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If you’re using Microsoft Outlook as your email client and you engage in email communication a lot then you may wake up one day and find that Outlook is performing very S-L-O-W-L-Y. This is especially true if you do not split your emails into different PST files.

Think of PST files as ‘file cabinets’. Sure, you can use folders to separate your email messages, calendar events,  notes and so on but those folders still belong to, say, one file cabinet, and if the cabinet gets too full, Outlook performs slowly. And not only that; Outlook may crash and you lose all your important messages (and their attachments!).

The simplest thing to do to protect your email messages in Outlook is to store them in different ‘file cabinets’ (PST files). Here are the steps to do just that.

Note: The following steps are done using Outlook 2007. Steps may vary slightly depending on the Outlook version you’re using. You may also want to backup your existing PST file first before you attempt the steps below.

1. Open Outlook. Click the File menu and then click Outlook Data File.



2. Select Office Outlook Personal Folders File and then click OK.
3. Decide where you want to the new file to be located (e.g., My Documents) and then on the File name field type a name for the new PST file.
4. Click OK.
5. In the Create Microsoft Personal Folders menu, type a Name for the new PST file and then click OK. (At this point, you can even apply a password to the PST file so that no one can access it by you. Good option to have if you’re not the only one using your PC.)

After you create this new PST file, it will be placed under All Mail Items below your current Inbox. Just start dragging email messages (or whole message folders) into this new ‘file cabinet’ and you’re done!

Sun Systems released an uncharacteristic emergency update today after a vital security flaw was discovered by a Google researcher last week. While the release notes don’t specifically mention the flaw, Java 6 Update 20 does correct the security hole.

The vulnerability in question is a “drive-by download” flaw, which allows websites to download files onto your computer just by visiting the site. This means that viruses, spyware, and malware could be downloaded and installed on your system without so much as a click from you. Such holes in security often bypass important safety features in anti-virus, anti-spyware, and firewall software.

Upgrading to Java 6 Update 20 is fast, free, and highly recommended. Several websites have already been created to take advantage of this flaw, and as long as you are using the older version of Java you are vulnerable.

To download the new version of Java, visit http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp and click the download button for JRE. Java Run Environment is the software required to run Java applications on your computer. The JRE button is located below the button to download JDK, which you do not need unless you are a developer of Java applets. You then can choose either the online or offline installer. After you start running the installer, you will be asked if you would like to install the Yahoo or Bing toolbar as well. This product is not necessary to run Java and isn’t recommended for most users, so make sure to uncheck that box before you proceed with the installation process unless it’s something you’re particularly interested in having on your browser.

If that seems a little complicated to you, or if you want to get your system checked out to make sure you haven’t already become a victim of one of these drive-by downloads, you can make an appointment with a Geek Choice technician today. We can clean out any malware on your system, get the new version of Java installed, and even check for important security patches for other programs that you may have missed.

Have an iPad and Carbonite online backup service from Geek Choice? Now you can access the files you’ve backed up from your desktop on your iPad with the free Carbonite app.

Carbonite keeps secure copies of your files on their servers in case of hardware failure or other data loss. It’s completely automated and secure, and could save you thousands in data recovery costs. The new iPad app adds the ability to access your backed up files from anywhere in the world with your iPad. Your Geek Choice tech can help you purchase and configure Carbonite service for your laptop or desktop computer to make sure all of your files are protected and available on the go.