An attachment is a file sent along with an email or text message.
A file can be a picture or a document but it can also be something malicious.
If you open a malicious attachment, your computer or mobile device could be disabled and/or seized control of by a cyber criminal.
In addition to your computer no longer be operable and/or under your control, your confidential information would also be comprised and accessible by the cyber criminal who sent you the attachment.
Tips to stay out of trouble
Stop, look and think before you click or tap.
Look for visual cues during computer use (e.g. message attachments are often designated by a paper clip icon š).
Don’t open any message that has an attachment unless you know the sender of the message and you were expecting them to send an attachment.
If you get an attachment you were not expecting, contact the sender of the message through a separate email or another form of contact.
Things to know
The sender of a message may not be who you think they are.
People can easily be impersonated online (e.g. email addresses can be faked).
A company like FedEx or UPS or your bank will rarely send you an attachment. If you get a message that has an attachment from what seems to be a reputable organization, it will most likely be a scam of some kind.
Knowing ā and recording into your technology notebook ā what you are using (e.g. your computerās brand, model and operating system) will help youā¦
take control of your computer use
find out which peripherals you can physically connect to your computer (if you need to do so)
get good help
Procedure
Brew a nice cup of tea and take a good look at your computer; look for logos and brand names.
You may have to look at your computer every which way to find its brand name and/or logoYou may find it useful to know which ports are on your computer as they enable you to physically connect peripherals to your computer such as printers, speakers and external storage devices.
Inserting an external storage device into a computer’s USB port
Searching for āaboutā (not as existential as it sounds š§)
A computerās outer shell will usually reveal its brand (e.g. Dell, HP, Apple) but to find out which operating system is on your computer (and the version of that operating system), youāre going to need to locate its āAboutā screen.
Type “about” into your computer’s search box
Careful documentation will never go the way of the Dodo.
Record your computerās brand, operating system and model number and/or serial number into your technology notebook.
Documentation is essential for productive, stress-free computer use
During technology workshops, thereās usually at least one person who is scribbling furiously instead of focusing on understanding how a particular app works (which would be much more beneficial to them).
Preparation Recap
ā¢ after you have familiarity with the computer from “noodling around” with itā¦ ā¢ after you have familiarity w/ the applications(s) you need to useā¦ ā¢ after you have an objective firmly in mind š or better yet written down or sketched out š ā¢ you can then brew a nice cup of tea and sit down in front of your computer in full getting stuff done mode.
Step-by-step instructions are often unnecessary
Regardless of which application you are using to complete a particular task or project, the “step-by-step instructions” for anything you wish to do will be right in front of you (as long as you are using a suitable app) in the form of visual cues, which include buttons, icons & menus.
Check out the functionality-revealing icons and text on this abstract app interface as well as the āSettingsā wheel at the upper right corner.
Relevant Definitions
Methodical meaning (of a person) orderly or systematic in thought or behavior. she was so methodical, she kept everything documented”
visĀ·uĀ·al meaning adjective: relating to seeing or sight.”visual perception” noun: a picture, piece of film, or display used to illustrate or accompany something. the music should fit the visuals”
Real world correlation
What do you do when you are driving through an unfamiliar neighborhood?
You would not (one would assume) push the accelerator to the floorboard and make random turns. The odds of you arriving safely at your destination would be astronomical at best.
You would instead proceed at a measured pace while looking for visual cues (e.g. street signs) en route to your destination.
Sightseeing is the real world parallel to noodling around a computer.
Whenever you are confronted with an unfamiliar interface (or an unfamiliar anything for that matter):
Sip your tea āļø
Breathe.
Look around; take in what you seeā¦
Refer to your objective, your current task at hand.
Before you click or tap anything, mentally break the graphical user interface down, piece-by-piece, section-by-sectionā¦
Look for what you can use to accomplish your current task at hand (i.e. functionality).
Look for visual cues (e.g. back and forward navigation buttons).
Work methodically toward your objective (just as you would safely cross a pedestrian intersection).
Many people have asked during Tech Help Tuesdays how they can back up their files.
We’ll use Windows 10 as an example here but the same basic procedure will work for a Mac Computer (substituting the Finder “Home” window for the “This PC” window).
External storage device
The file backup procedure starts with an external storage device such as a flash drive.
USB Port
Insert the storage device into one of the USB ports on your computer.
A USB port will often by marked by this symbol:
How will your computer react?
Depending on your computer, you may get a notification that the computer has recognized that an external storage device has been attached to it.
This PC
All roads lead to Rome from the “This PC” window šļø You can access all of your computer’s folders and also your external storage device from this window.
As always pay look for visual cues (e.g. list of folders and locations on the left side of this window) and functionalities (e.g. the “View” options at the top of the window).
Copy & Paste
From here it is just a matter of copying the file(s) or folder(s) that you wish to back up and then pasting whatever you just copied onto your external storage device.
You can also “drag and drop” what ever you would like to back up but I think it’s easier to use the context menus to copy and paste whatever you wish to back up.
It’s showtime šæ
Here is a short video demonstrating how to back up the “Documents” folder on a Windows 10 computer to a flash drive.
āThe oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.ā
– H. P. Lovecraft
Many people are struggling with putting their computers to productive use due to anxiety.
The first step to alleviating that anxiety is familiarity.
This being the case, we will break down a computer into its components:
the person using the computer
applications (e.g. Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Zoom and web browsers such as Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome & Mozilla Firefox)
utilities are small applications such as WiFi connection, sound volume control and the computer’s search box š
operating system — which manages all of the software and hardware on the computer (e.g. Windows, macOS and Linux š§)
hardware — which is anything you can physically touch on a computer such as its case, its keyboard, its mouse and its display.
ports on a computer are not technically hardware (although you can touch them) but are actually physical interfaces between the computer and peripherals (e.g. printers and external storage devices) that can be physically attached to a computer.
In the Greek myth of Sisyphus, the title character was a king cursed by Zeus to forever roll a boulder up a hill in the depths of Hades, only to always have it roll back down.
This is not an activity you want to engage in!
The formula for successful contemporary technology use is roughly 90% emotional stability & mental acuity and 10% using the technology basics:
The technology basics are all very easy to learn and to master but they must be employed with thought and intention.
They are simply your blunt instruments that you will use to reach a clearly defined goal.
Why ask why?
Your Tech Help Tour Guide has worked with many people over the years who simply would not let themselves be done with a computer-related project.
For example, they would agonize over why a particular application or online service did not work as expected or looked different at an earlier date.
Having clear objectives can help you avoid the “Sisyphus Syndrome”
If their project had been completedā¦ If they had accomplished what they set out to do, I would simply state that sometimes things are what they are.
In a nutshell: When your clearly defined objective has been realized, when you have hit your target, when you have reached your goal, stick a fork in your project and then move on.
There are many potential culprits behind a slow computer but here (based on people who have come to the Library on Tech Help Tuesdays with slow computers) are my top five…
Your computer needs to be restarted
A lot of processes can still be running in the background from your previous computer sessions — using up your computer’s resources and dragging down its performance.
Possible solution: Restart your computer. (Hopefully it will be this simple!)
You have too much stuff running
One of my Tech Help appointments brought in a computer that had (unbeknownst to her) had numerous web browser windows open and each of those web browser windows had 40+ tabs — and as a result her computer was barely operational.
Possible solution: Close every application that you are not using. But a more practical solution might be to power off your computer and then restart it.
Your computer has malware
Computer viruses and other forms of malware can not only seriously impair the performance of your computer but it can also put your personal information at risk.
Possible solution: Back up your files and then factory reset your computer.
It’s worth noting here that new computers often ship with superfluous, unnecessary, resource-hogging applications collectively termed “bloatware” which can also slow down your computer — and a factory reset can sort that out as well.
Your computer might be outdated
In a nutshell, computers have an average life expectancy of 7-8 years. Computers simply degrade over time. If your computer is that old then it might be time to buy a newer one. However, before you put your old computer out to pasture, you may want to try factory resetting it to see if some more use can be squeezed out of it.
Possible solutions: Back up your files and then try a factory reset. If a factory reset does not improve the performance of your computer then purchasing a newer computer may be necessary.
Upgrading your computer’s memory, processor and hard drive may also extend the life of your computer.
Your computer might be damaged
Computers are often dropped; have things accidently spilled onto them; are subjected to power surges and a host of other potential catastrophes from existing in the physical realm.
Possible solution: Have it repaired if the computer is still under warranty. Depending on your computer, having it repaired if it is not under warranty may not be economically viable.
3. The first Computer Programmer was a woman named Ada Lovelace.
Even though Ada wrote about a computer that was never built (the Analytical Engine), she realized that the computer could follow a series of simple instructions, a program, to perform a complex calculation.
4. Apple Computer was not founded in a garage but actually in a spare bedroom. (Microsoft and HP were founded in garages.)
The Macintosh 128K, which debuted in the legendary ā1984ā commercial that aired during Super Bowl XVII, was Apple’s very first Macintosh computer and was rriced atĀ $2,500
5. Visual fatigue during computer use may result from incomplete blinks.
7. The Parts for the Modern Computer Were First Invented in 1833.
A man named Charles Babbage put them together, but the first modern computer came about 120 years later.
Charles Babbage
8. Computers are all as dumb as a box of rocks and/or a bag of hammers (pick your analogy).
Computers only know what we tell them. Therefore we must be very careful what we tell them. And we tell computers things through input devices such as computer mice and keyboards.
9. When people speak of computer “viruses” they are usually referring to malware.
Malware is short for malicious software that is specifically designed to disrupt, damage, or gain unauthorized access to a computer system.
Recently, a number of people have come to the Library on Tech Help Tuesdays expressing an interest in sharing and preserving their home movies.
home movie
Format
The first consideration is format, which include:
FilmĀ movies which are on movie reels thatĀ areĀ wound into a projector and viewed on a screen.
TapeĀ movies are on cartridges that can be played a VCR or other player.
Digital fileĀ movies are typically recorded from smartphones, tablets and video cameras. We can view them on desktop or laptop computers, or on televisions via a media streaming device such as an Apple TV or a Roku.
DVD movies are those that can be played on a home DVD player attached to a television (this format usually results from someone engaging a company to put their film movies onto a playable DVD).
Digital Media
People with film or tape movies need to have them converted into digital media.
Digital media is content that can be created, viewed, distributed, modified, listened to, and preserved on aĀ digital electronicsĀ devices such as computers, tablets and smartphones.
Digital media can also be stored (backed up and preserved) onto external storage devices (such as flash drives and external hard drives) and onto physical media (such as CDs and DVDs).
Physical media can easily be damaged so it’s best to backup your important files in multiple places
Digital files can also be uploaded to cloud storage services (such as Google Drive, iCloud and Dropbox).
Cloud services
Digitization
digitization is the conversion of text, pictures, or sound into a digital form that can be processed by a computer.
Oxford Languages
Once a film movie has been digitized, it can be played on a computer or tablet or smartphone and uploaded to a streaming video service such as YouTube or Vimeo for easy sharing.
Tape movies
Digitizing tape movies will involve a brick and mortar company that offers that service or some specialized equipment such as a VHS to digital converter.
Digital file movies
Digital file movies can often be played on a computer through an appropriate application such as Windows Media Player or the Apple QuickTime Player.
Once again (and this is an important point), digital file movies can be uploaded directly to YouTube or Vimeo. Links to the home movies could then be emailed or messaged to anybody who would be interested in viewing them.
Uploading videos to a free streaming service is another method of preserving them and there will be an option to make your videos private (only people who receive the link can view them).
NOTE: Digital file movies have a large file size and a number of them could quickly consume a computer’s storage capacity (necessitating the copying of the digital file movies to an external storage device).
DVD movies
Home movies that have been put onto playable DVDs need to be ripped.
Ripping is the process of copying data from a CD or DVD to a computer. This is done using a specialized application.
This can be done with a specialized application such as Handbrake.
Burning
Once a home movie has been converted to a digital media, it can be burned to a playable DVD (which will be handy for people who wish to watch the home movies on a television and who do not have a media streaming device) via videoĀ DVDĀ authoring app (but such apps are getting harder and harder to come by).
Burn is a colloquial term meaningĀ to write content to a CD , DVD , or other recordable disc.
A major obstacle to productive, stress-free technology use is lost passwords.
To be sure, passwords are by far the most mundane aspect of contemporary technology use but they are unfortunately essential.
Nothing will derail your technology-related endeavors faster than not having your passwords.
Technology Notebook
Technology shy people can greatly benefit from acquiring a designated technology notebook to document all aspects of their technology use.
(This technology notebook should be kept up to date and not used for anything else.)
In a nutshell, each time you are compelled to create a password or are given a password, carefully write it down (and/or capture it into an organizational system that you can trust).
And also record what the password is for, exactly.
Passwords has become a catch-all term
We need to document our…
username & password combinations
answers to security questions
web addresses
names of online services that we use (e.g. Google Photos)
name of home internet service provider (if applicable) and account information
name of cellular service provider (if applicable) and account information
There is no substitute for organization & diligence
Documenting our technology use can be a bit of a drag but it can certainly save a lot of time and prevent some serious headaches — because sometimes lost passwords cannot be recovered.
We can also record any technology-related questions or concerns that we have.
Passwords can be saved on to a computer…
But if the computer is lost or stolen or becomes inoperable then you will have lost your account passwords and would have to rely exclusively on memory to reset them.
Bedside reading (literally or figuratively)
Technology shy people should review their technology notebooks on a daily or nightly basis until they feel calm and comfortable with their technology use.
The first step to proficiency in any field or endeavor is familiarity. And the very act of documenting anything that is unfamiliar will give one a feeling of control over it.
Bridgeport Public Library Technology Help 