Software

Key ways of keeping your computer secure:

1. Firewall – Free

2. Antivirus Software – Free

3. Switch on Windows update.

4. Internet Browser – Firefox with “No script” – Free

5. Back up every week – SyncBack synchronisation software – or Microsoft SyncToy – Free – use with external hard drive

Other

Acronis True Image 9 – Disk Imaging Software
File Renamer – Free
File and Information Manager – Free
Keepass – Free – password encrypting software
Networking PCs to share Internet Access
Spyware Cleaner – Various – Free

Overview

Making sure your computer is secure when using the Internet is not simple to do yourself, so your need to either

  • pay for a solution that is easy to run yourself
  • invest time and effort learning how to do it yourself using free software – see below
  • or take advantage of the talented youngsters around and have them do it for you…

Simplest solution

  1. If you buy a new PC, make sure it has the latest version of Windows and make sure it has the latest  service pack installed and that Windows Update is enabled http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com. Perhaps invest in a second hard drive so that you can easily keep back up copies of valuable files.
  2. Use a simple all in one-solution, called a Security Suite, that includes a firewall and antivirus software. When you pay for this, you get upgrades for the next year, and you can then pay a subscription to keep the updates running after that. Warning: Just running a security suite without keeping Windows up-to-date may not work – Years ago I suffered spyware on my machine despite having Windows XP and updated Norton Firewall and AntiVirus.
  3. Always keep any files you may want to use again backed up safely onto CD, DVD or an external hard-drive.

For Users who are confident with downloading and installing software from the web

  1. Install and use all the recommended security software on this page. All the recommendations are the software that I currently. They’re free and they work!
  2. Backup Data AND your main disc drive. Back up date using SyncBack every week onto a separate Hard Drive. Use disc imaging software such as Acronis True Image 9 to backup a copy of your main hard drive, and create a bootable CD. If your hard drive breaks, you can buy a new hard drive, install it, boot up on the CD, then copy the old image onto it. Your computer will then work as it was within maybe 15 minutes. Think of the hours to reload the entire operating system!!!!
  3. Keep up-to-date with the latest news at
  4. Use this Password Encrypter to remember all your logons.
  5. Network more than one PC to share an internet connection:

***Ditto Clipboard Manager – Free – enables multiple cut and pastes (added Dec 2011)
**Dragon Naturally Speaking – Speech Dictation
***Foxit pdf reader – Free – reading AND Annotation of pdf documents (added Dec 2011)
*GanttProject2 – Free – Project Management
**HTTrack – Free – website copier
*Logo – Free
**Macromedia Dreamweaver
*Macromedia Fireworks
*Macromedia Flash
**Matchware Mindview 3 – Free LLS – From LRC – Mind Mapping Software
*http://mind42.com/– Free – online Mind Mapping
*Mindman Personal – Free – Mind Mapping

Other recommendations:
http://c4lpt.co.uk/recommended/top100.html

 

This range of software allows you to capture and edit videos, images, sound, text and animation.  Most is free…

Recommendations *** Must have    ** good     * OK

Video
**Camstudio.org – Free – Screen recording software
*Clone DVD2 – DVD copier
**Fair Use Wizard – Free – DVD clip editor
***http://mediaconverter.org – Free – online video and sound file convertor
**Microsoft Moviemaker 2 – Free – video editor
**Real Player – Free – video player and downloader
*** Serif Movieplus X3- £5 from LRC Sandscorcher
***VLC Media Player – Free – Media Player
**Wink – Free – Screen recording software

Images and Photos
**Adobe Photoshop Elements
**Gimp – Free – Photoshop equivalent
***Inkscape – Free – Drawing Package
***Irfanview – Free – Photo Editor
***PaintNet – Free – Image Editor (includes memory stick version)
***Paint Shop Pro – Free – Image Editor
**Pix-to-Exe – Photo Presentation Software
*Photo Story – Free
***SnagIt 7.25 – Free – Multifunction Screen Capture Software
other online editors here

Sound/Audio
*Anvil Studio – Free – Midi recording
***Audacity – Free – Sound editor
**Microsoft Sound Recorder – Free – already in windows
**Super – Free – Multimedia encoder
*Switch – Free – Audio encoder

Text
***Cutepdf – Free – pdf creator
**Omnipage OCR – Free (with printer) – digital text convertor

Animation
*Blender – Free – 3D pixar style Animation
***Drawplus X4 – Free download starter edition at www.serif.com/FreeDownloads – Stopframe & Keyframe animation
*Pivot – Free – Stickfigure Animator
***Scratch – Free – programmable animations
**Stop Motion Pro – Stopframe Animation
*www.gickr.com – animated gifs from photos

Game-Making Software
*Alice – Free – (3-D Authoring Software)
***Game Maker – Free – Gaming Software

Multimedia and Collaboration
***Matchware Mediator 9 – Free LLS – CD from LRC – Multimedia Authoring
***Posterous – Free – blogging site
**Prezi – Free – presentation software

Microsoft Office
 We use Office 2003 – installed on school computers (to be upgraded to 2010 during this year 2010-2011)
Students can buy the latest office suite from http://www.software4students.co.uk for £37.89.
Our video editing software Serif Movieplus 3 is available from Mrs Walton in the LRC for £5 (would be £70 usually).

Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. How can I download embedded videos off YouTube or other sites and play them on my computer?
A1. When on the page of Youtube, insert the letters KISS between the www and youtube.  This will take you to the alternative website KISSyoutube.  When the video has downloaded, choose the mp4 option for High Quality 480×360 or High Definition 1280×720.  Both of these can be edited using Movieplus.

 

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