ViewPoint Computer Club
Meeting Reports for 2002-2003

Click on the date of the minutes you wish to read.

Minutes for 2001-2002
Minutes for November 6th, 2002
Minutes for November 13th, 2002
Minutes for November 20th, 2002
Minutes for November 27th, 2002
Minutes for December 4th, 2002
Minutes for December 11th, 2002
Minutes for December 18th, 2002
Minutes for January 8th, 2003
Minutes for January 15th, 2003
Minutes for January 22nd, 2003
Minutes for January 29th, 2003
Minutes for February 5th, 2003
Minutes for February 12th, 2003
Minutes for February 19th, 2003
Minutes for February 26th, 2003
Minutes for March 5th, 2003
The meeting scheduled for Mar 12th, 2003 was cancelled
Minutes for March 19th, 2003

November 6th, 2002

Minutes of the regular meeting of the VP Computer Club November 6, 2002

President Hugh Tamblyn opened the meeting in the Garden Room at 1:30 pm by welcoming all. He introduced the officers and committee chairmen.

Next he explained the club's purpose and how it was formed. Visitors may attend two meetings before joining. Because the club doesn't have the human resources to help everyone in the club, only members may get computer help from the club. Membership is $10.00 per household. Sign in with Vera McCloud # 1544 who is serving as acting treasurer.

Reports:
Warren Ray stated that the Computer Lab is only open now from 9 am to noon Monday, Wednesday, & Friday until more monitors are available. He explained the duties of the monitors and stressed that they are not expected to solve problems. Monitors receive free computer time while there. Call Warren at # 2834 if you can volunteer. Computer punch cards can be purchased at the Activity Box Office for $5, $10, or $20.

The Computer Club has five copies each of Video Professor Windows 98, XP, or ME. These are available to club members to check out for 5 days. Contact Warren at # 2834.

Kerin came from the business office to explain the current status of Internet connections. She acknowledged unsolved incompatibility and profitability problems in the park's efforts to get computer users off the telephone lines. Presently residents may sign up in the office with ACCRAM or use their own providers. The park's phone system is 20 years old and is slow for all providers including ACCRAM. She stated that management is looking into upgrading, but at this time high speed connections are not possible. The computer lab is much faster and if you have large downloads to do, it would be better to do them in the lab by burning a CD to take home.

Kerin also asked computer users to respect others and limit Internet time on personal computers in the park because it ties up phone lines. Do not leave the Internet running when you are not using it! If you do a lot of research and need to be on line for extended periods of time, sign up for ACCRAM which is an Internet provider that bypasses the park's phone lines at a cost of $90 for six months.

Milt Stark stressed that training is limited by instructors and the number of computers in the lab. Members should let their need for classes be known to Milt. Anyone who could instruct a class should contact him at # 5529.

Starr Davis from the Activity Office reported that the computer lab will receive five more computers by the end of November. She also thanked the club for running the computer lab.

Joe Chambers reported on the program for Nov. 13, which will be on printers, scanners, & cartridges. There will be a computer fair at Crescent Run on Dec. 9 in their ballroom at 8500 E. Southern Ave. Joe said a new edition of The Secret Guide to Computers is available for $8.00. Order from him at # 410.

Questions & Answers:
There were a great deal of questions from the floor and with discussion following.

Next Meeting: Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2002

Hugh stated that the subject of meetings will be announced and those that feel it does not apply to them, should feel free to leave.

The president adjourned the meeting at 2:40 pm.

Nancy Fisher
Secretary

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November 13, 2002

Minutes of the regular meeting of the VP Computer Club November 13, 2002

President Hugh Tamblyn opened the meeting in the Garden Room at 1:30 pm.


Joe Chambers introduced Steve Miller owner of Steve Miller's Best Picks, our guest speaker of the day.

Mr. Miller gave a very informative presentation on the subject of refilling ink cartridges for inkjet printers. Among the items mentioned:

He stressed the importance of using the appropriate ink for refilling cartridges. Universal refill kits have only one type of ink, which is probably inappropriate for your printer.

Some companies warn that use of a refilled cartridge will void the warranty. If you must return a printer for warranty work, remove the cartridge. There is no way for the company to know what kind of cartridge you used.

If you plan to refill a cartridge, never let the cartridge run dry. If you start seeing streaks or other problems, stop printing immediately. This will avoid drying the ink further, which can create problems for refilling.

When you are traveling, you can store the print cartridge for your travel period by placing it in a sealed plastic bag with a damp paper towel. This moist condition will help prevent drying of the ink. There are clips available for some cartridges, which will further protect it. When possible, the bag should be stored in a refrigerator to keep it cool.

Never use alcohol to clean the print head of an inkjet cartridge. It will dry out the ink and can damage the cartridge for further use. If cleaning is needed, use a mixture of ammonia and distilled water.

If you have a print head go dry on you but which still contains a good supply of ink, you can sometimes "bring it back to life" by heating water to about 140-180° F and placing the print head in the water to a depth of ¼ to ½ inch for about 30 seconds. Do not immerse the whole cartridge in water.

When asked, Mr. Miller expressed a preference for Hewlett Packard printers because they produce a good quality printer and generally have larger cartridges for the same money. Mr. Miller maintains a web site at http://www.inksavers.net. There are articles about care of cartridges and instructions for filling some cartridges.

Mr. Miller can be found at Mesa Market Place Swap Meet on Baseline (south end spaces #27 & 29) on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm. His phone number is (480) 986- 3042.

His presentation was well received by the club members.


Milt Stark asked the members about their interest in the following items as topics for training in workshop or meeting presentations:

E-Mail

E-Mail client vs. Web mail
Setting up E-mail client
Sending and receiving files
Preparing pictures for E-mail (reducing file size)

Virus software

Updating

File management

Setting up file folders
Removing unneeded programs
Moving or copying files
Deleting
Data file backup

Spreadsheets

Writing letters

Windows basics

Instructor lead
Tutorial

Using the Internet

Searching for information
Downloading files

Computer care

There seemed to be enough interest in each of these for use as training topics. Milt emphasized the need for members to express their specific desire for training.


Hugh asked members if they had questions or problems they wished to discuss.

A problem of paper jamming in a printer was mentioned. Too many sheets were being fed, resulting in a jam. It was suggested that the paper should be fanned before inserting it into the paper tray.

A problem with CD disks not working properly was mentioned. It was suggested that cleaning the disk might solve the problem. One should, however, check on appropriate disk cleaning methodology before doing so.

Joe Chambers announced that there was a new version of Clean Sweep available and that if you are having trouble with the program, you can call Bryan Notch, the program's author, at (480) 807-2704.

Joe said that if you are having shutdown problems with your computer, you can find information that might help resolve that problem at http://www.microsoft.com/knowledgebase. Enter "shutdown" in the search box and click on "Go."

Joe mentioned that if you are having a problem with a particular file such as "hidserv"or "msdos.sys," you can enter that word in a search engine, such as "Google at http://www.google.com," and get a great deal of information about the file with possible solutions to the problem.

Joe said that if you are having problems with defragmentation not completing, it may be because some programs are still running on your computer. There is a free program called "EndItAll" that will shut down all programs for you with a single command. You can read more about it and download the program at http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,1935,00.asp.

The president adjourned the meeting at 3:00 pm.

Milt Stark
Acting Secretary

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Nov 20th, 2002

Minutes of the regular meeting of the VP Computer Club November 20, 2002

President Hugh Tamblyn opened the meeting in the Garden Room at 1:30 pm .

Hugh announced the results of the survey last week. The majority 25/5 want meetings to be every week. Most prefer to have a speaker every other week. 7/40 said they were novices, 5/40 were advanced and the rest said their level of expertise is intermediate.

The web site of the week can be found on our home page: http://www.viewpointcomputerclub.org You can get weather in your home town, including warnings by sound.

Casino Night needs dealers and volunteers are needed. See Starr in the Activity office.


REPORTS:

Membership: Vera McCloud reported that 63 members have signed up so far this year


Training: Milt Stark said there is no training going on at present. Trainers will meet today and will have a report next week. The new computers are not installed yet which are really needed for training.

Outside training is available at the Mesa Library: http://www.mesalibrary.org and link to computer classes. Hugh added that East Mesa is not giving classes but said that those at the main library fill up fast.

Speakers: Joe Chambers stated that he has two new speakers lined up so far. Dec. 11, Mark Perry from "Smart Computer" magazine will be here. Jan. 8 someone from "ULead" software will conduct the program. Joe acknowledged that it is hard to get speakers. He is trying to get local people and is also trying to get an FBI representative to discuss security on the Internet.

Joe gave away a "Secret Guide to Computers" book. He also has a free 7.0 AOL disk. There are four 8.0 AOL disks that may be borrowed. They are available in the lab. Anyone who borrows the Video Professor disks should return them to the lab rather than give them back to him in a meeting. This simplifies checking them back in since the records are kept in the lab.

Joe also stressed that when you have a problem needing assistance and leave a message via the computer or phone, be sure to leave your space # as well as your name.


PROBLEM SHEETS:

Claire at # 5156 needs help with Netscape 7. No one present used Netscape. Several other problems were read with help being given or a club member volunteering to help in a one-on-one basis.


QUESTIONS & ANSWERS:

There were extensive questions from the floor. Some of the more general answers were:

Hugh said "MailWasher" may help anyone having multiple virus attacks. "MailWasher" gets rid of Spam. This site can be downloaded by going through the club's web site under "Web Site of the Week."

Anyone having trouble with Explorer 5.0 dropping them might try version 5.5, which has worked well for others.

Hugh adjourned the business meeting reminding everyone that they should feel free to leave if the program topic doesn't suit them.


PROGRAM:

Milt Stark presented the program. He first explained the Computer Club's web site and showed a number of the site's features. If you find any mistakes that need correction, please contact Milt at #5529.

The main topic was e-mail using web based (connect to server through browser, like Microsoft Explorer or Netscape). or client based e- mail (like Outlook Express or Eudora).

Web based can be used on any computer and is especially helpful when traveling without a computer, since one can stop at almost any library and gain access to the Internet. Milt showed how to set it up.

Milt forgot to mention that there is a very good explanation of how E-mail works at http://www.howstuffworks.com/email.htm

Next Meeting: Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2002

The meeting adjourned 3:00 pm.

Nancy Fisher
Secretary

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Nov 27th, 2002

Minutes of the regular meeting of the VP Computer Club November 27, 2002

The meeting was called to order by President Hugh Tamblyn in the Garden Room at 1:30 pm. He reminded every one of the problem slips to fill out for discussion later.

More mentors are still needed. If you can help tell Hugh at # 918 or Milt at # 5529.

Volunteers to help set up for the banquet in March are needed. Hugh would like three couples to volunteer. Jackie Shulz handled the banquet last year and has the information.

Web Site of the Week at http:// www.viewpointcomputerclub.org (Web Site of the Week link) has the information on E-mail Washer, which gets rid of a lot of spam. Hugh said it reduced his by two-thirds. This week is http://www.datadoctors.com. If you have a problem, go to this site before calling someone else to help. Data Doctors also has a good magazine that you can sign up for free.

Hugh said he has two printers for sale, cheap. One is a HP 697 C without cartridges and the other an 812 C with cartridges and ink.

No meeting over the holidays. The last meeting this month is Dec. 18, and Jan 8, will be the first of the new year.

REPORTS:

Training: Milt Stark announced that Bob Randall will do today's program on using Outlook Express to create E-mail and receive message and photos. Milt illustrated links on the club's website to see about information on programs, reports from meetings, and direct links to web sites discussed in meetings, etc. The trainers had a meeting last week. He showed the club the topics they hope to cover this season. If you have ideas for workshops, training, or topics at meetings, let Milt know. Until the rest of the computers are installed, workshops in the computer lab are not practical. Starr told Milt that the computers are still on order and should be here next week.

Joe Chambers reminded everyone that he has copies of AOL 8.0 to loan.

Speakers: Joe announced that Mark Perry from "Smart Computer" magazine will be here Dec. 11. "It will be a good show."

Computer Lab: Warren reminded the group that there are 5 sets of Video Professor on Windows 98, ME, or XP to loan for 5 days. Check them in and out of the lab. Volunteers are still needed to monitor the lab, especially for December.

PROBLEM SHEETS:

There were many problem sheets and a variety of solutions offered. Tracy at # 5328 needs help with "Python" software if there is anyone using it. Several are having trouble being kicked off line when they are downloading on the internet. There are several reasons: (1) If your machine is set to shut down after a period of inactivity, you should turn this feature off, since Windows doesn't recognize downloading as an activity and will shut down. (2) Those having trouble with Explorer need to upgrade from the Microsoft web site (www.microsoft.com) to at least 5.5 since 5.0 may kick you off. (3) Sometimes the dial-up number is at fault. Also remember not to use the # one for 480, 602 & 623 area code numbers or you will have a long distance charge. Downloading is much faster if done in the lab on a CD that you can take home. Critical downloads which must be done to your machine should be done at night so as not to tie up the phone line.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS:

The problem sheets extended into a number of questions and answers.

Hugh adjourned the business meeting reminding everyone that they should feel free to leave if the program topic doesn't suit them.

PROGRAM:

Bob Randall discussed and illustrated creating, sending & receiving using Outlook Express. His topic is outlined on the club's web site. Click on Upcoming Guests.

Next Meeting: Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2002

The meeting adjourned 3:15 pm.

Nancy Fisher
Secretary

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Dec 4th, 2002

Minutes of the regular meeting of the VP Computer Club, December 4, 2002

President Hugh Tamblyn called the meeting to order in the Garden Room at 1:30 PM.

Volunteers are still needed for the lab. Call Warren Ray at # 2834.

The club banquet will be Feb. 14, 2003. After the New Year, Hugh will need volunteers to help.

The new Web Site of the Week is posted at www.viewpointcomputerclub.org. It has information on free anti virus software, which is rated by "Computer World" in the top three.

There will be no meetings on Dec. 25, or Jan 1.

Hugh announced a Computer Fair which will be held Monday, Dec. 9, at Crescent Run in their ballroom. A number of interesting topics will be covered. It starts at 10:00 am and is over at noon.

REPORTS:

Training: Milt Stark announced that there are still no additional computers yet in the computer lab. He stated that methods of updating anti-virus software will be presented.

Speakers: Joe Chambers reminded the group that Mark Perry from "Smart Computer" magazine will be here for the next meeting. Joe also told us that the new Hewlett Packard printers require cartridges that can not be refilled. (7000 & 5500 series) The cartridges hold less ink and if a method is found to refill them, they won't work in the same printer again. The 3820, 6122, and 6127 printers still use standard refillable cartridges.

MEMBERSHIP: Vera McCloud reported that there are 72 paid members. 24 are new this year.

PROBLEM SHEETS:

There were several questions. Willie Muhlenberg demonstrated how to save E-mail to a disk or hard drive. Members were reminded that www.datadoctors.com is an excellent source for solution to problems. Hugh adjourned the business meeting at 2:20 PM.

PROGRAM:

The importance of updating your virus protection was stressed. Joe and Willie illustrated how to do so with McAfee, Norton and AVG (free software). Notes on how to do this can be found on our web site under the Virus News link. Milt showed the group how to size photos using Irfan View which can be downloaded free on the web at http://www.irfanview.com/english.htm .

Next Meeting: Wednesday, Dec. 11, 200

The program ended at 3:00 PM.

Nancy Fisher
Secretary

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Dec 11th, 2002

The regular meeting was called to order by President Hugh Tamblyn at 1:35 pm. in the Garden Room.

PROGRAM:

Joe Chambers introduced Mark Perry from "Smart Computing" magazine who presented the program of the day: "What is Smart Computing and Why It will Make You a More Productive Computer User". He introduced his four helpers. They distributed the November issue of "Smart Computing" and a survey sheet for us to fill out.

Membership in "Smart Computing" includes 12 issues of the magazine and full access to the web site. Mark went on to explain what the magazine and the web site cover. He showed how members would have access on the web site to four magazines as well as troubleshooting advice, product reviews, questions & answers, plus much more. Viewpoint Club members, who subscribe, can give the club credit for special incentives. The source number is 12091 for the Viewpoint Computer Club User group. You can subscribe on line at http://www.smartcomputing.com. A drawing for four prizes to members was held from those who filled out the survey.

BUSINESS MEETING

Volunteers are still needed for the lab. Call Warren Ray at # 2834.

JoAnn at #1726 has a computer desk available free.

A 15 inch color monitor has been given to the club. It is free by contacting Joe Chambers at #0410.

REPORTS:

FINANCES

Bill Rogers thanked Vera McCloud for the fine job she has done while he was gone. $1,139.37 was carried over. 56 previous members have signed up and 26 new this year. The present balance is $2759.37. Including new members today, we have 91 members.

TRAINING

Milt Stark announced that the lab has five new Dell Computers which all have their own CD/RW drives. There will probably be five more like them soon to replace the ones in the lab now.

There will be no training until the new year. Classes being set up for then are:

Spreadsheets - Two sessions; one basic and one more advanced - Bob Randall

Word Processor - Shirley Peterson

Using the Internet & downloading files - Willie Muhlenberg

Beginning or Basic Computer Use - Five sessions - Milt Stark

Milt wanted to know if those interested the spreadsheet training would prefer to use a program such as Microsoft Excel which is costly or a program such as Software 602 that is free. The new computers in the lab have Excel on them. A decision will be made next week.

EVACC meeting- K. Johnson read a letter, which reminded E-mail users about forwarding mail to others allowing many other E-mail addresses to be forwarded with the message. Most internet providers use "bcc" (blank carbon copy} rather than "cc" to take care of this problem. When you include a long list of E-mail addresses, it is like sending your personal address book to everyone on your list or a store selling their customer list.

Joe & K discussed a new virus protection program which captures the virus and sends it back. It prevents the spread of all e-mail virus. It is available for $14.95 from www.viralock,com.

PROGRAMS:

Next week the program will be on lap top computers Jan 8, and Feb. 19, will be on Digital Photography by two different speakers.

Click on Web Site of the Week on the club's web site menu to find two programs that will help you when downloading and you get kicked off the net or you want to stop and finish later without starting all over.

There will be no meetings on Dec. 25, or Jan 1.

PROBLEM SHEETS:

One person said they could not renew Norton Anti virus because it was two years only. She will have to buy a new one and then keep it updated.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS:

One member asked if files can be downloaded in the lab. The speed is much faster than in your own unit in the park. Bring a CD to download.

A volunteer is needed to take the secretary's place next week.

NEXT MEETING: Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2002

The meeting was adjourned at 3:15 pm.

Nancy Fisher
Secretary

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Dec 18th, 2002

MINUTES for DECEMBER 18th

The meeting was opened by Milt Stark.

K.E. Johnson introduced our guest speaker, Chuck Kempton, Family Computer Center, which is located at Lindsay & University, Mesa, Az. Their business offers sales, repairs, training, accessories and service of laptops.

Chuck pointed out many reasons to buy refurbished laptops. Some of the reasons are:

  • They have been user tested
  • Defective components replaced
  • Less depreciation
  • Wide choice
  • Doesn't exceed needs and cost
  • With the money saved, the new owner may choose additional products
  • Laptops are portable and take up less space
  • If desired, a mouse, keyboard, ports, CD Burner can all be added to a laptop

Some tips for buying refurbished are:

  • Buy a brand name
  • Buy from a reliable seller
  • "TFT" (Thin Filament Transfer) or Active Matrix Screen
  • Pentium-4, Celeron or AMD chip
  • 64MB memory
  • 2GB disk space
  • 33.6 Modem
  • CD drive
  • USB ports
  • Windows 95/98/ME.

Some things to avoid are:

  • Dual scan screen
  • Off brand
  • Defective screen
  • Old Windows installation
  • Lack of up to date anti- virus software
  • Look for signs of abuse

Chuck demonstrated the eraser mouse or touch pad. With time you will get use to either pointer.

Chuck fielded questions. Again Chuck stressed to buy from a reliable dealer with Pentium-4 or AMD. The operating system must be virus free. His store takes a trade-in. Chuck willingly met with individuals at the close of the meeting. Thanks to Chuck for an excellent presentation.

TRAINING
Workshops are listed on the website. Sign-up sheets are available at the meetings. These workshops are free to Computer Club members. The workshops start in the new year.

REPORTS
Monitors are still needed for the lab.

K.E. Johnson gave a presentation on Drive Sweep. This is a software program, which safely removes unused files, internet cookies, etc. The cost is $20, including tax. This is a 1x fee as Drive Sweep can be updated from http://www.topnotchcomputers.com. Brian Notch, (480) 807-2704, developed this software. K.E. Johnson #0423 will take orders.

No meetings over the holidays. Next meeting will be held in the Garden Room 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, January 8, 2003.

Milt Stark adjourned the meeting.

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Jan 8th, 2003

The regular meeting was called to order by President Hugh Tamblyn at 1:35 p.m. in the Garden Room.

Program:

Joe Chambers introduced Mat McCann from U-Lead.

Mat presented features of Photo Impact software, Version 8. It is a Windows product, which comes with a manual. Besides editing pictures and images, it enables one to design a web page. He also presented DVD PictureShow Version 2 that is a complete solution for slide show preparation and creation. It is also a file management tool, tracking and storing pictures and has an excellent search and find feature.

Both programs are available for $69.00 to User Groups. The suggested retail price of Photo Impact is $89.95 and DVD PictureShow is $49.95. Order online at www.ugpro.com/order.

Business Meeting

Two or 3 more volunteers are still needed for the lab. Tues. 1-4 and Th-F from 6-9 p.m. Call Warren Ray at #2834. The lab is open M- W-F 9-12 a.m., M-T 1-4 p.m., and T-Th-F 6-9 p.m. There are now ten computers in the lab.

The computer banquet will be Feb. 14. Tickets will be available in two weeks. Several problem slips were read and answered.

Joe Chambers announced he had a 15 inch color monitor to give away. One member expressed interest.

Reports:

Membership: Vera McCloud announced there are 110 members. Dues are $10.00.

Training:

Milt Stark thanked Jim Midget for the donation of a scanner to the club. He demonstrated how to find information about workshops on the web site: viewpointcomputerclub.org. Bob Randall will offer Spreadsheets on Tue., Jan 14, 9-12 a.m. Willie Will Muhlenberg will teach Internet Basics Fri., Jan. 17, 1:30-4:30 p.m. Milt Stark will teach Computer Basics Th., Jan 16, 1:30-4:30 p.m. Shirley Peterson will offer Word Processing Fri., Jan. 24, 1:30-4:30 p.m. Instructors are still needed. Suggestions for classes should be made to Milt Stark at his e-mail site: mstark@m indspring.com .

Program:

K stated that Gene Barlow would be here Jan. 22, on Hard Drive Partioning.

The next meeting will be presented by Bob Stevens on "Search Engines" and ways to limit your search.

K reminded members that the "Secret Guide to Computers" is still available for purchase by contacting him. He also reviewed the "Drive Sweep" program that is available for $20.00.

Next Meeting: Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2003

The meeting was adjourned at 3:15 pm.

Nancy Fisher
Secretary

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Jan 15th, 2003

The regular meeting was called to order by President Hugh Tamblyn welcoming everyone at 1:30 pm. in the Garden Room.

Business Meeting
A card for members to sign was made available for Warren Ray our Vice President who is ill with cancer. Hugh announced that Dick Harris will run the lab for Warren.

The banquet is Feb. 14, in the Garden room. Tickets will be available next Wednesday.

New officers for next year are needed. Let Hugh know if you have any suggestion.

Reports:
Finances- Bill Rogers reported that the carry over balance from November was $1,139.37. There are 114 members. Bills were paid for keys $2.59, a scanner for the lab $114.24, and AZVAC dues $25.00, leaving a balance of $2937.49.

Training-Milt Stark reminded members to sign up for workshops. A list of workshops, time, teachers, etc. is available on the web site.

Programs-K announced that the Feb. 19th meeting will be by Ron Olson on digital photography.

Problem Sheets:
A number of trouble slips were covered. Members volunteered to help those with problems.

Program:
Bob Stevens presented the program on search engines. He demonstrated Google.

Next Meeting: Wednesday, Jan. 22. 2003

The meeting was adjourned at 3:15 pm.

Nancy Fisher
Secretary

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Jan 22nd, 2003

The regular meeting was called to order by President Hugh Tamblyn at 1:30 pm. in the Garden Room.

Hugh announced that tickets for the Computer Club banquet on Feb. 14, are on sale for $5.00 to the first 140 people. Tickets will be for sale during the next three meetings or until sold out. Program

Joe introduced the guest speaker, Gene Barlow who represents Power Quest Corp. His topic was "Managing Your Hard Drive." Gene's program contained much useful information. He can be contacted on his web site www.ug.com or his e-mail gene@ugr.com.

Gene demonstrated two programs. The first was Partition Magic v8, which is a utility tool to help you organize and maintain your hard drive, letting you create partitions, delete partitions and undelete previously deleted partitions. It will also let you set up multiple operating systems on your hard drive. He showed the club how he has set up his laptop using this program. The program also makes it possible to switch between two operating systems on the same hard drive i.e. Windows 98 & Windows ME. User group price $35.00.

The other program demonstrated by Gene was Drive Image 2002. Like other guest speakers, he reminded us that it is only a matter of time until your hard drive wears out and you must back it up. Drive Image makes this process quite easy; however its main function is to backup your existing hard drive(s). User group price $35.00

He also had an Education CD that is a training CD titled "Discovering your Hard Drive." It is packed with helpful and useful information about your hard drives, how to organize them and protect them. User group price $20.00

All three items can be obtained in a special bundle price of $79.00.

Business Meeting

Hugh read several problem slips with members giving advice.

Reports:

Joe reminded the audience that mentors who are helping individuals with problems in their homes do not have the time to help nonmembers. Anyone needing service from the club needs to become a member.

Lab- Dick Harris # 1853 is now in charge of the lab. He reminded members that downloading is much faster in the lab than in our units. More monitors would be useful so that the lab could be open more often. Video Professor on Windows 98, XP, or ME is available on loan from the lab.

Training-Milt Stark asked the membership what else it would like for training. Willie is offering Computer Care next week and Milt is teaching Computer Basics II. Topics, dates & times of classes can be found on the web site.

Next Meeting: Wednesday, January 29, 2003

The meeting was adjourned at 3:25 pm.

Nancy Fisher
Secretary

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Jan 29th, 2003

BUSINESS MEETING
The regular meeting was called to order by President Hugh Tamblyn at 1:30 pm. in the Garden Room.

Hugh announced that tickets for the Computer Club banquet on Feb. 14, are still on sale for $5.00 to the first 140 people. Tickets will still be available next week.

Problem slips were read followed by a number of questions which were answered by various members of the club.

Election of officers will be held in March. A President, Vice President, & Secretary will be needed. Hugh asked for volunteers.

REPORTS:

PROGRAM - The speaker next week will be Paul Phoenix discussing the application "Snagit." Joe gave away a copy of "Smart Computer" and "The Secret Guide to Computers". He also had brochures from Ink Jet Southwest to hand out.

TRAINING - Milt Stark asked the membership what else it would like for training. The third session of Basic Computers is this week. The class is full, but one can sit in back. Possibly another Basics class will be held if there is an instructor. The training committee is meeting after the program today.

PROGRAM:

Willie Muhlenberg was scheduled to do the program on care of the computer; however he is ill and Milt Stark substituted for him. Among topics covered by Milt were updating windows, booting in safe mode, defragging and the use of alt-control-delete when system freezes.

Next Meeting: Wednesday, February 5, 2003

Nancy Fisher
Secretary

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Feb 5th, 2003

BUSINESS MEETING
The regular meeting was called to order by President Hugh Tamblyn at 1:30 PM. in the Garden Room.

Hugh announced that today is the last day to buy tickets for the computer banquet Feb. 14, in the Garden Room.

A number of Microsoft Media Center Edition CD's for use with Windows XP were given away.

Problem slips were read followed by a number of questions which were answered by various members of the club. Formatting a floppy disc, how to start in safe mode, and how to use scan disk were demonstrated.

Remedies for paper jamming in the printer were suggested: cleaning the rollers, using quality paper, and fanning paper before loading it.

A hard drive taken from the inside of a computer was passed around so that members could see what one looked like.

Election of officers will be held in March. A President, Vice President, & Secretary will be needed. Volunteers are needed for these positions. Anyone who has suggestion should let Hugh know.

Plastic envelopes are available to mail used ink cartridges to help the Boy Scouts.

It is time to sign up for rooms next year. The same dates will be booked.

REPORTS:
Training- Milt showed the web site list of classes. Basic III and IV are coming up. An additional Basic class will start if there is enough interest.

Hugh reminded the membership of the Web Site of the Week.

Program- The speaker, Paul Phoenix who was to show the application "Snagit" did not show today so Willie Muhlenberg is going to discuss System Tools.

Joe Chambers showed a "Flash Drive" or "Thumb Drive", which is very small external drive and can be plugged into the USB port. It has the capacity of 88 floppies and is useful if you do not have a CD burner. Membership- Vera will have a new membership list next week. There are presently 148 members.

PROGRAM:
Willie Muhlenberg demonstrated System Tools. Among some of the topics he demonstrated were getting into safe mode, running scan disk, Internet Explorer options, customizing the tool bar, changing the size & speed of the mouse pointer, and using shortcuts,

Next Meeting: Wednesday, February 12, 2003

Nancy Fisher
Secretary

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Feb 12th, 2003

The regular meeting was called to order by President Hugh Tamblyn at 1:30 pm. in the Garden Room.

102 are signed up for the banquet Friday night. No more tickets will be sold. Bring your own beverage. Table service will be furnished.

Elections will be held in March. Volunteers for the offices are needed. A President and Secretary are still needed.

Problem slips were read and answered to the best of the ability of club members.

Joe Chambers told us about Digital Photography:

REPORTS:

Training- Milt Stark announced new sessions of Computer Basics I, II, & III will be held. See the club web site for times and dates.

Milt is prepared to give a program today on a popourri of topics.

Membership-Vera McCloud has new membership/e-mail lists.

PROGRAM:

Chuck Kempton from the Family Computer Center (at Lindsey and University) discussed eleven tips in using computers:

  1. Computers Hate to be Changed.
  2. Don't Install Utilities. (except an anti virus and possibly a firewall)
  3. Don't Use Screen Saver. (have computer shut down when not in use)
  4. Keep Your Desktop and Taskbar Clean. (latter uses up memory resources)
  5. Don't Strangle Your Hard Drive. (leave 10-15% free space)
  6. Add Lots of Ram. (memory)
  7. Give Your Computer a Tune Up. (defrag it-get rid of temporary files)
  8. Use an Anti Virus Program. (Up date weekly if not daily, air clean the dust) 7-10 repairs are due to viruses. Some are even coming from pop-up ads and downloaded music as well as attachments.
  9. Use High Speed Internet Connection. (can still use phone, but not available at Viewpoint with our phone system.)
  10. Switch to Windows XP as Soon as You Can. (stripping drive and putting in a fresh installation is best)
  11. Learning to Use a Computer is Like Trying to Eat an Elephant. (It takes time!)

The meeting was adjourned at 2:55 P.M.

Next Meeting: Wednesday, February 19, 2003

Nancy Fisher
Secretary

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Feb 19th, 2003

BUSINESS MEETING

The regular meeting was called to order by President Hugh Tamblyn at 1:30 pm. in the Garden Room.

We were reminded of the available envelopes for used cartridges to benefit the Scout program.

PROGRAM:

Joe Chambers introduced Ron Ostrom whose specialty is Digital Photography. Ron's topic was Ophthalmic. He gave an interesting and very detailed program on the topic.

The meeting was adjourned rapidly just prior to 3:00 P.M. due to the planned Block Parties.

Next Meeting: Wednesday, February 26, 2003

Nancy Fisher
Secretary

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Feb 26th, 2003

BUSINESS MEETING

The regular meeting was called to order by President Hugh Tamblyn at 1:30 pm. in the Garden Room.

Several Problem Slips from last week as well as this were read and addressed.

Hugh thanked those members who worked Casino night for the club. $28.16 has been credited to the Computer Club in the Activity Office.

March 19 will be the election for new officers. Nominations for secretary and president are still needed.

There is a new list of members with e-mail addresses. This is the last list to be printed this year.

There are four more meetings. March 26th is the last meeting of this season.

REPORTS:

Training- Milt Stark announced one more class: Basic III. Nine people have signed up and there is room for a few more.

PROGRAM:

Willie Muhlenberg presented a program on Windows XP and the differences with Windows 98. He demonstrated a number of features of XP. He recommends that members wait until they get a new computer before upgraded to XP.

Nancy Fisher
Secretary

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Mar 5th, 2003

PROGRAM:

Joe Chambers introduced Allen Boehm from the Mesa Library.

Allen showed how to use the mesalibray.org website. If you are a card holder, you can reserve books from the library & request inter- library loan of books. Non card holders can access the data bases and web links. He said the East Mesa branch of the library will be finished with remodeling soon and if their budget is not cut, that branch will have computers. He demonstrated the use of the web site which was interesting and informative.

The program next week is to be "Flip Albums".

Training- Milt Stark announced that classes are finished.
Nancy Fisher is holding a workshop on Internet Genealogy tomorrow afternoon and Monday night.

Due to the length of the program, the meeting was adjourned.

Nancy Fisher
Secretary

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Mar 19th, 2003

BUSINESS:

The meeting was opened by President Hugh Tamblyn at 1:30 p.m. in the Garden Room.

Hugh called for volunteers for the Secretary position which is still unfilled by the Nominating Committee. Joyce McCall and Donna Mainechuk agreed to share the position. The following slate of officers were elected by acclamation:

President: Bob Randall
Vice President - Dick Harris
CO-Secretaries - Joyce McCall and Donna Mainechuk
Treasurer - Bill Rogers

Hugh expressed thanks to all who have served on Committees this year, those who have conducted classes, been monitors in the lab, and to the members for coming.

Bill gave the treasuer's report. There is $2011.98 to carry over until next year. This is $72.00 more than last year. Connie Wilcox moved that we accept the financial statement as read. K.E. Johnson seconded. Passed.

PROBLEMS & QUESTIONS:

K.E. said he won't help members with ACCRAM anymore, but the office is referring problems to him. Hugh stated that the Computer Club should not help with ACCRAM. It is not our job to do the work of the server.

A number of other problems were addressed by the group in attendance.

PROGRAM:

Milt Stark presented the program on a potpourri of things he has found that makes it easier for him to work on his computer. Among the many he showed us was how to put items on the task bar for easy access including a calendar. Milt also showed how to find character maps for unmarked keys.

Links to web sites visited in Milt's presentation follow:

The application named "IrfanView" can be downloaded from http://www.irfanview.com. Click on "Download" and follow the instructions to select the appropriate download server. After downloading, the setup program will begin if you double click on the "exe" file.

Web site for creating calendars: http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/>

Web site for ANSI character codes: http://www.fingertipsoft.com/3dkbd/ansitable.html

Web site for downloading Ad-Ware for detecting spyware: http://www.lavasoftusa.com/

Web site for downloading Spybot for detecting spyware: http://spybot.safer- networking.de/

Web site for checking software for embedded spyware: http://www.spychecker.com/

Closing: The meeting was adjourned at 3:30 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted,

Nancy Fisher
Secretary

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