Sometimes back my brother-in-law, who is having a Computer Center at Mettur, asked me how to block the USB ports which the students are misusing. I suggested him to disable the USB ports in the device manager but he said that since the mouse & keyboards he uses are USB based, the students just plug out the mouse or keyboard and use their USB devices to copy / transfer the confidential materials as well as unmentionable materials.

I have a problem in remembering the WiFi passwords until I choose them. Sometimes when you go to your friends place, they'll key in the passwords for you so it will be there in the system but unknown to you. Today I came across this useful portable tool which helps us in revealing the passowrds of all the saved WiFi connections. You can't use this tool to find the passwords of the neighbours' WiFi connections for hacking into their network. So use it without fear.

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Sometimes we end up hurting ourselves by letting some softwares installing their toolbars in the browsers. These toolbars are not only obtrusive, nagging but also slow down the browser's performance. Some browsers can be a threat to your security, so it is always advisable to choose the browser toolbars with caution while we are asked to install any browser toolbars. There are some rogue toolbars that refuse to uninstall themselves even after you try to uninstall via "Programs and Features" in the Control panel of the windows. This piece of software is helpful in uninstalling the unwanted toolbars and the best part is that it is "portable", no need to install. Just unzip, extract and run the software. I checked it with Antivirus program and thankfully it didn't have any malware attached to it. Please scan it with your Antivirus software before use.

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KeyFreezeI stumble upon new softwares based on the needs only. When I am working on the computer (desktop or laptop) Buttu insists on sitting on my lap. Ofcourse it is lovely to spend those moments, he gives nightmare effects by pressing random keys while I am typing. So I had to look for some solution to overcome this. As usual Google fetched some choices like Kid-key-lock, Toddler Keys and KeyFreeze. Out of these three I found KeyFreeze to be simple and meeting my requirements.

CD Lock

Buttu, even though a dream / breeze to play with, is a nightmare when it comes to working on the desktop when he is around. I use to practise SAP in the evenings or whenever possible, but at that time Buttu will be awake and in the full form. He directly attacks the vulnerable points like the Power switch of UPS, Desktop and the CD Drive eject button. While I can manage the Desktop's "Power" button action in the "Power Options" by setting to "Do nothing" and plaster over the UPC's power button & Restart button, the CD Drive remains the most vulnerable "prey" for him. No matter how much you bully / plead with him, Buttu never heeds to them. Thankfully I came across this small utility "CD Drive Lock" just like the "Monitor Power Off" which I shared with you earlier. Just include it in the "Start Up" group so that the Drive is locked at the moment Windows is on. So you can access your CD / DVD drive for booting purposes. - {oshits} readers would've found this post useful.

{mosimage}Last time we had seen one way of protecting the files by encrypting them. Even though it was useful, the problem of encrypting and decrypting everytime to access it was bit cumbersome. How good it will be if there is a programme to lock the folder just the way we do our briefcase and purses? I searched the internet and stumbled upon lots of programmes but most of them were paid ones. After a long search for completely free programme I landed on the "Lock Folder". My first experiences of installing it was a nightmare and after a HDD format (for some other reasons) I tried again this time it was working fine.

Most of us are sharing a computer with many people. Sometimes we have many files that we don't want to share with others or even let others know about it. What will be the first option that'll come to our mind? Hiding the file. But if you choose "Show hidden and system files" in "Folders Option" your files will be visible to whomever using the computer. Else store it in secondary storage devices like floppy or CD or USB drive and carry with you. You can't depend on secondary storage devices as they can fail at any time.

You can try encrypting your file, hide its type and even file names or extensions. I am suggesting you a software that was distributed with "Computers Today" few years back. It is called "Cryptalite" and decrypting one is called "Decrypta Lite" conceived and distributed by Odyssey softwares, Chennai. Don't know whether it is available for downloads now or even developed further, but the version I have / suggest is really useful and more than enough for us.