Newsletter Archives

In this edition:
Frequently Used Programs - Quickly
Secure Wireless Networking
Switching Off the Task Pane

It's that time again where we provide you with some top tips and tricks to make your everyday computing a little bit easier.

Start The Programs You Use Most Often - Quickly

There is a way to quickly start up any one of the programs you use most often without searching through all the programs found in the All Programs menu option or, even worse, searching through endless folders in Windows Explorer.

Click on Start and right-click anywhere that doesn't end up highlighting anything when your mouse is there. (i.e. Right-click to the left of he Log Off / Turn Off Computer buttons.) Then select Properties. Ensure you're in the Start Menu tab, then click the Customize button. In the General tab, you'll see 'Number of programs in the Start menu:' with a number next to it. Set this to the number of frequently used programs you want to be get to quickly and click OK to get out of the Start menu properties.

Now when you click the Start button, you'll see your most frequently used programs. No need to search anymore!

Wireless Network Security
This one might be a bit longer than our usual tip but it's important if you have wireless networking at home.

To secure your wireless network, there are a few things your MUST do:

1. Hide your SSID - This is the first basic step. The SSID is the signal that allows another device to see it. If you don't broadcast your SSID, the average user won't be able to connect to it. (Hackers still can with the right kind of software.) Note that if you're trying to connect a new device, it won't be able to see your router if you hide the SSID, so you may need to reveal it temporarily.
2. Change your router's login and password - As with anything you want to keep secure, it's important not to use the same username and password as everything else. It's also important to change the username and password regularly. At the very least, change the login and password from the manufacturer's defaults.
3. Change your SSID - Most routers come with a name of 'default' which any hacker will guess. Change it to something you can identify.
4. Encryption - Turning on encryption (WEP at a minimum, WPA is better) means that unless whoever is connecting knows the encrypted password, they won't be able to access your router.
5. Access List Only - Many routers also come with a feature that you can switch on that allows only devices to connect to it that you say can. In order to do this, you'll need the connecting device's MAC address. (Get this by clicking Start > Run and then typing 'command' and then 'ipconfig /all' - without the quotes. The MAC address is the Physical Address. Exit the command window by typing 'exit'.)

If you're not sure how to do any of the above or how to configure your router, check your router's documentation.

Task Pane Is A Pain
With the newer versions of MS Office, you'll find the Task Pane opens on the right of the screen every time you open one of the programs. You might be finding this pane... well, a pain.

To stop the Task Pane from automatically opening, uncheck the 'Show at startup' option at the bottom of it.

Or, your can go to Tools > Options and then the View tab and uncheck the 'Startup Task Pane' checkbox.

That's it for this month's tips. We hope you find them helpful. If you did, that means someone else will, so share them!