Computer Corner #1034

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Feb 28, 2008
Computer Corner #1034 – 02/28/08

Throughout the years, I have pontificated about self-reliance in computing. This was the basis for starting my Computer Corner articles. I felt that it was necessary to depend on no one else when it came to nurturing our computers.

I had always preached about the necessity of self-reliance rather than putting our technical fates in the clutches of greedy consultants. But recently, things have become so complex that using outside help has almost become a necessity. Normally, as things progress, we were accustomed to increase our own expertise to keep up with the new software.

But recently, even Microsoft has been changing course drastically. One way to see it is that frequently the new hardware can no longer accommodate the homey way of running the computer. This has led me recently to reluctantly recommend specialists to take care of software and hardware problems to avoid bollixing our computers.

I am fortunate to be able to call on a stable of old friends; we bail each other out of hot water. At the same time, access to the Internet has made it possible to come up with solutions to new problems. I have reached a point where I have to check the Web to find the best solutions to most of the inquiries that I get for this column.

Of course, many problems are just repetitions of some that computer users have encountered all along and I have fielded those without help. As part of exploring the solution to new questions, I have frequently shown links to Internet Web pages so that the readers can also widen their horizon. Also, when a simple query is presented, I have to go back and ask for clarifications as to the operating system in use and the version to which the question applies.

The Help files included in software packages now have many hyperlinks taking us right to Internet searches. Sometimes from the time I answer a question until the reader sees it, some of the information links have rearranged themselves.

One dramatic example is to take a look at the way the Control Panel has changed in the way subjects are presented. It is a major improvement except that I can no longer assume that my readers see the same thing on their own computer. In trying to give crisp answers to the person asking the question, I must be vaguer in trying to make the answer more universally useful to other readers.

Backing up

I have been religiously making daily backup copies of my financial data files to a USB memory stick using the Karenware Replicator which you advocated. A friend tells me that it is useless because I only have the latest each time, and thus, the protection is illusory. Can you comment on that? Thanks. George M.

Dear George: I see what he is saying. If you mess up a document, it will overwrite the good one that was saved on the disk. If you send the file to the same directory each time, the backup copy will be as defective as the original.

You should have several backup sticks which you can rotate daily so that you can go back more than one day. Some users like to have one backup stick for each day of the week, which is overkill. The alternative is to copy each day’s work into individual folders named for each day of the week.

Your action protects you from computer crashes, which is normally what a backup is intended to do. The other technique, which is similar, is classified as archiving. The storage requirements are greater if you keep permanent data for each date, but this is no problem as memory sticks are getting larger and cheaper. Today I purchased a 4 Gig USB drive at a local store for $25.

One solution is to make separate folders for each date on a single drive. Each folder name will be a date.

Excel query

I am using Microsoft Excel 2007 and print a daily report using the same form. I used to do it with an older version. Here is my problem. I would like to show boxes around the numbers but instructions that I read do not work. I would appreciate your help. Thanks. Frieda M.

Dear Frieda: The secret word is gridlines. It took me a while to test out your situation, and tried to no avail words like: boxes, lines, separators, frames. This new version of Excel may be good, but it is so good that its complexity is brain-numbing.

Open a new sheet and look at the “ribbon” which is the simplified (?) graphical menu. Go to Page Layout on top and look for Sheet Options on the bottom. Right above it, you will see a heading called gridlines with a checkbox for View and one for Print. Normally I also like to select a Print Range so that the sheet can be massaged to fill the whole page.

I then decided to import an old spreadsheet created in version 2003, and sure enough, I ran into the problem that you are experiencing. No grid lines. My solution was to create a new sheet in the latest version and import the data into the new one. Now I was able to get the results that you were looking for. I learned from that experience that some datafiles are not as “forward compatible” as Microsoft advertises. At least it is good exercise for the mind if you don’t let the frustration grind you down.

Router pass

I am attempting to change my Linksys WRT54G router settings but when I enter 192.168.1.1 in the address box of my browser, and put in my user name and password, access is denied. I get the “401 unauthorized access” message. Is there a work-a-round to this problem, like a reset? Otto T.

Dear Otto: You have entered a mysterious area which unfortunately is very fluid. Changes are made continuously.

You are correct that there is a reset. Look for a small hole on the back of the router marked “reset.” You can use a paperclip or even pencil to push the internal contact for about 10 seconds. When you retry the 192.168.1.1 URL again, nothing will appear changed, but it is. To enter the configuration screens, ignore all the messages and instructions on screen. Leave the “User name:” textbox blank, and enter “admin” in the “Password:” box, then press the OK button. The “Remember my password” checkbox is useless and ignored. You should now be back at your configuration screen and menu.

You can look at all the settings from there, even with a wireless connection. However, to make changes reliably, you need to use a wired connection between your computer and the router. You are now in the magic kingdom of the geeks. When mucking around in that area, I like to use a free utility available from Linksys (Sisco) called “Easylink Advisor.exe”.

Have fun.

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