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System & Application Tips
Restore
What's A Virus
Updating Computer's Clock
Selecting Text
Show Text Margins
The Ruler and Measurements
Keyboard Shortcut Cheat Sheet
Shopping On Line Security
Recover Files
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Technical Support - System
Restore
Downloaded something that's messed up your computer?
Bob Rankin explains how System Restore will take your computer back to the
pre-download status (and expunge the offending program) without losing recent
valuable data.
(To read the article scroll down past the ads) http://askbobrankin.com/system_restore.htm
What is a Virus?
A virus is a small computer program, which attaches
to a computer file. It can be spread via email, downloading from the Internet
or file transfer via floppy or CD-ROM.
Do not open attachments you were not expecting
Install and maintain anti-virus software
Use the software's features to automatically update it.
Back up your files regularly
Updating the Computer's Clock
If you have Windows XP, you can arrange for your computer to regularly update its clock against the Crown Institute Industrial research atomic clock right here in New Zealand. To do this do the following:
Right click on the time display at the right-hand side of the task bar.
From the menu click Adjust Date/Time
From the dialogue select Internet Time tab
In the Server Time text box type msltime.irl.cri.nz
Click the Apply button and OK button
Connect to the Internet
Go back to the same dialogue box and
Click the Update Now button
Wait while the server is polled for the time and you should see the message
regarding the time check change to the current time it should also tell you
when the next time check will take place one week from now. Of course this
will not happen if the computer is switched off or not connected to the Internet.
It also will not happen if the check box (Automatically synchronise with an
Internet Time Server ) isn't checked.
Quickly Selecting Text
You can select big blocks of text quickly and easily using the mouse.
Click at the starting point of the block, then hold down the Shift key, and you click the ending point.
If you need to select all text in the document you may do so with two methods.
Move the mouse pointer to the left of the paragraph in
your document. The pointer changes to an arrow pointing upward to the right.
Hold down the Ctrl key.
Click the left mouse button.
You may also select all text in the document by holding down the Ctrl key and typing the 'a' key (without the inverted comas) this action selects the whole document and is the fastest way of doing it for those people that can touch type.
SHOW TEXT MARGINS
Sometimes it is helpful to actually see the text boundaries
on a page.
Click on:
1. Tools
2. Options
3. In the View tab page, under Print and
Web Layout options mark the checkbox 'Text boundaries'
4. Click OK.
These boundaries are not printed
To undo - just do 1, 2 and 3 and take the tick out of
'Text Boundaries'.
Click OK
THE RULER AND MEASUREMENTS
For instance, if you set a tab at three inches, but want know exactly how far that tab is from either side of the margins - this is what you do.
Click on a tab or margin marker
on the ruler. Do not release the mouse button.
Now, click on the right mouse button. You should now be holding down both
mouse buttons.
Notice that the normal ruler measurements disappear,
and instead there are distance measurements. The measurements outside the
margins show how far to the edge of the paper; those inside show how far it
is from a tab to both margins.
SHOPPING ON LINE - padlock
To ensure you're sending your information over a secure connection, check that a locked padlock is in the bottom right corner of the web page.
1. That the Web address begins with https rather than
just http, [s = secure site] or
2. That a padlock is displayed, usually at the bottom of the page.
The above screenshot was taken from the Westpac Bank site.
3. If a site is insecure some browsers may show an open padlock.
Double click on the padlock to check details about the site owner and to see
if it is up to date.
The padlock encrypts all of your personal information,
including credit card number, name and address so that it cannot be read as
the information travels over the Internet.
If you accidentally delete an important file from your computer and it does not land in the recycle bin - here's the solution.
It is called Recover Files
This program is free, small, easy to use, quick and it works.
So, if you ever delete a file that you really need
back you can get it here / deleted files need to be recovered quickly or they
will be overwritten by other data. Having this on hand may be a good idea.
http://www.undeleteunerase.com