Tips to Create Strong Passwords

A password is the most common method of authentication. A good password must be difficult to guess and easy to remember. But if you do not have a good password or neglect to keep them confidential, you will be an easy target for hackers. Also, most people tend to create outrageous passwords which are easy to forget. In some cases, it can be easily remedied. For example, when you forget the password to your computer, you can use the windows password reset tool to create a new password.

People tend to use easy-to-remember information such as phone numbers or birthdays for their passwords. But, using such data as a password makes you vulnerable to hackers. The following are important tips to remember while creating a strong password.

Unique

Try to create a password that is unique to you which means that the word should have special meaning to only you. Using simple information like your parent's names or your pet's name will be easy for anyone to figure out and must be changed immediately. It is easiest to change your computer password as you just need to use the windows password reset tool. For accounts like banking, it is a more difficult process.

Characters

You can choose from a variety of special characters like '*' or '#' to make your password hard to crack. Make sure that you use at least one special character in your password. You can also use a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters for your password. Though it is tricky to remember, it constitutes a strong password. It is advised to use the following symbols for a strong password:!"?$%^&

Length

Studies have shown that a strong password contains 15 characters. Though it might not be easy to remember a 15 word password, it is advisable to have at least 7 characters to make it strong.

Separate passwords

When you create passwords, make sure that you do not use the same password for all your accounts like e-mail, banking, etc. If you do, once your e-mail account is hacked it is more than certain that your bank and other accounts will get hacked as well.

Meaningful

When you create a lengthy password, make sure that it has a special meaning to you. If you choose a random word, it is possible that you might forget it. In case you forget your computer password, use the windows password reset tool to create a new one.

Now that you have created a strong password, make sure that you change it often and do not write it down. It is also important not to provide a lot of information on social networking sites as it provides easy access to all. Although you can be more easy-going with your personal computer password, make sure that you change it every few months with the windows password reset tool. When you create passwords, take care that you do not use words from the dictionary, your own name or your company name.

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How to Increase Virtual Memory in Windows XP

Memory low? Is your computer lagging behind? It might be because you're running low on real memory. When this happens your computer often commandeers a portion of the hard drive to use as "virtual memory." If you find yourself running out of Virtual Memory, or keep getting messages telling you that you are, you might want to increase this to a more acceptable level using your computer's control settings

1. Click on Start and right-click on My Computer.

  2. Choose Properties.

3. Click on the Advanced tab. Under Performance, click on the Settings button.

4. Under Virtual Memory, click on the Change button.

5. Here is where you decide the amount of Virtual Memory that you need to increase. Try playing around with a few hundred megabytes above the assigned amount.

6. An alternative way to fix your low memory problem is to eliminate non-essential programs, documents and files from your computer's hard drive. This will allow you to free up space that can be used by your computer as memory.

post source: http://www.ehow.com/