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Welcome to today's edition of the Computer Kindergarten Newsletter.
Today is Sunday, February 2, 2003
In this Issue:
Special Feature: Preview Pane in Outlook
Special Feature: Ways to Detect an Email Virus Hoax
Featured Webpage: Forward Part of an Email
Tips And Tricks: A Quick Way to Type a Web Address
Featured Computer Term: Streaming Media
This Week's Topic: Delete an Email Without Opening It / Deleting Multiple
Emails at Once
Question: Blocked Attachments in Outlook; Remove Sign On Password
Featured Website: February is Black History Month; Groundhog Day; Coupon Codes for Online Shopping; Baseball
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Using Links
A Link is a reference to a website. In this newsletter you will see links to many worthwhile, informative and fun websites. Here are the instructions on how to use links:
A link will be used one of two ways, depending on your email program.
If you see the link in blue, underlined text, all you have to do is click on it and a window with the Website in it will automatically appear on your screen.
If you see the link in plain text, you can copy and paste it into the address bar on your browser. Highlight the link with your mouse, click Edit up on the menu bar, and then click Copy from the menu that you just opened up. Open your browser (click the Start Button, point to Programs, click on Internet Explorer); click on the address bar. Click Edit up on the menu bar, and then click Paste from the menu that you just opened up. Press the Enter key on the keyboard and this will take you to the Website.
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Special Feature: Preview Pane in Outlook
Question: I do not fully understand the e-mail system in Outlook Express and when I receive e-mail from someone I don't know I'm scared to open them because they might contain viruses.
When I highlight to delete the strange e-mail, it pops open on me and I’m afraid this could possibly contaminate my system. I read your newsletter each week, print them and save them for references. Thanks for the educational newsletter you publish to us folk out here.
Answer:
There are a couple of things you can do.
First of all, make sure you have a good antivirus program installed and make sure you keep it updated. This will prevent your system from becoming infected with viruses.
Secondly, turn off the auto preview in Outlook Express. Then you’ll be able to click on the email to delete it without it opening in the preview pane.
You can do this by clicking on View on the menu bar, then on Layout. You will then see the Window Layout Properties dialog. In the bottom half of the window, there is a section for Preview Pane. Just remove the check mark in front of Show preview pane by clicking on it and then click OK.
From then on you will have to double click on your messages to open them.
See also the articles on deleting emails in Outlook further down in this newsletter.
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Special Feature: Ways to Detect an Email Virus Hoax
We periodically get emails from subscribers of this newsletter telling us about how they’ve been tricked into believing a virus hoax that they received by email, sometimes to the detriment of their computer (as in they just deleted a needed file). Since we’ve gotten several in the past few days, we’ re re-posting the following article:
- Beware of warnings that claim a virus is undetectable. In general, if you keep your antivirus software up-to-date, your system will nab the latest viruses.
- If the e-mail message's subject line includes words such as Urgent, Warning, or even Virus Alert, it's often a good indication that you're dealing with a hoax.
- Look out for pseudo-technical discussions on the dangers of the virus.
- To create an impression of credibility, a hoax often quotes a well-known company or agency, such as Microsoft, the Federal Communications Commission, or an antivirus company. Check the Web sites of the sources quoted (or see your antivirus vendor's site). Remember also that Microsoft never posts virus alerts via e-mail.
- Beware of messages that insist you delete a file manually.
- False alerts always urge you to tell everyone you know. Genuine alerts never do.
- New viruses almost always make the news. More than likely you’d hear about a new, groundbreaking virus there first, way before the email that your brother-in-law forwards to you.
Read past articles about email hoaxes, viruses and spam at our Newsletter Archives:
http://stsico.com/html/newsletter.html
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Featured Webpage: Forward Part of an Email
If you receive an email that you’d like to send on to someone else, you can do so without sending all those other email addresses along with it. Visit our website to learn how. http://stsico.com/html/forwardemail.html Link
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Tips And Tricks: A Quick Way to Type a Web Address
In the Internet Explorer address bar just type the name of site and then press ctrl + enter. Windows will automatically put the header and extension on it and go to that website.
For example, click on the address bar, type: stsico then press ctrl + enter. It will automatically become: http://www.stsico.com and take you directly to that website.
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Featured Computer Term: Streaming Media
While many people pay a little more for a fast internet connection, the majority of PC users are still chugging along on a 56k connection. Which really isn’t all that bad for the average user - until you want to download audio or video. Then get comfortable - it's going to be a long download.
Here’s where streaming media steps in. Instead of waiting for the entire video to download, streaming media sends images in a continuous stream with no wait. The speed and quality of the video and/or audio of course depends on how fast your connection is, but it’s still a lot faster than having to wait for the whole thing to download.
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Today's Topic: Delete an Email Without Opening It / Deleting Multiple Emails at Once
Delete an Email Without Opening It Question: I would like to know how to delete an e-mail message without opening it, if possible.
Answer:
This method will work in most email programs:
Right click on the email in the inbox. From the resulting menu, left click on delete. Depending on your email program, you may get a confirm dialog box on the screen; if you do, click yes or ok.
In some email programs (Outlook is an example of one), you then have to go into deleted items (click on this on left in navigation bar) and delete the email from there.
Deleting Many Emails at Once
Question: When I got back from vacation, my mailbox was stacked up with junk email. Do I have to delete these one by one or is there some sort of mass erase command?
Answer:
This may not work in every email program, but generally there are two shortcuts that you can use to select multiple objects; in this case, all the emails you want to delete.
Hold down the Ctrl button and click on the e-mails with your mouse, you can highlight as many e-mails as you want for deletion.
Or, you can hold down the Shift button, click the first email in the group of emails you want to delete, then click the last email in that group. This will highlight all of the e-mails between two selections.
After selecting the emails, click the Delete button.
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Question: Blocked Attachments in Outlook; Remove Sign On Password
Blocked Attachments in Outlook Question: I upgraded my Outlook Express and now it has started blocking attachments. No settings were changed by me. I can’t find where I can unblock them.
Answer:
The latest upgrade of Microsoft Outlook automatically blocks attachments that might potentially carry viruses. Outlook has always had this option, but with the latest upgrade, the option is turned on by default.
It’s pretty easy to turn it back off.
In Outlook, click on Tools and then Options. Click the Security tab.
Under Virus Protection, click to remove the check from the box labeled Do not allow attachments to be saved or opened that could potentially be a virus. Click OK
As long as your virus program is kept updated, you will still be protected from viruses.
To learn more about downloading and attaching files, visit our Newsletter Archives:
http://stsico.com/html/downattach.html
To learn more about viruses and how to protect your computer, visit our Newsletter Archives:
http://stsico.com/html/virusnewsarticles.html
Question: Remove Sign On Password
When my computer starts up, a box comes up saying to enter Network Password. I always click on ok and it goes away. I have no password and I don’t seem to need one. Can I get this window to stop coming up?
Answer:
Yes, you can. To do so, follow these directions:
On your desktop, right click on Network Neighborhood (Or click Start, then Control Panel, then My Network Places), and then click on Properties.
In the Network properties window, click on the Configuration tab and look halfway down the page to the Primary Network Logon section.
Using the drop down list, change the primary network logon to Windows Logon and click OK. You will be prompted to restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
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Today's Featured Websites:
Note: if you're not sure how to use the following links to websites, take a look at the instructions on using links at the beginning of this newsletter.
February is Black History Month
At the Encyclopedia Britannica website, you’ll find information about the 400 years of African-American history, from the struggles of slavery through the successes of the Civil Rights Movement.
http://search.eb.com/blackhistory/
For biographies of famous and successful African Americans in all walks of life, take a look at this website:
http://www.biography.com/blackhistory/
At the Kids Domain website, your children can play African games, learn about famous African Americans, do crafts, send online greetings and much more.
http://www.kidsdomain.com/kids/links/Black_History.html
Today is Groundhog Day
Will Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow? Check out his website and see. You can see photos, movies, buy souvenirs and more. http://www.punxsutawneyphil.com/
Coupon Codes for Online Shopping
For those who shop online and like to save money, here’s a website where you may find codes to use when you make your purchases. There are discounts at thousands of the popular online shopping sites.
http://www.currentcodes.com/
Baseball
Football’s over and now we’re waiting for baseball and summer. At this website you can test your knowledge of the rules of the game: take a quiz, score yourself and see how well you do.
http://www.macroweb.com/ibrules/
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