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Support Sunday: Update Microsoft Software Offline – IT Techie Tips

Konrad Walsh-(admin) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 07:57:40 +0000

It’s a sad sad fact, that there are still many places that do not have a decent broadband connection. Of course, places like Finland, with their 1MB line minimum law, this doesn’t apply to. But for the rest of us – it’s fact!

Many times, when on the road fixing peoples computers, invariably, I have to update a fresh install of Anti-virus software. As you know , this takes forever the first time. To get around this I had been downloading Microsoft’s Security Essentials offline update file. Of course, you have to grab a latest copy before you head, it still saves a lot of time.

Well, it would be great to be able to do this for all the software I install. And now you can.

WSUS Offline

WSUS means Windows Software Update Service. Its an app/software server that allows admins to download one copy of the latest Windows updates, approve it and send it to clients.

WSUS offline.. does this in a similar way but offline of course!!! It’s now at version 6.3 and its a small enough download. Open the ZIP file and extract the contents to a folder on your desktop. Double click your Application file and this is what you get:

Click for larger image

You have many options from here. You can download the files to ISO’s ready for DVD burning or to your USB key.

When you are then on-site, you can load up your offline files and you will something like this:

Head over and grab it so you can continue your conquest for the family hero title!!

Website: WSUSOffline

Support Sunday: PC Check Up Time!! Free With My-Config

Konrad Walsh-(admin) — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 22:09:52 +0000

I have come across a site that does free PC checkups for you on your drivers. Now, ordinarily, I say stay a million gigabytes away from these sites but this one came recommended to me. So I have had a nosey around.

Its a site called My Config but for a reason I can’t figure out, its domain is called ma-config.com???

Anyway, you need something like this to get inside your PC and check that the drivers and hardware are all getting along and there is no bullying in the yard when your back is turned. Here is a step by step guide to re-gaining control over the school yard.. ahem, I mean PC.. My-Config gives you an enormous amount of system information.

Head to Ma-Config.com

And click here:

Now you are required to install a plugin. If you are using Internet Explorer, then you can choose Automatic Install.

However, most of my readers are Firefox users, so this bit is for you. You click Manual install and run the .EXE file. When thats installed, refreshed the browser page.

After a short delay, you will get your summary page:

As you can see you have a general overview and on the left you have very specific drill down options.

I chose graphics card here and you can clearly see the download related drivers button on each page:

After you click the green button, you are taken to a list of hardware which makes things slightly confusing but just scroll down and you will see the appropriate driver stand out like in the next screen shot. I also displayed the properties window of my current graphics card driver so you can see if it was correct. And yes, it was right on the mark.

Simply click download and you will be brought the devices manufacturers website or where ever the driver is held. Just follow the prompts from there.

Anyway, get yourself over to My Config.

If you don’t like the idea of submitting to a website, try my earlier recommendation for Device Doctor.

Bumptop – The Latest In Desktop Enhancement – 3D Desktops

Konrad Walsh-(admin) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:31:27 +0000

Why is when you hear of something for the first time ever, you hear about three times that week. It’s like an obscure word that you never heard and then its on the radio and TV that week. Anyway, it’s something I’ve never figured out.

When RichardX13 wrote the other about FLS Launcher, which is an application manager, one of our readers emailed me about Bumptop.

To be honest, I am not a fan of desktop “revampers”. Any I have tried in the past have been more annoying than useful. So with reluctance, I had a look a Bumptop. And its actually pretty good.

What s Bumptop?

It puts your desktop into 3D box. So you have walls top and side and behind you. It gets its name from the way movement of objects bump each other and cause it to shake. It has social network integration with Flickr, Facebook and Twitter. These a very basic but still give you quick access to updates. It also supports multiple monitor setups, which is cool.

It uses very little CPU/Ram resources, which is good because otherwise I would uninstalled it immediately. You can also apply themes to change its look.

When you start off, it walks you through the basics in about 5 steps. I suggest you watch these to get the most out of it.

There is a free version and a pro version. I am going to keep plaing with it and probably check out the pro features. Here is a table from their site with differences.

The differences from the Free version on the left and the Pro features on the right

Themes

You can configure it with themes to suit your style:

There is a decent community following that are developing the own themes. However the software allows lots of customization at the user level.

Social Networking

As I said, it has social networks covered, albeit at a basic level but good enough to keep your status updated easily and to quickly send an email. I haven’t figured out yet if I can configure the email widget to start a Gmail Compose Mail window instead of Outlook but I would love to see that feature.

Some video to whet your appetite:

You can check it out over on their site: Bumptop

What desktop enhancement are you using? Is it better than this? Let us know in the comments

[UPDATE: Bumptop available for Mac and Mashables has 100 invites to give for the Pro version. Click here for a chance. Mashables]

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Sticky Notes	Limit 2	Unlimited
Multitouch gestures (Crop, Shove, Scrunch, Fan out and more!)
Unlimited updates for 1.x version
Toss files onto USB keys
Most used files automatically grow
Flipping through Piles
Thumbnail Previews (Transparent PSDs, HDRs and more!)	Watermarked
Customer Support	Limited	Premium Support

G o o d S t u f f	Physics Engine
	Full Windows 7 Support (32 and 64 bit)
	3D Visualization
	Piles
	Intuitive Gestures
	Themes
	Widgets (Facebook, Twitter, email and printer)
	Zooming Photo Slideshows

Avast Free Antivirus 5.0 Now Out With Loads Of New Features

Konrad Walsh-(admin) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:02:46 +0000

OK, OK, I know there are many free anti-virus software available out there. We have Microsoft Security Essentials and AVG as 2 fine examples of great free anti virus software

Some of you may want to pay for anti virus software because you believe that you will be better protected, and that’s fine. That’s a personal decision. However, it’s not necessarily the case at all, I used AVG free and AVG pro, never got a virus with either. I used Kaspersky which is not free , however Microsoft Security Essentials did the job just as well and is free.

Well, I’d like to now bring your attention to Avast Free 5.0!

Yes as it’s name suggests it’s free and yes there is a pro version you can pay for if you wish.

The Key Components that compile this latest version according to Avast are:

Improved anti virus and anti spy ware engine
Avast Intelligent scanner
Silent/Gaming Mode
Behavior Shield
Real Time Anti Root Kit Protection
Smart Virus Updates
Avast Community IQ
Behavioral Honey Pots
Green Computing
Avast I-Track
File System/Mail Shield
IM/P2P Shield
Network Shield

Lifehacker also brought out that this latest version brings a new Behavior Shield, heuristics engine and code emulator.

Many of you who are familiar with Avast will be pleased to hear about some major improvements. You will notice that the Interface has greatly improved in terms of it’s ease of use. The new interface is much more simple to use, and is that bit easier on the eye.

Also you will notice that scans run faster than the previous versions, which in turn makes it more efficient.

On one final note, you will notice as i mentioned above, that it has a Silent/Gaming mode. So, no more distracting pop ups and voices that close your game down involuntary.

I would seriously recommend this latest anti virus, whether you use an older version of avast, or perhaps you’ve never before used Avast, or perhaps you have used Avast, and have then changed to a different anti virus software. Either way I am making a serious recommendation, at least just try it, if you don’t like it, then simply uninstall it. Although you will need to give serious consideration before doing this if you are using a paid for anti virus as you may lose your license. (READ – Backup your licence)

To Download Avast 5.0 just click here.

I would very much appreciate your comments below, it really does help to get other peoples opinions. You could mention what you like about it, what you don’t like. Or even you could note your preference of anti virus and why. You see when other readers voice their opinions it gets other readers thinking about programs that they don’t use, so they will try them out. Its only by sharing our opinions that information gets around, and in turn benefits us all.

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Update Available For The Cloudberry Backup WHS Add In

Konrad Walsh-(admin) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 19:34:03 +0000

A quick and short alert post:

I told you about Cloudberry’s Backup Add In ages ago and how much i love it both here and here.

Well the add in just received a new update bringing it to version 1.3.3. I am still using it and it faithfully backs up my important stuff daily.

Here are the new features available:

Full support for Drive Extender
Backup Window
Better support for Volume Shadow Service
Other issues

It also gets a sexier new options screen:

Head over to Cloudberry and get the latest Add In. Uninstall old version first!!

If you forget what to do here.. Just remember this – Go to WHS console, Settings, Add Ins and highlight the currently installed add in and click uninstall.

Dont worry, you won’t lose your settings or backups.

Copy the new MSI file to your Server> Software > Add Ins folder and head back to your freshly opened console. The repeat above but choose available add ins.

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Google Docs Not Ready Till Next Year – Googles Honesty

Konrad Walsh-(admin) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:53:01 +0000

In a year, most enterprises will have the choice to “get rid of [Microsoft] Office if they chose to”, suggests Dave Girouard, president of Google’s enterprise division. Girouard, one of the company’s four presidents including founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, said in an interview with ZDNet Asia that he expects Google’s online document application, Google Docs, to reach a “point of capability” next year that will serve the “vast majority’s needs”. He acknowledged that Docs is currently “much less mature” than Google Mail or Calendar. “We know it. We wouldn’t ask people to get rid of Microsoft Office and use Google Docs because it is not mature yet,” he said. But, this is expected to change in a year, when the company’s introduces some “thirty to fifty” updates to Docs to beef up the SaaS (software-as-a-service) office suite. These will include updates to features and performance, Girouard said. “That having been said, I don’t think Office will entirely disappear,” he added. Instead, Microsoft’s offering will become a specialized offering for office workers who need its additional functions, akin to Adobe Photoshop, which is targeted at skilled workers, said Girouard. Microsoft Office is “an overkill tool for most people”, he noted. Microsoft recently released Exchange 2010, the first product to be updated within its Office suite, and announced price cuts to its SaaS Office offerings. Girouard admitted Google Docs is “not perfect” at retaining the intricacies of other document formats imported into the platform, but he said it “will get there”. Eventually, he added, market demand will push vendors away from proprietary formats entirely, making this barrier less of a likelihood in future. This story was first written over at ZDNet.

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