LFC Consulting - Tricks & Tips
Hardware & Software Suggestions
If you print frequently and have an ink jet-type printer you are spending too much money on your output. A low cost solution is to purchase a low-end black & white laser printer. You can use the laser for everyday output, which will be in high quality. Use the ink jet for your color output. Laser toner is much cheaper than ink jet cartridges over the long term.
Tired of seeing advertisements in your web pages? Try an ad blocking software. If you use Internet Explorer, try IE7Pro: http://www.ie7pro.com/download.php. If you use Firefox, try Ad Blocker: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/6826.
Be careful blocking Flash player. If you do you will not see YouTube videos.
An alternative to Adobe Photoshop CS3 for editing photos is Paint.Net. It is easy to learn, powerful and FREE.
PDF Software
We all use PDF files for many reasons. Did you know you have other reader options than Adobe Acrobat Reader? Acrobat is notoriously bulky and very slow to load. Instead use Foxit Reader. It is quick to load and does everything Acrobat will. Foxit PDF Reader.
For those of us who like to create our own PDF files and want to save a few hundred dollars on Adobe Acrobat Professional, try PDF Redirect. It is as simple to use as choosing a printer and will display your PDF files in an easy to read interface. PDF reDirect.
Older Computers and Ports?
If you have an older computer and would like to use is at a spare but Windows runs too slowly on it, consider another operating system for it. Linux OS is an alternative to Windows and will allow you to get some years out of a PC you may have considered tossing. Once Linux is installed, you already have the software you need. Included is: Web browser, Email program, OpenOffice (similar to Microsoft Office) and other programs you will find useful. If you find this suggestion useful, let me know. I will burn a copy of the Linux OS for you. It is free and really easy to install.
If you have an older computer and/or older USB 1.1 ports, transfers may take much longer than you want. If you are backing up your whole hard disk to an external USB drive the process may take several hours compared to less than an hour with an updated port. If you have a desktop PC, put a USB 2.0 card into your PC to speed up data transfers to external drives, thumb drives and other devices requiring high speed data transfer. The cost is around $60 (and you can install it yourself) but it is worth it with the time you will save.
“How can I save a call to a computer professional?”
What do you do if your PC is acting up? Sometimes your Word may not load up or Internet Explorer just hangs or your PC will not print. To solve these and other idiosyncratic behaviors try restarting your computer. Many times this is all you need to get your computer running correctly. Windows XP and Vista are very stable operating systems. Some times I do not restart my computers for a month or more. If you keep your computer on for a long period of time it would help if you restarted at least once a week. This will keep your PC stable and avoid “unexplained” behaviors.
Once in a while you will get a message on your screen and you are not sure from where it came. Load Yahoo or Google and type the message into the search box. This will give you an idea of what the error is and, quite possibly, the solution. Please exercise caution with the solutions. If you are not sure what the suggested solution will do, do not do it! You may create a bigger problem.
DIY Identity-Theft Protection: A 12-Step Program
(from PC World magazine 04/08)
You don't have to spend $100 to $200 a year to defend yourself from identity theft at the level of protection that a paid service offers. You can do almost everything the services do, for free. But following these steps will require time and effort.
1. Get a free copy of your credit report by visiting AnnualCreditReport.com. Don't be fooled by look-alike sites that promise free reports if you subscribe to their credit-monitoring services. Better yet, order by phone at 877-322-8228.
2. For DIY credit monitoring, order a free report every three months from a different bureau. Scan the report for unfamiliar information, such as accounts you don't remember opening.
3. Place a fraud alert on your credit report by calling one of the credit bureaus. (You can find contact information for all three bureaus by browsing to the Fight Identity Theft Web site.)
4. Put a recurring event in your online calendar to remind you to renew your fraud alert in 90 days.
5. Tell the bureaus to stop selling your information to credit services, by calling 888-567-8688 or visiting OptOutPrescreen.com. Doing so will reduce but not eliminate the number of preapproved credit card offers you receive.
6. Request a free public records report from ChoicePoint . You'll have to print a form and mail it, along with copies of your driver's license and proof of address. Scan the report for addresses and other details not related to you.
7. Take your name off other marketing lists by signing up for ProQuo.com's free service. In some instances, you may have to mail letters or navigate to a marketer's own site to complete your opt-out request.
8. Buy a mailbox that locks, or use a post office box. This will help prevent thieves from stealing your identity via paper mail.
9. Buy a crosscut paper shredder and shred junk mail to frustrate dumpster-diving identity thieves.
10. Never click a link from an e-mail message to log in to your bank or to any other financial institution. Type the secure site's address into your browser, bookmark it, and use that link to access your accounts. Otherwise, you risk having your identity stolen by phishers.
11. If you believe that you are a victim of identity theft, contact the Identity Theft Resource Center. Volunteers there can walk you through the process of restoring your identity.
Get educated. Mari Frank's IdentityTheft.org, the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, and the Federal Trade Commission maintain huge libraries of information on how to avoid being victimized, and what to do if it has already happened.
Rafael Miranda is a computer consultant with LFC Consulting, Inc.
He started the company 17 years ago to provide Sales, Service and Support of PC Hardware and Software.
Rafael services the small business community, as well as home networks and laptop users.
Please call 973-316-9191 for more information.