Welcome to this week's edition of the Computer Kindergarten Newsletter.
Today is Sunday, April 11, 2010
In this Issue:
Special Feature: How to Choose a Good Password
Featured Computer Term: The Top 30 Internet Terms for Beginners- 1. The Web vs. the Internet
This Week's Topic: Speed Up a Slow Computer – Registry Cleaner
Question: Error 404 Not Found
Websites of Interest: Thomas Jefferson’s Birthday; April 15th – Income Tax Day; Healthy Women; Home How-To
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Special Feature: How to Choose a Good Password
The following article is by Paul Gil, About.com Guide
http://netforbeginners.about.com/bio/Paul-Gil-7508.htm
Before we begin, we must be clear on one major fact: there is no such thing as a perfect password. A committed hacker can crack any password, given enough time and the right "dictionary" or "brute force" tools. But just like breaking into a car, if the protection is strong enough, the hacker will become discouraged and commonly give up before the protection fails.
1. Start With a Base Word Phrase.
A good password starts with a base word phrase. This means: choose two or more meaningful words, with the spaces removed. Choose a word phrase that says something about you (easier for you to remember). The phrase might reflect your hobby interests or a personal passion of yours. You could try using your nickname, your personal taste in music or food, or even a favorite saying.
Examples of some base word phrases:
* Ilovecats
* SoccerMama
* Beproactive
* Igolfbadly
* WiiFamily
* RedHonda
* 6stringBeginner
* PuppyLovesCheese
2. Lengthen the Phrase
Passwords start to become strong at 6 characters long. While a long password can be annoying to type, a long password really helps to slow down brute force hacker attacks.
Tip: lengthen your password by adding the website name or computer software name to the base phrase. For example:
* IlovecatsGmail
* SoccerMamaVista
* BeproactiveEpinions
* IgolfbadlyWin7
* WiiFamilyMac
* RedHondaAboutdotcom
* 6stringBeginnerPayPal
* PuppyLovesCheeseEbay
Tech tip: passwords that are 15 characters and more are extremely strong, because Microsoft Windows will not store scrambled passwords in hidden files once they are 15 characters or longer.
3. Scramble the Phrase
Scrambling does not necessarily mean rearranging the letters. Rather, scrambling your password can effectively be achieved by swapping one or more of the password letters with a non-alphabetic character, and then purposely including uppercase and lowercase letters within the password. Scrambling creatively uses the shift key, punctuation marks, the @ or % symbols, and even semi-colons and periods. Using numbers as substitutes for letters is another strong scrambling technique.
Examples of scrambling:
* !7ovecatsGmail
* So((erMamaVista
* 8eproactive3pinions
* #golfbadlyWin7
* W!!FamilyM@c
* RedHondaAbou7.com
* &stringBeginnerPayP@l
* PuppyLovesCheese3bay
4. Lastly: Rotate/Change Your Password Regularly
At work, your network people will require you to change your password every several days. At home, you should rotate your passwords as a matter of good computer hygiene. If you are using different passwords for differents websites, you can do yourself a favor by rotating portions your passwords every few weeks. Note that rotating parts of the password, not the entire passwords, will help deter hackers from stealing your phrases. If you can memorize three or more passwords at the same time, then you are in good shape to resist brute force hacker attacks.
Examples:
* PuppyLovesCheeseGmail
* !7ovecatsVista
* So((erMama3pinions
* 8eproactiveWin7
* #golfbadlyM@c
* W!!FamilyAbou7.com
* RedHondaPayP@l
* &stringBeginner3bay
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Featured Computer Term: The Top 30 Internet Terms for Beginners - 1. The Web vs. the Internet
Whether you are brand new to using the Internet, or you've been using it for years, there are thirty important terms that are absolutely worth learning. Join us for our ongoing series on Internet terminology, where, with the help of Paul Gil from about.com, we provide definitions and information on the Top Internet Terms for Beginners.
This Week: 1. The Web vs. the Internet
The Internet is a vast 'interconnection of computer networks' that spans the globe. It is comprised of millions computers that connect and share massive volumes of information. The Internet started in the late 1960's as an American military project, and has since evolved into a massive public spiderweb . No single organization owns or controls the Internet.
The Internet is comprised of various smaller segments, like the World Wide Web, FTP, Telnet, Gopherspace, Email, and other technical subdivisions.
The World Wide Web, or 'Web' for short, is the most popular portion of the Internet. The Web is viewed through web browser software.
In our next edition: Browser
Please visit our Newsletter Archives to review the terms we’ve already covered:
http://computerkindergarten.com/30internetterms.html
Is there a computer term or phrase that you'd like to see an explanation of? Email it to info@computerkindergarten.com and we'll put the term and its definition in an upcoming newsletter.
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Today's Topic: Speed Up a Slow Computer – Registry Cleaner
A registry cleaner is a program designed for the Microsoft Windows operating system whose purpose is to remove redundant or unwanted items from the Windows registry. The registry stores configuration settings and options for the computer, so excess files and items in there can significantly slow the computer down.
CCleaner is a free program for computers running Windows. It removes unnecessary items that accumulate over time, slow down your computer and can cause problems. It deletes excess, files, removes programs that you no longer need, and cleans junk entries in the Windows registry.
What is CCleaner?
The following article is by Kefa Olang, eHow Contributing Writer
http://www.ehow.com/members/ds_kefaol28083.html
A computer's performance diminishes over time if steps are not taken to maintain it. As programs and files are downloaded and installed, they can cause system errors. CCleaner is a simple software program that manages and improves a computer's performance.
Benefits
CCleaner is an system optimization program designed to improve the registry and system folders. It scans the computer for unnecessary files that use system resources with no added benefit. It also allows you to uninstall programs and is especially beneficial if you are having trouble uninstalling from the Control Panel. CCleaner also allows you to clean browser cache and history to not only remove clutter which causes browser problems but also protect personal information from falling into the wrong hands.
How Much?
CCleaner, unlike other reputable registry cleaning software, is 100 percent free. While the company asks you to make a donation of about $20 if you can, it is not mandatory and does not restrict you from downloading the program. Whether you donate or not, you can still download a full version without any restrictions. If you decide to donate, you can do so using PayPal. CCleaner developers come up with new updates frequently; therefore, donators get access to the latest downloads before others receive them.
Installation
Before installing Ccleaner, make sure that your computer has the necessary requirements needed to run it. For example, CCleaner can only be installed on Windows operating systems. Currently there isn't a Macintosh and Linux version. Your computer also requires a minimum of 64MB RAM to handle its processes. To install it, your computer also has to be logged on the administrative account. If your computer meets the requirements, simply download and run the installation file to install CCleaner on your computer.
Usage
CCleaner is very easy to use even for novice computer user because its controls are easy to navigate through. When you launch CCleaner, all the controls are on the left panel. You can select from many different tools, such as registry cleaner, disk cleanup and program uninstall. The wizards guide you on on using the tool you select. As for registry cleaning, CCleaner scans the registry automatically for missing DLL and ActiveX files as well as left over entries for uninstalled programs and allows you to delete them.
Expert Insight
Run CCleaner frequently, especially if you download files from the Internet. Cleaning the registry and removing useless files will not only free hard disk space, but also improve your computer's ability to manage resources. Because CCleaner cleans the system safely, you should not try to do it manually because you risk deleting vital system files and folders necessary on the computer
How to Install CCleaner
This website provides graphical instruction on downloading and installing CCleaner:
http://tinyurl.com/yzsnzr8
How to Use CCleaner
Please visit this site for graphical instruction on using CCleaner:
http://opcug.ca/public/Reviews/ccleaner.htm
This concludes our series Speed Up a Slow Computer. To review the previous articles, please visit our Newsletter Archives:
Speed Up a Slow Computer - Clean the Desktop
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/040509.html
Speed Up a Slow Computer - Uninstall Unused Programs
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/041909.html
Speed Up a Slow Computer – Turn Off Auto Start Programs
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/042609.html
Speed Up a Slow Computer – Turn Off Auto Start Programs - MSCONFIG
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/050309.html
Speed Up a Slow Computer – Disable Unnecessary Windows Services
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/051009.html
Speed Up a Slow Computer – Defrag
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/051709.html
Speed Up a Slow Computer – Disable Indexing Services
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/053109.html
Speed Up a Slow Computer – Optimize Display Settings
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/060709.html
Speed Up a Slow Computer – Detect and Repair Disk Errors
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/061409.html
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Question: Error 404 Not Found
Sometimes, when I am on the Internet, I get an error message 404 and the website does not display. Why is this?
Answer:
There are a few reasons why a 404 error could occur.
It is possible that the page you were looking for could not be found on the computer where the website is stored. Click the Reload/Refresh button on your browser. A second try may display the website.
Check the address again. Could you have made a typographical error?
Move up one level in the address until you find something. For example, if the address http://www.whatever.com/who/what/where.htm gave you the error, try http://www.whatever.com/who/what. If you do not get to a site, try http://www.whatever.com/who. Once you get to something, try searching for the information you are looking for.
If you continue to get the error message, try again at a less busy time. Certain times of the day or days of the week may be busier than others for the website you are looking for.
Try searching for the website in your favorite search engine. If you have a name for the site, search for that. If not, search for the information that you are looking for. Maybe the people that run the website changed the address.
If you have tried everything and still keep getting that error message, it is possible that the website you are looking for no longer exists. They may have gone out of business or the webmaster may have lost interest in maintaining that website.
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Websites of Interest:
Thomas Jefferson’s Birthday
April 13 is Thomas Jefferson’s birthday. Read all about him, his Presidential years and Monticello, his famous home.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Jefferson
http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/thomasjefferson
http://www.monticello.org/
April 15th – Income Tax Day
Thursday is Income Tax Day
For forms, information, last minute help and more, visit the IRS website.
http://www.irs.gov/
This website provides information on the history of U.S. taxation, including a collection of presidential tax returns.
http://www.taxhistory.org/
The Tax Museum - A very interesting website giving information on American history dating back to 1660 and how the taxation process evolved.
http://www.tax.org/Museum
Healthy Women
A good source for women's health information.
http://www.healthywomen.org/
Home How-To
From Popular Mechanics, this site has loads of do it yourself tips and ideas.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/