This is a quicktip to show you how to work out your current Internet Explorer version. It also works for most other Microsoft software, as well as software from other companies.

This tip is written for Windows operating systems.

1. Open up the software program such as Internet Explorer.

2. Find the Help option in the menu bar (usually at the top of the window for most programs), then click on About Internet Explorer (or About other program name)

You will then see a window similar to the one shown on the right, and toward the top you can see the current version number of your software install.

If your system shows a version older than Internet Explorer 8 then you should strongly consider Microsoft Internet Explorer updates to get the full advantages of more secure and faster web browsing.

Internet Explorer is the browser of choice for many people as it is pre-installed on computers which have Windows Operating Systems on them when purchased. However, many people are unaware that they may be using an older version of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer tool, and therefore not getting the best out of their web browsing experience.

Unfortunately hackers never seem to sleep and Windows Internet Explorer seems to be a prime target for their exploits. Recent media coverage has highlighted the Australian Federal Government warnings about Microsoft’s web browser being easy to infiltrate by hackers. Now is a great time to check for available Microsoft Internet Explorer updates and install them to your computer.

The information provided below is intended for Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 users who do not have Windows Automatic Updates turned on. If you are unsure whether this applies to you, the quickest way to tell if you are up to date is to check your current version of internet explorer.

Below, is a simple step by step guide on the easiest way to update your computer to the latest version of Internet Explorer, however we would also recommend you look at alternative web browsers such as Firefox, Chrome or Opera as potentially more secure, faster free web browser alternatives. You may find it easier to print this information off, or look at it on another computer while performing the upgrade.

1. Go to the Microsoft Windows Internet Explorer home page at http://www.microsoft.com/Windows/internet-explorer/ and click on the large orange Download now button

2. On the next page, select your country and Operating System (if you are unsure about your operating system, this Quick Tip will show you how to find out what version of Windows you are using), you will then be taken to the page to download Internet Explorer update 8

3. On the next page, click on the Download button to begin the Download of the file to your computer, then select Save and choose the location where you would like the file saved. You must remember this location you choose as you will require it again.

Once the file has completed downloading, close any Internet Explorer browser windows you may have open, then double click on the file you just downloaded from Microsoft to install your new version of Internet Explorer. It will ask if you would like to transfer your bookmarks, passwords and other settings, reply Yes to this question so that these are transferred across to your new software.

We hope you have found this information of assistance while you perfor Windows Internet Explorer updates. If you have any questions please leave a comment in the box below or contact us directly by email.

Did you know the broadband plan you signed up for, and pay for may be different to the service level you are receiving? Technical factors beyond your control, and your Internet Service Provider’s control may be reducing your speed, and you may be paying for a faster internet plan for no reason.

Broadband internet speed test results

Running a broadband speed test is free and easy, and you can ensure your are getting what you pay for.  High Speed Broadband Access is much faster than dial up access, however it is also more expensive.  Here is a way to check your Broadband internet speed within Australia to get the best value for your money. This guide uses the website Oz Broadband Speed Test which is best for Australian broadband users. If you are outside of Australia, point your favourite web browser to Google search, and look for a broadband speed test suitable for your location.

Instructions for internet broadband speed test within Australia are below:

1. Go to  http://www.ozspeedtest.com/bandwidth-test/ to be taken to the Oz Broadband Speed Test website.

2.  In the section under “Mirror List”, click on the name of your internet provider

3 . Choose a test to run which corresponds to the type of internet connection you have, if you have brooadband, but are unsure what kind of broadband, select ADSL, ADSL2+, Wireless, Satellite, Cable Test (3MB) which covers almost all options.

4. The test will then start running, which can take a few seconds to a few minutes on slower connections.

5. The results include the time that the test was run. You are also given a line speed and download speed.

The Broadband internet speed in the pictured example is just over 1,500KBPs, so if you are paying for a plan at 20,000KBPs you can consider contacting your internet provider and revising your plan

We hope you found this free computer help tip on running a free broadband speed test in Australia helpful. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below or contact us directly.

This is a quick Skype software tip to personalise your Skype contact profile as your callers see it. The information is based on the latest version of Skype using Windows operating system, however it is similar for other versions of Skype and computer operating systems.

You will need an image in jpg, bmp or png format already saved to your computer.

1. Open the Skype software, then click on File, Edit your Profile.
2. Locate the default image in your profile and click on the Change button.
3. On the next screen click on Browse, then select your image and click on the Open button.
4. You will see the picture with a blue outline, click on OK, then click on Update on the next screen.

That’s it, all done! You have successfully updated your Skype VOIP Profile picture.

If you would like further assistance, please leave a comment or contact Cairns Computer Help directly.

Below is a step by step guide on how to update this on a Windows computer. You do not have to pay for the upgrade, or upgrade to a paid version. The link from the popup will take you to pages with paid upgrade options. So close those pages and the popup notification and follow along to upgrade to the latest version of AVG Free.

1. Open your favourite web browser and head to http://www.avg.com
2. Click on Downloads in the navigation menu toward the top of the page.
   

   Step 2 - Click on Image for Larger View

3. On the next page, scroll down past all of the excellent AVG Anti-Virus & Anti-Spyware paid products, towards the bottom of the page, you will see AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition click on the button labelled Find Out More
   
   

   Step 3 - Click on Image for Larger View

4. This page shows a comparison of the features of AVG Free versus the paid version of the AVG products, scroll right to the bottom until you see the red download button under the Free product
   

   Step 4 - Click on Image for Larger View

5. Click on the red download button and fill out the form presented, then click on Continue
   

   Step 5 - Click on Image for Larger View

6. Click on the tab labelled Installation File, then click on the red Download AVG button.
   

   Step 6 - Click on Image for Larger View

   You will see these instructions

   from http://www.avgfree.com.au/thankyou.cfm?type=free#tba2

   Installation Notes:

   • When you are prompted, please do not open this file directly from the Internet, but click the “Save” button and choose a location where the installation file should be stored. We recommend saving the file to the Desktop or your My Documents folder.
   • If you are moving from another anti-virus software product other than AVG you MUST UNINSTALL the old product BEFORE installing your new AVG 8.0 software. In most cases, you will be able to do this by using the “Add/Remove Programs” (in Windows XP) or “Programs & Features” (in Windows Vista) in the Windows “Control Panel”. Then reboot your computer.
   • Locate the downloaded AVG installation file (it has a four color square icon and its name starts with AVG…) and launch the installation by double-clicking on it.
   • Follow the installation wizard.

7. Below are instructions for the Installation Wizard

• select language and click next
  

  Install Wizard Step 1 - Click on Image for Larger View

• click on the box to place a tick next to “have read the licence agreement” and click accept
  

  Install Wizard Step 2 - Click on Image for Larger View

• choose standard installation if you do not have any special requirements, then click next
  

  Install Wizard Step 3 - Click on Image for Larger View

• TIP: More experienced users can choose custom installation to change the install location & specify the components they would like to install
• the next screen asks if you would like to install the AVG toolbar to your web browser & make yahoo your default search engine. Make sure to untick these boxes if you do not want these changes made to your system
  

  Install Wizard Step 4 - Click on Image for Larger View

• the next screen will show you a list of running programs AVG will shut down as soon as you click next, make sure you have saved any information in this programs or it will be lost when you click on the Next button
  

  Install Wizard Step 5 - Click on Image for Larger View

• AVG will now install, this will take a few minutes depending on the speed of your PC.

Once installation is complete, be sure to reboot your PC.

If you have further questions, please leave a comment or contact us directly. Hopefully this tutorial makes your upgrade to AVG Free 9.0 easier, if you would like further assistance on this or any other topic please feel free to request a tutorial.

AVG are currently offering 2 years for the price of 1 with their popular paid Anti-Virus Software, click this link to find out more. AVG Anti-Virus 9.0 – 2 years for the price of 1!

If you follow a few websites regularly, such as friends’ blogs, specific newspapers, certain people on twitter, Youtube channels, eBay product searches or anywhere you see an icon similar to the one on the right, you can stop visiting those sites regularly, and bring the information to you. The information is only bought to your “inbox” when the main website is updated, so you can save time visiting websites to check if they have been updated.

There are many different free News Reader software available, you may already have one but not use it. At least since Microsoft Outlook 2002, and the same generation of Microsoft’s Outlook Express have had News Reader’s built in. Here are some instructions from Microsoft on how to set Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Outlook Express Newsreader up.

Some of the other popular free online Feed Readers are Google Reader at http://www.google.com/reader/ and Bloglines at http://www.bloglines.com

There are many more free RSS reading software if you would like to look for yourself at Lifehacker Australia’s Best RSS Newsreaders roundup at http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2008/05/best_rss_newsreaders-2/

Once you have chosen your RSS Reader, and installed it to your computer or registered for its online service, you can start adding subscriptions to information from the internet. When you see the RSS icon similar to the above or some wording which says “Subscribe to RSS feed” or similar, click on the icon and follow the instructions. The website current feed will be added to your feed reader, and all future updates, so make sure to check your Feed Reader regularly.

Internet: Useful Tips: RSS In Plain English

If you would like some further information on using RSS Readers, then please drop a comment below, or contact Cairns Computer Help directly.

While the pic won’t be anywhere near the professional photographer quality, with the correct lighting and a bit of practice you can come up with something suitable for the internet or emailing to your contacts.

The instructions below are for computers running Windows XP with a webcam already plugged in. Not sure what Windows XP means? Click here for a very simple way to work it out!

1. Open the Camera within your computer’s control panel by doing the following

• Click on Start, then Control Panel
• Look for Scanners and Cameras and double-click on it
• You will see a selection of your scanners and cameras, select the webcam (look for something like USB Video Device or the brandname of your external camera)
• Double-click on your webcam from within the list, the Scanner and Camera Wizard should start up

2. Take a picture using the Scanner and Camera Wizard

• You should now see a screen with a Preview of what the webcam sees in the left half, and any pictures you took in the right half.
• Play around with the lighting, your hair, wardrobe changes until you are happy with what you see in the left part of the screen, then click on the words “Take Picture” under the preview Window.
• Your picture will move to the right side with a tick box in the right corner, you can repeat these steps (in section 2 here) as many times as you want to try different angles, hairstyles etc
• Click on Next and we will save the pictures.

3.  Saving the picture(s) for later use

• In box 1. type a name for the group of pics, or you can type in All Pics or similar
• In box 2 click on browse and choose the place on your computer where you would like to store the pics. (Make sure to remember this location for later use)
• Click on the box to delete the pictures after copying them so you don’t end up with the same pictures in multiple places
• Then click on Next, and click on Nothing and Next in the next screen.
• You will then see a screen with the final location of your pics, you can click on the link within that screen, come back later and click on Finish.

Restart or shutdown and turn on your computer in the usual manner, taking careful notice as it starts up. If you have a fairly standard version, there will be a boot screen looking similar to one of the images below. The boot screen will have the wording of Windows XP or Windows Vista on it.

Windows XP

Windows Vista

Yes, sometimes it can be just that easy!

Crossloop, is secure, free and quite easy to set up. We find it ideal for new customers who just need occasional or one-off help with their computer and want to keep costs low. Although this website is for Cairns computer users, it is a worldwide system and can be used by anyone with broadband internet access. It is not going to work with dial-up internet speeds unfortunately. If you are using our services for computer help Cairns, then it is an option to consider.

Below are step by step instructions on using this amazing free tool, there is also a 1 minute video which explains Crossloop.

Step by Step Crossloop Installation Instructions

Crossloop is a very stable program and is used by over 1 million users in 190 countries, but as with installing all new programs, there is some risk it may interact badly with your existing setup, so make sure you have a backup of your computer before installing Crossloop, and any software in general.

Download and install the Crossloop software application by going to http://download.crossloop.com and clicking on the Download button, then click on Run in the window which appears and subsequent windows. Click here to view the embedded video.

You will then be asked to register a Free account, click on the Create Account button, fill out the details on the screen and tick the box for Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, then click Register. You will need to check your email and click on a validation link within the email from Crossloop (this ensures no one else is using your email address to set up internet accounts). Note that if you do not want to create an account you can click on cancel button (x in the top right corner) and will be taken straigh to the screen sharing controls.

Then you simply enter your email address and password and click on Login. After you have finished using the application you can logout by clicking on the Crossloop icon at the top of the window then click on logout. No one can access your computer once the application is closed.

Crossloop Session Step by Step

Congratulations you installed the Crossloop software application, the next step is to start a remote sharing session. Let’s pretend your name is Bob & you need help for simplicity’s sake.

• In the small Crossloop application window Bob will see a Share tab at the top, Bob click’s on that, If Bob registered for a free Crossloop account his name will be filled out automatically. Crossloop will also create a unique 12 digit Access Code which changes each time he runs the Crossloop software. For someone else to access your computer Crossloop MUST be running, and they Access Code must be told to the helper.
• Access Code’s only work for 2 minutes, during which time Bob must tell the helper the Access Code so that they can connect, this can be done by phone, skype or anything secure. Your helper will enter the access code.
• Both parties then press connect, a warning screen will show on Bob’s computer to say the helper is trying to connect, click on Yes to allow the connection. After a few seconds the helper will be connected and will have access & control over the computer.
  At any time during the session Bob can disconnect by clicking on the Disconnect button.

This means your helper has full access over your keyboard and computer during the session, it’s best to not use the keyboard & mouse during the help session as the helper is also doing the same.

Crossloop has many many uses, some ways Cairns Computer Help uses Crossloop is to provide training to the home or small business computer user without on site attendance, fixing problems, and to access our own computers from another location. Remote access is incredibly useful for computer help for cairns Computers and even our international customers.

If you need more help with this, or would like to know about more Free Tools or anything else Cairns Computer Help can assist with, please drop us a comment below or contact us directly.

What is Broadband?

The simplest explanation of Broadband is a fast ‘always on’ method of connecting to the internet. In Cairns, broadband is available via Cable, ADSL, Naked ADSL and Wireless access – with ADSL which uses a standard telephone line as the most common. However, ADSL is not available at all telephone exchanges and Cable is only available if you have Cable TV such as Austar. ADSL allows you to make a phone call at the same time that you are using the internet connection. Naked ADSL means you do not have a standard voice phoneline just the ADSL component running through the wires. Wireless is the newest type of broadband access and provides freedom of use anywhere, no need to be tied to a normal telephone line. If a telephone exchange does not support ADSL, and Cable is not available, Wireless may be the only option. Wireless is the most expensive option, but you can take it with you when travelling so it has many advantages.

A quick comparison of currently available light usage internet plans as at 3rd March 2009. Light usage will be suitable for most people switching from dial-up, as an example a light user may use the internet daily, semd/receive 10-30 emails per week, download up to 10 songs per week, watch up to 15 videos per week, and play up to 8 hours of games per week.. Don’t worry if you don’t do all of those activities – it is just meant as an indication of usage.

Understanding Broadband Plans

When you start investigating Broadband plans, there will be some new terms & concepts to consider. Broadband plans are talked about in terms of Data, Speed, Contract Length, Bundling, Excess Data so lets look at these individually

Data or Data Allowance is how much information you are allowed to use within your plan each month – the light usage as discussed above would be around 1-5 Gigabytes of data – part way through the first month of your plan, check your usage to get an indication of how much you actually use and you may be able to switch to a different plan if you need less or more

Speed – Dial-up speed is generally 56kbps, and by comparison broadband comes in 512kbps to 24000kbps – don’t worry too much about exactly what that means – if you are using voice over internet then you will want a plan faster than 1500kbps to get a reliable service.

Contract Length – if you are happy to be in a 2 year contract for your broadband service, there will be perks like free months, discounts and free hardware to connect your computer to the internet. However, prices on broadband are always dropping, so by the end of your contract you may be paying a lot more than the market rates at that time. Prepaid service is also an option if you prefer to do that, like prepaid phones you can buy credit at the post office, over the phone by credit card or on the internet.

Bundling – you can bundle your home, mobile and broadband services with the same provider to save money

Excess Data – if you go over your monthly data allowance, your provider may charge you extra – sometimes A LOT extra, or slow your broadband service to a very low speed similar to dial-up speeds. Check this in your contract. Most providers will provide a way to monitor your usage online and/or be notified by email.

Hopefully that is enough information to give a general understanding of how to read broadband plans, below is a summary of plans available at the time of writing (3rd March 2009), with the links so you can then go to the provider for in depth terms & conditions and to sign-up. If you need further information, or have any requests, please feel free to leave a comment or contact me directly.

The table below shows some light usage plans with 12-36 month contracts. This is by no means an exhaustive list, an excellent resource for finding other plans is the Broadband Plan Finder at youcompare.com.au

As you can see, even that small selection of broadband plans is a lot of information to take in, if you are a light internet user as discussed above, sign up with a plan which allows you to change your usage, then monitor it closely for the first month – does it feel fast enough, how much of your data allowance have you used, and switch to a more suitable plan. I would suggest starting with a 1500kbps speed and as high a data allowance as your budget will allow, then switching to another plan level after you have monitored usage. If you do sign up for a plan with a relatively low data allowance which charges for excess data, monitor that very closely at first to make sure you do not get a surprisingly large bill.

Once you have decided what type of broadband plan to get, it is a relatively simple process of contacting your provider, telling them your phone number and they will arrange the setup. When signing up with a provider they will supply a piece of hardware called a modem or a modem/router if you need wireless within your home or have multiple computers. There will be a step by step guide on how to connect this hardware once your ADSL has been provided. For plan such as Telstra Bigpond Wireless, you can set the hardware up and be online the same day. ADSL lines generally take 7-10 business days to be organised but can take 3-20 days.

This article grew significantly as I was thinking through what information is helpful in getting started with broadband, so some parts were intentionally left out and oversimplified, if you would like additional information, please leave a comment or contact me directly. If it’s just the right amount of helpful information about broadband plans then I’d love to hear that too. If you require much more assistance I am happy to meet with you and take you to Broadband providers around Cairns to facilitate your broadband connection, I can also set up the hardware and test it once the ADSL line or wireless is activated.