Weekly Computer Maintenance

Today:

• Disk Clean Up to remove files you don't need
• Disk Defragmenter to organize your hard drive
• ScanDisk to clean and protect your hard drive

Computer Maintenance Instructions

New! XP Disk Cleanup Video Tutorial
New! XP Scan Disk Video Tutorial
New! XP Disk Defrag Video Tutorial

Use of PDF files on Web Sites

Many of you use PDF files for technical literature or documentation on your web sites. I wanted you to see a second opinion about their value. Adding PDF files is a way to load your site with valuable data that the search engines will love!

Hi Jill,
I came across your site on Google while trying to find some information and found it very helpful. However, I did have a question that was not covered. Will the search engines be able to find text in a PDF document, or am I better where possible to include the information in a web page?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Morag


Jill's Reply
Hi Morag,

The search engines do indeed index and rank PDF documents these days. Basically, what they do is convert them into HTML and then index the information just like any other web page. You can see this in the search results when a PDF file shows up -- there is usually a link nearby that says "View as HTML."

PDFs are great fodder for search engines because by their very nature they tend to be text-heavy.

Search Engine Land recently had a good article by Galen DeYoung on how to optimize PDFs for search engines, which you can read here: <http://searchengineland.com/070912-095906.php>.

Hope this helps!

Jill Whalen
High Rankings Advisor

Windows Automatic Updates - Yes or No?

This is one of those damned if you do - damned if you don't areas.

Microsoft is constantly publishing patches, fixes, tweaks to your Windows operating system. Many of them won't pertain to you.  But once in awhile there's fix that you need. You may not even know you need it but the update will make your computer run better.

So turning on Automatic Updating is a good thing.

Except ... when Microsoft publishes something you aren't ready for or don't want such as Internet Explorer 7. One night I went to bed with IE6; the next morning I woke up with IE7. It wasn't a morning where I had time to figure out the new look, the new terms or the new restrictions IE7 "helped" me with.  Furthermore, I don't like to try any new Microsoft product until it's been out at least six months.

A second nuisance is that Windows does the installation at shutdown. It never fails that I'm in a client's office finishing a work session when it decides to install the updates. The client and I have to stand around and wait for the installation to finish. Because you DO NOT EVER stop the installation. It takes forever to get your computer working right again.

Automatic updates takes away my ability to choose what I want to update and when.

If you prefer not to use Automatic Updating, sign up for my Computer Maintenance Reminders service. I'll send you a reminder quarterly. You can then go to the update center (I'll include instructions!) and you can choose your updates and do them at your convenience. OK, maybe convenience is not quite the right word but you understand what I mean!

If you want to turn on the automatic updating, here are the instructions from Microsoft for Windows XP. Visit the Windows Update Solutions Center if you have another version.

Free Back Up Service

Mozy offers you 2 GB of back up space for FREE!

You download some simple software, set up which files you want backed up then Mozy will automatically, continuously back up your files.

Your files are stored online. You can restore them to a new hard drive in case of disaster or retrieve a file you accidentally deleted.  If, God forbid, the office burns down, your files are safe.

High speed internet is required. The first back up will take a long time but the process doesn't slow down your computer or keep you from using the Internet. Subsequent back ups will be faster since Mozy is only picking up changes.

Outlook 2007 as your RSS reader

The Microsoft web site has an excellent demo of how to use Outlook 2007 as your RSS reader. Click here to go to the demo.

Using Internet Explorer 7 to subscribe and read RSS feeds

IE 7 includes programming to let you subscribe and read RSS feeds (like the ones available from Your Computer Lady!)

Pros:

• You're already familiar with Internet Explorer and probably using it every day to connect to the Internet
•  The feeds are on your hard drive and can be read offline.

Cons:

• The feeds are stored on your hard drive taking up space
• IE 7 doesn't offer as many features for searching, archiving, tagging that specific programs for RSS feeds offer.

HOW TO

1. Go to the web site with the RSS feed you want to subscribe to.
2. Click on the RSS icon on the IE7 toolbar or click on the RSS feed icon on the site.
3. IE7's feed reader will open and show you the feeds on the site. At the top of the page, in the shaded box you will see a link "Subscribe to this feed". Click on the link.
4. An IE window opens letting you name the feed and asking where you want to store the feeds you receive. You can organize your feeds just like you do your Favorites.
5. You can view your feeds in the left-side panel with your Favorites and History.

RSS Feeds 101

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. Acronyms include: XML feed, syndicated content, web feed. Podcasting is a special type of feed that is used to distribute audio files. A podcast could be music or a narration for your tour through a museum.

A feed is frequently updated content that is published on a web site. The content may be the same as a web page but it is formatted differently. The purpose is to allow the content to be distributed. If I have a standard web site,  I am dependent on you coming to my web site to read my information. A feed allows me to send information to you. You control the information by subscribing to the feed. A feed is typically a small piece of information on a specific topic. Instead of sending a newsletter to ALL of my clients about ALL of the software I work with, a feed allows me to send just ACT! articles to just ACT! users. I would compare RSS feeds to a clipping service. You're saying, "These are the topics I'm interested in. Search them out and deliver them to my reader."

This symbol tells you that the web site you're viewing offers RSS feeds.

A web site can offer standard web pages and RSS feeds. A web address for a web site is just like the web address for a blog. http://www.yourcomputerlady.com/ used to take you to a standard, static web site. That address now takes you to my blog. At the site, I offer RSS feeds.

Using Internet Explorer 7, you can click on the RSS icon and view the RSS feeds on that site. The posts and comments are displayed in an easy to read list.

When you view an RSS feed, you are offered the option to subscribe. Most subscriptions are free.

A subscription will automatically pull new posts from the RSS feed and let you view them in your reader. (See articles on this site about the various readers.)

Post(s) - This is the term for the original entry published by the web site owner/author.  The original post may be an editorial, a link to an article the owner found on the topic, a link to an interesting web site, a photo. Really anything that can go on a web site can be a post.

Comment(s) - Comments are from the visitors to the web site or blog. It could be a question to clarify something the author said in the original Post. It could be an opinion, a disagreement, another perspective, etc. The whole point of blogs is to encourage discussion. The author wants to hear from you!

Take a look at these sites which offer RSS feeds

http://www.moviegeekout.com/ - movie news and reviews

http://www.office.microsoft.com/ - information about Microsoft's Office Suite

http://www.webmd.com/ - medical information site

http://www.wallstreetjournal.com/- podcasts and news feed