Nowadays, PDF files are as ubiquitous as Word documents, oftentimes being the preferred format for documentation in the workforce. They?re easily accessible with Adobe Acrobat Reader and conveniently easy to exchange amongst recipients.
They?re also secure ? almost to a fault.
As I?m sure you?ve experienced, PDFs are usually locked, preventing you from editing or copying the contents. It?s been reported that some people are unable to even print them, unless privileged to do so.
While these measures are advisable in some instances, where the information is of a sensitive nature, these limitations are usually unnecessary. FreeMyPDF is a free service that does just as its name suggests, freeing you of those restrictions. All you need to do is upload the file to the site, where it then strips the PDF file of any passwords and other restrictions, returning ?it to you for all your editing delight.
I should add that this will not work with those PDF files which require a password to just view the file. If such a password has been assigned to the file in question, you will not be able to use this service to render it inactive.
If you?ve ever received a PDF in the office that you?d like to edit or print, there?s a good chance that you aren?t able to. With FreeMyPDF, a simple and easy to use service, you can do exactly that.
If you?d like to use this service, visit their site here.
If you?re a user of Avast, the popular anti-virus program developed by ALWIL software, you should know that a recent definition update (those routine downloads that keep the virus definitions of your anti-virus software current) tagged hundreds of valid files as security threats.
The company promptly responded to the error, summarily releasing a fix just hours later. However, users are still burdened with the task of reinstalling those legitimate files.
Aiding in that effort, Avast has an easy to follow guide that walks you through the process of recovering files incorrectly tagged as threats.
In the event you?re using Avast 5 beta ?or Avast 4.8, this solution may not be effective, requiring that you run a fresh reinstall of programs to which the tagged files are linked.
That?s certainly a frustrating solution, one that some users may have no choice but to use. ?To date, there is no single solution that works for every user. So, read the instructions provided by Avast. If that works, great — but you may have to reinstall the program if their solution fails to deliver.
If you?re an Avast user and you suspect this bungled update has affected the performance of your computer, call our office. Computer Geeks is always here to assist you.
If you’ve ever wanted to capture a session of your web browsing, whether it?s for an instructional package you?re compiling or just something to toy around with in your spare time, there?s a neat Firefox extension that lets you do just that without having to install any additional capturing software.
As you might know, Firefox extensions add to your browsing experiencing, sprucing it up with greater functionality and convenience that has contributed to the growing popularity of Mozilla?s browser. This latest extension allows users to record their screen while they browse.
Called CaptureFox, this extension does just that, capturing everything you do while it?s in a state of recording.
After its installation, you?ll notice a new icon sitting on the right-hand side of your status bar (it can also be accessed by hitting CTRL-SHIFT-U or selecting it from the tools menu), the use of which will bring up this extension’s menu.
There are?a fair number of options available, offering users a chance to determine just how high they?d like the quality of recording to be.
You can decide if you?d like to restrict it to just what?s available in your Firefox window, or you can record your entire screen. Along with frame rate, video quality is also adjustable, both of which being options that may affect performance on older machines.
This is a very helpful tool for those who?re making instructional videos, but it?s also a reliable ? and, for some, fun — means of keeping an actual history of the time spent on your computer.
Here?s a video that demonstrates just how CaptureFox ?works:
If you’re interested in this extension, you can read about and download CaptureFox here.
Ensuring that the latest drivers are installed on your computer can go quite a distance towards shielding you against the much dreaded ?Blue Screen of Death.? Drivers are files? upon which your software and hardware depend, facilitating conflict-free communication between the various programs and devices comprising your computer system.
For streamlined solutions that scan your computer for outdated drivers and provide the necessary updates, you?re usually looking at a fee. However, there is one solution that comes at no expense to you, provided as an absolutely free alternative that effectively assesses and addresses your driver needs.
Called Device Doctor, this utility is very easy to use, limited to just one screen from which you?ll be able to see what drivers are needed and how to obtain them. All you need to do is click the ?Begin Scan? button, which will commence with a thorough appraisal of your system?s drivers, ending with a list that shows you which drivers needed to be updated. After the scan is complete, you?re prompted to download each update.
Although the drivers aren?t installed automatically, it?s still fairly straightforward, with very little chance of error. On the page for downloads, you simply click on that driver you want to install and sit back while it updates the driver.
With such a staggering variety of hardware all serving the same essential purpose, the number of drivers is just as varied, requiring you to be attentive to just what it is you?re updating. There is always the slight chance of Device Doctor linking you to an incorrect driver or one that has since been replaced by a more current one. If that happens, they provide a link for you to alert the developers of this utility to the error.
Saving you the time of hunting down each specific driver, this is a great tool that simplifies and hastens the important process of updating your drivers.
Windows 7 is fast becoming Microsoft?s most popular release of their seminal operating system. More reliable than previous versions, with faster performance and considerably greater stability, this is an operating system that has returned Microsoft to an enviable position that they were displaced from because of problems encountered when using the two most recent installments ? XP and Vista.
With Windows 7 being a new version of the operating system, despite having many familiar holdovers from past installments, there are several new options that add ease and functionality which previously didn?t exist.
One of those is the ability to send the Recycle Bin to your taskbar.
For those of you handling multiple operations on your PC, accessing the Recycle Bin (which is very useful for those of you who?re mindful of that data which you absolutely no longer need) can become a tedious routine. Windows 7 offers a fast way to permanently affix it to your taskbar, making it readily available for those times it?s needed.
To place the Recycle Bin in your taskbar, the following short steps are required:
You?ll want to create a shortcut on your desktop. It?ll ask you for the location of your shortcut, for which you?ll enter the following in the field:
explorer.exe shell:RecycleBinFolder
To proceed, click Next.
You?ll then be asked to name it. Some might call it ?Recycle Bin,? while others may want to be creative; either way, it?ll still have the functions of your recycle bin.
Once that?s finished, you?ll need to modify the look of the icon so that it reflects the trash bin we normally associate with this function.
Right-click on the icon and select ?properties.?
Click on ?Change Icon.?
In field that asks where you?d like to look for the icon, type:
%SystemRoot%system32imageres.dll
The Recycle Bin icon will appear in the new assortment of available icons.
Once you?ve applied that, click on OK to exit the Recycle Bin properties screen. As you?ll see, the Recycle Bin now looks like that familiar container. To send it to your task bar, you can either drag it there or right-click on the icon and choose ?Pin to Taskbar.?
And, That?s it. This is nice way of bypassing steps that eventually weigh down on those involved with routine tasks. Instead of having to open the Recycle Bin each time you use it, it?s sitting right in your task bar, awaiting whatever trash you see fit to dispose of.
If you?re a user of Microsoft?s most recent operating systems ?XP, Vista, and the recently unveiled Windows 7 ? you may want to heed the latest warnings about new ?Microsoft Security updates released. According to reports, these recent security updates may be what?s precipitating a spate of system crashes that render the computer a lifeless black screen. Coming by way of PrevX, a UK based security company, users of its security software began complaining of the problem last week. It would seem that Microsoft made significant changes to the ACL (Access Control List), which contains permissions for user accounts. This list of permissions communicates with the registry keys, making observable changes to the desktop such as the addition of a sidebar. Unintentionally, however, the recent Microsoft security patches are amending those registry keys. As a result, being unaware of those registry changes, a number of applications are responding with confusion ? explaining the black screens during their use. We should note that those applications which seem? most affected are security programs. For those affected by this problem, PrevX has released a patch that would seem to correct the issue, bringing the registry in line with the ACL settings introduced by the security updates. Not everyone is being affected by this problem, but if you feel as if you?re one of those unlucky users who recently suffered a black screen that may be tied to your recent download of Microsoft security updates, PrevX has released a free fix that can be downloaded here. If you continue to experience problems, always feel free to give us a call.
