NK2 file is the file that gets created and appended to every time you write a new email using outlook. It kind of keeps an history of used email addresses so that makes it easier on the user to find and use an address which had been used in the past. Steps below are how to change or edit these entries to this file.

Correcting Outlook’s Nickname File (.NK2)

One problem with Outlook’s auto completion feature is it accepts what you type. There is no confirmation dialog where you can review your entry. In the example above, I misspelled Hotmail. If I’m not careful and accept the suggestion, I will be sending an email to wrong person. This is a frequent problem for people who don’t create contacts, but prefer to use this file their pseudo address book.

To correct Outlook nickname mistakes,

1. Open an Untitled Message Window in Outlook.

2. Type the first few letters so the bad entry appears on the list.

3. Highlight the item you wish to remove from the auto suggest list. You may need to use your directional keys to move up and down the list.

4. Press your Delete key.
Auto complete mistake example

5. Retype the correct entry in the address line and send the email.

When you close Outlook, your bad entry will be removed and your corrected entry will be added.

How many times have you brought your computer with a minor problem to a computer repair service like best buy geek squad, and your computer has been diagnosed with all kinds of problems by one of their so called geek? I bet you have.

The problem with your computer might be as easy as tight up a loosen IDE cable, but a geek squad technician will tell you that the motherboard is fried, and you will need to change it, and then they will tell you the power supply is faulty, and you will need to change it also. The price tag for the repair and replacement parts can go as high as the price for a brand new computer, but you need the data on that computer, and you are left with no alternative but to shell out the money for the repair.

You might be quiet about these kind of rip offs because it seems every computer repair shop does the same, and unfortunately you don’t have the expertise to fix the problem yourself. But your are no fool, and you suspect something is quite not right when paying such a high price for a computer solution. As a geek myself I can assure you that your guts are 100 % right. So, what’s wrong with these people that charges me so much money to repair my computer you might ask?

The problem is that these people see you as a consumer and not as a person. Their business model is to suck up as much money from you as possible. They see every opportunity in you to sell you anything they might think they can get away with it, even though you don’t need it. They are not professionals much less geeks, they are parasites waiting for you to feed on. Let me tell you, before I got into the computer field ( that was back in high school) I got ripped off by these so called computer professionals too. I worked at a restaurant during that time and let me tell you, it was not nice to give my paycheck to one of these slob just to fix a simple problem with my computer.

Watching those videos and thinking that those facts are everyday events at those places, you wonder, do these people have lost their ethics? Do they think they have divine knowledge a god right seated angel have whispered to them so they don’t feel morally guilty when ripping off people this way? As you can see, these people don’t know anything about computers. A techie that is capable enough be be called a techie should be able to catch the problem shown in the first video as soon as the computer is turned on.

The problem in the second video is more subtle but it shouldn’t take very long for an experienced technician to diagnose the problem.

Am I saying that you shouldn’t charge when repairing computers? Not at all. I’m just saying that you shouldn’t take advantage of people, remember that they need to work to get the money. Some of them don’t even have good jobs, have kids, family, debts. Don’t make their lives even harder. Be reasonable in your prices. What’s reasonable you might ask? For me reasonable computer repair prices in Boston are 25 to 30 dollars per hour, depending on the problem. If the technician has a local shop and pays rent, 50 dollars per hour is reasonable. People should not pay for consultation or diagnose of a problem. Period.

Is that degrading your work or devaluing your knowledge? I don’t think so, being reasonable and honest on the work you do, is not degrading or devaluing your work. Rest assured that people know that you depend on your work to live and support your family, and they will be happy to pay you and come back when having computer issues when you are reasonable with them. Just remember they are not responsible for the lifestyle you think you deserve.

Do people have alternatives to geek squad like rip off places when needing computer repair service? Sure they do. Even though they think they don’t, but there are many real computer geeks that might do the job for you for a reasonable price, and if the problem is easy, they can do it for free. Where can you find those geeks, and how can you make sure he is what he says he is? You can spot real geeks in local newspaper classifieds, or poster ads on your local streets. Geeks normally have day time jobs, but try to supplement their income by doing side work on the evenings or weekends, also you can ask family or friends about someone they might know that has done good computer work for them at a reasonable price. This is how I get many calls. Word of mouth.

How can you know the person is a geek? Ask them if they work in the computer field. And if yes, ask them where. If he works for a company in IT he mostly likely is a geek. Working in a company he needs to justify his paycheck, so he might know something, but keep in mind that there are some rotten IT departments in companies, so ask him many questions like, how many years has he been working in the IT field, and why is he doing side work while having a day work? An honest person should have an answer for all those questions. Once you find a good techie, stick with him.

What do you think about this, do you think charging people $250 to tight up a loosen IDE connector is reasonable? Post your opinions on the comment section.

I can’t see it, I really can’t, what is the hype with Apple overpriced products?
So here there are, some Apple alternative products.

Iphone= Google Nexus or the Samsung Mythic

The Nexus has a powerful processor. However, the only bad thing is Google!! the applications are there, but
rather plain and with less life and glamour when compared to the Iphone or even the Droid.
I can’t see Google giving up though on this first try. I am certain future releases will be much different.

The Mythic, well very different for a mobile phone to incorporate a full TV Tuner and Flo TV service. Touch screen as responsive as the Iphone.
Price compared to the Iphone but obviously it packs something other phones do not have. AT@T and Sprint carry it.

IPod Touch= MS Zune HD or the Sony X series Walkman

Zune HD is the best non-iTunes player on the market, great OLED screen Touch functions, fast wireless browser, why even go for the Apple!

X Series, nice but pricey! Wireless, fast browser, and free music, Sony gives you free music downloads on this!

We can bring up computers, desktops or laptops, but I don’t wont to embarrass Apple more than necessary.

We you confront their laptop lineup it gets stepped on by Dell, Asus.
Desktops, Lenovo, Dell and even Acer cleans them out!

NO comparison, unfortunately, you can do a lot more with MS OS and compatible applications are a scale of 1 to 100.

Don’t believe Apples, claim to virus or vulnerabilities, the reason why there are more Windows vulnerabilities is because in the world Apple is out numbered 10 to 1000 when comparing global sales of hardware. Therefore if you are a hacker which will give you larger fame? exactly! think on that Apple!

The Dotcom bust ten years ago caught the semiconductor industry with their pants on the ground (yeah like the American Idol looser)
When global demand for chip stopped, the chip industry scaled down on the manufacturing. Thus creating a spike in the prices now and also in the future. Market expectations are that the chip shortage will drive prices up through 2012. Good for the industry not so much for consumers. Expect to pay more for everything that has a chip in it. Computer memory, mobile phones, etc. Prices for gadget such as iphones and itouch will likely bottom out at a higher dollar compared to similar trends over the past 15-20 years.

I believe that windows 7 may represent the last biggest upgrade to the Windows environment. Looking at it from a client desktop perspective likely the biggest ever. Microsoft adoption and replacement cycle will take W7 to the next seven years at least. During this time I am sure Microsoft will start looking at new technologies; I see Microsoft going toward less PC-centric, but then again I think Microsoft will have no choice since vendor and manufacturer will also move toward the same goals.

Netbooks. I was actually one of the few that did not think much about them or the success associated with them. The formula is rather simple and clever. Take a ordinary notebook, strip it down. Reduce processing power, shrink its footprint, and reduce the price tag. Current netbooks from HP, Dell or Lenovo cram performance once only reserved for full size notebooks into 2-pounds package. Cost for these netbooks today vary from 250.00 to 500.00 US. These machines aren’t designed to serve as one primary PC, but they are ideal for low cost, low mass secondary systems. Perfect for travel, on the go, or in the house.

Keyboards- Some model may cram in full size keyboards but typically netbooks are 10-20 percent smaller from a keyboard perspective.

CPU- Most common configuration I know of is a 1.3 up to 1.6ghz Intel power Atom processor. Avoid anything less than a 1.ghz.

Memory- 1gb may be standard on most models, however, personally I would avoid anything less than a 2gb in size of memory. Also, if you have Windows 7, 2gb would be the magic number you would want to stick with.

USB- Try to stick with units that have at least 3 ports, USB or mini DV, the more the better!

Screen- 8-10 inches would be your typical netbook. Anything above 12 inches would not be considered a netbook.

Wireless connectivity- Wi-Fi Bluetooth and Wireless N should at least be the minimum you would want to look for. Options may be 3g etc with monthly service associated with it.

Card Readers- SD is typically included in most units

Battery- Most units should at least have a 10-12 hour battery, don’t get any extended battery since it may make the unit heavier and bulkier.

Storage- Most units now have a 250gb storage device either a normal spinning drive or a Solid state drive (at additional cost)
Getting a bigger is an option but careful since it may make the unit run slower. A solide state drive may help but the cost different today does not justify the switch for the normal user. Especially on these low cost netbooks.

Here are a few tools I have come across that are worth mentioning. Enjoy

DVDFab Decrypter

Much like DVD Shrink, DVDFab Decrypter cuts through copy protection and rips DVDs to your hard drive. Unlike DVD Shrink, DVDFab does not offer compression tools. DVDFab is shareware, but its trial version lets you do nearly as much as you’d ever need. That said, users who pony up for the platinum edition don’t seem to have any regrets.

DVD Decrypter

The freeware DVD Decrypter works much like DVD Shrink and DVDFab, ripping DVDs to your hard drive by tearing through pesky copy protection. Like DVD Shrink, DVD Decrypter hasn’t been actively developed for a while, but it’s still doing the job for most folks without complaint.

Any DVD and DVD43

This week’s honorable mentions go out to AnyDVD (Windows, shareware) and DVD43 (freeware)

There are other out there like DVDX copy, I can think of few others as well. If your favorite didn’t make the list or you want to point out something, let’s hear your thoughts in the comments.

Support any cancer organizations in your area. Here is a great story of survival!!

Photos courtesy of Lidia Boicu (Oh So Posh Photography)

This post is not about computers or IT related. If anyone ever had relatives or family with a cancer related issue would appreciate this story. Please donate to support this cause.

The Tiny Sparrow Foundation will soon be an established non-profit organization started by cancer survivor and passionate photographer Lidia Boicu. Lidia has endured a grueling battle with breast cancer and knows all too well how families are impacted any and all forms of cancer, especially those families whose children are the target of this unforgiving disease. During her journey, Lidia decided to use her love of photography as an outlet to relieve some of the frustration, anxiety, and pain she would be feeling at different times from chemotherapy and surgical procedures. If you take just a moment to view some of her work at Oh So Posh Photography, you will see that Lidia has been blessed with an incredible talent for capturing beautiful images, precious faces, and distinct personalities.

For Lidia, it wasn’t just enough to establish herself as a talented photographer. She wants to use her time selflessly to personally photograph children with cancer to capture a lifetime of memories for families who may not have a lifetime to spend together. Through her Tiny Sparrow Foundation, Lidia will be able to travel to families who have children with cancer to take pictures, then provide them with a photo album, Christmas cards, and irreplaceable images. She has already photographed precious Kate McRae and little baby Walker who are both suffering from childhood cancer.

Lidia’s fledgling Tiny Sparrow Foundation could use your support in the form of donations or just by spreading the news by word of mouth to your friends and families. Many great projects are in the works, but they all require funding. Lidia would like to network with other photographers so as to minimize traveling expenses. If you know of any photographers that would be interested in donating their time and services, please use this contact form. Lidia is simply asking anybody that is willing to help and that has it in their hearts to be part of creating some memories for families struck by the tragedy of cancer (or any other terminal illness) to donate whatever they can so she can get this started. If not, please take the time to spread the word and visit this site for updates and stories about the development of the Tiny Sparrow Foundation.

I had some issues with this, although some issues may be related to a patch that recently installed the hotfix is here. Run it from a dos command prompt.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/974571 patch that installed end of October.

hotfix: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=168248

After this is done, if still nothing happens after reinstalling communicator then try these steps.

1. Log into the computer as an administrator.
2. Right-click on the My Computer icon and select Manage.
3. In the left column, expand Services and Applications and click on Services.
4. In the right pane, locate the following services:
COM+ Event System
COM+ System Application
Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Locator
5. Double-click on the service to bring up the properties and set each one of
the services to Automatic. Make sure they are all started.
6. While the properties are up, click on the Log On tab and make sure that each
of these services have the options, “Local System account” and “Allow
service to interact with Desktop” checked.
7. Click on OK and reboot the computer.
8. When the computer comes back up, click on Start > Run and type in “appwiz.cpl”.
Then click on OK.

This worked on about eight out of ten desktops. Good luck!