Despain Computing Forums

se81.exe (hupigon)

Mattman — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:30:14 GMT

The se81.exe virus appears to open ports to allow remote access. It spreads itself by placing an 'autorun.ini' file and an 'se81.exe' file in the root of the boot drive. The 'autorun.ini' is setup to run the 'se81.exe' file and copy the two files to all other drives... including USB and network drives. As for clean up, follow these steps: Start the computer into safe mode with networking. Download the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool from here. Run the tool. Delete 'c:\autorun.ini' ...

FYI: Free up some space

Mattman — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 21:41:01 GMT

So I decided to try to figure out how to fee up some space on my PowerBook. What I figured out was that each app has between 10 and 20 different languages installed along with it. What I started to do is delete the extra languages that I don't know from each app. There are a few apps that will do this for you. I have played around with Xslimmer a little but I like doing it manually. Here is how I did it: Open 'Applications' Hold control and click an app (or right click it if you have a ...

Microsoft Yanks Office From Web Store

Admin — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 21:25:27 GMT

By Paul McDougall InformationWeek January 12, 2010 08:21 AM Microsoft appears to have pulled packaged versions of its Office 2007 productivity suite from its online store, one day after the passage of a court-imposed deadline under which the software maker was required to strip certain components from the product. Visitors to Microsoft's online store as of early Tuesday were greeted with a front-page promo for Office Home and Student 2007, but were informed via a grammatically challenged ...

Upside Down Internet

Mattman — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 19:55:08 GMT

Could somebody explain to me how to make the guide at http://ex-parrot.com/~pete/upside-down-ternet.html work with my Belkin Wireless N+ router? Or something like it.

Comparison of free spyware removers

Mattman — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:25:45 GMT

Security Tool

Mattman — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:45:53 GMT

What Is It? Security Tool is a rogue antivirus application that deliberately gives reports of false system security threats on your computer and displays fake security alerts or notifications to make you think your PC is infected with malware. The misleading application is from the same family as Total security 2009 and System Security. When installed, SecurityTool will be configured to start automatically when you log on into Windows. Then it will imitate system scan and display a variety ...

Antivirus System Pro

Mattman — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:39:15 GMT

What Is It? Antivirus System Pro is classified as a rogue anti-spyware application because it uses misleading methods in order to scare you into purchasing this program. Usually, the rogue uses false scan results and fake security warnings. It states that your computer is infected with Trojans, adware or malware and that you should purchase Antivirus System Pro to remove these infections. Of course, these infections are all fake and don't actually exist on your computer. This parasite ...

Video Card Quick List

Mattman — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:26:51 GMT

Cards that do not support shader model 3 or windows xp/vista are excluded. Match the cards brand to the computers on board video, Ati to Ati and Nvidia to Nvidia. Do not mix Ati and Nvidia on the same system. If using Intel or S3 on board graphics , either will work. Or if there is no integrated video then either will work. If using a SIS or VIA chipset , avoid pci-e 2.0 cards in 1.0 slots. Pci-e cards (All pci-e power supplies must have 26amps on the 12v rail , and be 80%+ efficient ...

Fix: Live Messenger can't install because of Visual Studio Runtime

Mattman — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:54:46 GMT

Install the file downloaded from HERE then try again

Yahoo! Small Business

Mattman — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:24:37 GMT

Bottom Line If you're looking to register one or several domain names and create a full-featured site, Yahoo! is the way to go. With its consistent focus on ease of use, contextual help, intuitive tools, and competitive pricing, it's the clear choice. Pros Contextual help; smooth and simple registration; competitive pricing. Cons Variety of site and e-mail hosting packages may be confusing. Yahoo! Small Business

GoDaddy.com

Mattman — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:51:16 GMT

Bottom Line Godaddy can give you a nice-looking Web site with ample storage, at very competitive pricing. Pros Competitive price and friendly site-building tools. Cons No toll-free phone support. Specs Price as Tested: $8.95 GoDaddy.com

Office Live Small Business

Mattman — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:47:15 GMT

Bottom Line You get a whole lot for free with this small-business webifier: 500MB of Web storage, one year of domain registration, simple site-building tools, 100 e-mail accounts, and more than 20 integrated business applications, including project and contact management. Microsoft Office Live Small Business gives SMBs the power to start doing business on the Web, yet keeps the process simple. Pros Expandable as your needs grow. Limited free e-mail campaigns. Near-CRM capability. Can ...

Fake Google Chrome OS Download

Admin — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:43:37 GMT

News Story from PCWorld.com Google recently announced that it is developing its own operating system based around the Chrome web browser, named appropriately enough Chrome OS. For the past week there have been rumors circulating about a leaked version being available for download. Don't believe the hype. The ‘leaked version' is a fake that is not related to Google at all. Even a trusted source like Gizmodo has perpetuated the myth that Chrome is available. Its tough when there is ...

Make Windows Live Messenger Minimize to the System Tray in Windows 7

Mattman — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:36:14 GMT

If you’ve used Windows Live Messenger in Windows 7, you’ve probably noticed that instead of minimizing to the system tray, the taskbar button always stays put. Luckily you can force Messenger to work the way you are expecting with a simple tweak. To accomplish this, we are going to use the Compatibility Mode feature—which will trick the application into using the old behavior for previous versions of Windows. Force Messenger Into the System Tray Firstly, you’ll need to ...

How to Upgrade the Windows 7 RC to RTM

Mattman — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:49:07 GMT

The final version of Windows 7 was released yesterday for MS Technet subscribers, but you can’t upgrade directly from a pre-release version—at least, not without a quick and easy workaround, and we’ve got you covered. The Problem Windows 7 checks whether or not the current version you are running is a pre-release copy, and prevents you from upgrading further. For reference purposes, this is the error you’ll see when you try and upgrade. The Solution The solution ...

No more pre-built computers until further notice.

Admin — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 04:27:18 GMT

We were informed today that our supplier's' warehouse was hit by a small storm involving a tornado, some hail stones, and quite possibly a lot of rain. So, we are no longer able to supply you with any pre-built computers. However, we are still able to provide parts, pc repair, web construction, and network servicing. We hope to have our inventory back soon. Thank you for your patronage. Despain Computing, LLC

Building a New Computer Part 4: OS And Drivers

Mattman — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 22:22:54 GMT

Now that we’ve put the computer together and setup the BIOS options, we need to get down to business: Installing the operating system. For the purposes of this article we’ll be focusing on Windows Vista, but we’ll try and briefly cover XP as well. What You Need to Know Before Installing It’s very important to stop and read these items, even if you don’t read the rest: If you are going to be dual-booting Windows XP and Windows Vista, you should always install XP first, ...

Windows 7 Release Candidate

Mattman — Fri, 08 May 2009 19:44:07 GMT

You can now get your own copy of the Windows 7 Release candidate at The Windows 7 Download Page

What do you think of Obama's administration so far?

Mattman — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 21:56:46 GMT

It seems that everywhere I go, there is somebody I talk to that either hates what he is doing or loves it. Im kind of indifferent because I lack knowledge about whats really going on.

So, reply to this post and tell everybody what you think about it.

Microsoft 6TO4 Adapter & isatap

Mattman — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 03:36:18 GMT

At some point, you might notice that you have an amazing amount of a device called 'Microsoft 6TO4 Adapter' that aren't working.

It is a piece of software that converts IPv4 to the new IPv6. Don't worry. Just delete all the ones that have the warning symbol on the icon.

Go ahead and delete the 'isatap' devices too if you have them.

Disable User Account Control (UAC) the Easy Way

Mattman — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 21:41:08 GMT

Note: Disabling UAC will lead to a less secure system, so be warned. Open up Control Panel, and type in "UAC" into the search box. You'll see a link for "Turn User Account Control (UAC) on or off": On the next screen you should uncheck the box for "Use User Account Control (UAC)", and then click on the OK button. You'll need to reboot your computer before the changes take effect, but you should be all done with annoying prompts.

Nintendo Wii

jared_despain — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 04:31:50 GMT

I am thinking about getting a Wii. I am getting it for the purpose of buying the addition of Wii Fit. Any suggestions? Are Wii's good??

Thanks.

We Have A New Look!

Admin — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 04:47:38 GMT

Hey everybody,

We at Despain Computing decided that it was time to give our website a new look. It's now more "flashy" (Pun... Intended). So head on over to http://despaincomputing.com, give it a look, and maybe let us know what you think.

Thanks!

How to Delete, Modify or Disable an Incorrect or Duplicate Entry on the XP Boot Menu

Mattman — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 19:23:09 GMT

Have you ever inherited a computer that has more than one entry on the Windows XP boot menu screen? Most of the time one of the entries doesn't even work in the first place, and then you're forced to either hit a key or wait 30 seconds every time. There are two options to get around this: You can remove the offending boot menu item, or you can just turn off the boot menu from being displayed. If you aren't tech savvy, you'll want to just use the second option. Removing an Incorrect ...

Find Your Missing USB Drive on Windows XP

Mattman — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 08:10:56 GMT

Have you ever plugged in a USB drive or any external device with a hard drive and wondered why you cannot see it in My Computer? More than likely the cause is that Windows renamed the drive to a letter that is already in use. This will happen if you have several card readers, thumb drives or external hard drives attached. It will also happen if you are on a network and have mapped drives. To find the drive and then rename it, you'll want to right-click on My Computer and select Manage. From ...

Building a New Computer Part 3: Setup

Mattman — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 01:22:26 GMT

So you've picked out the parts you want, and put the computer together… so now we need to power it on and start setting things up. Sure, you could drop your install cd in the drive, but you'll have better luck if you check a few BIOS settings and run some tests first, both of which we'll cover here. When the computer first powers on, you'll be prompted to hit a key to enter setup (usually the Delete key). The settings you'll find in here will be different for each motherboard and BIOS ...

Building a New Computer Part 2: Assembly

Mattman — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 21:08:31 GMT

So you've picked out and purchased the hardware for your new computer, and you've already completed the most difficult step: Waiting for the parts to come in the mail. The next step is putting all of the pieces together, which we'll cover here. Note: This is meant to be an overview, to explain the basics… each configuration will be somewhat different, and you should always read the manuals carefully. Putting the Computer Together Tools required: Screwdriver, free time, patience, ...

"Microsoft Office Word has not been installed for the current user" error fix

Mattman — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 05:24:55 GMT

***THIS FIX WAS ONLY TESTED WITH WINDOWS XP USING OFFICE 2003, BUT SHOULD WORK ON OTHERS*** 1) Create a Windows Account with full control admin rights, and then go ahead and log into that new account. 2) When under the newly created account, open every Office product you have, then close one at a time (Excel, Word, PP, etc...) 3) After opening every Office App, go into the registry editor (Start | Run, then type in Regedit) 4) Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER | Software | Microsoft ...

The Points System

Admin — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 02:05:31 GMT

Have you ever watched 'Who's Line Is It Anyway?" Do you remember the point system on the show?

Well, Despain Computing Forums has launched their own point system. The points are completely meaningless as of now. Later, the administrators may decide to give out prizes or some sort of recognition for points.

You get 1 point for every post and 3 points for every topic tou create. When you add a friend, you get 100 points.

Enjoy.

Building a New Computer Part 1: Hardware

Mattman — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:28:18 GMT

Why Should I Build a Computer Anyway? Sure, building your own computer is something of a rite of passage for geeks… but that isn't reason enough to build your own computer. Here's a few reasons for you to ponder: You can more easily upgrade a custom-built computer. By hand-picking the components, you'll end up with a much faster computer than buying a low-end Dell, which uses somewhat inferior components in order to keep the costs down. You can overclock the computer to get a ...

What is svchost.exe And Why Is It Running?

Mattman — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 01:29:06 GMT

You are no doubt reading this article because you are wondering why on earth there are nearly a dozen processes running with the name svchost.exe. You can't kill them, and you don't remember starting them… so what are they? So What Is It? According to Microsoft: "svchost.exe is a generic host process name for services that run from dynamic-link libraries". Could we have that in english please? Some time ago, Microsoft started moving all of the functionality from internal ...

Grand Theft Auto San Andreas

jared_despain — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 19:31:37 GMT

I have been playing Grand Theft Auto San Andreas for the past few weeks. Great Game, I could do without the swearing but the game is overal fun.

Install Windows XP on Your Pre-Installed Windows Vista Computer

Mattman — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 03:35:24 GMT

The question I am asked most often is "How do I install a dual-boot with Windows XP on my new Windows Vista computer?" The answer is that it's not that difficult, it's just very time consuming, and you need to own a copy of Windows XP. Note that you should not attempt this if you aren't ready to troubleshoot any problems that might occur. The first issue we encounter is that computers with pre-installed operating systems take up the entire drive. Luckily Microsoft included ...

Add Your Gmail Account to Outlook 2007

Mattman — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 01:59:13 GMT

Everybody loves Gmail, but some people use a desktop client, especially in corporate environments where Outlook is king. Adding your Gmail account to Outlook 2007 couldn't be easier. First we need to make sure your gmail account is set up to enable POP (Post Office Protocol). In Gmail just go to mail settings and choose the Forwarding and POP tab. Click on one of the options to enable POP. Update: Note the drop-down that says what to do when mail is accessed with POP3. Please ...

Fix for Firefox memory leak

Mattman — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 22:58:26 GMT

This seems to help out with the memory usage quite a bit. Generally, when you minimize a window the memory usage goes way down because that application isn't active. Unfortunately, Firefox by default doesn't adhere to this behavior. Here's how to force it to. Type the following into your address bar in Firefox: Code:about:config You will see a window that looks similar to this: You will want to right click anywhere in the window, choose New, Boolean, and enter in ...

Move the Public Folder

Mattman — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 18:30:24 GMT

The Public folder in Windows Vista is used for sharing folders and files with people on the same computer or the same network. The normal location for the public folder is C:\Users\Public, but this isn't necessarily the best location for it, especially if you don't have enough space on your C: drive. With some registry editing, we can move the location of the folder. Important Note: This change should not be done lightly, as a number of readers have encountered issues with this tweak. You'll ...

Change The Page File Size

Mattman — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 07:02:02 GMT

1. Open the Start Menu. A) Right click on Computer and click Properties. B) Go to step 3. OR 2. Open the Control Panel (Classic View). A) Click on the System icon. 3. Click on Advanced system settings. (See screenshot below) NOTE: While your here, note how much Memory (RAM) you have installed under the System section. 4. If prompted, click on Continue in the UAC prompt. 5. In the Advanced tab, click on the Settings button in the Performance ...

C++ 'Hello World' Tutorial

Mattman — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 05:55:21 GMT

This C++ Hello World tutorial is written for beginners without previous C++ programming experience. ... Code:#include using namespace std; void main() { cout << "Hello World!" << endl; cout << "Welcome to C++ Programming" << endl; } #include brings in the needed libraries for console output. using namespace std; keeps you from having to type std::cout each time ...

Easily Add OpenDNS To Your Router

Mattman — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 05:34:37 GMT

OpenDNS is an incredible alternative to your ISP DNS server. Simply put DNS (Domain Name System) translates IP address to easy to remember hostname's. Not only will OpenDNS make your browsing faster, there are a lot of additional features provided by this free service. OpenDNS is free with no software to install. It also has a bunch of features such as Phishing protection, Domain Blocking, Adult Site Blocking, Typo Correction, etc. If you are behind a router the easiest way to ensure ...

Secure Your Private Word 2007 Documents

Mattman — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 05:23:11 GMT

If you are worried about sensitive data in your Microsoft Word document you can both encrypt and password protect the document to keep it secure. This feature is very useful if you have to store your documents in a shared location, such as a network folder or home computer. To encrypt your document, click on the Microsoft Office Button in the upper left hand corner, select Prepare from the left-hand menu and then choose Encrypt Document. In the Encrypt Document dialog window type ...

How to Run a DirectX Diagnostic

Mattman — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 05:00:56 GMT

If you are concerned with video game performance, or you are trying to fix some problems with any 3D application, you can ensure DirectX 9 on XP is running at peak efficiency by running a diagnostic. To start the diagnostic, click on Start \ Run and type in "dxdiag" and click OK. If this is the first time your running this diagnostic windows will ask you for permission to check for WHQL Digital Signatures. Click Yes to this. You will then get the DirectX Diagnostic ...

Defrag Multiple Hard Drives At Once In Windows

Mattman — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 03:40:38 GMT

The Disk Defragment utility in Windows XP does not include a way to defragment all hard drives at the same time, which is inconvienient when you have more than one hard drive in your computer. The method we are going to use is by creating a batch file to defragment all of the drives, one after the other. The disk defrag utility in Windows XP can be triggered from the command line with the following syntax: Code:Windows Disk Defragmenter Copyright (c) 2001 Microsoft Corp. ...

Backup and Restore Internet Explorer's Trusted Sites List

Mattman — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 02:42:16 GMT

If you've used a computer on a corporate network you've likely had to add a website to your trusted sites list because it just wouldn't work otherwise. After a while, you end up with a mess of sites in your Trusted sites list… so how do you transfer those to a new computer without retyping them? Like most everything else in Windows, there's a quick way you can do so in the registry by backing up a single key, which we'll cover for you today. What Are We Backing Up Again? For ...

The Mattman

Mattman — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 23:39:25 GMT

Well, my name is Matthew Despain. Yes, Despain does mean 'from Spain'. I'm still not entirely sure how it came about. Anyway, I grew up in a small town in central Utah called Centerfield. It's about 80 or so miles south of Provo. I served an LDS mission to West Virginia and I am currently attending Dixie State College in St. George, UT. I am majoring in Computer Science and minoring in Information Technology.

Make Grub Bootloader Wait Indefinitely for OS Selection

Mattman — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 05:06:20 GMT

If you are doing a lot of testing of different builds, there's nothing more annoying than rebooting and then having the system boot into the wrong choice on the grub menu before you have a chance to pick the one you want. Reader Victor wrote in with this tip: You can just comment out the timeout line entirely to stop grub from picking anything, giving you time to get your morning coffee. All you need to do is open up the /boot/grub/menu.lst file in your favorite text editor (in sudo mode) Code:sudo ...

Login Automatically on Windows XP Home/Professional

Mattman — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 05:01:45 GMT

If your Windows XP installation forces you to login every time you reboot, you can automate the login process easily so that you won't have to login again. Note that for security reasons, you would usually want to have a password, but for a home computer you may not care. Go to the Start menu, click Run, and type in the following: Code:control userpasswords2 You will be presented with a window similar to this one: Uncheck the box, and click the OK button. You will ...

Change The Default Color Scheme

Mattman — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 04:37:43 GMT

The Microsoft Office 2007 color scheme certainly fits in Windows Vista, but fortunately for those of us unhappy with so much light blue, the color scheme can be changed. This tip works the same whether you are using Access, Word, Excel, or PowerPoint - if you change the color in one, it changes the color in all Microsoft Office applications. Since the steps are the same we will use Word as the example. Click on the Microsoft Office Button then click on Word Options. Click ...

Tweak Firefox's "Responsiveness" Config Setting

Mattman — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 19:37:58 GMT

Have you ever noticed that sometimes Firefox isn't very responsive while loading a page? As a frequent StumbleUpon user, this behavior grates on my nerves so I went looking for a solution. When Firefox is loading a page it uses one of two modes: There's a high priority mode that doesn't pay as much attention to your mouse and keyboard, but loads the page faster. There's also a lower priority mode that interrupts the parser more often to respond to input events. It's even documented at Mozillazine. What ...

Fix "Sleep Mode Randomly Waking Up" Issue

Mattman — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 15:49:49 GMT

Turns out there's a very easy fix for this problem: Disable the Wake on LAN feature. Essentially, the computer is set to automatically wake up from network traffic, which seems to include pulling out the cable. To change this setting, type in Device Manager into the start menu search box, and then browse down to "Network Adapters" and find your network adapter. In this case, mine is "Broadcom NetXtreme Gigabit Ethernet". Right-click it and choose Properties ...