Leo's Answers #114 - February 8, 2008

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Leo's Answers
A Weekly Newsletter From
Ask Leo!
Leo Notenboom

Hello!

*** Contents

• This Week's New Articles on Ask Leo!
• A Word from our Sponsor
• This Week's Most Popular Articles
• Popular Articles from the Archives
• Thoughts and Comments
• Newsletter Administration

*** This Week's New Articles on Ask Leo!

Why did my mail get sent to my friends old email address?

I have a friend whose name and email address are in my address book. I sent items to him often, but I get mail administration returns saying the email did not go through because the email address was wrong and then it shows me his old email address. His address changed months ago and I deleted it from my address book and installed his new email address and made it the preferred address. What more can I do to get rid of this irritation?

The first thing that comes to mind is that your email program might be trying to be "helpful".

Too helpful, as it turns out.

Continue reading: "Why did my mail get sent to my friends old email address?"
http://ask-leo.com/why_did_my_mail_get_sent_to_my_friends_old_email_address.html

* * *

My ISP went under - how do I recover mail email and email address?

It looks like my ISP suddenly went out of business. As a result, my email address no longer works, and I can't get to all the email that was accessible using the ISPs web access. What can I do?

Fortunately your scenario isn't all that common, but it's an excellent lesson for everyone on some very important points.

Important points that I've mentioned before, however, in a different guise.

Continue reading: "My ISP went under - how do I recover mail email and email address?"
http://ask-leo.com/my_isp_went_under_how_do_i_recover_mail_email_and_email_address.html

* * *

Should I upgrade to IE7?

I have a laptop that has Windows XP installed. I am working with Internet Explorer 6. Should I update to IE7? Some people told me there are a lot of problems with 7. I keep getting pop ups to upgrade. Should I?

I'm a little concerned about those popups, but my short answer is yes, I believe that it is now safe to do so.

In fact, you might have to at some point.

Let's review how you should prepare, and how you should upgrade...

Continue reading: "Should I upgrade to IE7?"
http://ask-leo.com/should_i_upgrade_to_ie7.html

* * *

Can I do my backups over the internet?

I look after an office with 20 PCs and a server, and we run weekly full backups and daily incrementals. Backups are to a USB-attached hard disk, which is taken off-site overnight. What I'd ideally like to do is carry out the backup process over the internet, to a remote PC with the backup drive permanently attached to it, to avoid physically transporting the drive. Full backup is around 120GB of data, incremental is 5 - 10GB. What would you recommend as the best method to achieve this? (using an internet hosted, paid-for backup service is not an option - too expensive!!)

On-line or internet hosted backup services (the ones you're avoiding for the cost in your situation) are becoming very popular. They definitely have their place, but they also make me uncomfortable.

And they make me uncomfortable for the same reasons and issues that you're going to run into with what you're attempting to do.

Continue reading: "Can I do my backups over the internet?"
http://ask-leo.com/can_i_do_my_backups_over_the_internet.html

* * *

My desktop PC shuts off after a period of inactivity. Why?

When my desktop PC is idle for a time, it shuts off. At first, I thought it was a thermal issue, but the unit doesn't shut off when it's being used, even for extended periods. That led me to think it was a power-management glitch. I figured that disabling system standby and/or hibernation would work around the problem, but when I checked the settings, they were already turned off. Any ideas?

I don't have anything very specific, but there are a few things I'll throw out as places to look and perhaps some items that hadn't been thought of yet.

Continue reading: "My desktop PC shuts off after a period of inactivity. Why?"
http://ask-leo.com/my_desktop_pc_shuts_off_after_a_period_of_inactivity_why.html

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Why does my laptop hard drive keep failing?

I have a Dell Latitude D610 laptop. It is 2 years old. I am on my third hard drive. I just started receiving "CRC" errors. Is there something about this laptop that could be causing all of these hard drive issues? My use is typical... internet, office suite activity, adobe suite activity, music. My security is good... Trend, firewall on router (Modem -> Router/Firewall -> Access Point -> me). I am at a loss as to why my hard drives are not lasting for more than several months!

For the record, I actually have three of the Latitude 600 family. I run a D620, my wife has the D610 you have, and my older D600 is being used by an assistant.

And they're all on their original hard drives.

The good news is that the type of failures that you're seeing can help us narrow down the search as to what might be going on. The bad news is that it's a short list.

Continue reading: "Why does my laptop hard drive keep failing?"
http://ask-leo.com/why_does_my_laptop_hard_drive_keep_failing.html

* * *

The problem of masquerading problems.

The problem you have may not be the problem you think you have.

Continue reading: "The problem of masquerading problems."
http://ask-leo.com/the_problem_of_masquerading_problems.html

* * *

*** A Word from our Sponsor

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*** This Week's Most Popular

The ten most popular articles in the last 7 days on Ask Leo!

1. How do I put a picture in a comment on myspace.com?
2. How do I make a new MSN Hotmail account?
3. How do I delete history items from my Google tool bar?
4. How do I change my MSN Hotmail password?
5. Svchost and Svchost.exe - Crashs, CPU maximization, viruses, exploits and more.
6. What are the POP3 and SMTP settings for Hotmail?
7. How do I put a picture into the caption of a picture on myspace.com?
8. What are MSN HotMail's POP3 and SMTP settings for Outlook Express?
9. How do I hack into someone's account?
10. My desktop Recycle Bin has disappeared - why, and how do I get it back?

*** Popular Articles from the Archives

This is an article that I frequently refer people to still:

Phishing? What's Phishing?

Phishing is a word you hear a lot in the news these days. This question brought it to mind:

I've received an email from "suspend@msn.net" asking for billing details and threatening the end of my MSN service. Contacting MSN resulted in referral to a support alias, but no answer. Is this a problem, or a forgery?

Well, you're right to be suspicious.

This definitely sounds like a phishing expedition.

Continue reading...
Phishing? What's Phishing?
http://ask-leo.com/phishing_whats_phishing.html

*** Thoughts and Comments

My apologies for missing last weeks newsletter.

Once again, this might be a tad more personal than some might expect in a tech newsletter, but having missed a publication I feel I owe you an explanation.

Here's the short version ...

On Sunday (that'd be nearly two weeks ago, now) I went on a combined business/pleasure trip to meet up with some friends in Hawaii. Sadly, due to her own business needing her attention my wife wasn't able to accompany me. It was my first trip to Hawaii, and I went to the big island, staying in Waiakaloa.

Since "Ask Leo! World Headquarters" is really just the laptop I carry along with me wherever I might happen to go, my plan was to continue to publish answers and the newsletter, perhaps from a comfy chair on a warm beach with a tropical drink by my side.

T'was not to be.

On Monday morning I received a call that my 92 year old mother in law had become deathly ill, and could I please come home.

So I did.

Kudos to the folks at United, including an anonymous customer service rep in India and the ground crew at the Kona airport, who managed to get me on the very next flight out. All in all I spent roughly 24 hours traveling home-to-island and island-to-home for a total of about 19 hours actually on the ground in Hawaii.

So it goes.

I then spent much of the next few days on the road as I drove between our home and Bellingham, WA - about a two hour drive each way - helping my wife take care of and transition her mom into hospice care.

I look forward to going back to Hawaii someday. What I did see of it looked wonderful. But priorities are priorities, and it just wasn't meant to be this time.

Thanks to those of you who expressed concern, and thanks to all of you for your patience and understanding.

For now, I'm just hoping things'll calm down a little and return to normal.

•

As always, if you appreciate this newsletter or the site, one of the best ways you can say "Thank You!" is to link to Ask Leo! or simply to tell a friend or colleague. Just send folks to askleo.net.

'till next time...

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The Latest: at Forwarded Funnies: "The Elderly Golfer"

Some of Leo's other sites: The Ask Leo! Store, Leo's Online Business Card, Taming Email, MovableType Tips, Leo's Blog, Buy Leo a Latte (or a Beer), A Letter To Myself, Dolls and Friends, Corgwn.com

*** Newsletter Administration

Do you have a question? A comment, perhaps? Visit http://ask-leo.com/ask to submit your questions.

I'll be honest: I'll try to respond, but I get a lot of questions every day - I just can't answer everyone. Rest assured, though, that even if you don't hear from me directly, every email gets read.

Leo's Answers Newsletter is a weekly publication of Ask Leo! and Leo A. Notenboom. It's also available as an RSS feed at this URL: http://ask-leo.com/newsletter.xml. Archives of previous newsletter issues can be found on the Ask Leo! web site, http://ask-leo.com/newsletter.html.

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Newsletter contents Copyright © 2008, Leo A. Notenboom & Puget Sound Software, LLC.

Article 12221 | Posted February 8, 2008