Page 1

Next Meetings:

Sunday Workshop

23 August 2015

9.30am - 3pm

Monday Night

TOPIC Set Up an

eBay Account

7 September 2015

7.30 — 9.30 pm

Inside this issue:

Editor’s 24 cents p2

Monday Night Meeting p4

Windows 10 Reviews p5

WiFi Vs Wireless p6-8

Linux Column Open Source Myths p12

Google Tricks p17

Club Shirts p20

GWX Killers (Supplement) p26

And lots more !

Pine Rivers Computer Club Inc.

September 2015

Random Access www.prcc.asn.au

Newsletter 298

Page 2

Editor’s 24 cent’s worth

Newsletter 298

Michael J Dodd

COMPUTER SERVICING

PC AND MAC

Northern Suburbs

michaeld4500@hotmail.com

0410 545 029

07 3092 0171

Free Local Pickup & Delivery

Virus Removal & Prevention / Upgrades / Repairs / Data Recovery

MCS

Welcome to the Bumper September edition of Random Access

What should I write here? Something about what’s in this issue and

why? Or maybe a joke or a poem? What about something profound or

thoughtful? Or even inspiring or helpful? A doom-laden prediction? A

prediction of good weather and calm seas? What about two jokes?

News… it’s a newsletter. News… that’s a bit difficult really cause of

the low release frequency. Reviews… hang on, this is the editorial not

the content. Hmm. I’m stuck for a good idea this month.

So…...enjoy the Wireless Explainer and the GWX Killer Supplement.

Thanks to Geoff Isaac and Leonie Tweed for their help this issue.

ABM editor@prcc.asn.au

"I love deadlines.

I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by."

― Douglas Adams (former Monty Python walk-on)

Page 3

Newsletter 298

Page 4

Club Raffle Winners

Newsletter 298

Monday Night Meeting

Maurice Hamilton won 1st Prize (a mouse), a meeting visitor won 2nd

prize and Robert Downs won 3rd prize, Congrats to those guys.

Tickets for the next raffle go on sale at the Sunday Workshop on 26

July and the raffle will be drawn at the club meeting on 3 August.

Ticket price still $2. ABM

28 members attended on 3 August. Club President Leonie announced

some upcoming meeting topics which were received favourably.

Leonie presented about uploading a video to Youtube. The basic

procedure is to sign in to your Google account, go to the Youtube

website, find your video file to upload (required video specs are fairly

wide (avi, 3GP, MOV, MP4, MPEG, FLV, MKV (h264) all ok),

click on the Upload Video button, and wait a bit. File size limit is 2GB

and 15 minutes in length.

Youtube download was also demo’d. There are several methods.

Leonie showed us how to use a Firefox Add-On called Unplug

which also works for other forms of web video also.

Barry's tip for video downloading ,type wwwss.in the website address.

Leonie also talked about the use of the Faststone screen grab snipping

tool. ABM

The Monday night meetings are a long term feature of this club's

activities. Unusually among other clubs we have kept having a night

time meeting. To keep this feature the club needs your ideas about

what you would like to have presented. If there’s any topic you want to

see a presentation on then please suggest it. If you know someone

who would make a good guest speaker for an upcoming meeting

please put the committee in touch with ‘em.

Email Club President Leonie Tweed at president@prcc.asn.au

Page 5

Windows 10 REVIEWS

Newsletter 298

Windows 10 has been released, with Microsoft having begun the mammoth task of delivering upgrades to millions of users.

As you likely already know anyone with a legit copy of Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 is eligible for the free upgrade to the last version of Windows ever.

Several prominent technology blogs have already delivered their verdicts on Windows 10 in the form of reviews. Windows 10 will keep evolving in the months and years ahead, but let’s take a look at just some of the judgments being made at this early stage:

The Verge is rather impressed with Windows 10, calling it “hugely exciting” and a “joy to use”. However, Windows 10 is a work in progress, and it’s at the early part of its life right now,” which suggests you should hold off until everything is a little more polished”. http://tinyurl.com/ppecdmz

Re/code describes Windows 10 as “a solid, evolutionary operating system that’s likely to be a good bet for people who like Windows.” Walt Mossberg, who is an Apple fanboy of some repute, likes some elements of the new Microsoft OS, but remains unimpressed by others. His final advice is, “don’t upgrade until more of the bugs have been worked out”. http://tinyurl.com/p6huyc6

Engadget calls Windows 10, “simply Windows, through and through” and suggests it “proves that Microsoft’s dream of delivering a single OS that can work across computers, tablets and phones might actually come true”. However, while Cortana and Edge make it worth upgrading, the lack of apps is a major disappointment. http://tinyurl.com/ohoxqmg

Ars Technica describes Windows 10 as “the best version of Windows yet,” that is “once everything’s working”. To reiterate the point the site suggests that while “almost everyone upgrading from both Windows 7 and Windows 8 will be upgrading to a better operating system that is less annoying and more effective,” they should “wait a few weeks, maybe even a couple of months, before making the move”. http://tinyurl.com/pqjh7ap

To summarize: Windows 10 is great, but it might not be quite ready for public consumption yet.

Original Article by Dave Parrack http://tinyurl.com/qx3a7kv

Page 6

EXPLAINER: WiFi vs Wireless

Newsletter 298

What’s the difference between WiFi and Wireless?

Confusion arises as many technologies are called wireless and that term is used interchangeably with many of them.

In general terms: wireless and WiFi are the same thing in that they let devices (computers, tablets, smart phones) to connect to the Internet without a cable. There is a difference in the way they connect.

WiFi is a commercial product name that refers to short range wireless connection to a wired broadband connection. Often found in homes, in offices, airports, libraries or at the shops.

There are different connection speeds called b, g, n. (n is fastest.) In order to access WiFi you often need password permission from the owner of the WiFi Modem Router to access the connection. Your device has to have a Wireless Local Area Networking card in it (WLAN). Most laptops, tablets & phones have it built-in these days. Users range to access the network – usually not more than 20 metres (unless you use fancy antennas but no one much bothers).

The Internet

Broadband

Connection

WiFi Modem

Router

WLAN Card (inside)

Laptop PC

Page 7

EXPLAINER: WiFi vs Wireless (cont.)

Newsletter 298

WiFi and Wireless are confused and confusing because even experts use each term to refer to

either thing. But hopefully this explainer makes it clear to you... Just don’t get too pedantic….

People hate that.

Wireless can also refer to devices connecting using the mobile phone network (what Americans call cellular phones). A cellular wireless device (a USB dongle or a smartphone) connects to the internet through cellular towers. This is the same way Blackberry’s, iPhones and Android smart phones connect to the mobile phone network.

(Confusingly most smart phones actually have WiFi as well.)

Original article by Tim Dickey http://tinyurl.com/pcatvx6

Wireless (Cellular) Internet Access

The Internet Mobile Phone Tower

Mobile Phone Handset

Laptop PC + 3G Broadband to

USB “Dongle”

Page 8

EXPLAINER: WiFi vs Wireless (cont.)

Newsletter 298

Wireless means transmission without wires.

This reminds us how to transmit voice or music.

Wireless data networking means transmitting data..

Some of the various sorts of 3G Wireless Broadband dongles for accessing

Mobile Data through mobile phone networks.

In Australia, phone companies such as Telstra, Optus, Vodafone offer branded USB 'dongles' which connect any compatible device (a laptop or a desktop) to the internet. In order to access data from a wireless device there will be a SIM card involved with a mobile data plan. i.e. they cost $$. The limitation on range for mobile data is the same as for mobile phone coverage. It'll work anywhere you can use a mobile phone. The data speed will not be as fast as WiFi.

Page 9

HOW TO: Use a phone as a Wi-Fi hotspot

Newsletter 298

There's nothing worse than working on the go, from a hotel room or airport for example, to find there's no Wi-Fi internet access, or it's so rubbish it keeps dropping out. Alternatively, what happens if your ISP serving your home network goes down and leaves you without access to the web?

If you've got a smartphone then it's possible to turn your handset into a portable Wi-Fi hotspot using your phone's 3G connection to access the web. This is called ‘WiFi Hotspotting’ or 'Tethering'.

Google Android introduced the feature when it unveiled Froyo, version 2.2 of Android operating software. Smartphones running Android 2.1 or lower can download an app such as PDANet or Easy Tether.

It's worth remembering to check your network's terms and conditions on tethering and keep an eye on your data allowance. Depending on your web activities you could find yourself hitting your mobile data cap a lot quicker than you think. Exceeding your data limit may result in an unwanted bills.

Original article by Carrie-Ann Skinner http://tinyurl.com/pvylfso

http://tinyurl.com/7eabn7

Cartoon

Page 10

HOW TO: Use a phone as a Wi-Fi hotspot

Newsletter 298

Here's how to tether a Google Android handset running 4.1 Jelly Bean (the Sony Xperia Z). The process is similar for older Android smartphones.

Step five

On your laptop, select your phone handset's Network SSID from the list of available Wi-Fi connections. Click connect and then enter the Password for the Wi-Fi hotspot. Once connected, you'll be able to surf the web through the handset's mobile connection to your heart's content or until the data costs too much!!!

1 2

3 4

Step four ->

Tap Portable Wi-Fi hotspot settings and you can edit the Network SSID name, and choose a Password. Press Save.

<- Step three

Tick the box next to Portable Wi-Fi hotspot.

Step two ->

Select Wireless & Networks and then Tethering & portable hotspot.

<- Step one

From the Home Screen, select the Settings menu. It should look something like this. Tap More…

Page 11

IN FOCUS: Wireless WiFi Router Roundup

Newsletter 298

Vodafone launched their first

portable 3G to WiFi device in

Australia named the Pocket WiFi

in 2010.

This supports a range of devices

such as laptops (PC & Mac),

iPhones and gaming consoles like

the Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii.

With this product, you can create

your own WiFi hotspot to share

internet access with up to 5 other

devices where-ever you decide to

take it.

It has a (USB rechargeable) battery time of up to 5 hours. The device comes with

built-in WPA security. Simple set up needs a Vodafone SIM card, this portable

WiFi device and a WiFi enabled laptop or tablet.

VERDICT: Cheap to run as! Works well enough. Might be trouble when you get

out of town. Handy for travellers or people who work out of the office. Plenty of

alternatives available from other carriers. Below is the Optus Huawei E583C,

the Telstra pre-paid ZTE Model MF60, and the Vodafone Huawei E585 ABM

Vodafone Pocket WiFi Model R207

in white Also available in black.

Page 12

6 Myths About Open Source Software Debunked

Newsletter 298

Open source software is awesome! Or is it?

Despite the growing popularity of open source alternatives to all kinds of proprietary programs, many people still misunderstand

the nature of the open source industry.

Some people think that open source software will ruin the world of programming. Others believe that open source software is the only hope for humanity. Bad myths are circulated by both extremes, making it hard to discern the underlying truths of it all. Do you still believe these open source myths?

Myth: Open Source Is for Linux Users

Linux’s history and environment is steeped in open source culture, so it’s easy to see why people assume that open source software is “a Linux phenomenon”. And to an extent, the statement is true: many open source programs are made with Linux availability as a prime motivator.

But if you’re a Windows or Mac user and think you don’t need to concern yourself with these things, you’re mistaken. In fact, there’s a good chance that some of your favorite programs are open source and you just didn’t know it. E.g. VLC, Pidgin, GIMP, Audacity, Calibre, and WinCDEmu

The truth is, open source programs are still useful even if you don’t adhere to the open source philosophy. It’s not just for Linux freaks and geeks; it’s for everyone. In the end, that’s what open source is all about.

Page 13

6 Myths About Open Source Software (cont.)

Newsletter 298

Myth: Open Source Is Less/More Secure

Information security is a big deal these days, but what’s funny is that people on both sides of the battlefield — those who are for and those who are against open source software — use “security” to prop up their arguments.

On one side you have those who claim that publicly-available code inherently makes a program insecure. After all, it exposes the internal workings of a program for malicious eyes, making it easier for hackers and malware creators to break in and exploit vulnerabilities.

On the other side you have those who claim that open source programs are more secure. Opening the code up to the public means having more eyes that can catch errors and more hands that can quickly patch security holes when needed.

The reality is that both sides are right depending on the context. What everyone can agree on is this: open source software faces a different set of problems than proprietary software. Neither is necessarily better or worse than the other.

Myth: Big Companies Avoid Open Source

People write open code for many reasons, mostly involving amateur or independent programmers. As such, people think that “serious companies” like Microsoft or Apple are above the open source cause.

That’s not quite true, though.

Last year, Microsoft went ahead and open sourced their .NET Framework, a move that generated a lot of chatter amongst programmers. This year, Apple followed suit and open sourced their Swift programming language, another move that shocked programmers worldwide.

Here we have two of the world’s most proprietary companies warming up to the open source ideal. Never again can somebody say that open sourcing is only for amateurs and independents. When it works, it works — no matter who you are.

Page 14

6 Myths About Open Source Software (cont.)

Newsletter 298

Myth: “Do Whatever You Want”

The concept of open source is simple: the actual code behind a given program is made available to the public. When people hear this, the immediate thought tends to be, “What if someone steals the code?”

And in fact, some people do steal open code. Some people believe that if code is made available to the public, they can go ahead and use it however they want — but that’s not how it works. Like images, videos, and music, software is also protected by copyright.

Long story short, this means you have to obey the stipulations of whatever open source license the code is released under.

There are some licenses (such as the BSD and MIT licenses) that actually do permit you to “do whatever you want” with the code, even going as far as allowing you to commercialize derivatives and what not. But not every license is like that, and it’s your responsibility to find out what’s permitted and obey.

Myth: Open Source Coding Is Chaotic

Imagine trying to design a car with a hundred other people shouting their suggestions at you. Hectic and frustrating, right? “Design by committee” rarely works in the real world, so why does it work for software development?

Well, it doesn’t. Open source development is not “design by committee”, even though it certainly sounds that way on paper.

“But I thought anybody could contribute to an open source project!”

They can, but public contributions are vetted and approved by those who manage the project. If a proposed change doesn’t fit the project’s vision, it can be denied. The whole process is surprisingly straightforward and orderly.

But when project leadership starts to disagree on vision and direction, that’s when things can get messy — and that’s when projects get forked, a term that describes the process of cloning open source code as a separate project and developing it in a different direction from the original aim.

Page 15

6 Myths About Open Source Software (cont.)

Newsletter 298

Myth: Open Source Coding Is Pro Bono

Just because open source software is often made available for free doesn’t mean that open source developers work for free. Some do, of course, but there are several ways for an open source programmer to make money.

Sometimes a program is so useful and critical to a company’s workflow that the company will sponsor the coders of said program and provide funding so that they can keep working on it.

Another example is when programmers offer the source code for free but charge for binary downloads. Take it one step further and you’ll find programmers who provide the downloads for free but charge for technical support.

That’s just scratching the surface, but it does show that pro bono is not a necessary attribute for an open source developer.

What Other Myths Are Out There?

Knowing that the above myths are exaggerated and/or untrue, does you feel more likely or less likely to embrace open source software?

Personally, I’m neutral on the matter. If a program is good, I’ll use it no matter how it was made.

That being said, we know that plenty of other open source myths are still floating around on the web, so if you encounter any, feel free to tell us about them.

Original Article by Joel Lee http://tinyurl.com/p8c6n2l

Page 16

Laptops, PCs Not dead yet!

Newsletter 298

Despite the fact IT mobility has been shown to have increased with the arrival of Tablets, and the more special mobile phones around, laptops and PC's are not yet for the scrap heap!

A recent IT press magazine wrote of the 'Death of the PC' owing to the more flexible operator, who is much more on the move. Sure, there is a declining market for PC's.

The Laptop is much more heavily merchandised now . . . just check out your local advertising; special deals abound!

While there is this concern for PC's, the re-cycle PC market is flourishing, with demands for seniors and groups braking into the market, or looking for somewhere for gaming, or just playing Sudoku!

Larry Cafiero, chair for Southern California Linux expo, points out that a PC market is not the PC dying, but rather more of a reflection of a maturing, developing market for both PC and hand-held hardware.

It would seem the hand-held factor is determining the IT fashion we are now following.

New releases from Lenovo

Lenovo has released new mobile workstations in ThinkPads P70 and P50. With increased built-in features for work hungry operators, the new ThinkPads are designed for performance.

The P70 has a 17inch screen, loaded with 64GB DDR4 memory, with a speed of four storage devices and 1TB of storage. Its little brother, P50, is one of the thinnest and lightest full-functional workstations Lenovo has produced. With a screen of 15.6 inch UHD 4k display, it offers the same fast performance as its larger P70.

To handle the faster performance, both machines have dual-cooling system, for cooler, quieter and faster output.

Editor: Big thanks to Geoff Isaac for this column.

Come to the Sunday Workshop and start your own Linux journey with Geoff and the Linux Special Interest Group (SIG) or just post to the Club’s Google Group with your questions about Linux software or hardware issues anytime.

Page 17

Google Tricks

Newsletter 298

Cool Things You Didn't Know You Could Do With Google

1. Translate symbols or characters by drawing them. If you go to Google Translate http://tinyurl.com/lybtj2f there’s an option where you can manually draw things like Chinese characters, which will then be translated for you into English.

2. Get a calorie comparison of your favourite foods. If you google “[name of food] vs [name of food]” then a chart will appear comparing the nutritional value of the two choices in great detail – everything from calories to the amount of magnesium.

3. Set a timer.

Google any amount of time, followed by “timer”, you’ll get a countdown, and you can even make it sound an alarm at the end – perfect for use in the kitchen.

4. Tackle geography trivia.

Using the new Google Maps tool Smarty Pins http://tinyurl.com/l7nd842 you can take on Google in a geography trivia game in which you will be asked questions with location-based answers, and you will answer by placing a pin in the world map. You can try just general knowledge or tackle specific categories like science or sport.

5. Split a bill and calculate the tip.

End the struggle of paying the bill at the end of a group meal by googling “tip calculator”, entering the full cost, the percentage you want to tip, and the number of people, and it’ll work out exactly how much you need to pay each. Easy.

6. Filter your Gmail.

If you add “+anything” to your Gmail address it will work, which means you could sign up to certain websites using youremail+websitename@gmail.com and create a folder that all emails from that site automatically go into.

7. Discover how popular different words are.

Using the Google Ngram viewer, http://tinyurl.com/p3wtp8n you can search more than 5 million books published between 1800 and 2008 to find out how often different words were used, and then compare them on a graph. Fun Fact: For a brief period in the 1830s, elephants were more popular than cats.

Original article by Alex Finnis http://tinyurl.com/onj3o7d

Page 18

Google Tricks (cont.)

Newsletter 298

8. Play zerg rush.

Another bit of proof that Google just does not want you to do any of your work. Destroy the Os by clicking on them before they destroy the rest of the page (and try not to give yourself finger cramp in the process).

9. Find and download loads of cool fonts for free.

If you go to Google Fonts http://tinyurl.com/ltr9gm8 there’s a huge collection of completely free fonts you can use. You can either download them to your computer or make them the default font in your browser.

10. Learn how to pronounce massive numbers.

If you search a number up to 12 figures followed by “=english”, Google will tell you how to pronounce it.

11. Plan your wedding.

Yep, Google even has a comprehensive wedding planner http://tinyurl.com/ngzacv3 to make sure everything is in place for your special day. It’ll help you do everything from announcing the news of your engagement to finding a venue, making a budget, creating a schedule and guest list, setting up a shareable photo stream from the day, and even making an entire website to keep everything in one handy place.

12. Easily find out the week’s football fixtures.

Simply google the name of the league and you’ll get a list of all the week’s fixtures right there at the top.

13. Play Atari Breakout. Simply search “Atari Breakout” on Google Images

and that’s your productivity dead for an hour.

14. View art from galleries all over the world.

Google Art Project http://tinyurl.com/ozkgwog lets you view super–high-quality photos of artwork from nearly 600 international galleries. Why bother even leaving the house?

15. View and play all the old doodles.

By hitting “I’m feeling lucky” without anything in the search bar, you’ll be presented with a catalogue of all of Google’s old doodles and games back until when they started in 1998 (including the brilliant Pacman game http://tinyurl.com/9228bav )

Page 19

Google Tricks (cont.)

Newsletter 298

16. Explore the universe. Google Sky http://tinyurl.com/2uocjx uses images from the Hubble Telescope and NASA Satellites to let you delve into the far reaches of our universe. You can explore galaxies millions of light years from Earth, learn about astrological signs, and even listen to space-related podcasts.

17. Take a journey through Middle-earth. This hugely interactive site http://tinyurl.com/ptu5v75 was set up by Google to celebrate The Hobbit films and lets you play your way through five famous battles, follow the stories of your favourite characters (including clips from the films themselves), or simply explore the map itself.

18. Play with Legos. Feel like a kid again by going to buildwithchrome. http://tinyurl.com/prbfc6c You can put up constructions all over the real world using its map function, check out cool stuff other people have already built, or learn to become a master bricklayer with Build Academy. Needs Chrome browser.

If you are having trouble with a telephone bill or an internet installation then don’t forget to consider trying this:

CONTACT LIST Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO)

MAIN PAGE www.tio.com.au/about-us

MAKE AN ONLINE

COMPLAINT

www.tio.com.au/making-a-complaint

TELEPHONE 1800 062 058

WRITE PO Box 276

Collins Street West

Melbourne VIC 8007

TTY 1800 675 692

NATIONAL RELAY

SERVICE

Call 1800 555 677 then ask for 1800 062 058

FAX OUR CONSUMER

COMPLAINT FORM TO

1800 630 614

Page 20

Club Shirts

Newsletter 298

MENS’ Sizes S M L XL 2XL 3XL 5XL

Garment Half

Chest (cm) 54.5 57.5 61.0 64.5 68.0 72.5 80.5

LADIES’ Sizes 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22

Garment Half

Chest (cm) 48.0 50.0 52.5 54.5 57.0 60.0 63.0 66.0

24

68.0

The Club now offers a club shirt like these, modelled frequently by the more popular members at meetings.

They’re well made and attractive and will mean money, friends and fame* for you. So order yours today!

To select the correct size please find your Garment Half Chest Measurement in centimeters. Measure under the arms left to right across chest from shirt seam to shirt seam. Then order the size above that measurement. i.e. Up to 64.5cm = XL size. 65cm = 2XL

Price of shirts is $35 each. Please direct any queries to either Ivan or Geoff at any Sunday Workshop or Monday Night Meeting.

Page 21

External Classes for Beginners

Newsletter 298

U3A:(Redcliffe)

“Learning for Leisure and Pleasure”

Classes at U3A are available to members aged 50 years and older.

Annual membership is $20. There’s additional costs of $2 per class.

Courses for over 90 different subjects are offered covering a diverse

range of topics including: Computers, Creative Arts and Crafts,

Music, Languages, History and more. See website for the full list.

Venue: Contact:

Redcliffe U3A Campus Phone 3284 2687

Sutton Centre Fax 3284 4618

157 - 159 Sutton Street, Web www.u3aredcliffe.org.au/

Redcliffe email u3ared@tpg.com.au

New Home & Office Computers Upgrades & Repairs

Network & MYOB Specialist MS Small Business Servers

Please call US for all your computer needs

Northside:

Unit 3, No. 3 - 5 Deakin Street,

Brendale QLD 4500

Phone: 3889 8686 Fax: 3889 8687

Southside:

Unit 2, No. 9 Stockwell Place, Archerfield

QLD 4108.

Phone: 3277 8682 Fax: 3272 9113

Website: www.mrcdr.com.au

Email: sales@mrcdr.com.au

Page 22

PRCC Committee Contacts

First Aid

Help at the Club Workshop

Newsletter 298

PRESIDENT Leonie Tweed president@prcc.asn.au

VICE PRESIDENT Michael Dodd vp@prcc.asn.au

SECRETARY Julius Olsen secretary@prcc.asn.au

TREASURER Ivan Dowling treasurer@prcc.asn.au

LIBRARIAN Colin Carlsson librarian@prcc.asn.au

WEB-MASTER Dennis Murphy webmaster@prcc.asn.au

NEWSLETTER EDITOR Anthony Martin editor@prcc.asn.au

RESOURCE OFFICER Bob Jones pr@prcc.asn.au

MEMBERSHIP OFFICER Charlie Nolan membership@prcc.asn.au

CATERING OFFICER Bob Jones catering@prcc.asn.au

Just a reminder that there is a first aid kit available at the meetings. Just contact one of the Committee if you need it.

For those of you who are “new” to computers and maybe new to the

club itself, this is how the club can help you at the Workshop

At the Workshop on the 4th Sunday of each month,

some of our more experienced members will be

available to help out. (They‘re actually very nice

people who actually enjoy helping out…. Really!)

Just ask at the desk, write your name and your

problem down on the Workshop Job Sheet.

Page 23

The Pine Rivers Computer Club is a non-profit organisation and our

role is to help the Community and Club Members with computer

related issues.

Members receive a monthly newsletter, help via club email forums,

phone line support, members’ discounts at various retail suppliers,

and friendly social interaction.

The Pine Rivers Computer Club is a must if you want to learn more

about your computer and its uses.

Information Presentations are held at 7:30pm, on the first Monday of

the month and Workshops are held on the fourth Sunday of each

month from 9:30am to about 2:30pm.

A list of dates for the next months can be found in the Diary towards

the back of the newsletter.

FEES

Joining fee is $15 and annual membership or renewal is $35. There is

a $3 attendance fee per member or visitor for the Monday evening

gatherings and Workshop days. Visitors are most welcome to either of

these meetings.

WORKSHOPS

Our Workshops are held on the 4th Sunday of every month. You will

meet people there who can help you. If you are a member, bring along

your misbehaving computer and / or software and ask for help. If

you’re new to the world of computers, ask to be shown basic skills The

Workshop starts at 9:30am and finishes approx 3pm.

If you have a problem you would like fixed, place your name on the Job

Sheet. In fairness to all members the committee decided to place an

initial 1½ hour time limit per member for your problems to be fixed

and after 1½ hours is up, every endeavour will be made to come back

to that member if time permits.

PRCC General Information

Newsletter 298

Page 24

For Your Diary

Full page advertisement - $10 per issue. Financial members may

advertise free of charge any computer-related items they wish to buy or

sell. Corporate members pay $50 per annum which entitles them to an

advertisement in each monthly issue.

Although it is our policy to check all published material and software

for its accuracy, no warranty is offered against any loss resulting from

the use of any materials from this newsletter or software from our

library. As our library may contain Shareware Software, it is the

responsibility of the user to Register their copy (after evaluation) with

Shareware Owners. Copying commercial software under the name of

Pine Rivers Computer Club Inc. is strictly prohibited.

Newsletter 298

Liability Disclaimer

Advertising Rates

Contact Details: Pine Rivers Computer Club Inc.

PO Box 511, Strathpine, Qld, 4500

Phone: 0466 515 530

Venue: Kallangur RSL Sub Branch

William Abell Centre

1347 Anzac Ave, Kallangur www.prcc.asn.au

Month Presentations Workshops

August 23 Aug 2015

September 07 Sep 2015 27 Sep 2015

October 05 Oct 2015 25 Oct 2015

November 02 Nov 2015 22 Nov 2015

December 07 Dec 2015 <— Xmas Party!!!!!

Page 25

eWaste Recycling in Moreton Bay Region

Newsletter 298

Contact list for eWaste recycling facilities in the MBRC area.

Phone: (07) 3205 0555 for more information.

Click on links to check what materials will be accepted at each site.

1. Bunya Waste Management Facility

384 Bunya Rd, Bunya, 600m west of Jinker Track intersection

Open: 7a-5p Apr-Sep, 7a-6p Oct-Mar http://tinyurl.com/nxuuyqx

2. Dakabin Waste Management Facility

336 Old Gympie Rd, Dakabin, 800m north of Alma Road intersection

Open: 7a-5p Apr-Sep, 7a-6p Oct-Mar http://tinyurl.com/l4r4oux

3. Caboolture Waste Management Facility

51 McNaught Rd, Caboolture, via Pasturage Road, off Bribie Island Rd

Open: 7 days, 7a-6p Oct-Mar, 7a-5p Apr-Sep http://tinyurl.com/kr64xlw

4. Redcliffe Transfer Station

261 Duffield Road, Clontarf, beside the Peninsula Animal Aid

Open: 7 Days 7a-5p Jun-Aug, 7a-6p Sep-May http://tinyurl.com/n63po9k

Cartoon

http://tinyurl.com/njdm7yc

Page 26

WINDOWS 10: GWX Killers

Newsletter 298

Is the White Windows 10 flag icon present in your Taskbar notification area? Here’s how to remove the “Get Windows 10" (GWX for short) App and Its Icon from your Taskbar?

Why? It's small so not a major problem but it's also annoying to have an extra process always running in the background hogging hard drive space and CPU time for no good reason. Also what if you don't want to upgrade your computers to Windows 10? Or don't want to pay for the download of the huge Windows 10 setup files (around 3GB)?

So if it's not necessary, removing the app is a good idea.

METHOD 1: Hide "Get Windows 10" Icon in Taskbar

Right-click on the date/time in Taskbar system tray and select "Customize notification icons" option. A new window will open. Look for GWX (Get Windows 10) entry in the list and change its value to "Hide icon and notifications" using the drop-down box.

Apply the changes and White Windows flag icon will disappear from the Taskbar notification area. If the options (drop-down boxes) to change behaviors are greyed out or disabled, then uncheck "Always

sh ow a l l i c on s a nd notifications on the taskbar" checkbox and it'll allow you to customize icons behaviors.

EFFECTIVENESS RATING: 3 / 10

DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY Simple

Page 27

WINDOWS 10: GWX Killers (cont.)

Newsletter 298

METHOD 2: Kill "GWX" Process Using Task Manager

Kill the process related to "Get Windows 10" app and it'll automatically remove the icon from Taskbar.

1. Right-click on Taskbar and select Start Task Manager option.

2. Go to Processes or Details tab and select GWX process and then click on "End Process" button. Or right-click on GWX process and select "End Process" or "End Task" option. Or select GWX process and press Delete key.

Removes the GWX process and its icon from Taskbar notification area. If the icon is still visible, just hover mouse cursor over it and it'll magically disappear.

METHOD 3: Disable "Get Windows 10" Using Registry Editor

Method 2 removes the app and its icon temporarily. After some time or next boot, the app and its icon will be back. The following Registry tweaks will disable "Get Windows 10" app and its Taskbar icon permanently:

Registry Tweak 1:

1. Open Registry Editor. Type “regedit” in Start search box and press Enter.

2. Find the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows

3. Make a new key under entry and set its name as GWX. Like this:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\GWX

4. Select GWX key and in right-side pane create a new DWORD DisableGWX and set its value to 1

E F F E C T I V E N E S S RATING 6 out of 10

(except it'll be back after you reboot)

DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY Easy enough

Page 28

WINDOWS 10: GWX Killers (cont.)

Newsletter 298

Registry Tweak 2:

1. Again in Registry Editor, find the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows

Make a new key under this e n t r y a n d n a m e d WindowsUpdate. Like this:

3. Select WindowsUpdate key and in right-side pane create a new DWORD DisableOSUpgrade and set its value to 1.

Registry Tweak 3:

1. Again in Registry Editor, find the following key:

2. In right-side pane, look for two DWORDs AllowOSUpgrade and ReservationsAllowed and change their values to 0.

After applying all these tweaks, close Registry Editor and restart the computer.

It'll permanently disable "Get Windows 10" app and will also remove its icon from Taskbar.

In future, if you decide to re-enable the app and its icon, simply delete the DWORDs created in above steps.

EFFECTIVENESS RATING 7 out of 10

DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY 25.68 out of 10

WARNING: As with any Registry hack, if you type one thing wrong you could wreck everything...

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curre

ntVersion\WindowsUpdate\OSUpgrade

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate

Page 29

WINDOWS 10: GWX Killers (cont.)

Newsletter 298

METHOD 4: Delete "Get Windows 10" Task from Task Scheduler

There is a task present in Task Scheduler which automatically starts the "Get Windows 10" app at predefined time or events.

To permanently get rid of the app and icon, you'll need to delete its task from Task Scheduler using following steps:

1. Press Win+R keys together to launch RUN dialog box, then type taskschd.msc in RUN box and press Enter.

2. Task Scheduler program will open. Go to: Task Scheduler Library -> Microsoft -> Windows -> Setup

3. Under Setup key, you'll see 2 more sub-keys:

gwx

GWXTriggers

Both these keys contain various tasks related to "Get Windows 10" app which automatically launch the app at certain intervals.

4. To permanently remove "Get Windows 10" app, either disable or delete tasks present under both of the above mentioned keys. To disable the tasks, right-click on the task and select Disable option.

Page 30

WINDOWS 10: GWX Killers (cont.)

Newsletter 298

You may be able to disable all tasks present under "gwx" key but Windows will not allow you to disable tasks present under "GWXTriggers" key due to permissions issue.

Delete all tasks present under both gwx and GWXTriggers keys using following steps:

4. a. Type tasks in RUN dialog box and press Enter. It'll show permissions related message, click on Continue button. It'll open C:\Windows\System32\Tasks folder which stores all tasks listed in Task Scheduler program.

4. b. Now go to Microsoft\Windows\Setup folder and delete both gwx and GWXTriggers folders present inside it. If you face any permission related issue, take ownership of the folders first as mentioned in this guide and then delete them.

Open Task Scheduler again and note that "Task Scheduler Library -> Microsoft -> Windows -> Setup" is now empty.

Result no more "Get Windows 10" app and its icon in Taskbar.

EFFECTIVENESS ?? out of 10

DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY Ninja Level.

If anyone tries this let us know how you got on…

Page 31

WINDOWS 10: GWX Killers (cont.)

Newsletter 298

METHOD 5: Delete the "Get Windows 10" app Files and Folder

Delete the GWX executable file and its folder to remove it completely from your computer: the executable file is GWX.exe which is present in the following 2 folders:

C:\Windows\System32\GWX

C:\Windows\SysWOW64\GWX (in 64-bit systems only)

First end task of GWX.exe using Method 2 and then delete the entire GWX folder in both locations.

If Windows shows any permission related message, you'll need to take ownership of the folder first and then delete the folder.

PS: If you don't want to delete the folders, you can rename them to a different name. It'll also work.

EFFECTIVENESS ok for Windows 8.1, otherwise nuh!

DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY possibly challenging but okay

Page 32

WINDOWS 10: GWX Killers (cont.)

Newsletter 298

METHOD 6: Uninstall Windows Update for "Get Windows 10" App

Uninstall the update which actually installed this app in your system. Once you uninstall the update, it'll automatically remove the "Get Windows 10" app from your computer.

The update is called KB3035583. Uninstall it by going to:

Control Panel -> Programs -> Programs and Features -> Installed Updates

Search for Update for Windows (KB3035583)

Uninstall it.

Original Article By Vishal Gupta http://tinyurl.com/pwpu4km

EFFECTIVENESS 8/10 (Windows Update will keep nagging you) DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY Easy enough

Page 33

Cartoon

Newsletter 298

http://tinyurl.com/ozpztgf

Page 34

Cartoon

Newsletter 298

http://tinyurl.com/nobt5xl