Next Meeting: Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, October 11th at the Centennial Branch Library, 5740 Moog Road, Holiday, FL from 1:00 to 3:00 pm. - - NOTE: BRING A FRIEND OR NEIGHBOR (OR BOTH!)
Welcome to the Roundtable Computer Users Group website. We are a group of computer owners in the Pasco county area of Florida that meet once a month, usually the second Tuesday, for a roundtable discussion group. We have members of all levels of expertise and everyone is welcome. There are no dues.
This site has been set up in hopes of having an area where we can publish information, tips, hints, etc., that may be of some help to our group and others.
You may want to bookmark this page in your 'favorites'. If it's any easier to remember, "http://www.tinyurl.com/2944bj7" (without the quotes) will also link to this site.
Magnifier (Windows 7 and up):
If objects on your computer screen seem too small, try the shortcut, "Windows key" plus the "+" key (or "Start" button and type "magnifier"). This will bring up the magnifier feature that's built-in to Windows 7 and up. Once started, you should see a settings window that will change to a magnifying glass when using this tool. Clicking on this magnifying glass will display several options. Under "View" you will find, "Full Screen", "Lens" and "Docked". Under "Options" (the gear icon) you will find more settings. Clicking on the Plus and Minus icons will change the magnification of the tool.
Tab Nabbing:
You may have heard about this new style of attacking computers. Hackers can easily get your personal information right from your browser, without you knowing it! It can occur while using tabs in most any browser, i.e., Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, even Opera.
What can you do to ensure you don't fall victim to this new type of Internet phishing? To be doubly-secure, here's what you should do:
1. Get into the habit of glancing at the address bar for every page you visit or revisit. This makes good secure-surfing sense anyway.
2. Look for that padlock and the "https" as part of the site's address, on what should be a secure site page.
3. After visiting a secure page, close it when you're done, rather than keeping it open in a tab.
4. If a site invites you to sign on again, close the tab and re-key the correct address.
Any one of these four steps should help steer you clear of a tab-nabbing scam -- and if you have security software integrated with your browser, that should flag bogus sites too. With Internet phishing, you just can't be too cautious.
Notes:
If you have need to synchronize data between two or more computers, you may want to look at an application named Dropbox. When properly set up, Dropbox will assure that data on one computer matches up to that on any other computer you choose. Dropbox is also the quickest way to share photos, files, etc., between family members. The web site is www.dropbox.com. Dropbox is free for up to 2GB of stored data.
If you are looking for good security software to protect your computer, check out Microsoft's Security Essentials. If you don't already have a good anti-virus/anti-spyware program, give it a try. It's free at: www.microsoft.com/Security_Essentials/
One of the best computer reference and troubleshooting manuals is available for free on the internet. This guide can also be used as a computer glossary, explaining most every term or process you’ll run across. It also contains valuable information on many other aspects of computing, such as installing Windows, installing drivers and software, how to do backups, etc. It contains many links to programs to help optimize and organize data on your system. A word of warning: be careful what you get yourself into! You can easily make matters worse if you’re not sure what you’re doing! Also, always backup! If making any changes to your Windows Registry, always back it up first in case your changes don’t work. At least, set a Restore Point that you can easily go back to. If you’re not very experienced, I’d recommend staying out of the Registry.
The Tweaking Companion is a pdf file, so you’ll need Adobe Reader in order to view it. It does have a ‘clickable’ table of contents, so all you have to do is find the subject matter you’re interested in and left-click on it. This should take you directly to the referenced page. Of course, you can always use the “Find” window to search for any term, etc., that’s listed in the guide.
You can find this guide at: TweakGuides. There is now a free version, along with a 'for pay' version for Windows XP, Vista or 7. Just click on the proper “Download” button. I've also placed a link to this site on our Links page.
How to Change Double-click to Single-click to Open Files:
At our July 14th meeting, we talked about changing from a double-click, for opening files, to a single-click. Some people don't like this after they try it, and it does take a bit of getting used to, but I have used it for years and love it. In Windows XP or Vista, open "My Computer" (Windows Explorer) . . . click on "Tools" on the menu bar, (with Windows 7, click on "Organize") then click on "Folder Options" (or "Folder & Search Options"). If the "General" tab isn't selected, click on it, then down about half-way, click on the button, "Single click to open an item (point to select)". Again, you may not like it set up this way, but I've found that after getting used to it, it is much more convenient. At least it's easy to switch back, if you don't prefer it. - Bill
Avoid Showing Everyone's Address When Sending Emails to Groups:
It is not proper 'Netiquette' to display email addresses, other than the individual recipient's, when sending to a group or list.
I'm sure you've all seen emails arrive with everyone's address displayed. Many times, a person may not wish to have their email address made public. Also, by displaying all these addresses, you
're contributing to Spam because 'bots' can pick up these 'visible' addresses and add them to their lists. To avoid doing this: In the "To" address area, insert your own email address. This is because in most email apps, there has to be something on the "To" address line. Also, getting a copy yourself, assures that the email was sent. In the "Bcc" (blind carbon copy) address area, insert the group's addresses. If you do not see the "Bcc" heading, in Outlook Express, go to "View" on the menu bar and click on "All Headers". In other email apps, the "Bcc" may already be visible. This way, everyone gets a copy of the email and no one sees any other address, other than their own.
Below is attached a list of shortcuts (EZGuide) for most Windows programs. I have updated it (May '18) and have included, both a pdf file and an MS Word document. If you don't have Word, you can go to www.libreoffice.org and download their office suite (free!). Also, Google Docs should read a ".doc" file. There's also a Guide to Digital Cameras that some of you may find useful.
Jan. 5, 2009: I just included an article on properly 'wiping' your hard drive to get rid of any personal information that may be on it, in case you're planning to dispose of your computer. This could be social security numbers, credit card numbers, bank account information, etc. See "Before Getting Rid of That Computer", below.
See you at our next meeting! Consider bringing a friend, or email them the URL of this website! Remember . . . all are welcome (and it's free!)
- Bill Boyle