Tips and Tricks
From the newest computer users to the most experienced ones, everybody always wants to have a few tricks up their sleeves. Fortunately, now you can! Great tips and tricks are posted below, with references to places in the computer dictionary where you can learn more about them.
Key Commands
Don't miss out on our great listing of Key Commands (a subdivision of our dictionary), using Ctrl, Alt, Windows Key, Shift, and more! Click here now to see what you can do with the keyboard.
ClearType Tuning
Want to try something new with your computer? ClearType Tuning may seem like a sudden difference, but it's truly a great improvement! CTT makes text on your screen softer, clearer, and more pleasant to read. Once you get used to it, it will actually become something to look forward to when you are on your computer. To improve your computer experience and view our website in a new, smoother way, go to your desktop. Right-click and select "Properties". From that window, select the "Appearance" tab and click the "Effects" button. Make sure the "Use the following method to smooth edges of screen fonts" is checked and select "ClearType". Click "OK", and enjoy the experience! Note that it may take a few days to get used to.
Passwords
You should protect your sensitive data with a strong password that you memorize. If you are not sure if you can remember the password, store in a physically secure place until you have learned it. Here are some good and bad practices when creating a password.
| Good | Bad |
| Consists of seven or more characters (the longer, the better) | Contains any part of your logon name |
| Contains uppercase and lowercase letters as well as numbers | Uses actual words or names in any language |
| Uses symbols (at least one of which in the second through sixth position) | Uses numbers that are used in place of similar letters, such as "5" for "S" |
| Contains at least four different characters | Contains consecutive letters, such as "abcdefg" or consecutive numbers, such as "234567" |
| Looks like a sequence of random letters and numbers | Uses adjacent keys on your keyboard, such as "qwerty" |
Try the Microsoft Password Checker to see how secure your password is. They won't take your password...but be careful of websites that may! Remember, try not to use the same password and username when setting up internet accounts. If just one website records you password, they can try it with other things like email, instant messaging, and more. If you give them your password, you're in trouble!
Digital Picture Renaming in XP
Digital images are normally named things like "NIK_0001" by your camera. If you're running Windows XP on your computer, you can name your files quickly and easily. Open a folder and select View > Thumbnails. Select all of the files you want to rename, holding Shift or Ctrl can help. Right-click the first photo, and select Rename from the drop-down menu. After you type in the name, click the white space outside of the photo and watch as Windows applies the name with a sequential number to each picture in the folder.
The Internet is fun, exciting, and interesting. To make things more interesting, however, some people create malware, hoaxes, and phishing sites. Malware is a broad way of saying viruses, spyware, adware, keyloggers, and any other type of dangerous program that you don't want running on your computer. Hoaxes are generally emails that tell you something that's simply not true. Hoaxes can range from missing person pranks to false alarms for viruses. Phishing websites and emails are a little different, they pose as legitimate companies to try and get information or money from their victims. To learn more about such terms, visit our computer dictionary. If you can't find a definition there, please let us know so that we can update it. We want you to be informed about the internet, computers, and technology.
Malware
When ABC Innovations! cleans your computer, we may find viruses, spyware, and other dangerous programs and files. In our report, we will let you know what we found and removed. You can then look up these viruses online at various databases. Or, if you think a file on your computer is dangerous, you may confirm you suspicions. Be careful though, a virus that is not removed properly can duplicate, hide, and remain on your system. To stay alert about which infections are spreading, check out some of these sites.
The latest outbreaks of viruses, spyware, worms, and more can be found at the McAfee Threat Center. Optionally, Symantec has their own database of online threats, available to search through at the Symantec Threat Explorer. If you want to look further, Trend Micro also has a page to look up the latest outbreaks in malware.
Hoaxes
To look up internet and email hoaxes, visit Snopes.com. They have archives of frequently updated email chains, and they will tell you if the letter you received is true or false. Be careful! Some hoax emails will have you delete important files in your computer. Before listening to an email you receive, check it first. If you're still unsure, contact ABC Innovations! before you follow instructions or forward such messages to others.
Phishing Scams
Some websites and emails are created to represent actual companies. The objective of the people creating them is to convince victims to enter personal information, credit card numbers, and more onto the web. For example, a fake bank website may ask for banking information, after which the criminals responsible can access your funds. Be very careful when giving information on the web. Only give information when absolutely necessary. You can scan websites for phishing with the phishing filter in Internet Explorer 7. If you are unsure if an email or website is legitimate, it is best to contact the company (using contact information you previously obtained, not the information found on the suspicious site) to ask them about it.
To stay alert and safe about the latest viruses, spyware, and adware, contact ABC Innovations! immediately to purchase McAfee AntiVirus, McAfee Firewall Plus, SpySweeper or any other protective software titles at a great low ABC Innovations! price!
Internet Resources
The Internet is full of amazing resources that you can use to create, explore, and enjoy! Here are some of our favorites, and they're all free!
Microsoft Clipart Online
Need free downloadable pictures, animations, and sounds?
Miriam-Webster Online Dictionary
An online dictionary and thesaurus that you can trust.
Famous Quotes DB
Famous people said famous things, but who can remember? You can, with a quick search.
Time Cave
Time keeps on slipping into the future...why shouldn't your emails? With a free account here, you can send messages into storage to be automatically mailed later. You can even have emails sent years from now!
You Send It
When you need a large file sent to a friend, email isn't always the best way. Send up to 100 MB with this website, the UPS of the Internet.