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
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Free Alternatives to Expensive Software, Part 2
Yesterday, we started looking at free alternatives for paid software. Today, we continue our list.
Microsoft Publisher - Microsoft's Publisher provides greater control over your document than a simple word-processing program. However, if you are going to go with LibreOffice (or another free office suite) instead of Microsoft Office, you may need to find a replacement for Publisher. Scribus is a great alternative for creating professional-looking pages.
Adobe Illustrator - Part of Adobe's suite of programs, Illustrator is a vector graphics program that creates items like logos and signs that need to be scalable to a variety of sizes. (Vector graphic images won't pixelate when enlarged like other image formats.) Inkscape is a free alternative to Illustrator for creating vector graphics.
Photoshop - Another Adobe program that I'm sure you have heard about is Photoshop. This software allows you to do image editing. Professionals will probably want to stick with Photoshop (despite its $19.99/month price tag), but amateur photo editors will likely find that GIMP meets all their needs. While it may not contain all of the features of Photoshop, it does contain most of the major ones, and there are many more available through third-party plugins.
Adobe Acrobat - Most of us use the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view PDF files, but the full Adobe Acrobat software allows you to create PDFs. However, you can use doPDF to create PDF files from any program. This software installs like a printer. Simply create a file in any program, go to print, and then select the PDF Creator printer. The software will then walk you through the process to create your PDF file.
Quicken - Intuit's personal finance management software is great, but it is also expensive, especially if you want advanced features like rental properties or business income/expense tracking. For most users, KMyMoney will do the job. It is user-friendly and it still syncs with your online banking like Quicken. The only reason I use Quicken instead of KMyMoney to track my business expenses is that Quicken allows me to scan my receipts and attach them to a transaction.
If you want income and expense tracking that can go with you anywhere, consider using Mint.com. Mint is an online program that will sync across all of your devices to keep track of your spending and help you set financial goals. Mint also has Android, iOS, and Windows Phone apps to track spending on the go. Mint was independent when it started out, but it became so popular that Intuit (the makers of Quicken and QuickBooks) bought it in 2009.
QuickBooks - Unless you are a business owner, you probably don't need QuickBooks or a replacement for it. However, if you have your own business and find that Quicken isn't powerful enough for you, check out Front Accounting ERP. It does not currently handle payroll, but there are payroll add-ons available.
Obviously, no one could write a complete list of paid software and available free counterparts. If you are looking for an alternative to a particular program, consider searching for "Open Source alternative for [Program]" and see what results you get. If there is an open-source program available, chances are good that it will show up on the first pages.
Microsoft Publisher - Microsoft's Publisher provides greater control over your document than a simple word-processing program. However, if you are going to go with LibreOffice (or another free office suite) instead of Microsoft Office, you may need to find a replacement for Publisher. Scribus is a great alternative for creating professional-looking pages.
Adobe Illustrator - Part of Adobe's suite of programs, Illustrator is a vector graphics program that creates items like logos and signs that need to be scalable to a variety of sizes. (Vector graphic images won't pixelate when enlarged like other image formats.) Inkscape is a free alternative to Illustrator for creating vector graphics.
Photoshop - Another Adobe program that I'm sure you have heard about is Photoshop. This software allows you to do image editing. Professionals will probably want to stick with Photoshop (despite its $19.99/month price tag), but amateur photo editors will likely find that GIMP meets all their needs. While it may not contain all of the features of Photoshop, it does contain most of the major ones, and there are many more available through third-party plugins.
Adobe Acrobat - Most of us use the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view PDF files, but the full Adobe Acrobat software allows you to create PDFs. However, you can use doPDF to create PDF files from any program. This software installs like a printer. Simply create a file in any program, go to print, and then select the PDF Creator printer. The software will then walk you through the process to create your PDF file.
Quicken - Intuit's personal finance management software is great, but it is also expensive, especially if you want advanced features like rental properties or business income/expense tracking. For most users, KMyMoney will do the job. It is user-friendly and it still syncs with your online banking like Quicken. The only reason I use Quicken instead of KMyMoney to track my business expenses is that Quicken allows me to scan my receipts and attach them to a transaction.
If you want income and expense tracking that can go with you anywhere, consider using Mint.com. Mint is an online program that will sync across all of your devices to keep track of your spending and help you set financial goals. Mint also has Android, iOS, and Windows Phone apps to track spending on the go. Mint was independent when it started out, but it became so popular that Intuit (the makers of Quicken and QuickBooks) bought it in 2009.
QuickBooks - Unless you are a business owner, you probably don't need QuickBooks or a replacement for it. However, if you have your own business and find that Quicken isn't powerful enough for you, check out Front Accounting ERP. It does not currently handle payroll, but there are payroll add-ons available.
Obviously, no one could write a complete list of paid software and available free counterparts. If you are looking for an alternative to a particular program, consider searching for "Open Source alternative for [Program]" and see what results you get. If there is an open-source program available, chances are good that it will show up on the first pages.
Monday, October 26, 2015
Free Alternatives to Expensive Software, Part 1
Software can be expensive. Very expensive. The cost of Windows alone runs over $100, Microsoft Office will set you back another $100, and various other software can quickly add up. By the time you're done, the cost of the software you are loading onto a computer can easily exceed the cost of the physical components.
However, for many of these expensive software programs, there are free alternatives available. Before you pay hundreds of dollars for expensive software, it might be worth your time to see if a free program might meet your needs. While these programs will differ in their capabilities and performance, many of them will work similar to their expensive counterparts.
By now, you are probably wondering, "Are these programs really free?" The answer is yes! Many of these programs are considered open-source, which means that the program's code is freely available. If you know how to write code, you could even download the code and edit it to add features. (While I have some familiarity with coding, I prefer to simply contact the software developer and request that they add a new feature in the next version.)
The companies that produce open-source software make their money from selling support and custom development packages to companies that use their software. Many will also ask for a donation when you download the software. A few of the programs on this list are not open-source, but in each case, the company has developed its own way to cover its costs outside of charging for the software.
Now, here is my list of free replacement software:
Windows - Yes, you aren't stuck with Windows on a non-Apple computer. There are many open-source operating systems available for your computer, most of which are based on the Linux kernel. My preferred version is Ubuntu. For geeks, a new version is released every six months, and for typical users, an edition is released every-other April that offers long-term (5 years) support for security flaws.
I recommend sticking with Windows unless you are an advanced computer user. Installing an operating system has become much easier, but it still takes some know-how. Then, you will have to learn an entirely new interface. Finally, most computers come with a Windows license included in the purchase, so there is really no reason to switch to a different operating system unless you are building your own system.
Office - Before you spend over $100 on a version of Office, give LibreOffice a try. Before I started my business and wanted to use some of the more advanced programming features of Access, I was a LibreOffice user exclusively. Writer, Calc, and Impress have almost all of the features of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and they even contain some that are not included in Microsoft's software. Plus, they can open and save documents in Office format, so you can easily share documents with Office users. If I have one criticism, it would be the lack of features in the database program (Base), but most users are not going to be creating complex databases, anyway.
Outlook - One item included with some versions of Microsoft Office that is missing in LibreOffice is a desktop email client. While most people simply connect to their email from a browser window, some people prefer to have desktop software for offline access to email. If you are among the group preferring desktop email access, check out Thunderbird. It contains most of the features of Outlook.
Internet Explorer - Internet Explorer is already a "free" program (included with your purchase of Windows), but you may find that another internet browser may work better for you. Firefox is a great open-source browser that many say works faster and better than Internet Explorer. Google's Chrome browser is my preferred choice, but many people try to avoid using Google products.
Windows Media Player - This one is also "free" with Windows, but once again, there are other options available. One of my favorite media players is VLC. This is a lightweight player that, in my opinion, functions much better than Media Player. It does not require codec installation for different media formats, and it also has the ability to play broken files that other media players will not play.
I'm running out of space for today, but we're not done yet! Tomorrow, I will finish the list for you!
However, for many of these expensive software programs, there are free alternatives available. Before you pay hundreds of dollars for expensive software, it might be worth your time to see if a free program might meet your needs. While these programs will differ in their capabilities and performance, many of them will work similar to their expensive counterparts.
By now, you are probably wondering, "Are these programs really free?" The answer is yes! Many of these programs are considered open-source, which means that the program's code is freely available. If you know how to write code, you could even download the code and edit it to add features. (While I have some familiarity with coding, I prefer to simply contact the software developer and request that they add a new feature in the next version.)
The companies that produce open-source software make their money from selling support and custom development packages to companies that use their software. Many will also ask for a donation when you download the software. A few of the programs on this list are not open-source, but in each case, the company has developed its own way to cover its costs outside of charging for the software.
Now, here is my list of free replacement software:
Windows - Yes, you aren't stuck with Windows on a non-Apple computer. There are many open-source operating systems available for your computer, most of which are based on the Linux kernel. My preferred version is Ubuntu. For geeks, a new version is released every six months, and for typical users, an edition is released every-other April that offers long-term (5 years) support for security flaws.
I recommend sticking with Windows unless you are an advanced computer user. Installing an operating system has become much easier, but it still takes some know-how. Then, you will have to learn an entirely new interface. Finally, most computers come with a Windows license included in the purchase, so there is really no reason to switch to a different operating system unless you are building your own system.
Office - Before you spend over $100 on a version of Office, give LibreOffice a try. Before I started my business and wanted to use some of the more advanced programming features of Access, I was a LibreOffice user exclusively. Writer, Calc, and Impress have almost all of the features of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and they even contain some that are not included in Microsoft's software. Plus, they can open and save documents in Office format, so you can easily share documents with Office users. If I have one criticism, it would be the lack of features in the database program (Base), but most users are not going to be creating complex databases, anyway.
Outlook - One item included with some versions of Microsoft Office that is missing in LibreOffice is a desktop email client. While most people simply connect to their email from a browser window, some people prefer to have desktop software for offline access to email. If you are among the group preferring desktop email access, check out Thunderbird. It contains most of the features of Outlook.
Internet Explorer - Internet Explorer is already a "free" program (included with your purchase of Windows), but you may find that another internet browser may work better for you. Firefox is a great open-source browser that many say works faster and better than Internet Explorer. Google's Chrome browser is my preferred choice, but many people try to avoid using Google products.
Windows Media Player - This one is also "free" with Windows, but once again, there are other options available. One of my favorite media players is VLC. This is a lightweight player that, in my opinion, functions much better than Media Player. It does not require codec installation for different media formats, and it also has the ability to play broken files that other media players will not play.
I'm running out of space for today, but we're not done yet! Tomorrow, I will finish the list for you!
Friday, October 23, 2015
Using the Windows Key
If you use a Windows computer, you have probably figured out that the key with the Windows logo (usually located between the Ctrl and Alt keys on at least one side of your keyboard) will open the Start menu. However, the Windows logo key can be combined with many other keys to create a variety of shortcuts to perform useful features on your computer. Here are a few of the ones I use the most:
Windows + E - Opens a Windows Explorer window, which allows you to view all the files on your computer.
Windows + F - Opens a search box, allowing you to search for files, programs, and Windows tools.
Windows + L - Locks your computer, requiring a login screen (and password, if applicable) to get back to your desktop.
Windows + T - Cycles selection of the programs located on the taskbar. This is helpful if you want to open a program off the taskbar and your mouse is not working.
Windows + [Number] - Using the Windows key plus the number 1 will open the first program on the taskbar, or it will switch to that program if already opened. Using the 2 key will open the second program, etc. This works for all 9 numbers, plus the 0 (10th item).
Windows + [Arrow] - The Windows key can be combined with the arrow keys to resize Windows. Using the up arrow will maximize the window. Using the down arrow will unmaximize the window (restore it to its previous size). Using the down arrow on a window that is already unmaximized will minimize it. Using the right and left arrows will maximize the windows on one-half of the screen (left for the left side and right for the right side).
Windows + E - Opens a Windows Explorer window, which allows you to view all the files on your computer.
Windows + F - Opens a search box, allowing you to search for files, programs, and Windows tools.
Windows + L - Locks your computer, requiring a login screen (and password, if applicable) to get back to your desktop.
Windows + T - Cycles selection of the programs located on the taskbar. This is helpful if you want to open a program off the taskbar and your mouse is not working.
Windows + [Number] - Using the Windows key plus the number 1 will open the first program on the taskbar, or it will switch to that program if already opened. Using the 2 key will open the second program, etc. This works for all 9 numbers, plus the 0 (10th item).
Windows + [Arrow] - The Windows key can be combined with the arrow keys to resize Windows. Using the up arrow will maximize the window. Using the down arrow will unmaximize the window (restore it to its previous size). Using the down arrow on a window that is already unmaximized will minimize it. Using the right and left arrows will maximize the windows on one-half of the screen (left for the left side and right for the right side).
Thursday, October 22, 2015
See World Maps From History
Of the 193 sovereign states recognized by the United Nations, most of them have been founded recently. For example, did you know that five of the seven Central American countries were independent prior to the founding of Italy and Norway?
If you want to discover interesting facts like that, you can look through a map of the world throughout history at geacron.com. Scroll through the map by year, decade, or century, and see how the map looked as early as 3000 BC.
Visit geacron.com
If you want to discover interesting facts like that, you can look through a map of the world throughout history at geacron.com. Scroll through the map by year, decade, or century, and see how the map looked as early as 3000 BC.
Visit geacron.com
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Four Ways to Customize Windows 10
Microsoft clearly wants everyone to upgrade to Windows 10. If you have already made the jump, here are four ways you can tweak Microsoft's latest OS:
1) Pin It - The start menu is the compromise between the start screen tiles of Windows 8 and the start menu of Windows 7. However, you can make a tile for almost anything. Do you have a folder you go to regularly? Create a shortcut tile. Do you keep changing a particular setting? Turn that setting's page into a tile. To create a tile, just right click whatever you want on the tile and look for a "Pin to Start" option.
2) Make It Yours - Windows 10 includes a variety of options to customize its look. You can start with the Personalization section of the Settings app (available on the Start Menu). You might also want to look at the Properties section of the Taskbar. (Right click on the taskbar and select properties.)
3) Sign Out Quicker - One of my complaints with the Windows 10 start menu is that the Sign Out option is so far away from the button. (If you don't know where it is, you click the user account name at the top to access it.) However, you can accomplish the same thing with two different keyboard options. If you only want to lock the screen, you can use Windows+L to quickly lock the screen. If you want to completely sign out, you can go to the desktop and then use Alt+F4 to bring up a list of options, including sign out, shut down, and restart.
4) Save Some Space - When upgrading to Windows 10, Windows saves the details of your previous Windows installation in case you want to revert back to it. However, this installation can cost you a substantial amount of storage space (sometimes as much as 20 GB). The Disk Cleanup application can remove these files for you. Go to the search box and type Disk Cleanup, and then check the options for "Previous Windows Installations" and "Temporary Windows Installation Files".
1) Pin It - The start menu is the compromise between the start screen tiles of Windows 8 and the start menu of Windows 7. However, you can make a tile for almost anything. Do you have a folder you go to regularly? Create a shortcut tile. Do you keep changing a particular setting? Turn that setting's page into a tile. To create a tile, just right click whatever you want on the tile and look for a "Pin to Start" option.
2) Make It Yours - Windows 10 includes a variety of options to customize its look. You can start with the Personalization section of the Settings app (available on the Start Menu). You might also want to look at the Properties section of the Taskbar. (Right click on the taskbar and select properties.)
3) Sign Out Quicker - One of my complaints with the Windows 10 start menu is that the Sign Out option is so far away from the button. (If you don't know where it is, you click the user account name at the top to access it.) However, you can accomplish the same thing with two different keyboard options. If you only want to lock the screen, you can use Windows+L to quickly lock the screen. If you want to completely sign out, you can go to the desktop and then use Alt+F4 to bring up a list of options, including sign out, shut down, and restart.
4) Save Some Space - When upgrading to Windows 10, Windows saves the details of your previous Windows installation in case you want to revert back to it. However, this installation can cost you a substantial amount of storage space (sometimes as much as 20 GB). The Disk Cleanup application can remove these files for you. Go to the search box and type Disk Cleanup, and then check the options for "Previous Windows Installations" and "Temporary Windows Installation Files".
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Six Ways to Improve Your Amazon Experience
Online shopping is one of the greatest innovations to come from the internet. We can comparison ship without having to drive all over town, and we can read reviews of products from customers all around the world. Amazon leads the way in online shopping. If you are an Amazon shopper, here are some ways that you can improve your experience. (If you prefer another site, some of these tips may work there, too!)
1) Stop the Tracking - Yes, Amazon tracks what you look at and then tries to run ads to get you to buy it. To stop this, go to this page, select "Do Not Personalize Ads from Amazon for this Internet Browser", and click submit. (You will need to do this for each browser you use on each computer you own.) You will still see Amazon's ads, but they will be generic ads that are not specific to products you have viewed.
2) Get On the List - Amazon has plenty of great deals, but you can't take advantage of them if you don't know about them. Visit this link and sign up to receive emails in your favorite categories.
3) Availability Alerts - If the product you want is not available, you can sign up to get an email when it comes available again. Next to the product's name will be a button that says "Email me". Click the button and Amazon will let you know when the item is back in stock.
4) Track It - If you can't wait to get your package, Amazon can keep you updated on its progress to you by text message.
5) Share Prime Shipping - If you are an Amazon Prime member, you can share your free shipping with another adult and up to four kids. Go to the "Manage Prime Membership" page and look for the "Share your Prime benefits" section.
6) Make Money on Amazon - Amazon is a great place to spend money, but it can also help you make money. Many items also have a "Sell on Amazon" button that will allow you to sell your item back to Amazon. While you might not make as much as selling it on your own, it is a quick and painless way to get a little extra money to put toward your next purchase.
1) Stop the Tracking - Yes, Amazon tracks what you look at and then tries to run ads to get you to buy it. To stop this, go to this page, select "Do Not Personalize Ads from Amazon for this Internet Browser", and click submit. (You will need to do this for each browser you use on each computer you own.) You will still see Amazon's ads, but they will be generic ads that are not specific to products you have viewed.
2) Get On the List - Amazon has plenty of great deals, but you can't take advantage of them if you don't know about them. Visit this link and sign up to receive emails in your favorite categories.
3) Availability Alerts - If the product you want is not available, you can sign up to get an email when it comes available again. Next to the product's name will be a button that says "Email me". Click the button and Amazon will let you know when the item is back in stock.
4) Track It - If you can't wait to get your package, Amazon can keep you updated on its progress to you by text message.
5) Share Prime Shipping - If you are an Amazon Prime member, you can share your free shipping with another adult and up to four kids. Go to the "Manage Prime Membership" page and look for the "Share your Prime benefits" section.
6) Make Money on Amazon - Amazon is a great place to spend money, but it can also help you make money. Many items also have a "Sell on Amazon" button that will allow you to sell your item back to Amazon. While you might not make as much as selling it on your own, it is a quick and painless way to get a little extra money to put toward your next purchase.
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Six Fun Ways to Use Google
Yesterday, we talked about some useful ways to use Google's search. Today's tip will not be nearly as useful, but it will be a lot more fun!
Before we begin, it is important to note that Google adds and removes features regularly, so some of these may not work if you reread this in a few months. (Unless otherwise noted, they do work right now.) I was very disappointed to see that one of my favorites, the "Kayak across the Pacific Ocean" instruction on Google Maps, had been removed. You can read about it here if you didn't see it before.
Now, here are seven ways to have fun on Google's search pages:
1) Give Google Commands - Type "do a barrel roll" into a search box and watch the page...do a barrel roll. Type "tilt" or "askew" and watch the page go slightly off. Around Christmas last year, you could type "Let It Snow" and the page would snow and frost over, allowing you to draw on the window. (But as I tell the kids on my school bus, "Keep it school appropriate!")
2) Calculate More Than Numbers - The Google Calculator is also programmed to handle other questions, such as "what is the loneliest number" (a reference to a song from the 60's) or "what is the answer to life, the universe, and everything" (a reference from the movie, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.) Type anything with a numerical response in and see if Google knows it. Then, amaze your friends who don't know the references (that's what happened to me with both of those examples!)
3) Calculate a Bacon Number - No, this isn't how much bacon you should eat each day, this is a play on the "Six Degrees of Separation" game using Kevin Bacon. Pick any actor or actress and see how many connections must be made in order for Google to connect that person to Kevin Bacon.
4) Fight Off a Zerg Rush - I had never heard of a Zerg Rush before reading this online, but apparently, this is an alien race that attack in swarms in the video game Starcraft. Search for "zerg rush" and a whole bunch of little O's will invade your screen and eat your search results. Keep them from destroying your screen by clicking on them to destroy them.
5) Fly Yourself Anywhere - If you use Google Earth, you can use the flight simulator option to fly anywhere in the world. In Google Earth, click on Tools and select Enter Flight Simulator or press Ctrl+Alt+A.
6) Browse the Google Doodles - Okay, this one is fun and somewhat useful! You have probably noticed that the Google logo often changes based on current or historical events. These are called "Google Doodles". Google actually produces many different doodles for events around the world. If you go to google.com/doodles, you can browse the many recent doodles published around the world. Not only can you have fun looking at the various doodles, but you can learn some history at the same time.
Bonus: Google has released some doodles that are actually games. You can play goalie in this soccer game, race a canoe in this slalom canoe game, jump the hurdles in this race, or play Pacman in this doodle celebrating the game's 30th anniversary.
Before we begin, it is important to note that Google adds and removes features regularly, so some of these may not work if you reread this in a few months. (Unless otherwise noted, they do work right now.) I was very disappointed to see that one of my favorites, the "Kayak across the Pacific Ocean" instruction on Google Maps, had been removed. You can read about it here if you didn't see it before.
Now, here are seven ways to have fun on Google's search pages:
1) Give Google Commands - Type "do a barrel roll" into a search box and watch the page...do a barrel roll. Type "tilt" or "askew" and watch the page go slightly off. Around Christmas last year, you could type "Let It Snow" and the page would snow and frost over, allowing you to draw on the window. (But as I tell the kids on my school bus, "Keep it school appropriate!")
2) Calculate More Than Numbers - The Google Calculator is also programmed to handle other questions, such as "what is the loneliest number" (a reference to a song from the 60's) or "what is the answer to life, the universe, and everything" (a reference from the movie, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.) Type anything with a numerical response in and see if Google knows it. Then, amaze your friends who don't know the references (that's what happened to me with both of those examples!)
3) Calculate a Bacon Number - No, this isn't how much bacon you should eat each day, this is a play on the "Six Degrees of Separation" game using Kevin Bacon. Pick any actor or actress and see how many connections must be made in order for Google to connect that person to Kevin Bacon.
4) Fight Off a Zerg Rush - I had never heard of a Zerg Rush before reading this online, but apparently, this is an alien race that attack in swarms in the video game Starcraft. Search for "zerg rush" and a whole bunch of little O's will invade your screen and eat your search results. Keep them from destroying your screen by clicking on them to destroy them.
5) Fly Yourself Anywhere - If you use Google Earth, you can use the flight simulator option to fly anywhere in the world. In Google Earth, click on Tools and select Enter Flight Simulator or press Ctrl+Alt+A.
6) Browse the Google Doodles - Okay, this one is fun and somewhat useful! You have probably noticed that the Google logo often changes based on current or historical events. These are called "Google Doodles". Google actually produces many different doodles for events around the world. If you go to google.com/doodles, you can browse the many recent doodles published around the world. Not only can you have fun looking at the various doodles, but you can learn some history at the same time.
Bonus: Google has released some doodles that are actually games. You can play goalie in this soccer game, race a canoe in this slalom canoe game, jump the hurdles in this race, or play Pacman in this doodle celebrating the game's 30th anniversary.
Monday, September 28, 2015
Eight Useful Ways to Use Google
When most people think of Google, they usually think of the search engine first. Most of Google's other online products are usually referred to by a different name (such as Gmail) or by something added after Google (Google+, Google Apps, etc.) However, Google's search page has a lot of useful (and some fun but not so useful) features. Tomorrow, I will talk about some of those fun ways to use Google, but today, I will cover some of the more useful ways to use Google's search.
As a side note, most of these work in the search boxes or address bars on Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Chrome if they are programmed to use Google. All of these features are available on various sites, but Google simply makes them all available with just the search box.
Here are eight ways to make your search experience more useful:
1) Weather - You can get the weather without having to leave Google. Simply type a city or zip code followed by "forecast", and Google will display a detailed forecast for today along with simplified forecasts for the week ahead. Type your city or zip code followed by "weather" to get the current weather along with the week's forecast.
2) Translate Words - Typing "translate <word/phrase> to <language>" will quickly access the Google translator and display the result. Just be careful, because while Google Translate is usually pretty good with words, it can be less accurate with longer phrases. People have made blog posts and videos of what happens when you take a poem or song and translate it through several languages before taking it back to English.
3) Check the Time - Can't remember if London is four or five hours ahead of us (it can be either due to the differences in the daylight savings time dates)? Type "time in <location>" and Google will give you the current time and date.
4) Do Math - Instead of taking the time to locate a calculator on the internet or find the one installed on your computer, just type your math problem into a search box. Google will do the math and display the result.
5) Conversions - Need to convert from one unit of measurement to another? Google can handle it. Simply type "<amount> <unit1> in <unit2>" (for example, "100 dollars in pounds") and Google will handle the conversion for you.
6) Check Flight Status - Now you don't need to go to the airport and look through many television monitors to see the status of a flight. Simply type the airline and flight number into a search box to see the status of the flight.
7) Search Public Data - Want to see the latest population estimates or unemployment rate for a particular location? Simply type what you are looking for and the location into the search box and watch Google give you the data. Want historical data? Google gives you a 10-year lookback, and by clicking on "Explore More" underneath the graph, you can view older data.
8) Define Words - If you want a dictionary definition of a word, simply type "define:<word>" to have Google give you its definition.
Tomorrow, we'll look at the fun side of Google by examining some of the little built-in tricks.
As a side note, most of these work in the search boxes or address bars on Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Chrome if they are programmed to use Google. All of these features are available on various sites, but Google simply makes them all available with just the search box.
Here are eight ways to make your search experience more useful:
1) Weather - You can get the weather without having to leave Google. Simply type a city or zip code followed by "forecast", and Google will display a detailed forecast for today along with simplified forecasts for the week ahead. Type your city or zip code followed by "weather" to get the current weather along with the week's forecast.
2) Translate Words - Typing "translate <word/phrase> to <language>" will quickly access the Google translator and display the result. Just be careful, because while Google Translate is usually pretty good with words, it can be less accurate with longer phrases. People have made blog posts and videos of what happens when you take a poem or song and translate it through several languages before taking it back to English.
3) Check the Time - Can't remember if London is four or five hours ahead of us (it can be either due to the differences in the daylight savings time dates)? Type "time in <location>" and Google will give you the current time and date.
4) Do Math - Instead of taking the time to locate a calculator on the internet or find the one installed on your computer, just type your math problem into a search box. Google will do the math and display the result.
5) Conversions - Need to convert from one unit of measurement to another? Google can handle it. Simply type "<amount> <unit1> in <unit2>" (for example, "100 dollars in pounds") and Google will handle the conversion for you.
6) Check Flight Status - Now you don't need to go to the airport and look through many television monitors to see the status of a flight. Simply type the airline and flight number into a search box to see the status of the flight.
7) Search Public Data - Want to see the latest population estimates or unemployment rate for a particular location? Simply type what you are looking for and the location into the search box and watch Google give you the data. Want historical data? Google gives you a 10-year lookback, and by clicking on "Explore More" underneath the graph, you can view older data.
8) Define Words - If you want a dictionary definition of a word, simply type "define:<word>" to have Google give you its definition.
Tomorrow, we'll look at the fun side of Google by examining some of the little built-in tricks.
Friday, September 25, 2015
Fix a Scratched CD/DVD
As careful as we may try to be, sometimes our CDs or DVDs end up getting scratched. However, a scratch does not automatically mean that your disc has become an expensive coaster for your living room table. There still may be ways to restore your disc to optimal condition.
Two quick notes: first, it is important to understand that your best option is to not let your disc get scratched. Any of these methods for repairing a scratch may help, but they also have the potential to hurt the disc. Second, whenever possible, it is advisable to make a backup copy of your disc on your computer or on another disc. Burning a backup copy of a disc is legal as long as it is only for personal use and it does not circumvent any digital rights protections built in.
Once a scratch does occur, the first step to take would be to clean the surface with a jewelry-polishing cloth. These cloths are fairly inexpensive and available at most stores that sell jewelry. This removes some of the dust and dirt that can accumulate in the scratches and eliminates other areas of the disc as the problem. (You might find that the light scratch isn't the problem at all). To avoid causing further damage, rub the disc from the center to the outside and back, not along a circular path.
If this does not work, you can use a variety of substances to try to fill in the scratch. I have heard of people using car wax, furniture polish, petroleum jelly, and even banana to fill it in. I would recommend the car wax personally, but you can choose whatever you have available. Once again, always be sure to rub from the center to the outside of the disc, and make sure you give it plenty of time to dry (overnight would be best) and clean it thoroughly before putting it back in your DVD player.
If you can't find any substance that will repair the scratch, then it might be time to approach it from a different angle. If you have a cheap or older player, find a friend with a new player that was reasonably expensive. Technology is always improving, and it might have improved enough so that the latest players can read what your older device cannot. This might have the lowest probability of success, but it is worth a shot if nothing else is working. If it works on your friend's player, it might be time to upgrade yours.
Finally, when you have run out of options to do it yourself, turn to your local movie rental store. Almost all of them have devices that will buff dics and remove the scratches. Find a friendly-looking clerk, explain the situation, and see if the clerk will help you out. Obviously, they are under no obligation to help you, but it would make business sense for them to do so. You could go the DIY route and buy a machine yourself, but unless you have a lot of scratched discs, your wallet would probably be better off replacing your scratched discs.
If the $500+ machine at the movie-rental store can't help you, then it is time to buy a new disc or say goodbye to your movie or music. Obviously, with a music CD, you can always burn the unaffected tracks to a new CD to use in the meantime.
Two quick notes: first, it is important to understand that your best option is to not let your disc get scratched. Any of these methods for repairing a scratch may help, but they also have the potential to hurt the disc. Second, whenever possible, it is advisable to make a backup copy of your disc on your computer or on another disc. Burning a backup copy of a disc is legal as long as it is only for personal use and it does not circumvent any digital rights protections built in.
Once a scratch does occur, the first step to take would be to clean the surface with a jewelry-polishing cloth. These cloths are fairly inexpensive and available at most stores that sell jewelry. This removes some of the dust and dirt that can accumulate in the scratches and eliminates other areas of the disc as the problem. (You might find that the light scratch isn't the problem at all). To avoid causing further damage, rub the disc from the center to the outside and back, not along a circular path.
If this does not work, you can use a variety of substances to try to fill in the scratch. I have heard of people using car wax, furniture polish, petroleum jelly, and even banana to fill it in. I would recommend the car wax personally, but you can choose whatever you have available. Once again, always be sure to rub from the center to the outside of the disc, and make sure you give it plenty of time to dry (overnight would be best) and clean it thoroughly before putting it back in your DVD player.
If you can't find any substance that will repair the scratch, then it might be time to approach it from a different angle. If you have a cheap or older player, find a friend with a new player that was reasonably expensive. Technology is always improving, and it might have improved enough so that the latest players can read what your older device cannot. This might have the lowest probability of success, but it is worth a shot if nothing else is working. If it works on your friend's player, it might be time to upgrade yours.
Finally, when you have run out of options to do it yourself, turn to your local movie rental store. Almost all of them have devices that will buff dics and remove the scratches. Find a friendly-looking clerk, explain the situation, and see if the clerk will help you out. Obviously, they are under no obligation to help you, but it would make business sense for them to do so. You could go the DIY route and buy a machine yourself, but unless you have a lot of scratched discs, your wallet would probably be better off replacing your scratched discs.
If the $500+ machine at the movie-rental store can't help you, then it is time to buy a new disc or say goodbye to your movie or music. Obviously, with a music CD, you can always burn the unaffected tracks to a new CD to use in the meantime.
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Speed Up Your Wi-Fi
Everyone wants the fastest internet speed possible at a price we can afford. However, if your Wi-Fi is slow, the problem may not be your ISP. There are many things that you can do to improve your Wi-Fi speeds that don't include contacting your ISP to increase your speed (which will also increase your price, of course!) Here are four free things you can do that might improve your Wi-Fi speeds:
1) Move the Router - Many people do not know that the maximum speed decreases as you move away from the router. To make sure you have the best speeds, move the router as close as possible to where people will be using Wi-Fi. If you want coverage throughout your house, try to move it somewhere in the center. If most of the Wi-Fi access is done on one side, you might want to move it closer to that end of the house.
Hiding the router away in one corner gives some of your best coverage to your yard and even to the neighbor's house. Obviously, you will not want an unsightly mess of cables right in the middle of your living room, but moving your router closer may improve your speed.
If you must put the router in a corner or at one end of your house, you can use a curved sheet of aluminum foil or an aluminium can behind the router to reflect the signal back into your house.
2) Change the Channel - Your router can be programmed to work on eleven different channels. If most of your neighbors are using one particular channel, that channel can slow from all the transmissions. Access your router's control panel (for exact instructions, check the printed or online documentation for your router) and try changing the channel. The best channels to use will be 1, 6, and 11.
A word of warning: I had one customer whose printer required channel 1 for some reason, but his router was programmed to select the clearest channel. If you suddenly find that a device won't connect after changing the channel, you may be stuck with the channel you are on.
3) Update Firmware - All devices contain small chips with software to operate the device. This software is called firmware. Manufacturers will sometimes release firmware updates for your device to protect against security holes, correct errors, and add new features. Unfortunately, unlike Windows, your devices are rarely programmed to check for firmware updates.
Both your router and your device's Wi-Fi card have firmware that might benefit from an upgrade. To check for new firmware, go to the manufacturer's website.
4) Check for Thieves - Earlier this week, I wrote a tip about how to check for people that might be using your Wi-Fi network. If you did not get this tip, you can check it out here.
However, even authorized devices may be using your bandwidth without your knowledge. Right now, WiFi Guard lists five devices connected to my router, even though I am only using my computer (and at the time I am writing this, I am the only one awake). Shutting off Wi-Fi on your phone, tablet, or streaming device might free up more bandwidth for your computer.
1) Move the Router - Many people do not know that the maximum speed decreases as you move away from the router. To make sure you have the best speeds, move the router as close as possible to where people will be using Wi-Fi. If you want coverage throughout your house, try to move it somewhere in the center. If most of the Wi-Fi access is done on one side, you might want to move it closer to that end of the house.
Hiding the router away in one corner gives some of your best coverage to your yard and even to the neighbor's house. Obviously, you will not want an unsightly mess of cables right in the middle of your living room, but moving your router closer may improve your speed.
If you must put the router in a corner or at one end of your house, you can use a curved sheet of aluminum foil or an aluminium can behind the router to reflect the signal back into your house.
2) Change the Channel - Your router can be programmed to work on eleven different channels. If most of your neighbors are using one particular channel, that channel can slow from all the transmissions. Access your router's control panel (for exact instructions, check the printed or online documentation for your router) and try changing the channel. The best channels to use will be 1, 6, and 11.
A word of warning: I had one customer whose printer required channel 1 for some reason, but his router was programmed to select the clearest channel. If you suddenly find that a device won't connect after changing the channel, you may be stuck with the channel you are on.
3) Update Firmware - All devices contain small chips with software to operate the device. This software is called firmware. Manufacturers will sometimes release firmware updates for your device to protect against security holes, correct errors, and add new features. Unfortunately, unlike Windows, your devices are rarely programmed to check for firmware updates.
Both your router and your device's Wi-Fi card have firmware that might benefit from an upgrade. To check for new firmware, go to the manufacturer's website.
4) Check for Thieves - Earlier this week, I wrote a tip about how to check for people that might be using your Wi-Fi network. If you did not get this tip, you can check it out here.
However, even authorized devices may be using your bandwidth without your knowledge. Right now, WiFi Guard lists five devices connected to my router, even though I am only using my computer (and at the time I am writing this, I am the only one awake). Shutting off Wi-Fi on your phone, tablet, or streaming device might free up more bandwidth for your computer.
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Do I Really Need to 'Safely Remove Device'?
Most of us know that we should use the "Safely Remove Device" feature in Windows before removing a flash drive (or any other type of USB device) from our computer. And most of us have probably figured out that you can simply pull the drive out and your files will still be there the next time.
If you don't know what I am talking about, each time you want to remove a USB drive (flash drive, external hard drive, etc.), Microsoft says you should go to the notification area of the taskbar (near the clock), click on the small icon that looks like a flash drive, and then select "Eject [Name of Drive]".
That brings us to the question: Is the "Safely Remove Device" feature even necessary? And the answer is: Definitely!
Yes, it is true that you can usually unplug a drive without any problem, but that is not always the case. There are many things that could be happening in the background that could harm your data if you do not use this feature. First, if the drive is in use, the files in use will most likely be corrupted. Using "Safely Remove Device" will prevent you from corrupting those files.
However, sometimes the drive will be in use when you don't realize it. The drive could be rewriting its file system (the directory of all the files on the drive). You might think it is okay to just pull the drive out because you haven't used the drive for several minutes, but if the file system is being modified and becomes corrupted when you pull the drive out, everything on the drive will be lost. Safely removing the drive will stop the rewrite at a safe place so you can remove the drive.
Second, you can enable performance features on a drive that make it even more important to use this feature. Windows can be programmed to cache data being written to a drive. This saves the data on your hard drive until Windows determines that it is best to write it to the flash drive. (This can keep your system from becoming strained by low resources or demanding programs.) While this feature is disabled by default, you probably cannot tell me for sure that caching has been disabled on your computer without checking. It is best to treat your files as safe as you can!
For these two reasons alone, it is best to always safely remove your device before you remove it. In fact, the only time you should remove a drive without this feature is if you have already shut the computer off. Otherwise, the few seconds you save by not using this feature will be more than wasted if you have to recreate all the files on the drive or spend time and/or money trying to recover data.
If you don't know what I am talking about, each time you want to remove a USB drive (flash drive, external hard drive, etc.), Microsoft says you should go to the notification area of the taskbar (near the clock), click on the small icon that looks like a flash drive, and then select "Eject [Name of Drive]".
That brings us to the question: Is the "Safely Remove Device" feature even necessary? And the answer is: Definitely!
Yes, it is true that you can usually unplug a drive without any problem, but that is not always the case. There are many things that could be happening in the background that could harm your data if you do not use this feature. First, if the drive is in use, the files in use will most likely be corrupted. Using "Safely Remove Device" will prevent you from corrupting those files.
However, sometimes the drive will be in use when you don't realize it. The drive could be rewriting its file system (the directory of all the files on the drive). You might think it is okay to just pull the drive out because you haven't used the drive for several minutes, but if the file system is being modified and becomes corrupted when you pull the drive out, everything on the drive will be lost. Safely removing the drive will stop the rewrite at a safe place so you can remove the drive.
Second, you can enable performance features on a drive that make it even more important to use this feature. Windows can be programmed to cache data being written to a drive. This saves the data on your hard drive until Windows determines that it is best to write it to the flash drive. (This can keep your system from becoming strained by low resources or demanding programs.) While this feature is disabled by default, you probably cannot tell me for sure that caching has been disabled on your computer without checking. It is best to treat your files as safe as you can!
For these two reasons alone, it is best to always safely remove your device before you remove it. In fact, the only time you should remove a drive without this feature is if you have already shut the computer off. Otherwise, the few seconds you save by not using this feature will be more than wasted if you have to recreate all the files on the drive or spend time and/or money trying to recover data.
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Check The Value of Your Old Tech
One of my readers sent me the following question: "What do we do with our old, outdated hardware? I mainly mean modems & routers. Is there a way to recycle them? Should we just trash them? Is there a way to check if they have a resale value or not?"
Unless you are one who is constantly upgrading these devices, your old modems and routers probably have little value. Most of us will keep our modem and router until it dies or our internet speed starts slowing down. Even if it still works great, it is probably years behind the current standards, and it may have some security holes that the manufacturer isn't fixing. However, it never hurts to see if your device might have some value left in it.
A good place to start is at Amazon's trade-in site: www.amazon.com/tradein. Some routers qualify for a credit of up to $70 (possibly more, since I didn't check each page on my search). However, others only qualify for 25 cents. If it isn't worth your time to trade it at Amazon, then we can check one more place.
Some people like to purchase old routers and put other software on them to expand their functionality. If your device is still in working condition, you might find someone on eBay willing to buy it. However, if you don't want to go through the process of setting up a listing without knowing how much it might sell for, you can check for completed listings. Simply search for your item's model, and then scroll to the bottom of the options on the left side. Underneath "Show Only", check the box for "Completed Listings". This will show you only the final sale price for your item. If you see a big price, make sure that the model number in the listing is the same before you get your hopes up!
If you know someone who likes to scrap metal, they might be interested in taking your old devices. If you are out of options, you are not supposed to put these devices in the trash due to some of their materials. However, many electronics stores will offer free recycling, or you can try to find a place that accepts hazardous materials for disposal. A local environmental group or government agency should be able to help you find a place that will accept your old electronics for recycling. (Near where I live, there is a monthly "open dumping" day where all types of materials are accepted and there is also an annual household waste clean-up day.)
Unless you are one who is constantly upgrading these devices, your old modems and routers probably have little value. Most of us will keep our modem and router until it dies or our internet speed starts slowing down. Even if it still works great, it is probably years behind the current standards, and it may have some security holes that the manufacturer isn't fixing. However, it never hurts to see if your device might have some value left in it.
A good place to start is at Amazon's trade-in site: www.amazon.com/tradein. Some routers qualify for a credit of up to $70 (possibly more, since I didn't check each page on my search). However, others only qualify for 25 cents. If it isn't worth your time to trade it at Amazon, then we can check one more place.
Some people like to purchase old routers and put other software on them to expand their functionality. If your device is still in working condition, you might find someone on eBay willing to buy it. However, if you don't want to go through the process of setting up a listing without knowing how much it might sell for, you can check for completed listings. Simply search for your item's model, and then scroll to the bottom of the options on the left side. Underneath "Show Only", check the box for "Completed Listings". This will show you only the final sale price for your item. If you see a big price, make sure that the model number in the listing is the same before you get your hopes up!
If you know someone who likes to scrap metal, they might be interested in taking your old devices. If you are out of options, you are not supposed to put these devices in the trash due to some of their materials. However, many electronics stores will offer free recycling, or you can try to find a place that accepts hazardous materials for disposal. A local environmental group or government agency should be able to help you find a place that will accept your old electronics for recycling. (Near where I live, there is a monthly "open dumping" day where all types of materials are accepted and there is also an annual household waste clean-up day.)
Friday, September 18, 2015
Are Expensive Cables Worth It?
Go to your local electronics store and you might find the cable you need for around $25. Go on eBay, and you can probably find the same cable for $1 or less. This substantial difference in price probably makes you wonder if there is a difference in what the cable will do.
For the most part, the answer is no. A cable functions like a tube that allows data to be transmitted but a more expensive cable will (usually) not provide a better experience. Unless there is something wrong with the cable, the data entered on one end will be reproduced on the other end. In most cases, you will want to avoid both the cheapest cables (these are usually extremely poor quality products made in China), and the most expensive ones (these might contain some extra shielding or other features, but are unlikely to be worth the cost).
Furthermore, lifespan is not usually an issue. You can replace a $2 twelve times before you have approached the cost of the $25 cable. If you are not going at the cheapest end of the spectrum, you will find that any reduced lifespan is minimal and does not come close to making up for the additional cost of the expensive cable.
In general, you should go with a cable toward the cheaper end, but not necessarily the cheapest one you can find. Here are a few exceptions:
1) Active HDMI Cables - Generally, a properly-functioning HDMI cable will not make your video quality any better. However, an "active" cable contains a chip that will help boost the signal to provide a better signal over long distances or through thinner cables. If you need a long HDMI run or a thin cable to go around a corner, then spending extra for an active cable is a good choice.
2) USB Charging Cables - Computer USB cables also function as tubes that simply transmit data. However, USB charging cables may not charge at the same rate. You may find that a cheaper cable charges much slower than a more expensive cable. (You may also find cheaper cables that work at the same rate as their more expensive counterparts, so cheap does not necessarily mean slow.) If you are replacing a charging cable, you do not need to go for the most expensive option, but selecting one toward the expensive end of the spectrum may make sense.
3) Ethernet - CAT 5 and CAT 5e cables are certainly fast enough right now, but as average internet speeds appear set to increase at some point in the near future, using these cables may result in slower than necessary speeds. If you are replacing your ethernet cables, it is probably time to upgrade them to CAT 6 or CAT 6a. There is only a small difference in price, but you will have the ability to obtain faster speeds once they become available. That said, there is no reason to go to the expensive end of the CAT 6 price range.
4) Audio Cables - Audio cables are one of the few analog cables still in use today. Although the difference would be small, cable quality could have an effect on the quality of the sound produced. If you work with audio or video or you have a good ear for music quality, this is one area where you might want to go with a higher-quality cable.
For the most part, the answer is no. A cable functions like a tube that allows data to be transmitted but a more expensive cable will (usually) not provide a better experience. Unless there is something wrong with the cable, the data entered on one end will be reproduced on the other end. In most cases, you will want to avoid both the cheapest cables (these are usually extremely poor quality products made in China), and the most expensive ones (these might contain some extra shielding or other features, but are unlikely to be worth the cost).
Furthermore, lifespan is not usually an issue. You can replace a $2 twelve times before you have approached the cost of the $25 cable. If you are not going at the cheapest end of the spectrum, you will find that any reduced lifespan is minimal and does not come close to making up for the additional cost of the expensive cable.
In general, you should go with a cable toward the cheaper end, but not necessarily the cheapest one you can find. Here are a few exceptions:
1) Active HDMI Cables - Generally, a properly-functioning HDMI cable will not make your video quality any better. However, an "active" cable contains a chip that will help boost the signal to provide a better signal over long distances or through thinner cables. If you need a long HDMI run or a thin cable to go around a corner, then spending extra for an active cable is a good choice.
2) USB Charging Cables - Computer USB cables also function as tubes that simply transmit data. However, USB charging cables may not charge at the same rate. You may find that a cheaper cable charges much slower than a more expensive cable. (You may also find cheaper cables that work at the same rate as their more expensive counterparts, so cheap does not necessarily mean slow.) If you are replacing a charging cable, you do not need to go for the most expensive option, but selecting one toward the expensive end of the spectrum may make sense.
3) Ethernet - CAT 5 and CAT 5e cables are certainly fast enough right now, but as average internet speeds appear set to increase at some point in the near future, using these cables may result in slower than necessary speeds. If you are replacing your ethernet cables, it is probably time to upgrade them to CAT 6 or CAT 6a. There is only a small difference in price, but you will have the ability to obtain faster speeds once they become available. That said, there is no reason to go to the expensive end of the CAT 6 price range.
4) Audio Cables - Audio cables are one of the few analog cables still in use today. Although the difference would be small, cable quality could have an effect on the quality of the sound produced. If you work with audio or video or you have a good ear for music quality, this is one area where you might want to go with a higher-quality cable.
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