Computers On The Run

If your laptop always (or usually) runs on external power, you may be decreasing your battery life. At least once a month, let the device use up all the battery power and then recharge it.

Microsoft Office 2003 has integrated a research button on the interface with office applications. The tool will let you search for word definitions and more in-depth sources like an Encyclopedia.

On the Tools menu, click Research in whatever Office 2003 application you use.

These 4 things will protect you from getting viruses.

1. Make sure your virus-protection software is up-to-date and active

2. Do not download & Install file-sharing programs
Ex: Limewire & Bearshare

3. Suspect every mail attachment
If you don’t know the person that sent it… don’t open it.

4. Protect yourself against other file-attachment viruses
Don’t open e-mail attachments if you don’t know the person and never open .exe files.

Are you tired of SPAM filling your inbox? Create a new e-mail account just for online shopping and sweepstakes…. Use your current e-mail just for e-mailing people you know. Companies sell e-mail addresses and then you will start to get a lot more mail then you were hoping for. Also check to see if those e-mails that keep coming have a unsubscribe option and take advantage of that. You will see a difference after trying this.  There is a lot of free online e-mail account websites including the ones listed below.

http://www.hotmail.com
http://mail.yahoo.com
http://www.gmail.com

Do you want to create a movie of memories from this year’s holidays? Use Windows Movie Maker to add images, videos, music and then burn them onto a CD or DVD for your family to see. Most Newer PCs will have Windows Movie Maker preinstalled with them. If you don’t have Movie Maker currently installed… go to the website listed below for the download.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/updates/moviemaker2.mspx

Are you planning your next trip and getting out the old road map… use Google Maps and Google Earth to pinpoint more stops along the way to make your travel experience more exciting.

Here are the links to find these useful tools…

http://maps.google.com/
http://earth.google.com/

Never throw away Cd’s you get when you buy or upgrade your computer. Many computers & printers come with Cd’s to reinstall your software if you ever need to reload your computer. Many companies will charge you for replacement Cd’s if needed. Also keep your serial numbers in a safe place because without those… your Cd’s are useless.

Most Important Cd’s to keep are…

Operating System CD (Windows XP or Vista)
Computer Drivers CD
Printer CD
Anti-Virus Protection CD
Word Processing CD (Corel, Microsoft Office)

Make sure when choosing a password for online accounts and computer accounts… you use a unique password that is hard to guess. Use a password that contains letters, numbers and symbols when possible. Most websites will require you now to use different characters when choosing a password. Also try to come up with one you will use all the time so you will not forget it but make sure its long enough to cover some website guidelines on length.

Example: 308*Abc$

Running out of room on your desk because you have a keyboard and mouse in the way… get a wireless keyboard and mouse and move it out of the way when not in use. You can get these devices in either USB or bluetooth and are easy to install.

Virus protection is a must have for anyone connected to the internet. You can keep your computer safe by using free anti-virus software such as AVG. There are many good anti-virus programs out there and there are also many bad ones. Be aware of all the programs that pose as being a good program. You can download the free AVG anti-virus software for personal use by going to http://free.avg.com/ and clicking on the Get It Now button. Keep in mind that there is no such thing as 100% protection against viruses. Be sure to check out our other virus prevention tips to keep you as safe as possible.