QUESTION: I have an HP computer with an IDE 80GB hard drive running Windows XP.  I’d like to know how to upgrade my system to a 145GB IDE hard drive without having to re-install all my programs, drivers, etc.  Is there an application or program (preferably free) that can transfer the data on the small drive to the larger one? Bob

PC CLUB: Let’s define some terms first. IDE hard drives are one of the two main types of drives found in PCs. Another type, which is the most popular these days, is the SATA or Serial ATA drive. SATA drives are more readily available and have larger capacities also.

Since you have an IDE drive, you obviously have to replace it with one. You can upgrade from IDE to SATA but the cost and effort are not worth it. For this process to work you doesn’t merely transfer the data but you must transfer every single file. This is performed by creating an image of your existing drive.

This process is similar to backing up your entire hard drive but instead of restoring the image to the same drive, you restore it to another drive. There are several programs for performing this task including Acronis True Image Home 2010, available at www.acronis.com for $39, Shadowprotect, available at www.storagetect.com for $89 and Macrium Reflect available at http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.asp for free.

The tools that you need for this include the following:

1. One of the programs mentioned above. In my opinion, the easiest program to use by far is ShadowProtect. Acronis has become very fancy and Macruim is very “techy”. Read the on-line tutorials before deciding.
2. An external hard drive
3. Appropriate tools for replacing your hard drive.

Once you have everything that you need here are the steps:

1. Download and run CCleaner available for free at www.ccleaner.com to remove all of the junk files from your existing drive
2. Back up all of the data to the external drive. This should include your documents, pictures, music, e-mail, etc. This is in case anything goes wrong.
3. Create a folder on the external hard drive to house the image file that you are about to create
4. Make sure you know how to boot from a CD since that is what you will be doing. You may have to check with your PC’s manufacturer.
5. Assuming you ordered the ShadowProtect CD, boot your PC from the CD and choose the Backup Wizard.
6. Select the C drive to backup
7. When asked where to store the image, select the folder you created in Step 3.
8. Just accept the defaults in the remainder of the steps.

Now – replace the hard drive with your new one and restore the image you saved from the old one. Keep the old drive intact in case you need to reinstall it later. After you new drive is up and running for a while, you can dispose of the old drive.

To restore the image, boot from the ShadowProtect CD and choose the Restore wizard this time.

QUESTION: I have a Toshiba laptop with Vista and a new Gateway using Windows 7 (64 bit). I am having trouble printing from the laptop on my network. The printer is set up for sharing and I can see the printer on my laptop. When I try to print a test page I get nothing. Any help would be appreciated.

PC CLUB: I can’t tell from your question how your printer is connected but I assume it’s connected directly to a Gateway USB port.  Before addressing your problem let’s list the various ways to connect or install a printer:

• Connect it directly to your PC through a USB cable. The typical installation requires that you start the process with the printer disconnected, install the software that came with the printer and follow the on‑screen directions.
• Share a printer over a network.  This assumes you have a router and is best explained at http://bit.ly/shareprinter for Windows XP. F or Windows 7, go to Devices and Printers and select Add a Printer and proceed as explained in the XP article. The Workgroup names should be the same on all PCs in the network and instructions for this can be seen at bit.ly/2DZiib. This method requires that the PC with the printer connected to it directly remain on during the time you want to share the printer.
• Use a networked printer. Recent printers, such as the Canon Pixma MX870, allow you to connect a printer to any PC that connects to your router either directly or wirelessly. The Canon can be setup to use either direct or wireless network connections but not simultaneously. The printer can also be connected to a PC through a USB cable but the PC doesn’t have to remain on for the networked PCs to use it.
• Share a printer with a router. Several recent routers have a USB connection that allows you to connect a printer to it. Not all routers with a USB connection have this capability. The USB connection is frequently for hooking up an external hard drive. Only the PC that wants to print has to be on.
• Use a print server.  This method is becoming less popular due to recent innovations in wireless printers and routers.

Here are several things that I’ve experienced:

• If you use a password to access your PC, sharing printers and files is easier, especially with Windows 7.
• With Windows 7 and often with earlier operating systems, Windows will have a built‑in driver for a printer. This will provide basic printing functions but may not support all features of an All‑in‑One printer.
• If Windows 7 does not recognize a printer, you can still install it by going to Devices and Printers and selecting Add a Printer. Click the appropriate link in the next window and also choose a USB port.  Remember which one you choose since you may have to try again with another port. In the next screen select your manufacturer on the left and model on the right and proceed from there.
• You can always try to download the latest driver from the manufacturer’s Web site but older printers may not be supported.

Among the options listed above, I’ve found that using a printer with networking capability is the easiest if you want to print wirelessly. With the front panel of the Canon MX 870, for example, I just told it to connect to my wireless router and installed the printer on my laptop. This required two things: first, you need to know the security code to access your wireless router and second, you have to choose the Network option when you install the printer.

If you can see a printer and it still will not print, you may have to clear the print queue.  Microsoft has an article on how to do this at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946737.  Sometimes, out of desperation, you may have to uninstall and reinstall the printer.  - Ed Schwartz, NOCCC member. View his Web site at www.edwardns.com.

QUESTION: I am trying to copy my e-mail contacts list from my PC to a USB portable drive to be used with my Netbook (Netbooks have no built-in CD/DVD drive). My PC runs windows XP and I am using AT&T/Yahoo for e-mail. How can I do this? Bill

PC CLUB: First of all Bill, if you are using Yahoo for your e-mail, you contacts are stored on Yahoo’s server, not on your PC. There is no need to transfer them if you want to continue to use Yahoo with your new Netbook. Your Yahoo e‑mail and contacts list are available from anywhere including your new Netbook. You just have to log on to your Yahoo account from your new Netbook and you will have access to your messages and contacts. If you want to continue to use Yahoo you will not have to do anything else.

On the other hand, if you are switching to another e‑mail program such as the free Windows Live Mail program, then you will have to transfer your contacts to the PC where you will be using the new Mail program. Here’s how:

1. Log on to Yahoo E-mail
2. Click the Contacts link, usually on the left
3. Click the Tools link, usually at the middle of the top
4. Select Export
   
5. Select the Microsoft Outlook choice since the results can be used with most e‑mail programs.
6. Enter the security code if asked for one and click Export now.
7. Save the file to a location on your hard drive where you can find it.

Next, you have to import them into the e‑mail program that you want to use. With your Netbook you have several choices. You can use Microsoft Outlook which you must purchase for approximately $90 or you can download  and use the free Windows Live Mail from http://download.live.com. Assuming that you have chosen Windows Live Mail you can import the Yahoo contacts as follows:

1. On the Netbook, start Windows Live mail.
2. Click the Contacts icon at the bottom to open the Contacts window.
3. Click File, Import, Comma Separated Values (CSV).
4. Navigate to the folder where you saved your exported Yahoo contacts.
5. Select the file and click Open.
6. Click Next and Finish.

Here’s a little theory. When transferring contacts from one e-mail program to another, it’s a matter of finding a common language that both programs understand. Since you are using Yahoo for e-mail, your contacts are stored on their server making them accessible from your new Netbook. As discussed in a previous Register article titled How to move your e‑mail to a new computer at http://bit.ly/moveyourmail, Web mail offers the distinct advantage of allowing you to access your messages and contacts from anywhere.

However, if you’re using an e‑mail program such as Windows Live Mail on your Netbook, you can transfer your contacts from your Yahoo account. The common language in this case is the CSV or Comma Separated Variable format. When you choose the Outlook button for exporting, the resulting file is a CSV file and can be imported into most e‑mail programs.

You’re correct in stating that Netbooks have no CD/DVD drive which is one way the weight of these Netbooks has been reduced. You can purchase an external CD/DVD drive for $60 to $80 dollars depending on the manufacturer. There are ways of getting around not having the drive the as follows:

1. Use an USB drive for transferring files
2. Set up a home network for file sharing
3. Download software including Microsoft Office and install the program from the downloaded software. You do not have to purchase the CD/DVD media in this case.

- Ed Schwartz, NOCCC member. View his Web site at www.edwardns.com.

 QUESTION: I’m looking for a free program for burning CDs and DVDs. How do I know the program will be safe to download and install? I’m running Windows 7.

PC CLUB: Free software programs can often perform a task as well as their commercial counterparts but downloading software can frequently lead to trouble unless several precautions are taken. There are reputable sites and well know applications that present little or no risk from becoming infected with bad stuff. First of all, let’s define several classes of “free” software:

Freeware – this is totally free and fully functional software.

Shareware or Trialware – this is provided at no cost for a trial period or basically “Try before you buy”.

Crippleware – this is software that is “free” but some features are disabled or crippled until you send the author money.

Free Downloads – not always free.

Beware of the term “Free download” since it can mean that you can freely download it but you need to subsequently pay for it to unlock all of the features. So where should you look for freeware? One of the best sites is at Gizmo’s site at www.techsupportalert.com. This site is well known and offers quite a variety of freeware. The site actually catalogs the programs and provides links to the actual author’s site. Another great free program is a suite of programs that is a great alternative to Microsoft Office. It’s called OpenOffice and is available at www.openoffice,org.

One way to get surprised is to search with Google for “best freeware”. One of the search results takes you to www.bestfrreewaredownload.com. Many of the programs listed at this site are free but there will be ads for software that is not free – be careful. Look for the term “Sponsored link” which indicates that the software will require payment for it to fully function. If you are wondering how authors of freeware earn a living, they get paid any time someone visits a sponsored link and makes a purchase.

Another category of software which is available as freeware consists of programs for dealing with viruses and spyware. Here are some examples:

Anti-virus – Microsoft Security Essentials available at http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/ and AVG Free available at www.avg.com.

Spyware Removal – Malwarebytes available at www.malwarebytes.org and Spybot Search and Destroy available at http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/.

Now let’s find a good, free CD/DVD burning program. If we go to Gizmo’s site discussed above and select the Multimedia link and click the link titled Best CD/DVD burning software, you will see a list of recommendations. The one I use is CDBurnerXP available at http://cdburnerxp.se/. Even though XP is in the title, the software is fully compatible with XP, Vista and Windows 7 32-bit or 64-bit.

A great program for cleaning up your temporary Internet files is CCleaner available at www.ccleaner.com. It performs other functions as well so read their web site before using it. If you’re looking for a free E-mail program, try Windows Live Mail available at www.download.live.com.

Some of the best freeware programs are tucked away in obscure places. Here’s an example of one of my favorites. If you ever need to capture a picture of a portion of your screen displaying an error message, for example, or something more interesting, try the program called PicPick available at http://picpick.wiziple.net/. It’s not as full-featured as the professional program called Snagit but it comes close. Snagit is available at www.techsmith.com for $49.95. There are so many of these gems available that I will devote a future article to this topic.

Another site with links to freeware is www.windowssecrets.com.

Something you need to consider these days now that Windows 7 is here is if the freeware program will support the new operating system, especially the 64-bit version. The web site will normally state the system requirements but if it does not, I have found that the worst thing that can happen is that the installer will inform you that the program is incompatible.  - Ed Schwartz, NOCCC member. View his Web site at www.edwardns.com.

QUESTION: When I click Favorites in Internet Explorer I see something called Feeds. What are Feeds and how does one use them?

ANSWER:  Feeds are a method to subscribing to various Web sites, especially blogs. Here’s what it’s all about:

What is RSS?

Short for Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary, this handy service is revolutionizing the way we search for content.  In addition, we as web searchers don’t necessarily have to keep checking back to any particular site to see if it’s been updated – all we need to do is subscribe to the RSS feed, much like you would subscribe to a newspaper, and then read the updates from the site, delivered via RSS feeds, in what’s called a “feed reader.” (We’ll get to feed readers in just a minute!)

RSS feeds benefit those who actually own or publish a website as well, since site owners can get their updated content to subscribers fast by submitting feeds to various XML and RSS directories.

How do RSS feeds work?

RSS feeds really couldn’t be simpler. They’re basically simple text files that, once submitted to feed directories, will allow subscribers to see content within a very short time after it’s updated (sometimes as short as 30 minutes or less; it’s getting faster all the time).  This content can be aggregated to be viewed even more easily by using a feed reader. A feed reader, or feed aggregator, is just a really simple way to view all your feeds at one time via one interface.

For instance, if you have a Bloglines feed, you can get all sorts of good stuff . Can you imagine how much time it saves you to have all these topics sent to you in one place rather than searching it out? Read about Bloglines at http://websearch.about.com/od/dailywebsearchtips/qt/dnt0808.htm.

In addition, all these people who have their sites syndicated on Bloglines are enabling their content to be seen by many people who wouldn’t necessarily find it in the search engines or directories. RSS feeds are a wonderful resource, and the uses for RSS are only just beginning to be realized; not only for search engines and searching, but in how we optimize our sites.

Possible uses: news alerts, latest specials, clearance items, upcoming events, new stock arrivals, new articles, new tools & resources, search results, a book’s revision history, top 10 best sellers (like Amazon.com does in many of its product categories), project management activities, forum/listserve posts, recently added downloads, etc.

See tutorial at

http://rss-tutorial.com/rss-tutorial-outline.htm.

See 50 things you can do with RSS

http://websearch.about.com/od/dailywebsearchtips/qt/dnt0905.htm

Best RSS Readers

http://email.about.com/od/rssreaderswin/tp/top_rss_windows.htm

How does it work?

Subscribing – there are several ways to subscribe as follows:

• If you visit a site and the little RSS icon in the upper right corner turns from gray to Orange, then that site is publishing a feed.

You merely click that icon and a link titled “Subscribe to this feed” will show up in the upper left corner.  Click the link and a window will open allowing you to subscribe. You can accept the default name or provide one of your own. Click the Subscribe link to finish.

To view the feeds, just click your Favorites button in Internet Explorer and choose the feeds tab. You can select the feed and click any subject to read the article. They will be in chronological order and will be updated every day.

• You can use an online RSS Reader such as Google’s available at www.google.com/reader. You need an account such as a Gmail account which is free. To add a feed, just click the “Add a subscription” button. You can search for feeds such as “New York Times”.
• Use an RSS aggregator such as Feed Demon available for free at http://www.newsgator.com/individuals/default.aspx. You just download and install the application. This is meant for Desktop use whereas the Google RSS Reader is available to on line from anywhere with an Internet connection.
• Subscribe via e-mail. Many blogs including mine at www.mrelements.com have an e-mail subscription button. If you subscribe this way you will get an e-mail any time new content appears on the blog. There will be a link in the e-mail taking you to the latest article or post.
• Most blogs also have an RSS icon. When you click this you are offered several choices on how to subscribe including the Google Reader. Of course you must have an account there.

Using either an online RSS reader or aggregator or a desktop version allows you to organize you feeds into categories for easy reading.

Definitions:

• Blog – an online journal. They are used as short form of web logs which means a list of writings on the Internet. When all the writing is combined together to give it a look like a small website it is called a blog. A blog can be comprised of news, articles, personal diary pages, pictures, audios, video, company information, product to be sold, their advertisement and the list is endless.
• Aggregator – is nothing more than client software or a Web application which aggregates syndicated web content such as news headlines, blogs, podcasts, and vlogs (video logs) in a single location for easy viewing.

QUESTION: I have a Toshiba laptop with Vista and a new Gateway using Windows 7 (64 bit). I am having trouble printing from the laptop on my network. The printer is set up for sharing and I can see the printer on my laptop. When I try to print a test page I get nothing. Any help would be appreciated.

ANSWER: I can’t tell from your question how your printer is connected but I assume it’s connected directly to a Gateway USB port.  Before addressing your problem let’s list the various ways to connect or install a printer:

• Connect it directly to your PC through a USB cable. The typical installation requires that you start the process with the printer disconnected, install the software that came with the printer and follow the on‑screen directions.
• Share a printer over a network.  This assumes you have a router and is best explained at http://bit.ly/shareprinter for Windows XP. F or Windows 7, go to Devices and Printers and select Add a Printer and proceed as explained in the XP article. The Workgroup names should be the same on all PCs in the network and instructions for this can be seen at bit.ly/2DZiib. This method requires that the PC with the printer connected to it directly remain on during the time you want to share the printer.
• Use a networked printer. Recent printers, such as the Canon Pixma MX870, allow you to connect a printer to any PC that connects to your router either directly or wirelessly. The Canon can be setup to use either direct or wireless network connections but not simultaneously. The printer can also be connected to a PC through a USB cable but the PC doesn’t have to remain on for the networked PCs to use it.
• Share a printer with a router. Several recent routers have a USB connection that allows you to connect a printer to it. Not all routers with a USB connection have this capability. The USB connection is frequently for hooking up an external hard drive. Only the PC that wants to print has to be on.
• Use a print server.  This method is becoming less popular due to recent innovations in wireless printers and routers.

Here are several things that I’ve experienced:

• If you use a password to access your PC, sharing printers and files is easier, especially with Windows 7.
• With Windows 7 and often with earlier operating systems, Windows will have a built‑in driver for a printer. This will provide basic printing functions but may not support all features of an All‑in‑One printer.
• If Windows 7 does not recognize a printer, you can still install it by going to Devices and Printers and selecting Add a Printer. Click the appropriate link in the next window and also choose a USB port.  Remember which one you choose since you may have to try again with another port. In the next screen select your manufacturer on the left and model on the right and proceed from there.
• You can always try to download the latest driver from the manufacturer’s Web site but older printers may not be supported.

Among the options listed above, I’ve found that using a printer with networking capability is the easiest if you want to print wirelessly. With the front panel of the Canon MX 870, for example, I just told it to connect to my wireless router and installed the printer on my laptop. This required two things: first, you need to know the security code to access your wireless router and second, you have to choose the Network option when you install the printer.

 If you can see a printer and it still will not print, you may have to clear the print queue.  Microsoft has an article on how to do this at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946737.  Sometimes, out of desperation, you may have to uninstall and reinstall the printer.  Also, make sure that all PCs have a unique name. - Ed Schwartz, NOCCC member. View his Web site at www.edwardns.com.

QUESTION: Thank you for providing a forum for this question. My wife’s PC is an older Dell Dimension 2350 running Windows XP Home Edition (Version 2002, Service Pack 2). This fine machine has somehow magically ‘lost’ the Start -> Programs -> Games link. I placed shortcuts on her desktop for some of her favorite games, but she would very much like to have the entire link back in the familiar Start -> Programs ->Games location. Is there something I can do to recover this link (or recreate it)?  – Tony

ANSWER: Since the Start menu is one of the most frequently visited places by PC users, it can also be one of the most frequently jumbled up places. The Start menu is actually controlled by a folder located on the hard drive in several places; there is a folder named “Start Menu” for every user on a PC. Let’s assume that there are two users on a PC named Jim and Sue. The Start Menu for Sue is located at C:\Documents and Settings\Sue and Jim’s is located at C:\Documents and Settings\Jim. What’s more, there is a Start Menu folder located at C:\Documents and Settings\All Users. The theory behind this is as follows:

1. Each user, when they log on, has their own Start Menu items
2. Some Programs are available to all users and therefore, are located in the All Users folder.

When some programs are installed they ask if they should be available to all users or to just the user installing them. Others programs do not ask, they just make themselves available to the logged on user. If your PC has just one user, which is the norm, then you will have the Start Menu folder for that user plus a Start Menu folder for All Users. It is under this All Users folder that the Games menu is located or at least should be.

The first thing to try is to sort the Start Menu alphabetically which makes it easier to locate entries. To do this click Start, All Programs and right-click any entry. Click “Sort by name” with your left mouse button. The next thing to try is to double-click the Recycle Bin. If it’s there, right-click it and select Restore. If neither of these simple solutions work, continue reading.

Now that we know where Windows stores the Games folder, we can try to search for it and relocate it to where it belongs. To locate it, click Start, Search. Select “All Files and Folders” and in the next screen that opens do the following:

1. In the “All or part of the file name:” box type Games
2. Leave “A word or phrase in the file:” blank
3. Click the “Look in” drop-down box and select the “C Drive” entry
4. Click “Search”

You should see an entry on the right named Games with its location showing. If it does not say C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs it has been accidentally moved to an incorrect location. Write down the location on paper so you can close the Search window and manually relocate the Games folder to its rightful place. You can use the My Computer or Windows Explorer application to relocate the Games folder. Since you now know where it is, assuming it still exists somewhere, you can move it as follows:

1. Open Windows Explorer and navigate to where the Games folder presently resides
2. Right-click it and select Edit, Copy (we’ll leave a spare copy where it is)
3. Navigate to where it should be and select Edit, Paste
4. Go to your Start menu and sort it as described above. You should now have your Games folder back where it belongs.

But – what if you couldn’t locate your Games folder by searching for it. You can recreate it as follows:

1. Create all of the shortcuts to your favorite games on the Desktop
2. Place them all into a folder named Games
3. Drag the folder using your right mouse button over the Start button until the Start menu opens
4. Next, drag it over the All Programs button until the menu opens
5. Drag the folder onto the menu and drop it anywhere. You will get a menu of choices. Select “Move here” with the left mouse button
6. You should now have a menu item labeled “Games”
7. Re-sort the Start menu to place Games in alphabetical order

QUESTION: I have a desk top that uses Outlook Express and a lap top that uses Microsoft Outlook to send and receive emails. My email address is the same for both but I don’t receive the same emails on both services. I may receive 10 emails in Outlook Express and I will receive only five of them in Microsoft Outlook. How is this possible if the two computers are set up to send and receive using the same email address? Tony

ANSWER: Not only is email one of the most popular uses for a PC Tony, but it is also one of the most frequent causes of frustration. Let’s begin by describing the two classes of email services and how they behave. First, let’s discuss Internet mail. This class of service uses programs such as Outlook and Outlook Express to retrieve messages from an email server. When these programs start up they perform a Send/Receive operation which not only transfers all messages from the server to your PC but deletes them from the server at the same time. This is not always understood by users. What this means is if you access your server with one PC today, and then access your server several days later with the other PC, you will only get the messages that were sent to the server within this several day period. This makes it impossible to have the same messages on both PC’s. This reason alone is why you should not use this type of setup. Not to worry, there is a simple change to the settings in these programs that will solve your problem. Before we get to that, however, let’s discuss the other class of email known as Web mail.

Web mail services including Yahoo mail and Hotmail behave differently. When you log onto these services, the messages are not transferred to your PC. Instead, they continue to reside on the server until you delete them. This makes it possible to access your Web mail account from any PC with an Internet connection as long as you know your user ID and password. The messages are always there and will be the same regardless of the PC that connects to the service. This makes Web mail attractive for many users.

Now for some solutions. One way to resolve your problem is to change the settings in both Outlook Express and Outlook to leave messages on the server. To set this up with Outlook Express, open the program, click Tools, Accounts and select the account you want to change. Click Properties on the right. Next, click the Advanced tab and place a check in the option “Leave a copy of messages on server”. Click OK and Close. With Outlook, go to Tools, Email Accounts and select “View or change existing E-mail accounts”. Select an account and click Change. Click the More Settings button and select the Advanced tab. Check “Leave a copy of messages on server”. Click OK and then Cancel.

With both of these programs you can elect to have messages removed after a particular number of days which is highly recommended. Otherwise, the server will accumulate too many messages. For example if you select a period of 10 days, once you download messages with the first PC, you have 10 days to access these same messages with the other PC. You should set this period to coincide with your particular habits.

A second way to resolve your problem is to pick one of the PC’s, let’s assume it’s the one with Outlook Express. Change its options to leave messages on the server. On the other PC, never use Outlook to read your messages. Instead, use your provider’s Web mail service. Using Cox Cable as an example, you do this by going to webmail.cox.net and signing in to the Cox email server. As long as you only read the messages and do not delete any, they will be available for either PC to read at a later time. For providers other than Cox, you can contact them and ask how to access their Web mail. You can read more about the Cox Web mail service at http://bit.ly/110sEb.

I’m often asked if I should turn off my PC when not in use. First of all, turning your PC on and off does not wear it out. Any damage done by doing this will not cause parts to wear out before the PC becomes obsolete. However, it’s important to set up your PC so that it goes to sleep (Standby) or Hibernates after some period of idleness to conserve energy. This period depends on your computing habits. I have my PC set up to go to sleep after 45 minutes of being idle.

It should be pointed out, however, that all PC’s should be cycled off and on periodically to let Windows catch its breath.

Here are some power numbers from my setup tp help you decide.

My setup consists of the following:

1. A fairly powerful Windows machine (180 watts)
2. Two printers left in the On position (6.5 watts each)
3. A cable modem and router (9 watts)
4. One USB hub (4.7 watts)
5. Two external hard drives that are normally off (9 and 14 watts when turned on)
6. A wireless keyboard and mouse
7. Two power strips
8. Speakers left in the On position (5 watts)
9. 22 inch LCD monitor

The entire setup when on – 211 watts

Everything but the PC on – 31 watts

Everything but the PC on plus the PC in Standby – 31.7 watts (Standby power for PC is negligible, less than 1 watt)

Assuming that the PC is on 6 hours a day and in Standby 18 hours, the average power is 76.5 watts.

With the cost per KWH at $.13, this costs $7.16 per month.

If everything were turned off at night, the cost would be reduced by $2.96 per month.

If just the PC would be turned off every night, the savings would be pennies per month.

Here’s a list of great new tools for working with pictures:

• Picasa – the latest version, Picasa 3, is free and has a lot of new features. It is availavle here and a video demonstrating the new feates is here. It allows you to print and email photos easily and can also create slide shows, collages and videos.

• Microsoft AutoCollage 2008, which costs$19.95, creates stunning collages. There is a trial download so you can see if it’s worth the money. The best way to use this program is to create a folder with more than 7 pictures in it and point the software to this folder. Below is an example that was created in 10 seconds. The program is available here.

Collage created with AutoCollage 2008

• Microsoft Live Gallery, which is free, works with Windows XP and Vista. For a free program, there are a lot of features including exposure correction, cropping, emailing, printing and slide show creation. It’s available here.