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Searching for websites within Internet Explorer has become hijacked. When I search for a particular keyword(s) using Google or Bing the proper list of search results are returned, but clicking on any of the links redirects the browser to either an internet dating site, shopping site, or dodgy “your computer is infected” site. This behaviour seems to indicate some kind of malware infection, but a thorough scan using Norton 360 (fully updated) does not find any infections. The computer is running Windows Vista Home Edition with Internet Explorer 8. (more…)

When setting up Windows 7 I was asked to enter a user name for my account. I managed to press the RETURN key too soon when typing this name and now I cannot find a way to change the name. How can I fix this error? (more…)

A new feature in Word 2007 is Quick Parts which allows you to save (reusable) parts of documents as “building blocks”. These can then easily be inserted and reused into other documents. Examples of items which you may wish to include as building blocks are contact information, introductory paragraphs, etc. To use Quick Parts and building blocks, you first need to select (highlight) the part of the document that you would like to save as a building block. Then, go to the “Insert” tab within Word, select the “Quick Parts” icon within the “Text” group and click “Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery”. Complete the necessary information and click OK. Now to use that building block in a document, just return to the Quick Parts menu and select it.

In the past I have not had an issue with the time which Windows XP took to start up. However, recently the computer has been taking about 7 to 8 minutes to startup before I can use any applications. A dialog box for connecting to the internet is also displayed upon start-up, so it would also be useful if this could be disabled. (more…)