Specialized Computing Blog

The password for the various protected internet/computer accounts is a set of characters, in a specific sequence and case sensitive. Together with the unique user name or ID, the password confirms that the user or person trying to access the account is the real one. The user name or ID is normally displayed or shown in the log in box or in the pages of the account but the password is supposed to be known only to the account user or owner and the system that runs the account. The minimum and maximum number of characters in a password depends also on the system set and it normally consists of letters in upper or lower cases, numbers and other characters.
As the password is entered, it appears only as asterisks in the space provided so that its secrecy is maintained.

The internet has really changed the ways things are done. Very important and secure transactions, like payments for purchases, banking as well as  safekeeping  and transfer of sensitive documents and other files are processed online. With the increase in online transactions, so are the number of cyber thieves who have developed techniques to crack the passwords. Most of the time, the account owner is to blame because the password isn’t strong enough to ward off  ‘hackers” trying to break it.

Choosing the Best Password

How do you choose the best password that is strong enough to withstand any attempts to access the account? Here are some tips in creating passwords:

1. Don’t use a password that is in the dictionary, even the foreign ones. There are password cracking software to determine the exact word in seconds.

2. Don’t use passwords that are associated to you like your maiden name, place of birth, Social Security number, children’s names,  phone numbers. Mix upper and lower case letters with numbers and other symbols allowed by the system like  “miG67Ped.” This would take a long time to guess and the “hacker” will most likely just leave and go to the next target. However, the account owner should make sure there is a way to remember the password. One way is to associate the words and numbers with easy-to-remember words, dates or names. The password could also be saved on a CD or USB and copied to the log in form. Keep any password record offline.

3. Don’t use a password that is used on your other accounts.

4. Don’t use commonly used passwords like ” 12345678″ or “password”

The password is like the secret key to a secured internet/computer account. Make sure it can really secure the account.

If you have a computer and want to share files with others, there are different ways to do so. Depending upon your operating system, you can share several files with the other users of the computer, or even with other people on the network.

To share files in your computer, follow these steps:

1. Determine what files you want to share.
If you have a single file to share in your computer, copy it by right clicking on the file itself and click on copy. This will put the file in the computer’s memory for future use.

2. Look for the shared documents folder.
If you are using Windows Xp, click on Start on the lower left corner of your screen. This will open a small window. Look for “My Documents” and click on it. Another window should appear.

3. Click on “Shared Documents” on the left panel.
On the new window that appeared, look at the left panel under “Other Places”. Under that, you should be able to see “Shared Documents”. Click the link. The window should change.

4. Select the folder you want to put the file in.
On the “Shared Documents” window, there are at least three subfolders. These are Shared Music, Shared Video, and Shared Pictures. If your file belongs in any of the categories, you can simply double click on it. Otherwise, create a new folder by right clicking on the white screen. Select “New” on the small window and click on “Folder”. A new folder should be visible on the same window. You can rename the folder if you wish.

5. Paste your document.
After selecting the folder that will contain the file, you can now paste it. Right click on a white spot again. Click “Paste”. The window should now show your file. The file is now ready to be shared with other users of your computer. If the computer is part of a network that has file sharing enabled, the users of the other computers would be able to access the file as well.

Here are the simple ways of sharing files in your computer. Of course, you can use simpler ways of doing it like using a network disk, a flash drive, or a CD. But if you just follow these steps, there should be no need for additional hardware.

There are times when we type things on our computer and save them on our computers yet we don’t wish people to read whatever it is we have written and saved. For those who don’t know how to protect what they have written from people who might have access to their computers other than themselves, using a password protected system to keep your documents from being accessed by other people is one thing that should be learned.

Create a Password For Your PC

One of the easiest ways for you to protect your documents from other people who might use your computer from time to time would be to create a password for your User profile. Your User profile can be locked so that only you can access it and other people can use the PC from another profile that can be for common use. To password protect your User profile:

1.    You should first click on start then on settings and finally on Control Panel.
2.    From control Panel, access the User Accounts and click on your User account.
3.    Follow the steps for creating a password for your user account and apply it.

Create a Password for Your Word Documents

After you create a certain document you want to keep away the eyes of people you don’t want to read it, you can always password protect it after you write it. This kind of a move password protects individual documents that you feel should be hidden from everyone else without having to create a separate user profile on your computer. Here are the steps you can use to do this:

1.    You first choose options from the tools menu.
2.    You then click on the security tab on the pop-up and you type in the password that is needed to open the document in the box provided for.
3.    You will then click on OK after typing in your password and you will need to re-verify this password after you click OK.
4.    You can then safely save the document and be secure that no one can read it without the password. You can only open this particular document after you provide the password.

Protecting your documents with the use of either a user profile password or a specific document password will help ensure that whatever you wish to keep to yourself will remain safely away from people you don’t want seeing your documents and what they contain.

One of the more common as well as important computer hardware is the printer. Computer printers come in different sizes as well as with different added features. Choosing the right computer printer would be dependent on what your printing needs are.

Computer printers are made to serve a variety of different printing needs. From the ordinary home user to a corporate office, different needs call for different printers. Here is a guide to help you look for the right type of printer for your own needs.

Home Use
People who use a computer printer at home usually look for one that can do a variety of functions. From printing documents to digital photos, a computer printer for the home should be of the general purpose type. With budget considerations, most home printers should be the ones that can get the job done but wouldn’t cost an arm and a leg to have and use.

Good examples for such types of printers should be entry level laser or ink jet printers. Laser printers offer better quality documents, but is usually a bit more expensive.

The ink jet printer, has great digital pictures and is less expensive to buy.

For Writers
Writers usually go for printers that can print page after page of text at a faster rate since that is what the next novel may require – pages upon pages of text filled prints. Not only that, such prints should also be easy on the pocket in terms of cost per page. For this type of printing needs, the laser printer should fit right in quite easily. Not only would a laser printer offer to print hundreds of new pages at a faster rate, they are also cheaper in terms of expense since the cost less to operate than ink jet printers.

For Photographers
For photographers who require clear and quality photo prints, the best choice would be an ink jet printer. This type of computer printer offers the best quality image prints. For the amateur photographer, a basic ink jet photo printer would suffice. But for professional photographers who look for highly detailed and professional quality photo prints, they would most likely look for top of the line ink jet printers. Highly sophisticated computer hardware such as printers usually offer added functions and features that include color management tools, more sophisticated ink sets as well as quite an added number of supported photo paper.