I Can’t Open an Email Attachment

Email Attachments Not Opening?

New Technology often causes Lost ‘File to Program Associations’

Recently I have had a lot of phone calls and pleas for help regarding emails. ‘ I can’t open some of my emails!!!’. What they really mean is that they can’t open their email ‘Attachment’…and its only SOME attachments not all of them.

Strange? Not really… its to be expected.

Operating Systems and their Compatible Programs

People are becoming increasingly confused with ‘programs’ and ‘files’ and what opens what. This is due to the constant development of new operating systems, compatible programs and the difficulties you face dealing with the transitions. 

For each new Windows Operating System that comes out, Microsoft releases a new version of Office

1. XP=Office 2003

2. Vista = Office 2007

3. W7= Office 2010

This creates a problem for those who own Microsoft Office 2003 or previous versions:

You cannot open any file created with MS Office 2007 or 2010 without downloading a Compatability Viewer first  (here’s the link Compatibility Pack : CLICK HERE)

Another reason could be that they own a Mac and have produced the file with a Mac program that Windows PCs  can’t read

REMEMBER: Nowadays nothing is constant nor consistent when we speak of operating systems and their compatible programs

Programs and File Extensions
So how do you overcome this situation? 

When you create and save a file using a program, the name of the file is followed by a dot and then a file extention of 3 letters which tell you which program will open it.

Example:
.doc means that the file has been created with the MS Office Word 2003 program
.docx means that the file has been created with the MS Office Word 2007 or 2010 programs

HINT: when you send a file as an attachment it is probably best to send it in a .pdf file format (unless you want the receiver to be able to edit it)




Lost File Associations
If you can’t open a file it will probably have an icon that looks like this:



The reason is that your computer doesn’t know what type of file it is and can’t find a program to open it. It may have merely ‘Forgotten’ or someone sent you a file produced with a program your computer doesn’t recognise 

Why this happens varies, so its probably best to just know a solution that just may fix it. 

There are a couple of different ways to do this …


Right click on the icon.
from the Drop Down ‘Options Menu’
Left Click

1. ‘Open with’: and choose a program you think may open it. Look for a box to tick when you want your computer to always open an unidentified icon with this specific program because you are reasonable certain that you know which one will open the file

or
              2. ‘Rename’ is a  shorter and faster method to use when you are not sure which program to use

I have a ‘Lost File Association’ Step-By-Step Guide to restoring lost file extensions so please contact me so I can send it to you

Its a quick fix so if this doesn’t work be sure to contact me so we can get to the bottom of it


Kind Regards

Kim-Denyse CertIV TAE, Dip Bus
My Computer Tutor
kim@mycomputertutor.net.au

Dottie King Lion’s Club Award

I was recently humbled and quite honoured to attend  the Southport Lion’s Club Installation Dinner for 2010 as a guest of one of my inspirational students, Mrs Dottie King

The Dinner was held at the Southport Golf Club and I was treated to not only a scrumptious meal but to meeting the members of Lions Clubs from not only the local area but from overseas as well

Dottie was surprised when they presented her with the Frank O’Brien Memorial Shield Award for her invaluable contribution to the Lions for the publication of the Southport Lion’s Club Bulletin on the night.

I was completely overcome when Dottie included me in a couple of paragrahs in her latest publication on the Editor’s page as well as mentioning me as she received her prestigious Award (We won’t mention that I was doing a contortionous act quietly in the corner trying to take photos in ungainly positions at the time!)

This is what she said…

Twelve months ago, when I accepted the position of Bulletin Editor, I thought to myself “why did I volunteer?” as I only knew the bare basics of the workings of a computer.

I could type a letter, send and receive emails, ‘GOOGLE’ things like the weather or something that I wanted to learn more about. I could also play “Spider Solitaire” until I was cross-eyed.

But, put a bulletin together, now that was a whole new ball game! So I enlisted the help of the very bestest computer tutor, Kim-Denyse. She has shown me soooo much, and she is so patient when I make a mistake or don’t understand what she is trying to teach me. And we have a lot of fun doing it. As well as showing me the basics of putting a bulletin together she has taught me lots of other things that you can do on a computer. Without Kim-Denyse’s help and guidance you would have had a very ordinary bulletin.

People often ask me why I chose to start a business teaching people computers from the beginning, well read on and you have my answer…

ABOUT DOTTIE

Dottie was referred to me by one of her friends, Wendy to whom I shall always be very thankful. When I turned up for our first night of ‘lessons’ I was greeted a tiny woman with the most amazing sparkling eyes that I was soon to find out reflected an equally shining heart.

Apart from being a full time carer for her equally amazing Lion and decorated vetran husband, Ray, who recently celebrated his 90th birthday and has unfortunately become a stroke victim… She had recently volunteered to become the Editor of the Southport Lion’s Club Bulletin and although she was a pretty speedy typist! (putting my skills to shame), she felt the task quite daunting and wanted to enlist my help.  So for the past year it has been my distinct pleasure not only to help Dottie create the Southport Lion’s Club Bulletin which is published quarterly, but also be inspired by such a selfless and giving woman. Great things sure do come in small packages! 

Up until now Dottie and Ray have been unsung heroes for decades with their tireless work they do for the Lion’s Club. This tiny woman with the true heart of a lion makes a real difference in the lives of others by her words, her creativity and her  never ending thirst for knowledge

So if you  are looking looking for some inspiration as to what you can achieve with your computer, just look to Dottie as an example.

Regards

Kim-Denyse

My Computer Tutor

mycomptutor@gmail.com

PS: If you are interested in joining the Lions Club or want information regarding this article please do not hesitate to contact me

What is Phishing?

One of the most Frequently asked Questions by new and experienced computer users alike is ‘What is Phishing?’

I came across an article on this phishy subject (that may be a little outdated but it is still really well written and easy to understand) and thought I would share to save you the search for youreslves

Hey..ITs easy when you know how!

Let’s Not Go Phishing
So you open your email inbox and the message states: “We suspect an unauthorized transaction on your credit card account. To ensure that your account is not compromised, please click the link below and confirm your identity.” The graphics and company logo appear just as they do on your credit card company’s website. The email message follows the same format as the company announcements, newsletters, and updates you received in the past via email.



In all likelihood, the message was not from your credit card company, but was a scam. A person probably copied the graphics from the company’s website and formatted the email message to appear like typical company emails. What would have happened if you had clicked on the link within the email message and entered personal information? Your information would have been sold, along with many other people’s information, to be used in identity theft scams.


Exploiting the Internet to scam people into revealing their personal or credit card information by pretending to be a company they do business with is called phishing. Phishers scam people by “fishing” for personal and financial information from unsuspecting customers and use the information for monetary gain.


Phishing is a lucrative business. According to a study by the Better Business Bureau and Javelin Strategy & Research, 8.9 million people were the victims of online fraud or identity theft last year. The average consumer suffered a loss of $6,383.


what can you do to avoid getting “hooked” by a phishing scam?


• Don’t reply to emails that ask for personal or financial information. Legitimate companies that you are already doing business with do not ask for personal or financial information via email.


• Never click links within emails that ask for personal or financial information. Hackers can retrieve information from your computer in numerous ways including accessing stored information and monitoring keystrokes.


• Avoid cutting and pasting links from an email message into a new browser window. Many people think this will help them determine if a website is legitimate; however, phishers can make links appear like they go to a legitimate site, while sending you to another website they control.


• Never call company phone numbers listed in an email. A common scam asks you to call the phone number listed in the email to update your account information. Sophisticated technology can mask an area code and divert the call anywhere. If you need to reach a company, call the number printed on your financial statements, credit card, or the company website.


• Don’t email personal or financial information and always keep your account passwords private.


• Use anti-virus and anti-spyware software, a firewall, and spam filters. Update these regularly!


• Be wary of emails that seem urgent. Phishing emails often state that immediate action is required to tempt you to respond without thinking.


• Pay close attention to the web address if you choose to access a company’s website through an email link. Some phishers register domain names that look very similar to the legitimate domain name of a company. If there is any doubt, open a new browser window and type the web address yourself.


how can you tell if you’ve been scammed?


No matter how diligent you are, phishing scams are deceptive and it is easy to be tricked into revealing your private information. Be sure to remain alert and read your credit card and bank statements as soon as they arrive.


Also, if you are a United States citizen you should check your credit report regularly to look for any new accounts or suspicious activity. The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act grants us a report from each of the three nationwide consumer credit reporting companies once every twelve months. Go to www.annualcreditreport.com for information on how to order a free annual credit report.


what do you do if you think you’ve been scammed?


Forward deceptive emails to spam@uce.gov. The Federal Trade Commission uses these to pursue legal actions against people who operate scams within the United States.


You can also forward the email to the appropriate email address of the company that is represented. Most companies have sections on their website to deal with fraud, spam, and identity theft.


If you are a US victim of online phishing, visit the FTC’s Identity Theft website to review the steps you need to take if you are a victim of fraud.


Be smart about the emails and offers you receive and think logically to minimize your risk of getting hooked. If you are proactive and review your credit report and financial statements regularly, you may be able to catch fraud early before any significant damage occurs. And if you’re on the lookout for deceptive and fraudulent emails, you will learn how to spot the sharks in these online phishing scams!






REF : KELLY L. POTTER


DECEMBER 3, 2006

Smilebox Playback

 

Smilebox Playback

www.smilebox.com is a free program you can download and create your own ecards, slideshows, scapbooks and more

Its Easy!

I have written MCT Step-by-Step Guide on how to smilebox so contact me now to email it to you

Yours in Creativity

Kim-Denyse DIP.BUS.MARK.D

My Computer Tutor

www.mycomputertutor.net.au mycomptutor@gmail.com

PS: If you would like to learn how to manage and enhance your photos before you make your Smilebox creations why not get a group of friends and family together for a autumn/winter’s Sunday afternoon MCT Photos workshop?

Contact me now for more information and available dates

APRIL NEWS: NEW WEBSITE AND WEEKEND WORKSHOPS

I have news that may be of interest to you…

 

My Computer Tutor has a new and improved website with a little (HUGE) amount of help from my dear friend and computer genius Murray McAuliffe.

To check it out click on this link: (or copy and paste it into your address bar) www.mycomputertutor.net.au

 

Now you can contact me directly from there as well, by using the Contact Form that is on every page. You can also purchase the My Computer Tutor Course CDs from the Downloads page (great gift idea!).

 

Its brand new so I still have a couple of things to fiddle, fix and add. If you are curious enough to find some time to have a click around it and test it out, I would be very appreciative. (HINT: click on the Amazon Link to purchase your favourite books and CDs online). Any and all suggestions are welcome!

 

There is also a link to the Ning My Computer Tutor Network Site, so you can always get there quickly and easily to stay on contact with the other students or develop your own webpage (to promote your own stuff for free). I will also be constantly uploading Free Stuff on the My Computer Tutor Step-By-Step Guides Blogand you can ‘Follow’ me on Twitter if you tweet

 

Thanks to your continued support I am working towards my ultimate goal. My dream is to build a sustainable business teaching and selling the courses and workshops (I am constantly writing and rewriting), to not only Beginners, the Lost and the Confounded, but also to those Government
Agencies, Corporate and Philanthropic organisations who have the capacity to help people who (through life’s unfairness) don’t have the resources readily available to them e.g. at risk youth, indigenous Australians, women in 3^rd world countries, people with learning and physical disabilities, people who live in remote areas and the list goes on.I studied for my Diploma in Business Marketing and Cert IV in Business Management with higher goals than just the usual in mind

 

My Computer Tutor fills the void for providing ethical service and support to everyone who needs a helping hand in the confusion of this ever changing technological world, so that they can keep up and achieve whatever goals and dreams that they wish to achieve, safely and economically. Eventually I will be publishing a book on the subject and am eager to start Key Note speaking at community events.

 

I will begin to market the My Computer Tutor: Essential Computer Workshops in the next couple of weeks to Job Network Service Providers (for the long term
unemployed), Clubs, Groups and small businesses. If you know anyone you think would benefit from them or like to have me come and keynote speak at a function my hand is up!

 

Another IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:

I have recently developed a workshop on just Photos… how to import, scan, edit, email, create slideshows, upload them to web albums and a lot more!

 

This workshop is not only essential for home use but for people who are Scrapbooking, researching their ancestry, businesses who are marketing their product, artists, fashion designers etc etc

 

You have a choice between

1. attending a 3 hour Workshop that will be held at Quick Smart Computers on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon 2-5 (min 3 people) @$75ea
2. 1 to 1 tuition in your home (or in my home office) for $135 (+ $10 travelling exp if you live north of Main Beach, south of Miami or west of Merrimac)

You will receive a free Picasa program and a Course CD + 1 free hour of remote assistance after the course

 

Why not phone a friend or two for a fun afternoon together?

Please contact me ASAP to book in your preferred date and time. First in best dressed.

 

My joy has been, and will always be, working One 2 One with you and I wish to thank you so much for all of your continuing support.

 

If I don’t hear from you I will assume that you have reached your goals and you are happy with what you are currently doing, but… remember that I am here if you need me, whether I come to your home, you come to me, or I provide immediate remote assistance.

 

Help is only a phone call or an email away

 

I look forward to hearing from you soon

 

PS: remember you can call me on SKYPE for FREE kim.denyse

Importing Contacts From CSV into MS Outlook 07

MCT Step-By-Step Guide: Importing Contacts Otlk07

    

© MCT STEP-BY-STEP GUIDES: EMAIL: OUTLOOK 2007: CONTACTS: IMPORT

import contacts  to outlook 2007

possible scenarios

You have a new Outlook 2007 program and you want to transfer all your contacts from your web based email program e.g. Gmail into it

This Step-By-Step guide assumes you have saved your contacts to a .csv file from your Gmail account to your desktop  [see Export Contacts from Gmail]

Now you can have all of your contacts in both your Gmail account and your Outlook account

Click here for your Free MCT Step-By-Step Guide (printer friendly) 

PS: If you are a novice computer user and would like to do a full Emailing Essentials course just go to the MCT website where you can purchase a Course CD or Enrol in the famous BLC courses with the computer fairy princess, Kim-Denyse
http://www.mycomputertutor.net.au/ 

Exporting Contacts from Gmail to CSV

 

©STEP-BY-STEP GUIDES: EMAILING: GMAIL: CONTACTS: EXPORT

export contacts from gmail to .csv format

possible scenario

You  have an existing a web based email account, for example Gmail
You now want to transfer your contacts to another email program e.g. MS Outlook

• The first step is to export your contacts by converting them to one .csv file that can be opened with MS Excel

Click here for your Free MCT Step-By-Step Guide (printer friendly) 

• Step 2. is to go to your Outlook and import this .csv file Its easy…

 IMPORT CSV. TO OUTLOOK

 

PS: If you are a novice computer user and would like to do a full Emailing Essentials course just go to the MCT website where you can purchase a Course CD or Enrol in the famous BLC courses with the computer fairy princess, Kim-Denyse

http://www.mycomputertutor.net.au/

How to Import Contacts to Gmail from a .csv file

© STEP-BY-STEP GUIDES: EMAILING: GMAIL: CONTACTS: IMPORT

import contacts to gmail or web mail account

possible scenarios

You have opened up a new webmail account e.g. Gmail and you want to transfer all your contacts from your PC based email program to your new web based email program

This Step-By-Step guide assumes you have saved your contacts to a .csv file

[see exporting contacts to a .csv file]

This MCT SBS Guide shows you how to import contacts to Gmail from another program’s .csv file

How?

Click here for your Free MCT Step-By-Step Guide (printer friendly) 

PS: If you are a novice computer user and would like to do a full Emailing Essentials course just go to the MCT website where you can purchase a Course CD or Enrol in the famous BLC courses with the computer fairy princess, Kim-Denyse

http://www.mycomputertutor.net.au/

Exporting Contacts from MS Outlook to a .csv File

 

STEP-BY-STEP GUIDES: EMAILING: OUTLOOK 2007: CONTACTS: EXPORT

export contacts from outlook to .Csv

possible scenario

• You  have opened up a web based email account because you are travelling or because you have changed your ISP
• You currently have all of your contacts in MS Outlook 2007 and want to copy them all to your new web mail account e.g. Gmail
• First you need to export your contacts by converting them to one .csv file that can be opened with MS Excel
• Then you go to your webmail account and import this .csv file

Its easy…

Click here for your Free MCT Step-By-Step Guide (printer friendly) 

PS: If you are a novice computer user and would like to do a full Emailing Essentials course just go to the MCT website where you can purchase a Course CD or Enrol in the famous BLC courses with the computer fairy princess, Kim-Denyse

www.mycomputertutor.net.au

import contacts from Outlook Express or Windows Mail to Outlook 2007

STEP-BY-STEP GUIDES: EMAILING: OUTLOOK 2007: CONTACTS: IMPORT

 

possible scenario

 

• You have just bought the newest version of Microsoft office 2007’s Outlook email program
• Previously you have been using Outlook Express with your XP operating System
• All of you contacts are in Outlook Express and you would like to transfer them to Outlook 2007

 

Click on this link for your Free MCT Step-By-Step Guide (printer friendly)

PS: If you are a novice computer user and would like to do a full Emailing Essentials course just go to the MCT website where you can purchase a Course CD or Enrol in the famous BLC courses with the computer fairy princess, Kim-Denyse
http://www.mycomputertutor.net.au/