A common problem that Windows Vista users face is getting the “COM Surrogate Has Stopped Working” error message whenever a folder that contains multimedia or video files is opened. COM components that third party applications that are not fully compatible with the Windows Vista (and other versions of the Windows platform) install normally cause this error. Some applications that have been known to cause the error include DivX and Nero. There are a number of solutions that have been found to solve the error depending on the specific build of Read More

Understanding the ISA Server Reporting Feature ISA Server includes a reporting feature that you can use for a number of purposes: Use reports to obtain and view information on usage statistics of the server for both computers and client users. Create your own reports. Each report here consists of a number of sub-reports, taking the form of charts and graphs. This concept is illustrated on the 2nd page of the Article: The predefined ISA Server reports are listed here: Summary reports: These reports combine data from the Firewall service log Read More

Mixing heat and a laptop can be a detriment to the survivability of the laptop. With desk tops, there are many fans to handle the excess heat that builds up. However, with laptops, this is not the case because the space is restricted. In other words, there are fewer fans and less space for the heat to go, so it sits and begins to heat up the different components of the laptop such as the hard drive, memory and mother board. Monitoring the temperature of the laptop ensures that it Read More

A satellite finder is a specialized signal-strength meter used to point satellite dishes and LNBs. There are two general classes of satellite finders: analog and digital satellite finders. Analog Satellite Finder Most analog satellite finders are inexpensive devices which simply display the strength of the received signal. To use an analog satellite finder, you point the satellite dish and LNB to where you believe the satellite to be. You then take a reading on the satellite finder and adjust the satellite dish and LNB until you get the strongest reading Read More

PKI stands for Public Key Infrastructure and represents a wide array of devices,  software, agencies and protocols that create and control electronic certificates. Some PKI systems are used for registration methods and keeping track of users. For example, when a game manufacturer sells you a copy of their game, you will be asked to fill out a form with your personal information to help the company form an idea of what kind of people are buying their game. The game may also require you to enter a serial number to Read More

Over the last couple of years video has become a staple of the internet. Not only have computers become more powerful and equipped to handle video images, but many websites now rely on video as either a source of entertainment or a way to transmit information. One of the most popular video files found on the Internet is called FLV. FLV stands for Flash Video. It should be noted that Flash Video is a proprietary file that was created by Macromedia, now under Adobe. Flash files are commonly used all Read More

Active Directory security is determined by the following components: * Security groups: A security group is a made up of a set of users, and is created to assign permissions to access resources, and to assign user rights to group members. Permissions control access to resources, while user rights define what actions users can perform. Security groups are considered security principal accounts because they can contain user accounts. It is the security principal accounts that are used in authentication and access control. The security settings of a security principal account Read More

Zipping a folder is just like zipping a file and can easily be done within minutes in order to compress a folder's contents and keep the files organized. Generally, any program that can zip a file can also zip a folder. While some users may not be familiar with the most popular zipping software, this article will list a number of free zipping programs that will allow the user to zip his/her folders. WinZip WinZip is the most popular zipping program and can quickly zip files and folders of all Read More

Active Directory fulfills all the needs of an organization by designing a directory structure. It provides flexibility in designing the business structure according to current and future needs for an organization, so it should be examined prior to installing active directory. In Active Directory, resources are organized in a logical structure, and this grouping of resources logically enables a resource to be found by its name rather than by its physical location. Benefits of AD Logical Structure Logical Structure provides more network security by means of providing access to resources Read More

Microsoft Office is a software suite that includes a number of Microsoft programs that can be used to create tables, charts, presentations, websites, blogs, formulas, and a vast array of other documents. Microsoft Office has been popular since its introduction in 1989, which only consisted of Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint at the time. Since then Microsoft Office has grown significantly larger, with the addition of Project, Access, InfoPath Designer, InfoPath Filler, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher, SharePoint, Picture Manager, Clip Organizer, and Upload Center. Although Microsoft designed, owned, and Read More