License and Registration, Please

Posted on December 6, 2011 by David Rier

If you have to re-install software on your PC, you need the license numbers and serial numbers of the software. If you have lost your original installation disks or neglected to write down the license information, what can you do?

A simple solution to the problem involves a little proactive detective work. Download a program like License Crawler (free on CNET at http://download.cnet.com/License-Crawler/3000-2094_4-75322092.html?tag=mncol;1). Load up the program and let it run. Save and print out the results and your software will be much safer.

License Crawler lists the license and serial number information it finds on your PC. While it may not cover all of your software, it is not limited to just Microsoft software (E.g. Windows, SQL Server, Office, etc.). It also picks up license information from other well-known brands such as Adobe, AutoCAD, Roxio, etc.

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Secure Your Personal Files

Posted on November 29, 2011 by David Rier

We are constantly putting more personal and financial information on our computers. In most cases such information is worth much more than the computer if your PC is stolen. Criminals are becoming more aware of this and using PC thefts as one way to facilitate identity theft.

One way to protect yourself is to encrypt your disk. This protects everything on your disk. However, if the encryption breaks down, your disk is no longer accessible for anything.

Another method of protection is to password-protect your files. Not all programs have this function available. (Note: Microsoft Office does allow you to password-protect your files. As well, there are a number of programs available that can be used to divulge an Office password.)

One quick way to protect a number of files at the same time is to use the program called My Lockbox (available for free on CNET at http://download.cnet.com/My-Lockbox/3000-2144_4-10789387.html?tag=dropDownForm;productListing).

My Lockbox completely hides one entire directory of files from view. You open the program with a password (make it strong!) While the directory is hidden/locked, the files in it cannot be opened. The directory can be made visible and usable by just clicking the “Unlock” icon.

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Printing Bar Codes on Your Documents

Posted on November 22, 2011 by David Rier

Bar codes are everywhere. You see them used at checkout in stores, in hospitals, on manufacturing shop floors, etc. They are used to quickly and accurately enter information into computer systems without the need for manual data entry.

Are bar code is made up of a series of lines and spaces between the lines. There are many different types of bar codes, just like there are many types of alphabets or fonts. Certain bar codes can represent only numbers. Other bar codes can represent commonly-used numbers, letters and symbols.

The most commonly-used bar code is called Code 39 (or Code 3 of 9). It can be used to represent the capital letters, the numbers, and a few symbols. If you want to print a bar code on your documents, you can get a free TrueType Code 39 font at http://download.cnet.com/Free-TrueType-Code-39-Barcode-Font/3000-2190_4-10067143.html.

Note that Code 39 is not perfect. It is wider than many other bar code fonts. However, it is so common that it is almost guaranteed to be able to read by any bar code scanner.

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Keep Your Software Updated

Posted on November 1, 2011 by David Rier

No computer program is ever 100% static. Over time, errors or bugs in a program are fixed and/or new features are implemented. These changes take place in updates to the program.

Most computers have dozens of programs installed on them, ranging from the operating system to various application programs. Each program is subject to the update process.

So how do you make sure that your computer programs are all up-to-date? One answer is to use a program called Update Checker (www.filehippo.com/updatechecker/) from FileHippo.com.

Update Checker runs on a PC that has the .NET framework. It searches your PC for currently installed software releases and returns the list to FileHippo.com. (Note: FileHippo.com does not store information about your PC or its programs.) FileHippo.com determines if there are newer releases available and returns a list that can be used to download and install the appropriate updates.

Update Checker is not perfect. It does not work on all software. However, it can help to easily keep your software as up-to-date as possible.

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Recover Your Wireless Key

Posted on October 25, 2011 by David Rier

Here’s a nightmare scenario: You lose the connection to your wireless network and don’t know the security key to re-connect to it. What do you do? Do you rebuild your wireless network and reconnect all its PCs and devices with a “known” wireless key?

A better solution is the program called WirelessKeyView from NirSoft (http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/wireless_key.html). The program is free and it “recovers all wireless network security keys/passwords (WEP/WPA) stored in your computer”. Once the program is run, the resulting keys can be stored in a file or copied to the clipboard for use in re-establishing your connections.

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Make Your Emails Safe and Secure

Posted on October 18, 2011 by David Rier

When you send an email, how secure is it? If there is sensitive information in the body of the email or in an email attachment, it is very easy for that data to be stolen.

How do you simply and inexpensively protect data that is being sent through your emails? One solution is a product called PDF Postman (http://www.encryptomatic.com/pdfpostman/ ). The program is not free – $49.99 per license.

PDF Postman is simple to use. On an as-needed basis, you choose an email to be protected. You then assign a unique password or phrase that is associated with the email address. Your email is then encrypted and the result is sent as an email with an encrypted PDF file. You tell the recipient what their encryption password is (usually via a one-time phone call). When they receive the encrypted email, they enter the password and the message and any attachments are unencrypted.

If you or your company sends personal, financial or other sensitive data in emails, PDF Postman protects that data from theft.

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Keep Your Drivers Up-to-Date

Posted on October 11, 2011 by David Rier

A personal computer system is made up of a number of components and connected peripherals. Each of those pieces (components and peripherals) has a piece of software called a driver that monitors and controls the unit’s interaction with the operating system and your data.

Over time, the operating system gets updated and bugs may be reported and fixed. Drivers also get updated and fixed so that they work more smoothly or connect with the new versions of the operating system.

To keep your computer system in top shape, it pays to make sure that all of your drivers are the most up-to-date as possible. One tool that can help you to do this is called SlimDrivers Free, available at www.slimwareutilities.com/slimdrivers.php. It can save you a lot of work and keep your computer system running smoothly.

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Do It Again

Posted on October 5, 2011 by David Rier

Some computer tasks are very repetitive. That is, the task involves the exact same set of entries, button clicks, etc. every time it is accomplished.

You can run through such tasks over and over again. However, there is a better way – a way to automate repetitive tasks called “macro recording and playing” software.

One free macro program is aptly called DoItAgain. It is available at http://www.spacetornado.com/DoItAgain/.

DoItAgain is very simple to use. It has two main options. The first creates and then saves a macro (I.e. a series of keystrokes, mouse moves, mouse clicks, etc.) The second option is to run any of your saved (and named) macros.

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No More Typing!

Posted on September 27, 2011 by David Rier

While the title above may be an exaggeration, it is possible to greatly reduce the need to type your documents into your PC.

I know that I’m not the fastest typist out there, and I only use about 6 of my fingers when I type. However, I do know that I can speak my thoughts, that my words are usually in some semblance of order, and that I can speak a lot faster than I can type.

This is where the program “Dragon Naturally Speaking” by Nuance (www.nuance.com) can come in. The program takes your spoken words (yes you need a microphone) and types them into your documents. Its speed and accuracy is very impressive. No, it’s not perfect, but I have to edit my typed documents for spelling any way.

The “home” version of Dragon has a suggested retail price of $99.99. However, I have seen it available on shopping sites for $39.99 or less.

There are many versions of Dragon available. Some can control various programs verbally as well as type in your dictation. Some are also specialized in their uses (E.g. legal or gaming.)

If you hate typing, give Dragon Naturally Speaking a try.

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Make Your Documents into PDFs

Posted on September 20, 2011 by David Rier

Not everyone uses the same software or even the same version of a program. As an example, the default format for Word 2010 is a .docx document. Older versions of Word, like 2003, use the .doc format. If the Word 2003 user has not installed the compatibility pack, they cannot even open the .docx file.

As well, not everyone needs to be able to modify a document that is sent to them. Just seeing and/or printing the file may be enough.

This is where the PDF (portable document format) file format comes in. Files that exist in the PDF format are “portable”. That is, they can be moved between computers and programs of different types.

Not every program can output its files to a PDF format. To generate a PDF file, you may need a program that converts the program output to a .pdf file. Two of the best programs that can do this for you are PrimoPDF (www.primopdf.com) and CutePDF Writer (www.cutepdf.com). Both programs are free and work very well.

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