Computer Tricks

Computer Tricks You Should Try Right Now 

Computers have simplified our life to a great extent. Things that were impossible earlier can now be completed instantly thanks to computers. But, does this mean that a PC is all work and no play?

Obviously not! Here are some of the best tricks you can try out on your Windows based computer.

1) Make your computer speak what you type
You can use your PC's built in features and some VBScript magic to create a simple program that will make your computer speak whatever you input to it. What are you waiting for? Head over to this post to start a conversation.

Make your Computer Talk

Have you ever wondered how can you make your computer speak whatever you input to it like in the movies? Would it not be fun? If only it was possible! Rejoice, because now it is possible. Well, if you wish to know how to do this, then you have come to the right place. With this trick, you can create a script in Windows which will make your computer speak whatever you input to it.

To create one such talk script, follow the steps given below:-

Steps

1. Open Notepad.
2. Copy and paste the exact code given below.

          Dim Message, Speak
          Message=InputBox("Enter text","Speak")
          Set Speak=CreateObject("sapi.spvoice")
          Speak.Speak Message

    3. Click on File Menu, Save As, select All Types in Save as Type option, and save the file as Speak.vbs or "*.vbs".

    4.  Double click on the saved file, a window will open like the one in the image. Enter some text in enter text column and click OK.

Now your Computer will speak / talk what you typed in Step 4. Try it yourself.

Windows Compatibility: This VBS file can be executed on all versions of Windows including Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8.

Personal Experience: I personally showed this trick to many of my friends and they were literally left awestruck. You too can impress your friends by making your PC talk and be the Computer Wiz.
 

2) Find your computer's gender
Want to know if your PC is a male or a female? Simple. Try the previous trick to know if your computer is a 'he' or a 'she'.

On a serious note, this depends upon the voice you have selected in Microsoft Text to Speech options.

3) Lock Folders with password
Do you often have other people seeing your personal files? You can store them in a password protected folder so that only you can access them. Go see this post to know how to protect your personal files effectively.

4) Make your computer greet you every time you start Windows
A simple modification in the first trick will let you have an awesome computer said welcome that you can use to impress all your friends. Just read this post to make your computer welcome you in its own mechanical voice.

Make your Computer Welcome You

Do you watch movies? Have you always loved the way how Computers in movies welcome their users by calling out their names? I bet that you too would want to know how you can achieve similar results on your PC and have a computer said welcome.

Then you are at the right place, this article describes exactly how you can make your computer welcome you like this.

With this trick, you can make your Computer welcome you in its computerized voice. You can make your Windows based computer say "Welcome to your PC, Username."

Make Windows Greet you with a Custom Voice Message at Startup

To use this trick, follow the instructions given below:-

1. Click on Start. Navigate to All Programs, Accessories and Notepad.
2. Copy and paste the exact code given below.
   

Dim speaks, speech
speaks="Welcome to your PC, Username"
Set speech=CreateObject("sapi.spvoice")
speech.Speak speaks

     3.  Replace Username with your own name.
     4.  Click on File Menu, Save As, select All Types in Save as Type option, and save the file as Welcome.vbs or "*.vbs".
     5.  Copy the saved file.
     6.  Navigate to C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup (in Windows XP) and to C:\Users\ {User-Name}\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup (in Windows 8, Windows 7 and Windows Vista) if C: is your System drive. AppData is a hidden folder. So, you will need to select showing hidden folders in Folder options to locate it.
     7.  Paste the file.

 

Now when the next time you start your computer, Windows will welcome you in its own computerized voice.

Note: For best results, it is recommended to change sound scheme to No Sounds.
You can change the sound scheme to No Sounds by following the steps given below:-

1. Go to Control Panel.
2. Then click on Switch to Classic View.
3. Then Click on Sounds and Audio Devices.
4. Then Click on the Sounds Tab.
5. Select No Sounds from the Sound Scheme option.
6. If you wish to save your Previous Sound Scheme, you can save it by clicking Yes in the popup menu.
7. Click on OK.

Try it yourself to see how it works. In my personal opinion, this is an excellent trick. Whenever I start my PC in front of anybody and the PC welcomes me, the fellow is left wondering how brilliant a computer do I have.

5) Have fun with Notepad

If you think that Notepad is just a basic text editor, then, you will be amazed by its capabilities. You can use Notepad to create everything from personalized logs to harmless viruses that are incredibly annoying. Go see this post to know just how useful Notepad is.

Notepad Tricks: Cool Notepad tricks for Windows

Notepad, the text editor that comes bundled in Windows is an excellent tool for text editing. But that is not the only thing for which notepad is famous. It is also famous for its tricks and hacks. Here is a roundup of some of the best and coolest tricks that you can try using Notepad.

Matrix Falling Code Effect - Notepad CMD (.BAT) Tricks

Inspired by the movie Matrix, this falling code trick is extremely popular on social networking websites. Copy and paste the code given below in Notepad and save the file as "Matrix.bat" or *.bat.

@echo off
color 02
:tricks
echo %random%%random%%random%%random%%random%%random%%random%%random%
goto tricks

Matrix Falling Code Effect - Notepad Trick

Upon running the bat file, you will see the "Matrix falling code" effect.

Make Your Keyboard Type (Any) Message Continuously-VBS Trick

This VBS trick can make any of your friend's keyboard type any message continuously. Open Notepad, copy the code given below and save the file as Tricks.vbs or *.vbs. You will need to restart your computer to stop this. Try this after closing all important programs.

Set wshShell = wscript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
do
wscript.sleep 100
wshshell.sendkeys "This is a Virus. You have been infected."
loop

Send this file to your friends as an email attachment to see the fun.

Create a Harmless Funny Virus with Notepad-Continuously eject CD/DVD drives

This VBS trick will create a code which will continuously eject all your connected Optical drives. If you put them back in, it will pop them out again. Copy this code and paste it in Notepad as Virus.vbs or *.vbs.

Set oWMP = CreateObject("WMPlayer.OCX.7")
Set colCDROMs = oWMP.cdromCollection
do
if colCDROMs.Count >= 1 then
For i = 0 to colCDROMs.Count - 1
colCDROMs.Item(i).Eject
Next
For i = 0 to colCDROMs.Count - 1
colCDROMs.Item(i).Eject
Next
End If
wscript.sleep 5000
loop

Double click to open this file and you will be impressed by this awesome trick.

Make a Personal Diary(Log) with Notepad (Easter Eggs)

Notepad Diary

You can use this trick to create a personal log with Notepad which will automatically include the current date and time before your note. To do so, open Notepad and type .LOG in capital letters and press Enter. Save the file. Now, every time you open this file, notepad will automatically insert the current time and date before the note. Just enter your note and save the file each time after making an entry.

All these Notepad tricks are totally harmless and would not harm your PC in any way.  To close any of the VBS trick given, open task manager and close the wscript.exe process. These tricks work on Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP.


6) Command Prompt too has some tricks up its sleeves
So, you thought that Notepad has some tricks but not the command prompt? If you thought so, then you would be surprised to see all the cool stuff you can do with the Windows Command Prompt. Just see this post to get impressed.

7) Change your Processor's name
Are you bored of your old processor and want a new one with a staggering name? Change its name to something extraordinary to get that something special for your PC.

8) Make a Keyboard Disco
Use some VBScript coding to create a live disco using the LED keys on your keyboard. See this post to know how your keyboard can turn into a disco.

9) Use your Keyboard as Mouse.
You know you can use your mouse as keyboard using the On-screen keyboard. What if I tell you that it is also possible to do the reverse? Just read this post to see how.

10) Use Keyboard Shortcuts to get work done in no time
Use some amazingly useful keyboard shortcuts to greatly increase your efficiency when working on a Windows computer. See this post for details.

These tricks work on Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP.

 

Computer basics

Computers, by our above definition, have been around for thousands of years. One of the earliest computers was the abacus, a series of beads arranged on metal rods. Beads could be slid and forth to operate on numbers. This was a very rudimentary device and is not commonly thought of as a computer in modern times. Our idea of computers involves electricity and electronics.

Electricity makes computers much more efficient. The first computers used an incredible amount of electricity, which changed voltages in vacuum tubes to operate the computer. These computers were given instructions using punch cards, and were behemoths, taking up entire floors of buildings. Only the more privileged universities and government facilities had access to them.

In the 1960's, the vacuum tube was replaced by the integrated circuit and transistor. These greatly reduced the size and power consumption of computers. They were still very large by today's standards, but more institutions had access to computing power than ever before. At the end of the decade, the microchip was invented, which reduced the size of the computer even more.

By the end of the 1970's, computers were widespread in businesses. Using a computer involved typing on a terminal (a keyboard and monitor connected to a large central computer). Soon, parts became small enough to allow many users to have a computer at their home. Thus the Personal Computer, or PC, was born.

Since then, PC's have become tremendously more efficient. They are much smaller, and yet have seen extreme performance gains. In addition to these improvements, computers have become affordable enough for many families worldwide.

COMPUTER BASICS

Windows 8 security: everything you need to know

New Windows 8 PCs have UEFI Secure Boot firmware, which enables your PC to check security certificates for the boot loader, kernel, system files and drivers against a database as Windows loads. Think of it as a mini operating system that checks that your usual OS hasn't been tampered with.
Mind you, Windows RT is one way of avoiding a lot of security problems; if you can't install your own desktop software, Windows malware is going to have a hard time running as well.
Windows RT will certainly come under attack, but it has the same protections as Windows 8, starting as soon as you turn it on.
Your anti-virus software starts running while Windows is still booting (as long as it supports Early Load Anti Malware or ELAM), so it is running before any malware that's managed to get onto your PC.

UEFI is easier to use than your Bios, and more secure

If there's a rootkit on your PC waiting to change Windows components when you boot, Windows will find the code it changes and replace it with the original, legitimate code from the Windows 'side by side' store. You don't see a warning for that during boot, but the details will show up in your anti-virus warnings in the Action Centre.

Guard pages

Once Windows is running, it's harder to use the way it handles memory that's in use (called the heap) to attack the OS or the programs you're running.
In previous versions of Windows it's not hard to allocate too much memory, have it overflow the buffer it's supposed to fit in and use that to run an attack. The Windows 8 kernel has much stricter limits on how much memory can be allocated, so an overflow attack would have to be exactly the right size.
The kernel can put 'guard pages' of memory around important code, like a moat, so that if malware tries to attack by corrupting the next chunk of memory and overflowing, it's more likely to end up in the memory moat, and Windows will shut down the process for accessing invalid memory.

Randomising memory

The tools for keeping track of the memory allocated to applications are smarter - they now make sure that the memory allocated starts in a random place, rather than picking it based on a value that malware could interfere with to make it point to malicious code, or using a predictable location such as the next free chunk of memory.
To make the random number really random, Windows collects a mix of data when it boots, from the clock, performance logs, power management systems and other sources, which it combines into a new random number seed every time.

Turning secure boot on and off on a Windows 8 PC

Memory that's no longer needed is less vulnerable as well. Malware used to be able to force the kernel to allocate memory to a program and then release it so that a virus could use memory that Windows thought wasn't in use; that's now blocked.

Memory allocation

In Windows 7, Data Execution Prevention (DEP) can already mark memory allocated to applications for storing data so it can't be used for running code. And Address Space Layout Randomisation (ASLR) 7 means program code isn't always loaded into the same place, which makes it harder for malware to find where to attack.
They protect Windows, but you have to rely on developers turning them on when they write their own programs. Windows 8 won't run on CPUs that don't have the hardware to mark memory as only for data (NX - Non executable) and the improvements to the memory heap are on by default, so they protect everything.
Windows 8 also uses the Supervisor Mode Execution Protection (SMEP, or OS Guard, as Intel calls it) in Ivy Bridge CPUs to stop the CPU running any memory pages that are marked as 'user' rather than 'kernel' (user pages are only for data).
So using NX to protect kernel memory is important, because otherwise malware would just target kernel memory to bypass SMEP.

Safer Wi-Fi

When you connect to a secure Wi-Fi hotspot, you need to type in a password - and for very secure networks you might need to have a certificate installed on your PC.
Windows 8 adds support for several wireless and mobile Extensible Authentication Protocol standards that enable you to connect to secure networks without having to get a certificate or roam between different wireless and mobile broadband networks.
There's a new standard on the way called Hotspot 2.0 that will make it easier to automatically connect to Wi-Fi hotspots as you travel around; these new protocols are what you'll need to use it.
So when your mobile operator supports Hotspot 2.0, your Windows 8 tablet will be ready to get you online with it.

 

How to Share Large Files Using Dropbox

Online photo sites and Facebook albums have made it easier to share pictures and videos without having to upload and e-mail extremely large files. However, there are still instances where large image files, documents, PDFs, or other files need to be sent from one location to another. In many cases, e-mail servers dictate the maximum file size that can be sent or received, and large files often get caught in people’s spam folders or are otherwise never delivered. Dropbox is a free program that allows you to upload and share files with others using a mutual location on the Internet. You can use it as a web-based service, but it is most functional when you download the software to your hard drive.
1. Download the Dropbox software. Visit dropbox.com to get started. Follow the instructions that apply to your computer’s operating system. Once the software is downloaded, Dropbox will automatically create a new folder on your computer. You can create folders within the main Dropbox folder to keep files organized and to control who can see select files.
2. Add files to your Dropbox. The Dropbox folder functions the same as any other folder on your hard drive. You can copy and paste files from another location or drag and drop the files into the Dropbox folder. Anything added to your Dropbox folder will automatically sync to the web. If you have shared a particular folder with someone else, they will receive a pop-up notification on their desktop to let them know that you have added files. If you prefer to add files via the website, simply click on “Upload” and add the files you want to share.

3. Share files and folders with others. From your desktop folder, click on “Share this folder” in the left-hand pane.



If you haven’t downloaded the software, click on “Share a folder” on the website. You will be prompted to add the user’s e-mail address and they will receive an automatically generated message information them that you have shared files with them.
Whether you’re sending files for work or for personal reasons, Dropbox is an easily accessible and user-friendly option for sharing large pictures, documents, or other files.

Simple Ways to Keep a Word Document Protected

Microsoft Word is easily the most popular word processing program on the market today. Of course, with that popularity comes some security concerns, as well. Luckily, Microsoft has gone out of their way to include features that address those specific concerns. And if you’re lucky enough to be using the latest version of Word, you’ll notice that those security measures are all the more enhanced than in previous incarnations.

Here’s a look at two quick and simple tricks for keeping your documents protected with Word 2013:

Add a Password

One of the most obvious ways to protect anything online is with the addition of a personalized password. Word users have been able to password protect individual documents since the 2007 version, but Word 2013 seems to have streamlined the process somewhat.

Before adding a password to any Word files, keep in mind that as of right now, Microsoft offers absolutely no way to recover your password or any password-protected document should you lose or forget your code. If you’re the forgetful type, you might want to jot that information down someplace safe.

To add a password to any document on Word, start by clicking on the File tab. From there, click on Info and then the button labeled Protect Document. (It will be in the drop down menu that appears once you click on Info.)

From there, you will see the option to encrypt your document with a password. Following the prompts, you will be able to enter a password, similar to the way you do when choosing a password for a website or email address. From now on, you’ll need to enter this key every time you open the document.

Create a Read-Only Document

The 2013 version of Word comes with a read-only security feature. This allows you to create a version of your document that mimics the PDF format in that it can’t be changed or edited by anyone that happens to get it in front of them. Marking a file as “Final” in this way ensures that no one will be able to alter a document that you created, and might be a better alternative for some users that want to share their work, but don’t want anyone to be able to copy or change it.

Once you’ve created a document, you can turn it into a read-only file by clicking on the File tab and then heading back to the Protect Document drop down menu under the Info button again. This time, instead of following the encryption prompts, you need to select the Mark as Final button instead.

Once you confirm that you want to make this particular version of your document the final copy, you can click on OK to save the read-only version you’ve just created. You’ll then see a dialog box that outlines what a final version is, and informing you that no changes can be made to the document.

Of course, because you’re the author of the file, you are the only person that can still make alterations to it. Whenever you go to change something on the document, you’ll get an alert that reminds you that it’s been set as a final edition. By clicking on the option that says Edit Anyway, your new changes will be saved. If you want people to see these new changes, you’ll have to re-send them a copy of the updated document, because they will not have access to edit the file themselves.

How to Transpose Columns Into Rows in Excel 2013

Excel 2013 is used to analyze large sets of data that are traditionally organized into tables; this allows for efficient application of statistics, the creation of complex analytics and the transformation of the data into graphs; usually tables are organized with the headings in the columns and the data below the headings in the rows.

Often after building a complex data table it becomes evident that it would be more efficient to place headings in the left most column and have the data follow in the subsequent columns. Microsoft Excel 2013 provides an easy way to transpose the data using the simple functionality of the copy and paste feature of the worksheet.

Step 1 – Select the data that you want to transpose.

The example below shows a simple table with the headings in the top row and the data below the headings in the following rows. To begin the process to transpose the table, select the table:

• Left click on the top left cell of the table (cell C6 with the heading ‘Heading 1’).
• Hold down the left mouse button and drag the cursor to the bottom right cell within the table (cell G16 with the value ‘65’).

Step 2 - Transpose the table.

Now that you have selected the table you are able to transpose it using the copy and paste functionality of Excel 2013. First copy the original table – this can be achieved in three ways:

• Using the copy icon on the home menu.

• Pressing Ctrl & C together – this will make a copy of the selected range or table.
• Right clicking on the range and selecingt copy from the menu.

Now that there is a copy of the table in the clipboard, the target cell can be selected and the original table can be transposed so that the headings are now in rows. Excel 2013 uses the functionality of copy and paste to allow easy transposition:

• Select the cell where you want the transposed table to appear (in the example cell I6 was selected).
• Using the Paste icon on the Home menu, select the Paste Special option. (The last icon under the ‘Paste’ sub-menu can also be used, however for this example the formatting is not required and therefore the Paste Special option is selected).

• A dialog box will open – select the checkbox next to Transpose and press OK. Selecting ‘Values’ will ensure that the formatting isn’t pasted as well.

The diagram below shows the original table and the transposed table.

Conclusion

The process to transpose data is very easy and versatile. You can transpose large tables very quickly and also have the ability to use the ‘Undo’ feature to revert back to the original table as required. Excel 2013 has made the process far more intuitive and giving extra functionality that allows you to manipulate data tables in many ways.

This process can also be used to transpose rows into columns in Excel 2013.