It's a horrible feeling when you realize that you are running out of space on your hard drive. Yes, you can purchase a bigger drive, but if you don't want to spend time and money getting it set up, you might wonder if there is anything else you can do to free up space on your drive. Fortunately, there are a few free utilities that can help you!
1) Uninstall Programs - Windows has a built-in utility that will uninstall programs you no longer need. Go to "Control Panel" on the Start menu (In Windows 8/8.1, the Control Panel can be found on the Charms bar under "Settings".) If you are in Category View, look for "Uninstall a Program" at the bottom of the left column. In Icon View, search for "Programs and Features". You will now see a list of all the programs that have been installed. Look through the list to see if there are any you installed that you no longer need, and uninstall them. Do NOT just uninstall any program you do not recognize! Some programs in this list are important for the operation of your computer.
2) Scan for Junk - Your computer produces a lot of files on a daily basis that you don't need to keep. In most cases, it is programmed to delete these files as soon as it is finished with them. However, occasionally a bug or an improper shutdown will cause these files to remain on your computer after they are no longer needed. Fortunately, CCleaner can help you locate and remove these files. Download and install the free program, select or unselect the items you want it to scan for, and then select "Analyze". CCleaner will scan for these files and display a report. Then, click "Run Cleaner" to delete these files from your computer.
3) Scan for Duplicates - Do you have duplicate copies of photos, music, videos, or other files on your hard drive? With all the files on your hard drive, how would you even know if you did? Duplicate Cleaner takes the guesswork out of locating duplicate files. It will scan your drive and locate duplicates for you. While this program will locate duplicates, do not simply trust Duplicate Cleaner's judgment on duplicate files. When I scanned my drive, it flagged a couple sets of files that were not actually duplicates. Look through the list and make sure before you start deleting files.
4) Locate Large Files - Do you know what file is taking up the most space on your drive? WinDirStat can show you. This program will analyze your drive and then show you which folders are taking up the most space. If there are subfolders, you can expand them to locate where the big files are. You can also click where it says "Size" to sort the folders and subfolders by size.
Thursday, November 12, 2015
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Website Nostalgia
Have you ever wished you could go back in time and see what a website looked like last year or even last decade? Most of us probably don't think about that on a regular basis, but there have been two times when I wanted to rewind the clock and see an older site.
The first time was when I switched hosting providers for my business webpage. I cancelled my service with one provider before I set up my site with the other. I planned to design a new page with my new provider, but I later wished I could recover the text from the front page of my site.
The second incident involved a dispute over terms of service. I purchased something from a company, and they later tried to claim that I had agreed to terms I had not agreed to. Since I had not saved a copy of the terms of service from the time of purchase (and they had changed since), it seemed that I had no way to prove that their terms had changed.
Fortunately, there is a way to rewind the clock on websites, and it worked perfectly in both of the situations above. The Internet Archive's Wayback Machine contains a database of 435 billion pages throughout the internet's history. I was able to easily recover the text off of my home page (and see the pages of other companies that had occupied my domain name), and I was able to show that the terms of service that were in effect both before and after the date of my purchase did not contain the disputed sentence (thus, qualifying me for a refund).
If you need to view a past version of a website or you are just feeling nostalgic, head on over to the Wayback Machine and see what you can find.
The first time was when I switched hosting providers for my business webpage. I cancelled my service with one provider before I set up my site with the other. I planned to design a new page with my new provider, but I later wished I could recover the text from the front page of my site.
The second incident involved a dispute over terms of service. I purchased something from a company, and they later tried to claim that I had agreed to terms I had not agreed to. Since I had not saved a copy of the terms of service from the time of purchase (and they had changed since), it seemed that I had no way to prove that their terms had changed.
Fortunately, there is a way to rewind the clock on websites, and it worked perfectly in both of the situations above. The Internet Archive's Wayback Machine contains a database of 435 billion pages throughout the internet's history. I was able to easily recover the text off of my home page (and see the pages of other companies that had occupied my domain name), and I was able to show that the terms of service that were in effect both before and after the date of my purchase did not contain the disputed sentence (thus, qualifying me for a refund).
If you need to view a past version of a website or you are just feeling nostalgic, head on over to the Wayback Machine and see what you can find.
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Listen to Free Audiobooks
If you have a long drive or just don't like to read books, audiobooks are a great way to pass the time. I have a friend who drives a tractor-trailer and listens to 3-5 audiobooks each week while he is driving. However, websites like audible.com can be expensive, especially if you listen to several books each month.
Fortunately, you can download plenty of audiobooks for free from Podiobooks.com. Podiobooks splits books into smaller files of two or three chapters, combining the idea of a podcast with an audiobook (hence its name). While the books are available for free, you also have the ability to donate to your favorite author. If you like a book, make sure to donate to encourage that author (and maybe others) to put more books online.
Fortunately, you can download plenty of audiobooks for free from Podiobooks.com. Podiobooks splits books into smaller files of two or three chapters, combining the idea of a podcast with an audiobook (hence its name). While the books are available for free, you also have the ability to donate to your favorite author. If you like a book, make sure to donate to encourage that author (and maybe others) to put more books online.
Thursday, November 5, 2015
What Apps Protect Your Privacy?
Do you read each privacy policy before you click the "Accept" button? If you don't, you are certainly in the majority of tech users. Wouldn't it be nice if there was someplace we could turn to cut thought the legal junk and quickly explain how each privacy policy impacts us?
Well, for Android apps, there just happens to be a site for that! PrivacyGrade.org looks at the permissions each app requests and compares them to the functions of the app. (For example, it will be fine with GPS mapping software accessing your location, but it will be skeptical if a free game wants the same permissions.)
PrivacyGrade gives each app it analyzes a grade based on the permissions it uses, and it also offers an more detailed analysis of the app's permission requests. If you are concerned about privacy, check the grade and analysis of some of the apps you use most often. You might be surprised!
Well, for Android apps, there just happens to be a site for that! PrivacyGrade.org looks at the permissions each app requests and compares them to the functions of the app. (For example, it will be fine with GPS mapping software accessing your location, but it will be skeptical if a free game wants the same permissions.)
PrivacyGrade gives each app it analyzes a grade based on the permissions it uses, and it also offers an more detailed analysis of the app's permission requests. If you are concerned about privacy, check the grade and analysis of some of the apps you use most often. You might be surprised!
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Four Tips To Protect Your Email
The more we learn about government surveillance and hacking efforts, the less secure email really seems. Yes, there are simple steps we can take to protect our email accounts, but there are also many vulnerabilities in email systems that can be exploited. Here are four reminders to protect your privacy:
1) Strong Passwords - If your email password is "password", it is time for a change! If you don't want your email account hacked, you need to choose a strong password. If you need help selecting a strong password, you can read my tip here.
2) Trust Your Gut - Got an email from someone you don't know? It's probably best not to open it! Did your friend send you a strange-looking link? Better check with your friend before you click it. If anything seems strange, it's probably best to avoid opening it until you're sure it is legitimate.
3) Keep Your Private Information Private - The best way to keep your information private is to not share it at all. Before you send information over email, think about whether or not you would want it posted online. Even if your email is secured, do you know for sure that the recipient is not using an insecure password or being careless about opening emails?
As an additional thought, don't forget that the recipient could choose to forward the email or post it online. I once received a very rude email from the owner of a company, and I chose to reply with a snarky, sarcastic response of my own. I ended up taking the matter all the way to mediation through the Better Business Bureau, and my email was forwarded to the mediator. Even though I was able to pass along multiple rude, insulting, and profanity-laced emails I had received from the business, my case would have looked much better if I had thought before I responded.
4) Watch Who's Watching You - I once was logging into my laptop in the car with a friend sitting in the front seat. My friend was jokingly pretending to spy on my password as I entered it. Fortunately, I can type very fast. (I can regularly hit 70-80 wpm on a typing test and break 100 wpm on a short sprint.) To my friend's amazement, I had my password entered in less than a second.
What happens when that person watching you isn't a friend with a sense of humor, but a man casually chatting with the lady at the computer next to you in the library? If you type with your two pointer fingers (and there's nothing wrong with that!), that man could steal your email address and password from over your shoulder. If you must check your email from a public place, take a look around before entering any sensitive data.
1) Strong Passwords - If your email password is "password", it is time for a change! If you don't want your email account hacked, you need to choose a strong password. If you need help selecting a strong password, you can read my tip here.
2) Trust Your Gut - Got an email from someone you don't know? It's probably best not to open it! Did your friend send you a strange-looking link? Better check with your friend before you click it. If anything seems strange, it's probably best to avoid opening it until you're sure it is legitimate.
3) Keep Your Private Information Private - The best way to keep your information private is to not share it at all. Before you send information over email, think about whether or not you would want it posted online. Even if your email is secured, do you know for sure that the recipient is not using an insecure password or being careless about opening emails?
As an additional thought, don't forget that the recipient could choose to forward the email or post it online. I once received a very rude email from the owner of a company, and I chose to reply with a snarky, sarcastic response of my own. I ended up taking the matter all the way to mediation through the Better Business Bureau, and my email was forwarded to the mediator. Even though I was able to pass along multiple rude, insulting, and profanity-laced emails I had received from the business, my case would have looked much better if I had thought before I responded.
4) Watch Who's Watching You - I once was logging into my laptop in the car with a friend sitting in the front seat. My friend was jokingly pretending to spy on my password as I entered it. Fortunately, I can type very fast. (I can regularly hit 70-80 wpm on a typing test and break 100 wpm on a short sprint.) To my friend's amazement, I had my password entered in less than a second.
What happens when that person watching you isn't a friend with a sense of humor, but a man casually chatting with the lady at the computer next to you in the library? If you type with your two pointer fingers (and there's nothing wrong with that!), that man could steal your email address and password from over your shoulder. If you must check your email from a public place, take a look around before entering any sensitive data.
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Create Your Own Custom Office Shortcuts
Yesterday, I gave you some guides to built-in keyboard shortcuts for the most common Office programs. Unfortunately, sometimes you want a shortcut for something that Office does not provide. Don't worry! Microsoft has provided a way to deal with that, too.
This first method is probably the simplest. If the item has a shortcut on the ribbon, right-click on that shortcut and select "Add to Quick Access Toolbar". This will add the item to the very top, where it can be found and clicked quickly. This also gives you a simple way to create a keyboard shortcut: if you hit the Alt key, you will see a number underneath your new shortcut. Pressing Alt+[Number] is your new keyboard shortcut.
If you cannot find an option for it on the ribbon, you can create a macro, which is a small amount of code telling the computer what you want it to do. Fortunately, you don't need any knowledge of programming in order to create this macro. Right-click on the ribbon and select "Customize the Ribbon". Then, on the right side of the window, enable the "Developer" ribbon and press OK.
If you go to the developer ribbon, you will see an option for "Record Macro". Clicking it will bring up a dialog box where you can assign a ribbon button or a keyboard shortcut to your Macro. Once you change your settings and press OK, you will be recording. Everything you do will be translated into the code for your macro until you press the "Stop Recording" button that has replaced Record Macro. Before you start recording, make sure everything is set exactly the way you want it. I have created a few macros to do various types of pasting data (such as pasting values from formulas instead of the formulas I copied). If I am recording in Excel and I click on cell C3, the macro will go to cell C3 of the current sheet every time I run it. If you want it to paste in the current cell, you need to have it set to paste into a cell before you start recording.
While custom keyboard shortcuts are probably a tool for more advanced users, but they can be a great way to save time and automate tasks you perform regularly.
This first method is probably the simplest. If the item has a shortcut on the ribbon, right-click on that shortcut and select "Add to Quick Access Toolbar". This will add the item to the very top, where it can be found and clicked quickly. This also gives you a simple way to create a keyboard shortcut: if you hit the Alt key, you will see a number underneath your new shortcut. Pressing Alt+[Number] is your new keyboard shortcut.
If you cannot find an option for it on the ribbon, you can create a macro, which is a small amount of code telling the computer what you want it to do. Fortunately, you don't need any knowledge of programming in order to create this macro. Right-click on the ribbon and select "Customize the Ribbon". Then, on the right side of the window, enable the "Developer" ribbon and press OK.
If you go to the developer ribbon, you will see an option for "Record Macro". Clicking it will bring up a dialog box where you can assign a ribbon button or a keyboard shortcut to your Macro. Once you change your settings and press OK, you will be recording. Everything you do will be translated into the code for your macro until you press the "Stop Recording" button that has replaced Record Macro. Before you start recording, make sure everything is set exactly the way you want it. I have created a few macros to do various types of pasting data (such as pasting values from formulas instead of the formulas I copied). If I am recording in Excel and I click on cell C3, the macro will go to cell C3 of the current sheet every time I run it. If you want it to paste in the current cell, you need to have it set to paste into a cell before you start recording.
While custom keyboard shortcuts are probably a tool for more advanced users, but they can be a great way to save time and automate tasks you perform regularly.
Monday, November 2, 2015
Almost Every Office Keyboard Shortcut You Could Ever Need
Keyboard shortcuts are wonderful time savers. Instead of needing to switch to your mouse, locate your cursor, move it to the right place, click, and then relocate your hand back to the keyboard, a simple key or combination of 2-3 keys can do the job. Fortunately, Office comes with many built-in shortcuts to do common jobs, such as cut/copy/paste, print, bold/italics/underline, and save.
However, keyboard shortcuts do not help you if you do not know what they are. While there are plenty of guides available that can teach you some of the most common ones, Microsoft has put together a guide that lists the majority of shortcuts available.
(One caution. If you use add-ons, you may find that some of the add-ons have modified keyboard shortcuts either with or without your permission. If you find that one of these does not work, and you use add-ons, an add-on is probably the cause.)
Here are keyboard shortcut guides for the most common Office programs:
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft PowerPoint
Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft OneNote
However, keyboard shortcuts do not help you if you do not know what they are. While there are plenty of guides available that can teach you some of the most common ones, Microsoft has put together a guide that lists the majority of shortcuts available.
(One caution. If you use add-ons, you may find that some of the add-ons have modified keyboard shortcuts either with or without your permission. If you find that one of these does not work, and you use add-ons, an add-on is probably the cause.)
Here are keyboard shortcut guides for the most common Office programs:
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft PowerPoint
Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft OneNote
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