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WELCOME TO THE COMPUTER CLUB TIP PAGE. Most of the tips listed here are for Microsoft XP NOTE: Tips for VISTA will be in red
Is there any way I can get my Vista Start menu to look like the one in XP? I just started using Vista and I really miss that familiarity. Please tell me there's a way! A:
I have good news for you! But before I go any further, let me make sure I have this straight. You just recently started using Windows Vista and you're having a little trouble navigating your way through the new setup of the operating system. Do I have it right? Yes, at first, it can be quite confusing. Everything you were familiar with in Windows XP has been changed or moved to another location and that makes it really hard to get your work done, doesn't it? Well, lucky for all of us, there are a few things you can do to change everything back to the way it used to be. Keep reading for all the details! As I'm sure you already know, along with Vista came a whole new Start menu. And I'm guessing that some of you don't care too much for it. If that's the case, you can switch it back to the way it looked in XP. To do so, just right click on the Start button and choose Properties. Make sure you're under the Start Menu tab and tick the option for Classic Start menu. Click OK and then check out your new Start menu. Now, doesn't that feel better?! Once you switch back to the old Start menu, you can also customize it. Hit the Customize button and you'll see all the choices you have. You can add or remove items from your Start menu list, you can sort your items and so on and so forth. There's even a checklist of different options you can choose from. For example, you can choose to display your favorites, display the Run command, expand the Control Panel, use the personalized menus, etc. There are so many choices! When you're done, just click OK twice and you'll be all set. Ah, back to normal!
Q:
I just upgraded to Windows Vista and I'm having trouble figuring out how the CD AutoRun feature works. Can you please help me with that? Thanks!
A:
I sure can! One of my co-workers here who uses a Vista computer was actually having trouble with that the other day as well. And after I received this question in my e-mail, I figured it must be a common problem among new Vista users. Well, after today, you won't be confused any longer, because I'm here to shed some light on the Vista AutoRun/AutoPlay feature for you!
To begin, I want to make sure everyone knows what AutoRun means. That term comes into play whenever you insert a CD into the CD ROM drive on your computer (or a DVD into a DVD ROM drive, etc). The AutoRun feature gives you, the user, the ability to take action as to what you want the CD to do once it's in your computer. There are different options you can choose from when it comes to setting up the AutoRun just how you want it as well. And that's exactly what I'm going to explain for all you Vista users right now. Ready, get set, go!
When you insert a CD into your Vista computer, an AutoPlay dialogue box will pop right up. From that window, you can choose from these options: "Run start.exe," "Open folder to view files" or "Set AutoPlay defaults in Control Panel." If you put in a music CD, you will have the option of just playing it or ripping it too. The choices will be a little different, depending on the type of CD you put in. Whether it's an audio CD, a piece of software, a game, etc., the options will be different, but everything else is pretty similar, no matter what.
So, you can choose what you want to do, but I would recommend clicking on the link that says "Set AutoPlay defaults in Control Panel." That one is going to give you the most control over what your computer does when you're using CDs. Once that box comes up, you'll see a long list of different disk types. There's everything from audio CDs to enhanced audio CDs to DVD movies to enhanced DVD movies to software and games to pictures to video files to audio files and so on and so forth.
For each disk type, there is a drop down menu next to it. When you click on the down arrow for each menu, you will see an array of options. Below are two examples for you:
1.) Audio CD: Your main options for this are Play, Rip, Open folder to view files using Windows Explorer, Take no action or Ask me every time. Now, if you like your music CDs to start right up whenever you put one in your CD ROM drive, choose Play. That option will then detect what media program you have installed on your computer (Windows Media Player, for example) and the CD will automatically play in that program every time you put one in.
On the other hand, if you would like to choose which action to take each time, choose Ask me every time. That way, you'll have the choice every time you go to play a CD on your computer. The choice is yours, but do try to pick the option that will make things the easiest for you.
2.) Software and games: For this one, your main options are Install or run program, Open folder to view files using Windows Explorer, Take no action or Ask me every time. If you choose the first option, every time you go to install a new piece of software on your computer, it will automatically run the install for you. If you'd like to make a new decision every time, choose Ask me every time. Again, the choice is yours.
Once you've gone through the whole list of disk types and made your selections, click the Save button at the bottom of the window. That will save all of your settings and they will be ready for the next time you play a music CD, install a new program, play a new game, etc. Now, if you want to change your settings at any time, you can also access the AutoPlay window by going to Start, Control Panel, Hardware and Sound, AutoPlay.
It's as easy as that. Isn't it nice to have all the options of the Vista world right at your fingertips?!
A Vista Uninstall
Are you among the many who are using Windows Vista now? If so, I have a question for you: When you want to uninstall something from your Vista computer, how do you do it? If you're going off the same rules you used in Windows XP, I can probably guess what your answer is (Add/Remove Programs, right?) Well, Vista actually has a new way of doing things when it comes to uninstalls and I'm here today to tell you all about it!
When you're ready to uninstall a program, etc. from your Vista computer, here's what you should do from here on out. Go to Start, Control Panel and then under the Programs section, choose the option that says "Uninstall a program." Once you click on that, you will see a list of programs you have on your computer that can be uninstalled. Each one will have some information next to it as well. For instance, you will be able to see the publisher's information (who created the software), when it was installed on your PC and the size of the program.
Once you look over all of that information, just find the program you'd like to uninstall, highlight it and then click on the Uninstall button. It will then go through the uninstall process and the program will be gone from your computer for good. That's all there is to it. So, while this procedure worked pretty well in Windows XP, it's just a little bit better and easier to do in Vista. Don't forget to try it out the next time you need to uninstall something. It's your best bet!
A function I always use a lot is the Run command. It's just an easy feature to work with and it gets me where I need to go. Now, as I'm sure you've noticed, Vista doesn't offer the Run command. Or does it?!
To get the Run option back for yourself, right click on the Start button in Vista and choose Properties. Make sure you're under the Start Menu tab and then click the Customize button. Scroll down near the bottom of that list and checkmark the box that says "Run command." Once you've done that, click OK. In the next window, click Apply, then OK again. Now, go and click your Start button. What do you see? Yep, the Run command is back and ready for some action. Yes!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Resize Desktop Icons with Your Mouse
I'm sure you're all aware that Windows Vista supports three default sizes of desktop icons, whereas Windows XP only supports one. But, the real reality is that Vista can support even more than that, with just a simple scroll of the mouse. Follow these directions to resize your desktop icons quickly and easily:
1.) Click on the icon you want to resize.
2.) Hold down the Ctrl key on your keyboard.
3.) Next, just start scrolling your mouse wheel.
Voila. Your icons instantly change to whatever size you need!
USING A VISTA BASED COMPUTER.
THE “START” ICON FOR VISTA IS A CIRCLE WITH THE MICROSOFT EMBLEM WITHIN, LOCATED IN THE LOWER LEFT CORNER OF YOUR COMPUTER SCREEN, WHERE THE XP START ICON IS LOCATED.
(IF YOU HOLD YOUR ARROW ON THE ICON, THE WORD ‘START’ WILL APPEAR.)
CLICKING ON THIS ICON, A SPLIT POP-UP WINDOW WILL APPEAR AS IN AN XP COMPUTER.
THE LEFT SIDE SHOWING THE MOST CURRENT SITES YOU HAVE USED, AND “ALL PROGRAMS”.
WHEN YOU CLICK ON “ALL PROGRAMS”, ALL THE PROGRAMS WITHIN YOUR COMPUTER WILL APPEAR, ALL IN A SINGLE UP AND DOWN COLUMN.
YOU ARE ABLE TO SCROLL UP AND DOWN WITHOUT SIDE POP-UP BOXES APPEARING TO REACH YOUR DESIRED PROGRAM.
THE RIGHT SIDE OF THIS SPLIT POP-UP BOX HAS SHORTCUTS (EXAMPLE) DOCUMENTS, PICTURES, MUSIC, SEARCH, CONTROL PANEL ETC.
THIS WILL REMAIN WHILE YOU ARE USING THE “ALL PROGRAMS” PART OF THE DESK TOP.
THE STANDBY ICON IS NOW A SMALL CIRCLE THAT ROTATES, THE HOURGLASS IS NO LONGER USED.
CONTROL PANEL
BASICLY THE ICONS ARE THE SAME AS AN XP COMPUTER, THOUGH SOME ICONS ARE A LITTLE DIFFERENT,
IN THE CASE OF THE OLD ”ADD/REMOVE” PROGRAM, THE WORDING BELOW THE ICON NOW SAYS,”PROGRAMS AND FEATURES”.
WHEN YOU CLICK ON A PROGRAM TO UNINSTALL, YOU WILL BE DIRECTED TO GO TO A LINE AT THE TOP OF THAT PAGE WHICH SAYS…
“TO UNINSTALL A PROGRAM, SELECT IT FROM THE LIST AND THEN CLICK “UNINSTALL”, CHANGE”, OR “REPAIR”.
WHEN YOU CLICK ON ”UNINSTALL”, ANOTHER POP-UP BOX WILL APPEAR, ASKING YOU, IF YOU WANT TO UNINSTALL THAT PROGRAM, IF SO, CLICK CONTINUE.THIS IS A DOUBLE CHECK ON INADVERNITLY REMOVING A PROGAM. IF YOU DO NOT CLICK, CONTINUE, IT WILL NOT UNINSTALL THAT PROGRAM.
VISTA HAS SAFE GUARDS SO THAT YOU DO NOT DO SOMETHING WITHOUT A DOUBLE CHECK, BEFORE IT IS DONE. YOU HAVE TO GIVE PERMISSION FOR ANYTHING THAT MIGHT CHANGE THE WORKINGS OF YOUR COMPUTER.
TO GO TO DISC CLEANUP OR DEFRAGMENTER.
AS IN AN XP COMPUTER, TO GO TO DISC CLEANUP OR DEFRAGMENTER, FIRST GO TO ACCESSORIES, THEN SYSTEM TOOLS, AND THEN SCROLL TO THE PROGRAM YOU NEED.
A POPUP WINDOW WILL APPEAR WITH, THE QUESTION,
“IF YOU STARTED THIS ACTION, TO CONTINUE, YOU HAVE TO CLICK CONTINUE OR CANCEL”.
TO CLOSE DOWN THE COMPUTER.
AS IN AN XP COMPUTER, CLOSE ALL RUNING PROGRAMS, THEN GO TO THE LOWER LEFT CORNER OF YOUR SCREEN, FIND THE VISTA ICON, (START ICON) CLICK ON IT.
ON THE LINE JUST ABOVE THE VISTA ICON, SCROLL TO THE RIGHT, YOU WILL SEE AN ICON WHICH LOOKS LIKE A POWER ON/OFF SWITCH, A PADLOCK AND AN ARROW POINTING RIGHT, AS YOU SCROLL TO THE ARROW, A POP-UP SCREEN WILL APPEAR WITH, SWITCH USER, LOG OFF ETC, AND AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT POP-UP, SHUT DOWN. CLICK ON SHUT DOWN. AS USUAL, WAIT FOR THE COMPUTER TO CLOSE DOWN.
FOR THOSE WHO USE AOL, THE ONLY VERSION OF AOL THAT WILL WORK ON VISTA PRESENTLY IS 9.0 VR.
OTHER VERSIONS WILL NOT WORK WITH VISTA ACCORDING TO AOL TECH SUPPORT.
Thanks to Herb Epstein for these tips.
If you have any tips for VISTA users that you want to share,
send them to me and I will forward them to our Computer Club members.
June 2, 2008 Vista Program Compatibility: An Update
As you may remember, last week, I wrote an article about the Windows Vista Program Compatibility Wizard you can use if you're having trouble getting some of your programs to work on your Vista computer. (If you missed out on that tip, you can read it right here). After it appeared in the newsletter, I received several e-mails and even a few phone calls with questions about it. It seemed like a lot of you were having trouble finding the feature, so I thought I'd take some time today to clear all of that up. Here we go!
After so many of you told me you couldn't find the Program Compatibility Wizard, I got to thinking that maybe it wasn't available with every edition of Vista. I tested the tip on a Vista Home Basic computer and it worked just fine, so I thought maybe it wouldn't work for everyone. I thought that was strange, but I know it has happened with other things, so it was possible. But then I started researching it a little more and luckily, that's not the case at all. Keep reading as we solve this mystery!
In order to find the Program Compatibility Wizard, you have to be in a certain Control Panel view. In Vista, there is a Control Panel Home view and a Classic view and you must be in the Control Panel Home view to find the Wizard. If you happen to be in the Classic view, you won't be able to find it. So, to check on that, go to Start, Control Panel and look in the top left hand corner. You will see a dot next to whichever view you're in. If you're not in the right one, simply click on Control Panel Home and you'll be taken to the correct spot. You can then go to Programs and click on the option that says "Use an older program with this version of Windows." Then just follow along with the wizard and you'll be all set. I hope this clears up all of the confusion!
Q:
I was looking on my desktop this morning and I realized my Recycle Bin icon is gone! Do you have any idea what happened to it or how I can get it back? Please help!
A:
That's a very good question and I promise, you're not the only one this has ever happened to! So, you're telling me that your Recycle Bin icon just disappeared from your desktop. Perhaps it was in place one night before you went to bed, but in the morning when you started up your computer again, it was long gone. Where did it go? What happened to it? But more importantly, how can you get it back? Well, there are a few things you can try to get your Recycle Bin icon back where it's supposed to be. If you've run out of options, give these a try!
The first thing you can do is right click on your desktop and choose Properties. Once you're there, hit the Desktop tab and then click on the Customize Desktop button. In the middle of that box, you will see some of the more common desktop icons. Click on the one for the Recycle Bin (it looks like a trash can) and then hit the Restore Default button. Click OK and then go take a look at your desktop. The Recycle Bin icon should be back, but if it's not, don't lose hope. There are still a couple other things you can try!
For the next option, go down to your taskbar and right click on any open space. >From the menu that pops up, click on Toolbars, Desktop. The word "Desktop" will then appear at the end of your taskbar with a double arrow beside it. Right click on that arrow and you will see an option for the Recycle Bin. Next, drag and drop the Recycle Bin icon to your desktop.
That should reinstate your icon for you, but if you're still having trouble, try this! Right click on your taskbar again and go to Toolbars, New Toolbar. There should be an option there for the Recycle Bin as well. You can then drag and drop that icon to your desktop. Doing any of these three things should bring your Recycle Bin icon back and you can get on with your daily computing.
Restoring the Safely Remove Hardware Icon
So, tell me, has your Safely Remove Hardware icon ever disappeared from your system tray? You know, the icon you use to safely disconnect your USB devices. Even though your device is still plugged in, the icon is gone and you're left stranded without a safe way to remove it. So, what do you do? Well, most people go ahead and pull the device out on their own, but that's really not the proper way to do it. Doing that can cause severe damage to your hardware. Luckily, there's an easy way to get your Safely Remove Hardware icon back up and running. Try this!
To restore your Safely Remove Hardware icon, go to your Start menu, right click on it and choose Properties.
Next, click on the Taskbar tab at the top of the dialogue window.
Once you've done that, click on the Customize button.
In the Customize Notification(s) dialogue box, scroll down until you come across the Safely Remove Hardware option. Next, click on the down arrow next to it and select Always Show. Then click OK.
The Safely Remove Hardware icon will then reappear in your system tray and you can go back to removing your hardware the right way. Oh yeah!
May 2, 2008 Q:
How do you insert a hyperlink into an e-mail?
A:
Have you ever needed to hyperlink something in an e-mail, but just weren't sure how to do it? Okay, let me back up for just a second first. You might be wondering what a hyperlink is. In case you don't already know, a hyperlink is just another word for a link. It's the colored link within a text document you can click on to go to a Web site or to an e-mail.
Now that you know exactly what I'm talking about, let's learn how to create one of your own in an e-mail. You can do this whenever you want to share a certain Web site address with someone or if you want to give them someone else's e-mail address. You can go ahead and have it linked for your recipient, so all they have to do is click on it and they'll be whisked away to the right spot in no time. It's very convenient!
In most e-mail programs, you can type out a URL (for example, www.worldstart.com) and it will automatically hyperlink for you as soon as you hit the space bar. But if it doesn't, you can do it manually as well. To do that, start a new e-mail and when you're ready for the hyperlink, click on the icon that looks like a globe with a chainlink around it.
Name in taskbar Awhile back, I heard someone talking about how they added their name to their taskbar in Windows XP. Since then, I've been trying to figure out how to do it, but I can't quite get it. Do you know how?
A:
As a matter of fact, I do! This question doesn't really fall into our normal fares, but when I saw it, I knew I had to add it to today's newsletter. It's just a fun little trick and once you learn how to do it, you'll be able to teach all your friends how to do it too! I guarantee they'll be impressed. Let's check it out!
If you want to display your name, your spouse's name, your company's name, etc. in your Windows XP taskbar, all you have to do is follow these steps:
1.) Click on the Start button.
2.) Open your Control Panel.
3.) >From there, click on the Date, Time, Language and Regional Options link. Then click Regional and Language Options.
4.) Next, click on the Customize button.
5.) Select the Time tab.
6.) Now, you can erase the AM/PM symbols and type in the name you want to be displayed on your taskbar. When you're done, click OK.
It will look something like this: 6:22 Tony
That's it! Now all you have to do is go and show off your new knowledge. Have fun!
VISTA TIP: PERMISSION BOX
Q:
I just started using Windows Vista a couple weeks ago and every time I go to make a change on my computer, a little box pops up asking me for my permission. It's getting to be very annoying. I mean, if I didn't want to make the change, I wouldn't have tried to in the first place! Is there any way I can turn that feature off, but still stay safe? Please help me before I lose my mind!
A:
Just so you know, this question made me laugh out loud! I could just sense the frustration written in the words and even though I don't use Windows Vista all the time, I have used it enough to know exactly what you're talking about. And yes, those pop up messages can get under your skin if you don't know how to properly deal with them. Well, lucky for all you Vista users, I've got exactly what you need to keep your sanity intact. Let's get started!
First of all, I want to make sure we're all on the same page. If you've never used Vista before or if you're just a beginner, allow me to explain what happens. In Windows Vista, every time you try to change something, you download or install something new onto your computer, etc., a little message pops up that says something like this: "A program needs your permission to continue." You can then either hit the Continue button to go on or the Cancel button to stop what you're doing.
So, you can either sit around making up your own names for that box (I'm sure some of them are inappropriate for this newsletter!) or you can just turn that particular feature off. All you have to do is disable the User Account Control and you'll be all set. Here's how you do it:
1.) Go to Start, Control Panel.
2.) In the search box, type in "user account."
3.) You will then see a link that says "Turn User Account Control (UAC) On or Off." Click that.
4.) Next, just uncheck that box and then restart your computer.
That's all there is to it! Once you do all of that, the annoying pop up will be gone for good. Now, as you probably know, Microsoft highly recommends that you do not turn this feature off. That's a given, but if you decide to do it anyway, be aware that a little shield icon with a red x will sit in your taskbar until you turn the feature back on. It's just a constant reminder of the security risk you're taking. But, you can get rid of that too!
To do so, go to Start, Control Panel, Security and then click on the Security Center link. On the left hand side of that window, click on the link that says "Change the way Security Center alerts me." Next, choose the option of "Don't notify me and don't display the icon (not recommended),"
Once you do that, those nagging pop ups will be gone forever. Of course, this probably isn't something you should do if you're just starting out with Windows Vista, but if you've been using it for awhile now and if you feel comfortable with it, you can certainly give this a try. Yes, Microsoft is there to help us, but sometimes they can really test our patience, can't they? At least we know there are options!
SAVE IMAGES AS YOU WALLPAPER Enhance your desktop with computer wallpaper of cartoons, famous people and celebrities, sports figures, supermodels, scenic views, animals and more! Either right click on the BMP's, JPG's or GIF images and 'save image as' from your browser to your harddrive, or right click and have them automatically set as your wallpaper.
DISK CLEANUP ON VISTA Q:
I've been using Windows Vista since it first came out and I think I'm close to using up all my disk space. Can you please tell me how I can clear up some of that space? I haven't quite figured out how to do it in Vista yet. A:
Oh, I'm so glad you asked! We've preached and preached on this topic for Windows XP, so there's no reason why we shouldn't do the same for Windows Vista. The disk cleanup process is a little bit different with the Vista operating system, so it's really no surprise that you're having a hard time finding it. I'm sure you're not the only one either. So, if you need to free up some of your disk space on your Vista computer, keep reading, because that's exactly what I'm going to teach you how to do today!
We all know that hard drive capacities are growing more and more everyday, but that doesn't mean we're still limited on the storage space we have. Most people think that if they have a large hard drive capacity, they won't have to worry about running out of room. Well, that's just not the case! It really comes down to the more space you have, the less time you'll spend cleaning it out, which can lead to major build up. Your data will just continue to pile up and once you do finally run out of room, it will take you forever to get the job done.
Yes, you can try doing frequent clean ups, like deleting unused files and uninstalling unnecessary programs, but what if all of that isn't enough? After so much time, doing those things just won't cut it. And that's when the Vista Disk Cleanup comes into play. Just like in XP, the Disk Cleanup will help you free up your disk space so that you won't reach the point of having no storage room left at all. This process is very easy to do with Vista, because it allows you to search for the files that are safe to erase and it lets you make the final decision on what goes and what stays. Here's how to use it!
First, right click on the Computer icon on your desktop and choose Properties. Next, click on the General tab and then hit the Disk Cleanup button. A window will then come up asking you what you'd like to remove, etc. Just choose what you'd like to delete and press OK. Like I said before, you have the final say on what is deleted and what's not. You gotta love that
Saving Photos in E-Mail Did you ever receive an e-mail that had a photo that you wanted to save and when you right clicked it to SAVE AS you got a message that says, THIS PHOTO CAN NOT BE SAVED, just forward the complete e-mail to yourself, and then you will be able to save it.
Get Your Printer Online
So, tell me, have you ever gone to print something out and you can't do it because you get an error message that says "Printer Offline?" It happens to the best of us, but that doesn't make it any less annoying! So, what can you do when this happens? Luckily, you have a few options you can try when you need to get your printer back "online."
The first thing you should try is simply turning your printer off, wait a minute or so and then turn it back on. That may fix your problem right then and there. If not, try disconnecting the cable that hooks into your computer and then reconnect it. After you do that, you'll also want to restart your computer to make sure everything lines back up. If you're still having trouble after that, try sending something to your printer to print and when you see the printer icon pop up in your taskbar, double click on it. Then go to the File menu and make sure the option of "Work Offline" is unchecked.
A Quicker Scroll
If you have a mouse with a scroll wheel, listen up. This one is so cool, you're not going to be able to contain your excitement!
So, again, if you have a mouse that has a scroll wheel, try giving the wheel a click. Yep, just press your finger directly down on the wheel and see what happens. Once you do that, you should see a big double arrow appear on your computer screen. You can then just move your mouse up and down and it will do an "automatic scroll" for you. That's right, once you click the wheel, you no longer have to actually scroll. Just move your mouse around and it will all be taken care of.
Now, this feature doesn't work everywhere, but it covers most of the common areas. For example, it works on any Web page in any Web browser, it works in different e-mail programs, in MS Word documents and so on. I use it most when I'm browsing the Web. It's so convenient and easy to use. Then once you're done scrolling, just give the wheel another click and your mouse will go back to normal. I'm tellin' ya, it works wonders. Give it a try today!
Removing the Recent Documents link from XP Start Menu The My Recent Documents folder on the Windows XP Start menu displays a list of files and documents that you most recently used.
To remove the My Recent Documents folder from XP Start Menu, try this:
Right-click Start, and then click Properties
Click Customize
Click the Advanced tab
Under Recent documents, uncheck List my most recently opened documents
Click OK, and then OK.
Add familiar icons back to your desktop
When you first got your computer, it probably had shortcuts for My Computer, My Documents, My Network Places, and the Recycle Bin on the desktop. If you or someone else removed any of those shortcuts and you’d like to get them back, you can easily restore them.
To restore you icons
1.
Right-click the desktop, and then click Properties.
2.
In the Display Properties dialog box, click the Desktop tab, and then click Customize Desktop.
3.
In the Desktop icons area in the Desktop Items dialog box, select the desktop icons that you want to appear on your desktop.
4.
Click OK
5.
Click OK again.
The icons you selected will be displayed on your desktop.
Stretching the taskbar
Sometimes your taskbar gets a little tight and cramped for room. When this happens, give it a stretch.
First, unlock your taskbar by right-clicking the taskbar, and then clicking Lock the Taskbar if it is selected (this will un-select it). Scroll your mouse over the top edge of the taskbar until you see the vertical resize cursor (arrow pointing up and down). Click, hold and drag the top of the taskbar up. Isn't that better? Once you find a place where you like it, you should re-select Lock the Taskbar.
SOLVING A RED X in E-mail I have a recurring problem in that when a friend sends me graphics, I get a box with a red X in it. But when I return the e-mail to him, he says the graphics are there. I've tried everything I can think of to solve the problem, but to no avail. Please help.
You can't solve the problem because it's caused by an incorrect setting in the sender's e-mail client, probably Outlook Express. This erroneous setting causes OE to include a link to the picture in the message rather than actually sending the picture itself. A link is fine when the picture resides on a Web site, but a link to a file on the sender's computer can't ordinarily be viewed from your computer. And yet, when you return the message, the sender can see the picture just fine, because the link is again valid. It's hard to imagine why this would ever be useful, but Microsoft makes it an available option.
To correct the problem, you'll have to educate the people who are sending you those red-X pictures. Here's what they should do:
Launch Outlook Express.
Select Options from the Tools menu.
Click the tab labeled Send.
Click the upper of the two buttons titled HTML Settings.
Put a check in the box labeled Send pictures with messages.
Click OK, and OK again.
That will solve the problem.
Internet Explorer 7 Available to Every XP User
When Microsoft first released Internet Explorer 7, you were required to run the Windows Genuine Advantage check so Microsoft could verify your copy of Windows was legitimate before you could download IE7. The IE team announced on their blog this week that the WGA check will no longer be required. If you haven't gotten IE7 yet because of the WGA requirement, head over to IE's Web page or turn on Automatic Updates to get IE7.
Print Screen Button and Screen Shots
Q:
How do I take a screen shot like the ones in your newsletter?
A:
I
You just tap the PrtScn (print screen) button. The real function of this key is to make a "snapshot" of your screen. If you have some imaging software (or a good word processor), you can then paste it into there and crop, etc. In fact, this is how we do our snappy screen shots.
Here's how:
To capture the whole screen, just hit the Print Screen (it might say Prt Sc ) button on your keyboard.
Then, open your imaging software (and a blank page, if you need to - it will depend on your software) and select your "Paste" command (usually Ctrl+V ).
This should paste an image of your computer screen into the document you're working on. You can also paste the image into a word processing program like MS Word or WordPerfect if you don't have imaging software. (With Word 2000 and newer, you might need to have the program open before your hit Prt Sc for the screenshot to go to the clipboard).
If you would like to capture only the current window, hold down the ALT button while you press the Print Screen button.
Soon you'll be a screenshot master.
MAKE A NEW SEND TO item: To Change or Create a new (Right Click) Send To option!
1st open up your Windows Explorer
2 Scroll down the list to Windows\Send To folder
3 Now you can drag any shortcut,you want into this folder.
And this will give the The SEND TO option when you right click: So, make a new shortcut to any item you want to use, and then drag it into the SEND TO folder.
Print Size in Outlook Express
Q: I am running Microsoft Windows XP with Outlook Express as my e-mail client. My font for composing messages is 10-point Arial and my mail-sending format is HTML. When I print an incoming message, it prints in Arial—but in 14-point size. This problem does not occur with any of my other output, such as from my word processor, only when I print from OE. I have checked all of the settings in OE and cannot find an answer. Do you have any suggestions?—Don Schley
: This is a known issue, and Microsoft offers a very specific cure. Follow these steps:
1. In Outlook Express, go to Tools | Options. In the Read tab, click Fonts. Choose Smallest.
2. Click OK twice to close OE's options.
3. In Internet Explorer, select View | Text Size | Smallest from the menu.
4. Reboot the computer.
5. Launch OE. Repeat steps 1 to 3, choosing Medium or your preferred size.
6. Launch IE; select the same size as for OE.
OE and IE work together to display HTML messages and to print messages. Once you get them back in sync, your problem should vanish.
Flash Drives 101
The first thing you'll want to do is go to your desktop and double click on the My Computer icon. Leave that open and then continue on with the next step. Next, you need to actually plug the flash drive into your computer. If you use Windows XP or Vista, you don't need any drivers to get the flash drive up and running. Just plug it into one of your available USB ports and your computer will automatically recognize it. A "Found New Hardware" bubble will pop up in the bottom right hand corner of your desktop, so always look for that before you do anything else. On the other hand, if you use an older version of Windows, you'll need to install the driver CD that comes with your flash drive in order for it to work properly.
Now, make sure you have your eye on the My Computer window and when you plug your flash drive in, look there to see where the flash drive goes. More than likely, it will bring up a new drive for you and it will be labeled as "Removable." On my computer, it comes up as "Removable Disk (L:)," but yours could be different, so just keep an eye on it. Once you find the correct drive letter, double click on it and you should see an empty window. (Don't worry, it's only empty, because you haven't put anything in it yet!) You can then go and find the files you want to save to your flash drive and just drag and drop them into the window. That's all there is to it. Once you have all the files you want saved on there, you can then go and put them on another computer or whatever you need to do. Flash drives really are awesome little devices and now you know that using them can be as easy as pie!
Display Hibernate Option on the Shut Down dialog
For some reason, Hibernate isn't available from the default Shut Down dialog. But you can enable it simply enough, by holding down the SHIFT key while the dialog is visible. Now you see it, now you don't!
Disable Error Reporting
As many of you would have noticed - every time a Microsoft program crashes in Windows XP - and Error Report comes up allowing you to send some information on the crash to Microsoft. Well this can get quite annoying, so here is how you disable it.
Open Control Panel
Click on Preformance and Maintenance.
Click on System.
Then click on the Advanced tab
Click on the error reporting button on the bottom of the windows.
Select Disable error reporting.
Click OK
Click OK
Change your Pointer
Q: I've seen pointers that turn into cute little dinosaurs, musical instruments- all sorts of things. How do you do that?
A: It's really not hard at all. Plus it's a fun way to make waiting for things to load more bearable .
In Win XP, you'll first go to the Start menu, then the Control Panel .
Click on Appearance and Themes under "Pick a Category".
Next, click on Mouse Pointers . (This option is under "See Also").
Now you'll be in the Mouse Properties window. Click on the tab called Pointers . At the top you'll see options under Scheme ; click on the drop-down arrow to look at the different ones available. Once you click on a Scheme, you can see a preview of what the pointer will look like by clicking under Customize .
Once you decide on a Scheme, click OK and Voila! You've customized your mouse pointer!
Checking Your E-mail
Are you unhappy with the way you have to check for new e-mail messages each day? I mean, wouldn't it be nice if you didn't ever really have to worry about it? All you would have to do is set your e-mail client to "automatic" and just let it roll. Well, if that sounds like an excellent idea to you, you're in luck, because that's exactly what I'm going to show you how to do today! Note: This tip is only for Outlook Express users.
There are a couple things you can do to get OE to do your work for you (if that's how you want to look at it!) Open Outlook Express and go to Tools, Options and then click on the General tab. Under the Send/Receive Messages section, you'll see three different options. For this tip, go ahead and checkmark the ones that say "Send and receive messages at startup" and "Check for new messages every (blank) minute(s)."
The first one will actually check for your new e-mail messages every time you start up your computer. So, if you shut your PC down every night, as soon as you boot it back up in the morning, OE will automatically check for any new e-mails you may have gotten throughout the night. The second feature gives you the option of choosing how often you'd like your e-mail to be checked. If you usually get new e-mails all day long, you may want to check it like every 15 minutes or so. Or, maybe you want to check it more often or less. If so, just choose your preferred amount of time and OE will take care of the rest. Click OK when you're done. With these two options selected, you'll never have to worry about manually checking your e-mail again. It's all automatic, baby!
Wallpaper Color
Do you like to use your own pictures for your computer's desktop wallpaper? You know, as long as you have the picture saved on your computer, you can right click on your desktop, choose Properties, click on the Desktop tab and hit the Browse button to search for it. When you find the one you want, select it and then you just hit OK for the picture to become your wallpaper.
Well, when you do this, you can also choose for the picture to be centered on your screen, stretched out across your whole monitor or tiled. Most people like to have it centered, because the others make the picture look a little distorted sometimes (depending on its size). To center your picture, choose Center under the Position drop down menu. So, once you have the picture centered, what about the rest of your desktop screen? Does it just sit there or is there something you can do to spice it up a little?
Luckily, there is! All you have to do is change the background color and it will add a whole new life to your picture and your wallpaper. Choose a color that goes well with the colors in the picture.
SCREEN SHOT Q:
How do I take a screen shot (copy the screen I am looking at)
I get email everyday asking that very question. So, here ya go!
You just tap the PrtScn (print screen) button. The real function of this key is to make a "snapshot" of your screen. If you have some imaging software (or a good word processor), you can then paste it into there and crop, etc. In fact, this is how we do our snappy screen shots.
Here's how:
To capture the whole screen, just hit the Print Screen (it might say Prt Sc ) button on your keyboard.
Then, open your imaging software (and a blank page, if you need to - it will depend on your software) and select your "Paste" command (usually Ctrl+V ).
This should paste an image of your computer screen into the document you're working on. You can also paste the image into a word processing program like MS Word or WordPerfect if you don't have imaging software. (With Word 2000 and newer, you might need to have the program open before your hit Prt Sc for the screenshot to go to the clipboard).
If you would like to capture only the current window, hold down the ALT button while you press the Print Screen button.
Turn off programs in VISTA Q:
I just recently started using Windows Vista and I've noticed that there are some programs running that don't really need to be, but I can't figure out how to turn them off. I know you've discussed this topic for Windows XP before, but how do we do it in Vista? Please help!
A:
What an excellent question! And it couldn't have come at a better time.
To begin, all computers have what are called services and those are basically special programs that take care of all the different functions your computer has to deal with in order to run properly. Some of those services are put in place to support some of the other programs on your computer, but in reality, a lot of them are unnecessary. Some of them sort of just sit there and take up space, which is quite annoying when you think about it. I'm sure Microsoft had good reasoning for putting those services in place, but when it comes down to it, you don't really need all of them running all the time. I mean, most of them run the entire time you have your computer turned on and that's just not necessary!
So, if you think there are some services running on your computer that you don't really need (like the person who asked this question), luckily, there is an easy way to turn them off. Windows Vista has a utility called the Microsoft Management Console (MMC), which is what you can use to turn off all those unwanted services. Keep going to learn all about it and find out how you can start using it today!
To open the MMC, click on the Start button and in the search box below it, type in "services.msc." When your results show up, scroll through and click on the one that simply says Services. A new window (it's called the Service Console) will then open for you and you will be able to see all of the services you have running at the present time. There's a lot of them, huh?!
As you can see, the Service Console gives you a lot of information about each service. It also allows you to sort through the services by the titles of Description, Status and Startup Type. If you want to learn more about a specific service, just click on it and a detailed description will then pop up on the left hand side that you can read through. (Note: In order to see the description, you need to be in the Extended mode, so keep that in mind!)
I highly suggest that you read through each of the services before you start closing them down. Like I said before, some of these services support other programs on your computer that you may use on a regular basis, so you'll definitely want to do your homework on each one before you disable them. You may even want to do a little further research on the ones you're not 100 percent positive about, just to be sure you're disabling the right services, etc. Then once you've decided which ones you don't need, just simply right click on the service name and hit Stop.
That's all there is to it. It's a pretty easy process to go through thanks to the MMC, so just take your time and be sure you're turning off what you really want to. If you do that, you'll be good to go from now on!
The difference between DVD-R and DVD+R
I wanted to add a recordable DVD drive to my computer. What is the difference between DVD-R and DVD+R?
A:
As DVD recording comes of age and the prices come down, more of us will likely be adding DVD writers to our computers. But what gives with these dueling formats?
Anyone who was around twenty years ago might remember the battle between the two video tape formats: VHS (Victor Home System) and Betamax (Sony). Fast forward to the twenty-first century and we have a similar battle of the formats with DVD.
The disks are pretty much the same, but the writing process is different. DVD+R is a bit more advanced, but the disks often cost more than the older DVD-R format.
Another thing to consider is what format your DVD recording software works best in. I had a friend that couldn't get his software to work and it turned out he needed to use DVD-R. Now he's a regular DVD pirate—Arrgh, just kiddin' matey!
My suggestion? Pay the extra bucks for a writer that supports both formats or wait until the dust settles.
COPY & PASTE Q:
People are always telling me to "copy and paste" this or that. I hate to admit it, but I don't know how to copy and paste. Can you help?
A:
First off, you'll be glad to learn copying and pasting is easy. You can copy and paste just about anything your little heart desires: text, web pages, files, pictures, you name it. The idea behind the process is to take information from one place and deposit it into another.
For an example, let's pretend you're working in a word processor and need to copy and paste a section of your document into an e-mail. Here's how:
1. First, you'll need to select the text you wish to copy. You do this by putting your mouse cursor at the first character you want to copy and, holding down the left mouse button, drag the cursor to the last character you need copied. As you drag, you'll notice everything gets highlighted (selected).
2. Next, right-click the selected area. Choose Copy from the menu that pops up (or you can use CTRL-C if you like keyboard shortcuts).
3. Finally, right-click the area in your e-mail document where you would like to insert the word processor text. Click Paste from the menu that pops up (For this, CTRL-V is your keyboard shortcut).
That's it. The steps are basically the same for any copy & paste procedure you need to do.
My taskbar has disappeared Q:
Help! It seems as if my taskbar has disappeared, Start button and all. How can I get it back?
A:
Well, I bet that you accidentally shrunk it. See, if you hover your mouse over the top edge of your taskbar, the cursor becomes a double-sided arrow which allows you to adjust the height of the taskbar.
So if you've inadvertently reduced it to none, simply hover the mouse's cursor at the very bottom edge of your screen (or where ever your taskbar was previously) and wait for the cursor to become a double-sided arrow. Then just click and drag the taskbar back to original size.
Maximize It Already! When you open your Web browser, does it sometimes open in a smaller window than you'd like? If that happens, are you constantly going up to the Maximize button and making the screen larger? It's happened to me before and let me tell you, it gets old real quick. So, what can you do about it? Well, allow me to give you a couple options. Read on!
In Internet Explorer, open a new window and for now, make sure it's a smaller size than you actually want it to be. Then go to each corner and use your mouse to drag the sides out to a size you prefer. Just drag the window until it fills your screen. (Don't use the Maximize button for this one). When you've found a size that suits you, close the window. Now, whenever you open a new window in IE, it will appear as the full size you've been waiting for. How cool is that?!
Here's another rule you can go by: If you're using several browser windows at once, whenever you close the very last one, make sure it's in its maximized size. Internet Explorer works through the last window you close. So, if you closed a window that was at the right size for you, the next one you open will be that same size too. Either way you choose to go, you're guaranteed to always have a full screen browser.
Vista Font Size
I have a couple questions for all of you today. First, are you a Windows Vista user? And second, do you sometimes have a little trouble reading the text on certain Web sites you visit or even when you're working on other things on your Vista computer? If you said yes to both of those questions, I think you're just going to absolutely love what I have for you today! This quick tip is all about changing the font size in Windows Vista for a better viewing experience. Let's check it out!
If you want to increase the size of your font in Vista, it's just a couple clicks away. To do so, right click your desktop and choose Personalize. Then in the left pane, click on the "Adjust font size (DPI)" link. After you do that, a type of warning will pop up asking for your permission to continue. Just hit the Continue button and move on. (That is only there because you're changing something on your computer and they want to make sure it really is okay with you). Next, click the option that says "Larger scale (120 DPI) - make text more readable." When you're all finished, click OK.
You should see an instant change, but you can check it out even further by opening up your Web browser and going to your favorite Web site. Or maybe open up a document you've been working on. Either way, the font size will be much larger and you will no longer have to strain your eyes to see what's written. Increasing the font size will reduce the number of headaches you get while working on your computer and you'll just be happier all the way around. It doesn't get any better than that!
Lost Vista Recycle Bin
Are you having trouble finding your Recycle Bin in Windows Vista? Well, it was probably Mr. Nobody who deleted it, but rather than worrying about who did it, let's concentrate on how to recover it, complete with all your rubbish!
Then once you find your deleted Recycle Bin, to prevent any more accidents, let's see how you can resize the desktop icons by scrolling the mouse. Alright, let's get started!
Quick Instructions on How to Find a Lost Vista Recycle Bin:
1.) Right click your Vista desktop.
2.) Choose Personalize.
3.) Select Change Desktop Icons.
4.) Under the Desktop Icon Settings, place a checkmark next to the Recycle Bin option.
With that done, let's continue on!
Step by Step Instructions on How to Find a Deleted Vista Recycle Bin:
1.) Right click in a clear area on your Vista desktop.
2.) Click on Personalize from the shortcut menu.
3.) To find the deleted Recycle Bin, select Change Desktop Icons.
Note: Look under Tasks for this
4.) Under the Desktop Icon Settings, place a checkmark next to the Recycle Bin option. Your deleted Recycle Bin should now reappear on your Vista desktop, along with all your other icons. The Recycle Bin will still have the same rubbish (your files, etc.) as when "Mr. Nobody" deleted it.
Now, while you are in the Desktop Icon Settings, you could consider placing a checkmark next to the Computer option or even the Control Panel. You can checkmark to your heart's content!
Sept. 21, 2007 All of my desktop icons are way too big. Can I shrink them somehow?
A:
Yes. You can change the size of the icons and the size of the text beneath them, and not just by choosing Large Icon or Small Icon. Just right-click the desktop, click Properties, and go to the Appearance tab. Click Effects.
The Advanced Appearance window will open. Scroll down to "icon" and then you'll be able to change those icon and caption sizes at will.
Make your changes, then click OK. You'll return to the Display Properties window. Click Apply. Your desktop screen will gray out for a few seconds, then you'll see the changes on your desktop. If you like what you see, click OK. If not, click on Effects again and make more changes.
Volume Control
Ever lost your volume icon? You go to change your volume by using the little icon that sits in the bottom right hand corner of your desktop (right next to your clock) and the icon was somehow missing? What are you supposed to do now?
If you have XP, to get the icon back, go to Start, Control Panel and click on the Sounds, Speech and Audio Devices link. Next, click on Sounds and Audio Devices. A box will appear that has different tabs. Make sure the Volume tab is selected and under the Device volume section, make sure the box that says "Place volume control icon in the taskbar" is checked. Then when you want to change your volume, you can just click on that little icon and perfect your sound.
Missing Clock
Has your computer clock timestamp ever disappeared from your system tray? You don't know how it happened, but when you went to look at the time, there was nothing there. All you can do is say, "What in the world happened to it"? Am I right?
Well, if you have ever ran into this problem, put this little tip to use and try to get it back!
Go down to your system tray (this is where your clock usually sits, along with your sound icon and you may even have other programs like your antivirus setup down there too). Right click on any open area and choose Properties. This will bring up the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties box.
Toward the bottom, look for the message that says "Show the clock" and make sure that is checkmarked. If you lost your clock, chances are this somehow got unchecked and it has to be selected in order for the clock to be displayed. Once done, click OK.
This should automatically bring back your clock icon and you can then just double click on it to adjust the date and time. Welcome back, clock!
My, What a Big Mouse You Have!
Do you find the standard Windows mouse cursor is a bit too small? If so, you may want to select a larger cursor scheme from your Mouse Properties. Here's how:
1 . Hit the Start button, Settings, Control Panel.
2 . Open your Mouse icon, then go to the Pointers tab .
3 . From here, you should see a drop box labeled " Scheme ." You're looking for an item labeled either:
Windows Standard (extra large) (system scheme)
OR
Windows Standard (large) (system scheme)
Either one of those will give you a larger than standard mouse cursor.
Depending on the computer and version of Windows, you may find you have a lot of other options, too. Check 'em out, you may find you like certain cursor schemes better than others
Oct. 20. 2007 Lost Icons
How much do you depend on certain icons on your desktop? I'm talking about the icons from the likes of My Computer, My Documents, My Network Places and so on. Those are a few of the icons that you probably usually use on a regular basis, so if they're not there, what are you supposed to do? Well, the best answer is, "Get them back!"
Now, there are a couple different ways you may have lost the icons. They could have disappeared when you installed a certain program or even when you upgraded to a new operating system. Either way, you need them, so let's find them again! To enable those icons and more, right click on your desktop and choose Properties. Click on the Desktop tab and hit the Customize Desktop button. Next, under the General tab, check any of the icons you want to appear on your desktop.
Once you do that, they will all be returned to your desktop in full view. You can choose from the icons of My Documents, My Computer, My Network Places and Internet Explorer. Now, on the other hand, you may want to take some of these icons off your desktop. If that's the case, just uncheck them and they will then be out of your way. Easy enough, don't you think?!
Web Site Shortcuts
How would you like to have a shortcut on your desktop that with just a double click, all of your favorite Web sites could be seen? And yes, I'm talking about any Web site that you visit on a regular basis (at least in Internet Explorer). How cool does all that sound? Pretty good, huh?! Well, it's very easy to do, so if you haven't done so already, let me show you how.
There's a couple of ways to do this, but they're both easy, so you can just take your pick. First, right click on your desktop and choose New, Shortcut. When the wizard pops up, type in the Web address of the site you want to add. Do keep in mind that it has to be a Web site that starts with the normal "www." Other URLs will not work. Once you have that typed in, click Next. You can then type in a shortcut name for that Web site. For example, if you're adding a WorldStart shortcut, name it WorldStart. Just give it a name that you will remember so you'll know what each shortcut is for. Click Finish when you're done. You will then see a new icon appear on your desktop.
Second, go ahead and open the Web site you want to create a shortcut for. Once you're there, look in the address bar at the top and you'll see a little Internet Explorer icon (it's a blue "e"). Drag that with your mouse and just drop it on your desktop. A new icon for it will then appear. You can then right click the icon, choose Rename and give it a proper name. Then when you're ready to visit the site, just double click on the icon and you will be taken to it automatically. Talk about convenience. It couldn't be any easier to visit your favorite Web sites!
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