Friday, February 6, 2009
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This blog is setup to be an aid for my students, past and present. The blog will offer everyone a forum for the study of personal computers. I will offer programs and ideas that will help beginning computer students and the free exchange of information to help everyone grow in this area.
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Posts
BASIC COMPUTER INSTRUCTION
ReplyDelete2/2/09 INTRODUCTION TO BASIC COMPUTING AND E-MAIL
2/5/09 INTRODUCTION TO BASIC COMPUTING AND E-MAIL
2/6/09 INTRODUCTION TO BASIC COMPUTING AND E-MAIL
2/9/09 INTERNET BASICS USE OF THE WORLD WIDE WEB
2/12/09 INTERNET BASICS USE OF THE WORLD WIDE WEB
2/13/09 INTERNET BASICS USE OF THE WORLD WIDE WEB
2/16/09 EBAY BUYING
2/19/09 EBAY BUYING
2/20/09 EBAY BUYING
2/23/09 EBAY SELLING
2/26/09 EBAY SELLING
2/27/09 EBAY SELLING
EACH CLASS WILL BE OF ONE HOUR DURATION
THEY WILL START AT 6PM AND FINISH AT 7PM
Alphabetize Your Favorites
ReplyDeleteIf your list of Favorites gets unruly, you can put it in alphabetical order.
1. Right-click anywhere on the Favorites menu.
2. On the menu that opens, click Sort by Name. See step 2 in the image below.
Internet Explorer 6 lists folders first (if you have them), and then individual Web pages in the main list.
Best Practices - Internet Safety for 2009
ReplyDelete________________________________________
When I first entered the Library profession in 1996, there were risks associated with not being informed or technically protected from the dangers circulating in email and on the Internet. The only significant change is that things have worsened and the dangers are far more deceptive even for experienced users.
Below is a list of technical safeguards and best practices for the coming year. This list isn't complete and some folks won't agree with all items on the list. Still, following most of these protective principles below can help keep you and your family safer the coming year.
The key is to educate yourself on the security risks circulating and ways to avoid these dangers through best practices or technical safeguards.
Best Practices - Internet Safety for 2009
RECOMMENDED SOFTWARE
* Anti-Virus (keep it active and updated)
* Firewall (bi-direction preferred)
* Anti-Spyware
* Spam Filter
* XP users move to IE 7 for better security
* Hosts file (advanced users)
* Anonymizer (advanced users)
GENERAL SAFETY TIPS
* Backup any files you don't want to lose to CD, DVD, or flash drives
* Apply Windows and Office Updates as soon as possible - Turn Automatic Updates on (use Microsoft update for both environments)
* Update all Software products periodically on your system
* Run virus scan scans periodically (weekly)
* Run anti-spyware scans periodically
* Clean up your recycle bin, temp areas, etc.
* Use UAC in Vista and prompt warnings in other Operating Systems
* Authenticate and register your version of Windows (including WGA checks)
* Read the EULAs in any software being installed
* Create a protected account (aka limited account in Vista or XP)
* Avoid entering sensitive information or performing e-commerce on a shared public PC in a cafe, hotel lobby, or library
* Avoid P2P File sharing sites for "free" music or videos
* Ensure you are using a trusted website and secure servers for e-commerce
* Use complex passwords of 8 characters or more (at least 1 letter and 1 number, plus 1 upper/lower case -- and special characters if desired)
* Change your passwords periodically
RECOMMENDED EMAIL SAFETY TIPS
* Avoid email attachments where possible
* Avoid clicking on any URLs in email (even to opt out of spam)
* Use plain text mode in email if possible
* Avoid links and files shared in Instant Messaging software
* Never open email from someone you don't know (line up all spam in your in-box and delete it)
* Avoid taking actions or clickin on URLs in official looking email from banks, government, etc. (verify by phone or on the primary website)
* Avoid e-cards which are not from a specific person (and check with the sender if you are unsure)
* Never install updates or free security software from an email attachment or URL
RECOMMENDED BROWSER SAFETY TIPS
* Avoid clicking on banner ads where possible
* Avoid visiting untrusted and inappropriate websites
* Be careful of Internet search results as malware authors are seeding malicious websites with malware
* Complementary browsers (e.g., Firefox, Opera) have good security track records, phishing filters, and other safety measures (e.g., NoScript) that can be used in addition to IE 7 with no conflicts. You can use these as a tool to cross-check questionable sites.
* Completely clean your browser cache regularly of all temporary files, history, cookies, passwords, etc.
* Enhance your browser from automatic processing to prompt warnings where possible (advanced security settings in IE)
MALWARE CLEANING TIPS
* Your computer may be infected with malware when performance deteriorates, browser pop-ups appear, home pages change, firewall warnings are issued, etc.
* When cleaning malware infections get technical assistance from a technically savvy friend preferably who can visit at your home or experts at a security website
* Find out the name of the malware you are infected with (as you must clean uniquely based on how you are infected)
* VirusIntel.com offers a list of free online and command line scanners from many AV vendors
* Free Standalone cleaners may be available to remove some difficult malware agents
* Use SAFE MODE to remove difficult malware
* Change your passwords after an infection in case a backdoor agent transmitted it
SECURITY AWARENESS AND EDUCATION
* Gain better general knowledge on security through articles, blogs, and security websites
* Stay informed - Follow the latest security developments on what to avoid or how to protect yourself against dangers
* Look for updates in any software you are running and install them promptly, so that you are always on the latest version
* Avoid email hoaxes circulating where you are asked to "pass on a special warning"
* Remember that there are "no free gifts" or "special bargains" for you from strangers on the Internet
* Setup separate user accounts for your children and use Vista's Parental controls
* Educate your children, family members, and friends
* Use a "Lessons Learned" approach when you make mistakes to avoid them in the future
2008 Rays Best Practices. doc
Introduction
ReplyDeleteI have found that with a few simple skills, you can easily make a hundred dollars a day helping people with their computer problems. Immediately after you read this guide, you will have an in-demand skill for which you can charge about $50 per job which will only require about an hour of your time.
I will also post more articles that cover other topics relating to computer repair so that you can pick up a new skill with each article you read. The more you read, the more money you can make!
Instructions
Difficulty: Easy
Things You'll Need
• A USB flash drive is helpful. A 128MB flash drive will do fine.
Steps
1
Step One
Click to enlarge
By far, most computer problems these days are caused by spyware infection in the computer (especially in Windows XP), so first we must learn a bit about spyware. Here's the definition of spyware:
Any software that covertly gathers user information through the user's Internet connection without his or her knowledge, usually for advertising purposes. Spyware applications are typically bundled as a hidden component of freeware or shareware programs that can be downloaded from the Internet. Once installed, the spyware monitors user activity on the Internet and transmits that information in the background to someone else. Not only this, but it makes your computer SLOW!
Now we know what we are dealing with! Let's move on.
2
Step Two
Click to enlarge
Spyware does not respect the computer that it is on, so therefore, it usually slows it down quite a bit, so it must be removed. We will get a couple of programs to do that for us in the following steps and put them on our USB Flash Drive. (Best of all, these useful programs are all free!)
3
Step Three
Click to enlarge
The first program to get is CCleaner. This program can be downloaded here: http://ccleaner.com/download/downloading . Save this on your USB Drive.
This program will remove junk and temporary files from the computer which will speed up our spyware removal (and the computer, itself). It will also clean faster and better than Windows XP's built-in utilities.
4
Step Four
Click to enlarge
The next program that we want is Ad-Aware. Save this program to you USB Drive, too: http://www.download.com/3001-8022_4-10719977.html
This program does the actual detection and removal of the spyware.
Once we have these 2 programs on our USB Drive, we are ready to work on someone's computer!
5
Step Five
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Now, at the computer we are working on, we must insert the USB Drive and install the 2 programs from the flash drive. Install CCleaner, then Ad-Aware.
6
Step Six
Click to enlarge
First, we must run CCleaner by double-clicking the icon that was created on the desktop. Once CCleaner opens, click the Analyze button. This will start the scan for junk files.
When it is done, the Run Cleaner button will become available. Click that to remove the junk files. We're done with CCleaner, so close it.
Very simple!
7
Step Seven
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Now, we need to run Ad-Aware. Double-click the Ad-Aware icon on the desktop.
8
Step Eight
Click to enlarge
Next, click Update, then Yes or OK to any boxes that pop up. This will make the program learn about new spyware.
9
Step Nine
Click to enlarge
Once the update is done, click Scan Now.
10
Step Ten
Click to enlarge
We want to select a Full Scan here so that it looks at the entire computer.
After you've selected Full Scan, click the Scan button.
11
Step Eleven
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This is what the screen will look like while you are scanning. This process will take 15-20 minutes to complete.
12
Step Twelve
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Once the scan completes, right-click in the list of objects found and click Select All Objects, then click the Finish button to remove the spyware!
13
Step Thirteen
Click to enlarge
If the system seemed to be heavily infected, you may want to restart the system and run Ad-Aware again to ensure a thorough removal.
Good job! You are now a computer technician!
How to Remove Viruses and Spyware From Your Computer
ReplyDeleteBy desolator144
Rate: (19 Ratings)
This is the ultimate, in depth guide for removing any spyware, viruses, or other malware from your computer. Malware by the way is a general name for any bad software on your computer. I’ve been repairing computers for over 6 years and this is the process I follow most of the time. There are some viruses that need special steps taken to be removed but this article should help you take care of everything else. Make sure you follow these steps exactly and in the correct order or you risk all sorts of bad things happening.
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Instructions
Difficulty: Moderate
Step1
The first thing you need to do is print these directions because you’ll need to restart your computer several times and this page will not be accessible for most of the process.
Step2
Spybot Download Link Now you need to download Spybot Search and Destroy. It can be found on download.com by searching for “Spybot.” You can see it has over 100 million downloads at the time of this article’s writing. It’s a completely free program for removing all sorts of bad things from your computer. It removes annoying advertisement generating programs and keyloggers and other malware not handled by some antivirus programs.
Step3
Once you have the installer downloaded, run it and go through the process to install it. By default it should have you download an update as part of the installation process. If that doesn’t happen, you should run the program once it’s installed and click the update button. Basically you pick a server, pick which updates to download (all of them) and then it downloads and installs them. If you get an error, try again but choose a different server.
Step4
Correct Settings Now that you’re updated with the latest list of things to detect and remove, you might think you should run the scan now but you shouldn’t. The best feature of the program is a scan that scans before windows fully logs in. To force it to do this on the next restart, click on Settings in the lower left corner then Settings in the list it brings up along the left side. Scroll down to System Start section and change the first setting to Run program once at next system startup. Also check the top checkbox that says Run check on program start as seen in the attached image.
Step5
Now close the program and restart your computer. Once it starts up, you should see Spybot open before anything else loads and it will automatically start scanning. It may ask you first though if you would like to remove temporary files to make the scan go faster. Click yes if you see that window. The reason for doing the scan before anything loads is because some viruses and other malware can protect itself while already running. This scan will often prevent the bad programs from starting up and thus can remove it before it can protect itself from deletion.
Step6
The Fix Button Once the scan is done, it will show you the results. You can look and see what you were all infected with but really all you need to do is click the Fix Selected Problems button at the top (seen in red in the image attached to this step) and it will remove everything. If it warns you that some items could not be removed and asks to have you do a system scan before it boots or whatever, that’s what you just did so it probably still won’t be able to remove it with a second scan so just leave those unremoveable traces for the next steps to take care of. Say no and go to the next step.
Step7
You’re not out of trouble just yet. You want to IMMEDIATELY take these next steps because often times a stealthy trojan/virus downloader is what gave you the things that Spybot just removed and that could still be on your computer, ready to reinfect you so keep reading.
Step8
Whatever antivirus you’re running, it obviously isn’t working. Norton is a bulky, useless, paranoid, overpriced joke and McAfee isn’t much better. AVG used to be good but has gone far downhill lately. Trend Micro’s products are actually pretty awesome so keep that if that’s what you use otherwise go to Add/Remove Programs on the control panel and uninstall your antivirus program. Make sure you get all components of it too. Norton will make you remove 2-3 components and in a certain order too and will also pretend like you need to restart your computer before removing the next piece but you actually don’t.
Step9
Once your old program is gone, you need the best free antivirus program ever made, Avast Antivirus. Go directly to Avast.com and download the home edition. It’s the free one meant for home users.
Step10
After you download it (or as you’re downloading it) click the registration link and give them a valid e-mail address because they’re going to e-mail you a key to activate the program. You can make up a fake name though.
Step11
Run the Avast installer once it has downloaded and when it asks if you want to run a pre-boot scan, click no. If it asks to restart your computer, also say no.
Step12
Stop the Scan Check your e-mail and get the registration key. Copy it by highlighting it and clicking edit then copy and open Avast. It should have left a shortcut to it on the desktop and the start menu also to open it. When it starts scanning your memory and startup items, click Stop Memory Test so it continues to open the program.
Step13
Close the step based intro window if it opens because my steps are much better. When it opens to the very MP3 player looking interface, click on the text saying “Database Only” next to Automatic Updates and change the bottom option to Automatic. This will make the program’s updates completely automated so you never have to worry about it.
Step14
Now click the lightning bolt button in the lower left to start downloading the latest virus definitions files. That’s a list of all the newest viruses that it should remove and it’s updated every couple days.
Step15
Schedule a Scan It may take a while to download the update but when it’s done, click on the button with the eject symbol on the top left. It will open the main menu. Now that it’s updated, you’ll want to do that pre-boot scan that it was asking about before. So find the option saying “Schedule Boot-Time Scan” and click it.
Step16
The Correct Settings When it brings up the options, leave “Scan all local disks” selected on top then check the box saying Advanced options on the bottom. That will open up a new window of options. So you don’t have to sit there for an hour or more and watch the scan, change the top box to “Delete Infected File” and it will unlock the bottom option. Change that one to Allow Delete or Move and when it warns you say yes. There is very little chance that this will damage your system so don’t mind the warning.
Step17
Now click schedule and it should ask you to restart your computer. Tell it to do that and it will restart. Unlike Spybot, this pre-boot scan won’t even allow windows to boot a little bit before the scan runs. That way it can delete absolutely any infected file it finds without worrying about it protecting itself. The scan takes a long time but it is very thorough and will find and remove all or close to all harmful files on your entire hard drive and secondary drives if you have them as well.
Step18
When the scan is done, it will boot into windows normally. You should notice a huge increase in login speed now that all the junk is gone. Your private information like your e-mail address and online banking passwords will be a lot safer now too. Speaking of that, for absolute maximum safety, change all your important online passwords now that there are no spyware programs following you around and recording the old passwords as you type them. I’m not saying that happened for sure but a lot of viruses do that so it’s better to be safe.
Step19
Your computer should be free of any active malware now but there may still be some side effects. One I know of for sure are settings left from harmful browser help objects that attached themselves to internet explorer and never had their listings removed. In case there’s still an entry for them, you need to go to merijn.org and download Hijack This. It’s a program whose name packs as much attitude as what it does to malware. Make sure you choose the option to download the executable version instead of the version that you need to install. It’s much faster.
Step20
Once you download it, you can just run it. Click I agree for the license agreement screen then click “Do a system scan only.”
Step21
Once it’s done, look for the entries starting with O2. They’re the BHOs or Browser Help Objects. Read the name next to the BHO: part and if it says unknown name or it’s blank or random jibberish, put a check in the box next to it to mark it for removal. You’ll probably see names like Adobe PDF Reader Link Helper which helps PDF files load in a webpage. Those are just fine and should be left there. If you don’t recognize the name though, just type their name into google and you should find some information about whether they’re good or bad.
Step22
Once you’ve filtered through them all, ignore the rest and if you put a check next to anything, click the Fix Checked button on the bottom otherwise just close the program.
Step23
Congratulations, your computer is most likely now completely clean and fast as ever! If you want it to be even faster though, check out my other article about speeding up your boot time even more. There’s a link to it below. Make sure you send a link to this article to everyone you know though because I’m yet to see a person’s home computer that’s 100% clean and doesn’t need these steps taken. It will save everyone a lot of money by not having to call professionals like Geek Squad or having their online banking and Paypal passwords stolen.
How to turn a scanned document into microsoft word document
ReplyDeleteby eHow Computers Editor
Introduction
Turning a scanned document into a Word document is fairly easy, and this process will show you how to turn a scan into editable text. For the purposes of this step-by-step procedure, I used Microsoft Word 2003 running on Windows XP Professional SP2, a Lexmark scanner and Adobe Photoshop. However, any scanner or version of Word should be fine, and Paint can be substituted in lieu of a more professional photo or image editor.
Instructions
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Things You'll Need
• Scanner
• Microsoft Word
• MS Paint or any photo editor
• Microsoft Office Installation CD (if needed).
Steps
1
Step One
Prepare your document to be scanned. If possible, select the option to scan a black and white document. It is not required, however this will allow for a more accurate read of the text later on. After this is complete, scan the document.
2
Step Two
Open the file you've scanned with any type of image editor that can save .TIFF files. Microsoft Paint and Photoshop can both do this. Adjust the picture so that it is upright, if necessary. Click on "File," then click on "Save As," name your file, and next to "Format", save the file as a ".TIFF."
3
Step Three
Click on the "Start" button. Go to "Programs > Microsoft Office > Microsoft Office Tools" and select "Microsoft Office Document Imaging."
4
Step Four
Click "File," then "Open." Open the folder where you saved your scanned image, click on the file, then click "Open."
5
Step Five
Go to "Tools" then click on "Send text to Word." It will prompt a message asking where to save the file (click on "Browse" to choose where you want it to go), then click "OK." At this point, it may prompt a warning that it will take a while to process. The overall process shouldn't take more than a minute or two. Additionally, it may prompt to install the feature that allows the Word conversion to work. In this instance, you may need a copy of your Microsoft Office Installation CD, as it may prompt for it as well.
6
Step Six
Look for your file to open in Word automatically once the process is complete. If it does not, go to the folder where you saved it, and open the file from there. The document will not be the exact format of the original document, but it will recognize all the words and lay them out for you automatically.
Tips & Warnings
• Sometimes after converting the scan into Word, you may see some misspellings in the Word file. This occurs because the document scan is hazy, or if your scanner saves the scan as a regular photo or color image. If you can scan as a black and white document, the amount of misspellings should diminish greatly, if not completely.
Member Comments
Find this article at: http://http://www.ehow.com/how_2299727_turn-scanned-document-microsoft-word.html
Making Print Larger in Desktop, Online too
ReplyDeleteA quick way to increase the font size on your computer in Windows XP, and Vista. While you are at it you can change the cursor size and color too.
There are various methods you can use to increase the size of the font, but the most effective way to do it is by using the windows accessibility wizard which will have a global effect on all your applications as well as windows screens. Here is how:
Click Start > All Programs > Accessories > > Accessibility > Accessibility Wizard. Follow the prompt and it will show you different font sizes. Choose the one that is easiest to read.
SpeedUpMyPC by Uniblue will help simplify this process
ReplyDeleteIf you have too many programs running in the background then this can drastically slow down your computer. A quick look at the icons beside your clock will give you a basic idea, although all running programs will not necessarily be listed there.
Please not that it is important to keep your virus checker and firewall enabled.
So to disable programs do the following
1. Click on "START" then "RUN" (Or Windows key + R)
2. Type "MSCONFIG" and click on "OK"
3. Click on "STARTUP" at the top right hand side, now delect programs you don't need. Basically what you do need is anti-virus software, firewall software, and any files which you use all the time, ie software for the extra buttons of your keyboard etc.
4. Finally click OK and reboot, and test computer, anything you find disabled, just follow procedure and renable it again
SpeedUpMyPC by Uniblue will help simplify this process
Cross’ Mills Public Library
ReplyDeleteComputer Class
Word Processing
Editing, Creating Letters
Envelopes, Labels
This will be a course geared toward the non-typist, bring your creative ideas. Laptops allowed.
Ray Brennan, MLIS, MPA
401-447-2323
9:00am Saturday, February 14, 2009
Woohoo, comment number ten!
ReplyDeleteI'm having trouble figuring out google.com capchas. Do you have any tips for me?
IF YOU LIKE THAT CAR I can get you one cheep
ReplyDeletethis is very good
ReplyDeletefran could use a lot of help
ReplyDeleteso can petey
ReplyDeleteeven i can learn this
ReplyDelete