Tech Tips
Tech Links and Information
05/13/2011
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Do you wish to bypass the Domesticate Your Mouse prerequisite for registering for computer classes? Take this online mousing test or call the Technology Center at 588-5024 x232 to schedule a brief test of your mousing skills. (Scroll down to find the MS Word test.)
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Planning Ahead for a Lost Password in Windows 7
02/03/2012
There was a time when you could create a password-reset disk to use in case you forgot your Windows administrator password. Can do you do this on a Windows 7 computer with no floppy drive? Yes.
Windows 7 does allow you to make a password-reset disk in advance in case you ever forget your administrator password and do not have it written down. You can now use a portable USB drive instead of a floppy disk.
To get started, you need a spare USB flash drive. A 2Gb USB flash drive can usually be found for less than $7. Once you have the drive, plug it into a USB port on the computer. Next, go to the Start menu to Control Panel. Click “User Accounts and Family Safety” and then click User Accounts. (You can also get there by typing “user” in the search box on the Start menu and selecting User Accounts from the list of results.)
In the pane on the left side of the User Accounts box, click the link for “Create a password reset disk.” When the Forgotten Password Wizard appears, follow the steps to select your USB drive as the place you want to store your information and type in your current password.
Once you have completed the steps, eject the USB drive (click the Safely Remove Hardware icon down in the Notifications area of the taskbar to prevent any cranky messages from Windows) and store it in safe place. If you do need the drive later to reset your password after a failed attempt at the Windows login box, click O.K. on the “User name and password are incorrect” screen. Then plug in the drive and click the Reset Password option on the next screen to open the Password Reset Wizard.
For those still using floppy disks (out of necessity or nostalgia) with an external or internal floppy drive connected to the computer, the Windows 7 Forgotten Password Wizard still lets you select a floppy as your reset disk media.
By J.D. Biersdorfer (NYT)
Protect Yourself from Online Fraud
01/28/2012
Online fraud can be annoying and sometimes dreadfully costly for you and might pose serious risks to your computer. You can help reduce online fraud by learning to recognize scams and taking steps to avoid them.
Identity theft has been around for a while, but the cost to consumers has risen since criminals have gone online. Criminals who want to gain access to your online accounts use phishing, hoaxes, or other scams to obtain personal information such as your name, social security number, account name, or password.
Common types of online scams
Here are some common types of scams that you should learn to recognize and avoid.
• Phishing scams are fraudulent email messages or Web sites designed to trick you into entering personal or financial information. Phishing scams often spoof companies you know and trust, like your bank, and might contain urgent messages with threats of account closures or other alarming consequences. Some phishing email messages and Web sites contain malicious or unwanted software that can enter your computer if you click links or file attachments.
• Hoaxes include lottery scams and advanced fee fraud scams. For example, an email message might request your help in a financial transaction — such as the transfer of a large sum of money into your account. Or a message might contain a claim that you have received a large inheritance from someone you do not know, or that you have won a lottery that you did not enter.
Six signs of a scam
Be on the lookout for these six things to help protect yourself from scammers.
1. Generic introductions such as "Dear Customer," which indicate that the sender does not know you and should not be trusted.
2. Alarming or urgent statements that require you to respond immediately.
3. Requests for personal or financial information, such as user names or passwords, credit card or bank account numbers, social security numbers, date of birth, or other information that can be used to steal your identity.
4. Misspellings and grammatical errors, including Web addresses. The Web address might look very similar to the address of a legitimate business, with a minor change. For example, instead of www.microsoft.com, the scammer might use www.micrsoft.com. For more information, see Typos can cost you.
5. The text of the link in the e-mail message is different from the Web address that you are directed to when you click the link. You can determine the actual Web address for a link by hovering over the link without clicking it. The Web address appears in a text box above the link.
6. The "From" line in the original e-mail message to you shows a different Web address than the one that appears when you try to reply to the message.
For more information about this subject, go to FTC.gov.
Basic Word Bypass Test
01/11/2012
| If you are familiar with the use of Microsoft Word 2007, you may wish to bypass the "Beginning MS Word" workshop that is a prerequisite to taking most of our intermediate and advanced level workshops. To do so, complete the requirements of the test that follows and we will contact you with the results within a week. Please remember that Microsoft Word 97-2003 are quite different from 2007 and 2010. |
| Instructions: 1. Copy and paste the text in the yellow box below into your version of Word 2. Save the file in Word’s default file format with the name: Saloon 3. Run the spelling and grammar command and fix all the typos 4. Highlight the title and change the font to Broadway, size 26, Bold 5. Highlight the body of the document and change the font to Times New Roman, size 12 6. Highlight the third paragraph and change the paragraph alignment to Justified 7. At the bottom of the text, type your name, the barcode number on your library card, and your daytime phone number 8. Attach the file to an email addressed to techcenter@sachemlibrary.org with the Subject: Word Test |
| San Francisco in the 1850’s
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Choosing Autoplay Actions on your PC
01/11/2012
Tired of the AutoPlay box in Windows 7 popping up and suggesting a program you never use whenever you insert a disc or connect a USB drive to the computer? Thanks to the AutoPlay settings box, you can customize the programs Windows uses to handle CD’s, DVD’s and other types of media on the computer.
Just go to the Start menu to Control Panel, click on “Hardware and Sound” and click on AutoPlay. In the list of media types like Blank CD or DVD Movie, use the drop-down menu to choose your preferred program (or action) for each type of disc or drive. You can also choose to turn off AutoPlay altogether — just remove the check on the box next to “Use AutoPlay for all media and devices” and click the Save button.
http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/11/tip-of-the-week-adjusting-windows-autoplay-settings/
Barcode Scanning Apps
11/23/2011
Serious shoppers can use their smartphone’s camera for more than just snapping photos of the things they want to buy. With a barcode scanner app installed, the phone’s camera can be used to scan an item’s bar code (also known as the Universal Product Code). Once scanned, most apps present a list of places and prices the scanned item can be found, which makes comparison-shopping even easier on the go. RedLaser and PriceGrabber are two apps that offer iOS and Android versions, as does Pic2Shop, which also works on Windows Phone. Search your phone’s app store for others. (Link to NY Times blog by J.D. Biersdorfer)
Selecting the Right Program to Open a File
11/15/2011
Need to open a file in a program other than the one that automatically pops open when you double-click? In either Mac OS X or Windows, right-clicking in the file’s icon and choosing “Open With” lets you select a different program from a list of applications that can also handle that file type.
Mac users can open files by dragging them on top of a program’s icon in desktop Dock. Windows 7 users typically get a “Pin to Application” option if they try to drag a file onto a program icon in the Taskbar, but there is a way to make the file open. Just hold down the Shift key when dragging the file onto a program icon in the Windows 7 Taskbar to get an “Open With Application” option instead.
Home Printing Disaster? Try Print @ Library!
10/31/2011
Now you can print your documents on our printer. If you can go online, you can print your documents to a printer in the Library's Technology Center. Whether you have run out of ink or toner, had a paper jam you just can't clear or simply want the clarity of a laser printout, we can help.
From the Library’s Home or Adult Page click on "For Your Convenience" and then choose the "Print @ Library" link. Follow the directions to send your document to our printer, and then come in to release your print job and pick up your printouts. You must come to pick up your printouts at least 15 minutes before closing. If you happen to be printing a large number of pages (over 30), you will want to come earlier in order to allow time for the job to print and be verified. Printouts are $.25 per page, black and white or color. Speak with one of our helpful Technology Center staff members for more information.
Using Your Windows Recycle Bin
10/19/2011
Windows, by default, enables your "Recycle Bin", a safety mechanism used for the temporary storage of "deleted" files. Until that recycle bin is emptied, you can retrieve the files in the bin in case you should decide to keep them. Because the files in the recycle bin take as much space as the original files did, it is a good idea to clean out the bin on a regular basis. Many long time windows users empty their recycle bins on a weekly basis, but the average user may wish do this maintenance on a monthly basis. The easiest way to empty the recycle bin is to right-click on the icon and select "Empty Recycle Bin". This will purge the bin and reclaim the drive space the deleted files were using. After the recycle bin is emptied, the files can no longer be retrieved.
Skip the recycle bin? Caution, the following procedure will result in immediate deletion of unwanted files. Using this method, you cannot retrieve the deleted files through normal processes. Therefore, if you are absolutely certain that the file you are deleting is something you wish to completely expunge, there is a way to skip the recycle bin. Click and hold the left mouse button on the file you wish to delete and while dragging the file to the recycle bin, hold either "shift" key. Release the mouse button when the file in over the bin and that file will be completely deleted and expunged immediately. Again, you will NOT be able to retrieve files deleted this way, so use it carefully.
Free eAudiobook and eBook Downloads
10/12/2011
eAudiobooks are downloadable titles that you can play on your home computer or transfer to your compatible portable device. eBooks are books you can read on your device. These are two of the free download services provided to patrons by the Sachem Public Library. To take books on the go, or simply read or listen from the comfort of your own home, visit http://go.live-brary.com/downloads.
All you need is your valid Sachem Public Library card and you are set to start downloading books, music and even videos! Take a look, it's sure to become one of your favorite web destinations.
We now offer eBooks for your Amazon Kindle devices!
Below you will find links to instructions on using our downloadable content for your own devices.
Document and Image Scanning in the Technology Center
07/15/2011
Need to email a document that you only have on paper? Do you have a printed photo that you need to post on a website? Our Technology Center can help...
One of the services we provide to our users in the Technology Center is image scanning. If you have an old photo you would like to save, edit, print or share, our helpful Technology Center staff will scan documents onto your storage device for only $.50 per scan. Paper documents can be scanned to attach to emailed resumés or store for future use. Bring your USB flash drive to store the image or buy a reasonably priced flash drive in the Technology Center. Floppy diskettes are not suggested due to the limited space available on diskettes and their fragile nature. Speak with one of our helpful Technology Center staff members to find out how.
Controlling Windows 7 Shut Down
06/21/2011
Windows 7 allows you to select one of several outcomes when you close up your laptop, including having the system shut down entirely. Other actions include sleep, hibernate or just doing nothing. (The sleep and hibernate functions may not be available on all computers based on video card capabilities and other hardware settings; Microsoft has a fuller explanation, as well as a description of the difference between sleep and hibernate on its site.)
To get to the settings, go to the Start menu, type in “power options” in the search box and click on “Change what closing the lid does.” You can also get there the long way by going to the Start menu to Control Panel, clicking on Hardware and Sound, clicking on Power Options and then clicking on “Change what closing the lid does” on the left side if the window.
Once the settings box appears on screen, use the drop-down menus next to “When I close the lid:” to select “Shut down.” You can choose different actions based on whether the laptop is running off its battery power or plugged into an electrical outlet.
Windows 7 Task Bar
02/26/2011
One of the most obvious things that is different about Windows 7 is what Microsoft did with the Task Bar. With larger pinned icons that quickly and easily navigate through the various tasks being done, Windows 7 makes the old Quick Launch a distant memory. If you are hit with a bit of nostalgia, then just search Google or even Microsoft's own Bing with “quick launch windows 7” for directions on how to get it back – but believe me, you won’t miss it. With this improved Task Bar, you can switch around how the programs are ordered, get full screen previews and even pin more of your favorite programs directly to it. Right- click on any of the icons, and you get a “Jump List” that shows the recent files (or web pages) used by that program – and yes, you can pin your favorites there too. Windows 7 makes navigating downright fun and fast.
Tech30 - Tech help in 30 minutes or less, by appointment only.
10/21/2010
Is there a particular website that you just can't seem to figure out? Do you have a problem with your email or with using a Microsoft Office product like Word, Excel, Publisher or PowerPoint? If you have a specific computer-related question that has been troubling you, then you might benefit from a 30 minute, one-on-one tech session.
A Tech30 session is an individualized session with a member of our Electronic Services staff. These sessions are designed to address a specific technical issue you may have, not as a class on using a particular application. If you should need an introduction to any of the Microsoft Office applications, please visit the library's online program calendar to view our upcoming workshops.
Download, fill in and carry in or mail this form to the "Technology Center" at the library address.