Latest Virus Threat, What Should I Do?

With April 1, 2009 comes the zero day for a possible bad virus. What should I be doing today? For me, I backed up all the files I could not live without on DVD's. Backing up files off of your computer should be a regular event. With this possible threat coming, it is important to be prepared.

 

So take some time and backup those files, just in case. Also make sure that all your Windows Updates are up to date. Check to make sure your anti-virus program is set for automatic updates and do a manual update to make sure things look good. Hopefully nothing happens, but you never know.

 

Have a great day and be safe.

Jeff at http://www.alphacomputer.ca

Common Key Board Short Cuts

Here are a few short cut keys that you should put to memory because they are commonly used everyday. These short cut keys can be found in the drop down menus found in the Menu Bar at the top of the computer program window. These short cut keys are the same from program to program. So instead of using your mouse, use these keys. They will save you time.

• Print: Ctrl + P
• Save file: Ctrl + S
• Open file: Ctrl + O
• Copy: Ctrl + C
• Cut: Ctrl + X
• Paste: Ctrl + V
• Select All: Ctrl + A
• New file: Ctrl + N

There are many more short cut keys. But just memorize the ones you commonly use. It's all about saving time.

http://www.alphacomputer.ca

This Makes My Blood Boil

My wife brought to my attention the insult that Greg Gutfeld made towards the Canadian soldiers serving in Afghan: http://news.sympatico.msn.ctv.ca/abc/home/contentposting.aspx?isfa=1&feedname=CTV-TOPSTORIES_V3&showbyline=True&date=true&newsitemid=CTVNews%2f20090323%2fmilitary_comments_090323.

This really got my blood boiling.  I normally don't blog about these things. But when this guy starts insulting soldiers, especially when 4 were returning home to be buried, enough is enough. Greg made a shallow apology at best. His original remarks were way out of line.  As a Canadian, I would never insult the fine service of our American counter-parts.  This US Fox TV guy has gone way to far.  Look what happened to Don Imus. Then think Greg Gutfeld.

The Cost of Disorganization

If there is one thing that can waste a lot of time, it is a disorganized file and folder system on a computer. If you have to spend a significant amount of time looking for a file, you need to get better organized.

 

Organization happens in the Windows Explorer file and folder system. You will need to set up folders to separate files from other files, so that you can find what you are looking for quickly. This means that you have to stay organized right from the start when you are building your electronic filing cabinet. If you are well into a mess, it can be fixed quite easily by creating folders to put those stray files into.

 

When saving that file, there are two important things to consider: (1) where are you going to put it and (2) what are you going to name the file. These two elements will help you stay organized and find files faster.

 

So by spending that extra amount of time by creating folders and storing your files correctly, you will get a return on your investment quite quickly. Find it quickly, use it and put it away. Then go about the rest of your day.

 

Have a great day, Jeff

www.alphacomputer.ca

Instant Information and French Fries With That

With the coming of Twitter and other applications like it, information is almost instantly available at your finger tips.  For business, information is critical.  Finding information can keep you ahead of the pack, especially when trends are coming forth.  Imagine asking a question and answers coming back to you from people in the know.

It's amazing what you can learn from your friends on the Internet.  I found out about Tweetdeck through someone I connected with on Twitter. Tweetdeck is a program that helps you manage all the Twitter information coming at you.

So next time you have a question, don't just ask Google. Throw it out into the Internet using Twitter or other applications like it.  You will be amazed by the quality and quantity of the answers.

Jeff

http://www.alphacomputer.ca

Heard of Twitter

I have been bumping into a lot of people who have not heard of Twitter. If you are one of them, Twitter is a cross between MSN Messenger and Google. Imagine getting information from people in the know about events, facts and real time information. It's like having Mr. Know-It-All with the answer right at your finger tips. It's social media meets information.

You type in what you are currently doing, post links to great information, search for people who have similar interest as you and much more. Twitter enables you to connect with great people all over the world.

For me, it's a great business tool. I get the information I need in real time. I get to see trends before they even happen. There is groups of people out there for any interest. So go over to Twitter.com and check it out.

Microsoft Excel Training Basics

I have been getting a lot of requests for Excel training lately for business. This program seems to be required more and more these days.

One of the fundamental things to do in Microsoft Excel is to use the "Shift" and "Tab" keys more, instead of mouse clicking when entering numbers. You really see that this is important when you are making formulas in Excel. You can create an error in a formula by mouse clicking.

Once you have created a good formula in a row and you have more rows to complete, considering copying the formula downward in each row. As you type the new numbers in each row, the formula results will be displayed automatically.

If you are new to Excel and you would like to see some videos on Excel, make sure you check out the Microsoft Excel videos in the Computer Software training section.

Have a great day, Jeff

Regarding E-Mail Attachments

Here is a great quote about E-mail attachments from Marc Handelman from Infosecurity.US..."If you didn’t ask for it, be very cautious about opening e-mail attachments. If you’re not sure whether someone you know meant to send you an attachment, reply back and check with the sender before deciding whether to download and open it."

When it comes to E-mail attachments, you can never be too careful.

Check out my Computer Safety pages at: http://www.alphacomputer.ca/Computer-Safety.htm

Have a great day, Jeff

Using Blind Courtesy to Forward E-mail

You get a forwarded joke from a friend and in the "To" of the E-mail you see all these E-mail addresses. Every address you see, you can send an E-mail to them. When you forward an E-mail with everyone's E-mail address in the "To" section, you are showing the world your friends E-mail addresses'. In the hands of the wrong person, these addresses could be used for spamming. So how do you forward a joke without revealing the E-mail addresses of your friends?

Use Blind Courtesy Copy, also known as BCC, to send those forwards along safely. Any E-mail addresses you add to BCC will not be seen by others. They get the E-mail you sent and your friends E-mail addresses are kept safe.

To use BCC, there is usually a button with "use CC or BCC" that you can click on. If not, click on the "To" button to the left of the address line and use BCC there. Remember, your friends don't like getting spammed. So help protect their E-mail addresses by using BCC to forward those jokes.

Have a great day, Jeff

www.alphacomputer.ca