Welcome
to this week's edition of the Computer Kindergarten Newsletter.
Today is Sunday, August 9, 2009
The
editors of this newsletter will be taking vacation for the month. We’ll
still answer your emails and will resume publishing the newsletter in September. We wish everyone a happy and safe rest
of the summer!
In this Issue:
Special Feature: Avoid Identity
Theft When Disposing of an Old Computer
Tips & Tricks: Customize the
Start Menu
Question: Organize Your Programs
Question: Buy or Fix?
This
Week's Topic: Windows XP Display
Properties
Question: Genealogy Online
Question: Microsoft Word - Double Spacing
Websites of Interest: Lowe's Video
& Project Center; How to Do Basic First Aid; The Phrase Finder; SuperCook; Footbo; Flowers
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Special Feature: Avoid
Identity Theft When Disposing of an Old Computer
The
following article is from scambusters.org
These
days, it seems, we replace our computers more frequently than ever, as software
and Internet activity demand more powerful machines.
But we can't simply trash them. It's environmentally unsound. Recycling is the name of the
game -- with many retailers and disposal authorities prepared to do the job
free of charge.
Or maybe there's a person or organization whose computing
needs are not as demanding as ours, who would be happy to give our PCs an
extended lease on life.
Either
way, we need to be sure that the confidential information on that computer does
not fall into the wrong hands, feeding an identity theft scam.
Even
if you are giving your PC to a friend or relative, you do not know what they
will do with it after they are finished and it could still end up with a
potential for identify theft.
There's probably only one failsafe way to totally
prevent identity theft when you sell or give away your computer. That's by removing the hard drive first and putting it
through a commercial crushing machine!
But maybe that's a bit over-the-top for your
needs, especially if you want to give away a complete system for someone else
to use.
So, in this issue we take a closer look at how to safeguard
the personal details on your PC so that they stay confidential. Here are four tips on how to prevent
identity theft when you sell, give away or recycle your computer
1.
Remove the hard drive or drives. This is the most drastic solution. It's quick and relatively easy to do (do an online search on
"remove hard drive” with the make and model of your computer").
But you're still left with the data-packed
drive. you can still erase the
drive later by connecting it to another computer with a special USB cable
(search for "USB hard drive adapter cable") or you can use it as an
external back up drive (search for “External Hard Drive Enclosur”).
2.
Erase part or all of the drive and leave it in your PC.
On
the face of it, this seems easy -- just a couple of clicks -- but there are two
catches:
i) Erasing the drive, by reformatting it or deleting
individual folders and files doesn't actually delete
the data. This only removes filenames from the drive's master index and the
files themselves can still be easily read with file
recovery software.
ii)
You can't reformat your main drive (usually the
"C" drive on a PC) while it's in use helping to run your computer.
You
need special software (some of it free -- search for "file eraser" or
"erase hard drive") that totally obliterates files, overwriting with
zeroes several times. Follow the
articles at a trusted site, such as zdnet.com or pcworld.com. There are several good free utilities that will do this.
3.
Erase just the data and personal information. Doing this will leave your
operating system and maybe other programs intact for the next user. Use a dedicated file deletion program to
nuke your personal data (after copying it or backing it up for your new machine,
of course!) folder by folder. This
site provides a list of many programs that will allow individual file and/or
folder deletion:
http://www.smartcode.com/downloads/system-permanent-file-delete.html
Beware,
though, that many programs you might leave on (especially Internet browsers)
may retain personal information, like passwords or details of sites you
visited. You should be able to
either uninstall these separately or delete personal information from them.
4.
Remove other media. You checked that you didn't leave
a disk in the computer's CD/DVD drive, didn't you? Or
how about that Compact Flash or Secure Digital card or memory stick in the card
reader?
Or perhaps you're donating an external hard drive or some
old-style floppy or Zip disks along with the machine. If so, make sure they're erased as outlined above.
Is
there more than one hard drive *inside* your PC and if so, are they all wiped
clean? Your deletion software will tell you how many drives you have and where
they are.
Our
advice: Option 2, using a special CD to completely erase
all disks, is the safest route to prevent identity theft. You can always hand
over the operating system disks to the new owner and let them reinstall it.
**************************************************************
Tips & Tricks: Customize the
Start Menu
Question: I would like to put several programs on
my Start menu so that I see them just by clicking on Start and I don’t have to go through all the submenus to find
them. My son said I can do this,
but I really didn’t understand his
explanation.
Answer:
Yes,
you can do that. If you are using
Windows XP, the shortcut will show up on the left side of the menu when you click
the Start button. If you have
Vista, it will show up in the column above All Programs when you click the
Start Orb.
This is a very convenient shortcut to have for programs
you use frequently. Click Start
and then click on the program – with two clicks, the program will open
and save all the maneuvering you usually have to do
through the menus.
Here
are the steps, using the program Solitaire as an example. You would follow these same steps for
whatever program you want.
Click
Start and then click All Programs.
Click
Games.
Point
to Solitaire and then click the right mouse button.
A
menu will open; left click Pin to Start Menu.
Close
all the menus (to do so, press the Esc key several times).
Click
Start and you will see Solitaire above All Programs. Click on it to open the program.
These
steps can be followed to create a shortcut to any
program you want. Find it in the
start menu and right click on it.
Left click on Pin to Start Menu and it appear above All Programs.
If
you no longer use a program that is listed in this
area, it can easily be removed. Important:
this does not remove the program from the computer or from the All
Programs menu; it just removes the program shortcut from that area of your
Start menu)
To
remove a shortcut, follow these steps:
Right
click on the item you want to remove.
Left
click Unpin from Start Menu.
The
item will be removed.
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Question: Organize Your Programs
To
make things easier for me to find, I would like to rename some of the programs
that are in the Start menu. Is it
possible to do this?
Answer:
Yes,
it is. Here are the steps to rename
the items in the Start menu:
Click
Start and then click All Programs.
Find
and point to the item you would like to rename. Click the right mouse button.
A
menu will open, left click on Rename.
The
item you would like to rename is now highlighted in
blue. Don’t
click or press anything, just start typing the new name. You will see the old name disappear and
display what it is you are typing.
When you are done, press Enter on the keyboard.
The
item is now renamed. Follow these steps for all the items you
would like to rename.
**************************************************************
Question: Buy or Fix?
My
computer is extremely slow. Should
I get it fixed or buy a new one?
Answer:
It
really depends on your computer. Here are some things to consider:
How
old is the computer?
If
it is more than 5 years old, then you might want to just buy
a new one. That’s pretty old, in computer
terms. There is only so much speed
you can gain and it’s always possible you will
put in money, and something else will go.
If
the computer is less than 2 years old, it is probably worth it to get it
fixed. Back up all of your work,
format the hard drive and then reinstall all of your programs. If you take your computer into a shop,
this should be a relatively inexpensive job.
Does
the computer have any other problems?
Is
the slowdown the only problem or are you experiencing anything else? If there are other problems, for
example, it freezes up or spontaneously shuts off, the
repair job will be more than just reformatting and reinstalling programs.
Are
you trying to use programs that the computer is not fast enough to run?
Most
people buy a new computer because they want to use programs that require more
capacity than their computer has.
If your computer is not too old, you may be able to add more memory and
then be able to use the new programs.
If, for example, your computer is running Windows 98 or ME and you want to use a brand new program, you probably
won’t be able to run it without slowdowns. If this is the case, it may be
time for a new computer.
**************************************************************
Today's Topic: Windows XP
Display Properties
The
Display Properties Sheet contains several tabs that help you adjust the look of
Windows on your screen. All of these tabs contain small preview windows so you
can see the effects of your proposed changes before you apply them.
The
Background tab allows you to change the Desktop background that you are
using. Under the preview window,
there is a list of Windows backgrounds.
Click on one; you will see a preview of it. If you would prefer to use one of your
own pictures, click the Browse button and maneuver to the folder where you have
stored the picture. Double click on
it; it will then appear in the preview window. In Picture Display, choose Center; click
OK and your picture will appear on the Desktop.
The
Screen Saver tab allows you to change the screen saver, if any, that you are
using. You can also make changes to
the settings, for example, the length of idle time before the screen saver
comes on.
The
Appearance tab allows you to alter the basic Windows color scheme and select
colors for windows, fonts, etc. that suit your personal tastes.
The
Settings tab contains controls for several important aspects of your display.
The Color palette control adjusts how many different colors your display shows.
The more colors you show, the better and more realistic images appear on your
screen, but the slower the speed at which your video operates when the screen
changes. You'll have to experiment to see what works
for you.
The
Desktop area control adjusts the amount of information that can
be displayed on your screen at one time. As you increase this setting,
you can see more items on your screen at once, but, since the screen size of
your monitor remains the same, each object will be smaller. As with color
depth, increasing the screen resolution will also slow down your video, so this
is another compromise. Changing either of these first two settings generally
causes Windows to prompt you to restart your computer in order for those
changes to go into effect.
Another
control allows you to alter the size of the fonts displayed on your Desktop.
The Change Display Type control only comes into play if you have just added a
new monitor or video card to your computer. Altering this setting otherwise
will do nothing but degrade display performance. If you have changed one of
these items, or installed updated device drivers, this control will bring up a
dialogue box where you can change the drivers.
The
Display Properties sheet can also be accessed by right-clicking
on an empty portion of the Desktop and selecting Properties from the resulting
menu. Make one change at a time;
note what change you made and click the OK button and see if you like the
results. If not, open the Display
Properties window again and reverse your change.
**************************************************************
Question: Genealogy Online
I’m interested in using the Internet to research
my roots. Can you help me get
started?
Answer:
Here’s a great article from makeuseof.com that will
explain everything you need to know for online research:
Top
10 Free Genealogy Websites to Find Ancestors
The
following is from makeuseof.com
http://www.makeuseof.com
Without
exaggerating, there are thousands of genealogy websites out there; they mostly
all seem to be nothing more than lists of links to other resources.
Occasionally you’ll find a truly useful website
with a search feature that accesses real data. For the purpose of this article,
I will provide a list of the top 10 free genealogy websites that would be most
valuable to anyone first entering into the hobby. These sites provide valuable
tools, guides and access to databases that are overflowing with historic data.
10.
KindredTrails.com – Lots of Links to Valuable Resources
There are two things that mark KindredTrails as a “typical” genealogy website.
The first is that there are links to Ancestry.com on almost every page. This
seems like a sort of pandemic with genealogy sites.
Secondly,
like most other ancestry sites, KindredTrails is very
much a link-oriented site. However, it does make it onto the top ten list because the site is well designed, the links are well
organized. Additionally, the links provided on this site are very useful and
valuable.
http://www.kindredtrails.com/free_genealogy_stuff.html
9.
Access Genealogy.com – A Great Mix of Research Resources
Access
Genealogy is up a notch from the typical ancestry website. Its main page is
pleasantly clean and well organized. Along the left side
you’ll find links to some of the most unique research sources including
charts, links to old letters, military records, native American records and
much more.
One
of the more fascinating resources here are the transcribed cemetery records.
There are researchers in every State around the U.S. that walk through the
oldest cemeteries and actually transcribe names along with birthdates, date of
death and family members. This resource alone will hold your interest for
hours.
http://www.accessgenealogy.com/
8.
The Olive Tree – The Starting Point for Any Amateur Researcher
Olive
Tree Genealogy is another private researcher’s website holding a
collection of links and resources for historical data. One thing that sets this
site apart from others is that it’s apparent a
great deal of research went into the provided links. The website creator, Lorine McGinnis Schulze, writes that she started the site
in 1996 in order to provide free resources to other researchers.
The
truth is, she delivers well on that promise. One of
the more impressive links on the site are the ship
passenger lists where you can search through the names of your ancestors who
immigrated to the U.S. decades ago. Another very useful resource for anyone
first starting out in genealogy is the “guide for beginners” that
walks you through each step of finding your ancestors, and gives you the
specific resources you should check out first in order to conduct that
research.
http://www.olivetreegenealogy.com/beginner/
7.
GeneaBios – Reading about Life Stories
Ancestry
research aside, if you’ve ever found yourself fascinated by the life
story of someone who lived a hundred or more years before you were born –
then this biography database should be your first stop. You can search through
the database alphabetically or just search by specific name.
This
database turns up a very long list of biographies written up by genealogy
researchers who have conducted a thorough investigation and provide their
results. Read about the person who built the old stone tavern in the middle of
town, or the lives of the people who founded the community where you live.
http://www.geneabios.com/
6.
Family Tree Searcher – Online Quizzes to Help Your Research
The
family tree searcher is another website created by a private researcher. This
site is unique in that some of the resources are actually interactive quizzes
that allow you to customize your research method.
One
very useful quiz in particular is the “free advice” quiz, which
asks you a series of questions about what you’re looking for, and at the
end it provides you with a customized “research plan” along with
the free resources that are most likely to help.
http://www.familytreesearcher.com/
5.
Genealogy Today – The Google of Ancestry
Of
all privately created websites, this one is probably one of those that you
could bookmark and use for all of your research needs. This site provides links
to the usual resources like census data or death records.
What
makes this site stand above the rest are the more creative sources offered,
such as funeral cards, ration books, criminal records and even business cards.
As many researchers know, the most successful results usually come from the
more unorthodox methods.
http://www.genealogytoday.com/
4.
U.S. National Archives – The Prime Source for U.S. Ancestry Information
If
you’re in the U.S. and you’re a historical
researcher, the National Archives should be at the very top of your resource
list. Eventually, most other websites end up linking to these resources anyway,
so why not just start at the source?
This
is where you’ll find census information,
military records, immigration records, and even bankruptcy records. There are
even articles and information on historical researching techniques.
http://www.archives.gov/genealogy/
3.
U.K. National Archives – A Plethora of U.K. Historical Data
The
UK also has a valuable resource for history buffs in the form of its own
National Archives website. The main
page of this website offers links to data such as births, marriage and deaths,
census records, passenger lists and much more. European history is long, and
these resources are unbelievably thorough and archived all the way back a
thousand years.
On
this website, you will also find valuable guides and articles on researching
family and military history.
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/default.htm
2.
US GenWeb Project – The Top Source for U.S.
Researchers
One
of the largest and most valuable resources for historic information available
to U.S. genealogy researchers is the USGenWeb
project.
This
project is made of up historical enthusiasts who
actively volunteer their time and energy to provide free information for other
researchers throughout the country. Just click on the State where you’re looking for information, and you’ll go
directly to the State’s GenWeb site where the
free resources for your community and local history are provided.
http://www.usgenweb.org/
1.
WorldGenWeb Project – World History Buffs
Unite!
Once
you get involved in genealogical research, the fastest thing that becomes
apparent is that the hobby knows no borders. You’ll
find expert researchers in just about every country from all around the world,
and the best research available that brings all of these global enthusiasts
together is the WorldGenWeb Project. This resource
provides researchers with a safe place where they can focus on valuable and
useful resources to conduct their research. Click on the country of your choice
and eventually you can drill down to the specific community, and related free
genealogy websites where you can hunt for more ancestral information.
http://www.worldgenweb.org/
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Question: Microsoft Word - Double
Spacing
How
do I double space a document in Microsoft Word?
Answer:
If
you have already typed the text you want double spaced,
select it.
Click
Format on the menu and then Paragraph.
This will open the Paragraph window.
In
the Spacing section, Line Spacing will be set to
Single. Click the small down arrow
next to Single and click to select Double. Click the OK button.
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Websites of Interest:
Lowe's Video & Project Center
this website, from Lowe’s, has videos that
will help you learn how to do many different projects around the house.
http://tinyurl.com/sxppl
How
to Do Basic First Aid
this site provides good information for
emergencies.
http://www.wikihow.com/Do-Basic-First-Aid
The
Phrase Finder
The meanings and origins of over 1,200 English sayings,
phrases and idioms.
http://www.phrases.org.uk/
SuperCook
Type
in the ingredients you already have at home and this site will come up with a
list of recipes that you can make.
http://www.supercook.com/
Footbo
Do
you like soccer? Check this website
for the latest news, photos, videos and more.
http://www.footbo.com/
Flowers
The 15 most beautiful in the world.
http://www.thegrowspot.com/15flowers.html