Pssst! 101 hot tips

Home Office Computing, Oct, 1998 by Bonny L. Georgia

From software shortcuts to office design brainstorms, here's how to do more--often without spending more

LET'S FACE IT, software and hardware manuals are far less compelling than the sports and comics pages, and they spew more technobabble than geeks at a Star Trek convention. So when you've got bills to pay, clients to see, or a business to run, who wants to spend time digging useful tidbits out of a manual or poring through help files for timesaving shortcuts? Thankfully, you don't have to: Our ultimate self-help guide to boosting office productivity features 101 hints and tips that squeeze more from your technology, instantly.

To make finding the solutions you need even easier--time is money, after all--we've focused the spotlight on 10 home office technology categories: data protection and storage; Internet use; Web browsing; hardware and peripherals; communications tools; presentations; core applications; tech support; office design; and business travel. Along with tips and tricks, you'll find some suggestions for tools to add to your home office utility belt. Whatever your business, we guarantee these insider's shortcuts and undocumented secrets will help you do everything better, smarter, and faster than before.

Disaster-Proof Your Data

Dangers to your critical files lurk around every corner, but there's no need to suffer a data loss if you follow our advice for safeguarding your files and tightening your PC security.

1 Build a backup plan. The first rule of thumb for backup is "just do it." But to make things simpler, separate items that don't change (like last year's tax documents) from folders of dynamic data such as client invoices, contact management files, and open projects. Now you can back up static files just once, and schedule weekly (or even daily) backups for folders in constant use.

2 Zip and fly. Before backing up, use a compression utility like WinZip (800-242-4775, www.winzip.com; $29) or ZipMagic (800-645-3649, www.mijenix.com; $39) to combine related items and reduce the number of floppies, Zip disks, or tapes you need to store your data.

3 Double up and double-check. Always make a second copy of critical files on a separate tape or disk. This way, if your first attempt is corrupt or incomplete, you won't be left in the lurch. Then attempt to restore at least one particular file before you put away the backup media. If you can restore it without errors, your backup is probably reliable.

4 Tune up often. Installing bug fixes, software patches, and updated drivers is essential to keep your system running smoothly. Save yourself the time and hassle of searching through multiple Web or FTP sites by automatically updating these items once a month using CyberMedia's Oil Change (310-581-4700, www.cybermedia.com; $39.95 for a one-year subscription).

5 Store files offsite. If storing critical files in a safety deposit box seems inconvenient, garage key data with an Internet storage company like @Backup (800-344-2000, www.atbackup.com) or Atrieva (888-287-4382, www. atrieva.com). Some online backup services will even send you a CD-ROM copy of your data for an additional fee.

6 Snoop-proof your passwords. Tired of racking your brain for hackerproofpasswords, only to have to write them down so you don't forget? Install a shareware utility like Password Manager from Celebrity Consulting (available at www.shareware.com; free to try, $14.95 to keep) which will generate random passwords and keep them safe from snoops.

7 Foil prying eyes. Eudora Pro 4.0 (Qualcomm, 800-238-3672, www.eudora.com; $59) users can take advantage of a plug-in version of PGP Keys to scramble important e-mail documents for safe sending. RSA SecurPC (800-732-8743, www. securid.com; $59) lets you password-protect and encrypt selected files, or even your entire hard disk.

8 Delete files for good. Dumping items from the Recycle Bin doesn't mean they're gone forever. A file shredding utility like Karmadrome's Without a Trace (available at www.hotfiles.com; freeware) permanently wipes sensitive files from disk so they won't fall into the wrong hands.

9 Inoculate against disease. If you spend time on the Internet or swap files with clients or coworkers, install an antivirus program now, and use it to scan both your hard disk and foreign disks. Symantec's Norton AntiVirus 4.0 Deluxe (800-441-7234, www.symantec.com; $70) offers weekly virus definition updates--a great feature.

10 Beware of attachments. Because macro viruses can lurk in Microsoft Word and Excel documents, and all sorts of other nastiness may be concealed within executable files, you should automatically screen attachments with an antivirus program before saving them to your hard disk. Better yet, delete any from senders you don't recognize.

11 Chat and hide. The IP address of your PC can be a give away to hackers. If you chat or send instant messages over the Web, hide your IP address from others by turning off file sharing Via TCP/IP. Under the Network control panel in Windows 95/98, Click the File and Print Sharing button, then turn off access To your files.