Tech Center Tips and Tricks Workshop

These are the notes for the Workshop I am giving at the NCCL's 2006 meeting in Chicago. The workshop is titled, Tips for Taming Your Computer.

1. Virus Protection
   1. Programs
2. Fire Wall
3. Pop-up Prevention
   1. Program Recommendations
4. Remove Adware
5. Surviving on the internet

1. Scan Disk
2. Defrag
3. Disk Clean Up
   1. 3rd Party Programs
      1. Easy Cleaner
   2. MS Disk Clean up
4. Langa Letter A Complete PC Maintenance Checklist Fred Langa offers a comprehensive plan for keeping your PC in absolute top-notch condition.

1. Manage Email
   1. Folders
   2. Rules
      1. Setting the Rules
   3. Read “Save Your Brain. Turn off the E-Mail (Notification)” by Vince Lyons
   4. Sorting E-Mail into folders - POPFile is an automatic mail classification tool.
   5. Good article by David Tebbutt on managing your E-mail. Read the article here.
   6. Sources for Free Email Accounts
      1. Google mail
      2. Yahoo
      3. HotNorth
      4. 10 Minute E-mail
2. Tips for a Better Working Life From The Coyote Within
3. RSS
   1. What is RSS?
   2. This page has a RSS feed. Subscribe to the site.
   3. Aggragator: Aggregators reduce the time and effort needed to regularly check websites of interest for updates, creating a unique information space or “personal newspaper.”
4. Search
   1. The Web
      1. Google
      2. Clusty
      3. Scroogle
   2. Your Computer

When sending a message, type the name of the recipient you want to appear in your Contacts and then place the email address inside <>. That will auto-add the name to your address book formatted.

  For instance, rather than: stewart@example.com in the To: box, use Master Stewart Rutledge, the Wonderful <stewart@example.com> 

As a matter of fact, this method seems to work in most email clients (Thunderbird, at least) that auto-add recipients to your address book. Thanks, Stewart! &#8212; Gina Trapani From Lifehacker

1. Tip Sites
   1. Scot's Newsletter
   2. Internet Security
   3. LangaList Very good tips newsletter
2. Discussion Groups
3. Other Tips
   1. How To: Use your Gmail account as a personal file server (Requires Windows XP to set up.)
   2. Research Resource Portal Free online resources
4. Keyboard shortcuts for Windows - Keyboard Shortcuts
5. 10 Tips for Using a Computer Mouse
6. Desktop Tips
7. Spam Rant Christian Computing Magazine. Interesting editorial on spam.
8. How to Make Presentation Memorable
9. 16 Hidden Windows XP Goodies

Hi Group!

1. This Link points Firefox If you are using Firefox be sure to upgrade to version Firefox 1.5.0.2. This version fixes some security issues of the earlier version.
2. Irfanview Graphics program FREE
3. del.icio.us is a social bookmarks manager
4. Opensource and For-Freeware
5. openoffice.org OpenOffice.org is a multiplatform and multilingual office suite and an open-source project. Compatible with all other major office suites, the product is free to download, use, and distribute.
6. Openoffice.org, Training, Tips and Ideas
7. Portable OpenOffice.org Portable OpenOffice.org is the complete OpenOffice.org office suite – including a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation tool, drawing package and database – packaged as a portable app, so you can take all your documents and everything you need to work with them wherever you go.
8. 100-downloads.com Top-100 essential downloads of free software & freeware for Windows XP
9. Tiny Spell A small utility that allows you to easily and quickly check the spelling of words in any Windows application.
10. Todo.txt Using plain text files to track your stuff. Simple portable and not dependent on someone else's format or program.
11. Must have utilities

1. How are you using Excel? Information on the varried ways people are using Excel from 43 Folders at www.43folders.com
2. Changing the font size on the fly. If you hold down the Ctrl key on your key board and turn the small wheel in the middle of your mouse, the print size will change - it will either get larger or smaller - depending on which way you turn the wheel. Also the print will become darker depending which way the wheel is turned.

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