Computers submerged in water are probably a total loss. But information stored on the hard drive may be so valuable that a recovery effort might be undertaken, particularly for businesses. Trying to recover information, the first thing to do is make sure the computer is unplugged. Do not turn on the computer if you want to save the data. Water and mud can cause circuits to blow out, destroying data permanently.

Remove all cables and attachments, plus any swappable optical drive or PC card. Hard drives must be removed from inside the computer as quickly as possible.
It is a big no-no to dry your hard drives using heat. This actually applies to all other electronic media. The most you can do is bring it to a water damage restoration professional and let him do the work for you. Also, never attempt to use these water-damaged hard drives without being examined first. You might do more damage to your hard drive, thus lessening, or even erasing, your chances of recovering important documents.

For water damage restoration of your floppy disks, a special cleaning solvent may be used. Afterwards, you should remove the damaged diskette from its jacket, wash it with clean water, and dry with clean towels. Once done, you can use a different jacket for your diskette so that the files can be copied to another diskette.

Compact disks can also undergo water damage restoration. The most important thing about water damage restoration in compact disks is to avoid scratching its surface. Therefore, it is very important to protect the surface of a compact disk as this can cause data error. Do not attempt to clean your compact disks yourself; keep them wet until a licensed water damage restoration professional can clean them.

Water damage to electronic media is not so bad after all, as most of the data can be recovered anyway. Just remember, during times like these, speed is of the essence.

The first step in flood damage cleanup is to make sure you document all of the damages. No water will only be around for so long, but to prove to your insurance company that specific items in your home were ruined by the floods and before the flood damage cleanup began, evidence is very important. If your camera has a date log in it, it is recommended to make sure the dates are correct and to stamp your pictures of the flooded areas with the date. You may then also want to write a short note to the insurance company about the flood damage cleanup that would be needed.

Next you will want to look at the structure of the building and make sure that it is still solid and safe. Any little cracks could become big problems later on. Some of the cracks could also be caused from the force of the flood and will need to be noted before flood damage cleanup begins.

The basement, being the lowest, will always be the first place to flood. If you get back into your house and there is still water in your basement you will need to pump the water out of the basement. Do not let all of it sit in the hopes it will absorb somewhere. You do not want to pump all of the water out at once, but rather do it in stages. The stages should be cut no longer than thirds so that the basement does not stay flooded for too long.

Anything that is electric will most likely be ruined if submerged in water, however, you will still want to remove everything that is electric from the house. Anything that can be salvaged from the flood should be taken to a repairman prior to the flood damage cleanup, while other things can be recycled or thrown out. When the electricity comes back to the homes, is there is anything electric that is wet when the current of electricity goes through the house, there may be more to worry about than flood damage in your home.

It is also recommended to get your water system flowing through the pipes as soon as possible. You will want to be careful while drinking this water, however, until it has all been disinfected. Sediment and pollution can get into the sewer systems in times of flooding and is not safe to digest.

During the flood damage cleanup, you’ll want to wash the floors and walls before they are allowed to dry, starting at the base of the wall and working your way upward. Then they will also need to be disinfected and properly dried so that mold does not set in.

Lastly, you’ll need to get some kind of a drying system put into place so that everything does not retain its wetness.

2. Remove the battery. Removing the power from the electrical components can increase the chances of saving your phone.

3. If you have a SIM card remove that as well. Place it on the towels and dab dry.

4. Remove any extra pieces, covers, accessories like memory cards, ear pieces, slot covers.

5. Dry your phone with paper towels or dry cloth.

6. Do not shake the device to shed the water off as this could allow moisture or water to seep in further into the layers of electronics inside your gadget.

7. Get a vacuum to suck out any moisture the towel could not reach. Use a small hose attachment and spend about 10-15 minutes vacuuming water out.

8. Do NOT apply direct heat from devices such as a hair dryer or heater as this can damage electrical components.

9. Place rice or salt in a bowl and place phone on top. This will help draw out any remaining water inside the phone. Let phone sit in bowl for at least 8 hours.

10. Let your phone dry out for a minimum of 24 hours! Once all components look, feel dry, Power on your phone, if it works you have successfully recovered your submerged device!

If this would not work, try to replace the battery. Try to borrow from a friend who has a similar working gadget.

Depending on the extent of the water damage, most electronic devices exposed to such moisture could still work after drying. If the device would not turn on, try to recharge the batteries as the power could have discharged when it was short-circuited by water.

If after the steps above, your phone still would not work, bring the gadget to a qualified technician and have it thoroughly checked. There is that slim chance that it would still function.

1. Click “Tools”, selecting “Options”.
2. When the “Options” multi-tabbed dialog box appears, click the “Edit” tab.
3. Check “Use the INS key for paste”.
4. Click “OK” to close the dialog box.

Wireless networking works by sending information over radio waves. That, in itself, makes it more vulnerable to outsiders. And, since you can’t physically stop someone from connecting to your wireless network, you need to take additional precautions in order to maintain security on a wireless network.

There are people out there that will steal your credit card information, your passwords, and eventually your money and identity while you’re shopping or browsing online. Someone could even gain control of your computer or send you viruses that could infect your entire network and spread to the people that you send email to. My suggestion is to take the side of caution and do everything you can, and use the tools that are available to you, in order to protect your data, your family, and your personal information.

Symantec, the global leader in Internet and PC security, shares the following tips for a safe Wi-Fi connection:

· Passwords Rule
The security software that comes with most routers normally provides several levels of password protection. Don’t use WEP (wired equivalent privacy) passwords, because the experts warn that those can be easily hacked. Use WPA Personal passwords, or an even more secure format, if it’s offered. Use strong passwords and change your passwords often.

· Secure the Network as well as every computer
Make sure that you secure each PC with its own firewall, so that even if an intruder breaks into your network, you still might be able to prevent access to the computers within the network. It’s like having double-locks on your door. Be vigilant and keep those locks on! Be sure to use the included security software that comes with your wireless router, and it’s also a good idea to rename your network to so you’re not using any generic or out-of-the-box names.

· Be Careful in Public
When you use Wi-Fi hotspots in public places, be extra careful. Reportedly, one popular ruse includes criminals who can ‘sniff’ Internet traffic and set up a fake hot spot that you might innocently log into. This “evil twin” is ready to steal passwords, financial info, or whatever else is transmitted.

· Update your software for best protection
Keep your security software current and active. Be sure to check out Norton Internet Security 2008, Symantec’s award-winning product that provides exceptional protection for wireless networks.

This New Year, instead of making promises that are bound to be broken anyway, why not make ones you can actually keep? Symantec, the global leader in infrastructure software, believes that there are other practical resolutions to make – and keep – without breaking a sweat. One of them is as simple as this: Get your PC in better shape!

Resolve to make that PC a part of your New Year’s resolutions and you’re all set. With just a little time, effort and very minimal expense, you can begin making your computer more secure, efficient and enjoyable to use this 2008. Here are some of the many easy ways that you can keep in mind, and follow, courtesy of Symantec:

1. Be Secure — In today’s world where hackers, spyware, phishers, and pharmers abound, every valuable personal information on your computer — from financial information and documents to family photos and movies — is at risk. Whether getting a new computer or wanting to get more out of the old one, one of the most important things that you can do is make sure your computer and the information on it are protected.

If you already have Internet security software, make sure it’s effective by downloading the latest protection updates and setting it up to receive updates as soon as they become available. If you don’t have Internet security software yet or is beset with an outdated version, check out Norton Internet Security 2008 (www.symantec.com) or Norton 360 (www.symantec.com). Both can deliver up-to-date protection that you need.

2. Back Up – Everyone knows the importance of backing up valuable information, but do any of us do? Many people still had to experience losing everything before they back up. Before corrupt files, hard drive failures, hackers, fire, theft or physical disaster can wipe out your information, back it up — regularly. A good backup software like Norton Save & Restore or Norton 360 can help back up your data to CDs, DVDs, other hard drives, flash drives, tape drives or online storage services. You can also set automatic backups with any of these on a regular basis. If you can’t do anything else for your computer this year, back up.

3. Digitize – In the same way, use your PC to back up valuable documents – things that would be difficult or impossible to replace, like birth certificates, tax returns, insurance policies, family photos and movies. How? Scan them into your computer, copy them to CDs, DVDs or flash drives and store them in a safe place away from your home (for instance, a safe deposit box). If you don’t have a scanner, there are many available for under $100, or you can take your paper documents to a service store like Kinko’s and get them scanned.

4. Clean Up — Is your PC’s hard drive starting to look like your attic? Everything is there (including things you don’t want or need) but you’re not sure where. Is it a bit sluggish or even prone to crash? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these, then it’s time to clean up, and get organized. Remove unwanted temp files, sweep out Internet clutter and clear out old email attachments. Defragment your drive as well. Good utility software such as Norton Systemworks can help you with the cleanup, defragmenting and optimization.

5. Organize- This is something you’ll have to do on your own. Take a look at the files on your PC, divide them into categories or perhaps, sub-categories. Then, create folders for each and fill them in with appropriate files. While at it, delete files you no longer need or load them onto CDs or DVDs and then delete them from your PC.

Once you get your PC backed up, cleaned and organized, you’ll be amazed by how much better it runs and how easier it is to find what you’re looking for and get things done. You can also rest easy knowing that all your valuable personal information is protected. All it takes is just a little time, effort and very little expense, then you’re all set to start the “Year of the Rat” on the right track — and keep your promises, too!

Creating Summary slides
1. Open your presentation
2. Go to View / Slide Sorter
3. Select the slides to be included in your summary. (Use the Shift key for multiple slide selection)
4. Click the Summary Slide button (icon with 3 little slides with an arrow pointing to a bigger slide)
4. PowerPoint will then create a summary slide from all the “Titles” of the slides you selected. It will be placed in front of the first slide that you selected.

Creating Hyperlinks
To create a hyperlink from a bulleted item after creating the summary slide:

1. Switch to Slide View (View / Slide)
1. Select the bulleted item from your summary slide
2. Click Slide Show / Action Setting
3. Under the Action setting dialog box, choose Hyperlink To
4. Select Slide under the dropdown menu
5. Choose the slide title that you want to jump to

1. Place your cursor in the first column of a row that you want moved to the next page.
2. Goto Insert / Page Break.
3. A dotted line will appear above the selected cell’s row, signifying that the row is now moved to the next printed page.