Upgrading new software can sometimes be a complicated process. Recently, when I upgraded the financial management software for my business to the latest version, I ran into problems opening my files in the software. After several phone calls to their technical support team, we finally isolated the problem and were able to solve it. However, even if the new software runs perfectly, locating the features you want can be a problem.
When Microsoft released Office 2007, it came with a completely different look from earlier versions. The toolbars that graced the top of your screen were now replaced with ribbons. When I first upgraded from Office 2003 to Office 2010 (I skipped the 2007 version), I had trouble finding all the features I wanted. However, after using it for almost two years now, I now know exactly where the features I use the most are located.
The same problem happened when Microsoft released Windows 8. Microsoft made so many changes to Windows that it became more difficult to find the features you need. One of the biggest complaints I hear about Windows 8 is that it has become more difficult to accomplish the same tasks. While I actually like Windows 8 overall (especially since the Windows 8.1 upgrade was released), I can understand the frustrations of others.
Fortunately, Microsoft has released guides to help learn its new software. Below, I have linked to guides to Office 2013, Windows 7, and Windows 8. While Microsoft has only released its guides for Office 2013, many of the features will work on Office 2007 and 2010. The Office guides are in PDF format. The Windows guides are web-based, but the Windows 7 offers a PDF option in addition to the videos.
Office 2013
Windows 7
Windows 8
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Making Use of the Aero Interface
If you have Windows 7 or 8, you have the Aero interface built in to your desktop, unless you have disabled it. (Vista also has a version of the Aero interface, but the features of this tip do not work.) The Aero interface contains several very useful features that you might want to try out and use on a regular basis. Here are four of the most useful uses:
1) Areo Peek - When you have a window open, hover your mouse over the taskbar icon to see a thumbnail of the window. This is useful if you have multiple windows open for the same program, and you want to see which window you are maximizing before you open it.
2) Aero Snap - Aero snap is perhaps the most useful tool in Windows 7 (at least for me). This allows you to "snap" a window to your monitor. There are two different ways to snap. First, you can drag the window to the very top of your monitor. Before you release the mouse, you will see a small circle that expands to fill the screen. After you see the circle, you can release the mouse, and the window you are dragging will instantly fill the screen.
You can also snap to the right or left side of your screen. This will cause the current window to fill only the half of the screen you are snapping it to. This is very useful when you have two windows you want to use simultaneously.
3) Aero Shake - By grabbing the title bar of a window and quickly shaking it back and forth, you can quickly minimize all other windows. Shaking the window again will restore all the windows you minimized.
4) View Desktop - On the far right side of the taskbar (just to the right of the clock), there is a small button. (The button usually blends in with the clock until you hover your mouse over it.) Clicking on this button will minimize all windows and show you the desktop. Clicking it again will restore all windows. In Windows 7, you can hover over the button and have all windows disappear until you move the mouse again.
1) Areo Peek - When you have a window open, hover your mouse over the taskbar icon to see a thumbnail of the window. This is useful if you have multiple windows open for the same program, and you want to see which window you are maximizing before you open it.
2) Aero Snap - Aero snap is perhaps the most useful tool in Windows 7 (at least for me). This allows you to "snap" a window to your monitor. There are two different ways to snap. First, you can drag the window to the very top of your monitor. Before you release the mouse, you will see a small circle that expands to fill the screen. After you see the circle, you can release the mouse, and the window you are dragging will instantly fill the screen.
You can also snap to the right or left side of your screen. This will cause the current window to fill only the half of the screen you are snapping it to. This is very useful when you have two windows you want to use simultaneously.
3) Aero Shake - By grabbing the title bar of a window and quickly shaking it back and forth, you can quickly minimize all other windows. Shaking the window again will restore all the windows you minimized.
4) View Desktop - On the far right side of the taskbar (just to the right of the clock), there is a small button. (The button usually blends in with the clock until you hover your mouse over it.) Clicking on this button will minimize all windows and show you the desktop. Clicking it again will restore all windows. In Windows 7, you can hover over the button and have all windows disappear until you move the mouse again.
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Keyboard Shortcuts That Will Save You Time
It takes time to switch back and forth between the mouse and the keyboard. However, there are many things that you can do with just the keyboard. Here are four excellent keyboard shortcuts that will keep you from having to switch to the mouse:
1) Switch Between Programs Easily - If you need to switch between two different programs or two windows of the same program, you can use the Alt+Tab (meaning you hold down the Alt key while you hit Tab) key combination to switch between them. The first time you hit the Tab key, you will see a list of programs you have open, arranged in the order you last used them. If you continue to hold down the Alt key, you can hit the tab key multiple times to cycle between the open windows. When you reach the window you want, release the Alt key to switch to that window.
2) Close Programs without a Mouse - If your hands are already on your keyboard and you need to close the program you are working with, you can use the key command Alt+F4.
Bonus Tip: If you are working in a browser with tabs, you can close only the current tab with the key command Ctrl+W. This command also works in Microsoft Office and some other programs that allow for multiple files to be open within the same window.
3) Cut, Copy, and Paste - This tip is actually three-in-one. The cut, copy, and paste commands are invaluable tools. However, you can access them without needing to move your hands from the keyboard. You can cut using the key combination Ctrl+X, and you can copy using the key combination Ctrl+C. Pasting what you cut or copied earlier can be accomplished by using Ctrl+V. These three combinations may seem hard to remember, but it is easier once you realize that the three keys are all next to each other on the keyboard. Using these commands in combination with the fourth item will allow you to cut, copy, and paste without needing the mouse.
4) Select Text - If you are editing a Word document or any other file where you have a cursor, holding down the Shift key and navigating with the arrow keys will allow me to select text. Unfortunately, this does not work in most web pages, where you do not have a cursor to designate the starting point.
1) Switch Between Programs Easily - If you need to switch between two different programs or two windows of the same program, you can use the Alt+Tab (meaning you hold down the Alt key while you hit Tab) key combination to switch between them. The first time you hit the Tab key, you will see a list of programs you have open, arranged in the order you last used them. If you continue to hold down the Alt key, you can hit the tab key multiple times to cycle between the open windows. When you reach the window you want, release the Alt key to switch to that window.
2) Close Programs without a Mouse - If your hands are already on your keyboard and you need to close the program you are working with, you can use the key command Alt+F4.
Bonus Tip: If you are working in a browser with tabs, you can close only the current tab with the key command Ctrl+W. This command also works in Microsoft Office and some other programs that allow for multiple files to be open within the same window.
3) Cut, Copy, and Paste - This tip is actually three-in-one. The cut, copy, and paste commands are invaluable tools. However, you can access them without needing to move your hands from the keyboard. You can cut using the key combination Ctrl+X, and you can copy using the key combination Ctrl+C. Pasting what you cut or copied earlier can be accomplished by using Ctrl+V. These three combinations may seem hard to remember, but it is easier once you realize that the three keys are all next to each other on the keyboard. Using these commands in combination with the fourth item will allow you to cut, copy, and paste without needing the mouse.
4) Select Text - If you are editing a Word document or any other file where you have a cursor, holding down the Shift key and navigating with the arrow keys will allow me to select text. Unfortunately, this does not work in most web pages, where you do not have a cursor to designate the starting point.
Monday, May 11, 2015
Do You Need an 'AC' Router?
Home networks used to be something that only a few people set up. However, with game consoles, streaming TV gadgets, tablets, smartphones, and computers all competing for internet access, a home network is a must-have for almost every home. At the center of your network is your router.
Your router is the device that takes your incoming internet traffic and sends it to the right place. Otherwise, you might find your son's email showing up on your TV screen where your Netflix movie was supposed to be.
If you go to a store to buy a new router, the salesperson will likely try to impress you with information about letters and speeds. "If you buy THIS 'ac' router, you can get speeds up to 1.75 Gigabits..." But what does all that really mean?
The Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers designates code numbers for various topics. For Wi-Fi, the code is 802.11. If you look carefully, you will see this on almost every box for a wireless router. As the standards for Wi-Fi communication have been revised, they have been given letters that follow the 802.11. The initial standards were 802.11a, then it was revised to 802.11b, etc. With each revision came improvements in speed, security, and other features.
Most of these revisions are not readily available. Some are experimental, and some just fail to catch on. Until last year, the most common revisions were 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n. However, the 802.11ac standard was released last year (since there have now been more than 26 revisions, we are now using two-letter codes.) This standard promises much faster internet, allowing for speeds even faster than wired ethernet.
However, this does not mean you should go out right now and buy a new 'ac' router. In order to communicate at the faster speeds, both your router and your devices need to support the new standard. If the majority of your devices are over two years old, they certainly will not support this new standard. Even many devices produced within the last year still do not support this standard. There is certainly no point in buying a new router, only to find out that your devices cannot communicate at the fast speed you were expecting, unless you are planning to upgrade most of your devices within the next year or two.
If you are unsure what types of Wi-Fi your devices support, check the documentation in print or online. Look for that 802.11 number and see what letters follow it. (It is often written as 802.11b/g/n, meaning that it supports the b, g, and n standards.) Then, if you are in the market for a new router, buy one that communicates at the fastest speed your devices support, unless you are planning to upgrade devices soon.
Eventually, the 'ac' standard will become as common as the 'g' or 'n' standards. However, until it does, you are wasting your money unless you know that your devices, or the devices you plan to buy soon, support that standard.
Your router is the device that takes your incoming internet traffic and sends it to the right place. Otherwise, you might find your son's email showing up on your TV screen where your Netflix movie was supposed to be.
If you go to a store to buy a new router, the salesperson will likely try to impress you with information about letters and speeds. "If you buy THIS 'ac' router, you can get speeds up to 1.75 Gigabits..." But what does all that really mean?
The Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers designates code numbers for various topics. For Wi-Fi, the code is 802.11. If you look carefully, you will see this on almost every box for a wireless router. As the standards for Wi-Fi communication have been revised, they have been given letters that follow the 802.11. The initial standards were 802.11a, then it was revised to 802.11b, etc. With each revision came improvements in speed, security, and other features.
Most of these revisions are not readily available. Some are experimental, and some just fail to catch on. Until last year, the most common revisions were 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n. However, the 802.11ac standard was released last year (since there have now been more than 26 revisions, we are now using two-letter codes.) This standard promises much faster internet, allowing for speeds even faster than wired ethernet.
However, this does not mean you should go out right now and buy a new 'ac' router. In order to communicate at the faster speeds, both your router and your devices need to support the new standard. If the majority of your devices are over two years old, they certainly will not support this new standard. Even many devices produced within the last year still do not support this standard. There is certainly no point in buying a new router, only to find out that your devices cannot communicate at the fast speed you were expecting, unless you are planning to upgrade most of your devices within the next year or two.
If you are unsure what types of Wi-Fi your devices support, check the documentation in print or online. Look for that 802.11 number and see what letters follow it. (It is often written as 802.11b/g/n, meaning that it supports the b, g, and n standards.) Then, if you are in the market for a new router, buy one that communicates at the fastest speed your devices support, unless you are planning to upgrade devices soon.
Eventually, the 'ac' standard will become as common as the 'g' or 'n' standards. However, until it does, you are wasting your money unless you know that your devices, or the devices you plan to buy soon, support that standard.
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
What Happens When Your Device Is Stolen?
I can honestly say I have never lost any device, but that does not mean it could never happen to me. In fact, I had a scare a few weeks ago when I could not locate my phone for several hours. (My white S3 was sitting on top of paper!) The fact that I almost lost my phone made me think seriously about the security of my devices in case one did end up in the wrong hands.
The exact security features you need depend on the sensitivity of the information the device contains. For basic personal use, some of these suggestions may be overkill. However, for business use--especially if you access confidential business data--you may need to go with all-out protection. Consider what information your device has and choose your security level accordingly.
Here are some ideas to keep your mobile devices secure:
1) Remote Wipe - This is a basic feature that should be a part of each device's security. If you access anything that requires a password on a device, you should enable remote wipe so that you can clean the device if it is stolen. While this may not deter professional criminals from accessing your data, it will protect your information from casual snoopers.
Remote wipe is available in both Android and iOS. You can get the same features on a laptop by using Lojack (for a cost) or Prey (free). More on these in the next point.
2) Tracking - Let's start by facing this fact: it is unlikely that you will get your stolen device back. Once a thief realizes it is being tracked, it is much more likely to end up destroyed or in a landfill than returned. However, that does not mean you should not plan to try.
Even if you do not have tracking software, some of your accounts--like Gmail, Dropbox, and Evernote--may show you the IP addresses of users who logged in. If the thief logs in to your account, it will be logged. While it is unlikely, it may be possible to catch the thief using this information.
However, you may have more success if you install professional tracking software on your device. Lojack's paid software can track the location of your device any time it is connected. It can even be configured to do a remote wipe of your hard drive. For a cheaper alternative, Prey is free for up to three devices and comes with many of the same features.
3) Encryption - The latest versions of iOS and Android now use encryption by default, but most laptops still have unencrypted hard drives. This means that anyone can remove the hard drive from your laptop and plug it into another computer to see your data.
If you handle sensitive data, you should consider using encryption. TrueCrypt is a free encryption program that can encrypt your hard drive (or parts of it). If you have Windows 7 Ultimate or Windows 8/8.1 Pro, you can also enable BitLocker to encrypt your hard drive. Both of these options will help keep your sensitive data safe.
If you really want to protect your data, you can look for an encrypted hard drive. These drives will encrypt everything as it is stored without the need for any encryption software.
The exact security features you need depend on the sensitivity of the information the device contains. For basic personal use, some of these suggestions may be overkill. However, for business use--especially if you access confidential business data--you may need to go with all-out protection. Consider what information your device has and choose your security level accordingly.
Here are some ideas to keep your mobile devices secure:
1) Remote Wipe - This is a basic feature that should be a part of each device's security. If you access anything that requires a password on a device, you should enable remote wipe so that you can clean the device if it is stolen. While this may not deter professional criminals from accessing your data, it will protect your information from casual snoopers.
Remote wipe is available in both Android and iOS. You can get the same features on a laptop by using Lojack (for a cost) or Prey (free). More on these in the next point.
2) Tracking - Let's start by facing this fact: it is unlikely that you will get your stolen device back. Once a thief realizes it is being tracked, it is much more likely to end up destroyed or in a landfill than returned. However, that does not mean you should not plan to try.
Even if you do not have tracking software, some of your accounts--like Gmail, Dropbox, and Evernote--may show you the IP addresses of users who logged in. If the thief logs in to your account, it will be logged. While it is unlikely, it may be possible to catch the thief using this information.
However, you may have more success if you install professional tracking software on your device. Lojack's paid software can track the location of your device any time it is connected. It can even be configured to do a remote wipe of your hard drive. For a cheaper alternative, Prey is free for up to three devices and comes with many of the same features.
3) Encryption - The latest versions of iOS and Android now use encryption by default, but most laptops still have unencrypted hard drives. This means that anyone can remove the hard drive from your laptop and plug it into another computer to see your data.
If you handle sensitive data, you should consider using encryption. TrueCrypt is a free encryption program that can encrypt your hard drive (or parts of it). If you have Windows 7 Ultimate or Windows 8/8.1 Pro, you can also enable BitLocker to encrypt your hard drive. Both of these options will help keep your sensitive data safe.
If you really want to protect your data, you can look for an encrypted hard drive. These drives will encrypt everything as it is stored without the need for any encryption software.
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Is Your Browser Compromising Your Privacy?
It is a fact of life that many websites use cookies on our computer to track our behavior. Protecting our privacy by stopping those cookies from getting on our system takes work. However, even the best system can still be vulnerable to other methods of identification. One area where your privacy could be compromised is through your browser.
When we communicate with a website, we usually only think about the things that we see on the screen. We type in an address "amazon.com", and we think our computer goes and gets the latest statuses from Facebook. However, Amazon's servers request more information so that they can send the site in a way that is readable by your computer.
The Panopticlick site by the Electronic Frontier Foundation will tell you how unique your browser is based on a variety of values you send to every site you visit. Even when you use a proxy service, a VPN, or Tor to mask your computer's identity, your browser fingerprint could still give you away. According to Panopticlick's site, only 1 in 2.67 million browsers have a fingerprint identical to mine.
You can test the uniqueness of your browser at the Panopticlick site by clicking here.
When we communicate with a website, we usually only think about the things that we see on the screen. We type in an address "amazon.com", and we think our computer goes and gets the latest statuses from Facebook. However, Amazon's servers request more information so that they can send the site in a way that is readable by your computer.
The Panopticlick site by the Electronic Frontier Foundation will tell you how unique your browser is based on a variety of values you send to every site you visit. Even when you use a proxy service, a VPN, or Tor to mask your computer's identity, your browser fingerprint could still give you away. According to Panopticlick's site, only 1 in 2.67 million browsers have a fingerprint identical to mine.
You can test the uniqueness of your browser at the Panopticlick site by clicking here.
Monday, May 4, 2015
When Electricity Ruins Your Computer
If you read the title of today's tip, you are probably thinking something like, "Doesn't my computer need electricity?" Yes, of course, it does need electricity to function, whether the electricty comes from a wall outlet or a battery inside the device. However, electricity can also ruin your devices if it is not handled properly.
Here are three ways that electricity can ruin an electronic device:
1) Static Electricity - Did you know that you carry electricity on you? It's what makes your hair stand up when you rub a balloon on it. It can also be what destroys your computer if you don't take adequate precautions before you work inside of it.
The exterior of your computer (and other exterior equipment, like a keyboard, mouse, or monitor) are designed to protect against static electricity, so you do not need to worry about static while you are using a computer. However, if you decide to look inside the case (or underneath the plastic covering on a laptop) for any reason, then you need to be concerned about static.
When you can feel static electricity on you (or you experience the static shock when you touch another object), you are experiencing a minimum of 3000 volts. Some of the components inside a computer can be destroyed by a shock of less than 1000 volts. This means that you can destroy a component inside the computer without even realizing you had a strong static charge on you at all.
If you decide to do any work inside your computer, use an antistatic wrist strap. You can purchase them almost anywhere for much less than it would take to replace a component inside your computer. If you must work inside of it and you do not have a strap available, then touch a metal component on the case with one hand while you work with the other hand.
2) Power Surges - Small power surges occur on a regular basis. While the electric company tries to keep the power at a constant rate, there are numerous factors that can impact the voltage you actually receive. However, there can be occasional times when the power surges more than normal. It could be caused by a failure at a power substation or a high-voltage line falling onto a low-voltage line. It could also be caused by two wires inside your house inadvertently touching.
If your device receives too much power, it can damage internal components. You can keep your equipment safe from power surges by using a surge protector. Surge protectors will kick in when the power surges and ground the extra power.
It is important to note, however, that surge protectors are only capable of grounding a certain amount of power. Once that amount of power has been grounded, the surge protector will stop protecting your devices (it will continue to function like any other power strip, but there will be no surge protection.) Some surge protectors have an indicator light that will come on or go out when it has reached its limit, but not all do. Therefore, it is important to replace your surge protectors on a regular basis.
If you know your surge protector has taken a hit (for example, you know that a high voltage line hit a low voltage line in your neighborhood), you should replace your surge protector right away. Otherwise, you should replace your surge protector every two to three years, depending on the quality of the surge protector.
3) Internal Surges - Power surges from outside your home are not the only power surges you need to worry about. A power surge can also come from inside your device. Most electric devices use Direct Current (DC) power, but DC power cannot be transmitted over electric lines for long distances. Therefore, power comes into your home as Alternating Current (AC) power. Your DC devices need to convert power from AC to DC in order to work.
Desktop computers have a built-in power supply that does this conversion (and also converts power into several different voltage levels). For mobile devices, this conversion is done on a small box along the power line. If the power supply stops functioning properly, your device could get too much power.
For mobile devices, check the power supply for physical damage on a regular basis, and replace it if you notice any. Also, check the wires leading to your device and replace them if they are damaged. Finally, listen for any strange noises coming from the power supply. If you hear one, then it is time to replace the power supply. Even if it is still functioning now, it is probably about to go out, and a power surge could wipe out additional parts inside of your computer.
4) Lightening - A lightening strike on your home could result in 1,000,000 volts or more coming down your electrical lines. No surge protector is designed to handle this amount of electricity. (Your electric company does have a device that will completely shut off power in such an instance, but they are extremely expensive to have installed.)
However, unlike the other instances, we do have some advance warning for lightening. If the weather forecast is predicting a storm, then it is probably best to unplug your computer. When there is lightening in the area, then it is definitely time to unplug all of your devices from their charges until it passes. If you are going to be away for a longer period of time, then unplug your computer so that a storm cannot hit it.
Yes, the chances of being impacted by a lightening strike are very small, but the damage they will do can be significant. Don't take your chances if you can avoid it!
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