help setup the program.

While Comodo offers many other utilities, it is best known for its security products. One such free product offered is its BoClean, which can detect and remove rootkits, hijackers, keyloggers, and Trojans, as it continuously monitors the system for attack. BoClean offers real time protection against online identity theft caused by malware, as well as protection from file damage caused by other varieties of malware.

Regular readers of my articles have read the three most important words in computing, “Backup, Backup, Backup!” Comodo offers a full featured and free backup utility that can automatically backup critical data files to almost any form of media or storage system. Backups may be scheduled automatically, or run at will, and allow for the easy recovery of files in the event of system crash, natural disaster, theft, or other loss of data. With software such as this, and a secure place to store the backed up data, there is no reason why any important data should ever be lost.

Comodo offers its System Cleaner utility to clean computers of useless and wasteful files and registry entries that can adversely impact computer performance, thus improving performance. Comodo System Cleaner is among the fastest and most efficient system cleaner tested, including several of the popular competitors. System Cleaner includes both disk cleaner and registry cleaner tools, as well as other powerful diagnostic tools. System Cleaner claims “100% Safe Cleaning” as it implements proprietary “Registry Protection” and “Safe Delete” features which can automatically restore any files that may have been deleted in error.

Comodo offers an impressive collection of free utilities, and should be commended for offering them. Comodo explicitly states that many of these utilities are free for both personal and business users, making them most cost effective at “free”. For this price, they are most worthy of a try.

WEBSITE: http://www.comodo.com/products/free_products.html

This article has been obtained from APCUG with the author’s permission for publication by APCUG member groups; all other uses require the permission of the author (iwilsker (at) apcug.net).

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Reinstalling Windows
by Vinny La Bash, Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc., FL

No matter how diligent you are at computer housecleaning and tuning your system, at some point you will need to reinstall Windows. One of the most infuriating things about the process occurs after the installation when you realize you have forgotten something important like exporting your Favorites folder. Several weeks ago I reinstalled Vista on my laptop and almost forgot to do something elementary. So perhaps it’s time to review the basics.

There are many reasons to reinstall windows. Perhaps the registry has gotten corrupted or it could be an accumulation of little things that are driving you nuts. Whatever is annoying you, a clean install is always the best option. Before doing anything, careful planning will keep you out of trouble.

The detailed procedures outlined here apply specifically to Vista, but the general concepts apply to any version of Windows and even other operating systems. There are three main areas to a reinstall. You need proper preparation, the install itself, and the aftermath to clean up any mess you may have inadvertently created. That means you don’t schedule a reinstall the night before any deadlines.

Start by documenting any critical login identifications and passwords. If you pay bills online, access financial information, eBay, PayPal or anything else important to you., now is the time to write it all down. Some folks use a password protected spreadsheet file. Others use some kind of encrypted application to store the data. I prefer good old reliable pen and paper stored in a safe place, not taped to my monitor.

Do you have your Windows product key available? You need it to reinstall Vista. Are there any other applications you will reinstall that require product keys, like Microsoft Office? Gather them all, including any drivers you may need to reinstall hardware, like a printer or mobile smart phone.

A clean install requires that you backup your data files. This is especially important if you’re planning to reformat your hard drive. Backup email contacts, calendar entries, and anything you consider important. Don’t forget anything special you may have saved on your desktop. That’s an easy one to overlook.

Have you installed new hardware recently? Any new devices, except physical memory, require some kind of driver software to work properly. You can get the most up-to-date drivers by visiting the manufacturer’s web site and downloading them. Go to the Device Manager for a list of installed hardware or use Belarc Advisor for a more detailed description.

Do some housecleaning. Search your drive for files that are obsolete or otherwise unnecessary. It’s amazing how much digital detritus can accumulate over time. Perform a full deep virus scan so your new setup can get off to a clean start. Use Disk Cleanup if you want to reduce the number of unnecessary files on your hard disk to free up disk space and help your computer run faster. It removes temporary files, empties the Recycle Bin, and deletes a variety of system files and other items that you no longer need.

Back up the My Documents folder and any sub-folders that may exist. Backup Links if you use Internet Explorer; Bookmarks if you use Mozilla Firefox. If you’re not sure you’ve backed up everything you need, back up the entire disk. If you’ve forgotten anything, your data can be recovered.

By now you should have:


  • Documented all logins and passwords
  • Backed up all important data including My Documents and any sub-folders
  • Have all product keys and activation codes handy
  • Backed up your email contact list, and calendar entries
  • Backed up Favorites, Links, Bookmarks, etc.
  • Collected Driver disks

Check everything at least twice to make sure you haven’t overlooked anything essential and you’re ready to go. Insert your Windows disk and reinstall the operating system.

After the process is complete, there is still work to do. Use Windows Update to retrieve and install the latest service packs, security updates, and any necessary patches. After bringing your operating system up-to-date, turn your attention to applications and device drivers.

If you reinstalled Vista from the manufacturer’s installation or system restore disks, drivers for the original software and hardware that came with the system are likely to be either no longer relevant or out-of-date. You may need to visit several manufacturers’ web sites to download and install the most recent drivers. This is part of proper preparation, but if you neglected this step it’s not a fatal mistake.

Restore any data you backed up earlier, reconfigure network settings if applicable, and tweak the system to suit your personal preferences. Create a system restore point, and do an image backup of your entire system in case you need to reinstall again.

Don’t fool yourself. Reinstalling the operating system, applications, drivers and such is never as simple or as easy as it should be. If you plan carefully however, it doesn’t need to be stressful.

This article has been obtained from APCUG with the author’s permission for publication by APCUG member groups; all other uses require the permission of the author (vlabash (at) comcast.net).

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Electronic Waste — Where to Dispose of It
by Peggy Johnson, DVPC

Here's a list of ewaste donation sites in Central Contra County County. We've included sites where you can recycle single-use and rechargeable batteries, and to dispose of unneeded pharmaceuticals and over-the-counter medications. Be sure to check the websites to determine what they will accept. If you know or learn of others, please let me know with the location, hours, and website URL.

Computers and Electronics

Hauling Pros Recycling Center
www.dumpmytv.com
73A South Buchanan Circle
(on the left behind S&S Roofing)
Pacheco, CA 94553
925-682-8987
Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Rapid Recycle
www.rapidrecycle.net
110 Second Ave., South B-1
Pacheco, CA 94553
925-671-8008
Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Recycle for Breast Cancer
www.recycleforbreastcancer.org/dropoffanytime.htm
31 Beta Court, Suite C
San Ramon, CA 94583
800-315-9580
7 days a week excluding holidays 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
A completed donation form is requested at the time of donation; this form can be downloaded from their website

e-Recycle OnUs
www.erecycleonus.com
1271 Boulevard Way
(at back left corner past East Bay Art and CTA)
Walnut Creek, CA 94595
925-934-1515
Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Electronic Waste Management
www.noewaste.com
E-Waste recycling events at Diablo Valley College
321 Golf Club Road
(in DVC overflow parking lot across from north side of main campus)
Pleasant Hill, CA
866-335-3373
First Saturday of every month (except holidays)
9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where to recycle Batteries

Single-Use Household Batteries
Longs Drugs
www.longs.com
Alamo, Blackhawk, Danville, Lafayette,
Moraga, Orinda, Walnut Creek, San Ramon
Right Aid Drugstores
www.rightaid.com
Orinda, Walnut Creek
Radio Shack
www.radioshack.com
Danville, Walnut Creek
Check websites for store hours

Rechargeable Batteries
Right Aid Drugstores
www.rightaid.com
Check website for store hours

Where to Dispose of Unneeded Pharmaceutical and Over-the-Counter Medications
Walnut Creek City Hall
www.walnut-creek.org
1666 North Main Street, Walnut Creek
Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Look for the green Pharmaceutical Disposal bin
Please don't flush your drugs!

How and Where to Recycle or Dispose of Other Household Waste Items
Central Contra Costa Sanitary District
The CCCSD has a two-page Disposal Guide for Central Contra Costa County brochure that can be viewed online or printed. This handy guide tells how to dispose of common household waste in safe, simple, and environmentally healthy ways. Click on the link below to access the brochure.
www.centralsan.org/documents/Brochure_Disposal_Guide.pdf

This brochure requires Adobe Acrobat Reader; you can download and install the latest version of Acrobat Reader by clicking the icon below.

Get Adobe Acrobat Reader

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Photoshop Elements SIG Meeting Program
by Peggy Johnson, DVPC

It's been necessary to cancel the June Elements SIG. Four people emailed to say they would be out of town and I contacted the remainder and only 3 would be coming, which would be including myself. The consensus was to just postpone it for this month.

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Windows SIG Meeting Program
by Walt Parsons, DVPC

Because of travel and holiday conflicts, there will be no Windows SIG meetings in June or July. Treat this as your summer break!

The next Windows SIG meeting will be held on Monday, August 3, 2009 at 6:30 p.m. We'll let you know what the topic will be in the August issue of Diablo Blue and in the meeting announcement email.

The Windows SIG meetings are held in the Community Room at the Concord Police Station. See the detailed directions on the DVPC SIG News page.

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The Daily Dilbert Cartoon
by Scott Adams

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