Sending an EXE file

If you really need to send an exe file via Gmail, you can use a program called "PropertiesPlus" (which is featured as our Freeware Program Of The Week) to change the file extension from "exe" or "zip" to mp4 or some other non-executable extension. When the recipient receives it, all he/she has to do is change the extension back to whatever you tell them (exe or zip). Google allows the file to go through, you're happy, your recipient is happy. Be advised that is your recipient is using Windows Vista they'll need to either download and install PropertiesPlus or make a change to the "File and folder options" (In Vista this is in Control Panel, File and Folder Options) by unchecking "Hide extensions for known file types". We highly recommend that all of you who have to deal with an ISP who censors your email based on its content grab a free Gmail right now and set it up in Outlook Express, Outlook, Windows Mail or your favorite email program, where you can use it just like you use your own ISP email account. It's easy to do. If you're using Outlook Express (or Windows Mail - just follow the instructions for Outlook Express) see our tutorial on the painless way to do this. Google Gmail does not put advertising or insert anything or any gmail identifier in the email you send via your own personal email program

A tip on replacing Outlook Express default mail notification sound. I recorded a wav myself, using my most pleasant voice of course: "Mail's here, Darlin'!" then saved the file in My Documents - Then - from Start> Control Panel> Sound&Audio> Sounds tab> New Mail Notification>Browse> My Documents > I selected my very own .wav file.

QClip
For: Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000, XP and Windows Vista
File size: 267KB Download - About 3 minutes on really horrible dialup connections; a jiffy on broadband connections
What is it? A simple Windows Clipboard extender

We clip coupons, we clip fingernails, we clip toenails, and we clip thing out of the newspapers. There's even things called clippers that are designed for clipping things. But we're not selling clippers, or giving lessons on proper cuticle control, we're talking about clipping text from web pages, documents, and other places where interesting text appears and begs to be clipped.

Ah, yes, you can clip stuff by using the old Windows Clipboard, just highlight and press CTRL+C and bingo, you've clipped. Don't you love it? And you can paste what you've clipped anywhere by pressing CTRL + V. Windows Clipboard is a venerable old tool that has been in every version of Windows since Windows 3.1. But, those of you who use Windows Clipboard, the clippers among you, are aware that the Windows Clipboard has one very irritating limitation. Once you've clipped something and then clipped something else, Windows Clipboard overwrites the first thing you clipped, so it's gone. Gone, gone, gone. Woe are us clippers.

Yes, indeed, we have featured other so-called clipboard extenders in the past; but we just found one that is easier to use than all the rest of them. In fact, it doesn't require you to do anything different than what you've been doing for the past 15 years, except add one extra keystroke when you paste something. Instead of CTRL+V you press CTRL+ALT+V and QClip, our neat little Freeware Pick this week, will display of things you've clipped and allow you to select the clip you want to paste. It's so easy, even TC can do it!

Here's how easy. We've clipped a few things (see we really do try this stuff) and pressed CTRL+ALT+V which launches QClip. Now we select the clip we want to paste by clicking the clip. And all we have to do to paste it anywhere is click the button that says "Paste". Duh! How easy was that, EB. Did you see that? Pretty cool, even I can do it! I am chortling with delight at my new-found prowess.

And what does the developer have to say (we know you love this part), he says: "Hello, this is QClip. QClip is a simple clipboard enhancement that allows Windows users to paste text that was clipped earlier. You never have to think about QClip, but when you want to paste something that you clipped a while ago instead of CTRL-V, just press CTRL-ALT-V and QClip will appear with all of your old clips. You can use the arrow keys to select the item you want, then press "Enter", or use the mouse and click the "Paste" button. QClip only stores plain text clips, and the history is cleared when you reboot or exit QClip."

Well, that's the end of today's rambling Freeware Pick Of The Week article. Now it's time to take some action. Want to get QClip for your computer? OK here's here's where you can download it. It's pretty nifty - and we like nifty, so much in fact, we've named QClip our Freeware Pick Of The Week

Create A Web Page Listing All Microsoft Hotfixes Installed
Windows XP and Windows Vista

The Microsoft Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line (WMIC) is a command-line interface to Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI). WMIC provides a simple interface to WMI so that you can take advantage of WMI to manage computers that are running Microsoft Windows.

Instructions for Windows XP Users:

1 Click Start then Run and type CMD.EXE

2 Type the following command at the command prompt (Exactly as shown including the space after the word "full"_

wmic qfe list full /format:htable >C:\hotfixes.htm

While Windows processes your command there will be a delay. After the command completes, go to your C:\ drive and find the file "hotfixes.htm" and double-click it and it will open in your default Web browser. You can see all the Hotfixes installed on your system and the date on which each was installed.

Instructions for Windows Vista Users

1. Click Start then type in CMD.EXE in the "Search" form at the bottom of your Start Menu.
2. Look at the top of your start menu you'll now see cmd.exe
3. Right-click and choose "Run as administrator" (Don't skip this step or you won't have authority to run this command).
4. When the adminstrator Command Console opens type following command

wmic qfe list full /format:htable >C:\hotfixes.htm

While Windows processes your command there will be a delay. After the command completes, go to your C:\ drive and find the file "hotfixes.htm" and double-click it and it will open in your default Web browser. You can see all the Hotfixes installed on your system and the date on which each was installed.

To see an example of the file that this command creates, visit this page. I have removed my personal computer identification from this page, otherwise it is exactly as you will see if when you create this file by running the command in this tip. Note that security updates do not have dates, they have Microsoft "KB Ident Numbers" you can use to check your updates by visiting the Microsoft site and typing or pasting the KB number into the search form.