Computer Archive

Here’s how to setup Outlook Express (add a new email account).

Outlook Express is a free program.   If you have Windows XP, you are likely to have Outlook Express in your computer already.  Depends on your Windows version, you may have Outlook Express, Windows Live Mail, Windows Mail.  They are all free programs from Microsoft.  All these programs may look a little different, but the basic concept is same.   They all ask for same information.

When you setup any email program, you need to know following information.  These 7 items are all you need to know.

• Email address
• Password
• SMTP address
• SMTP port number
• POP3 address
• Pop3 port number
• Are there any special security certificate involved? (It’s always no.  But, just in case…)

After obtaning those information follow steps below.   Just watch the screenshots,  They are pretty much self explanatory. 

Don’t do anything, make sure there is nothing

Don’t do anything, make sure there is nothing

Outgoing mail (SMTP) port numer wll be given to you from your webmaster.  
Ask your webmaster for SMTP port number.
Incoming mail (POP3) server address is usually 110

After this tab, click Apply to save setting.

- End -

As a webmaster, I often talk to my clients over the phone to help them setup email programs.  Some clients understand my instruction easily, and issue will be resolved quickly.  Some clients have hard time understanding my instruction.   Some customers cannot tell the difference between email program and web browser.   This is understandable.   Sometimes, when customers are located close enough (Camarillo, Oxnard, Santa Paula area), I would skip my lunch and visit clients personally to setup their outlook .  Webmasters don’t make housecalls.  But, sometimes (rarely), I visit my clients in Ventura County on my own time.

I have created this page so my customers will have a better understanding.  I hope this will help. 

Let me know if you still have difficulty.

- Ventura County Webmaster -

Our friend at Digital Security came by today to install temperature alarm in our server room.  Digisec is an alarm company from Camarillo.  We provided web design service to them a few years ago.  I didn’t design their website.  I didn’t re-design the website. but I fixed their old website (code) so website will function better.  They kept their original design.  They are good people.

Website Redesign:
If you have outdated website, bring it to us.  I am the one who will fix your old website so your website will be light, up to date, and user friendly.  So, search engines will know your website is being taken care of.  Also, your website visitors will know your website is being updated.  A good first impression of a website is very important.

Think about it.  You have a 5 years old website that has not been updated.  And your competitor’s website is up to date with new web standard and features.  Which website do you think people or search engine will value more?  That’s why you need to update (redesign) your old website.  If you know the power of internet and want to take advantage of technology, you need to keep up with the technology.

Anyway, yesterday was the first day of Summer.  So we are getting ready by installing a temperature alarm in our server room.

Most companies have main computer room.  We call it “Server Closet” or “Server Room”.  This is the room where all important data is being stored.  In our case, our server room stores years worth of web designs, internet marketing data, seo reports, and etc.

All server rooms are temperature controlled for computers to run at optimal condition and to minimize computer failure.  Recommended temperature range in server room is around 70F degrees.   We keep our server room at consistent 74F degrees.

Sometimes, when it’s hot outside, I go inside the server room for a while.  It’s pretty cool and crispy in there.   Sometimes we make bad jokes about “coming out of closet” – I bet all computer geeks said that joke at least once.  Haha.

During the Winter time, we didn’t worry too much about server room getting too hot.  Camarillo is pretty cool even in Summer time.   Now, with this temperature alarm, I will get notified when server room’s temperature goes over the limit.   I live closest to work, so I will be the one who runs to work. :0

Some web designers work from their living rooms.  It must be nice to have no overhead.   We DO have overhead and we don’t see any way around it.  I hope customers will appreciate our effort and level of quality we provide.  Freelance web design is good if you are involved with files, data, and logistics.   Or you can let professionals take care of everything.  Let us stress over server room temperature and etc.

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Summer of 2011 looks fun.  I have an exciting vacation coming up in July.  I wish this Summer will pass by slowly.  After 4th of July, we will fly through to Christmas in no time.

Have a great Summer.

My favorite mouse is this wired mouse from Dell.  I use exact same mouse for work, home, and notebook computer (I own 3 total).  Below is the picture of my mouse.  Sadly this mouse was replaced today.  It worn out.  I had to buy another one from eBay for $20.00.  Check out the finger mark on this mouse.

Note: I use a cheap point and shoot camera for my blog. (more)

I like my computer mouse as light as possible.  Also, I want my mouse to be absolutely trouble free and simple.  I don’t want track ball, super mini mouse, or any other funky alternative input devices.  I don’t use wireless mouse.  Wireless mouse has a cute concept.  But they are heavy.  Those 2 AA batteries add significant weight on the mouse.  After 12 hours of web designing, you will wish your mouse will be lighter.

I use computer 10-12 hours minimum every day.  To me, it’s very important that I have the best mouse and keyboard that will fit me perfectly.   I want the best keyboard and mouse money can buy.  Money is no object when it comes to computer parts.  That’s why I own 2 Das Keyboards ($130.00 each).  These are the tools that will help me make money.  Good equipment will make me work faster.  Good equipment will make web design easier on my body.  I bought an expensive mattress, because I spend 25% of my life in bed.  I spend 40-50% of my life using computer.  so, it only makes sense to buy the most comfortable keyboard and  mouse for my body.  That’s my philosophy as a computer geek.

And when it comes to mouse?  My favorite is this cheap Dell mouse.  I use this mouse with a smooth mouse-pad made out of waxed wood.  With my wooden mouse-pad, my mouse feels almost weightless like an air hockey puck.  I use very light touch to move my mouse.  That’s how I like it.

Thumb Mark

I do a lot of web design work, and I use mouse a lot.  This 3 years old mouse was showing signs of aging.  For example, “click” was not accurate.   So, I was afraid to work fast when I handle customers’ files/data.   I wouldn’t clean or maintain the mouse.  Mouse is cheap.  I just ordered a new one from eBay.  I’m not sure if any store in Ventura County sells this.

I’m back in business now.  My new mouse feels good.

Country singer Trace Adkins’ house was completely destroyed in fire Saturday evening (June 4, 2011).   All family members are fine, but they lost pretty much everything.  Trace’s wife was interviewed on TV.  She said her family photos were the most valuable items she lost – she didn’t backup everything.  “Take your time and make copies” she said.

Most people around me don’t backup their computers.   For normal folks, setting up a good backup system is not an easy task.  Good backup programs will cost you (but not too much).  Hard drives are relatively cheap now, you should really think about backing up your data.  It takes $200 – $300 to come up with a backup system.   Without backup, it can take thousands of Dollars to recover lost data.  Maybe you will never be able to recover data.

Good backup practice will save you many hours of work and a lot of money.

To give you an example of a perfect backup setting, I’ll tell you how I backup my computers at home.

Mirror backup of a system hard drive.

I make mirror backups of the entire hard drive.  That means, my backup drive looks exactly like my working hard drive.   So, when a disaster hit, I simply swap the hard drive with a backup.  The whole process would take 10-20 minutes.   I keep multiple number of such back drives, because I cannot trust only 1 backup.   I make this kind of backup several times a year when I know for sure that my computer is healthy and virus free.

For this mirror backup I use Acronis True Image ($50.00 program)

It takes about 5 minutes to start the backup process.  Then it takes a few hours for entire hard drive to get duplicated.  So, I do this right before I go to sleep.

Daily Data backup

I make data backup almost every day.  I backup all data (emails, documents, pictures, program settings).  For example, if I went to a wedding and took 1000 pictures, I would like those images backed up ASAP.

I make 2 backups.  I keep 1 backup drive at my work, and rotate it every day.  When I go to work, I bring my backup drive A with me.   After work, I would bring backup drive B back home.  So backup drive A will stay at work wile I have backup drive B at home.

The whole point of making backup is to save data from disaster such as fire or theft.  So, your backup should be stored away from the building that your computer is located.

There are number of (free) programs to backup data.  I use backup4all.  This is a $40.00 program

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Your hard drives will fail, one way or the other, sooner or later.  I hope you will start backing up your data.  Good luck.

Feel free to ask questions at the forum.

I own two Das Keyboards, one for work and one for home.

You cannot really call yourself a computer geek when you don’t have a Das Keyboard.   I guess you would be called a “Poor” computer geek.  These keyboard costs $129.00 each.  This keyboard is truly amazing. It’s worth every penny.

As you can see, one distinctive characteristic of this keyboard is that there are no letters on the keys.  The keyboard is blank.   They also sell keyboard with letters.   But computer geeks would buy blank keyboards to make a statement that we don’t look at the keyboard when we type.   If you have to look down at your keyboard (to locate a key), you are not really a computer geek.

This keyboard makes typing fun.

I spend at least 12 hours a day in front of computers (both work and home).  Basically, if I’m awake, I am at my computer.  Sometimes I have to stay all night for a web design project.  Sometimes I have to work on programs and database for hours at a time.   And this keyboard makes typing fun.

Das Keyboard is a fancy toy for professional computer geeks.