Keep the VPN Connection Box from Popping Up

VPN connections (virtual private networks) are wonderful. I use one to connect to work several times per week. I can do all sorts of handy things: surf the network, grab files, print to my office. But one annoyance has been bugging me for a good while now, and I’ve just been putting up with it. Seemingly at random moments, the VPN connection box would just pop up for no reason.

I finally got tired of clicking the cancel button, and decided to figure out just what was causing this problem. Turns, out that Internet Explorer was the culprit, even though I only use Firefox.

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List All Files and Folders with DOS tree

I’m constantly amazed by how often I turn to DOS to finish a task. The more Microsoft tries to push us into a graphical world, good ‘ole command line brings us back in. Perhaps this is why so many prefer to run Linux.

Anyway, I recently needed to generate a list of every folder and file that is in a particular directory. Windows XP doesn’t offer a way to do this and I’m not aware that Vista does either. So, to DOS I turned once again to make this list. It only required typing one little command and, when it was done, I had a nice little text file that presented my list in a fully expanded tree. Read more

Copy Directory Structure Without Files Using XCOPY Command

I’m not a DOS guy. I do much better with a graphical user interface (GUI). However, recently I came across an issue where the XCOPY command came in handy.

On my Windows XP machine had a folder that contained over 500 sub-directories. I needed to copy the directory structure without copying the files contained in these directories. After a good bit of searching on my own, I turned to my good friend Jared who pointed me to the XCOPY command.

XCOPY is short for Extended Copy and is the big brother to the copy command found in MS-DOS. It provides many more options for copying multiple files and directories from one drive to another or across a network. Adding certain characters will allow you modify your copy command. Read more

My Computer is Slow

There is a phrase I have heard so many times as an IT guy that, if I was given a dollar per occurrence, I would have retired years ago. It seems to be very popular among computer users and, honestly, it drives me insane.

The phrase, you may have guessed, is some variant of “My computer is slow.” Just typing those words makes me fidget in my chair.
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Which Mouse Click?

The mouse is a simple device, but there is a surprising amount of different ways to use it. Knowing how to use it for a particular task will make you more efficient at your job and can even help your computer to run more smoothly.

If you’ve ever wondered why there are 4 copies of Outlook open on your screen, please read on!

 

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Optimizing PDF Files

PDF files that are created for press and printing can have high resolution and large file size. This can make it difficult to view these files on the Web or send them via email. In some earlier versions of Acrobat, you could simply go to File > Reduce File Size and you were done. The Reduce File Size option was a quick and easy way of downsizing your PDFs, but with the introduction of Acrobat 8 we’re presented with a much more full-featured tool; the PDF Optimizer.

Keep in mind that performing this Optimization can result in reduction of resolution and compressing certain file components. This is not recommended for files that are bound for press.

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Windows Remote Desktop Connections

Recently, my wife has been considering doing a little computer work for her office from home. Since they don’t exactly have an IT department, I get to help them out from time to time. At first, the folks at her office believed that they needed to buy some specialized software to facilitate the remote connection. I was glad to tell them that they already had all they need: Windows XP Pro, and a static IP address.

Remote Desktop Connection is a utility that comes with Windows XP. It allows a user to connect to another computer remotely via a network connection or the Internet. When connecting from within a local network (like in an office environment), you can use the Computer Name to connect to another computer. If you are connecting to another computer via the Internet, you must know that computer’s public IP address.
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Open Programs Faster – Use Keyboard Shortcuts

When I working on my computer, I like to be as efficient as possible. In my quest for efficiency, I’ve found a few little tricks that speeds up my work flow. One of these tricks is defining keyboard shortcuts in Windows.

You can assign a keyboard shortcut to anything shortcut on your Desktop or Start Menu. Once you’ve assigned a shortcut, all you have to do is press the key combination you defined to open that particular shortcut. In this post, I’ll explain how to set up your own keyboard shortcuts and how they can be helpful.
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Midweek Geek Links for 06-12-2008

It’s time for this week’s geek links!

• If you’re interested in lighting for photography, head over to ProPhotoLife.com and check out their video on beautiful portraits with just one light. Then you can take things a step further and dive into the classic three light portrait.
• Fans of Canon will be happy to hear about the announcement of the Speedlite 430ex II. No release date yet that I’m aware of.
• Speaking of flashes, if you’re interested in ring flashes, you may want way to head over to Dave Cross’s blog and see his Ray Flash ring flash review.
• If you’ve got your hands on a copy of The Moment it Clicks, by Joe McNally, you should totally pimp it. Though I must admit I didn’t put in the sweat and labor that Syl at Pixsylated.com did…I just took the advice in the comments; I went to Staples and paid them $7 to do it for me!
• Lastly, Zack over at Zarias.com is doing a series on white seemless. Some good tips there on getting a nice clean white background.

Midweek Geek Links for 06-05-2008

It’s time for this week’s geek links!

• Love to read? Learn how to get away with reading at work. I was blown away when I first saw this website.
• The latest release candidate for Firefox 3 hit the web yesterday. Head over to the Mozilla site to learn what’s new and how to check it out for yourself.
• Steve Bass over at PC World posted an article explaining a few ways to make Vista and XP work the way you want them to. Some handy tips are presented there.
• Want to build your own machine on the cheap? Wired.com has an article on how to build a $150 linux machine (minus the keyboard, mouse, and monitor). They’ve even listed and linked to all the places they found their bargain-priced parts.
• And finally, be a green geek and help out your local farmers by heading over to the Farmer’s Market Search hosted by the USDA. There you will find a current listing of farmers markets throughout the United States.