Do I need to install a Firewall?
This depends on a few things. You DO need a Firewall IF: You are on a Static IP such as DSL or Cable Modem, have been attacked by hackers, or want as much prtection as possible. A Firewall will enhance security and privacy.
Is it safe to enter my Credit Card number online?
No, it is NOT safe to do UNLESS you make sure that the website you are viewing has enabled a Secure Server. This can be identified if you see a yell padlock on your Internet Explorer browser in the lower right of the window, or if the website address has https:// instead of http:// preceding the www.website.com address. This means that SSL (Secured Socket Layer) is being used, and there is a high level of encryption being emplyed to achieve this higher level of security. You may then enter information such as a Credit Card number, but, be SURE that website is trustworthy and that your PC itself is also secure from hackers and viruses.
Can someone get into my online bank account?
The answer is YES they can. However, it can be very difficult to accomplish. For the most part, the only time a hacker can access your account through YOUR use of it, is only when it is being used online. When you are online and using your account, it is possible a hacker can see what you are doing. However, if you have never had any problems, have a firewall and security in place, then as long as make you online access to the account as brief as possible, it should be fine. However, nothing is 100% safe when it is ever connected to the internet.
What is a Cookie?
A "cookie" is a piece of textual information that a website uses and stores on YOUR computers hard drive. Lets say you visit a website and they ask you for your name. You enter "John" and continue. However, the next time you visit, it does not ask this question. It DOES say on the webpage, however, "Welcome back, John!". Your name was stored in a "cookie" so this website knows who you are. This can be a date, words, account info, data of any type.
How do I delete cookies?
One way you can delet your cookies is to use the TomCat Prowler Browser, located at http://www.tomcat.ws/prowler which has a VERY handy option for deleting your cookies. Simply run the Prowler Browser, click on OPTIONS at the top, and choose CLEAN-UP.
How do I delete the history?
One way you can delet the history is to use the TomCat Prowler Browser, located at http://www.tomcat.ws/prowler which has a VERY handy option for deleting your history. Simply run the Prowler Browser, click on OPTIONS at the top, and choose CLEAN-UP.
How do I delete temporary internet files?
One way you can delet your temporary internet files, somtimnes called your "cache", is to use the TomCat Prowler Browser, located at http://www.tomcat.ws/prowler which has a VERY handy option for deleting your temporary internet files. Simply run the Prowler Browser, click on OPTIONS at the top, and choose CLEAN-UP.
How can I tell if I have a Virus?
The best way to tell is to go online, and visit http://www.tomcat.ws/antivirus and take the FREE OnLine Virus Scan offered there. The Scan is done over the internet, is fully updated with the latest viruses to detect, and will either clean it from your PC automatically, or instruct you how to go about taking care of the situation.
A program I want to run keeps 'generating errors' what should I do?
If a program that had once worked before is not working now, and is showing you errors and generating an error report, or just hanging up or otherwise not working right, you can take steps to try and remedy the problem.
Click START, SETTINGS, CONTROL PANEL, ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS.
Highlight the offending application and choose to REMOVE it.
Once it is removed, or uninstalled, reboot the PC.
Install the software again. Run the application.
If this does not work, then there may be a problem more deep that can take some troubleshooting expertise. A bad data file. A bad config file. A missing DLL file. It can be alot of things. Call TomCat and request assistance.
How do I find the "any" key?
I am SO glad you found this out here and not by asking someone. They will think you to be quite not smart and tech support people will laugh. But seriously, the ANY key is ANY key on your keyboard, but I like using either the Spacebar or the ENTER keys.
Are there different types of Email and accounts?
YES!!! There is TWO main types of Email. MAPI which is Web-Vase Email such as Yahoo EMail, or Hotmail. Then there is POP3 Email, which is Post Office Protocal email. The POP3 Email is downloaded directly INTO your PC whereas the web-based MAPI Email is not. Mapi is read ON the internet THROUGH your Browser, such as IE. POP3 Email need an Email Application such as Outlook Express to retrieve your Email from the servers.
How can I find something on the internet?
The best way to find ANYTHING ont he web is to go to a Search Engine. We at TomCat recommend the search engine of Google, which can either find by running the Prowler and looking at the bottom of the webpage, or by going to www.google.com. Use Search Words that will get results. Start general, like "toys" and then get more specific to narrow it down, like "wooden car toys". Good luck!!!
What is a Browser?
A Browser is an Application or Program that you run to VIEW what is on the Internet. You cannot SURF the web without one. Internet Explorer is a "browser", as is NetScape or Prowler. Any of these will let you see the internet.
Do I have to use my ISP Email account?
Heavens NO! In fact, there are reasons why you may NOT want to use it as your main Email address. First, you may choose a different ISP in the future. Or you may want to read your Email form anywhere else in the world, and most ISP's use POP3 Email. (See "are there different types of email accuonts?")
Can I use AOL if I don't use AOL Internet Service?
Yes!!! You can use AOL Email and AOL Instant Messenger even if you do not use AOL internet access! Alot of people think that you must PAY AOL to get thier other services. This is NOT true. You can use ANY Instant Messenger, Yahoo, AOL, MSN, and not have ANY of thier ISP services.
What is an Instant Messenger?
An Instant Messenger is kind of like a private chatroom for two people. You can "messege" a friend or relative and chat in text (or voice sometimes) back and forth without anyone else seeing it. AND you can keep in contact this way and know when the other is online.
What is a Chatroom?
A chatroom can be on a webpage, or it may be a program that you run. Some are just text, where you see alot of names in a room, and everyone is chatting in a main window. Or it may be Voice Chat. Or even a graphical chat where people have "avatars" that might be a cartoonish figure or a picture.
There are many types of chatroms, and they are all over the internet. One of the most popular is Yahoo. They, like other places, have many chatrooms devoted to different topics and demographics. You can get to a Yahoo Chatroom by using Yahoo Messenger as well. Or you can try the Prowler chat rooms through the Prowler Browser.
Chatrooms have lingo, get used to it. BRB is Be Right Back and so forth. Do NOT put ASL to ask Age, Sex and Location, as it is considered to be very immaturish to do so by most adult chatters.
How do I Voice Chat?
It depends on what chat you are using. MSN, Yahoo, Excite, ROger Wilco, there are alot of different voice chat services out there. But let's look at Yahoo chat since it is so popular. You must have a Microphone hooked up to your PC first of course. Then you can run Yahoo Messenger and look for the VOICE CHAT icons and buttons. You may go through a Wizard to set it up for you but once done you can chat ALL DAY if you like. Click the TALK button to speak and let go when done so you can hear the replies.
How do I make a Folder?
You can creat a NEW FOLDER on your Desktop by right-clicking and choosing New > Folder and then entering in the name for it. OR you can use Windows Explorer, highlight the folder you want to make the new folder UNDER, and then choose File > New > Folder to create one on your hard drive. For example, highlight the root C:\ drive folder, then click File > New > Folder and type in the name "NEW-FILES" then you can place you new downloads and stuff in there.
How do I Drag and Drop?
You can drag an icon or filename from its' current spot to somewhere else by clicking on it and holding the mouse button down, then moving your mouse. The file will follow, and when you release it, it will move to that spot, or create a chortcut to it on that spot. Example: Bring up Windows Explorer and look for a text file in MY DOCUMENTS. Make this window smaller so you also see your Desktop. DRAG one of the files ONTO your Desktop and release the mouse button. Presto! It moved from your Hard Drive onto your Desktop!!! You can also move gangs of files. Make a box around a group of files that are Icons by clicking at the upper left corner of them, and draging that box down to the lower right and releasing. All objects get highlighted, and you can now drag them where you desire.
How do I Copy and Paste?
You can copy and paste files or text. With files, you can copy by right clicking on the filename or Icon, then choosing COPY (Or choose CUT if you want to move the entire file. Copy will leave a copy behind.) Then, you can go to the folder you want to PASTE it into, right click on it, and choose the PASTE option. Done!!! You can also copy multiple files by presing down and holding the Control key to choose files one by one for highlighting.
Or you can copy TEXT as well. For instance this paragraph here. Place your mouse at the BEGINING of the text you want to copy. Click and HOLD DOWN the mouse button, and move the cursor to the END of the text you want to copy. Let go, and it all stays highlighted. Position your mouses cursor over the highlighted text, right click, and choose to COPY the text. Then, open up a word proccessor, or even an intsnat messenger window, or an Email, and then right-click to choose PASTE. The text will be copied right into there.
What is a DeskTop?
When you start up your pC and it has loaded in all it's programs, you will be faced with a screen of icons, such as MY COMPUTER and RECYCLE BIN, and a Task Bar at the bottom with a Start button and a Clock in the lower right. The Desktop is the SCREEN AREA that has the Icons on it. The Icons are a part of your Desktop. When you are asked to go to your Desktop, this is where you want to be, on the main screen with NO windows at ALL opened up in front of you. Minimize ALL open windows to get to the Desktop.
How do I send a Picture to someone by Email?
First you will need to get the picture ready if you have not done so already. Make sure it is in a format people can see, such as JPG or GIF or even BMP. The most used is JPG for pictures. Once done, you can Email it. Go to your Email client and look for something that says ATTACH or ATTACHMENT and click on it. The follow the steps to BROWSE your PC for that JPG file, and attach it to your Email.
Be aware that some Email clients may not allow very large files such as pictures. So do not be surprised if you get it back or if it is rejected by the system mailer daemon. Also, you might not be able to send large file FROM some mail clients. Yahoo and Hotmail, for example, limit the sizes of files and email.
Using Outlook Express and POP3 Email is best for sending and recieving pictures as attachments. You can also double check if you are successful by send YOURSELF a copy of the Email, or by testing it out on your own Email address, so you can go back and retrieve it to see if you can bring up the attached file yourself. Then when you know how it works, send it to your friends. Good luck, and have FUN!
How do I De-Freg my PCs Hard Drive?
First, make sure your Screen Saver is OFF! The procedure may vary on different operating systems, but generally you can get to it from most by double-clicking the MY COMPUTER Icon on your Desktop. Then RIGHT-Click the C: Drive Icon, and choose PROPERTIES. A box will pop up, and you'll want to choose the TOOLS tab on top. You'll now see the CHECKDISK and DEFRAG options. Click them and let them run through.
I cannot De-Frag my PC, what should I do?
Stay calm. This happens. If you cannot defrag your hard drive, and the process keeps starting over alot, then there is something accessing the hard drive while defrag is trying to work. It could be as simple as a screen saver, which you can disable by right clicking on your desktop, choosing properties, the Screen Saver tab, and switching to NONE. But if this does not make a difference, then there is an application running, or a process, that is the culprit.
There is an easy work-around for that. Turn your PC off or Reboot it. When it starts to boot up, keep hitting the F8 key until a menu appears asking you to go to Safe Mode. Choose SAFE MODE and your PC will load up only the necessary code for operation. THEN try to defrag without a hitch.
What is a ZIP file?
Sometimes you may want a program so you download it, but it is odd looking and has a .ZIP extension ofter the filename. This is a ZIP archive file. It is like packing up all different files into one file, so it will be easier to transport. Once you get this suitcase of code, you can unpack it on your PC. There is a utility called WinZip that handles this process nicely. I suggest you go get it if you do not have it! But if TomCat PC worked on your computer, then chances are you already have it.
How do I download software to use?
First you need to find something to get. www.download.com is one place. Once you find the file you want, click the links to begin the transfere. A window will appear asking you to OPEN or SAVE or CANCEL... you have choices here...
If you OPEN the file from it's current location, you will run or install it on your PC directly from the internet, which is good if you want to save space. OR you could SAVE the file, in which case, you best remember WHERE this file is going on your Hard Drive so that you can retrieve it again when the transfere is complete. There is a checkbox you can uncheck to make sure the window stays up so that you could OPEN it after it is done downloading.
How do I install software on my PC?
Installing software means you are running it for the first time usually. This is called the SETUP part of the application, where it is copying its; files into your PC and registering DLLs and such so that it will work correctly. Installing software is EASY, but you should Watch and Read what is being asked of you at each and every prompt. Some software contains Spyware and additional promotional marketing code that you not wish to install. (An example is the Yahoo IE Search Toolbar).
How do I UN-Install software from my PC?
This is very different from installing. Click START, then SETTINGS, then Control Panel and finally double click to open up ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS. There will be list displayed of all the applications you have in your PC right now. Scroll to find the one you want to remove, and highlight it by clicking on it. Then click the REMOVE button. Follow the prompts. DOne!
My printer/scanner wont work now. Why? How do I fix this?
There are many causes, such as another application recently installed conflicted with shared files it uses. But I suggest that you UnInstall the offending hardware and reinstall it again. SOmetimes you can just UPDATE the driver for it.
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