There are a slew of reasons to use OpenDNS, but the big 3 are:

1. Websites will load faster and you won’t have to worry about DNS outages from your ISP.
2. There are more than 50 customizable categories for content filtering which means OpenDNS lets parents control what websites their children visit.
3. OpenDNS automatically blocks phishing websites that try to steal your identity and login information by pretending to be a legitimate website.

There are a couple of ways you can protect your devices with OpenDNS – at the router level, or at the device level. If you add OpenDNS to your router, that means all of the devices that connect to your home network will be protected by and using OpenDNS. Or you can add OpenDNS on a device by device basis (eg. just the kids computers and tablets). We’ve got you covered either way with instructions on how to setup OpenDNS on a router, in Windows and in macOS.

Add OpenDNS To A Router

1. There are hundreds and hundreds of different makes and models of routers. We’re going to provide general instructions on changing the DNS servers on a router, but for the specific steps on your make/model, you’ll need to refer to its website/documentation. OpenDNS offer instructions for various types of routers on their page which may also help.
2. Open your browser and enter the routers IP address into the address bar. For most home routers it’s https://192.168.1.1 – if you’re not sure what it is check its documentation or find your router on the OpenDNS page.



3. Enter in the user name and password to access your routers configuration settings. Look for a section titled something along the lines of DNS settings – and enter in the following IP addresses in the DNS server fields:

208.67.222.222
208.67.220.220

In all likelihood there will be a “Save Settings” (or similar) button – make sure to click it.



4. Then you should see a message similar to this one letting you know the changes have been set. Click Continue.



5. To verify the settings were successful you should have a section in your router where it shows the status.



6. In order for the devices that are currently connected to your network to use OpenDNS they’ll need to re-connect. Restart one of them and then on that device check to make sure OpenDNS is working. That’s it! :)

Setup OpenDNS in Windows

1. Click the Windows Search button (or use the keyboard combo Windows key + S to open the Search panel) and enter the word network in the search box. Select View network connections from the list of results.



2. Locate your current Network Connection (probably Wi-Fi) and double-click it.



3. Click the Properties button.



4. Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) by clicking on it once, and then click the Properties button.



5. Select the Use the following DNS server addresses: option, and then enter 208.67.222.222 as the Preferred DNS server: and 208.67.220.220 as the Alternate DNS server:



6. Click OK and close out of the other open windows. Now all you have to do is check to make sure OpenDNS is working!

Setup OpenDNS in macOS

1. Open your System Preferences and select Network



2. Select your active Internet connection (probably Wi-Fi) and then click the Advanced… button.



3. Choose the DNS tab and then click the small “plus sign” ( + ) button located below the DNS Servers: section.



4. Enter the address 208.67.222.222, click the “plus sign” button again and add 208.67.220.220 as well.

   

5. Click on one of the two DNS servers you just added and drag-and-drop it to the top of the list of DNS servers. Then do the same thing with the other DNS server you just added so that they’re the first two addresses listed.



6. Click OK to return to the Network Preferences and then click the Apply button on that screen. Now all you have to do is check to make sure OpenDNS is working!

Make Sure OpenDNS is Working

1. To ensure OpenDNS has been properly added to your router or device, go to the Welcome to OpenDNS Page. You should see the following screen if everything was configured correctly:



2. When you click the demo phishing site InternetBadGuys.com you should see the following:

The post How to Setup OpenDNS to Speed Up & Secure Your Web Browsing appeared first on Simple Help.

Background

Here’s a a very elementary explanation of what MD5 hashes (sometimes called MD5 checksums) are. From Wikipedia –

… MD5 has been employed in a wide variety of security applications, and is also commonly used to check the integrity of files. … An MD5 hash is typically expressed as a 32-digit hexadecimal number.

What does this mean to you? On many download pages, the software company/programmer will provide a 32 character “MD5 hash” or “MD5 checksum”. After you download the program or file, you can compare it’s MD5 hash with the one provided by the source. If they match, you’ll know that you have the correct, unaltered version of that file.

Once upon a time you needed to download and install an app in order to generate the MD5 hash of a file in Windows or macOS. Fast forward to today and now both Windows and macOS have the ability to generate MD5 hashes built right into the operating system. The instructions for Windows are directly below, and you can click here or just scroll down for the section on generating an MD5 hash in macOS.

How to Match an MD5 Hash With a File in Windows

1. Click the Search button in your taskbar and enter the word command. When Command Prompt appears in the list of results, select it. You can also open a Command Prompt by clicking the Windows “Start” button and scrolling down to the Windows System folder and then select Command Prompt



2. Enter the following partial command but do not hit enter yet.
   

   certutil -hashfile 



3. Now open a File Explorer window and locate the file that you want to check. Drag that file onto your Command Prompt window and let go.



4. Confirm that the line now reads like this:
   

   certutil -hashfile C:\path\to\file.xyz



5. Finally, add the characters md5 at the very end of the command, which should now look like this:
   

   certutil -hashfile C:\path\to\file.xyz md5



6. Hit enter or return on your keyboard to run the command. After a moment or two the 32 character MD5 hash will be generated and displayed inside of the Command Prompt.



7. Now compare that 32 character string with the actual MD5 hash provided by the software company. Assuming they match up, you can rest assured that you’re using the exact copy of the file that was provided by the company/author etc.



8. That’s it! Repeat as needed to generate the MD5 hash of any file on your computer.

1. Launch a Terminal by navigating to your Applications folder, then the Utilities folder, and then open Terminal.
2. With a Terminal window open, enter the command: md5 followed by a ‘space’. Do not hit enter/return yet.



3. Open a Finder window and locate the file that you want to check. Drag and drop that file onto your Terminal.



4. Confirm that the command now looks like this:
   

   md5 /path/to/the/file



5. Hit return on your keyboard to run the command. After a moment or two you’ll be presented with the 32 character MD5 hash for that file. Compare that code to the official one to ensure that the files are identical.



6. That’s it! Super easy and you can do it with any file you wish.

The post How to Match an MD5 Hash With a File appeared first on Simple Help.

Background

Facebook and the websites that you visit communicate with each other. Facebook calls it Off-Facebook Activity, and buried deep within the settings, you can disable it. Plus, you can clear any existing data (you might be surprised how many sites will be listed).

One of the differences that you’ll notice right away is that you won’t see any targeted ads from sites you’ve previously visited. You’ll still see the same number of ads, they just won’t be based on your Internet history and usage.

Facebook buries these settings, so here are step by step instructions on accessing them. If you’re using the Facebook app for iOS or Android, click here to jump down to the steps to disable Facebook tracking via the Facebook iPhone & Android apps. If you’re accessing Facebook via a web browser, the instructions are directly below.

Disable Facebook Tracking via the Web

1. Sign into Facebook and then click the Account button (it’s the one in the very upper-right corner that looks like a triangle, see screenshot below). Select Settings & Privacy from the Account menu.



2. Choose Settings



3. Now choose Privacy



4. This time select Your Facebook Information



5. Finally, select Off-Facebook Activity



6. From the What Can You Do menu, select Manage Your Off-Facebook Activity



7. Locate the Clear History button and click it. As an aside, you can see in the example screenshot below I had 339 apps and websites that shared my info with Facebook.



8. Once again you’ll be prompted to click a Clear History button – do so.



9. Confirm that your info has been cleared.



10. On that same screen, look for the More Options menu and then select Manage Future Activity from that list.



11. Click the Manage Future Activity button.







12. Toggle the Future Off-Facebook Activity switch to OFF



13. Facebook will again ask you to confirm this change, so click the Turn Off button. Do you see the lengths they go through to discourage you from turning this stuff off? Not very cool.



14. Before you move on, confirm that the Future Off-Facebook Activity switch has been turned OFF



15. Now that you’ve disabled Off-Facebook Activity, it’s time to adjust your ad settings so Facebook and other sites/apps stop sharing your info that way. Just like you did way back in steps 1 and 2, click the Account button (the one in the very upper-right corner that looks like a triangle) and select Settings & Privacy from the Account menu. And again, select Settings.



16. This time, choose Ads from the Settings menu.



17. Click Ad Settings in the Ad Preferences menu.



18. Locate the section titled Manage Data Used To Show You Ads and click the Data about your activity from partners link.



19. Toggle the Use Data from Partners switch to OFF



20. Back in the Manage Data Used To Show You Ads section, click the Categories used to reach you link.



21. Switch everything you find in the Profile Information section to OFF. The switches that appear here will vary based on the info Facebook knows about you.



22. For the last time, go back to the Manage Data Used To Show You Ads section and this time choose Ads shown off of Facebook



23. Toggle the Allowed switch to OFF.



24. Done! Finally! If you’d like, you can go through Facebooks Privacy Checkup now, but it’s very basic and unsurprisingly doesn’t even mention Off Facebook-Activity or most of the Ads stuff you just disabled.

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Disable Facebook Tracking via the Facebook App

For the most part this section uses screenshots of the Facebook app on an iPhone. If you’re using the Facebook app on an iPad, or on an Android phone or tablet, you’ll have absolutely no trouble at all following along. The steps and screenshots are nearly identical across all devices.

1. iPhone and iPad users, open the Facebook app and tap your profile photo located in the bottom right corner (see screenshot below). Then scroll to the Settings & Privacy item and select it. Now jump down to step #3 below.



2. Android users, sign into the Facebook app and tap the “3 dashes” button (see screenshot below) scroll down a bit and select Settings & Privacy



3. Select Settings



4. Scroll to the Security section and then select Off-Facebook Activity



5. Tap the Clear History link.



6. Tap the Clear History button.



7. Now select the More Options link in the What You Can Do section.



8. Choose Manage Future Activity



9. Tap the Manage Future Activity button.



10. Finally, toggle the Future Off-Facebook Activity switch to OFF



11. Nope not really finally – yet again, tap the Turn Off button.



12. After having to tap your way through so many screens, make sure that the Future Off-Facebook Activity switch is set to OFF







13. Now we’re going to adjust some of the Ads settings so that your info isn’t shared that way. Start over by tapping your Profile photo from the bottom-right corner of the Facebook app and choose Settings & Privacy just like you did back at the start of these instructions.



14. And again select Settings



15. This time, scroll down to the Ads section and select Ad Preferences



16. Tap the Ad Settings button.



17. In the Manage Data Used to Show You Ads section select Data about your activity from partners



18. Toggle the Use Data From Partners switch to OFF



19. This time in the Manage Data Used to Show You Ads section choose Categories used to reach you



20. Switch everything off.



21. Last one – in the Manage Data Used to Show You Ads section choose Ads shown off of Facebook



22. Toggle the Allowed switch to off.



23. Done! Facebook will still show you ads, but you’ll notice that they’re much less ‘targeted’ now.

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The post How to Stop Facebook From Tracking You appeared first on Simple Help.

Security Software for macOS

I’ll keep this introduction brief. Here’s how I feel about Mac security software –

If you have critical, can’t-live-without stuff on your Mac, it’s worth paying for security software. None of the free apps offer complete coverage. This guide uses the free version of Avast Security – which includes a full antivirus/malware scanner. However, the free version does not offer ransomware protection. Ransomware on a Mac is still quite rare, but it does happen, and if you regularly install software that doesn’t come from the Mac App Store the odds of being infected go up.

If you’re going to shell out your hard earned money, I would recommend Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac. It offers more features than Avast and it’s less expensive.

With all of that said – if what you’re looking to accomplish is to scan your Mac for viruses and malware, Avast (and this guide) is for you.

Installing & Setting Up Antivirus Software

1. Installing and setting up Avast isn’t particularly complicated, it’s just a bit more involved than a regular “drag to the Applications folder” type of installation. Start by downloading the installer file. Once the download has completed, open the .DMG file and double-click Install Avast Security.pkg



2. Click the Allow button when asked if program can be run to determine whether Avast will work on your Mac.



3. If you’re using macOS Catalina or Big Sur, you’ll get a warning message about a System Extension being blocked. Click the Open Security Preferences button when you see that message.



4. This will open the Security & Privacy section of the System Preferences. Click on the ‘lock’ icon in the bottom left corner and enter your password when prompted. Then, click the Allow button next to the System software message (see screenshot below).



5. During the installation, you may be asked if you’d like to install Google Chrome. You do not need to install it, and can skip that step entirely.
6. If you’re asked to allow Avast Security.app permission to access your Downloads folder, click the OK button.



7. After you click “Next” a bunch of times, click the Close button on the last of the installation screens.



8. With the installation complete, now it’s time to setup and configure Avast – which mostly consists of granting various permissions. To gets started, click the CONTINUE button.



9. Click the OPEN CONFIRMATION DIALOG button.



10. Click the ALLOW button.



11. Confirm that it says DONE! above the CONTINUE button, and then click that same CONTINUE button.



12. Avast needs to be able to access all the files on your Mac so that it can scan them, which means it needs to be granted full disk access. Click the OPEN SYSTEM PREFERENCES button.



13. This time the Privacy & Security window will open up with the Privacy tab displayed. If it isn’t already selected, click Full Disk Access from the column of options on the left side of the window. Place a check in the box next to Avast Security



14. A message will pop up letting you know that Avast won’t have those access permisions until it has been restarted, so click the Quit & Reopen button.



15. Avast will close down and reopen itself. When it’s open again, you’ll probably see a big “This Mac is not fully protected” message. No problem. Click the Core Shields button.



16. Toggle the File Shield switch from OFF to ON



17. Confirm that all 3 “core shields” have been turned on, and then click the ‘back arrow’ located in the upper-left corner of the Avast window.

Check Your Mac for Viruses, Spyware & Malware

1. Now let’s scan your Mac for viruses, malware and/or adware. Click the RUN SMART SCAN button now.



2. Avast will do a quick check to make sure you have the very latest virus definitions installed and everything is completely up to date.



3. Once it’s done, click the NEXT button.



4. The actual scan can take a while – the length of time is determined by the number of files you have and the overall speed of your Mac. It’s probably a good time to go grab a cup of coffee or tea.



5. With a bit of luck, hopefully nothing was found. If that’s the case, click the Next button. If Avast did identify something bad, follow the steps it suggests in order to remove any infected files.



6. This part of the ‘scan’ is an upsell. Avast wants you to buy their software so you’re completely protected, but again – if you’re going to pay for security software, I recommend Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac over Avast.

   Click the Skip for now link in the bottom-right corner of the Avast window.



7. Click the Done button.



8. There is one set of settings you may wish to change – click the Menu button in the top-right corner of the Avast window, and select Preferences from the list of options.



9. Choose the Scans tab. The options you may wish to change (they’re disabled by default) are: Scan whole files, Scan all Time Machine backups, and Scan archives. Each of these items will increase the time it takes to scan your Mac, but the scan will be even more comprehensive. Just let it run overnight if time is a concern.



10. That’s it! Your Mac is that much safer now :)

If this guide helped, be sure to check out our other Mac content.

The post How to Scan Your Mac for Viruses, Malware and Spyware appeared first on Simple Help.

About Deleting Files in Windows

When you delete a file in Windows you might think the data has been erased. That’s not exactly accurate. Windows doesn’t really remove the file from the disk, it just removes all the references to that file. It’s still there, and will remain there until another files gets written on top of it. Even then, it’s often possible for data recovery software like Remo File Recovery Software to bring it back to life.

The solution is to not only remove the file, but to write on top of it multiple times. With random data. That’s where the free and open source tool Eraser comes in. When you delete a file with Eraser, the file is deleted and then data is written on top of that file over and over again until it can’t be recovered.

Eraser uses the Guttmann (Default), Pseudorandom Data and US DoD 5220-22.M methods to securely delete data. If none of that makes sense to you, don’t worry about it. In a nutshell, the Guttmann method is the most secure, and it’s the default.

Using Eraser to Permanently Delete Files and Folders

1. First things first, download and install Eraser. The installation is very straightforward – mostly you’ll just click “Next” a bunch of times. On the screen that asks you the which type of setup you’d like, select Typical



2. Once installed, right-click on a file or folder (or several) that you want to securely erase (maybe start with a test file or two – remember – deleting files this way makes sure that they are totally unrecoverable). Select Eraser from the context menu and then Erase from the sub-menu.



3. If you’re using Windows Vista, 7, 8 or 10, the User Account Control prompt will appear. Click the Yes button.



4. When you’re asked if you want to erase the selected items, click the Yes button.



5. Depending on the number and size of the files and folders you selected, permanently deleting them can take anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes.
6. That’s it! Those files are gone and cannot be recovered.

Permanently Delete the Contents of the Recycle Bin

You can also use Eraser to securely and permanently delete all of the files and folders in your Recycle Bin. The process is almost identical to right-clicking on a group of files and folders to delete them.

1. Right-click the Recycle Bin on your Desktop and select Eraser and then Erase



2. If you’re using Windows 7, 8 or 10, the User Account Control prompt will appear. Click the Yes button.



3. When you’re asked if you want to erase the selected items, click the Yes button.



4. The Eraser app will now delete all of the files and folders in your Recycle Bin and write over the space where the files used to be with random data. This can take anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes – it depends on how many files and folders are in your Recycle Bin, and how large they are. Once it’s done, your Recycle Bin will be empty and its contents unrecoverable.

   

If you’re concerned with keeping the contents of your hard drive as private as possible, you may want to take a look at this guide on how to securely store your files in Windows.

The post How to Permanently Delete Files and Folders in Windows appeared first on Simple Help.

If you don’t share your computer with anyone else and/or you aren’t concerned about people being able to access the contents of your PC by just turning it on, you can completely disable the login screen that appears when Windows 10 starts up. You can also disable that same sign-in screen that appears when your computer “wakes up”. Just follow these steps –

1. Start by entering the keyboard combination Windows Key + R to bring up the “Run” command window. Enter the word netplwiz and then click the OK button.



2. Select the user account you want to be able to skip the Windows 10 sign in window located in the Users for this computer: section, and then remove the check-mark from the box labelled Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer. Once you’ve done that, click the OK button.



3. You’ll be prompted to enter your user name and password (twice). Once that’s done click the OK button. If you want to disable the sign-in window from appearing when your computer wakes up from being asleep, proceed with step #4 below. Otherwise you’re all done!



4. To stop Windows 10 from asking you to enter your password each time your computer wakes up from being asleep, click the Windows “search” button or enter the keyboard combo Windows Key + S. Type the words sign in and then click the Change the sign-in requirements item that will appear in the search results.



5. Scroll down to the section titled Require sign-in and then click the menu below If you’ve been away, when should Windows require you to sign in again? Select Never from the list of options.



6. That’s it – Windows should now stop asking you for your password when it starts up and when it wakes up.

If you want to speed up the Windows 10 sign-in process even more, you can try stopping some of the programs that start automatically when Windows boots up and then just start them when they’re needed.

The post How to Skip the Windows 10 Sign In Prompt appeared first on Simple Help.

Your Wear OS watch utilizes two different PINs. There’s one for Google Pay (which involves locking your screen) and one for the Google Play Store – which is the one we’re going cover.

Set a Google Play Store PIN

1. Make sure that your watch is connected to your phone and the Wear OS App is open. Locate the Wear OS App or watch-face that you want to buy on the Google Play Store on your watch. Tap the buy button.



2. You’ll be asked if you’d like to create a PIN. Tap the Create PIN on phone link.



3. A notification will appear on your phone from Wear OS. Tap it.



4. Sign in to Google with your account.



5. Now enter the 4 digit PIN you want to use for the Play Store on your watch in both of the fields, then tap the CREATE PIN button.



6. At this point you should be presented with a confirmation window letting you know the PIN was created successfully. Switch back over to your watch.



7. Once again tap the Buy button for the App or watch-face you want to purchase.



8. Enter your newly created PIN.



9. Since this is the first time you’ve used the PIN on your watch, you’ll be asked if you want to be prompted to enter it every time you make a purchase on the Google Play Store. It’s probably a good idea to select Ask every time but it’s not required.



10. That’s it, you’re all done!

The post How to Set a Google Play Store PIN in Wear OS appeared first on Simple Help.

Download and Install 7-Zip

Using a small, free and great little app named “7-Zip” you can password protect a ZIP file, and it’s easy to do. Head over to the 7-Zip download page (link opens in a new window/tab) and download the 7-Zip for 64-bit Windows x64 (Intel 64 or AMD64) version of 7-Zip, unless you’re absolutely certain you don’t have a 64-bit version of Windows (to find out which you have, follow this short guide). Once the download has completed, double-click the file to install 7-Zip.

Adding a Password to a .ZIP File

1. After 7-Zip has installed, click the Windows “start” button, navigate to 7-Zip and select 7-Zip File Manager.



2. When 7-Zip opens, use the ‘pull down’ menu to navigate to the folder that contains the files you want to add to a password protected .ZIP file.



3. Select all of the files that you want to add to the .ZIP and then click the Add button.



4. Give your soon-to-be created .ZIP file a name by entering it in the Archive: field. Then make sure that the Archive format: has be set to zip. Next, enter the password you want to use in both of the password fields located in the Encryption section. When you’re ready, click the OK button.



5. 7-Zip will now make your password protected .ZIP file.



6. Find your newly created .ZIP file by opening a Windows File Explorer and navigate to the folder that contained the files you added to the .ZIP.



7. If you or anyone else tries to open that .ZIP file, before you can extract or view a file inside of it you’ll have to enter a password. If you send this .ZIP file to friends, they don’t need to have 7-Zip installed to open it – they’ll just need to know the password.

The post How to Password Protect a ZIP File in Windows appeared first on Simple Help.

Do you have an old iPhone or iPod Touch? An Android phone or tablet you don’t use anymore? How about an old laptop with a webcam? If so, you’ve got all you need to create a streaming security camera you can view from any web browser in the world. It can even take screenshots when it detects motion.

Here’s how via Viyo describes their service:

We make setup simple. No clunky apps or hardware necessary. All you need are two devices: one to set up as a camera, and another to view your camera. Viyo is compatible with most phones, laptops and tablets.

That’s right – no apps required, just a web browser. To top it all off, it’s free! You can use this setup to monitor a pet while you’re at work, watch the front door for package deliveries – the scenarios are endless.

Here are step by step instructions for setting up your first camera.

1. Grab the device you’re going to use as the camera and on that device head over to viyo.io. Once you’re there, click/tap the GET STARTED FOR FREE button.



2. Enter your email address, a password and place a check the terms and conditions agreement box. Then click/tap the sign up button.



3. At this point you’ll be sent a confirmation email. Check your mail and follow the validation link to verify your account.



4. Once you’ve verified your account, you’ll be automatically logged into viyo.io on the device you’re using as a camera. You can scroll through the overview pages or select the Skip link to get to the good stuff.



5. Let’s setup your device as a camera – select the Setup Camera button.



6. At this point you’ll likely be prompted to allow viyo.io to access your camera and microphone. Tap Allow (or its equivalent on your device).



7. Select the Advanced Options link.



8. Here’s where you’ll do most of the configuring. If your device has more than one camera (most phones and tablets do), select the one you want to use as your security camera. Then give the camera a name (eg. Front Camera or Back Camera). Make sure there’s a check in the Notifications box and for the time being make sure there isn’t a check in the Motion Screenshots box. Select SETUP DEVICE when you’re done.



9. Your camera will start to stream audio and video. Point it at the area you want to monitor.



10. Tap the ‘3 dots’ button in the upper-right corner of your screen and then select the Settings button (the one that looks like a little cog).



11. From here you can adjust the sensitivity level for the camera to trigger the ‘motion detected’ feature. You’ll probably need to test this out and adjust accordingly. Once you’re happy with the sensitivity level then you can enable the Motion Screenshots setting, which will take a screenshot on your device each time motion is detected. Finally, make any Visual Adjustments you see fit – increase or decrease the brightness, saturation, contrast or hue. Select the Done button when you’ve finished.



12. Using the on-screen controls you can take a screenshot any time you’d like – just select the Camera icon and then accept the ‘download’.



13. If you don’t want to stream audio, select the ‘microphone’ icon and make sure it has the ‘strikethrough’ indicating that it’s muted.



14. Now to access the camera from another location. Hop onto your laptop or primary phone/tablet and head over to viyo.io in your main web browser. Sign in with the same account information you created way back in step #2. Once you’ve signed in, select the View Cameras button.



15. Select your active camera from the Camera Manager list.



16. Ta-da! You can now watch a live stream of the video camera you setup as a security cam.



17. If you’ve enabled notifications, a small window will appear in the browser letting you know each time the camera detected movement.



18. The first time you select the on-screen camera icon to take a screenshot of your security camera you’ll need to allow downloads from viyo.io.



19. The screenshot can then be found in your Downloads folder.



20. That’s it! If you’d like to use more than one camera you’ll need to pay for a subscription (currently $5/mo). Or, you can use the Viyo referral program to add additional cameras to your account.

The post How to Use Any Device as a Web Streaming Motion Sensing Security Camera appeared first on Simple Help.

Crypto Notepad is a “secure Notepad alternative” – it’s free and open source, small, super-easy to use and encrypts your text files.

1. Head over to the download page for Crypto Notepad and download the latest version (Crypto.Notepad.zip). Unzip the file somewhere in your Downloads folder and run it from there. It’s a stand-alone app, which means there’s no installation. You can move it and create a shortcut to it later (or even set it to launch when Windows starts).



2. You may get a warning from Windows – if you do, click the ‘More info’ link and then the Run anyway button. Crypto Notepad is open source and 100% safe to use.



3. When prompted, click Yes to allow automatic update checks in the future.



4. First things first, let’s take a look at the settings and configure the app to work the way you want it. Click the Settings button in the Toolbar (the one that looks like a ‘gear’, see screenshot below).



5. Adjust any of the Application settings as you see fit. Do the same for the Toolbar, Status panel, Search panel and Editor settings, they’re all quite straightforward. Then, select the Encryption settings category.



6. This is where you’ll decide exactly which method of encryption you want to use for your secure notes. The suggested settings are ideal.



7. Now select the Integration category. It’ll be very helpful in the future if you place a check in the Associate with *.cnp files box – this will allow you to double-click any of your encrypted text files and have them automatically open in Crypto Notepad. When you’ve adjusted all the options to suit you, close the settings window.



8. Back in the app write out a quick test note. Then click the Save button from the Toolbar (or select File -> Save)



9. Choose the location you want to save the file, give it a name, and then click the Save button.



10. Enter the password you want to use to secure this file.



11. In the future, when you double-click a .cnp file (assuming you enabled the Associate with *.cnp files feature back in step #7) Crypto Notepad will open…



12. and prompt you for the password associated with that file.

ps. Are you an iPhone user? Did you know you can create password protected Notes on the iPhone too?

The post How to Create Password Protected Notes in Windows appeared first on Simple Help.

It’s important to note up front – this scan will likely take several hours to complete. The more files on your drive (and the more drives are connected), the longer it will take. The computer will slow down significantly if you try to use it will the scan is happening, so you may want to consider letting this run over night.

1. Head over to the download page for the Microsoft Safety Scanner app. Select the download like for either the 32-bit or 64-bit version of the program (if you’re not sure which to use, check this short guide on how to determine whether you’re using the 32 or 64-bit version of Windows). Once the download has completed, double-click the file to run it.

   If you’re unable to download the file and save it to your local drive, use another computer and download the file to a USB thumb drive. Plug that drive in and run the file from there.



2. There’s nothing to install so the program will start right away. Place a check in the box to acknowledge the license agreement and then click the Next button.



3. Click Next again.



4. Select Full Scan and then click the Next button.



5. Walk away. Seriously, this is going to take hours.



6. When you come back you’ll be presented with a screen letting you know the results of the scan. If anything was found, it will have been removed. Click the View detailed results of the scan link (if it’s present).



7. If you’d like to get more information on any of the things that were found and deleted, simply click the item. A web page will open in your default browser with an overview of the issue.



8. Otherwise you probably got the ‘all clear’ screen. Click Finish



9. The downloaded file will only work for 10 days. After that it’s considered ‘out of date’ and will need to be re-downloaded.

You really should be using something like Windows Defender Antivirus (or Microsoft Security Essentials if you’re using Windows 7) all the time – it’ll help avoid issues in the future.

The post How to Scan Your PC for Viruses & Malware appeared first on Simple Help.

If you don’t have a VPN service yet, or you’re unhappy with your current one, I strongly recommend and endorse the VPN service provided by Private Internet Access (it’s the service I use), which works seamlessly with Chrome OS.

There are a few different ways to connect to your VPN using a Chromebook and we’ll cover the two big ones, setting up the connection manually or using an Android App.

1. Click the time in the bottom-right corner of your Chrome OS screen (see screenshot below) and then click the Settings button (looks like a ‘cog’)



2. Select Network from the Settings column on the left.



3. Click Add connection from inside the Network section.



4. Select the + (plus sign) next to Add OpenVPN / L2TP…



5. Fill out each of the fields according to your VPN providers settings – they’ll provide you with all of the information, with the exception of the Service name field, which can be anything you’d like (a descriptive name is probably best). Toggle the Save identity and password to ON if you don’t want to enter your VPN username and password each time you connect and then click the Connect button.



6. You can confirm the connection by selecting the newly created VPN profile from the Network section…



7. and make sure the status is set to Connected



8. The Wifi icon in the system tray will also have a tiny little ‘key’ next to it, indicating that you’re currently connected to a VPN.



9. Open your browser and navigate to a site like whatsmyip.com – it should display the IP info of your VPN and not your wifi network info.



10. Going forward you can connect to and view the settings of your VPN via the ‘control panel’ part of the notification section.

This method involves using an App from the Google Play Store. Almost all popular VPN providers offer an Android App – and you should be able to use that App on your Chromebook. In this example I’m using the Android App for Private Internet Access.

1. While on your Chromebook head over to the Google Play Store page for the Private Internet Access Android App. Click the large green Install button.



2. Once the installation has completed, click the Open button.



3. Click Next a bunch of times.



4. Click Login



5. Enter your PIA username and password and then click the Login button again.



6. Click OK



7. Click OK to allow PIA to a VPN profile on your Chromebook.



8. Finally, the main connection window will appear. Click the big yellow button.



9. Once connected that yellow button will become green and your IP info will be displayed towards the bottom of the App.



10. You can confirm the connection is working by opening your browser and visiting a site like whatsmyip.com – it should display the IP info of your VPN and not your wifi network info.



11. You can get information on your VPN connection via the Notification section of Chrome OS, including the ability to disconnect.

The post How to Connect to a VPN on a Chromebook appeared first on Simple Help.

1. Select Microsoft Edge from the Menu Bar and then Clear Browsing Data… from the drop-down menu.



2. This will bring up the Clear Browsing Data window. Select the Time Range pull-down list.



3. Select All Time from that pull-down list.



4. At this point you can click the Clear button and you’ll delete the majority of the ‘history’ of your browsing. If you want to delete everything, proceed with the next step.
5. Select the Advanced tab.



6. Scroll through all of the options and place a check next to each item that you want to erase, and don’t forget to set the Time Range to All Time again.

The post How to Clear the Cache & History from Microsoft Edge for macOS appeared first on Simple Help.

After you’ve connected to the PIA service on your Mac you should be able to place your cursor on top of the Private Internet Access icon in your Menu Bar to view the port used for Port Forwarding. With that said, for one reason or another, it doesn’t always display.

Fortunately the solution is remarkably quick and easy. While connected to PIA, click the Private Internet Access icon in your Menu Bar and select Settings from the list of options.

As soon as the Settings window opens, close it.

Now try placing your cursor over the PIA icon in your Menu Bar – the Port Forwarding information should once again appear as it should.

That’s it!

The post How to Fix the Port Not Displaying on Private Internet Access for macOS appeared first on Simple Help.

You’ll need a phone number that can receive SMS text messages in order to complete the signup process. If you don’t want to display your phone number to other Signal users, that’s where Google Voice comes into play. Just sign up for a Google Voice account (free, however you will need a mobile phone to sign up) and use the phone number they assign you. Note: Google Voice is not available in all countries. You can also get an assigned phone number via Skype, but that involves a monthly fee. You can completely avoid the need for a mobile phone if you opt to use a Skype number. Yet another option is to use Twilio and set up forwarding.

1. Grab your iPad and open the App Store. In the search field, enter just the word signal



2. You’ll notice that Signal isn’t listed in the search results. No problem. In the upper-left corner of the App Store tap the button/link titled iPad Only



3. From the little ‘bubble menu’, select iPhone Only



4. Ta-da! There’s Signal. Tap the Get button to install it as you would any other App on your iPad.



5. Open Signal when the download and installation have completed.



6. Enter your phone number – whether it’s your actual mobile phone, a Google Voice or Skype number and tap the Activate This Device button.



7. Signal will send a text message to your number that contains a verification PIN. Enter that PIN in the space provided and then tap Submit



8. You’ll be prompted to allow Signal to send you notifications. Tap OK



9. Now give your Profile a name. This is the name that will be shown alongside your existing phone number when communicating with others. See this official document for more details on how Signal shares this information with other users. If you’d like to assign yourself an Avatar just tap the button next to it and select an existing photo or take a new one.



10. Now you can send and receive Signal messages on your iPad. Tap the Compose button to get started.



11. You’ll be prompted to grant access to your Contacts – tap OK



12. Your contacts will load and you can select someone to chat with from where.



13. That’s it!

The post How to Use Signal on an iPad appeared first on Simple Help.