Marion-Grant County Senior Center
Computer Corner

 

Old Computer Tips

Creating quick notes with WordPad scraps

Do you often use Notepad to create quick notes to yourself and then save the file on your desktop? While the process is quite simple, there is an alternative that you might want to investigate. This alternative takes advantage of the fact that WordPad can generate and the Desktop can host special OLE objects called scraps.
The benefit is that creating scraps is as easy as a quick drag-and-drop operation--and there's no need for all the steps involved in naming and saving the file.
Here's how to create quick notes with WordPad scraps:

1. Launch WordPad.
2. Create your note.
3. Select/highlight the text.
4. Drag the selection and drop it on your desktop.
5. Close WordPad and click No when prompted to save changes.

Once you drop the selection on your desktop, Windows XP recognizes the selection as an OLE object from WordPad and creates a scrap, complete with a special icon with a default title name of Scrap. To make it easier to recognize, you can rename the scrap. When you want to view your note, just double-click it and WordPad will open the scrap.

Turning Off the Windows XP Firewall

If you want to turn off the firewall for your computer:
1. Go to Start / Settings / Network Connections
2. Right click on the network connection you want to change
3. Select Properties
4. Click on the Advanced tab
5. Uncheck the box in Internet Connection Firewall

Changing the Internet Explorer Start Page

To change your start page:
1. Go to a web page that you want to have as your initial page when you start IE
2. Select Tools / Internet Options
3. In the Home page section, simply click on the Use Current button

Configuring for Single Click

One of the configuration changes you can make with Win98 is to have the mouse only need a single click to open programs or shortcuts.
To make this change:
  1. Open any folder, the Explorer or My Computer
  2. Select View / Folder Options
  3. Check Custom, based on settings you choose
  4. Click on the Settings button
  5. The last section, Click items as follows allows you to configure Win98 for single click

Change Screen Saver

1) From your Desktop, right in the center of the screen and select properties.

2) From display properties select "SCREEN SAVER"


3) Now under "SCREEN SAVER" select the down arrow and select your preferred Screen Saver, you can also add a password to the screen saver and also increase the length of time you have to wait for it to appear.



4) Click apply and then OK to exit.

 

Optical Trackball

For those who have problems using a mouse

Control your cursor with a simple touch of the finger! The highly accurate TrackBall is as easy to use as a regular mouse, but it stays in one place saving you valuable desk space. The precise optical tracking mechanism is also resistant to dust, reducing the need for regular trackball cleaning

On-Line Protection

When you are online you have to protect yourself from hacking, viruses, Trojan Horses and spyware. We will discuss each of these and how to protect yourself from them.

Virus

A computer program that is designed to replicate itself by copying itself into the other programs stored in a computer. A virus attaches itself to, and becomes part of, another executable program. It may be benign or have a negative effect, such as causing a program to operate incorrectly or corrupting a computer's memory “a true virus cannot spread to another computer without human assistance"
The virus payload, or effect, can be annoying, harmful, or even criminal. A virus may be programmed simply to display a humorous message on screen, or to erase all files on the computer, or to steal and distribute confidential data.

Viruses, Worms and Trojan horses are all ways your computer is subjected to attack, leaving your computer running slow, to stop responding or crash and restart every few minutes. A virus will also attack the files you need to start up your computer and leave your staring at a blank screen.

Trojan Horse

A Trojan horse is a malicious program that is disguised as legitimate software. Trojan horse programs cannot replicate themselves, in contrast to some other types of malware, like viruses or worms. A Trojan horse can be deliberately attached to otherwise useful software by a programmer, or it can be spread by tricking users into believing that it is a useful program.

Worm

A self-replicating computer program, that is self-contained and does not need to be part of another program to propagate itself. They are often designed to exploit the file transmission capabilities found on many computers. It is a malicious program that replicates itself until it fills all of the storage space on a drive or network

Malware

Any software program developed for the purpose of causing harm to a computer system, similar to a virus or Trojan horse.
Malware can be classified based on how it is executed, how it spreads, and/or what it does. The classification is not perfect, however, in the sense that the groups often overlap and the difference is not always obvious

Hacker

A programmer who breaks into computer systems in order to steal or change or destroy information as a form of cyber-terrorism
A programmer for whom computing is its own reward; may enjoy the challenge of breaking into other computers but does no harm "true hackers subscribe to a code of ethics and look down upon crackers"

Spyware

Spyware is small programs that collect information on your surfing habits and sends out the information to the business that installed it on your computer. These programs are loaded onto your computer without your knowledge. They come hidden in other programs or files that you download. Some are even bold enough to dial up your ISP and go online without you knowing it.

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