About

Windows Assistance

Who Am I?

I started in the computer business in 1973. Yea right, old. I was trained at Control Data Institute. Hardware Technician. My first job was maintaining an IBM 360/50. The story Computers Ain't No Fun No More is about some of my experiences with the 360/50. I think a 486 micro-computer has more power than the 360/50 but not the fun. After the 360/50 I spent 5 years working with DEC PDP11/45 and 11/70s. From there systems got smaller and smaller.

Troubleshooting computers has greatly changed. In the beginning I needed to find a circuit board that maybe held a flipflop or two and gates. Now you take out the entire system board. The challenge is not repairing the hardware but in maintaining operating systems and computer networks.

What About This Site?

This site was originally setup to give me someplace to put all the articles I have written for the Orange Bytes. The Orange Bytes is the newsletter of the North Orange County Computer Club. From 1991 to 1995 I created an electronic version of the Orange Bytes using MS Windows Help. With the rise of the Web I quit that project and took over as the SIG Leader of the Windows SIG. In early 1995 it was still Windows 3.1. I quit as a SIG Leader in early 1998. Throughout this time I wrote articles for the Orange Bytes, primarily about MS Windows. I still do.

My main goal with this site is to discuss the Windows interface and how the user interacts with it. The majority of the problems I see with users of Windows or any graphical user interface, is getting familiar with navigating the various tools available to the user. The button may say START, but the question is: START WHAT?

The areas of Windows that will be covered at Windows Assistance will be the operating system, Internet Explorer, and Outlook Express. The operating system, OS, has many parts. One part is the Shell which includes the Tasbar, Start menu, the Desktop. Another area are the utilities that support the OS. Many of these utilities are in the Programs/Accessories/System Tools folder. Also those utilities found in the Control Panel will be covered. Another area that will be covered will be networking. Primarily connecting Windows 98 to a network.

This Site is a Daily

I plan to update the site each weekday. Weekends and holidays I take off. The first update for the day is at 6am or as close to that as I can get. I may make further updates during the day. Any security bulletins received will be posted asap. 

New url http://www.windowsassistance.com.

Even with the new URL I still use the same free web site service from Netscape. This means that the actual address of the site hasn't changed. One thing at a time. This is a one-person operation and can only do so much.

AOL Instant Messenger

My AIM name is winassist. If I am online I will be glad to try and answer your questions.

Just Ask

You have a problem. Let me know. Either by e-mail or the message page. Ask anything. When I gave seminars on using Windows 95 I used to say there wasn't a question I knew the answer to. I learned a lot from all those questions I couldn't answer. I'm still learning.

Search Me

You can search this site using Atomz.com. There is a search field on the home page (and most major pages such as this one) and a link to the advanced search page. You can also search the Web using Google.com.

What Changes?

Let me hear from you if you have complaints, problems, or suggestions. I really want to hear from you if you have ideas on how to improve the Windows interface.

What Would You Like From This Site?

Give me some ideas. I'll see what I can do.

Lessons?

Is there a part of Windows that you do not understand, such as the files system or shortcuts? Let me know.

How The Site Is Designed

Windows Assistance is designed to be seen at a resolution of at least 800x600. Any browser that supports tables will do. I don't use anything fancy. I recently upgraded from Frontpage 97 to Frontpage 2000. I encourage comments on the design of the site. Let me know what you think. Ideas are welcome.

see ya!