Alvin's Educational Technology Blog

I had to rebuild one of my computers this weekend.  I do this from time to time.  Windows has an entropy problem and the OS seems to run best when freshly installed.

Since I like my computer setup in a particular way, certain applications must be installed on a new computer.  I keep a list of all my critical applications.  In addition to the typical programs like Word, Excel and PowerPoint, my list includes a lot of little things like my batch programs and all the command line utilities that I use.  Most of what I install is free: WS_FTP, RSS Reader, 7-Zip, Eudora, Firefox, etc.  The list assures I don’t leave anything off.

In case my computer crashes, I keep my list on the server.  I have found that I do re-installs enough that I also store most of the programs from the list on the server.  In fact, the program directory itself is as good as the list.  I start installing from the top of the directory and work my way down.

I’ve decided that a hundred efficiency tips is enough to make most computer users efficient.  There are undoubtedly a few that I have left out.  I’ll add new ones as time goes on, but I need to start a new thing right now.

 I would like to finish for now with something that really doesn’t save you time.  Security costs you extra time, but that extra time is worth the effort.

Computer security starts with a good password and a system that doesn’t automatically log you on at startup.  I talked about auto-login a few weeks ago.  This can save you a few seconds every time you turn your computer on, but in an office where other people have access to your computer it can cost you your data.  I once had a teacher ask me if it were possible for the network administrator to “get into” her personal laptop and “see” her data.  I booted her computer and it did an auto-login.  At that point, I said anyone that could physically touch her computer could get all her data.

If your computer never leaves your house and you have locks on your doors, an auto-login is probably safe.  I have lots of kids walking around my house so I don’t have auto-login enabled.

I talked about passwords last spring.  Using “strong” passwords will keep your data safe.  Strong passwords take longer to type, but the time is worth it. 

I also encrypt all my portable data using TrueCrypt.  If you keep sensitive data on a portable device (person information, grades, trade secrets), you should encrypt that data.  If you ever lose your USB drive, you won’t have to worry about anything except the cost of replacing the media.  Encryption would have prevented the whole fiasco with the backup tape stolen from an Ohio intern’s car.  Now it is going to cost the state of Ohio millions of dollars to protect those affected from identity theft.

Encryption takes more time, but it is worth it.

My friend, Mike, sent me this link.

http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/tech-news/?p=907

It’s a story about a guy that was kidnapped and tortured by people that wanted his password.  The victim didn’t work for the government.  He didn’t know trade secrets.  He was the world leader in an online game and his captors wanted to sell his account to the highest bidder.  After five hours of holding a gun to his head, they could not get him to surrender his password.

I don’t recommend putting your life in jeopardy to protect your passwords.  An arm or a leg is the limit for me.

TSPY= -2.07

Here is another Vista shortcut.  If you use the new Sidebar, you can bring your Gadgets to the front at any time by pressing the Windows Key and the space bar at the same time.  Once you bring the Sidebar to the top you can use Windows-G to toggle through each Gadget you have loaded.

I use the Sidebar on my left monitor.  My right monitor is my main monitor with the Start button in the bottom left corner.  I keep my email on the left monitor along with the Sidebar.  The Sidebar can be on the right or left of the screen.  I keep it on the right side of the left monitor.  That puts it in the center of my view.

The Sidebar is turned on by default in Vista.  I left it on with a clock, my pictures, CPU meter, calendar and news feed.  Usually my email is over top of it.  I don’t use the Gadgets that much, but quickly bringing them to the front of the screen is handy.  It is the quickest way to get a calendar on the screen.

TSPY=0.10

Until Vista, I was never a fan of the Quick Launch toolbar.  The small set of icons just to the right of the Start button seemed redundant.  Since I’m a keyboard-shortcut fan, the extra “click-only” icons were just in the way.  With Vista it is a different story. 

Now those icons are numbered by the new Windows OS.  The icon closest to the Start button is number one.  The next icon is number two.  To “click” the first icon, press the Windows key and the number one. 

On my computer, Windows-1 opens IE, Windows-2 opens Firefox, Windows-3 opens Word… you get the idea.  Since the Quick Launch bar is configurable, I can control which icon is in each position.  If I want Word to be in that first spot, I can click and drag the Word icon from number three over to number one.

If you look back at tip number one, you will see IE took three key strokes in XP:

Windows Key
Down Arrow
Enter

With the Quick Launch bar, it takes 33% fewer key strokes.

TSPY=1.23