June 22, 2006

Komando's Q & A: Add memory to speed up PC

Kim Komando, Gannett News Service

Question: My computer runs slowly. Is there a way to speed it up? I have Windows XP and 128 megabytes of RAM. Microsoft says that is enough.

Answer: That's enough memory to keep the computer running, but it isn't enough to make it run well. For that, you need a minimum of 256MB. If you keep a number of programs open simultaneously, 512MB is worthwhile. And, it you're editing videos, go for 1 gigabyte. Memory is inexpensive, and relatively easy to install. It is a great investment if your computer is slow.

Q: My daughter starts college this fall. I'd like to buy her a voice recorder for her classes. Can you give me some guidance? Are they expensive?

A: Most students probably use their music players to record. Creative, iRiver and SanDisk all make such players. She also could use an Apple iPod if she buys a microphone. A music player will run you anywhere from $50 to $400. Digital recorders run about the same range. They may have more recording time. Before recording her professors, your daughter should check with them. Some may not want to be recorded.

Q: I have some documents in Microsoft Word that I prefer to keep private. Does Word provide for password protection?

A: Word does provide for encryption and password protection. However, I cannot recommend it. There are numerous tools available on the Internet that can break these passwords. Independent encryption programs, such as PGP Desktop Home, $99, (www.pgp.com); Bestcrypt, $60, (www.jetico.com); and PC-Encrypt, also $49, (www.pc-encrypt.com) are much better. You also could use a zipping program, such as WinZip, $30, (www.winzip.com) or PKZip, $29, (www.pkware.com).

Q: Whenever my daughter leaves the house, she leaves her laptop running with an away message on her AOL Instant Messenger. Is this a problem? I think she is leaving her laptop vulnerable to attacks.

A: The laptop should not be vulnerable. Attacks through AIM are similar to those conducted via e-mail. They will require her to open an attachment or click a link. Attackers should not be able to force something onto her computer. On the other hand, I see no advantage to leaving AIM logged in. Logging back on takes only a minute or so. If she's off, AIM will tell her buddies that. That's as good as any away message.

Q: I have begun burning CDs. However, I'm getting a message asking if I want to finalize them. What does that mean?

A: Finalizing makes the CDs work in players. So, if you are burning a CD to play in your car, it should be finalized. However, if you are simply storing data on a disc, and you plan to add more, you might want to leave it open. Personally, I always finalize mine. CD-Rs are cheap. If I make a data disc, and later want to add information, I chuck the old one and start over.

E-mail questions to Komando at gnstech@gns.gannett.com.