Welcome to this week's edition of the Computer Kindergarten Newsletter.
Today is Sunday, January 31, 2010
In this Issue:
Special Feature: Census Scams
Special Feature: Facebook
This Week's Topic: Speed Up a Slow Computer – Turn Off Auto Start Programs - MSCONFIG
Question: Remove Duplicate Songs in iTunes
Websites of Interest: February is Black History Month; Groundhog Day; Allergic Child; Geognos; Exercise Tracker
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Special Feature: Census Scams
The following article is from scambusters.org
Did someone call at your home recently to ask questions about the upcoming US Census? Maybe they wanted to know if you had another home -- like a vacation place or a casita in the backyard. That's fine. US Census Bureau people have already been out door-stepping to verify addresses and other info and will continue to do so over the next year.
The Census is a count, every 10 years, of everyone living in the United States. It is a confidential data gathering exercise which relies, in the main, on you filling in a form, not telling it to someone over the threshold of your property. The Bureau will mail out the form in March. If you don't complete and return it, they'll send a second one. If you still don't reply, they'll come knocking at your door.
They'll want to know about every person living at each address including name, age, gender, race, ethnic origin, birth date, marital status, employment status and other relevant data. And you're legally obliged to tell them. But if they seem to be seeking more detailed, personal information about you, be very wary. It could be a scam. Of course, the scammers are hoping you won't know that and are already out in force.
Obviously, it makes sense to return the form because, then, apart from the verification process, the Bureau won't come calling.
So, how can you tell if the person you're dealing with, face-to-face, on the phone or by letter is genuine? Well, here are a few clues:
* Genuine census workers will not ask for your Social Security number or any confidential, personal financial information like bank account and credit card numbers.
* They won't ask you for money or claim that you owe it.
* The Census does not involve collection of data either by email or through online websites; the Census Bureau may communicate with you via email but will not ask for information or ask you to click a link or attachment.
* Genuine Census workers carry official identification, a confidentiality notice and, often, a handheld computer.
* They won't ask to come into your home -- and don't invite them to do so.
For more helpful information about the 2010 Census, visit the official Census site.
http://www.census.gov/
You can find details about Census security and scams here.
http://www.census.gov/survey_participants/related_information/phishing_email_scams_bogus_census_web_sites.html
A small sample of people are legitimately asked more detailed questions as part of the Census. So, if you have any questions about whether a form or person is legitimate, you should contact your US Census Bureau Regional Office.
http://www.census.gov/field/www/
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Special Feature: Facebook
Question: My grandchildren want me to use Facebook. Can you help me get started?
Answer:
Facebook is the new way to communicate and can be a lot of fun. It is a social networking website where users create profiles that contain photos and lists of personal interests, exchange messages, and join groups of friends.
Look up relatives and send a friend request, or accept a friend request from someone you know, and those people get added to your friend list. When they post anything on their profile, you will be able to see it, and they will be able to see whatever you post on your profile. This is a great way to share news and photos with all of your friends at once. If you have anything personal to say to just one person, that you do not want all of your friends to see, then you can send a private message.
Old friends can be found: list the high school and college you went to, and you will see lists of people who you graduated with. Send a friend request and before you know it, you are catching up with friends from years ago.
Here are some informational websites that will help you get going with facebook:
The first thing you will need to do is set up a facebook account. Visit this website for the steps:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2081063_set-up-facebook-account.html
Now that you have your account set up, learn how to create your profile:
http://www.ehow.com/how_4464690_set-up-facebook-profile.html
This website has many instructional videos that will help you maneuver around facebook. Learn how to find and invite friends, add photos, join groups, use applications and much more.
http://www.expertvillage.com/video-series/1261_facebook-use.htm
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Today's Topic: Speed Up a Slow Computer – Turn Off Auto Start Programs - MSCONFIG
As your Windows computer ages, its speed can decrease. You will notice an increase in response time when you give commands to open programs, files or folders, use the Internet and other tasks. There are several things you can do to speed up your computer.
In our ongoing series, Speed Up a Slow Computer, we will present articles discussing some of the steps you can take to speed up your slow computer.
Important: Before making any changes to your system, always create a Restore Point. If anything goes wrong with the changes you make, this will allow you to revert back to a point when the computer was operating correctly. Please visit our Newsletter Archives to read our article, All About Restore Points:
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/040509.html
Turn Off Auto Start Programs - MSCONFIG
Every program that is open and running slows the computer down. The more programs that are running, the slower the computer will go. When you turn your computer on, many hidden programs start up and run in the background. Some of these programs are essential, but most are not. Turning off some of these hidden programs can significantly increase your computer's performance and reliability.
Windows has a special tool called the Microsoft System Configuration Utility or MSCONFIG. It is designed to help troubleshoot computer problems but can also be used to find and turn off some of the hidden programs that are not needed.
To open MSCONFIG:
In XP, click the Start button and click Run. Type msconfig in the Open box. Click the OK button.
In Vista, click the Start Orb. Click in the Start Search box and type msconfig. MSCONFIG will appear in the search results, at the top of the menu. Click to open it. Vista will ask for permission to continue; click to agree.
This will open the Microsoft System Configuration Utility. Click the Startup tab at the top of the window.
The items in the list you now see are programs that open every time you turn on your computer. Some startup programs are essential; many are not. The nonessential programs can be turned off by clicking the box to the left of the item name. Once clicked, the checkmark will be removed.
To determine which items can be turned off and which must be left on, visit this website:
http://www.sysinfo.org/startuplist.php
At this site, most items in the startup list can be researched.
In the System Configuration window, note the Command column to the right of the item name column. The entry in this column will be used to research whether that item can be turned off or should be left on.
Increase the size of the Command column. To do so, point to the vertical line between the Command and the Location column headings. The mouse pointer will change into a plus sign. When you see the plus sign, hold down the left mouse button and drag the line to the right. This will increase the size of the column. Increase the size of the column so that each entry is completely displayed.
A typical entry in that column will look something like this:
C:\Windows\system32\igfxtray.exe
igfxtray.exe is the filename and the part that will be researched at the sysinfo.org website.
In your System Configuration window, write down the filename of one of the items you would like to research. Make sure you write it down exactly as it appears. Go to the sysinfo.org website. Scroll down to the Search box, click in it and then type the filename you wrote down. Click the Search button.
If the website has information about the startup item, a description will be displayed. The status column will display one of these codes:
Y - Normally leave to run at start-up
N - Not required or not recommended - typically infrequently used tasks that can be started manually if necessary
U - User's choice - depends whether a user deems it necessary
X - Definitely not required - typically viruses, spyware, adware and "resource hogs"
? - Unknown
If a Y is displayed next to your item, leave it as is. If any of the other codes are noted, the item can be turned off. In the System Configuration window, click the box to the left of the item to remove the check mark.
This process can be done for each item in the System Configuration window. After you have finished, click the OK button and then click Restart to restart the computer. When the computer restarts, a window will open where you will confirm selective startup. Click to not show the window in the future.
Note: It is recommended to turn off only one or two items at a time, and then use the computer to make sure everything is working fine. If problems do occur, the items that were turned off can simply be turned on again. To do so, open the System Configuration window and click to turn on the item.
In our next edition, learn how to speed up your computer by disabling unnecessary services.
Please visit our Newsletter Archives for previous articles in our Speed Up a Slow Computer series:
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
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Question: Remove Duplicate Songs in iTunes
How do I remove duplicate songs in iTunes?
Answer:
Make sure you have the latest version of iTunes installed on your computer. To check the version, open iTunes, click Help on the menu, and then click About iTunes. You will see the version number.
Go to the iTunes website:
www.itunes.com
and click Download iTunes. If the version number is the same as the one you have, you do not have to download it. If not, download and install the latest verion.
Once iTunes is installed, open it. Click File on the menu and then click Show Duplicates. A list of duplicates will appear in the Music window.
To remove a duplicate, click to select one of the songs (don’t select both, you will remove all copies of the song). Press the Delete key on the keyboard. A window will open asking you to confirm the deletion; click the Remove button.
You can select multiple songs by holding down the CTRL key on the keyboard as you click to select the songs. Press the Delete key when you have all the songs selected.
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Websites of Interest:
February is Black History Month
This website celebrates Black History Month with biographies, reference links, a civil rights timeline, and much more.
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/bhm1.html
Groundhog Day
Tuesday is Groundhog Day. Will Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow? We hope not! Catch up with Phil at his official website:
http://www.groundhog.org
Allergic Child
Learn how to keep your child safe while living with allergies.
http://allergicchild.com/
Geognos
This educational website will tell you all the key facts on country’s around the world including the history, geography, people, government, economy, communications and more.
http://www.geognos.com/
Exercise Tracker
This site helps you track your exercise routines online by calculating the calories that you burned.
http://www.medhelp.org/land/exercise-tracker