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Tid Bits 
 
Nearly every day we come across a tid bit of information that can help you solve a problem or improve your business.  We like to pass those tid bits along.  Stop by to see what pearls of wisdom or nuggets of information we've uncovered.  If you have a tid bit you'd like to share, please drop us a line at info@hudsoncomputerservices.com.
 
 
Q:  My AT&T Tilt (HTC 8925) with Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional Calendar Won't Sync
 
A:  The AT&T Tilt, actually an HTC 8925 came with Windows Mobile 6.0 before October 31, 2008 and Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional after October 31, 2008.  You may have upgraded yours to Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional. 
 
After the Daylight Savings Time patch pushed out in early November, the AT&T Tilt's calendar would not synchronize with Exchange Server.

E-mail, contacts and tasks continued to synchronize with both Exchange Server 2003 and Exchange Server 2007, but if you try to synchronize the calendar, the ActiveSync would go into an endless loop of appointments.  Even if you somehow get that to stop, you still cannot get an appointment created or edited on your phone to sync with the server.  Appointments created on the server will, however, sync to the phone and appointments deleted from the phone will be deleted from the server.
 
The solution is to manually change the date on the phone to a date before the fall Daylight Savings Time change and then change it back to the correct date.  Here's how:
 
1.  Stop your phone's data communications.  Click the 3G or E symbol on the information bar at the top of the screen and then click Disconnect.
 
2.  Change the time zone:  Navigate to START | SETTINGS | SYSTEM | Clock.  On the Time tab, change the time zone to London (GMT).
 
3.  Synchronize with your server:  Navigate to START | PROGRAMS | Active Sync and click the left soft key for Sync.
 
4.  Change the time zone:  Navigate to START | SETTINGS | SYSTEM | Clock.  On the Time tab, change the time zone to YOUR TIME ZONE.
 
You should now be able to synchronize correctly in both directions (phone to server and server to phone).
 
A:  Tired of that annoying sound and want a simple solution?

1. Create a wave file you like or create a blank .wav file. To create a blank file, right-click your desktop and select New Text Document. Rename the file to 3G_Up_Soft.wav (you'll need to make sure that you can see the file extension). You should end up with an empty wave file on your desktop.

2. Using ActiveSync or Windows Mobile Device Manager, save the file you made to your Tilt (storage card works nicely).

3. Copy that file into the \Windows directory on the Tilt.

4. Using File Explorer on the Tilt, rename the file you created within the \Windows directory to 3G_Up.wav. (It should allow you to do this without warning or issue, even though a file of that name already exists!)

5) Soft reset and enjoy the new sound or no sound at all!

 
 
May 07

Tame the Internet
Here's an easy way to tame the Internet for your computer, household or business.  It's free and pretty easy to configure.
 
What is DNS?
Domain Name Service (DNS) is the Intrenet's phone book.  Whenever you type www.hudsoncomputerservices.com into your Internet Browser (i.e. Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox, etc.), your computer asks the DNS server to determine the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the www server for the hudsoncomputerservices.com domain.  Then, your computer communicates with the web server using IP.   Normally, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) provides your DNS servers and they'll look up anything you ask them too.  Spelling something wrong or confusing the ending will take you somewhere completely different than you want (putting .com instead of .gov for the whitehouse web site, for example, leads to a really bad place!).
 
Changing from your ISP's DNS to OpenDNS is one way to control the Internet sites that your computers look up.  By using OpenDNS (or another service like it), you can not only get faster responses for DNS lookups, but you can control and monitor which queries that return an answer.  This is a good--and free--way to tame the Internet for your kids, yourself, or your staff.
 
 
For more information, visit our web site, http://www.hudsoncomputerservices.com or post a question on our Facebook discussion board.
  

Hudson Computer Services | Promote Your Page Too

 

Find out why millions of people have already made the switch to a better Internet with OpenDNS.

Join the millions of people around the world who've set up OpenDNS and made their Internet safer, faster, smarter and more reliable. Add a new layer of intelligence to your home network that makes navigating the Internet a more secure, more controlled experience.



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May 01

A Better Way to Save and Find Outlook Messages

How to Automate and Use Categories to File E-mail

Most people create a set of folders to file important e-mails. The problems with that method is that you have to remember what folder you filed your e-mail in and one e-mail may need to be filed in more than one folder. Microsoft Outlook has a method built in that helps with this problem. Outlook can categorize e-mail based on categories that you set up just like you set up your folders. You can, however, assign multiple categories to one e-mail message.

For example, let’s say your dentist’s office, “Tooth Doctor”, uses e-mail to send notices and bills just like Hudson Computer Services but you notice that your dentist’s office could use some help with their technology. Since you are Hudson Computer Services client you send an e-mail to mhudson@hudsoncomputerservices.com and billing@toothdoctor.com. You should be able to find all the e-mails from HCS and Tooth Doctor without having to file two copies in separate folders.

This file contains all the steps to automatically categorize e-mail based on an e-mail domain. Using this procedure will automatically categorize all e-mail sent from and to a specific e-mail domain (i.e. @hudsoncomputerservices.com). This method eliminates the need to create separate folders to file e-mails and enables you to keep one copy of an e-mail which can be found under one or more categories. After using this procedure, you can move all of your filed messages from many sub-folders into one folder and use categories to find them.

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Figure 1 - Old Way Using Folders

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Figure 2 - New Way Using Categories

Solution Steps

Section 1: Categorize Incoming E-mail

This section will set up the rules to automatically categorize e-mail from a sender. In this example you will set up a rule to categorize e-mail that comes from anyone at hudsoncomputerservices.com.

Step 1: left click on "Tools (menu item)" in "Inbox - Microsoft Outlook"

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Step 2: left click on "Rules and Alerts... (menu item)" in "Tools"

Step 3: left click on "New Rule... (push button)" in "Rules and Alerts"

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Step 4: left click on "Check messages when they arrive (list item)" in "Rules Wizard"

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Step 5: left click on "Next > (push button)" in "Rules Wizard"

Step 6: left click on "with specific words in the sender's address (check box)" in "Rules Wizard"

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Step 7: left click on "specific words” (link in bottom window)" in "Rules Wizard"

Step 8: type the sender’s e-mail domain (words after the @ symbol (i.e. hudsoncomputerservices.com) in "Search Text" and click Add.

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Step 9: left click on "OK (push button)" in "Search Text"

Step 10: left click on "Next > (push button)" in "Rules Wizard"

Step 11: left click on "assign it to the category (check box)" in "Rules Wizard"

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Step 12: left click on the word, “category” (link in the bottom window), in "Rules Wizard"

Step 13: left click on the desired category (check box)" in "Color Categories" if it already exists and proceed to Step 17.

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Steps 14 – 17 are only necessary if you need to create a new category.

Step 14: If the category doesn’t already exist, left click on "New... (push button)" in "Color Categories" and type a name for your category

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Step 15: left click on "Category Color (combo box)" in "Add New Category" to assign a color

Step 16: left click on "OK (push button)" in "Add New Category"

Step 17: left click on "OK (push button)" in "Color Categories"

Step 18: left click on "Next > (push button)" in "Rules Wizard"

Step 19: left click on "Next > (push button)" in "Rules Wizard"

Step 20: left click on "Finish (push button)" in "Rules Wizard"

Step 21: left click on "OK (push button)" in "Microsoft Office Outlook"

Section 2: Categorize E-mail You Send

This section will set up the rules to automatically categorize e-mail to a recipient. In this example you will set up a rule to categorize e-mail that you send to anyone at hudsoncomputerservices.com.

Step 22: left click on "New Rule... (push button)" in "Rules and Alerts"

Step 23: left click on "Check messages after sending (list item)" in "Rules Wizard"

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Step 24: left click on "Next > (push button)" in "Rules Wizard"

Step 25: left click on "with specific words in the recipient's address (check box)" in "Rules Wizard"

Step 26: left click on " "specific words” (link in bottom window) in "Rules Wizard"

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Step 27: type the recipient’s e-mail domain (words after the @ symbol (i.e. the same domain as entered in Step 8, above: hudsoncomputerservices.com) in "Search Text"

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Step 28: left click on "Add (push button)" in "Search Text"

Step 29: left click on "OK (push button)" in "Search Text"

Step 30: left click on "Next > (push button)" in "Rules Wizard"

Step 31: left click on "assign it to the category (check box)" in "Rules Wizard"

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Step 32: left click on the word, "category” (link in the bottom window), in "Rules Wizard"

Step 33: left click on the same category (check box)" in "Color Categories" that you chose in Step 13 or created in

Steps 14 – 17 are only necessary if you need to create a new category.

Step 14

Step 34: User left click on "OK (push button)" in "Color Categories"

Step 35: left click on "Next > (push button)" in "Rules Wizard"

Step 36: left click on "Next > (push button)" in "Rules Wizard"

Step 37: left click on "Finish (push button)" in "Rules Wizard"

Step 38: left click on "OK (push button)" in "Microsoft Office Outlook"

Section 3: Automatically Categorize Your Existing E-mail

This section will run the rules you just created to automatically categorize e-mail to and from a domain. In this example you run the rules to categorize e-mail that comes from or sent to anyone at hudsoncomputerservices.com.

Step 39: left click on "Run Rules Now... (push button)" in "Rules and Alerts"

Step 40: left click on the two rules you just created (check box)" in "Run Rules Now"

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Step 41: left click on "Browse... (push button)" in "Run Rules Now"

Step 42: left click on "Mailbox – Your Name (outline item)" or the top level of your mailbox in "Select Folder"

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Step 43: left click on "OK (push button)" in "Select Folder"

Step 44: left click on "Include subfolders (check box)" in "Run Rules Now"

Step 45: left click on "Run Now (push button)" in "Run Rules Now"

Step 46: left click on "Close (push button)" in "Run Rules Now"

Step 47: If a dialog box notifies you that rules will only apply to e-mail messages, click “Please do not show me this again” and click OK.

Step 48: left click on "OK (push button)" in "Rules and Alerts"

Section 4: Use Categories to Sort Your E-mail

This section will sort your e-mail into the categories you just created. This example assumes you have a folder under your inbox where you file important e-mail. If you don’t have such a folder, you can use your Inbox, the Sent Items folder, or the Deleted Items folder. It is recommended that you create a “File” folder for all of the e-mail you want to keep and just delete the rest.

Step 49: left click on "File Folder" or another folder where you save your e-mail (you can use the Inbox, the Sent Items folder, or the Deleted Items folder) in "Inbox - Microsoft Outlook"

Step 50: left click on "Arrange By:” in the title bar above your e-mail messages and choose "Categories (menu item)"

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Step 51: right click on the “-“ (minus sign) next to any category (i.e. “– (none)”)

Step 52: left click on "Collapse All Groups (menu item)" in "Context Menu"

Step 53: left click on the "+” (plus sign) to expand the category you just used to assign messages to (i.e. HCS)

Additional Information

Client Only Rules

The two rules created in this article are “Client-Only” rules. They will only work while Outlook is running. In other words, when Outlook is running and a new e-mail arrives or is sent from this Outlook client, the rules will automatically categorize your e-mail. If this Outlook client is not running, the rules will not apply. E-mail that is sent from another client such as a mobile device or another computer will not have the rules applied. You can always repeat the steps in Section 3, above, to apply the rules again.

Folders and Mailbox Size

Many e-mail providers have you download your messages into a file on your computer called a Personal Store (.pst) file. If you are using Microsoft Exchange or some other e-mail services, these folders are part of your e-mail box. Folders created under your Inbox folder are still part of your e-mail system and count toward your mailbox or .pst file size. Consult your e-mail provider for more information on the best way to file your e-mail to avoid exceeding your e-mail box size limitation.



11:43 AM GMT  |  Read comments(0)

April 16

Get Started with Office Live' (add-in) window [Won't Go Away!]
If you continue to get the message, “Get Started With Office Live”, when opening Microsoft Office applications after you have checked the checkbox, “Do not show me this message again”, and clicked the Close button, then another user or service probably installed the connector.  Here's how to stop it:
 
One User at a Time: 
This solution works well if you only have one or a few computers and you don't mind following these steps for each user with the problem.  If, on the other hand, you have a domain environment, see the "Domain Fix" below.
 

Registry FIX (from http://blogs.technet.com/arykhus/archive/2009/01/26/get-started-with-office-live-add-in-window-keeps-popping-up-after-first-startup-of-word-excel-powerpoint-2007.aspx)

Steps:

WARNING : If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

  1. Logged in as the user that has the problem, click on Start, clcik Run, type regedit, click OK.
  2. On the left pane expand HKEY_CURRENT_USER, expand Software, select Microsoft.
  3. From the Edit menu point to New and select Key.
  4. Type OfficeLive and press the Enter key.
  5. Close Registry Editor.
  6. Start Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, you'll get the prompt, make sure 'Do not show me this message again' is checked, click Continue.
  7. Close the application (Word, Excel, or PowerPoint), the registry DWORD values should be created under OfficeLive for that user.

Domain Fix:

If you have several computers in a domain environment, this fix will resolve the issue for all users through a login script.

First, create a registry file and save it to the domain controller's NETLOGON directory.

  1. Follow the steps in "One User at a Time", above, on one computer but don't close Registry Editor.
  2. (HKCU=HKEY_CURRENT_USER) Right-click on the registry key you created, HKCU\Software\Microsoft\OfficeLive, and choose Export Key.
  3. (You will need to be a domain administrator to do this)  Save the key to the NETLOGON directory of a domain controller (i.e. \\yourdomaincontrollername\NETLOGON) as HKCU-Software-Microsoft-OfficeLive.reg.  (You may have to save the file to your desktop first and then move it to the domain's NETLOGON directory).

Second, create or modify a login script for users.

  1. If you already use a login script, prceed to step 4.
  2. If you don't already use a login script, create a text file in the NETLOGON directory of your domain controller and name it something like login.bat. 
  3. Using Active Directory Users and Computers put the name of the login script created in step 1 in the Login Script box on each user's Profile tab.
  4. Modify the user login script by adding the lines below and then saving the file:

rem ******************* Add Registry Entry for OfficeLive ***********************

REG QUERY HKCU\Software\Microsoft\OfficeLive || IF ERRORLEVEL 1 REGEDIT /S HKCU-Software-Microsoft-OfficeLive.reg

rem **********************************************************************************

The next time user's log on to the domain, the login script will run.  The REG QUERY command will return an error code if the OfficeLive key does not exist causing the IF ERRORLEVEL statement to execute the REGEDIT command.  The REGEDIT /S will merge the exported registry file you created into the current user's registry without any user input.

When the user chooses not to see the Get Started dialog box now, the choice will be added to the new registry key and the user should not see that dialog again.

 

You can find other tidbits from Hudson Computer Services at our web site, www.hudsoncomputerservices.com on the TidBits page.

Mitchel Hudson

Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer

Microsoft Certified Small Business Specialist

Phone:  1-877-399-0003, option #1

Email:  mhudson@hudsoncomputerservices.com

 



10:18 AM GMT  |  Read comments(3)

February 11

Talking about How to fix your Facebook News Feed so it's chronological | The Web Life | ZDNet.com

 

Quote

How to fix your Facebook News Feed so it's chronological | The Web Life | ZDNet.com


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January 26

Talking about Bogus IQ test with destructive payload in the wild | Zero Day | ZDNet.com

Just say no!  Do you really need to take another IQ Test or play another Facebook game?  Here's a link to a story about one of many that are just trying to sucker you in so they can crash your PC.  If you're not sure about your PC's protection, take a look at HCS Personal Data Security.  For 39 cents per day we can help you prevent these kinds of attacks by keeping your PC protected and up to date.

Quote

Bogus IQ test with destructive payload in the wild | Zero Day | ZDNet.com
Bogus IQ test with destructive payload in the wild


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