Tech Tip of the Day: How to automatically archive old messages in Microsoft Outlook 2010

Description: This is a how-to article for Microsoft Outlook 2010 on the subject of setting AutoArchive to automatically archive old messages and emails.

1. Within Outlook, select the folder for which to configure AutoArchive.
   
   
   
   
2. Across the top of the Office Ribbon, choose the Folder tab.
   
   
   
   
3. Choose the AutoArchive Settings option across the Ribbon.
   
   
   
   
4. On the new window that appears, choose "Archive items in this folder using the default settings" and then click on the Default Archive Settings button.
   
   
   
   
5. Check the Run AutoArchive Every... box and select the number of days. In most cases the
   default (14) is sufficient.
   
   
   
   
6. Select the other options as appropriate and click OK to confirm.
   
   
   
   
7. Click OK on the Inbox Properties window to finalize.
   

For more assistance contact Technical Support here.

Tech News: Google Play now offering Gift Cards

There have been rumors circulating that Google was in the process of creating gift cards to use in its Play Store. Today, Google made it official. The cards are “on their way” to retailers and come in $10, $25 and $50 amounts (so far). According to Google, they can be redeemed for apps, music, TV shows and books. Magazine subscriptions, app subscriptions and hardware/accessories though, will still need your credit card number. So far, RadioShack, Target and Gamestop are the stores on board, though, expect that number to grow as they become more widely available.

Source: http://play.google.com/about/giftcards/

Tech Tip of the Day: How to download and install VLC Player

Description: Having issues with certain types of video files not being able to play in your default media player? Try VLC! It has multiple codec's pre-installed that can help play these files.

1. To download VLC Media Player, click here.
   
2. Go ahead and run the downloaded file to start the installation process.
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Continue to click Next through the prompts as shown below.
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Click Install to start the installation process.
   
   
   
   
5. Click Finish to finalize the install and launch the program.
   
   
   
   
6. VLC Player is now installed, go ahead and test your video!
   
   

For more assistance contact Technical Support here.

To watch the video on How to download and install VLC Player, click here.

Tech Tip of the Day: How to download and run Chameleon by Malwarebytes

** THIS POST HAS BEEN UPDATED **

Malwarebytes Chameleon is a tool that was developed in order to get Malwarebytes Anti-Malware running when blocked by an active infection on a user's system.

It accomplishes this in several ways, but in order to run, Chameleon itself must be able to run in spite of the infection as well.  That's where the filenames come in and is the reason you'll find files like 'svchost.exe', 'winlogon.exe' and 'iexplore.exe' among others within the Chameleon folder.  Those are actually just renamed copies of the main Chameleon executable, mbam-chameleon.exe.  The reason that we do this is because infections, particularly rogue/fake antivirus programs, will often block processes from launching simply based on their file or process names, or they will only allow certain 'whitelisted' processes to run.  These whitelisted processes are often a user's internet browser (hence the use of names like 'firefox.exe' and 'iexplore.exe') or critical system processes (hence 'svchost.exe', 'winlogon.exe' and 'rundll32.exe').

There are several methods for launching Chameleon itself, depending on the situation that the user is dealing with.  Malwarebytes provides a help file called 'chameleon.chm' which is accessible via the START menu under All Programs\Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware\Tools\Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Chameleon.lnk'.  This is the best and simplest way to use Chameleon as all the user has to do is open the help file and follow the instructions.

Unfortunately, launching the help file is not always possible, so Malwarebytes does provide other methods to get Chameleon running.
 
If Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is already installed but the Chameleon help file will not open, the user may attempt to launch the Chameleon executables manually by browsing to their Malwarebytes Anti-Malware program folder under 'Chameleon' and double-clicking on the executables located there one by one until they find one which is able to launch which will be indicated by a command prompt window providing instructions on what to do next to run Chameleon.

Once Chameleon is up and running, it will attempt to update Malwarebytes Anti--Malware's database, kill all malicious processes running in memory, and then initiate a scan with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.  Upon completion of the scan, the user may remove the infections from their system, rebooting if required, and their system should be running normally again, free of infection.

If Windows Explorer is not running, the same method can be used to launch the help file or executables by using Windows Task Manager and simply browsing to the location of the files and trying to open them one by one that way.

Now, if Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is not already installed, Chameleon can get it installed for the user.  Malwarebytes has provided Chameleon as a separate download available here on their website: http://www.malwarebytes.org/products/chameleon

All the user needs to do is download that file, extract it to a new folder in a convenient location such as their desktop, and then attempt to use the included help file (Chameleon.chm) to run Chameleon.  If the help file will not open, then the user should proceed with the same method applied above by double-clicking on each of the provided Chameleon executables one by one until they find one that opens.

Upon opening, the user should follow the onscreen instructions and Chameleon will proceed to download and install Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for the user and then will proceed to run through the same process as described above (updating the database, killing malicious processes and performing a scan).

*All information provided by Samuel E. Lindsey of Malwarebytes Corporation

Tech News: The next iPhone and “iPad Mini” rumored to be announced September 12

With the rumors flying for over a year about the inevitable release of the next iPhone, it looks like we finally may have a date to put all those to rest. According to iMore, Apple is expected to schedule an event for Wednesday September 12^th where they will debut the new iPhone and the (also much rumored) iPad Mini. Coming from “sources who have been accurate in the past”, the release date of the new iPhone is set for 9 days later, Friday September 21^st, and could include the iPad Mini as well. Historically, Apple has debuted new iPhone models in early-mid October. So if this date proves to be correct, it would indicate another major shift in Apples business practice in the post-Steve Jobs era. Some of the rumored specifications of the next iPhone include a larger, 4-inch display, 4G LTE, a smaller, 16-pin dock connector/charger and a faster processor just to name a few. The final build of iOS 6 is also expected to make an appearance, as well as the next generation iPod Nano. With a little over a month to go, all that’s left to do is play the waiting game.

What do you want to see in the new iPhone? Let us know in the comments!

Source: iMore