October 10, 2008

Stop That Clicking Sound

Have you ever noticed that when you click a link in Internet Explorer, there is a distinct “clicking” sound that plays through your speakers? As if the actual click of the mouse button wasn’t realistic enough! If you’ve never heard that sound, you should consider yourself lucky, because by default, it is always activated. At first, it’s unnoticeable, but as you become more experienced with surfing the Web and you begin to follow links to your favorite Web sites, you will start to hear it more frequently. Luckily, there is an easy way to turn this sound effect off. Let's see how!

First, you need to find the Control Panel. In Windows XP, the Control Panel can be located right from the Start menu, as shown below. For Windows 95/98/Me/NT, click on the Start button, choose Settings and then click on the Control Panel icon.

Once you have the Control Panel open, you'll need to search for the Audio properties. In Windows XP, you will find that under Sounds and Audio Devices, if you're in the Classic View. If you're in the Category View, you will first need to click on Sounds, Speech and Audio Devices, followed by Sounds and Audio Devices.
(To see whether you are in the Classic or Category view, simply refer to the first box in the blue column on the left hand side of the Control Panel window).

Below is a screenshot from the Windows XP Control Panel in the Classic View:

Here is one of the Windows XP Control Panel in the Category View:

For older computers, you can find the same settings by clicking on Sounds and Multimedia Properties or simply Sounds, depending on the version of Windows you're using.

Now, once you’ve clicked on the Sounds and Audio Devices icon, you will see the Sounds and Audio Devices Properties window. Across the top of that screen, you will see various tabs that can take you to different parts of the Properties area. Go ahead and click on the Sounds tab.

In the second half of the screen, you will see a scroll menu that lists all of the Windows sounds in different categories. Scroll down until you reach the Windows where to buy propecia online Explorer category and then click on the Start Navigation option.

When you click on the Start Navigation sound, a drop down menu will become available at the bottom of the window. This is where you can change the sound for each action. Click on the drop down arrow and a list of available sounds will appear. The one at the very top is the one we want. Find it and select [None].

Once you select [None], the last step is to click the OK button at the bottom.

Ah, silence sure is golden, isn’t it?!

So, the next time you click on a hyperlink in Internet Explorer, you will no longer have to listen to that artificial clicking sound that has plagued you for far too long!

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Pharming

No, I didn't spell it wrong! Pharming (with a "ph") is actually a term used in the computer world. I know you've heard of phishing before, because we've talked about it in the newsletter and well, pharming sort of goes along with that. It's just another example of how hackers try to manipulate computer users via the Internet. Keep reading for a more detailed definition!

Basically, pharming is the act of redirecting users to fake Web sites, without them ever knowing it happened. When you want to visit a Web site, you type its domain name into your Web browser and that is then translated into an IP address by the means of a DNS server. After all of that goes through, the information is then stored in your computer's DNS cache. Hackers then use that to redirect you to a false site, one determined by the hacker.

Pharming can also occur as an e-mail virus that can destroy a user's DNS cache. Other pharmers can ruin whole DNS servers as well. Luckily, most DNS servers have good security features, where to buy generic propecia but it still doesn't make them immune. So, if you're on a Web site that looks strange, you may be caught in a pharming incident. If that happens, restart your computer to reset your DNS settings, run your antivirus scan and then try going to the same site again. If it still looks odd, contact your ISP and tell them what's been going on. No, pharming is not as commonly known as phishing scams, but it can still be very dangerous. So, always be on the lookout and keep yourself safe!

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