Encrypt Individually
Windows 7 Enterprise and Ultimate include
BitLocker, which is designed to fully encrypt the disc. However, if encrypting
the entire drive sounds a little drastic, you can instead encrypt individual
folders or even individual files. You may choose to encrypt just your Documents
folder, for example, which will mean that nobody without your login password
will be able to access the tiles - even if they remove the hard disk and
attempt a forensic analysis.
The
sipher.exe utility
To encrypt a tile or folder, right-click it
and select Properties from the menu that appears. Click the Advanced button and
then put a tick alongside Encrypt Contents to Secure Data. If this is the first
time you’ve done this, a pop-up will appear near the system tray asking if you
want to back up the encryption key. This is a very good idea because without
the key your data is lost forever. It you haven't got Windows 7 Enterprise or
Ultimate, try using TrueCrypt (www.truecrypt.org), which works just as
well – if not better!
Scrub Free Space
Talking of encryption, the command-line
equivalent of the encryption tool is called cipher.exe. You can use it
at the command-line, but it has one feature that its GUI brother doesn't have –
it can securely clean free space on your hard disk.
When you empty the Recycle Bin, the actual
file data isn't eradicated. Instead, the space it occupied is simply marked as
being available. It might be overwritten immediately by new data, or the old
data might stick around for years - it all depends on how the disk is accessed.
However, the possibility is there that somebody might come along and un-delete
the file using one of many utilities available for the job.
To use cipher.exe to wipe the free space,
start by closing as many open apps as possible then opening a command-line
window (click the start menu and type cmd in the search field) and type the
following, replacing C: if necessary with the letter of the drive whose free
space you wish to clean-up:
Cipher /w:C:\
Don't close the command-line window until
it's finished, which might take some time depending on the size and speed of
your hard disk.
Use A Desktop Omnibar
Right-click the taskbar and then select
Properties. In the dialog box that appears, click the Toolbars tab. Then put a
tick alongside Address and click OK. You should now see an address field on
your taskbar into which you can paste or type the usual web addresses, to have
them open in the system default browser. You can also type phrases that will
automatically be searched in Bing (there doesn't seem to be a way to switch to
Google), and also enter hard disk paths to open a file browsing window at that
location (i.e. something like C :\users\keir).
Use Checkboxes To Select Files
If clicking-and-dragging to select files has
never been your cup of tea, you can activate a cool feature that lets you click
a tick box alongside each file and folder it order to select it. This can also
be useful for those with limited motility. To activate the feature, open a file
browsing window, then click Organize at the top left. Then select Folder and
Search Options from the menu that appears, and click the View tab of the dialog
box that appears. Then in the list beneath the Advanced Settings heading, put a
tick alongside Use Check Bones To Select Items.
Use
Checkboxes To Select Files
Click OK and there'll be a new thin column
at the left of all file browsing windows if you’re using one of the list views,
although not if you're using one of the icon view modes. Regardless of which
mode you're using, it you hover the mouse over a tile or folder a box will
appear that you can click to tick.
Windows
Essentials 2012
Alternatively, if using one of the detailed
list view mode you can select al files and folders shown by clicking the
tickbox alongside the Name heading at the top of the listing.
Get The Essentials
Although Windows reminds you of it when you
install, you might have forgotten that a range of free and official add-on
programs are just a click away. Referred to as Windows Essentials 2012, the
software pack includes an email client, a parental control panel, a word
processor for blogging, photo gallery and movie creation software, and
Microsoft Skydrive. The package also includes Messenger, although Skype has now
superseded this. To download and install the software, head off to windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows-live/essentials-other.
Launch with 1-2-3
It you pin things to the taskbar, such as
apps or file system shortcuts, you can launch each with a quick keyboard
shortcut - just hold down the Windows key and tap 1, 2, 3 and so on for each of
the icons, numbered from the left-hand side of the screen. You can also use
this trick to switch to apps that are open and which have an icon on the
taskbar, even if they aren’t pinned.
Work With projectors
If you regularly use a projector or second
display with your computer, here’s a God-send of a keyboard shortcut:
Windows+P. This will bring up a simple selection tool that lets you choose
whether to mirror the main display, switch to it, or share the desktop across
the two. Considering the number of people I’ve seen struggling to setup a
projector in meetings, this tip should be tattooed on foreheads: Windows+P.
Don't forget!
Quickly Start A New Doc
If you’re working on a document and want to
quickly start a new one, there‘s no need to bother with that File > New
nonsense. Instead, just hold down Shift and click the program’s icon in the
taskbar. Alternatively, if your mouse has a wheel, click it when hovering over
the icon. Doing so will open a new instance of the application, which in case
of something like Word or Excel will also open a new document.
Just
hit the Windows key and P to easily setup projectors or secondary displays
In the case of a web browser you'll simply
open a new window, rather than open a new tab.
Click Up For Menus
You can right-click any icon on the taskbar
to open a menu showing various options. However, another way of doing this is
to left-click and hold then quickly drag the mouse upwards. This can feel more
intuitive and quicker than right-clicking, although it’s a tricker procedure to
undertake if you’re limited to using a notebooks touchpad.
Elevate Quickly
Any app can be run with full administrator
rights by clicking it icon on the taskbar or Start menu while holding down
Shift and Ctrl. This can be particularly useful if you want to open a file
browsing window with the ability to delete anything - just hold down Shift and Ctrl
while clicking the pinned folder icon near the Start menu button. In each case
you’ll have to click to clear an authentication dialog box that’ll remind you
of the immense powers you now have.
Tune Cleartype
How Windows displays fonts onscreen is a
love-it or hate-it affair-particularly if you’ve ever used Mac OS X or Linux.
However, you can tune the display of fonts easily by opening the Start menu and
typing Adjust ClearType into the search field, and then selecting the option
that appears. Then follow each step of the wizard, making the selections that
look best to you. Note that the changes might not take effect in program
windows until you restart them. Remember that this only affects how text
appears on-screen and has no effect on printed output.
