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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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