How to Access the Task Manager Faster

Most persons use Ctrl+Alt+Del to bring up the lock screen from where they'll be able to choose the Task Manager, but if you're about speed as much as I am then you would love this neat trick:
use Ctrl+Shift+Esc instead and cut out the 'middle man'.

BTW: The Task Manager is a Windows feature/utility that gives you information on the programs and processes that are running on your computer.  You can use the Task Manager to close an unresponsive program or to monitor which program(s) is hogging your system resources (memory) or getting all your CPU's attention.

Avoiding installation of unwanted programs

Many software companies and developers these days are including add-on software in their bundles which in most cases are unwanted by users (including myself) since they can lead to your computer slowing down either at Start-up or Shutdown.

To avoid accidentally installing these unwanted programs/toolbars/add-ons etc. ALWAYS use the 'CUSTOM install' option once it is available and READ carefully what you are saying YES or ACCEPT to especially if the software you're installing is FREEWARE or SHAREWARE

How to add Text Next to Time on Taskbar

Here's a neat trick for personalizing your time on the taskbar of Windows 7 (not tested on Windows XP, sorry):

1. Click on Start
2. Click Control Panel
3. Click on Region and Language
4. Click Additional Settings (bottom of window)
5. Open the Time tab
6. Click 'AM' and delete it OR add whatever text you want.  Do the same for 'PM'
7. Click Apply for immediate preview OR OK for permanency
8. Click OK or CANCEL accordingly at the next window
9. SUCCESS

How to Add/Remove locations in the 'Send To' menu

Whenever you right-click on a file you are presented with a menu which (among other things) has a 'Send to' sub-menu.  This 'Send to' menu allows you to send the file to a number of different locations, including an email recipient or even your Desktop.

To add/remove locations from the list in Windows 7 you can do the following:

1. Click on Start
2. Type 'shell:sendto' (without the quotes) in the "search programs and files" search bar
3. Hit/press Enter - this opens up the SendTo folder
4. You can Delete the locations/options you do not want (Click and hit Delete OR right-click and choose Delete)
5. To ADD a location/option RIGHT-CLICK and choose NEW then SHORTCUT
6. Use the Create Shortcut wizard to add your new location/option
7. Close the SendTo folder when you're done
8. SUCCESS

How to download EVERYTHING faster

I hate waiting for my downloads to complete and i'm sure you do too so here are some things you can do to speed up the downloading process:

1. Use a download manager e.g. Free Download Manager (www.freedownloadmanager.org) or JDownloader (http://jdownloader.org)
2. Connect your computer directly to your router using an Ethernet cable instead of using Wi-Fi
3. Turn off all internet-connected devices such as tablets, smartphones and others computers
4. Choose a fast site.  You might be able to find the file you need on another website which allows faster downloads
5. Consider downloading your large files late at night or early in the morning

PC Woes - McAfee & Defender Problems

A slow PC will frustrate you even if you're the most patient person, especially if you're unable to identify the exact piece of software/hardware that's responsible for creating the problem.

Here are two you should watch out for: McAfee and Windows Defender

Problem: Your PC keeps giving you a "not responding" error which may last for 5 to 20 seconds when completing tasks. 

Solution 1 (there are many others): If this started happening after changing your antivirus to McAfee (whatever) and you also have Windows Defender on your PC, check and ensure that Windows Defender has been disabled.  McAfee is supposed to disable it but seems to "forget" these days.

The "Why" for the problem: Both McAfee and Windows Defender might be scanning your PC at the same time which IS a combination that spells PROBLEM as they both tussle for system resources.

To manually disable Windows Defender you can do the following:

1. Go to the Start Menu
2. Open Windows Defender
3. Click 'Tools'
4. Click 'Options'
5. Select 'Administrator'
6. Untick 'Use Windows Defender'
7. Click 'Save' to complete the process
8. SUCCESS

The end of all things PC

We are quickly approaching the end of a very good run by the PC (Personal Computer).  Upon careful observation of the current trends in computing; the embracing of the smartphone and other "smart" devices as well as the growing popularity of tablets, it is clear to me that the days of the PC are numbered.

The sales figures speaks volumes and in the past year, 2011, more Ipads were sold than PCs (laptops and desktops inclusive) not to mention the amount of other tablets sold, including the HP Touchpad (made popular by HP's firesale of the device).

The move to cloud computing also bodes well for mobile devices and mobile computing and even though desktops can also benefit from cloud-computing, it really defeats the purpose to a certain extent.

It's my belief that the final nail in the PC's coffin is already almost here, Windows 8, and though I do not see the PC going under without putting up a good fight, it WILL go under because the future is not going to be tied to a desk, the future of computing wants to walk with you wherever you may wander.

How to stop programs that start when your computer starts

When you start up your computer there are several programs that start up as well, some of them are necessary/essential while other can be turned off.  Turning off unnecessary programs at computer startup can significantly increase your computer’s startup-performance, cutting back on the amount of time you will have to wait before being able to use the system.

Here’s how:

1. If you’re running Windows 7 or Vista, click start
2. Type Msconfig in the search bar (for Win XP, click start, then run (on the right side) and type Msconfig)
3. When the system configuration box appear click on the startup tab
4. You can now uncheck the programs you do not want starting when the computer starts. Ensure that all the programs you uncheck will still allow your computer to start safely; if you are unsure of any program then it is best to leave it ticked (A list of common programs that can be safely unchecked is found below)
5. Click OK and restart your computer. You should experience a performance boost.

Programs that can be safely unchecked:

• Adobe reader/acrobat
• Microsoft Office (OneNote/Groove etc.)
• Google (Update/toolbar/desktop etc.)
• Nero
• Virtual drive software (DAEMON, ALCOHOL etc.)
• Java update
• Magic Jack launcher
• Messengers (LIVE/MSN/OOVOO/AOL/YAHOO etc.)
• Mobile Phone tools

NB: You can comment any others you think should be added to the list

How to make a hard drive invisible

There are a lot of ways to make your hard disk (hd) and partitions invisible, here one:

1.       Click Start.

2.       In the Search field (or Run…if you use Win XP) type CMD and do not press Enter.

3.       Right click the DOS icon and click Run as Administrator on the menu.

4.       In the black Command Prompt window, type: Diskpart

5.       Press Enter.

6.       Type List Volume

7.       Press Enter. A list of all the partitions on your hard disk will be displayed identified by a letter and a number. (For example, partition A will be identified by number 1 etc.)

8.       Let’s say that you want to make partition B invisible (identified by number 2)

9.       Type Select Volume 2 and press Enter.

10.   Now, type Remove letter B

11.   Press Enter.

12.   If asked, reboot your computer.

13.   If you want to unhide and make the partition visible again, repeat steps 1 to 9 then type Assign letter B

14.   Done!

Apple Computers and Viruses - The TRUTH

Have you ever heard that Mac OS X is particularly resistant to viruses?  The claim sounds like slick marketing or maybe an urban legend.  The truth of the matter, however, is that Mac computers are actually very unlikely to have problems with viruses—not necessarily because of superior design, but because of a few simple facts about how computers and viruses work.

Operating Systems

When people talk about Mac computers, they can be referring to two separate features—hardware and operating system. Hardware includes the physical parts of a computer. The Mac OS X actually uses hardware very similar to Windows computers.

When people talk about the Mac OS X being resistant to viruses, they are not talking about hardware but about the operating system. An operating system is a set of software stored on a computer. This software allows you to communicate with the computer. Operating systems translate information from hardware into information that is useable both to software applications and to you.

So why is the Mac OS X operating system vulnerable to fewer viruses than Windows? To understand this, you must understand a little bit about how computer viruses come into existence.

Virus Design

Viruses do not spontaneously pop into existence. They must be specifically programmed to work, by real people who strategize about how to make their viruses more effective at infecting computers and spreading themselves around.

Viruses target software. They corrupt files, hide in seemingly harmless places, and use the existing communication systems of computers to copy and spread themselves. In effect, a virus is a kind of computer program—admittedly one that no one would ever want or install intentionally.

The Truth

So why is this important? Well, the people who design viruses, for whatever reason, want them to spread efficiently. But a virus cannot be compatible with both the Mac OS X operating system and Windows at the same time. Because fewer people use Mac OS X than Windows-based computer, designing a virus for Mac computers is a great way to ensure that most people will never even see the virus.

If a virus that runs on the Mac OS X operating system manages to copy itself onto a machine running a Windows operating system, the virus will simply not work. The reverse is also true; a virus designed for Windows machines will not run if copied to a computer running Mac OS X.

Mac computers rarely experience viruses. But as you can see, this is mainly because a virus designed for Mac OS X has minimal chances of spreading.

How to Replace Your Laptop Screen

If your image problem is due to a broken or malfunctioning laptop screen replacing it is fairly easy.  The only tool you will need is a screwdriver; here are some easy steps to follow.

• Step 1. First off note which type of screen your laptop has and purchase one that is guaranteed to fit. While some model laptops from the same manufacture may fit, ensure it fits before your go out and purchase it. Once you are ready to replace the screen, shut down the computer, remove the battery and unplug it.

• Step 2. Locate the screw covers on the plastic frame (usually rubber or plastic) to gain access to the screws that hold the screen to the bezel in pace. In most cases, your screen will have from 4 to 6 total screw covers. You will probably need a small flat head or Phillips screw driver; however some laptops might have their own screw heads which will require special screw drivers or Allen wrenches to remove the screws. Screw covers will usually be located on the bottom of the plastic frame, however every computer model is different, so you will have to search for the screw covers to gain access to the screen.

• Step 3. Once you have removed the screw covers, remove all the screws, holding the screen in place. Once all the screws are removed, gently pull away the screen from the plastic bezel. Usually the best way to accomplish this is to use your fingers to gently roll around the entire bezel loosening the screen. Once you rolled your fingers all around the bezel slightly separating the screen, pull the screen away from the bezel using a light to moderate amount of force. If the screen is still not budging, check to make sure if there are any other screws still attached.

• Step 4. Now that the bezel has been removed, you should see the screen surrounded by its metal frame. At this point, you can tilt the screen forward, exposing the metal back of the LCD frame. The screen should gently pop out of its back shell. You should be able to see the wires running from the screen to the laptop. There should be two main wires; the first is a ribbon which is the video cable. The video cable is usually taped in place. Remove the tape and then gently disconnect the ribbon from the LCD screen. The other wire is the power cable for the inverter. In most cases, if you are just replacing the LCD screen, you will continue to use the inverter, leaving it as is. However, if you are replacing the inverter as well, disconnect the power cable and unscrew the inverter from its mount.

• Step 5. Once your old screen has been removed, plug in the new screen and set it in the shell. However, before you screw in the bezels, you should test the screen to make sure it is working properly. In order to test the screen, you will need to power up your computer. If when you power up your computer, the screen is working properly, you can shut down the computer and continue to screw in the screen to the bezel and cover the screws with the plastic or rubber caps.

How to Speed up PC shutdown times (Win XP)

It's not only start-up that you'd like to speed up; you can also make sure that your system shuts down faster. If shutting down XP takes what seems to be an inordinate amount of time, here are a couple of steps you can take to speed up the shutdown process:

Don't have XP clear your paging file at shutdown.  For security reasons, you can have XP clear your paging file (pagefile.sys) of its contents whenever you shut down.  Your paging file is used to store temporary files and data, but when your system shuts down, information stays in the file. Some people prefer to have the paging file cleared at shutdown because sensitive information such as unencrypted passwords sometimes ends up in the file.  However, clearing the paging file can slow shutdown times significantly, so if extreme security isn't a high priority, you might not want to clear it.

To shut down XP without clearing your paging file, run the Registry Editor (click Start > Run, then type regedit in the Run box) and go to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management

Change the value of ClearPageFileAtShutdown to 0.

Close the Registry, and restart your computer.

Whenever you turn off XP from now on, the paging file won't be cleared, and you should be able to shut down more quickly.

Note: Please be careful when editing the Registry; you can do a lot of damage there. Don't change or delete anything unless you know exactly what it is.

Slow Internet Speed? Why?

The internet in some sense is worst then a highway because it’s hard to predict how many cars are going in and out. The difference though is that with the internet it is electrical signals that go instead of cars.

1. Just because you have a connection that should be 100 Mbps doesn't mean you will get it at that speed, it all depends on the place you’re downloading FROM.  So if I have a 3.6/0.5 Mbps speeds setup which means I can download at 3.6 Mbps and upload at 0.5 Mbps, it doesn’t matter how fast your download speed should be you would get the file at 0.5 Mbps because I can’t send it to you any faster.


2. Think of the internet connection in terms of you going grocery shopping, if you don`t pick the right time you could stand there for at minutes until you get the chance to pay and leave,  but if you get there when there is almost no costumers, then you can pay and leave much faster.  Your ISP tells you the speeds you can get UP TO, not necessarily the speed you WILL GET.


3. If you have many computers connected to your home network or internet connection or even several programs accessing the internet at the same time then you will experience slower download and upload speeds than if you have just one computer connected with fewer applications running.

4. The quality of the modem you’re using is also a key factor in the speed equation.

5. The Windows Registry is the master control center for your operating system and the applications it runs.  Corruption or overload registry issues can cause all sorts of pc performance problems, including poor application startup times, slow Windows start-up, extremely slow shut down, slow internet surfing, inability to resume from computer sleep and more.  Cleaning, compacting, and optimizing your Windows registry can go a long way to dramatically speeding up your computer’s performance, start-up and shutdown speed.

Laptop Battery Care

If you own a laptop, you may have noticed that the battery life tends to degrade over time. A laptop that starts off with four hours of battery life may end up with only three at the end of the year.  As time passes, the battery becomes nearly unusable, holding a mere fraction of its original charge.

Battery degradation is an unavoidable result of battery use.  Although a great battery can last for many years, even the best cared for battery will eventually lose its ability to hold a charge. Proper laptop battery care however, has a huge impact on how long your battery lasts.

1.     Disconnect Your Battery When Plugged In

The batteries in laptops are sensitive to heat.  Excessively high temperatures will cause a battery to age more quickly than normal. Laptops themselves are often quite warm, particularly when they’re plugged into a wall socket and given the chance to use all of their processing power. If your battery is fully charged, it will be gaining no benefit from being plugged in while you’re connected to a wall socket.

In addition, it’s hard to be quite sure how your laptop is charging your battery when it is at 100%. Ideally the battery should not be sent any more current; however, there’s no way of knowing if the battery is being left on its own or is being sent a battery-life-killing trickle charge.

2.     Store Your Battery Properly

Surprisingly, laptop battery care doesn’t just mean keeping an eye on it while it is in your laptop. If you remove your laptop’s battery to preserve it during a period of extended desktop use, or your merely need to store your laptop and/or battery because you do not need it for some time, you need to pay attention to how your store your battery.

The number one rule of proper laptop battery care is to NEVER store your battery in a hot place. Cool temperatures are less of a concern, although you can damage a battery if you place it in temperatures well below zero.  

Also, charge level is a factor during long-term storage. Apple recommends that its batteries be stored at a 50% charge level, while many other manufacturers recommend 40%.  A battery that is completely discharged runs a small risk of becoming impossible to recharge if left that way long enough.  A battery at full charge, on the other hand, will tend to lose storage capacity if stored at full charge for a long period of time.

3.     Don’t Use Your Laptop in Bed

This is the heat issue again.  Your bed, your couch, or even your pants can serve as an insulating material that increases the temperatures inside a laptop. This can damage your battery’s storage capacity over time, as well as cause damage to the laptop components themselves.

Although the lap desks may seem silly, they’re not without purpose.  You can place your laptop on a flat, cool surface. This ensures that air continues to flow normally through the laptop and temperatures are kept as low as possible.

4.     Cycle Your Battery Frequently

Most batteries in laptops have a very unusual usage cycle. They’re often partially discharged and then fully or partially recharged, and rarely are allowed to reach a fully discharged state.

The problem with this is that batteries – or at least, the batteries in laptops – do not have a fuel gauge inside of them. The battery life is judged via a digital gauge, which makes its best guess based on the information it knows about the laptops previous charge and discharge cycles. If you do not fully discharge a battery on occasion, the digital gauge will lose its accuracy. This can cause the a perceived sudden drop in battery life if the gauge is over-estimating the remaining charge, or it can cause a perceived loss in battery capacity if the digital gauge is under-estimating the remaining charge.

You don’t need to cycle your battery every day or every time you use it. I recommend doing it once a month. Cycling your battery does not impact battery capacity directly, but it can prevent you from mis-judging a battery’s wear. 

Conclusion

Heat kills batteries. Heat from your laptop, heat from a warm summer’s day, heat from a blanket’s insulation – it doesn’t matter. Extreme temperatures can really chew through a battery, causing a noticeable drop in battery capacity in as little as a year.

Proper laptop battery care means keeping your battery away from heat. It also means cycling your battery to keep an eye on its true capacity and storing your battery if you do not plan to use it for long periods of time. Eventually, a battery will die no matter what you do, particularly if you use it frequently. But proper laptop battery care can mean the difference between a battery that needs to be replaced within a year and a battery that lasts three years or more.

Laptop Black Screen Issues and Troubleshooting

The procedure below is to be carried out once you have addressed any Software, Driver, Malware/Virus or Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) issues or if your laptop does not power on at all.

There are many things that can cause a laptop to have a Black screen, Shutdowns, and/or Restarts. Our first step in this process of elimination will be to identify faulty hardware. For example, before we can say it is a motherboard fault, we need to explore other possible hardware solutions to make sure we have viable working components. Time and patience will be required in this process.

Step One

Please remove any media from media slots including USB, CD/DVD drive and flash drives etc. Disconnect all items connected to USB, HDMI, Firewire ports etc.

• Start your laptop.

• Start your laptop while using only your AC cord without the battery.

• Start your laptop with battery only.

• If you can, please remove your CD/DVD drive and repeat the last tests.

• If that does not work, then we will move to next step.

Step Two

• Remove the battery and AC cord.

• Remove the bottom access cover/covers of your laptop and make sure the cooling path is free of fluff and dust. If there is dust in there, then get a can of

compressed air from you local hardware/computer store and blow out the dust.

• Check the heat sink on the CPU to make sure it is not loose. If it is not secure, then tighten the screws back down that hold it on.

• Remove and reseat your RAM modules.

• Replace your covers.

• Hold down your power button for 1 minute (Battery and AC still disconnected).

• Replace your AC power (not battery) and turn the computer on.

This is called a hard reset. If it works COOL, then replace your battery. Problem resolved.

• If that didn’t work;

• Remove and reseat your CPU and don't forget, if you remove it then it is necessary to clean off the old thermal paste and put new one.

• If you have a removable graphics card, remove and reseat this. Most laptops do have an integrated graphics chip and therefore this step is not necessary.

• One little thing to try before we move on. If your laptop's motherboard battery (CMOS) is accessable, (little silver coin shaped cell that looks like a watch battery), then remove this for about 15 minutes and replace it just like you took it out. This will reset your bios to default settings and is certainly worth a try. If you can’t find your motherboard battery or don’t know where it is (or if it is soldered to your motherboard), then dont worry about that issue and let’s move on.

• Start your laptop. If your laptop is now working, problem solved, if not move to next step.

Step Three

• Remove your HDD and try starting your laptop. If it goes through the POST, and a black screen appears with the message something like “Operating System Not Found” and remains at this screen, then your HD is faulty or the OS is corrupt so we need to proceed to HDD test #1.

• However, if having the HDD removed and the fault is still present (Black screen or restarting loop), then you will need to move on to Step Four.

HDD test #1

• Restart your laptop with the HDD still removed. Enter the bios set up menu using your laptops recommended keystrokes to enter the bios screen. In the bios set up screen, set the first boot device as your CD/DVD drive, save and exit your bios. Your laptop will reboot to the screen that says “Operating System Not Found”. Open your CD/DVD drive and insert your Windows disk or Recovery disk. Shut down your laptop and replace the HDD.

• Restart your laptop. What will happen next is the laptop will boot from the Windows CD, and give you a series of options including; repair Windows, clean install of Windows, etc. The first option should be to try a repair. You could also try Hard Disk diagnostic/repair tools run from a CD/DVD as well (advice can be given on this). If you have only Recovery disks, then the option will be a recovery. If you are able to carry out a successful repair, recovery, or a Fresh Windows install, then it was only a software problem and your problem is solved.

• If however you are getting an error messages like; Can’t perform repair or recovery, or any other error message, then it is a great possibility the Hard Disk Drive is faulty. Replace the Hard Disk Drive and reinstall Windows. If this process is a success, then you have found and solved your problem.

Step Four

• The next thing we need to look at is either the RAM or the CPU, since both are needed to satisfy the bios pre-post test. Because of the nature of operation between the CPU and RAM (which can give the same fault condition), we need to eliminate the faulty component. In the majority of cases RAM gives more problems than CPU's, so let’s move on to working with your Ram modules.

• Shutdown the laptop.

• Remove all the RAM.

• Insert only one stick of RAM at a time and swap it between the RAM slots to see if the laptop will start. If it starts you have one good RAM stick and RAM slot, your problem is solved.

• Try the same sequence for the other stick of RAM. If that stick produces the fault, throw it out and replace it with new.

• If each stick still produces the fault, then you may have two sticks of bad RAM or bad RAM slots.

• Now here is a possible problematic situation, because if we have not found a fix yet, it could still be the CPU, because both CPU and RAM can give the same fault. Therefore, we need to eliminate the fault, although it is not as easy as some earlier steps.

• You need to borrow a stick of known working RAM (bonus, because it costs nothing). Use a friend or family member with the exact model of laptop that uses the exact type of RAM, to borrow for testing (slim chance), or you can take your RAM to a Laptop Tech to test it for a nominal cost. One could even buy one if you wish to go that route, but that is certainly not the least inexpensive option. If this does not produce results, then we need to move to the CPU.

• You need to borrow a known working CPU (bonus, because it costs nothing). Use a friend or family member with the exact model of laptop that uses the exact type of CPU, to borrow for testing (slim chance), or you can take your CPU to a Laptop Tech to test it for a nominal cost. One could even buy one if you wish to go that route, but that is certainly not the least inexpensive option. If it turns out to be a CPU fault, and your laptop is now working, you have solved your problem.

• At this point, if your Ram and CPU appear to be fine, and the fault remains, we need to move to the next step.

Step Five

• Our next step is to check the GPU, the graphics chipset. This is not so easy, as most are integrated onto the motherboard. If yours is a high-end laptop then you may have a removable graphics card. Remove and reseat this, if that did not work, borrow or buy a known working GPU to test in your laptop..

• For integrated graphics, there are diverse ways to try a repair, but this requires the removal of your motherboard. At this stage you are most likely to have a motherboard fault.

• As you will have realized by now, this is not a fault with one common solution. That is the reason we have had to walk through your steps and process of elimination to identify faulty hardware before we can say it is most likely a motherboard fault.

• If one has gone though all the steps provided and has not resolved the issue, you are now at the point that you have to decide to try a new motherboard (this comes at a price), send the Laptop to an expert repairman to resolve the issue at substantial cost to you or go shopping for a new laptop.

Files and Folders Hidden By Virus

The Solution

1. Insert the thumb/flash drive into an empty USB slot. Take note of the drive letter assigned to your drive, for example, F:.

2. Bring up the Command Prompt

(In Windows Vista/7 bring up your Start menu then type cmd in the search bar

IF you're using Windows XP bring up the Start Menu - go to  All Programs - then Accessories)

3. Type/Enter the following command,

attrib -s -h -r f:/*.* /s /d       (where f: is the drive letter)

4. Press Enter and wait for the command to execute.

(You're DONE when the Command Prompt return to the state it was in before you typed in the command)

5. Open the thumb/flash drive and you should see the files that were hidden by the virus.

How do I know if my computer is infected with a virus or other malware?

Symptoms of computer malware that affect the Internet:

·         1. You may receive the error "Internet Explorer could not display the page" when attempting to access certain websites

·         2. Your web browser (e.g., Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome) freezes, hangs or is unresponsive

·         3. Your web browser's default homepage is changed

·         4. You get redirected to web pages other than the one you intended to go to

·         5. You receive numerous web-browser popup messages

·         6. Strange or unexpected toolbars appear at the top of your web browser

Malware symptoms that affect system performance:

·         1. Your computer runs slower than usual

·         2. Your computer freezes, hangs or is unresponsive

·         3. There are new icons on your desktop that you do not recognize

·         4. Your computer restarts by itself (but not a restart caused by Windows Updates)

·         5. You see unusual error messages (e.g., messages saying there are missing or corrupt files folders)

·         6. You are unable to access the Control Panel, Task Manager, Registry Editor or Command Prompt.

·       

Symptoms of malware in email:

·       1.   You receive messages in your mailbox without a sender address or subject.

      2.  People receive spam email from your email address with a third-party email program installed