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Connecting Dual Monitors

March 4, 2011 by
Parkett-Boerse in Ffm

Image via Wikipedia

These days many people are interested in connecting dual monitors to his or her personal computer. This includes a second monitor for your desktop, one extra monitor added to your laptop, or connecting your computer to a TV. Browsing the internet on a 54 inch monitor may be just what you want to do. Dual monitors will change your desktop size allowing you to use all the area of both monitors at the same time.

First determine if your video card is set up to handle dual monitors. If it doesn’t you can still probably hook to a different monitor, such as connecting to an external larger monitor or TV instead of using your laptop monitor. This can be nice if you have a small laptop and want to look at something at a larger size. If there is no method for connecting two monitors at the same time this is a good sign that it won’t work.

Plug in the second monitor. Nothing may happen or the second monitor may start to show exactly what is on the first monitor.  Either way you will need to open the menu. To open the menu go to the desktop and right click, choosing properties. Open the settings tab and select the box, “Extend my Windows desktop onto this Monitor”. Choose which monitor will be the primary monitor. You may have to figure out the screen ratios for each monitor but you should be able to use the entire monitor area. By doing this you can do a number of things including keeping a background application like your email visible at all times.

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Protecting Your Data 101

December 31, 2010 by

With all the ease and convenience that technology brings us, it can also be a double-edged sword. With the digitization of information comes a greater need to protect our data. There are many ways we can be vulnerable “hackers can get into our computer, jealous colleagues can snoop into our office and rifle through our files, we might get tricked into thinking we are logging into an official FileZilla Server to do FTP when it is a fake one or accidents can cause us to stare with horror at a crashing computer screen.

There are a few simple steps that you can take right now, to create a warm and happy sense of protection in your mind – and your thousands of files of data.

1. A Strong Password

To start with, make sure you have a good log in password on your computer. Don’t go for anything obvious like a name that is related to your life, but create something truly obscure.

2. Install Firewall and Anti-Virus Software

Make sure you have installed the latest firewall and anti-virus software onto your computer. It’s a simple step but keeps everything protected. While you’re doing this, also update your operating system” technology changes at the speed of light these days, and systems are constantly being updated to overcome new threats.

3. File Encryption

If you have particularly sensitive files that you don’t want other people to see, you might want to think about encrypting these documents as well as using a secure software like FileZilla to transfer them.  At a mere press of a button, you could be creating a wall that prevents most amateur snoopers from going any further.

4. Back-Up Your Files

Hackers and nasty work colleagues aside, sometimes our data is lost due to the fact that life is full of surprises – and computers can be destroyed by everything from a spilled glass of water to a flood.  Even if you are using something like File Zilla to transfer files to a secure location always back up your data by keeping a copy in an external form, and make sure you do this regularly.

You never know when disaster will strike, so aim to be the one who’s smiling when it does.

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Holding off the Hackers

December 29, 2010 by

Just as we would not walk through a mean city’s streets and flaunt our jewelry and the contents of our wallet “surfing the Internet these days requires us to move with a measure of restraint. Hackers are in our midst, and it’s those of us who leave our guard down that will feel their bite.

There are a few simple tricks we can do to create a series of obstacles for hackers “that will normally provide enough trouble for them to not bother trying any further.

1. Get Protected

Your first port of call is to install anti-virus software. These programs will detect and remove malicious forms such as viruses, Trojans and bugs through a variety of signature-based and Heuristic-based detection methods.

2. Don’t Underestimate the Power of Updates

Make sure you install updates to your operating system and web browser. New innovations are created all the time: make good use of this new knowledge at the mere click of the mouse.

2. Build a Wall

Installing a firewall is a must in today’s virus-saturated online world “these barriers protect your computer from unwanted conversations in networks. Windows XP now includes a firewall, but there are also a whole slew of companies who sell strong firewall software, such as Symantec and Zone Alarm.

4. Block out the Spies

It’s not only criminals out there waiting to hack into your computer, in today’s business world companies will go to great lengths to bolster their consumer profiles by installing programs that are able to go into computers and extract information. Put a stop to this invasive behavior by installing anti-spy and ad ware.

5. Remain Aware

Now that you’ve done these vital steps, don’t let your guard down completely. When online it’s best to remain aware of your surroundings: don’t open attachments that look suspicious, and keep high standards and make sure that everything you open is from a trusted source.

Filed Under: Common Problems, Security, Software Tagged With:

Gaming Safety Tips for Parents To Be Aware Of

December 23, 2010 by

Parents have always had to worry about their kids as they set out on adventures. Nowadays your kid may not be heading out in the afternoons, but staying in their room and gaming online – that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to worry about.

Online games are breeding grounds for potential risks, so make sure you sit down with your kid and go through some essential tips to keeping them safe.

Prior to Playing

Make sure their computers are prepared with a firewall, anti-spyware and anti-virus software. Suggest that your kid logs on with a rock-solid password” go for 14 characters, and mix in letters, numbers and symbols.

In the Game

Just as you would tell your kid to beware of strangers, they need to move with the same awareness online. Tell them to learn how to report or block another player if they are acting strangely, and not engage with this player. Also, stress that if they are encountering a problematic or suspicious person to come and tell you or another responsible adult.

Who Are They?

When gaming online, tell your child to sustain a fictional identity. They should keep their username vague, and not reveal where they live, how old they are or their gender. Equally, they should use an avatar and not a real photo. The key here is disguise.

Keep Good Judgment

Finally, urge them to keep a sense of judgment. They shouldn’t accept downloads from other players, even if it seemingly will help them cheat through a game, as these files could be hiding malicious programs. Equally, tell them to not ever agree to meet a fellow mysterious gamer in the real world.

By sustaining a strong line between their real lives and online lives, your kid will be well protected and ready to navigate the virtual world.

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Common PC Problems

December 22, 2010 by

Computers have become essential tools in our lives, but from time to time something goes wrong with them “which can be a fairly stressful experience. Instead of having a heart attack each time this happens, we can learn some of the most common causes for problems with our PCs – and their solutions.

Virus / Spyware / Adware

The most common causes of problems with computers are due to malicious programs, such as viruses, spyware or adware. These programs have the capacity to destroy at will, so make sure they don’t get into your system in the first place by installing anti-virus/spyware and adware.

Windows Crash

If our windows program is crashing for no apparent reason, it is probably due to viruses. Another common cause is that we have installed unlicensed software. Make sure that you are using programs that are legitimate.

Hardware Failure

Sometimes we have too many programs installed on our computers, or too many programs open at one time, which can cause our hardware to slow down. Try to reduce the number of programs you are working on, and the problem will usually disappear.

Unable to Open Programs

If we keep clicking on a program but nothing is happening, this is usually due to a virus harming the program” formatting is the best cure.

Screen Freeze

It’s just like in life when we’re too busy with something – you know those moments when your head suddenly goes blank and you have no idea what you’re doing? Sometimes our computer’s processor is too busy, and so it freezes. Just reboot the PC and it’ll come back to life.

No Sound in the Speakers

Beyond checking all the obvious things, like making sure the speakers are plugged in and switched on, you might want to check the sound card which may need to be reconfigured.

Filed Under: Common Problems, Software Tagged With:

What is a Computer Bug?

December 18, 2010 by

We hear the term ‘bugs’ all the time when dealing with computer security, but what does the word actually mean in this context? Every time we hear this word, we have visions of ants and cockroaches sleeping beneath our keyboard, but in actuality it’s got nothing to do with sentient insects and everything to do with human error.

A computer bug is defined as a fault in a computer program that causes it to act in expected or flawed ways. There may be mistakes in the program’s source code or in it’s design. The bugs can, when serious, cause computers to crash or freeze. It may make the computer system go haywire and freak out any humans sitting at the thing.

But where did the bug come from? The truth of the matter is that bugs, more often than not, come from the actual human programmer who sat down one day and wrote the computer’s program. He or she may have left out an essential character in a program’s code. This was famously the case in 1962, when a hyphen was omitted from a Fortran program that resulted in the loss of the Mariner 1 Venus probe -a vastly expensive mistake.

There are other times when bugs arise when different programs within a computer, or different parts, interact. This happens all the time in the development of new programs. The job of the computer programmer is increasingly becoming a task of sitting there and dealing with bugs. Even if they may have created an exceptional new program that the whole world is loving, there are always endless bugs that appear down the line, which the programmer needs to patiently fix.

So, next time you hear talk of these bugs, don’t get out of the fly swat. It’s actually a case of cause and effect, and it’s not your fault.

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Defending Against Trojan Attacks

December 14, 2010 by

The virtual world of the Internet is a surreal place, with all sorts of dangers swirling around the ether. It’s not only our body that gets sick these days – we have to also protect our computer against viruses, hackers, bugs and Trojans. The latter is a particularly nasty threat you’ll want to keep at bay.

You Mean Like the Horse?

The story comes from ancient Greece, where the Greeks invaded the city of Troy by building a wooden horse and hiding a bunch of soldiers inside. In walks the horse through the city gates, and out jump the soldiers, wrecking utter havoc upon the community.

Our computer is the city of Troy, and Trojans are malicious executable programs that, just like the horse, come along as something seemingly friendly and passive ” but are in reality a bunch of villains.

You might be emailed a song or a free game, or even a movie. Once you open this program and download it onto your computer, the horse has entered the city walls, and the Trojan will start to watch your computer from the inside ” recording details such as your credit card information. It’ll also possibly erase your files and spread out and attack all of your friends’ computers.

How to Defend Yourself

Installing anti-virus software is the first rule of thumb, but the key to successful protection against Trojans lies in your own hands: stay mindful. If you are emailed or sent a file, make sure you trust the source very well before you open it – even if it comes from a friend. If it doubt, don’t open it.

As long as you remain aware of this as you go about your daily activities online, your odds of overcoming an invasion are much higher. Think of yourself as a guard standing at Troy’s city gates: surely there was something odd about that horse made of wood?

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Computer Security 101

December 14, 2010 by

Computer security may be a common term, but understanding the ins and outs of it is certainly not. What is protected and unprotected? How do you know if your networked computers are safe? What can you do if they are not?

Let’s begin at the beginning.

CIA is an important term to know and to understand in relation to computer security.
Let’s start with the C:

C stands for confidentiality. Because you don’t want your computer to be accessed by someone you don’t know, causing you frustration, or worse, you want to make sure your computers inner workings are made as private as possible.

The I stands for integrity. You don’t want any unauthorized changes, and you don’t want hackers coming in and having a field day with your system.

The A stands for availability, which means you have access to your computer and can block unauthorized parties from giving you services that you don’t want.

Various options are available to you in the protection of your computer. These protections range from ethics and privacy to anti-virus programs for adults as well as children. If your computer is also networked with other computers, there is additional information you need to know including:”Resetting your username and password, installing WPA encryption, enabling MAC filters, and decreasing your wireless signal.” All these “can…help you avoid security breaches,” states an online article entitled, “Keeping your Wireless Network Safe, “(ezinearticles.com). Instructions are given in this article to keep your computer safe from hackers and other undesirables. Other sources of information can be obtained with just a bit more Googling.

In the end, the security you give your computer is all about learning and then following through with the appropriate steps. It may take some extra time, but, in the long run, you will find that your time has been well spent.

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Protecting yourself against a computer virus

December 12, 2010 by

We may understand the cold better than we can articulate a computer virus, but one thing’s for sure. We know it when we’ve got one. Either our nose or our computer freezes up and C’est las vie to what we were doing before that.

Good news. There are specific ways we can protect our computers from unwanted viruses. Like an unwanted cold, there are steps to take to prevent the sickness from happening in the first place.

-If an e-mail attachment comes from an unknown source, don’t open it. You may be asked at some time”if you haven’t been already”to paste your information into the body of the e-mail instead of attaching your document before you send it. This is why.
- Be careful about the free software available on the Internet.   If you are not using a reliable resource like sites that allow downloading of open source software like vlc player or Ares, then it’s better to save up for the real deal tomorrow than to be stuck with computer problems today. Be cautious about what you download. Make sure you are downloading from a reputable site.
- Get your hands on some anti-virus software. Prices vary; some software is free. Use the trial period if they offer it. Update this software monthly.
- Do some regular scanning of hard drives. Especially when you share a lot of files using p2p software like Ares Galaxy.  Include everything on your system, including e-mail.
- What are the minimum system requirements? This is a”must know” when desiring to install something new that your system may not cover.
-If your computer is running slowly, complete a virus scan immediately.
-A firewall protects you from hackers whether you have a Cable or a DSL connection.
- Already have a virus? Get the latest information on the subject by typing in to your computer the specific virus name followed by the word “virus.”By scanning the hard drives you will be alerted to the virus(s) you have. After discovering what you have, put your system through a FREEWARE program to remove the virus(s).

Most problems that come because of viral attacks, like the common cold, can be avoided with a little pre-planning and pre-cautionary safety.

Filed Under: Anti-Virus, Common Problems, Software Tagged With:

Computer Trojans 101

December 10, 2010 by

What is the difference between a computer Trojan and a computer virus? And how can you get rid of them if you have them? Like the Trojan horse, the truth is not what appears on the outside but what is waiting to destroy huddled inside. It’s what you don’t see the counts.

Here are the basics:
- Trojans don’t replicate themselves or infect other systems like viruses do.
-A virus comes from a computer programmer hoping to obtain your information, while Trojans pretend, through disguise as wonderful and captivating software; to be something they’re not. Worms are similar to Trojans in that they pretend at being a software application and then spread through computer networks.
- A Trojan has two parts: client and server. The client is the cleverly disguised software, the server is you.
- A Trojan is hidden in e-mail, programs, chat software, image files and through computers already infected with a virus.

What does a Trojan do to your computer?
- Accesses all of your personal information from files and often destroys and deletes them. Can record keystrokes, reboot your computer, and take you to unwanted sites. It finds passords,changes your desktop and can make a mess of your desktop icons.
- Creates too much Internet traffic so that you can’t visit websites or download anything.

What you can do to stop them:
- If you have a virus, get rid of it as soon as possible.
- If your computer is prompting a DLL error, you have a Trojan.
- Learn more about Trojan’s through a website specializing in Trojan removal.
- The removal site of your choosing will take you through various steps. Delete-Computer-History.com has some easy to follow steps in removing a computer Trojan from your computer.
- Protect yourself through antivirus software and firewalls.

Computer Trojans are like anything else bothersome in your life-the sooner you take care of them, the sooner you can get back to your life.

Filed Under: Common Problems, Software Tagged With:
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