Vector Graphics typically are generated using drawing or

illustration programs (e.g., Adobe Illustrator) and are

composed of mathematically-defined geometric shapes—
lines, objects and fills. Since vectors entail both magnitude
and direction, vector elements thus are comprised of line
segments whose length represents magnitude and whose
orientation in space represents direction.

Vector graphics usually are easily modified within the

creating application and generally are not affected
detrimentally by scaling (enlarging or reducing their size).
Because vector elements are mathematically-defined,
scaling simply requires modification of their mathematical
locations. However, vector files do not support photographic

1
imagery well and often can be problematic for cross-platform
exchange. Vector graphics typically are saved as EPS
format.

This makes vector graphics ideal for logo design. Creating a

vector logo is more difficult but the effort pays for itself
when the vector logo file is sent to printers or sign makers
etc. The vector logo can be scaled up or down with out
losing quality and would enable smooth transition between
various media.

Raster Graphic Images are produced by digital image

capture devices: digital scanners or digital cameras, or by
pixel editing programs (e.g., Adobe Photoshop). Raster
images are composed of a matrix (grid) or bitmap of digital
picture elements (pixels). Pixels are squares or rectangles
2
described as black, white, gray or color. Raster images
typically are saved as TIFF format, but can be saved as EPS
as well.

Whereas conversion from vector to raster is easily

accomplished, raster conversion to vector is much more
difficult (and often is not possible). Raster images typically
are easily shared across various platforms, but can be more
difficult than vector graphics to modify. As well, raster
graphics are impacted by scaling.

Creating a raster logo design using Adobe Photoshop

might be ideal for web only usage but if you are serious
about branding, then the resulting raster PSD logo file will be
of limited use. When sent to a printer or sign maker and
when they try to scale the raster logo, the quality
deteriorates and pixellation occurs. Yes, agreed, creating the
raster logo design in Photoshop would enable a designer to
pile on stunning effects (such as drop shadows, beveling,
blurring etc). But the final deliverable will have limited uses.

BMP

The BMP file format (Windows bitmap) handles graphics files within the
Microsoft Windows OS. Typically, BMP files are uncompressed, hence they are
3
large; the advantage is their simplicity and wide acceptance in Windows
programs.

PNG

The PNG (Portable Network Graphics) file format was created as the free,
open-source successor to the GIF. The PNG file format supports truecolor (16
million colors) while the GIF supports only 256 colors. The PNG file excels when
the image has large, uniformly colored areas. The lossless PNG format is best
suited for editing pictures, and the lossy formats, like JPG, are best for the final
distribution of photographic images, because JPG files are smaller than PNG
files. Many older browsers currently do not support the PNG file format, however,
with Mozilla Firefox or Internet Explorer 7, all contemporary web browsers now
support all common uses of the PNG format, including full 8-bit translucency
(Internet Explorer 7 may display odd colors on translucent images ONLY when
combined with IE's opacity filter). The Adam7-interlacing allows an early preview,
even when only a small percentage of the image data has been transmitted.

PNG provides a patent-free replacement for GIF and can also replace many
common uses of TIFF. Indexed-color, grayscale, and truecolor images are
supported, plus an optional alpha channel.

PNG is designed to work well in online viewing applications, such as the World
Wide Web, so it is fully streamable with a progressive display option. PNG is
robust, providing both full file integrity checking and simple detection of common
transmission errors. Also, PNG can store gamma and chromaticity data for
improved color matching on heterogeneous platforms.

Some programs do not handle PNG gamma correctly, which can cause the
images to be saved or displayed darker than they should be.[3]

Animated formats derived from PNG are MNG and APNG. The latter is
supported by Firefox and Opera and is backwards compatible with PNG.

TIFF

The TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) format is a flexible format that normally
saves 8 bits or 16 bits per color (red, green, blue) for 24-bit and 48-bit totals,
respectively, usually using either the TIFF or TIF filename extension. TIFF's
flexibility can be both an advantage and disadvantage, since a reader that reads
every type of TIFF file does not exist. TIFFs can be lossy and lossless; some
offer relatively good lossless compression for bi-level (black&white) images.
Some digital cameras can save in TIFF format, using the LZW compression
algorithm for lossless storage. TIFF image format is not widely supported by web
browsers. TIFF remains widely accepted as a photograph file standard in the
printing business. TIFF can handle device-specific color spaces, such as the
CMYK defined by a particular set of printing press inks. OCR (Optical Character

4
Recognition) software packages commonly generate some (often
monochromatic) form of TIFF image for scanned text pages.

JPEG/JFIF

JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) is a compression method; JPEG-

compressed images are usually stored in the JFIF (JPEG File Interchange
Format) file format. JPEG compression is (in most cases) lossy compression.
The JPEG/JFIF filename extension in DOS is JPG (other operating systems may
use JPEG). Nearly every digital camera can save images in the JPEG/JFIF
format, which supports 8 bits per color (red, green, blue) for a 24-bit total,
producing relatively small files. When not too great, the compression does not
noticeably detract from the image's quality, but JPEG files suffer generational
degradation when repeatedly edited and saved. The JPEG/JFIF format also is
used as the image compression algorithm in many Adobe PDF files. JPEG 2000
is a new lossless or lossy format.

GIF

GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) is limited to an 8-bit palette, or 256 colors.

This makes the GIF format suitable for storing graphics with relatively few colors
such as simple diagrams, shapes, logos and cartoon style images. The GIF
format supports animation and is still widely used to provide image animation
effects. It also uses a lossless compression that is more effective when large
areas have a single color, and ineffective for detailed images or dithered images.

Setting up a graphic page :

To Do the following

Choose a preset page size Click Layout Page setup /

Document setup, and

5
 choose a paper type from
the Paper list box.

Specify a custom page size Click Layout Page setup /

Document setup, and
choose Custom from the
Paper list box, and type
values in the Width and
Height boxes.

Set the page orientation Click Layout Page setup /

Document setup, and
enable the Landscape or
the Portrait option.

Set the page orientation for

an individual page in a
multi-page document Go to the page. Click the
bottom half of the Set
default or current page
size and orientation button
on the property bar, and
click the Landscape or
Portrait button.

Drawing basic shapes with CorelDRAW

This tip has been written for CorelDRAW® Graphics Suite X3. While similar features
might be available in previous releases the tip will be fully applicable to CorelDRAW
Graphics Suite X3 and newer versions only.

6
With CorelDRAW®, drawing basic shapes — such as rectangles, ellipses, polygons,
and stars — is quick and easy. All the tools you need are easily accessible from the
following flyouts in the toolbox: the Rectangle flyout, the Ellipse flyout, and the Object
flyout.

Top to bottom: the Rectangle flyout, the Ellipse flyout, and the Object flyout

Drawing rectangles and squares

You can draw a rectangle or a square by dragging diagonally with the

Rectangle tool or by specifying the width and height with the 3 point
rectangle tool. You'll find the 3 point rectangle tool very useful for creating
rectangles at an angle. Both tools are located on the Rectangle flyout.

• To draw a rectangle, open the Rectangle flyout, click the Rectangle tool ,
and drag in the drawing window until the rectangle is the size you want.

• To draw a square, click the Rectangle tool, hold down Ctrl, and drag in the
drawing window until the square is the size you want.

• To draw a rectangle at an angle, click the 3 point rectangle tool . In the

drawing window, point to where you want to start the rectangle, drag to draw
the width, and release the mouse button. Move the pointer to draw the height,
and click.

7
 Drawing a rectangle at an angle with the 3 point rectangle tool

• You can draw a rectangle from its center outward by holding down Shift as
you drag with the Rectangle tool.

• You can draw a square from its center outward by holding down Shift + Ctrl
as you drag with the Rectangle tool.

• You can draw a rectangle that covers the drawing page by double-clicking the
Rectangle tool.

Drawing ellipses, circles, arcs, and pie shapes

You can draw an ellipse or a circle by dragging diagonally with the Ellipse
tool, or you can draw an ellipse by using the 3 point ellipse tool to specify
its width and height. The 3 point ellipse tool lets you quickly create an
ellipse at an angle, eliminating the need to rotate the ellipse. Both tools are
located on the Ellipse flyout.

After you draw an ellipse or a circle, you can easily change it into a pie shape or an
arc.

Left to right: a circle, a pie shape, and an arc

• To draw an ellipse, open the Ellipse flyout, click the Ellipse tool ,and
drag where you want to place it. Holding down Ctrl while dragging with the
Ellipse tool draws a circle, while holding down Shift draws an ellipse from the
center.

8
 • To change the ellipse into a pie shape or an arc, click the Pie button or the
Arc button on the property bar.

• To draw an ellipse at an angle, click the 3 point ellipse tool , and drag in the
drawing window to draw the centerline of the ellipse at the angle you want.
Next, move the pointer to define the height of the ellipse, and click.

Note: The centerline runs through the center of the ellipse and determines
its width.

Drawing an ellipse at an angle with the 3 point ellipse tool

Left to right: a circle, a pie shape, and an arc

Drawing polygons and stars

You can draw polygons and two types of stars: perfect stars, which have a
traditional star appearance and complex stars, which have intersecting
sides. With perfect stars, you can apply a fill to the entire star shape. With
complex stars, you can produce unique results when you apply a fill.

9
 Left to right: a polygon, a perfect star, and a complex star, each with a fountain fill
applied

The tools you need to create polygons and stars are located on the Object flyout.

• To draw a polygon, open the Object flyout, click the Polygon tool , and drag
in the drawing window until the polygon is the size you want. You can draw a
polygon from its center by holding down Shift as you drag. Also, you can draw
a symmetrical polygon by holding down Ctrl as you drag.

• To draw a perfect star, click the Star tool , and drag in the drawing window
until the star is the size you want.

• To draw a complex star, click the Complex star tool , and drag in the
drawing window until the star is the size you want.

1 Open the Perfect Shapes flyout, and click one of the following tools:

· Basic shapes
Lets you draw a wide variety of shapes, such as triangles, cans,
parallelograms, and smiley faces

· Arrows shapes
Lets you draw perfect shape arrows

10
· Flowchart shapes
Lets you draw flowchart shapes

· Star shapes
Lets you draw a star

· Callout shapes
Lets you draw predefined callouts

2 Open Perfect Shapes picker on the property bar, and click a shape.
3 Drag in the drawing window until the shape is the size you want.

Note

· Perfect Shapes can be modified like any other shapes.

To modify a predefined shape

1 Select a shape with a glyph.
2 Drag a glyph until the shape is the form you want.

Note

· The right-angle, heart, lightning bolt, explosion, and flowchart shapes do

not have glyphs.

Let us learn to fill color in the object.

1. Open Corel DRAW.

2. Draw rectangle. Keep it selected.
3. Click on any color from the color palette at right hand side.
4. The object is filled with color.
5. If you right click on the some color, outline will be colored with same fill color.
6. Now you will see the object with no border as the border is merged with the fill since we have used
same color for both.
7. Try different color for fill and outline.
8. This is the image with different fill and outline.

11
Working with text in Corel DRAW is really interesting experience because you can edit the text in so many
ways.

1. Open Corel DRAW.

2. Select Text Tool. Its 10th from the top in the tool box. The icon is A (Capital A).
3. Click the cursor on the page and type the text.
4. It may be very small so stretch it by pulling its corner point using Pick Tool.
5. Move it anywhere using Pick Tool again.
6. Pull other points using pick Tool, to stretch the text horizontally and vertically.

Filling text with color is just a click away.

1. Open Corel DRAW.

2. Select Text Tool.
3. Click the cursor on the page and type the text. Stretch it to bigger size by pulling corner point. Keep
it selected.
4. Click on any color from the color palette at right hand side.
5. The text is filled with the selected color.
6. If you click on the cross icon in the color palette, there will be no color in the text.

You can apply outline to the text in Corel DRAW. Different types of effects can be created using outline.

1. Open Corel DRAW.

2. Select Text Tool.
3. Click the cursor on the page and type the text. Stretch it to bigger size by pulling corner point. Keep
it selected.
4. Click on any color from the color palette at right hand side.
5. The text is filled with the selected color.

12
 6. Now right click on any color in the color palette.
7. This will apply the outline to the text of the same color you have right clicked.
8. If you Right click on the cross icon in the color palette, there will be no outline to the text.

Realistic fill using texture applies different dimensions to the text. You will use thick font and apply different
types of textures. Try to use different colors for outline.

1. Open Corel DRAW.

2. Type the text using thick font.
3. Select Texture Fill from Fill Tool.
4. Try using different type of textures.
5. Go for different types from Texture Library.
6. Remove the outline or give different colors to outlines and check the difference in the result.

Corel DRAW comes up with the wide range of texture fills useful for backgrounds and may other purposes.

1. Open Corel DRAW.

2. Draw rectangle. Keep it selected.
3. Click "Texture Fill Dialog" from Fill Tool.
4. Select any texture from the texture list.
5. Click ok.
6. The rectangle will be filled with texture.
7. Please do not change any other settings.

13
This lesson will explain the way combine command handles fountain fill and further it will reveal the
difference between group and combine.

1. We have two identical rectangles ungrouped filled with separate fountain fills.
2. Select both of them.
3. Go to Arrange > Combine
4. Both the rectangles are combined.
5. Now please carefully observe the fountain fill.
6. When grouped, the fill are separate with two centers in each rectangle.
7. After combine command is applied, both the rectangles are treated as one single object and hence
the two fills are turned into one single fountain fill.
8. This fill has one center and both the rectangles are treated as big one single rectangle.
9. Go to Arrange > Break Curve Apart
10. The object is separated again and we have two different rectangles with two separate radial fills.

Let us start from the last lesson where we practiced group and combine on the identical rectangles. They
are kept side by side and filled with different colors. Delete any one rectangle. Select the rectangle left on
the page.

1. Click on the fill tool and select Fountain Fill Dialogue.

2. Select Radial in Type and Two Color in Color Blend.
3. Choose any colors for From and To boxes.
4. Click OK to fill the radial fill in the rectangle.
5. Go to Edit > Duplicate
6. You get another identical rectangle with redial fill.
7. Please try to observe the nature of the radial fill in those two rectangles.
8. They have two centers.
9. This means both the rectangles have their own identical separate radial fills.
10. Keep them side by side, on the same level with a very less space in between.
11. Select both of them.
12. Go to Arrange > Group
13. Both the rectangles are grouped and still filled with the separate radial fills.
14. Go to Arrange > Ungroup
15. Now the rectangles are ungrouped.
16. We will begin the next part from this stage.
14
Scanning and Tracing
Below is a step-by-step for preparing bitmaps for cutting using CorelTRACE. Although this step-
by-step is for CorelDRAW 12, the steps are similar in all versions of Corel, from 7 to 12.
1. Open CorelTRACE.
2. Choose Acquire Image -> Acquire from the File menu. This will open your scanner program.
3. In your scanner program select Black & White and your dpi setting.
Recommended dpi settings
300 dpi for excellent quality artwork suck as bromides or laser prints.
200 dpi for average quality artwork.
150 dpi for below average quality artwork.
100 dpi for poor quality artwork.
Parallel port scanners connect to the computer via the parallel port. They are the cheapest of the
scanners. They are however slower than scanners with other types of interfaces. A scanner with
parallel port interface communicates at a rate of 1.2Mbps with a PC. The procedure for installing a
parallel port scanner is a very simple. But remember that when you install a parallel port scanner,
you won't be able to use your printer and your scanner at the same time.

The steps to install a parallel port scanner are as follows:

Step 1
Shut down your PC. Place the scanner close to the PC on a flat surface. The cable of the scanner
must be able to reach your computer.

Step 2
Disconnect the parallel cable of the printer from the parallel port on the back of your PC.

Step 3
Attach the parallel cable of the scanner into the port where the printer's cable was attached. The
25-pin female end of the parallel cable is connected to the PC and then other end of the cable plugs
into the scanner's port. For using the printer as well as the scanner, connect the printer cable to the
scanner and then connect the scanner to the PC.

Step 4
Insert the power cord of the scanner into an outlet. Once you plug in the power cord, the scanner
starts by itself. Some scanners will require manual intervention for turning them on. If your scanner
has an on/off switch, switch it on once you plug in the power cord.

Step 5
Turn on your PC. The Operating System (OS) installed in your PC will automatically recognize the
new hardware that has been added. If your OS does not recognize the new hardware, Click on
Start >> Settings >> Control Panel . Double click on the Add New Hardware option. A new
wizard will appear that will guide you through the installation process.

Step 6
The installation wizard at some point will ask you to install the driver disk that has all the required
information files. Insert the driver disk at the appropriate time, and then choose the device's .INF
(Information) file from the disk to have all the information properly installed. During this process
you may also install TWAIN driver.

Step 7
You may also install all other additional software’s that you may have received with your scanner. It
is advisable to calibrate the scanner before you start using it. The color calibration software tries to
maintain the original colors of the image throughout its processing. This means that what you see
on the monitor and what you print out should be reasonably close to the colors of the original.

15
Scanning
Outline:
1. Introduction to scanning
2. Scan using Photoshop
3. Steps for scanning
4. Saving a scanned image
5. Scan using the scanning software
6. See the differences in resolution
7. Open class to Q & A
In Detail:
1. Introduction to scanning
a. Need a scanner and the scanning software
i. If you do not have the software
1. You can not do a scan
2. On the company’s web site you can purchase it or
download it for free
b. With a scanner you can scan
i. Photographs
ii. Drawings and prints
iii. Illustrations
iv. Publications and documents
v. Anything that can fit in the scan bed
2. Scan using Photoshop
a. Photoshop can not do scans
b. Instead, you can use Photoshop to initiate an application to do a scan, and
then import the image into Photoshop.
c. Steps
i. Place a color photograph on the scan bed
ii. Open Photoshop
1. On the menu toolbar choose File > Import
a. Select the scanning software
iii. The software will open and do a preview scan of the photo
3. Steps for scanning
a. Select the area you wish to scan
i. Click, drag, and make a box around the image
1. Resize or move if necessary
b. Choose output type
i. Go with True color
1. For color photographs
ii. Mention others
1. Grayscale
a. Black and White photographs
2. Black and White
a. 2 colors, Black and White
3. 256 color
a. Graphics like logos
c. Select resolution
16
 i. Discuss pixels
ii. Cover PPI
1. Pixels Per Inch
iii. Cover DPI
1. Dots Per inch
iv. Discuss what is recommended for the web
1. 72 ppi
v. Discuss what is recommended for printing
1. Minimum 300 dpi
vi. Go with 300 resolution to show what happens in Photoshop with
an image that has a higher resolution than 72
d. Dimensions
i. Cover the possibility of changes output dimensions
ii. Do not change the dimensions
e. Place Image
i. For Photoshop choose File > Place Image
1. This will scan the image, put it in Photoshop, and close the
scanning software
4. Saving a scanned image
a. Never manipulate the image before saving it first
i. You want to keep the original
b. Choose File > Save
i. Save it on the desktop as photo_300.tif
1. The .tiff or .tif file
a. Very universal
b. Not usually compressed
c. Keep all colors
d. Keep the clarity
e. Lossless
c. Show the difference between actual pixels and print size
i. Discuss how this refers back to the resolution
d. Now you can make changes to the image like Unsharp mask
5. Scan using the scanning software
a. Open the software
b. Choose Scan > Preview
c. Follow the same steps for scanning as listed previously
i. Select a resolution of 72
ii. Except do not choose File > Place
iii. Instead when all else is complete choose
1. File > Save As
a. Save on the dektop as photo_72.tif
d. Close the scanning software
6. See the differences in resolution
a. Open Photoshop
i. Open both files
1. Examine the image’s
a. Quality
b. Image size
17
 c. File size
Saving your files:-

 Step 1

Open the file you want to change by double-clicking on it.

 Step 2

Click on File.

 Step 3

Click on Save As.

 Step 4

Type a new name for the file, if you want to rename it, in the "File name" box.

 Step 5

Hit the arrow next to the "Save as type" box and choose what format you want to
save it in.

 Step 6

Choose a location for the new file.

 Step 7

Click the Save button.

18
How to Secure Files on a Computer
Protect and Secure Important data on Windows Computers

Most Windows computers use a file system called NTFS (NT File System) when storing
files to a hard-drive. This allows information to be protected in ways that many are not
familiar with. Without any additional software files can have specific permissions
assigned to them to limit access. Documents can also be encrypted to prevent anyone but
the owner from reading them.

Disable Simple File Sharing

The first thing to do is verify that Simple File Sharing is disabled. This can be done from
My Computer. Using the menu bar, navigate to Tools then Folder Options. On the View
Tab, navigate to the Use simple file sharing option, uncheck it and click OK. It can
always be re-enabled after applying the NTFS settings. Detailed information on disabling
this feature can be found at the Microsoft Support web-site.

Configure Folder & File Security

Disabling Simple File Sharing will enable and give access to the Security Tab Right
clicking on the file or folder and choose properties will reveal the Security Tab and the
permissions assigned to specific users or groups. The Users group is normally given
permissions by default. This allows anyone with access to the computer to read files. This
can be removed or modified if desired.

Basic Security Procedures

In addition to the measures above, it is always a good idea to follow basic security
recommendations when protecting important documents:

1. Backup files regularly to an external drive

2. Use encrypted folders that automatically encrypt files put in them
3. Use the My Documents folder which is automatically protected on most
computers
4. When not needed, disable any file or folder sharing on a computer

Learning how to configure and use these steps might take a few hours or minutes
depending on computer skills. The peace of mind it gives if files or a computer are lost is
well worth it.

19
5 Steps to Securing your Data

5 little known steps that you can take to ensure that your data is safe. A hard-drive crash
is devastating, and it is something that no one wants to go through. That's why you
should follow each of these steps to help prevent hard drive crashes, and in the case
that one does occur, insure that your data is safe.

1. The “B” Word

One of the most painful things ever is when your hard drive crashes. It puts you into a
state of disbelief. What could make this situation even worse? Well, sometimes, its the
thought that you never backed up your computer. This is the importance of backing up
your data Regularly. You can backup your datas on CDs, DVDs or a removable HD. Or
you could even use online service such as Carbonite or Mozy which back up your data
to an online. C’mon, be honest, how many times have you thought of backing up your
hard drive but you said something along the lines of “Ill do it tomorrow”. You’re not
alone. Experts advise that you should backup at least once per week. I however would
backup twice per week, as well as immediately after I have stored some very important
data. Backing up doesn’t always mean dumping your whole HD. Some programs allow
incremental backups which backup your whole HD the first time then only modified files
after that. Backing up is extremely important no matter what OS you have (although
some OSs reduce the chance of a crash), how fast your computer is or any other stat like
that, because nobody is protected from bad luck.

2. Make sure YOU are the only one using your data

Viruses, Spyware, Adware, Rootkits, Worms, Wabbits, Trojans, Backdoors, Exploits,

keyloggers, dialers, hijackers. What do those 12 terms have in common? They are all
types of malware. Malware is a short form for “Malicious Software” which is software
designed to harm your computer or steal your data. Here are some tips on how to protect
yourself:

Spyware, dialers, backdoors and root kits – Before you can protect yourself you need to
know what these do. Spyware and adware are often bundled together. Spyware does just
what it says. It spies on you. Dialers dial telephone numbers via your computer's modem.
They often dial expensive long distance calls at your expense. Backdoors open up a
“backdoor” to your computer allowing other computers to connect with you to distribute
malware. Rootkits are designed to camouflage itself in a system's core processes so as to
go undetected. It is the hardest of all malware to detect and therefore to remove. To
protect yourself from these types of malware, all you need is a good two way firewall.
These block all attempts to access your computer unless you specifically allow it. They
also block attempts for programs to access the internet unless you allow it. Zone Alarm
is an amazing freeware program which does just that. It can be downloaded here.

Trojans, keyloggers, viruses, worms, wabbits and hijackers – Trojans are arguably the
most dangerous kind of malware. While Trojans rarely destroy computers or even files,
that's only because they have bigger targets: your financial information, your computer's
system resources, and other extremely sensitive data. Keyloggers are pretty self evident,
20
they log your keystrokes. That’s it. Viruses are programs (usually embedded inside other
programs or files) that duplicate its self and then spread to other machines via e-mail etc.
Worms are a slight variation on a virus. They usually target networks and they are not
embedded. Wabbits are very rare. They are a virus except they have no instruction to
spread to other machines. Their sole purpose is to utterly devastate a single machine.
Hijackers are in essence, a form of adware. They hijack your searches and display
websites of their choice. These things are a little harder to fully prevent. With the
previous category, the malware can be stopped immediately. This category, however, can
only be detected once your computer is infected. A good anti-virus program will be able
to catch these things before they are able to do any significant damage. AVG antivirus is
free and good. You can download it here.

Exploits

Exploits attack specific security vulnerabilities. You know how Microsoft is always
announcing new updates for its operating system? Often enough the updates are really
trying to close the security hole targeted in a newly discovered exploit. To best prevent
these, try to download OS updates regularly.

BLABLA

3. Monitor your Hard-drive

This might snot seem so obvious but it is tremendously important. Hard drives spin really
fast (thousands of RPM) and heat up to around 30-40 degrees Celsius. Because the hard
drive is one of the only moving parts in a computer, it is the most delicate. If your
computer is not properly ventilated, it can overheat and crash. Extreme heat could even
warp the disc that your data is stored on. That’s why it is always important to monitor
your hard-drive’s temperature, as well as health. A couple of good programs are Active
SMART and HDDLife.

4. Defrag your hard drive regularly.

This is another thing that is not very obvious. Defragging actually speeds up your
computer without installing any 3rd party apps. A lot of people know that it works but
not very many people know how it works. Here I will describe the latter. Your disk is
divided into many parts with sizes already predetermined (like 512 bytes). These parts are
called sectors. When you add files to a new HDD they all go into one sector if possible
and if not they go into sequential sectors. When you edit a file, it will store the new
information on a different sector, because the previous sector is full. This builds up, and
eventually your hard drive must access hundreds of different sectors to load a single
program, making read/write arm swing all over the place. This makes the loading process
slow. Defragging your hard drive rearranges these files so that all program files are on
sequential, if not a single sector, which makes the overall process faster.

21
5. Encrypt sensitive data

Even if you take all of the security precautions, the only way to fully prevent the risk of
malware is to unplug your internet connection. This method is extremely impractical
because… well… your not connected to the internet. That is why you should always
encrypt your data. Not only does it save your data from malicious software, but it also
makes sure that no one can access files on your computer physically, without the
password. There are a lot of freeware data encryption programs… some of which are
very good. There are programs like AxCrypt or TrueCrypt that will do this for you. If you
are really considering this, there are programs that you can buy which are extremely
effective like Encrypt-Easy which has the capability to encrypt with tons of algorithms.
And if you get two encryption programs… you could in theory encrypt the encrypted file!

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A user interface is the system by which people (users) interact with a machine. The user
interface includes hardware (physical) and software (logical) components. User interfaces
exist for various systems, and provide a means of:

• Input, allowing the users to manipulate a system, and/or

• Output, allowing the system to indicate the effects of the users' manipulation.

Generally, the goal of human-machine interaction engineering is to produce a user

interface which makes it easy, efficient, enjoyable to operate a machine in the way which
produces the desired result. This generally means that the operator needs to provide
minimal input to achieve the desired output, and also that the machine minimizes
undesired outputs to the human.

Ever since the increased use of personal computers and the relative decline in societal
awareness of heavy machinery, the term user interface has taken on overtones of the
(graphical) user interface, while industrial control panel and machinery control design
discussions more commonly refer to human-machine interfaces.

Other terms for user interface include human-computer interface (HCI) and man-
machine interface (MMI).

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How do I change my username and/or password?
Below are the steps on how to change your username and/or password in major
operating systems, online services, and other locations. Keep in mind that
unless you're the administrator or root of the system you, will need to know the
password of the account before changing it into something else. Click on one of
the below links to scroll down automatically to steps on how to change the
username or password

Windows 95, 98, and ME

Windows NT and 2000
Windows XP
Linux / Unix and most variants
BIOS passwords
Internet username and passwords
Online forums and accounts

Windows 95, 98, and ME

Change password

To change your password or password settings in Windows 95, 98, or ME,

follow the below steps.

1. Open Control Panel.

2. Double-click the Passwords icon.
3. In the Password Properties window, click the Change Windows Password
button.

Note: The Windows password can also be changed through the Users icon
in Control Panel.

Change username

You can change the user settings in Windows 95/98 through the Users icon
in Control Panel. However, this does not allow you to change the actual
username. If you need to change the username, we suggest you create a
copy of your existing username and use the new user name. Below are the
steps to do this.

1. Open Control Panel.

2. Double-click the Users icon.
3. Highlight the user you wish to make a copy of and click the Make a copy
button.
4. Follow the wizard in creating a new user account.

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Windows 2000

Change password

Microsoft Windows 2000 users can simply change their username by

pressing CTRL + ALT + DEL while in Windows to open the Windows
Security window. From this window click the "Change Password" button.

Enter your old password and the new password you wish to use.

Change username

In order to change the username of an account on Windows XP you will

need to have an account with Administrator rights. If you're logged in as
Administrator or have an account with Administrator rights, follow the
below steps.

1. Open Control Panel.

2. Double-click the Users and Password icon.
3. Make sure "Users must enter a user and password to use this computer" is
checked.
4. Highlight the account you wish to change the username for and click the
Properties button.
5. Within the Properties you'll be able to change the User name.

Windows XP

Change password

1. Open Control Panel.

2. Double-click the Users Accounts icon.
3. Select the account you wish to change.
4. Select the option "Change my name" to change your username or "Create
a password" or "Change my password" to change your password.

Note: Windows XP Home users can only change the Administrator

password through Safe Mode.

Change username

1. Open Control Panel.

2. Double-click the Users Accounts icon.
3. Select the account you wish to change.
4. Click "Change My Name"
5. Enter the new name you wish to use and click the Change Name button.

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Linux / Unix and most variants

Change password

Almost all Linux / Unix and variants have access to the passwd command.
Enter this command at the prompt to change your password. You'll need
to know the current password before being able to change the password
to a new password.

See our passwd command page for additional information about this
command.

Change username

In order to change the username you will need to have root or super-user
access.

To change the username of an account, use the vipw command. See our
vipw command page for additional information about this command.

To change the user settings, use the chfn command. See our chfn
command page for additional information about this command.

BIOS passwords

Change password

The system password (password you see when first turning on the
computer) as well as the BIOS password (password you see when entering
the BIOS) are both changed through the BIOS.

Additional information about how to enter the BIOS can be found on

document CH000192.

Change username

A computer BIOS does not have a username.

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Internet username and passwords

Changing your Internet username or password is really dependent on how

your Internet Service Provider is setup and what their policy is for
changing the username and password. Often, most ISPs will allow you to
change your password whenever you need to; however, they will not
allow you to change your account name.

Because every Internet Service Provider (ISP) and webhost is different, we

suggest you contact the company for additional help with changing your
username or password.

Online forums and accounts

If you have questions about changing your user settings or password on

the Computer Hope forum, please see document CH000636.

Like the Computer Hope forums, most forums allow a user to change their
password only through the profile or account settings. However, most
companies will not allow you to change your username; usually, you must
create new account to do this. If you need additional service with
changing your username or password on another website, we suggest you
contact the company or webmaster in control of that website.

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Username and Password Information
You need a personal user account to log in to the NIH eRA Commons. This requires a unique
username (from 6 to 20 characters) and a password (minimum length of 6 characters). The
username and password can be any combination of letters and numbers.
If you forget your password, the NIH eRA Commons provides a capability for you to request that
your password be reset. In this case, a new password is generated and sent to you at the email
address contained in your user profile.

Note: The password is case-sensitive.

1. Access the NIH eRA Commons Home page as described in Logging In.
2. Click the Forgot Password? hyperlink to open the Reset Password page (FRW0002).
3. In the User ID field, type your username and press Tab to move to the Email Address
field.
4. Type your email address and press Enter or click Submit. The system returns you to the
Home page and displays a confirmation message indicating that your password has been
reset.

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All files and folders in Windows have attributes. Some of those are being set automatically
(either by the operating system or by the program that accesses the specified resource) while
others are being set by the user.

So what these attributes do? File/folder attributes set the folder accessibility options – for example,
specific attributes can determine whether a folder is read-only, hidden or is a system element. Many
of these attributes are already set for the vast majority of folders on your PC, however, you can also
set those manually, whenever you need to apply those.

In Windows, there are 5 types of file/folder attributes that can be set up. Those are:

• R – Shows whether the file/folder is read-only.

• A – Shows whether the file/folder is archive.
• S – Shows whether the file/folder is a system element that cannot be modified by other
users.
• I – Shows whether the file/folder is not content indexed.
• H – Shows whether the file/folder is hidden.

How to share a folder or directory in Windows.

Issue:

How to share a folder or directory in Windows.

Reasoning:

Users may wish to create shares on their computer for any of the below
reasons.

1. Share computer files with other computers.

2. Allow for a project to be easily viewed, modified, or otherwise
changed by multiple users.

Answers:
Creating a network share within Windows

Users can easily share any of their directories or drives by following the
below steps. Note: Microsoft Windows does not allow for a single file to
be shared, it must be the directory or drive that the file is within that is
shared.

1. Right-click the directory or drive you wish to share and click

Properties.
2. Within the Properties window, click the Sharing tab.
3. Select the option to share the folder and specify the name you
wish the share to be. This will be the name the user will need to
type in conjunction with the computer name to access the share. If
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 you wish for this share to be accessible to as many users as possible,
make sure not to have spaces in the share name.

A program that compresses (ie: shrinks) files down in size so that can
be uploaded, downloaded and E-mail with greater ease.

WinZip is a proprietary file archiver and compressor for Microsoft

Windows, developed by WinZip Computing (formerly Nico Mak
Computing). It natively uses the PKZIP format but also has various
levels of support for other archive formats.

WinZip 14.5 (2010) added Microsoft Office 2010-style ribbon interface,

support for Windows 7 Libraries, Jump Lists, Multi-Touch Gestures, other
interface and functionality improvements

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