Note that some of these tips may no longer be valid for some versions of programs or just don't apply any longer.

 

2010

 

SAVE A WORD DOCUMENT IN ANOTHER FORMAT

OR IN AN OLDER VERSION OF WORD

 

a. Click FILE - SAVE AS (OFFICE BUTTON - SAVE AS in Office 2007)

b. Click down arrow in Save As Type box.

c. Click format for saving this document and click Save.

 

Note: Use Text Only (or Plain Text) if you are unsure of format

you’ll need. The RTF (Rich Text Format) may maintain some of

the text formatting but may not be readable by others.

 

Note: User Word 97-2003 to save this document into an

older version of Word.

 

-----

 

INSERT AN ACCENTED LETTER WITHIN ANY PROGRAM

 

Note: You will not actually SEE the accented 'e' below because

special characters are often stripped out when you use them in

an email message you send. You may see it when you type it

within the email message but it MAY not appear as typed when

some recipients open and read the email message at their end.

 

The following tip allows you to automatically insert a letter with

an accent mark in one step. For example, if you want to type 'Jose'

 with the accented 'e' try the following:

 

a. Click Start - All Programs - Accessories - System Tools -

Character Map

b. Click on accented e in the chart and note the keyboard

shortcut of ALT+0233 in the bottom right corner.

 

Note: Thereafter, after you type 'Jos' portion, type ALT+0233 and

you will see Jose with an accented 'e' on the screen.

 

Note: Use the numbers on the numeric keypad portion of your

keyboard -- not the numbers that appear horizontally across

the top of the letters near the top of the keyboard. Many laptops

embed the numeric keypad with the letters. For example,

the number '0' may share a key with the letter 'M.' To use the

'0' variation, you will probably need to press the NumLock key

before typing the number.

 

-----

 

INSERT A PICTURE OR OTHER OBJECT IN WORD

 

a. Click to move insertion point to desired location for picture.

b. Click INSERT - PICTURE in ILLUSTRATIONS section

(or INSERT - PICTURE - FROM FILE in Office 2003)

c. Switch to the location of the picture you want to insert.

d. Click on picture.

e. Click INSERT (if necessary).

 

-----

 

USING FANCY TEXT AND OTHER FEATURES

IN EMAIL MESSAGES

 

http://www.iteachyou.com/tt/fancy.htm

 

 

 

OBTAIN ADDITIONAL CLIPART FROM

MICROSOFT TO USE IN OFFICE PROGRAMS

 

Note: The following works only if you have access to the Internet.

 

Office 97/2000/XP/2003:

a. Click INSERT - PICTURE - CLIPART.

b. Click Clips Online (or similar wording) at bottom right of screen.

 

Office 2007:

c. Click INSERT - CLIPART (in ILLUSTRATIONS section)

d. Click Clip Art on Office Online at bottom right of screen.

 

-----

 

 

INSERT A DATE IN EXCEL THAT REMAINS

CURRENT WITH YOUR SYSTEM'S DATE

 

a. Click in an empty cell.

b. Type =TODAY() and press ENTER.

Note: Replace TODAY with NOW if you want to insert both current

date and current time.

 

-----

 

REDUCING SPAM FOR EVERYONE
Often we forward emails to others without properly deleting
other email addresses contained within the email message.
 
When you are actually reading a message, it CANNOT be
edited.
 
However, when you click Forward to send this message
to someone else, the original message within this
email CAN be edited.
 
To reduce the likelihood that spammers will one day receive
and 'harvest' (gather) the email addresses contained in
that message, DELETE them before you actually send the
message.
 
-----
 
HIDE CONTENTS OF ROWS OR COLUMNS
IN EXCEL
 
Office 97/2000/XP/2003:
a. Highlight the rows or columns you want to hide.
b. Click FORMAT - CELLS.
c. Click Number tab at top of Format Cells dialog box.
d. Click Custom in the Category column.
e. Click and drag to highlight the contents of the Type field to the right.
Note: What you are highlighting probably says 'General.'
f. Type ;;; (that's 3 semicolons) and click OK.
 
Office 2007:
a. Highlight the rows or columns you want to hide.
b. Click HOME - FORMAT (in CELLS section)
c. Click HIDE & UNHIDE (in VISIBILITY section).
d. Click HIDE ROWS or HIDE COLUMNS.

 

-----

 

FIND A FILE IN WINDOWS

 

Windows Vista/7

a. Click Start button and click inside the Search field just above

the Start button.

b. Type what you are searching for in the Search field and press Enter.

Note: The Windows Search Utility automatically displays files

and folders that either include your keyword in the file/folder

name or include the keyword in the text of the file.

 

Windows 98/ME/XP

a. Click Start - Search (or similar wording).

b. Click All Files & Folders (or similar wording).

c. Type name of file in 'All or Part of the File Name' field

(or similar wording).

d. Verify that Look In field indicates your Hard Drive.

e. Click Search (or similar wording).

Note: Or click the down arrow to the right of the Look In

field above and click

My Documents if you want to narrow down your search to

just this folder.

f. When search is finished, click VIEW - DETAILS.

Note: You can then sort the various columns in the listing by

clicking the gray button at the top of a column.

Note: You can also use the Windows Search Utility to search for

exact wording within a document, the date a document was

created, and more.

 

-----

 

PASTE TEXT FROM WORD INTO EXCEL

AS AN OBJECT

 

Office 97/2000/XP/2003:

a. Highlight text in Word and click EDIT - COPY.

b. Click in a cell in Excel.

c. Click EDIT - PASTE SPECIAL - PICTURE.

Note: The text will appear in a single box that sits on top of the

Excel cells. It can be moved, resized, colored, etc. as desired.

 

Office 2007:

d. Highlight text in Word and click HOME - COPY

. . . . .  (in CLIPBOARD section).

e. Click in a cell in Excel.

f. Click HOME - down arrow beneath PASTE and click

. . . . .  PASTE SPECIAL.

g. Click to place a dot by Paste and click to highlight Picture in the list.

Note: The text will appear in a single box that sits on top of the Excel

. . . . . cells. It can be moved, resized, colored, etc. as desired.

 

-----

 

CHANGE SYSTEM RESTORE SETTINGS IN WINDOWS

 

Note: Windows ME/XP/Vista/7 all include System Restore which

automatically saves restore points at regular intervals so you can

revert your system to a point in the recent past before a problem

occurred.

 

Although this feature can be helpful, it does use varying

amounts of hard drive space depending on how much total space

is devoted to this utility. In addition, when you do choose to revert your

system to a prior point, you will likely lose some settings/information

that you may not want to lose.

 

To check or change System Restore settings in Windows ME/XP/Vista,

do the following:

 

Windows ME/XP

a. Click Start - All Programs - Accessories - System Tools -

. . . . . System Restore.

b. Follow directions on the screen.

 

Windows Vista

c. Click Start button - Control Panel.

d. Click System Protection link under Tasks on left side of dialog box.

e. Follow directions on the screen.

 

Windows 7

f. Click Start button - Control Panel.

g. Click System.

h. Click System Protection link under Tasks on left side of dialog box.

i. Follow directions on the screen.

 

-----

 

PASSWORD PROTECT AN EXCEL OR WORD FILE

 

a. Click FILE - SAVE AS (or OFFICE BUTTON -

. . . . SAVE AS in Office 2007).

b. Click down-facing arrow to right of Tools button in top toolbar

. . . . (or click Tools button at bottom of dialog box in Office 2007).

c. Click General Options (or Options in some versions).

d. Type password in the Password... box and click OK.

 

-----

 

SELECT MULTIPLE FILES THAT ARE

ADJACENT TO ONE ANOTHER IN WINDOWS

 

a. Display list of files on your screen.

b. Click on the name of the first file in the list you want to select.

c. While holding down the SHIFT key on your keyboard,

. . . . . click the mouse on the last file to select.

 

-----

 

SELECT MULTIPLE FILES THAT ARE NOT

ADJACENT TO ONE ANOTHER IN WINDOWS

 

a. Display list of files on your screen.

b. Click on the name of the first file you wish to select.

c. While holding down the CTRL key on your keyboard,

. . . . . click the mouse on each additional file you want to select.

 

 

 

 

2009

 

TURN GRIDLINES ON OR OFF FOR PRINTOUTS IN EXCEL

 

Office 97/2000/XP/2003:

a. Click FILE - PAGE SETUP.

b. Click Sheet tab in Page Setup dialog box.

c. Check or uncheck the Gridlines check box in the

Print area and click OK.

Note: Group worksheets if you want this setting to apply to

more than 1 worksheet.

 

Office 2007:

d. Click PAGE LAYOUT.

e. Click small diagonal arrow at bottom right of PAGE section.

f. Click Sheet tab in Page Setup dialog box.

g. Check or uncheck the Gridlines check box in the

Print area and click OK.

Note: Group worksheets if you want this setting to apply to

more than 1 worksheet.

 

-----

 

ADJUST WINDOWS POWER MANAGEMENT

SETTINGS

 

a. Right-click on blank portion of Desktop and click Properties

(Personalize in Vista and Win 7).

b. Click Screen Saver tab (Screen Saver link in Vista and Win 7).

c. Click Change Power Settings link near bottom-right of

dialog box and click Power button.

d. In Windows 98/ME/XP only: Click Power Schemes.

e. Make changes.

 

-----

 

INSERT A SYMBOL IN MICROSOFT WORD

a. Click to place insertion point where you want to insert the symbol.

b. Click INSERT - SYMBOL (or INSERT - SYMBOL -

. . . . . MORE SYMBOLS in Office 2007).

c. Click down arrow to right of Font box.

d. Click on name of a font to see display of symbols associated

. . . . . with this font (examples: Wingdings or Symbol are two good

. . . . . font choices that offer many different symbols).

e. Click on desired symbol.

f. Click Insert and click Close.

 

-----

 

DELETE BROWSER TOOLBARS

http://www.iteachyou.com/tt/toolbars.htm

 

-----

 

PRINT LABELS WITH THE SAME INFORMATION
ON EACH LABEL IN MICROSOFT WORD

 

Office XP/2003:
a. Click TOOLS - LETTERS AND MAILINGS -
. . . . . ENVELOPES AND LABELS.
b. Continue with Step g below.
Office 97/2000
c. Click TOOLS - ENVELOPES AND LABELS.
d. Continue with Step g below.
Office 2007:
e. Click MAILINGS - LABELS.
f. Continue with Step g below.
Continue Here for All Versions:
g. Click LABELS tab in Envelopes and Labels box; type text
. . . . .for the label.
h. Insert label sheet(s) in printer.
i. Click to place a dot by 'Full Page of the Same Label.'
j. Click on sample picture of label and choose correct label style
. . . . . for your labels.
k. Click Print button.

 

-----

 


DEFINITIONS OF CONFUSING INTERNET
TERMINILOGIES

 

http://www.iteachyou.com/tt/jargon.htm

 

-----

 

HIDE TEXT IN MICROSOFT WORD

 

a. Highlight text you want to hide.

 

b. While holding down the Shift and Ctrl keys on the keyboard

press the H key and release all.

 

Note: You can display hidden text if you click the pilcrow symbol.

(backwards P) symbol in the toolbar.

 

Note: You can remove this feature by repeating these steps

on the same text.

 

-----

 

IMPORT DATA FROM ANOTHER SOURCE

INTO MICROSOFT EXCEL

 

Office 97/2000/XP/2003:

a. Click HELP - MICROSOFT EXCEL HELP.

b. Type Import External Data in the Search field on the right side

of the screen.

c. Click arrow to right of this field.

d. Click subtopic for more information.

 

Office 2007:

e. Click HELP button in upper right corner of screen.

f. Type Import External Data in the Search field of the Help dialog box.

g. Click Search.

h. Read directions on the screen.

 

-----

 

TURN OFF AUTOARRANGE FEATURE ON

WINDOWS DESKTOP SCREEN

 

Windows 98/ME/2000/XP:

a. Right-click on blank portion of Desktop; click Arrange Icons By

b. Click Auto Arrange if there's a checkmark beside it.

 

Windows Vista:

c. Right-click on blank portion of Desktop.

d. Click View.

e. Click Align to Grid if there's a checkmark beside it.

 

-----

 

FREEZE CELLS IN EXCEL

 

a. Click in a cell that contains data.

 

b. Click WINDOW - FREEZE PANES VIEW - FREEZE PANES -

FREEZE PANES in Office 2007) and note that 2 Freeze Bars

appear on the screen.

 

c. Scroll horizontally and vertically to see how Freeze Bars work.

Note: Freeze bars always appear immediately BEFORE the cell

you first select.

 

d. Click WINDOW - UNFREEZE PANES (or VIEW - FREEZE PANES -

UNFREEZE PANES in Office 2007)

 

-----

 

CHANGE RECYCLE BIN SETTINGS

IN WINDOWS

 

a. On Windows Desktop screen, right click on Recycle Bin icon.

 

b. Click Properties.

 

c. In Windows 98/ME/XP only: Click Global tab in Properties

dialog box.

 

d. Make changes as desired and click OK when done.

 

-----

 

Converting a PDF file to Word

(from Kim Komando -- komando.com)

 

Question:

How do I convert a scanned PDF file to a Word file?

I need to do this so I can e-mail my resume out for jobs.

 

Answer:

I usually tell people to send their résumés in the body of their

e-mail. Many corporate e-mail systems strip attachments.

But if you're following the company's directions, you should be OK.

 

So, let me explain a bit about scanned PDF files. Then, I'll

discuss converting them to Word documents.

 

A scanned PDF is simply a document that has been imported

with a scanner. The scanner takes a picture of a document,

which is placed inside a PDF. There is no text, per se.

Rather, the text is part of the image. In a regular PDF document,

the text is not part of an image.

 

To convert to Word, use optical character recognition (OCR)

software. This extracts the text from the image. It places the

text in a document so that it can be edited. For example, the

text can be placed in a Word file.

 

The text could also be placed in a PDF file. That way, it can

be edited with a program like Acrobat. Or, you can search for

text within the PDF file. (If the text is part of an image in a

PDF file, it can't be searched.)

 

------

 

RECORD AUDIO IN POWERPOINT

 

Office 97/2000/XP/2003:

- Click SLIDE SHOW-RECORD NARRATION.

 

Office 2007:

- Click SLIDE SHOW - RECORD NARRATION

(in SETUP section).

 

-----

 

SHARING FILES IN VARIOUS VERSIONS OF OFFICE

 

If you are using Office 2007 and want to share files with colleagues

using an older version of Office, you should download the

Compatibility Pack from http://snipurl.com/mscomp (or go to

http://www.microsoft.com and search for Office 2007 Compatibility Pack).

 

-----

 

CHECK CAPACITY OF YOUR HARD DISK DRIVE IN WINDOWS

 

a. Double-click to open My Computer

(or click Start button - Computer in Win Vista).

b. Right-click on icon that represents your hard disk drive

(usually C Drive).

c. Click Properties; click General tab.

 

-----

 

SELECT NON-ADJACENT CELLS IN EXCEL
a. Click and drag to highlight cells.
b. While holding down the CTRL key, click and drag to highlight
non-adjacent cells.

-----

USE MAIL MERGE TO CREATE MAILIING
LABELS IN WORD

Go to http://www.iteachyou.com/merge.htm for directions.

 

-----

 

HARD DRIVE ERASER

http://www.heidi.ie/node/6

 

Free, highly-respected program for completely

eliminating all information on your hard disk drive.

 

-----

 

CHANGE FORMAT OF A DATE IN EXCEL

a. Highlight a column or just specific cells you want to affect.

b. Office 2007 only: Click HOME - FORMAT (in CELLS section)

c. Click FORMAT - CELLS

d. Click Number tab; click Date in Category list and follow directions

on the screen.

 

-----

 

CREATE MULTIPLE COLUMNS IN WORD

a. Click FORMAT - COLUMNS (or PAGE LAYOUT - COLUMNS in

PAGE SETUP section in Office 2007).

b. Follow the directions on the screen.

 

 

2008

 

CHANGE DEFAULT SETTINGS IN EXCEL

 

Office 97/2000/XP/2003:

a. Click TOOLS - OPTIONS and make choices.

 

Office 2007:

b. Click OFFICE BUTTON; click Excel Options button (bottom right).

c. Click one of the words on the left side of Excel Options dialog box.

d. Make changes as desired.

 

-----

 

CHECK OR CHANGE DEFAULT SETTINGS IN WINDOWS

 

Windows 98/ME/XP:

a. Click Start - Control Panel (or Start - Settings - Control Panel).

b. Click Switch to Classic View if you see it listed on the left side

of your screen.

c. Check or make changes as desired.

 

Windows Vista:

d. Click Start button - Control Panel.

e. If there is no dot to the left of 'Classic View' then click on these

words to add a dot.

f. Double-click to open System and click the General tab in the

dialog box.

g. Check or make changes as desired.

 

-----

 

PRINT COLUMN HEADINGS AT TOP

OF EACH PAGE IN EXCEL

 

Office 97/2000/XP/2003:

a. Click FILE - PAGE SETUP.

b. Click Sheet tab in Page Setup dialog box.

c. Click in Rows to Repeat at Top field.

d. Type range of cells that contain column headings to repeat.

(For example: A1:G1)

 

Office 2007:

e. Click PAGE LAYOUT.

f. Click small diagonal arrow at bottom right of PAGE SETUP section.

g. Click Sheet tab in Page Setup dialog box.

h. Click in Rows to Repeat at Top field.

i. Type range of cells that contain column headings to repeat.

(For example: A1:G1)

 

-----

 

PRINT A COMPLETE LIST OF WORD KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

 

All Versions:

a. Click TOOLS - MACRO - MACROS (or DEVELOPER - MACROS

in Office 2007).

b. Click down-facing arrow to the right of the 'Macros In' field.

c. Click Word Commands; scroll down and click List Commands.

d. Click Run.

e. Click to place dot by 'Current Menu and Keyboard...' in dialog box.

f. Click OK.

g. Click FILE - PRINT and click OK if you want to print out the

entire 9-page list.

 

-----

 

MAXIMIZE THE SIZE OF A WINDOW

 

Double-click on the blue Title Bar for a window you want to maximize

so it fills your screen.

 

-----

 

DISPLAY GRIDLINES ON THE SCREEN IN WORD

 

Office 2000/XP/2003:

a. Click VIEW-TOOLBARS; click (if necessary) to place

checkmark by Drawing.

b. Click Draw button in Drawing toolbar.

c. Click Grid.

d. Click Display Gridlines on Screen.

e. Make changes as needed and click OK.

 

Office 2007:

f. Click VIEW - GRIDLINES (in SHOW/HIDE section).

 

-----

 

LOCK AN ENTIRE EXCEL WORKBOOK

 

Office 97/2000/XP/2003:

a. Click TOOLS - PROTECTION and follow directions on screen.

 

Office 2007:

b. Click HOME - FORMAT (in CELLS section).

c. Click PROTECT SHEET (in PROTECTION section) and follow

directions on screen.

 

-----

 

WET CELL PHONE?

If your cell phone becomes wet, try the following:

- Remove the battery.

- Pack the battery in dry white rice overnight.

 

-----

 

In the next several issues of Net Happenings, I will be including

tips that list 'how to' steps for both Windows XP and

Windows Vista.

 

Occasionally I will also include 'how to' steps for both

Office XP/2003 and Office 2007.

 

-----

 

TURN ON FILE EXTENSIONS

 

Windows 98/ME/XP

a. Double-click to open My Computer on your Windows Desktop.

b. Click TOOLS - FOLDER OPTIONS.

c. Click View tab in dialog box.

d. Click (if necessary) to remove checkmark by 'Hide Extensions

for Known File Types.'

e. Click Apply and OK.

 

Windows Vista

a. Click Start button - Control Panel.

b. Double-click to open Folder Options.

c. Click View tab in dialog box.

d. Click (if necessary) to remove checkmark by 'Hide Extensions

for Known File Types.'

e. Click Apply and OK.

 

-----

 

CHANGE MARGINS IN WORD

 

Word 97/2000/XP/2003:

a. Click FILE - PAGE SETUP.

b. Click MARGINS tab in PAGE SETUP dialog box.

c. Change margins as desired.

d. Click OK.

 

Word 2007:

a. Click PAGE LAYOUT - MARGINS (in PAGE SETUP section).

b. Change margins as desired.

 

-----

 

BETTER RESULTS WITH GOOGLE

When using Google.com to search for something, try the following…

- Go to http://www.google.com

- Click Advanced Search

 

This allows you to add or eliminate keywords in your search.

 

-----

 

MODIFY GRAPHIC IN POWERPOINT

 

Office 97/2000/XP/2003:

a. Right-click in center of graphic.

b. Click Format Picture.

c. Click Picture tab; change cropping and brightness as desired.

d. Click additional tabs and make changes as desired.

e. Click OK when done.

 

Office 2007:

f. Click in center of graphic.

g. Click FORMAT - CROP (in SIZE section).

h. Click and drag brackets around graphic to crop as desired.

i. Click BRIGHTNESS (in ADJUST section) and select desired

brightness.

 

-----

 

ADD AN ACCENT MARK TO A VOWEL IN WORD

 

A good friend's last name is Dave (with an accent on the final e)

 

- While holding down the CTRL key on your keyboard, press the '

(apostrophe) key and release both keys.

 

- Immediately type the letter e which should create an accented letter e.

 

Note: Although you may be able to copy and paste a word that includes

this accent mark from Word to an email message, there is no guarantee

that your recipient(s) will see the accent mark at the receiving end. It

depends on what email option they are using. The accent mark may

either be missing in the email message or you might see something

like the following for the name Dave: ... last name is Dav(91)e(92) ...

if their email program can't properly interpret the accented e.

 

However, use it in Word anytime and it should work fine.

 

On a Mac?

For the Mac: hold down the Option key, press E, then the vowel you

want accented.

 

------

 

Create PDFs for free

(from komando.com)

 

http://www.primopdf.com/

 

PDF stands for Portable Document File. PDFs appear identically

on all computer systems. They can be opened with the free

Adobe Reader.

 

Adobe Acrobat also sells a program that allows you to create

PDFs; however the price of this program is quite high.

 

PrimoPDF is a free alternative program for creating PDFs.

 

-----

 

MICROSOFT COMPATIBILITY PACK

If you receive a file that was created with Office 2007 and you are

using a prior version of Office, you need to obtain the Office 2007

Compatibility Pack in order to open the file.

 

Go to http://www.microsoft.com

Search for 'Office 2007 compatibility pack' (without the quotes).

-----

 

OFFICE 2007 AND OLDER VERSIONS
(shared by Bill Pack)

 
If you are using Office 2007 and want to share files with
colleagues using an older version of Office, you should download
the Microsoft Office 2007 Compatibility Pack from
http://snipurl.com/mscomp (or go to http://www.microsoft.com
and search for Office 2007 Compatibility Pack).
 
-----

 
ACCESS YOUR FAVORITES/BOOKMARKS ONLINE
EVEN WHEN YOU ARE AT A DIFFERENT COMPUTER
 
The following options are both popular and free...
 
- http://del.icio.us
- http://furl.net
 
... and are referred to as social bookmarking sites -- others can see
your bookmarks and vice versa. However, with Furl, you can make
your bookmarks private if you wish.

------

 

ADD HYPERLINK IN POWERPOINT

... Office 97/2000/XP/2003:
a. Click Slide Sorter View button.
b. Double-click on Slide 2 to switch to Slide View (Normal View

in some versions) of this slide.
c. Click and drag to highlight the words www.iteachyou.com.
d. Click SLIDE SHOW - ACTION SETTINGS.
e. Click Mouse Click tab in Action Settings dialog box.
f. Click to place a dot by Hyperlink To.
g. Click down-facing arrow to right of Hyperlink To field,

scroll down, and click URL in the list.
h. Type the full Web address for the link (e.http://www.iteachyou.com).
i. Click OK 2 times.

... Office 2007:
j. Click Slide Sorter View button.
k. Double-click on Slide 2 to switch to Slide View of this slide.
l. Click and drag to highlight the words www.iteachyou.com.
m. Click INSERT - HYPERLINK (in LINKS section).
n. Click in Address field at the bottom of the Insert Hyperlink

dialog box and type the full Web address for the link

(e.g. http://www.iteachyou.com).
o. Click OK.

-----

 

UNDERSTANDING PROBLEMS WITH PRINTING WEBPAGES

http://www.iteachyou.com/tt/print.htm

 

-----

 

SELECT NON-ADJACENT CELLS IN MICROSOFT EXCEL
a. Click and drag to highlight cells.
b. While holding down the CTRL key, click and drag to highlight

non-adjacent cells.

-----


CLICKING WRONG LINK ON A WEBPAGE
If you click the wrong link on a Webpage, try one of the following:
 
- Press Esc key on your keyboard which stops loading the Webpage.
or
- Click Stop button in your browser's toolbar.
 
Depending on how much of the Webpage has loaded, you may

still need to click the Back button in your browser's toolbar to return

to where you were.
 
Note: If you've click the wrong link and still have your left mouse button

pressed down, just drag your mouse pointer off the link to a blank

portion of the screen and release the mouse button.

 

 

2007

 

I am frequently asked how to create mailing labels using Microsoft

Word. Following are 3 options that each produce different results.
 
Option 1: Print Labels with the Same Information on Each Label
Option 2: Print Labels with Different Information Manually Typed on

Each Label
Option 3: Print Labels using Mail Merge to Combine the Data from

One File with the Label Form in Word.

. . . . .

Option 1: Print Labels with the Same Information on Each Label
 
OFFICE XP/2003:
a. Click TOOLS - LETTERS AND MAILINGS -

ENVELOPES AND LABELS.
b. Continue with Step g below.
 
OFFICE 97/2000:
c. Click TOOLS - ENVELOPES AND LABELS.
d. Continue with Step g below.
 
OFFICE 2007:
e. Click MAILINGS - LABELS.
f. Continue with Step g below.
 
CONTINUE HERE FOR ALL VERSIONS:
g. Click LABELS tab in Envelopes and Labels box; type text

for the label.
h. Insert label sheet(s) in printer.
i. Click to place a dot by "Full Page of the Same Label."
j. Click Print button.
 
. . . . .
 
Option 2: Print Labels with Different Information Manually Typed

on Each Label
 
OFFICE 97/2000/XP/2003:
a. Click FILE - NEW; click On My Computer (or FILE - NEW -

GENERAL TEMPLATES for some versions).
b. Click Letters and Faxes tab; double-click Mailing Label wizard icon.
c. In Office Assistant bubble, click Create One Label or a Page of the

Same Label and OK.
d. In Envelopes and Labels dialog box, click Options.
e. In Options dialog box, under Product Number, select correct label

type and click OK.
f. In Envelopes and Labels dialog box, click New Document.
g. After a table with faint gridlines displays, type different addresses

in the cells.
 
OFFICE 2007:
h. Click MAILINGS - LABELS (in CREATE section).
i. Click Labels tab in Envelopes and Labels dialog box.
j. Click Options button.
k. Make choices in Label Options dialog box and click OK.
l. Click to place a dot by "Full Page of the Same Label."
m. Click New Document button.
n. After a table with faint gridlines displays, type different addresses

in the cells.
 
. . . . .
 
Option 3: Print Labels using Mail Merge to Combine the Data from

One File with the Label Form in Word
 
Go to http://www.iteachyou.com/merge.htm and follow the directions

on the screen.
 
Note: These instructions currently only apply to Word 2003 and prior

versions -- not to Word 2007.

-----

 

INSERT A FOOTNOTE IN MICROSOFT WORD

* Office 97/2000/XP/2003:
a. Position cursor at location for footnote in document;
click INSERT - REFERENCE - FOOTNOTE (click INSERT -
FOOTNOTE in Off 97/2000) and click Insert (or OK).
b. Type footnote text; when done, click in body of document.

* Office 2007:
c. Position cursor at location for footnote in document.
d. Click REFERENCES - INSERT FOOTNOTE (in FOOTNOTES section).
e. Type footnote text; when done, click in body of document.

-----

HIDE CONTENTS OF CELLS IN MICROSOFT EXCEL

* Office 97/2000/XP/2003:
a. Highlight the rows or columns you want to hide.
b. Click FORMAT - CELLS.
c. Click Number tab at top of Format Cells dialog box.
d. Click Custom in the Category column.
e. Click and drag to highlight the contents of the Type field
to the right.
Note: What you are highlighting probably says 'General.'
f. Type ;;; (that's 3 semicolons) and click OK.

* Office 2007:
g. Highlight the rows or columns you want to hide.
h. Click HOME - FORMAT (in CELLS section)
i. Click HIDE and UNHIDE (in VISIBILITY section).
j. Click HIDE ROWS or HIDE COLUMNS.

-----

 

INSERT A 'LANDSCAPE' PAGE IN THE MIDDLE

OF A 'PORTRAIT' DOCUMENT IN MICROSOFT WORD

a. Click at the start of the page that is to be in 'landscape' format.
b. Click INSERT-BREAK; click to place a dot by Continuous and

click OK.
c. Click at the end of the page that is to be in 'landscape' format.
d. Click INSERT-BREAK; click to place a dot by Continuous and

click OK.
e. Click just before the first word in the page that will be converted

to landscape.
f. Click FILE-PAGE SETUP; click Margins tab; click Landscape;

click OK.

 
-----

TURN GRIDLINES ON OR OFF WHEN
PRINTING A MICROSOFT EXCEL SPREADSHEET
Office 97/2000/XP/2003:

a. Click FILE - PAGE SETUP.
b. Click Sheet tab in Page Setup dialog box.
c. Check or uncheck the Gridlines check box in the Print area

and click OK.
Note: Group worksheets if you want this setting to apply to

more than 1 worksheet.
Office 2007:
d. Click PAGE LAYOUT.
e. Click small diagonal arrow at bottom right of PAGE SETUP

section.
f. Click Sheet tab in Page Setup dialog box.
g. Check or uncheck the Gridlines check box in the Print area

and click OK.
Note: Group worksheets if you want this setting to apply

to more than 1 worksheet.

-----

 

HUMMING NOISE IN YOUR COMPUTER'S SPEAKERS

A humming noise can occur when the volume dial for your speakers
is turned up to a high level. To adjust the volume setting within
Windows XP or Vista, do the following:
a. Click Start button - Control Panel.
b. Open Sounds (wording varies with version and settings)
c. Change sound levels to at least 80 percent.
d. Click OK (or similar) maintain this setting in Windows.
e. Turn down the volume dial for your speakers.

If this doesn't work, then you may have another electronic
component placed too close to the speakers, thus causing the
noise.

-----

 

DISPLAY NEGATIVE NUMBERS IN
VARIOUS WAYS IN MS EXCEL

a. Highlight a column or just specific cells you want to affect.
b. Office 2007 only: Click HOME - FORMAT (in CELLS section)
c. Click FORMAT - CELLS.
d. Click Number tab in dialog box; click Number in the Category list.
e. Make choice in the Negative Numbers field of how you want negative numbers to display.

-----

 

FINDING YOUR NAME ON THE INTERNET
It's fun (and sometimes alarming) to find references to YOU
on the Internet. Try the following:
 
- Go to http://www.google.com
- Type "your full name" within quotes in the search field
(e.g., "Gini Pedersen")
- Click Google Search button.

-----

ADD HYPERLINK IN POWERPOINT
Office 97/2000/XP/2003:
a. Click Slide Sorter View button.
b. Double-click on Slide 2 to switch to Slide View (Normal View
in some versions) of this slide.
c. Click and drag to highlight the words www.iteachyou.com.
d. Click SLIDE SHOW - ACTION SETTINGS.
e. Click Mouse Click tab in Action Settings dialog box.
f. Click to place a dot by Hyperlink To.
g. Click down-facing arrow to right of Hyperlink To field,
scroll down, and click URL in the list.
h. Type the full Web address for the link (http://www.iteachyou.com).
i. Click OK 2 times.
Office 2007:
j. Click Slide Sorter View button.
k. Double-click on Slide 2 to switch to Slide View of this slide.
l. Click and drag to highlight the words www.iteachyou.com.
m. Click INSERT - HYPERLINK (in LINKS section).
n. Click in Address field at the bottom of the Insert Hyperlink
dialog box and type the full Web address for the link
(e.g. http://www.iteachyou.com).
o. Click OK.

------

 

MICROSOFT WORD -- INSERT A DROP CAP AT THE

START OF A PARAGRAPH
- Highlight first letter in a paragraph.
- Click FORMAT-DROP CAP and make selections.

-----
 
WRAP TEXT AROUND A PICTURE IN MICROSOFT WORD
- Right-click on the picture.
- Click Format Picture.
- Click Wrapping tab.
- Make choice and click OK.

- Click and drag the picture to desired location.

-----

ADDING CLIPART TO AN ENVELOPE IN MSWORD
To do this, you must first attach the envelope to a document.
This allows you to work with the envelope as you would a page
of text, instead of relying on Word's Envelopes And Labels tool
to generate the formatting.
 
To attach an envelope to a document:
- Open Word
- Click TOOLS - ENVELOPES AND LABELS
- Click Envelopes tab in dialog box.
- Type envelope information as you normally would.
- Click Add to Document button and the envelope becomes
. . . . . . . . . a page in the document.
- Click where you want to insert the clipart.
- Click INSERT - PICTURE - CLIP ART.
- Follow instructions on screen.

-----

FORMATTING IN EMAIL MESSAGES
Unfortunately, in the 'email department,' we're still in
'just because you can, doesn't mean you should' mode.
 
Many current email programs allow the sender to format
an email in a variety of ways -- stationery, colors, formatting, etc.
 
However, since the Internet Protocol needs to make your message
readable on different types of computers along the delivery journey
and at the receiving end -- and because there are so many different
email programs people use out there (including different versions of
the same program) -- there is really no way for the sender to truly
control the way a receiver will see what's in the body of an email
message.
 
If formatting is critical, as with spreadsheets, resumes, etc.,
then you would need to send them as an attachment to increase
the likelihood that the recipient will see it as it was created --
and then only if they have the right program already installed
on their computer to read that file format.
 
Some people try to test the use of stationery, etc. by sending
a message to their own email address. But this isn't really a
valid test since the message really isn't going out on the Internet --
but, rather, is just cycling through your Internet Service Provider's
intranet.
 
This will all probably be a non-issue in a few years. But, for now,
you probably need to stick with plain old vanilla style emails.

-----

 

 

 

2006

 

WORD -- HOW TO ELIMINATE ALL FORMATTING
IN ONE STEP
 
- Click EDIT-SELECT ALL.
- While holding down the CTRL key, press the Space Bar.
 
-----
 
EXCEL -- HOW TO CLEAR CELL FORMATS IN EXCEL
After you have applied a particular cell format to cells in
Excel, you can't simply reverse what you set as you might
in Word. To remove cell formats, do the following:
 
- Highlight the cells you no longer want formatted.
- Click EDIT - CLEAR - FORMATS

-----

 

HOW TO DELETE UNWANTED TEXT IN AN E-MAIL

MESSAGE BEFORE YOU FORWARD, SAVE, PRINT, ETC.

We all receive (and forward?) e-mail messages that start out

with a lot of unwanted 'header' info -- evidence that this

message has been forwarded one or more times before we

received it.

 

Here's how to clean up the mess before printing, saving, or

forwarding the message to someone else.

 

The text of an e-mail message ISN'T usually modifiable

when you first receive the message. It can be READ only.

However, if you begin the process of replying or forwarding

this message to someone, you are able to edit this e-mail

message at this point -- before you send it. To do this,

scroll across the unwanted text to highlight it and press the

Delete key on your keyboard.

 

Or, you can highlight the entire message, click EDIT-COPY

to place the highlighted text on your 'clipboard,' open your

favorite word processing program, click EDIT-PASTE to

paste the highlighted text in this new document, and then delete

unwanted text within the word processing program.

 

This latter method is particularly useful if you just want to print

or save a portion of the message. In addition, this latter method

also gives you more control over editing out the > symbols at the

start of each line. Following is the way to do this in MSWord:

 

- Paste the entire message into Word as explained above.

- Highlight the message.

- Click EDIT-REPLACE.

- Type the > symbol in the Find What box.

  (Note: Or, if necessary, type a > followed by a space

  in the Find What box.)

- Leave the Replace With box empty (meaning you will

  replace with nothing)

- Click Replace All button

 

Additional note: In most word processing programs you can

also use various other features within the Replace dialog box

to make additional changes -- even to non-printing codes such

as line breaks, tabs, etc.

 

-----

 

RE-RUN SPELL CHECKER IN WORD
Occasionally you may want to re-run the Spell Checker on a
Word document that has already been checked and saved.
 
In most recent versions of Word, do the following:
- Open the document.
- Click Tools-Options.
- Click Spelling and Grammar tab.
- Click Recheck Document button.
- Click Yes.
- Click OK.
- Run the spell checker again on this document.
 
-----
 
HOW TO SEE THE TOTAL SIZE OF A FOLDER AND ALL
ITS CONTENTS IN WINDOWS
Get to your Windows Desktop.
Open My Computer.
Branch to the folder you want to check, but don't open it.
Right-click on the folder you want to check.
Click Properties.
The dialog box will tell you this size information.

-----

 

CREATE A WATERMARK WITH AN IMAGE IN WORD
a. Insert a picture in your document; resize picture as needed.
b. Right-click on the picture; click Format Picture.
c. Click Picture tab; click down-arrow to right of the
Image Control Color field.
d. Click Washout (Watermark in Office 97/2000).
e. Click Layout tab; click Behind Text and click OK.

-----

CORRECTLY DISPLAY WEB ADDRESSES WITHIN AN
EMAIL MESSAGE
Many e-mail programs will turn a typed Web address within
an e-mail message into a direct link to the Webpage.
 
To properly code the Web address so it may become a
direct link for your recipient, never include any characters
or punctuation immediately before or after the Web address
even if the Web address falls at the end of a sentence.
 
Also, always type in the http:// at the start of the address
because some e-mail software programs will not convert
an address that is missing the http:// portion. In addition,
only some e-mail programs will convert a Web address
that is surrounded with < and > symbols to a hyperlink.

Good and bad examples include:
... Bad: You can see a list of upcoming classes
at http://www.iteachyou.com. (don't use final period)
... Bad: You can see a list of upcoming classes at
www.iteachyou.com
... Good: Check the following address to find out about
upcoming classes: http://www.iteachyou.com
... Good: Check ITeachYou.com ( http://www.iteachyou.com )
to see a list of upcoming classes (note the spaces between
parentheses and Web address)

The Web address to this site would then become a hyperlink
within the e-mail message, if the recipient has e-mail software
that supports this feature. If not, it will still appear as readable
text -- just as shown above.

-----

 

SPEEDING UP YOUR INTERNET CONNECTION

http://www.iteachyou.com/tt/speed.htm

 

-----

 

UNDERSTANDING YOUR BROWSER'S CACHE
http://www.iteachyou.com/tt/cache.htm

-----


EDIT EMAIL BEFORE REPLYING OR FORWARDING IT
With most email programs you can edit an email message
before you send a reply or forward it on to others.

Doing this allows you to remove unnecessary text, old
email headers, etc.

To do this...

- Open the email message.
- Click a button or drop-down menu to begin a Reply or Forward.
- Click and drag to highlight unwanted text in the message area.
- Add text as needed.
- Send message.

In other words, you cannot edit an email message you receive.
However, you can edit this same message when you begin the
process of replying or forwarding the message.

In addition, with any email programs you can also use the following
technique to save a single message into Word so you can easily
edit, find, and maybe print it in the future:

1. Open email message onto the screen.
2. Click and drag with the mouse to highlight all text in the message.
3. Click EDIT-COPY.
4. Open Word.
5. Click EDIT-PASTE.
6. Click FILE-SAVE AS and give it a name and location in your
My Documents folder if you wish.
7. Click FILE-PRINT, etc. if you wish to print this now or later.

-----

 

AUTOCOMPLETE SETTINGS IN INTERNET EXPLORER

The AutoComplete feature in Internet Explorer finishes typing
what you started in Web address fields, password fields, and on
forms if this information has been typed within Internet Explorer
on a prior occasion.

To access Internet Explorer's AutoComplete feature:
1. Open Internet Explorer.
2. Click TOOLS-INTERNET OPTIONS.
3. Click Content tab.
4. Click AutoComplete button.
5. Make Changes as desired.
6. Click OK.

Note: Although I may choose to use the AutoComplete feature
which also helps with "remembering" passwords at some sites,
it is a bit of a security risk since others who access your computer
could also access these sites.

-----
 
CHANGE DEFAULT BROWSER OR EMAIL PROGRAM

If you change browsers or e-mail programs, you can change settings
on your computer so the new program will be your new default
browser or e-mail program.

1. Click Start - Settings - Control Panel (or Start - Control Panel).
2. Click Switch to Classic View (if available on left side of dialog box).
3. Double-click to open Internet Options.
4. Click Programs tab in dialog box.
5. Make changes as desired.

-----

 

ALL ABOUT COOKIES
http://www.iteachyou.com/tt/cookies.htm

-----

 

EMAIL MESSAGE OR WEBPAGE CUTS OFF RIGHT SIDE
If what is being cut off is the right side of an email message,
then the sender likely is using an email program that uses
a longer line length than what your email program supports.
Or, the cut off is the right side of a Webpage, the
site developer probably didn't follow good webpage
development techniques, keeping the line length
short enough to fit on paper.

One solution that usually works -- particularly in the
case of cut-off email messages:

- Click and drag to highlight the text.
- Click EDIT-COPY in your pull-down menus.
- Open your favorite word processing program.
- Click EDIT-PASTE.
- Click FILE-PRINT.

This way you are allowing your word processing program
to 'rewrap' the lines so they will fit on paper.

-----

 

CLEANING FLAT PANEL MONITORS

I personally use the moistened eyeglass cleaners that are

suitable for A/R coated eyeglasses. SeeClear and other

companies make them.

 

In addition, I've seen the following recommendations:

 

- 1 part white vinegar to 10 parts water

or

- 1 part isopropyl alcohol (from drug store) and 1 part water

 

Spray on VERY soft, non-abrasive cloth lint-free cloth -- like an

old cotton t-shirt.

 

Misc. Notes:

- Don't use Windex-type products.

- Don't spray directly on the screen.

- Don't use paper towel or Kleenex since they contain wood fiber.

- Be sure cloth has no grit on it.

 

.....

 

CHANGE BROWSER SETTINGS

http://www.iteachyou.com/tt/browser.htm

 

-----

 

TRANSLATE WEB PAGES AND TYPED TEXT

http://www.iteachyou.com/tt/translate.htm

 

-----

 

COMPLETING FORMS ON WEBPAGES

Most of us have suffered the annoyance of typing something on a

Webpage -- perhaps on an online form, in our Web email, etc. --

only to have it disappear before we have completed the task.

 And, of course, in these instances, the EDIT-UNDO...

that most of us rely on isn't available.

 

This is caused primarily for the following reasons:

 

a. You inadvertently highlight the text on the screen and replace it

with the next key you press on the keyboard.

 

b. You press perhaps the BACK button in your browser which

automatically erases everything you've typed -- even if you click

the FORWARD button to return to where you were.

 

c. You complete various fields on a form and click the Submit

button only to see a message indicating that you forgot to

complete a required field. When you click the BACK button,

you find that all fields are now blank.

 

THE FIX:

Change your browser's cache settings so it will hold on to

the information.

 

If using Internet Explorer:

- Click TOOLS-INTERNET OPTIONS.

- Click General tab.

- Click Settings button.

- Click to select Every Time You Start Internet Explorer.

- Click OK 2 times.

 

If using Firefox:

- Click TOOLS-OPTIONS.

- Click Privacy.

- Click + sign to left of Saved Form Information.

- Click (if necessary) to place a checkmark by 'Save information...'

- Click OK.

 

If using Netscape:

- Click EDIT-PREFERENCES.

- Double-click to open Advanced.

- Click Cache.

- Change memory cache to at least 1024k.

- Change disk cache to at least 7680k.

- Clear both caches.

- Click OK.

 

-----

UNDERSTANDING COMMON WEB ERROR MESSAGES

http://www.iteachyou.com/tt/error.htm

 

-----

 

CLEAR YOUR BROWSER'S HISTORY

http://www.iteachyou.com/tt/history.htm

 

-----

 

ADJUST WEB BROWSER SECURITY SETTINGS

 

Browsers are preset with a certain level of security warning at the

factory. If you want to review and/or change these security warnings,

do the following:

 

If Using Internet Explorer

- Open Internet Explorer

- Click TOOLS - INTERNET OPTIONS.

- Click Security tab.

- Examine and/or change settings.

Note: A search of the browser's HELP will give you more specifics.

 

If Using Firefox

- Open Firefox

- Click TOOLS - OPTIONS.

- Click on the word 'Advanced.'

- Examine and/or change settings.

- Click on the word 'Privacy.'

- Examine and/or change settings.

Note: A search of the browser's HELP will give you more specifics.

 

If Using Netscape

- Open Netscape

- Click EDIT - PREFERENCES.

- Click on the word 'Advanced.'

- Examine and/or change settings.

Note: A search of the browser's HELP will give you more specifics.

 

------

 

ABOUT BLOGS AND HOW TO CREATE THEM

http://askbobrankin.com/create_a_blog.html

 

-----

 

DISAPPEARING TEXT WHEN TYPING ON A WEBSITE

Most of us have suffered the annoyance of typing something on

a Webpage -- perhaps on an online form, in our Web email, etc. --

only to have it disappear before we have completed the task.

And, of course, in these instances, the EDIT-UNDO... that most

of us rely on isn't available.

 

This is caused primarily for the following reasons:

 

a. You inadvertently highlight the text on the screen and replace it

with the next key you press on the keyboard.

 

b. You press perhaps the BACK button in your browser which

automatically erases everything you've typed -- even if you click

the FORWARD button to return to where you were.

 

c. You complete various fields on a form and click the Submit button

only to see a message indicating that you forgot to complete a

required field. When you click the BACK button, you find that

all fields are now blank.

 

THE FIX:

Change your browser's cache settings so it will hold on to the

information.

 

If using Internet Explorer:

- Click TOOLS-INTERNET OPTIONS.

- Click General tab.

- Click Settings button.

- Click to select Every Time You Start Internet Explorer.

- Click OK 2 times.

 

If using Firefox:

- Click TOOLS-OPTIONS.

- Click Privacy.

- Click + sign to left of Saved Form Information.

- Click (if necessary) to place a checkmark by 'Save information

I enter...'

- Click OK.

 

If using Netscape:

- Click EDIT-PREFERENCES.

- Double-click to open Advanced.

- Click Cache.

- Change memory cache to at least 1024k.

- Change disk cache to at least 7680k.

- Clear both caches.

- Click OK.

 

-----

 

CONVERTING VHS TO DVD

http://www.askbobrankin.com/convert_vhs_to_dvd.html

 

-----

 

HORIZONTAL SCROLLING ON SOME WEBSITES

Needing to scroll horizontally on a Webpage is annoying.

Read on for explanations and possible solutions:

 

1. Your Screen Resolution

The most likely problem is that your screen resolution is set

too low. It's probably at 640x480 and most sites are designed

with the assumption you're using a resolution of 800x600

(the most common).

 

To check / change your screen resolution...

- Right-click your Windows Desktop.

- Click Properties.

- Click Settings tab in dialog box.

- Move slider in Screen Resolution field to the left or right.

On most systems it's best to have it set at 800x600 or

1024x768. The higher you go, the smaller an item will

appear on your screen, reducing the amount of horizontal

scrolling you will need to do.

 

2. Poorly Designed Website

The other possibility is that the site you're looking at is poorly

designed. My site (http://www.iteachyou.com) is designed for

an 800x600 resolution, but I have it set at 750 pixels wide to

allow for the sides of the browser window. If it was set to 800,

you would still have to scroll a little unless your monitor was

set higher than 800x600.

 

-----

 

HAS SOMEONE ELSE BEEN USING MY COMPUTER?

Windows XP contains an Event Viewer that keeps track of anything

that happens on your computer. To check the Event Viewer,

do the following:

 

- Click Start - Run.

- Type eventvwr.msc and click OK.

- Click System on the left side of the dialog box.

- On the right side of the dialog box, scroll to find the date you

want to check.

- Double-click on the specific date/event you want to check.

- Click on the 'For More Information...' link

 

-----

 

SETTING UP A HOME NETWORK

http://www.askbobrankin.com/home_networking.html

 

 

 

 

2005

 

RE-RUN SPELL CHECKER IN WORD

Occasionally you may want to re-run the Spell Checker on a

Word document that has already been checked and saved.

 

In most recent versions of Word, do the following:

- Open the document.

- Click Tools-Options.

- Click Spelling and Grammar tab.

- Click Recheck Document button.

- Click OK.

- Run the spell checker again on this document.

 

-----

 

SPECIAL SYMBOLS IN WEB ADDRESSES

 

SYMBOL: ~ (tilde)

PURPOSE: Usually means the Webpage resides in someone's

personal folder on a server.

EXAMPLE: http://www.bigfoot.com/~pedersen

 

SYMBOL: ? and =

PURPOSE: Often indicates the site is using scripts or small

automated programs to take data entered by the user and

create a page from the info provided. For example,

when you search for keywords in Google.

EXAMPLE: http://search.microsoft.com/default.asp?boolean=ALL

 

SYMBOL: /

PURPOSE: A single forward slash appears after the .com or .edu

portion of a Web address if you are viewing Webpages that are

embedded inside one or more folders/

EXAMPLE: http://www.iteachyou.com/rosebud/index.html

 

-----

 

PRINTING WEBPAGES

 

Pre-Printing Suggestions

- Before printing a Webpage, click FILE-PRINT PREVIEW to see

how it will lay out on paper.

- Look for a Next Page (or similar wording) button so you can view

additional pages.

- In some browsers you can click with the magnifying glass to

'zoom in.' Be sure to check the right margin to see if the text chops off.

 

 

 

Printing an entire Webpage

Click FILE-PRINT and click Print, OK, or similar wording.

 

 

 

Printing a Portion of a Webpage

Internet Explorer

- Click and drag to highlight portion of Webpage you want to print.

- Click FILE-PRINT; click Selection and click OK.

 

Firefox and Netscape

- Click and drag to highlight portion of Webpage you want to print.

- Click FILE-PRINT; click Selection and click OK.

 

 

 

Printing a Webpage that is Wider than 8 1/2 inches

Since the screen is oriented in 'landscape' format while paper is

oriented in 'portrait' format, the web designer should be limiting

the width so this problem doesn't happen when someone prints

his/her webpage.

 

Therefore, you have to work around this design glitch...

 

To print the Webpage so it won't cut off in most browsers:

- Click FILE-PAGE SETUP.

- Change margins (particularly side margins) to perhaps as

small as .5 inches (if your printer supports margins this narrow).

 

If the above doesn't work, you can usually solve the problem by

printing the page(s) in 'Landscape' format instead of the usual

'Portrait' format:

 

Internet Explorer

- Click FILE-PAGE SETUP.

- Click Landscape and click OK.

 

Firefox and Netscape

- Click FILE-PRINT.

- Click Properties.

- Click Basics or Layout.

- Click Landscape; click Apply (if available); click OK.

 

Printing a Webpage that has a Dark Background

A Webpage with a dark background will usually print as shown, using

a considerable amount of ink. To avoid this problem, do the following:

 

Internet Explorer

- Click TOOLS-INTERNET OPTIONS.

- Click Advanced tab at top of dialog box.

- Scroll down to the 'printing' category and make sure the box for

 printing backgrounds is not checked.

- Click Apply (if available) and click OK.

Note: This setting change will affect all backgrounds on all

Webpages unless you make another change.

 

Firefox and Netscape

- Click FILE-PAGE SETUP.

- Confirm that 'Print background' box is not checked.

 

-----

 

BACK UP OF EMAIL MAILBOXES AND CONTACTS

 

If you want to back up your email mailboxes and contacts,

following is the location of email mailboxes and contacts on

most Win XP systems:

 

Outlook Express...

C:\Documents and Settings\<user name>\Local Settings\

Application Data\Identities\<class identifier>\Microsoft\Outlook Express

 

Outlook...

C:\Documents and Settings\<user name>\Local Settings\

Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

 

Thunderbird...

C:\Documents and Settings\<user name>\Application Data\

Thunderbird\Profiles\<random characters>\Mail\Local Folders

 

Eudora...

C:\Program Files\Qualcomm\Eudora

 

For those with Hotmail, Yahoo Mail, or Juno Web accounts,

the mail is stored on their server and must be individually

downloaded/saved to your hard drive if you want to keep

a copy on your computer.

 

-----

 

SPECIAL SYMBOLS IN WEB ADDRESSES

 

Symbol: ~ (tilde)

Purpose: Usually means the Webpage resides in someone's

personal folder on a server.

Example: http://www.bigfoot.com/~pedersen

 

Symbol: ? and =

Purpose: Often indicates the site is using scripts or small

automated programs to take data entered by the user and

create a page from the info provided. For example, when

you search for keywords in Google.

Example: http://search.microsoft.com/default.asp?boolean=ALL

 

Symbol: /

Purpose: A single forward slash appears after the .com or .edu

portion of a Web address if you are viewing Webpages that are

embedded inside one or more folders/

Example: http://www.iteachyou.com/rosebud/index.html

 

.....

 

SHOULD YOU USE FORMATTED OR FANCY EMAIL?

 

Go to http://www.iteachyou.com/tt/fancy.htm

 

-----

 

STOP PRINT JOB IN PROGRESS (Windows Systems)

 

The challenge here is usually getting to the printer dialog box soon enough

to stop a print job quickly. To speed this up, do the following:

 

- Get to your Windows Desktop screen.

- Click Start - Settings - Printers and Faxes (or similar wording)

to open the dialog box that lists the printer(s) attached to your computer.

- With your finger on the RIGHT mouse button, right click and drag the

printer icon to our Windows Desktop screen and release the right

mouse button.

- Click (left button) the words Create Shortcuts Here.

- Close the Printer dialog box.

- Right-click on the new Printer shortcut icon on your Windows Desktop.

- Click Properties.

- Click the Shortcut tab at the top of this Properties dialog box.

- Click after the word None in the Shortcut Key field.

- While holding down both the Shift and Control keys on your

keyboard, press the letter P and release all keys. You should

now see the words Ctrl+Shift+P in this field.

- Close all dialog boxes covering your Windows Desktop screen.

 

Note: From now on you should be able to quickly open the Printer

dialog box any time you are working on your computer in order to

delete a print job in progress.

 

-----

 

WHY AN ATTACHMENT DOESN'T ARRIVE

 

Perhaps...

- The sender forgot to include the attachment prior to clicking Send.

- Your antivirus stripped the attachment because it may have

contained a virus.

- Your Internet Service Provider stripped the attachment because

it was too large and exceeded limits on your account.

 

In addition, a forwarded email message usually doesn't automatically

include an attachment that you may have received with the original

message. This is usually determined by a setting in your email

program. You can change this setting in many email programs

by clicking TOOLS-OPTIONS (or similar wording), and check

the various categories. If you do wish to include the attachment

with the forwarded message, you will usually need to re-attach

it yourself.

 

-----

 

HOW SECURE IS THIS WEBSITE?

 

Websites that sell products and services, offer protection to their

customers' information by encrypting personal information you

enter during the ordering process. Although the entry and

preliminary Webpages won't be encrypted, you should see

evidence of encryption when you enter a portion of the website

that is requesting personal information such as your address,

credit card number, etc.

 

There are two things that indicate a secure webpage:

 

1. Web address changes from http:// to https://

2. A locked padlock appears near the bottom of your browser

screen.

 

Summary: Never provide personal information on a website

that doesn't use encryption on critical portions of their website.

 

-----

 

DISTRACTING ANIMATIONS ON A WEBSITE

Depending on the technology used to create an animation,

you MAY be able to freeze the distracting animation so you can

concentrate on the text as follows...

 

After the Website has loaded onto your screen, press the ESC key

on your keyboard which will stop annoying animations that make it

difficult to read the Webpage content.

 

Note: If you press the ESC key before the Webpage content finishes

loading, you will likely cause a portion of the Webpage to not appear.

If you want it all to appear, click the Refresh/Reload button in

your toolbar.

 

-----

 

E-MAIL SCAM

One trick scammers are using is to send you a message that

looks like a 'bounced' return of a message you sent to someone.

The easiest way to confirm if this is truly a return of an email you

actually sent is to scroll down the message (preferably while it's

just visible in your email's 'preview' window and see if it contains

anything related to a message you actually sent out. It may

contain only a small portion of content you sent, but you should

recognize something.

 

If it doesn't, just delete it and NEVER reply in any way to one

of these messages. Doing so gives these scammers one of the

things they want -- proof that a specific email address is legitimate.

 

...........

 

MOUSE CHALLENGES

A mouse that has become erratic or stops working altogether is

usually caused by one of the following...

 

1. Drivers for the mouse aren't installed.

Find the disk that came with the mouse and install it on

your computer.

 

2. Drivers that were installed have become corrupted.

Reinstall mouse drivers.

 

3. Mouse is erratic.

If you have a traditional mouse with a round opening on the

bottom that houses a rubber ball, you need to remove the ball

and carefully clean the 3 rollers that the mouse rubs against.

These rollers will likely be both white and black. Carefully loosen

anything on the rollers with a wooden toothpick. If necessary

use a dampened Q-tip.

 

4. Mouse stops working.

If you have an optical mouse (red light on bottom), check the

connector or, in the case of a wireless optical mouse,

change the batteries.

 

5. If these ideas don't work, I'd double-check to be sure

you have a current, updated version of an antivirus program

like Norton or McAfee installed.

 

-----

 

RESOLVING PROBLEMS WITH NEW BLANK DOCUMENT IN WORD

 

The Normal.dot is the template for a blank document in Word.

 

If your Normal.dot template in Word becomes damaged,

the problem isn't resolved when you reinstall Office or Word.

 

Instead you will need to delete it and then let Word automatically

rebuild this file. To do this…

 

1. Close Word (if you have it open)

 

2. Locate and rename the Normal.dot (or Normal) file to

Normal.bak, answering Yes to a confirmation message that

may appear about the future stability of this file.

 

- On Windows XP systems it should be located in…

C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\

Microsoft\Templates

 

Note: 'username' is whatever your profile was called when

Win XP was installed.

 

- With most other versions of Windows, it should be located in…

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Templates

 

3. Open Word which automatically creates a new Normal.dot

template (blank document file).

 

Notes:

- When you delete and rebuild the Normal.dot file as described

above, you may also lose any customizations you have done

in Word. For example, macros you added to the toolbars.

- If the new rebuilt Normal.dot works fine, then you can safely

delete the Normal.bak you created above. If not, then rename

Normal.bak to Normal.dot and get technical help from someone

familiar with inner workings of Word.

 

-----

 

CURIOUS ABOUT WHEN A WEBSITE WAS LAST MODIFIED?

(shared by steve@worldstart.com)

 

1. Go to a specific Website

2. Type 'javascript:alert(document.lastModified)' -- without the

quotes -- in the address bar in place of the Web address and

press ENTER.

 

Note: This will work only if you have JavaScript enabled within

your browser

 

-----

 

PASSWORD-PROTECT A FILE OR FOLDER

IN WORD OR EXCEL

 

Try the following to password protect a single file:

- Open a file in Word (or Excel)

- Click FILE-SAVE AS.

- Click down-facing triangle to right of Tools button in Save As dialog box.

- Click Security Options (or General Options).

- Follow directions on screen.

 

In addition, check the following:

http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000705.htm

http://www.folder-password-expert.com

http://www.mycomputersafe.com

 

 

USING QUICK LAUNCH TOOLBAR

 

The Quick Launch toolbar is a group of small icons that appears

to the right of the Start button. It provides easy access to any

program you use often.

 

To confirm that your Quick Launch toolbar is turned on...

- Right-click on a blank portion of your Taskbar.

- Click Toolbars.

- If there is no checkmark by Quick Launch, click to place one there.

 

You can add buttons to and remove them from the Quick Launch

toolbar as desired. For example, you might add a button for

starting Word or your dial-up Internet connection, so it's always

handy. The Quick Launch toolbar is always visible, unlike

the desktop, which is sometimes covered by program or

file windows.

 

To add a button, do the following:

 

1. Select the file or folder inside a window in Windows Explorer

or My Computer or select a shortcut on your Desktop that you

want to make a shortcut to on the Quick Launch toolbar.

 

2. Drag the item onto the Quick Launch toolbar until you see

what looks like a capital 'I' -- usually next to another icon

in the toolbar. When you see the capital 'I' release your

mouse button to place a copy of the file/folder/shortcut there.

 

Note: To delete a button, right-click it and choose Delete

from the shortcut menu, then Yes to confirm.

 

-----

 

WHAT IS BLOGGING?

(excerpted from Kim Komando's 5/14/05 e-newsletter)

 

Blog is short for Weblog. It simply means that anyone at all can step

up to a soapbox and fire away. Blogging, therefore, is the act of

writing a blog.

 

There are thousands of blogs on the Internet. I have one, posted at:

http://www.komando.com/kimslog_index.asp

 

Some blogs have actually achieved a degree of readership. The people

writing those have developed reputations for having something to say.

Blogging penetrated the public's consciousness during the 2004

presidential campaign. Bloggers investigated a CBS report on President

Bush's National Guard service, and discovered that the papers on which

it was based were fraudulent.

 

If you want to start a blog, there are many free sites where you can

express yourself. Here are three:

http://www.blogger.com/start

http://www.livejournal.com/

http://spaces.msn.com/

 

-----

 

UPDATED CURRENCY CONVERTERS

http://www.xe.com

 

-----

 

WHAT IS BIOS?

(excerpted from http://www.worldstart.com)

 

BIOS (basic input / output system) is basically the software the

computer uses for it's most basic operations (accessing memory,

disks, processors, etc.). This software is referred to as firmware

and is built into the computer's motherboard.

 

Note that these are NOT Windows settings, these are the 'core'

settings for your computer. It's probably an area that's best left

alone unless you are an experienced computer user. I've seen

more than one computer that was rendered useless from

tampering with these settings.

 

You normally can get at them by pressing a key (sometimes the

DEL key) a few seconds after you turn your computer on.

Most BIOS setups allow you to configure hard drive settings,

memory timing, and so on.

 

-----

 

USB HUBS

Many hardware devices today plug into a tiny rectangular port

(opening) on a computer called a Universal Serial Bus (USB) slot.

Often we need to add additional USB devices and therefore need

to add a USB hub that serves as a splitter. A cable goes from one

of the computer's USB ports to the back of the USB hub which then

allows you to plug in 2 or more USB devices. Since not all USB

devices draw the same amount of power from the USB port, you will

occasionally have a device that overloads the hub and stops working.

You can solve this problem by purchasing a powered USB hub which

comes with its own power supply. If a hardware device has its own

power supply, it should work fine on an unpowered USB hub.

 

-----

 

CHECKING HTML CODE ON A WEBPAGE FOR ERRORS

Coding HTML from scratch or by using a copy-and-paste method

does not ensure clean HTML code or HTML code without errors --

just as driving a stick-shift automobile doesn't ensure better driving

than driving an automatic.

 

Scratch code that isn't standard to most browsers is more of a

problem than code generated by a Web editor that does meet

most or all browser standards.

 

You can 'validate' your HTML code for free at Net Mechanic

which will check for HTML errors, browser incompatibilities,

spelling errors, link integrity, and more. To do this...

 

To access this free service from Net Mechanic, do the following:

- Go to http://www.netmechanic.com

- Click 'Try It' under 'Fix HTML Code Errors.'

- Scroll down and type your Web address in the #1

'Enter your URL' field.

- Click '1 Page' or '5 Pages' in the #2 field. I usually click

'1 Page' which gives me my results immediately.

- Type in your email address in #3 (optional unless you request

the 5 Page check).

- Click 'Test Now' in #4 and wait for immediate results -- if the

server isn't too busy.

 

-----

Understanding Color Printing Problems on an Inkjet Printer

(excerpted from article at http://www.worldstart.com)

 

First, let's start with how an inkjet printer works: everything you

see is made up of 3 colors magenta (red), cyan (blue), and yellow.

Some printers have a separate black cartridge, while others create

black using a combination of all three.

 

When you choose a color, your computer tells the printer how much

of each should be used to produce it. Remember kindergarten?

When you mix blue and yellow what do you get? That's right, green.

 

It would be nice if the 3 colors of ink all wore out at the same time,

but we know this is not the case. If you print black text a lot with

just a color cartridge, then expect it to be used up quickly. If you

print a lot of yellow, then expect yellow to wear out, thus making

your green into blue.

 

Some color printers have a single color cartridge unit, thus

requiring you to change the whole cartridge even if only a single

color is depleted.

 

There is no consensus among the experts about whether or not

it is a good idea to refill ink cartridges yourself. Some say it's OK

if done carefully and with a good quality ink while others say that

it may ruin your printer and/or a table, outfit, etc.

 

-----

 

Preparing Computer for Donation, Disposal, etc.

(Excerpted from http://www.komando.com)

 

1. Don't want a big hassle? Give the computer to a trusted

employee, friend or family member. If you trust who you give

it to, I wouldn't put a lot of effort into destroying data.

Recovering deleted data isn't automatic. A thief or con artist

will have to get some specialized software and learn to use it.

Rivers of boring data would have to be sorted to find the

good stuff. The average (honest) person isn't going to bother.

 

So if you give the PC to someone you trust (careful now),

you should simply delete the files. More extensive work

probably isn't worth the effort. Just be sure the recipient is honest.

If he or she is shaky, go to the next step.

 

2. Reformat the hard drive and re-install the operating system.

Reformatting a disk prepares it to accept a new operating system.

It also wipes out everything on the hard drive. That's your goal.

 

Past versions of Windows (up through Windows Me) allow you to

create a startup disk. You'll need one to reformat your hard drive.

Click Start > Settings > Control Panel. Double-click Add/Remove

Programs. Click Startup Disk. Click Create Disk.

 

On Windows XP, you'll need to download the disk information.

Go to BootDisk.com and click 'DOS Windows 9X/NT4/2000/XP

Excellent Bootdisks.' Download the Windows XP Custom Install

Disk and save it to a floppy.

 

On all systems, shut down all open programs. Restart the

computer with the floppy in the A: drive. At the A: prompt,

type Format: C. Answer 'yes' to the warning; you want to

wipe out all the data. When the reformat finishes, put the

Windows installation CD in the CD drive and remove the floppy.

Restart and re-install Windows.

 

Reformatting will keep most people out of your old files.

But specialized shareware exists to reclaim files after reformatting.

If you do not know who will get the computer or you do know

and you don't trust them stronger measures are required.

 

3. Buy software and overwrite the disk, again and again and again.

If you don't know much about computers, this might be easier than

Step 2. There are several programs that write gibberish to the

hard drive. They promise that nobody will be able to find your files

after the software is utilized.

 

PC Inspector's (www.pcinspector.de) e-maxx meets U.S. military

standards. Another good program is DriveScrubber ($29.95),

from Iolo Technologies (www.iolo.com). If you have a Mac,

try SuperScrubber (www.jiiva.com). It is $30, and also meets

military specs.

 

This process can be slow, because these programs write to the

disk repeatedly. You might want to run it overnight.

 

4. You're totally paranoid, so get out the acetylene torch.

I'm not kidding. The only absolute and assured way of

protecting your data is to destroy the hard drive. To do that,

you need to remove it from the computer. If you want to save

the rest of the computer, touch the machine's metal frame

before reaching in. Static electricity can wreck the circuitry.

 

The Pentagon shreds its hard drives. That should work,

assuming you can find a hard-drive shredder. I've never seen one.

 

You need to destroy the platters inside. Try smashing them

with a hammer. Destroying them with a torch should work.

 

Step 4 seems excessive to me. But you're right to be paranoid

about this. Identity theft has become overwhelming. There are

a lot of people out there who would love to hurt you. Personally,

I would use Step 3. I believe in being careful, no matter who

gets the computer.

 

-----

Choices for Retrieving the Photos from your Digital Camera

(excerpted from article at http://www.komando.com)

 

Q. I received a digital camera for Christmas. I've taken some

pictures, but I'm embarrassed to say that I don't know how to

get them off the camera. The instructions are so poorly written

that I can't understand them. Do I take it to the drugstore?

 

A. There are several ways to download the pictures. And,

in fact, many drugstores will take the pictures off the camera

(download them) and make prints for you. But you'll probably

want to download them yourself and store them on your home

computer. So, let's discuss how that is done.

 

1. Cameras come with software. If you install that, it will guide

you through the downloading of the images. This software

probably also includes rudimentary editing features. That should

help you get rid of red-eye and other common problems.

 

2. You don't have to use the downloading software. Open

Windows Explorer. Typically, cameras connect to the computer's

universal serial bus (USB) port using a cable. The camera should

show up in Windows Explorer as another drive--probably D: or E:,

depending on how many hard drives you have. The pictures will

be in the right pane. I would create folders with specific dates or

events under My Pictures (C:\My Documents\My Pictures).

Store your pictures there.

 

3. Use a card reader. This has the benefit of not depleting your

camera's battery. If you buy a card reader, be sure it can handle

your type of memory card. Most can read several types.

Card readers don't usually have software. To use one, open

Windows Explorer. The card reader should show up as a new drive.

Click it, and the pictures will be displayed as files in the right pane.

Again, copy them to a new home.

 

4. Hook the camera directly to a printer. You can make prints

without using the computer. A liquid crystal display on the printer

shows the pictures. You can also view them on the camera's

LCD screen. Paper and ink are expensive, so only print the ones

you really want. If you want to keep the original files, you still must

download them to a computer or other storage device. See above.

 

5. Most drugstores will remove the card from the camera and make

a contact sheet for you. You pick which pictures you want.

The drugstore also can produce a CD with your files. Many also

have kiosks where you can make your own prints. They can show

you how to use the kiosks. While we're on the subject, here are a

couple more digital camera tips.

 

In addition, if you don't want to make prints of the pictures, you can

upload the pictures to a photo-sharing site. All of these sites work

pretty much the same. You sign up for a free account and create a

photo album. You then upload your pictures from your computer.

From the photo-sharing Web site, you send invitations to others to

view the pictures or order the prints that you want. Here are some

to check out:

 

Ofoto -- http://www.ofoto.com

Shutterfly -- http://www.shutterfly.com

Yahoo! Photos -- http://photos.yahoo.com

 

 

 

2004

 

CHOOSING THE RIGHT DIGITAL CAMERA

(excerpted from http://www.komando.com)

 

Most digital cameras are sold the same way. You'll hear about

megapixels, zooms and X numbers. It's pretty confusing if

you're new to it.

 

Here are some things to consider for all digital cameras:

 

Megapixels--This means millions of pixels. This is the first

thing you will notice about advertising. The clear implication

is that more megapixels is better. That's true, but only up to a point.

 

The more megapixels you have, the more saturated your pictures.

If you want to print 8x10 pictures, you need a minimum

3-megapixel camera. For 5x7s, you can get by with 2 megapixels.

 

But those are minimum numbers. During computer processing,

people often crop their pictures and blow them up. That spreads

the pixels. So I would recommend 4 megapixels for 8x10s, and

3 for 5x7s. On the other hand, if you are just a casual

point-and-shooter, 2 megapixels is probably OK.

 

There are many cameras with 5 or more megapixels. Those might

well be appreciated by demanding consumers. But the extra power

would be wasted on most people.

 

Optical Zoom--Most digital cameras have optical zoom. This

allows you to bring distant objects closer by making them larger.

Optical zoom is easy--more is always better.

 

Optical zoom does not distort pictures or cause them to be grainy.

Cheap cameras sometimes have no optical zoom. More expensive

cameras may have up to 12X. (More about the X's in a minute.)

 

Do not confuse optical zoom with digital zoom. Digital zoom

can be used to crop a picture on the camera's screen. The camera

then spreads the pixels to fill the picture. It fills in the spread

through interpolation, where it looks at surrounding pixels and

guesses what is needed.

 

The guesswork usually is not impressive. Pictures made

with digital zoom are often grainy. So don't give much weight

to digital zoom.

 

Makers sometimes multiply optical zoom by digital zoom,

giving you total zoom. That's a meaningless number, in my opinion.

Concentrate on optical.

 

Those X's--You'll see numbers such as 3X in relation to optical

and digital zoom. The ads never explain this. But it is really simple.

 

Most people are familiar with zooms on 35 millimeter film

cameras. A camera might be rated at 35-70 mm.

 

The X's are based on the same system. Cameras have a base rate.

Manufacturers usually show it in camera specifications on their

Web sites. Usually, the base rate is equivalent to 37 or 38 mm.

If the base is 37 and the zoom 3X, multiply 37 by 3. That is

111 mm. You could shoot at anything from 37 mm to 111 mm,

depending on what you need.

 

So long as you're looking at optical zoom, higher X ratings

are better.

 

-----

 

HOW TO REMOVE SOFTWARE THE CORRECT WAY

 

General Instructions

 

a. Don’t delete files unless you really need to and are experienced

with the process and pitfalls -- it’s too risky. Instead, spend

computer housekeeping time on other important tasks such as

CheckDisk/Scandisk and Defrag.

 

b. Most recent programs change settings throughout your computer;

therefore, simply deleting the program from your hard drive may not

reverse the installation process entirely since switches may have

been set that are tested when you turn on your computer.

The resulting error messages are merely an annoyance.

You can either click through them or get help with modifying

startup files.

 

c. NOT EVERY FILE YOU DELETE AUTOMATICALLY GOES

TO THE RECYCLE BIN! In fact, only files that you delete from

your hard disk go to the Recycle Bin. Files you delete from a

floppy or Zip disk bypass the Recycle Bin.

 

d. Even though programs you delete from your hard disk go to

the Recycle Bin, you cannot 'restore' them and expect them to

work; they will need to be re-installed from the CD or disks.

 

e. Normally 10 percent of your hard drive has been reserved for

the Recycle Bin. If it fills, you will be alerted. When this occurs,

it is best to delete only the oldest files.

 

 

Best Methods for Uninstalling Programs -- in order of preference:

 

1. Use 'uninstall' utility if one came with the program (not usually

available with older programs).

 

To see if a particular program came with an uninstall utility,

click Start - Programs (click Start - All Programs in Win XP).

When you click on the name of the program, sometimes an

additional menu appears immediately to the right that includes

specific choices about this program. If a choice appears that ways

'Uninstaller' (or similar wording), then click on it and follow the

directions on the screen. Note: Not all programs have a built-in

uninstaller.

 

2. Use built-in program removal utility if using

Windows 95/98/ME/XP, as follows:

 

WIN 95/98/ME:

2a. Click Start - Settings - Control Panel - Add/Remove Program.

2b. Click Install/Uninstall tab in dialog box.

2c. Select name of program from the list (if it is listed there).

2d. Click Add/Remove button and follow instructions on the screen.

 

WIN XP:           

2a. Click Start - Control Panel - (or Start-Settings-Control Panel) -

Add or Remove Programs.

2b. Click name of program and click Change/Remove.

2c. Follow instructions on the screen.

 

Note: If #1 and #2 are not possible for the program you want to

delete, it is probably best if you leave it on your computer instead

of doing #3 below (see first note under General Instructions).

 

3. Delete the program directly from the hard drive and delete the

icon on your desktop.

Note: Using #3 MAY cause error messages to appear. The only

way to eliminate these error messages is to edit some critical files

 that shouldn’t be modified by the average user. You can either

just click through the error messages every time you start your

computer or get professional help in modifying the necessary

files to eliminate the error messages. These files are risky to

edit and should be modified only by a qualified professional.

 

Note: If you have already deleted a program using #3 above

and are now getting error messages at startup, you may be

able to resolve the problem by reinstalling the program and

then deleting it as described in #1 and #2 above.

 

-----

 

WHERE TO SAVE FILES YOU'VE CREATED AND ACQUIRED

Files created in Word, Excel, etc. are usually saved within your

My Documents folder on your hard disk drive.  This is good.

 

However, files created in Quicken, QuickBooks, Photoshop, and

a few other popular programs save files you create in a folder

within their program folder.

 

This becomes a problem in 2 ways:

 

- If you reinstall the program, you may lose the files you've

created in these programs.

 

- Backup becomes more challenging if files are scattered

throughout your hard disk drive.

 

I suggest you check the various programs on your computer to

see where files are being saved. In most programs you can

click FILE- SAVE and see what is displayed in the Save In field

at the top of the Save As dialog box. You can manually redirect

each saved file into the My Documents folder or check the

settings for each program (usually under TOOLS-OPTIONS)

to see how/if you can permanently redirect all files saved in the

future into the My Documents folder.

 

If, in the past, you have used programs that saved files into a

folder other than the My Documents folder, you can manually

copy and paste them into your My Documents folder. You can

usually locate them within the program's folder. For example,

you probably will find Photoshop files you've created in

C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop (or similar wording) on

your hard disk drive.

 

-----

 

GETTING LISTED IN SEARCH ENGINES

 

There are 2 basic types of 'search engines' ...

 

- True search engines such as Google, Lycos, Hotbot, and

many more

 

- Directories (often called search engines) such as Yahoo

and a few more

 

Search engines 'spider' the Internet and will probably eventually

find your site as they link through other sites to find you. Or, if you

want to be found sooner, you can register with them and they will

spider your site sooner. Most do not charge for this process but

this has been changing with some over time.

 

With directories, you need to register (submit) your site with them.

Yahoo is the Mother of all Directories. It now costs $295 per year

to register a business site with Yahoo. Other directories

(such as www.dmoz.org) are *FREE* (at this time anyway).

With both search engines and directories it is important to read

their submission guidelines carefully. Sometimes the link to the

guidelines is hard to find but it is usually toward the bottom of

their home page.

 

For example, to reach guidelines for...

 

Yahoo:

- Go to http://www.yahoo.com.

- Scroll to the bottom of the page.

- Click How to Suggest a Site.

 

Google:

- Go to http://www.google.com

- Click About Google

- Click Submitting Your Site.

 

-----

 

CHANGING INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS

(shared by Sol Schumer and Gini Pedersen)

 

When you pay an Internet Service Provider (ISP), they provide you

with one or more email addresses, for your use. The ISP 'owns'

those addresses, and maintains the services to support them.

 

When you leave an ISP, you no longer have access to your old

email addresses, and need to begin using email addresses from

your new ISP. Of course, you can still maintain the old ISP

as long as you continue paying their monthly charge.

 

To read our entire article, go to...

http://www.iteachyou.com/changeisp.htm

 

-----

 

GET COMPLETE SUMMARY OF SPECS ABOUT

YOUR COMPUTER

http://belarc.com

Download, install, and run this small, free utility from Belarc

to get a display and/or printout about brands and numbers

related to your CPU, hard drive, modem, network card,

installed software, and much more.

 

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