Q:
Is there a fix yet for the ZoneAlarm problem you talked about in Friday's newsletter? If so, please tell us what we can do. Thanks for all your help!

A:
I knew this question would be popping up all over the place throughout the weekend and I was right! My e-mail Inbox is just filled with queries about the ZoneAlarm issue. First, just to get everyone up to speed, if you missed the article in Friday's newsletter (July 11, 2008), you can read it here. Basically, there was a complication between the July 2008 Windows Updates and the ZoneAlarm firewall program. After many users installed the Updates, they were left without an Internet connection, because ZoneAlarm was unable to recognize the changes. You can read all about it in the tip above, but for now, let's get down to business!

ZoneAlarm has released a few fixes for the Windows Updates problem. There are three different things you can do to get your computer back to normal. I'll go over all three of them and you can then decide which one will work the best for you. They're all legit and fairly easy to do, so just pick the one you think will benefit your computer the most. Okay, here we go!

1.) You can download and install all of the latest versions of ZoneAlarm, including ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite, ZoneAlarm Pro, ZoneAlarm Antivirus, ZoneAlarm Anti-Spyware and ZoneAlarm Basic Firewall. You can click on those links to download each separate program. With all of those utilities working together, you will be able to get your Internet connection back and your computer will run the same as it did before. If you don't want to install all of those programs (which is understandable), you can try one of the other methods below.

2.) The second option is moving your ZoneAlarm Internet Zone slider to the Medium setting. To do that, propecia allergy go to the ZoneAlarm Firewall window and click on the Firewall tab. From there, simply move the Internet Zone slider to Medium. Yours is probably set on High, so you just need to take it down a couple notches.

3.) The third option is actually uninstalling the Windows Updates hotfix that caused the trouble in the first place. To do that, go to Start, Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs. At the top of the Add/Remove Programs window, you should see a Show Updates checkbox. Check that box and then scroll down until you see an entry that says "Security update for Windows (KB951748)." (It should be one of the last items in your list). Once you've found it, click on the Remove button and the hotfix will uninstall.

Again, any of those three methods will reinstate your Internet access and you'll be able to do everything as usual again. You should also know that this issue only affects Windows 2000 and XP computers. Windows Vista is not affected. One more thing: if you're still having trouble after you go through this tip, you can contact ZoneAlarm's technical support here. After today, I hope you're all back up and running like you should be!

Q:
I installed the Windows Updates for July yesterday like you told us to and now I'm having trouble getting connected to the Internet. It seems as if the Updates changed something on my computer and I can't get it to work right. Do you know anything about this? If you do, please help!

A:
I was going to talk about this today anyway, so I'm glad you asked! And from the looks of all the e-mails I've received, you're definitely not the only one having trouble. As you all know, in yesterday's newsletter, I told you about the Windows Updates for July 2008. Like I always do, I urged you to install them as soon as possible, because they're a guaranteed way to keep your computer safe. Well, due to the content of some of the changes this month, a few issues came up, but don't worry, we're going to take care of them today. Let's go!

First of all, I'm willing to bet that if you had trouble with the Windows Updates, you're also using the ZoneAlarm firewall program. Am I right? Soon after the Updates were released, it was found that they caused a conflict with ZoneAlarm. It caused so much propecia age havoc that many users were unable to connect to the Internet. What a nightmare!

One of the Updates included changing the way your computer handles DNS requests. After your computer adjusted to the update, ZoneAlarm was left out in the dark, because it couldn't recognize the change. Therefore, the only thing ZoneAlarm knew to do was block traffic. And that obviously caused all kinds of problems for many people. It seems as if Microsoft didn't notify firewall manufacturers about the DNS update, so they didn't have time to prepare for it. Yes, it's unfortunate, but there are a couple things you can do in the meantime.

To begin, you should never disable your firewall completely. So, even if you're having trouble with ZoneAlarm, do not turn it off. Instead, it's a good idea to change your Internet Zone Security setting from High to Medium. Doing that should allow you to get back on the Internet for the time being. Then once Microsoft and ZoneAlarm come up with a patch, you can change the setting back to High.

If you simply want to wait until a patch is released, you can disable ZoneAlarm, but make sure you have another firewall to use in its place. You can either download a new one, get one from another vendor (such as Norton or McAffee) or you can use the Windows Firewall by going to Start, Control Panel, Security Center, Windows Firewall. Just make sure you have some type of firewall set up on your computer. Otherwise, you're putting yourself at risk for even more trouble.

That's pretty much all the information I have for you right now, but it does sound like both Microsoft and ZoneAlarm are working on a fix for this issue. I will continue to keep you updated as any more news comes through. Hang in there, my friends. Everything will be back to normal soon!

Do you add a lot of content specific words to your MS Word custom dictionary? (You do it every time you click on the Add button during a spell check).

If you're like me, there are quite a few terms that apply only when you're working on a document for work. If I'm doing something else, let's say writing an MS Office tip, having one of the algebra terms I use for work inadvertently show up via a typo would be a problem, especially since Word would approve the term based on my custom dictionary.

So, is there a way to get Word to temporarily ignore the words in your custom dictionary?

The answer is yes! I mean, why else would I ask?

Basically, what you need to know is that in Word's Options, there's a place where you can tell it to only spell check with the main dictionary (the one the program started with).

Obviously, different versions have the Word Options in different places, so let's begin with Word 2007.

• You need to go to the Office button and click on the Word Options button in the bottom right hand corner.

• Once you're there, you need to navigate to the Proofing section.

  

• Under the "When correcting spelling in Microsoft Office programs" section, select the "Suggest from main dictionary only" option.

• Click OK.

• First, go to the Tools menu, Options choice.

• Now, go to the Spelling and Grammar tab.

• You'll need to select the "Suggest From Main Dictionary Only" option.

• Click OK.

Although you may think so, portrait photography isn’t all that easy. There are several factors you need to keep in mind in order to make your images worthwhile. Here are some sure fire ways of jazzing up your portrait photos!

Go propecia 90 tablets for Simplicity

Portrait photography demands you to stick to the subject at hand and not add anything else, either in the foreground or background. It has to be the subject in an environment where he or she feels comfortable. You also need to try to take pictures in natural light. If you're indoors, don’t use too many artificial sources of light. Sometimes one or two sources are good enough for some great portrait photos.

Be Ready Beforehand

It’s important to study the scene before the subject arrives. That could be adjusting the lighting and camera mode or even taking some test shots to see if the output is what you have in mind. Avoid under and over exposure by taking as many shots as you can so that when the subject comes in, you're not fiddling with your controls and wasting time.

Light Up the Background

When shooting outdoors, it’s great to have some backlighting. It could be a natural setting like sun rays streaming through the trees in the background or it could be artificial. Whatever the case may be, great backlighting adds depth and vivid colors to your portrait photos.

Don’t Shoot at Eye Level

Though it’s a common practice to shoot people at eye level, experts have another secret tucked away. It’s even better if you shoot portraits slightly below eye level. Not only will your subject look more real, but the picture will also seem much more flattering. That's particularly true when you're taking pictures up close. Whether the subject is standing or sitting, you can use this technique for maximum effect.

Follow the Eye

If your subject is looking in one direction, it’s best to take their side profile in such a manner where you leave empty space in the direction they're facing. As a rule, if the person you're photographing is looking in one direction, it's best to place them on the opposite side of the frame. If the subject is looking in one direction and you photograph them without leaving any space on either side, the picture will look somewhat incomplete. But when you leave space where the subject is looking, it seems more natural.

Unusual Angles

Nothing beats experimentation! Some people look particularly good in some angles and not so good in others. So, it’s best to shoot at different angles to see which angle suits your subject the best. That means, you could try shooting low, very low or you could take the picture from high above the ground. Just know that you have options!

Face the Camera

Portrait photos fall into two categories: formal and informal. When taking formal portraits, it’s important to make the subject lean into the camera for a greater effect. Not only will that make it a more personal shot, but the subject will appear more friendly and interactive. You could also get your subject to lean back, but that has to be handled with care. Your picture should make it look like the subject is leaning back to laugh or that they're feeling very self-satisfied. In no way should they look aloof, unattached or disinterested.

That’s all, folks! Now, go out and take some fantastic portrait photos. Have fun!

Q:
I just recently updated the driver for my scanner and ever since, it seems like my computer is running out of sync. Everything seems very unstable and just not like it used to be. Is there any way I can reverse this or do something else about it? Please help!

A:
The answer to your problem is actually much more simple than you probably think. It sounds like you just need to do a little driver rollback. What's that, you ask? Well, let me explain!

Whenever you update a driver (basically, replace an old driver) on your computer, whether it's for a scanner, a digital camera, a video card or any other device you may have installed on your PC, it's not always guaranteed that the update will come through smoothly. Often times, it's invalid, incorrect or even corrupted. If that happens, it can really affect how your computer performs. It could even go as far as render your computer unbootable or make the device completely fail whenever you try to use it.

Luckily, in Windows XP, you can sort of reverse the update with the driver rollback feature. With that, XP actually saves a copy of the previous driver for you, so if you have any trouble with the new one, you can go back to using the old one. That will get you back to a place where you didn't have as many headaches when trying to use a certain device and it will also give you some more time to try and figure out why the new driver failed in the first place. Cool, huh?!

So, if your computer seems to be acting unstable, give the rollback a spin. Now, the driver rollback feature in Windows XP only allows for one level of a rollback, which basically means that only one prior driver version can be saved at one time. Also, I want you to know that the driver rollback option works for any class of device, but it will not work for printers, so you'll definitely want to keep that in mind. Okay, here's how you do it!

1.) Make sure you're logged in to your computer under the Administrator account.

2.) Find the My Computer icon on your desktop, right click it and choose Properties.

3.) Next, click on the Hardware tab and then the Device Manager button.

4.) Once you're in the Device Manager box, scroll down to the driver you want to roll back.

5.) Right click on the driver's name and choose Properties.

6.) Now, click on the Driver tab and then click on the Roll Back Driver button.

That will finish out the process for you and you will be back to using your old driver. Now, if you wish, you can do some investigating as to why the new driver didn't work for you. If you somehow figure it out, try the update again. propecia 90 day supply At least you now know you have the rollback option to fall back on. And what a great feeling that is!