Microsoft builds a Fix it Center application to guide fix common computer problems

You can link to Microsoft Fix it Center Online BETA to download the latest offering from Microsoft that promises to make troubleshooting a computer a little easier for beginners. After downloading the executable file, double-click on the FixitCenter_Run.exe file to start the installation process which only takes two or three minutes.

The installation asks the user to create an online account for additional help and support in the event that the Fix it Center cannot resolve a problem automatically using the software installed on the computer. The online account is free and it normally takes only a few more minutes to set up a new Microsoft Online account, if you don't already have one.

Another part of the setup process gathers information about your computer to preload up to 27 small troubleshooting applets or wizards to guide the process. In my case, with my smaller than normal "travel-sized" installation of Windows Vista, the program installed 11 "troubleshooters." The automated troubleshooters have simple descriptions, and the Fix it Center user interface has a large help button. The directions were easy to understand and include sample screens.

To learn for myself how the process worked, I ran the first item listed, "Common system maintenance tasks" The wizard ran through a short list of common maintenance issues from broken shortcuts and disk errors to setting the clock. If a problem is found the user has the option of allowing the program to fix the problem or not. No problems were found (thank goodness). Other items I could have checked included computer slowdowns, networking and printing.

Administrators have added troubleshooting options available - more than ordinary users. (See the Fix it Center Help - Learning the Fix it Center interface for more details.) One of the help options presents a feedback screen that asks what can be done to improve the application. Overall, everything looks simple and easy to install and use. It's something that might be useful for new and even a few intermediate users. At least it's something to try before calling for tech support or your family technical guru. ...Well, at least it's a start.

Thanks to Lifehacker for the information and links. The site is one of the online places I regularly check.

A copy of this entry is also posted on BRsWebWorkshop.

"The State of the Internet" in 5 minutes, 21 seconds

I found the video (embedded below) while looking for information on the new features found in Ubuntu 10.04 on Tech Drive-In.  I've been exploring the Beta versions of the new release and wanted to see what I might be missing or haven't learned about yet. Ubuntu 10.04 is scheduled for release by the end of April.

The video, prepared by Jesse Thomas for a conference presentation in February, highlights how fast the Internet has grown, particularly during the last year. Using multimedia to present a number of facts very quickly, who knows, this video may go viral. By the way, this video has the "full size" button in the lower right corner. Some of the slides are easier to read using the full screen.

JESS3 / The State of The Internet from JESS3 on Vimeo.

The copy of this entry is also posted on BRsWebworkshop.

Facebook and PC Questions and Answers next week

The first week of April will end the winter schedule of computer classes.

Facebook for Seniors is scheduled for Tuesday, April 6 at 1:30 - 3:30 P.M. Students for this class have already preregistered or been assigned to a waiting list. Please call or email to let P.J. know if you cannot attend.

The second workshop, PC Questions and Answers, which some of us call, "The Dr. is IN," will open the door to the computer lab by 1:30 P.M. on Wednesday, April 7 and we'll try to answer your questions about computing for seniors and any other library patrons. This is an open session, no pre-registration required. We'll try to demonstrate how to find answers to as many questions as we can and share the Q&A with others via this website.

Email and Photo Classes Completed

Picture: Don Ditlevson, one of several volunteer instructors, helping three students in the March 2010 basic classes.

Spring has arrived. Two more winter computer classes for seniors finished this week. Email instructor, David Scherrey pressed the send button and his email students returned to their regular computers to practice sending emails and following good email etiquette. It's been fun to visit some of the classes and watching people learn new skills. That's always been one of the rewards of teaching, at any age level.

This writer may have overexposed the entire digital photography group, but talking with several students after the final class, they felt they knew more about uploading digital pictures to computers and more about working with photographs than they knew when the class started. I also felt I had overreached and tried to cover too much material this term. Thanks to the suggestions and ideas in conversations and on the evaluation forms, we'll now have a few months to mull over possible changes to go slower on the content and try to add more hands-on practice -- particularly for students who have just completed some of the basic classes.

While writing this blog post, I became aware that both of the above paragraphs mentioned the importance of practice.

When we were in high school, years ago for many of us, we were constantly going to "practice" after school. There was football practice, basketball practice, baseball practice, band practice, cheerleader practice. Some of us had to go to work and we practiced becoming good workers and later good managers. We had to practice to be better at anything we did.

Computer skills are learned and eventually mastered in a similar fashion. The instructors can "point the way" and show you where to find the help files, but sooner or later each student gets to go practice -- to check their emails daily and reply to emails they receive. Other students will hopefully move their digital pictures into their computer and use software on their computer to make their quick snapshots even better.

If we all get lucky, some of our students will combine what they learned in email and photo classes and practice sharing their pictures with others. If you keep practicing, you'll keep learning and getting better. That's one of the rewards students of any age can achieve and enjoy.

We're never too old that all of us can't learn even more....