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Dear PC Doctor,
I just purchased a new computer from Dell that came with Microsoft's new Windows 7. Everything is working great so far, but I have a quick question. Before on my old computer, which ran XP, I would routinely create System Restore points every week. I would like to do the same with my new PC on Windows 7, but I'm not sure how it's done. Any ideas? Thanks!
Ashley
Dear Ashley,
Creating a System Restore point is always a good idea. They offer an excellent fall back and quick fix whenever something goes wrong with a PC. I personally recommend creating Restore points before you make a significant change to your computer and before installing new applications. Glad to hear that you plan on practicing it with the new PC. Now how to do it with Windows 7.
Open the Start menu, and right click on "Computer." From the drop-down menu select "Properties." This will open up the Systems area of your computer's Control Panel, from here click on "System Protection" in the left hand option panel. This will open a new System Properties pane, click on the "System Protection" tab. Under this tab you will find the System Restore options. You can create or use a Restore Point from this tab. In your case, you want to create a Restore Point. So click on the "Create" button in the bottom right-hand corner. You will be prompted to name the Restore Point; I like to give it a name that will imply why I created it. Such as: (“Point before I changed color setting”). After naming the Point, click the "Create" button. Allow it to create and save the Restore Point. You will receive a message once it's been created successfully. Good luck with the new PC!
PC Doctor
PC Doctor's Tip of the Week: Gmail Notifier
Logging in and out of your Gmail account throughout the day is a hassle. Or if you are like me, it's very easy to forget to check your Gmail account especially if you happen to have several accounts. Google has something that can help us with this. It's called Gmail notifier, a free downloadable application that runs in your computer's background and notifies you whenever you receive an e-mail. If you don't use Gmail already check it out at www.gmail.com. It's a great free e-mail service provided by Google.
First off, download and install the application from the following website: www.gmailnotifier.com/. Once installed, setting it up is very straightforward. You'll be asked to set the user language, followed by logging in via your Gmail account. Once logged, in a little Gmail icon will appear in your System Tray (the array of icons next to your clock.) You can open up the Notifier interface by clicking this icon. Via the interface you can quickly check and browse your mail. Right-click the icon if you wish to configure the settings for the Notifier. There are a number of settings you can tinker with, such as setting the icon to blink or even beep whenever you receive new mail. Say goodbye to logging in and out of Gmail. Enjoy!
PC Doctor
Until next time…happy computing!
Posted: to Athol Library News on Fri, Jan 29, 2010
Updated: Fri, Jan 29, 2010
