IT 101HOW-TO GEEK!

Passwords• Non-dictionary words are harder to guess• Passphrase – multiple words combined for password • i.e. ILoveTheBeach32114

• The terms passcode and passkey are sometimes used when the secret information is purely numeric, such as the personal identification number (PIN).• Password keepers are your friend!• LastPass, Dashlane, Roboform, KeePassX, Sticky

Password

Selectively reboot Windows• A reboot is your friend• If a printer magically stopped working, or if a network

connection to a user PC is down, there are certain instances when a reboot could prevent a support call. • Don’t hard shut-down unless you are out of options. Wait

it out!

When in doubt, don’t• If you are staring at a PC with an issue, and have the

slightest bit of doubt about taking an action – don’t!• Call I.T., search Google, but ultimately trust your gut

Shortcuts• Navigating without the mouse, keeping your hands on the

keyboard is always faster.• Start learning shortcuts to programs you use• There are free printable sheets online!

• Create your own keyboard shortcuts• Right-click the program's launch icon and select Properties. Open the

Shortcut tab, then click in the "Shortcut key" field and press the key you want to use to launch the program. Windows will assign Ctrl + Alt + <key of your choice> as a keyboard shortcut to open the program.

Snipping Tool• Capture part or all of your PC screen, add notes, save

the snip, or email it right from the Snipping Tool window• After you capture a snip, it's automatically copied to the

Snipping Tool window. From there, you can annotate, save, or share the snip.

Launch a new instance of a program• Hold down the Shift button, then open the program as

you normally would, typically via a left click of the mouse. Now you have a new clean version of the software appears alongside the one you already have open.

Copy a file path to the Clipboard• Hold down the Shift key, right-click the file or folder you

want, then select the newly revealed "Copy as Path" option. Now you can paste the info wherever you'd like—including the "File name" portion of

Add mouse-friendly checkboxes to icons• In Windows 7, type Folder options into the Start

Menu's search bar. Next, open the "View" tab in the window that appears and ensure the "Use check boxes to select items" checkbox is checked. In Windows 8, just open Windows Explorer, open the "View" tab, and check the "Item check boxes" box in the Show/Hide pane.

Pin common items to Jump Lists• Right-clicking a taskbar icon brings up that's program's

Jump List—quick links to the most recent files you've opened with that program.• Pin it to the Jump List by dragging it onto the program's

taskbar icon, or by clicking the pin icon to the right of the file name in the Jump List itself.

Increase the number of items in the Jump Lists• Right-click on the taskbar, select Properties, then open

the Jump List tab in the dialog box that appears. Set it to the number you desire (more than 15 to 20 gets unwieldy) and click OK to save your changes.

Add folders to File Explorer’s Favorites• Drag the folder itself onto the Favorites icon in File

Explorer's left-hand pane, or navigate to the chosen folder directly, then right-click the Favorites icon and select Add current location to Favorites.• Dropping common folders into Favorites is especially

handy when it comes time to save files. If you wind up filling your Favorites with too much stuff, just right-click the icon in File Explorer and select Restore Favorites links to wipe the slate clean and bring back the default folders.

Learn for FREE• GCF Learn Free http://www.gcflearnfree.org/topics/ • Web Development https://www.w3schools.com/ • Microsoft Virtual Academy https://mva.microsoft.com/ • Open education database http://oedb.org/open/ • Coursera https://www.coursera.org/ • Duolingo (languages) https://www.duolingo.com/

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Random Resources• Ccleaner• VLC Media Player• TeamViewer• Notepad ++• Microsoft ICE• GIMP