Retrieving Lost Passwords

Most of us have too many passwords to remember and like me you probably have a system for retrieving them. But sometimes the system doesn’t work. In that instance we can usually get a new password emailed to us.

Here’s another method for retrieving some passwords. If you have your password set to be automatically entered for you and you can see the asterisks that represent your password there’s a free tool that lets retrieve the password hidden behind some asterisks.

It’s called Asterisk Key and is available from Passware at
http://www.lostpassword.com/asterisk.htm.

Finding Internet Access

Sometimes finding Internet access seems nearly impossible. Maybe your computer crashes, your ISP (Internet Service Provider) is having problems, or you’re out of town. One solution to this problem is local public libraries.

Using the library’s computers is fairly simple. Some libraries make it easy to use your laptop to hook up to their Internet Service. The only drawback is that if you need to print something you’ll probably need to use the library’s computers.

If you’re going to use the library’s computers it’s best to call them and ask about computer availability and policies. If you don’t live in that city you’ll want to know if they will issue you a temporary pass. You’ll also want to make sure computers are available. Some libraries are very busy and it can be difficult to find an available computer without reservations. There are also may be time limits on the length of time you can use a computer, varying from as little as 15 or 30 minutes to as long as 1 or 2 hours.

If you need to print you’ll want to inquire about cost and how this works. Some libraries require you to pay before you can print and other libraries use the honor system allowing you to print and then pay for the pages.

Finally you’ll want to know about security and privacy. Does your history get wiped clean? If you forget to sign out of your email will you be automatically logged out when your session is over? The library I used informed me that everything was wiped clean once I logged out of my session.