Archives for Computer Stuff, Page 14

Add HTML Wallpaper (08-01-2001)

This tip works in both Windows 98 and 2000. I need to give credit to Serdar Yegulap who described it in his newsletter "Windows 2000 Power Users." This is a known tip but I would not have thought of using it if I had not read it in Serder's newsletter.
Wallpaper is the pattern or scene behind the icons on your computer's desktop. If you only have a solid color background, you do not have a wallpaper selected. You can make any of your text-based documents (Serdar suggests your to-do list as an example) part of your wallpaper. Open Notepad or other text editor and type whatever you wish. Save the file with an .HTM extension. Right-click on an empty area of your desktop. In the context menu that appears, select Properties, then click on the Web tab. Click on the New button. Select "Web site," then click OK. Use the Browse button to find your new file. Click OK, then OK again. When you saved the document with an HTML extension, it became a real HTML document. If you know how to use the HTML markup language to create HTML documents, or by using a web page authoring program, you can dress up your new document (and thereby your wallpaper) with colors, sound, graphics , video and live links.

Change Folder Icon on Desktop (08-01-2001)

        This tip comes from the excellent newsletter,The Computer Lady, and is used with Elizabeth Boston's permission. I might mention that if you are fairly new to computers, and even if you are not, You will enjoy her newsletter and find it helpful. There is an icon to her website at the bottom of the Computer Stuff page.
        Here is the tip as it appeared in The Computerlady:
        Unfortunately, if you change a folder icon appearance, you change it for every folder on your computer. There is a way to work around this however.
        First, you would need to move your folder off the desktop. You could put it in "My Documents" by dragging it over the "My Documents" icon on your desktop until it turns blue. Then release the mouse button. Now, double click on "My Documents" and find your folder that you just moved. When you find your folder, drag it using the RIGHT mouse button back to your desktop and select "Create shortcut here". You now have a shortcut to your folder instead of the actual folder on your desktop. You can use the shortcut just as you did the actual folder.
        With a shortcut on your desktop instead of the actual folder, you can now change the icon. Simply right click on the shortcut, click on "Properties" and then click on "Change Icon". You will see a small selection of icons to choose from. Click on the icon that you want to use, and Click "OK" in the next two screens. In a few seconds, you will have your new icon.
        If there are not enough icons in the small collection that comes with Windows, you can find and download several collections from: http://www.zdnet.com/downloads/topcat/icons.html .
        I might add that one good way to combine several related desktop shortcut icons, on a crowded desktop, into one folder icon, is to put them in a folder on the desktop. You can then follow Elizabeth's instructions to get rid of the plain folder icon. To do this, just right-click on an open area of your desktop. In the context menu that appears, select New, then Folder. Name the folder (ex.: Graphics, or Utilities). Now drag the icons that you want grouped and drop them in the new folder.

Make Recycle Bin Leaner (08-01-2001)

The default space allowance for Recycle Bin is 10% of your total hard drive, or partitions. If you have a 20-gigabyte drive, that's 2 gigabytes alloted to storing deleted files! I can't imagine my ever wanting to store more than 100 magabytes, much less 1 or more gigabytes, but you may be limited to a minimum of 1%. Microsoft set the 10% default percentage so it would work out for small drives too. People with large drives, as most newer computers have, should reduce this wasted space and free it up for other uses. Here's how.
Right-click on the Recycle Bin icon (on the desktop). In the context menu that appears, select Properties. On the Global tab of the Recycle Bin Properties box, you have the opportunity to use one setting for all drives, in case you have more than one hard drive or partition. Or, you can configure them independently and select the tab with a drive letter on it. Most home computer users will select the "Use one setting for all drives" radio button. I would not suggest checking the box that prevents any deleted files from being moved to the Recycle Bin. Sometimes you may delete a file by mistake and wish to restore it. The slider is probably set to 10%. Just move it to the left until it reserves the percentage of your drive that you want. You can move the slider by dragging it with the mouse or by clicking on it, then using a left or right arrow key. If you have a 10 gigabyte hard drive, you may want to move it back to 1%, or less if your system allows it.

See Changes Made to Your Registry (08-01-2001)

Programs often make changes to your computer's Registry upon their installation. Check to see if the new application has one or more information files (filename.INF) in its folder. If so the file may contain instructions that causes it to edit your Registry files. Look for lines in the file that begin with AddReg= or DelReg=. You can use the search feature for this. Such lines point to sections of the .INF file where those instructions are located. If you examine these files before installing the application, you can see what changes will be made to your Registry. Viewing those files after installation lets you know what kind of changes were made, of course.

Stop Search for New Floppy Drive (08-01-2001)

Every time Windows boots up it searches for a new floppy drive. How often do you install a new Floppy Drive? Ever? This feature is for laptop computers that may allow for attaching an external floppy drive. It is not needed for your desktop computer. Here's how to turn this feature off. Open the System Properties Box. One quick way to do this is to right-click on the My Computer icon on the desktop and select Properties. If you want to take the scenic tour, you can click on Start, hover on Settings, select Control Panel (where the scenery is) and click on the System icon. On the System Properties Box, select the Performance Tab and click of the Floppy Disk button. Uncheck the box for "Search for new floppy disk each time your computer starts." Click OK, then OK again. That's all there is to it.

Use BootLog to Find Boot-Up Problems (08-01-2001)

Having boot-up problems? A convenient way to determine what the problem may be is examination of the bootlog. To do so, reboot your computer. During the reboot, press F8. This will call up the Windows Startup menu. Select the Logged option. Bootlog.txt records each step Windows takes during the boot-up process. After the reboot, following the above instructions, Reboot again, evem if you have to use the Safe mode. Locate the bootlog.txt file in the your boot directory (usually C:\). Open the file, using WordPad or another text editor. Look for steps that show 34;failed." This should help you determine what is causing the problem.

How to Change the Default Font in Word. (10-02-2001)

        Would you like to change the default font in Microsoft Word, and perhaps the size of it? It's easy to do. Just follow these steps: (1) If your document already contains text formatted with the font and size you want, select that text (or select the font and size, then type a word and select it). To select the text, just place your insertion point before it, hold down the Shift key and press the right arrow until the word is highlighed. Another way is to place your mouse marker at the beginning of the word, hold down the left button and drag your mouse over the word. (2) On the Format menu, select Font. (3) Select the options you want for the default font. If you selected text in step 1, the properties you want will appear in the dialog box. (4) Click Default. Now, any new document you open will use the font settings you selected. However, when you use a template for a new document, it may contain a different default font. But you can change the font and size for any part of a template. Of course documents already completed will keep the font in which they are composed, unless you change it by selecting the text and then picking the font would wish to change it to.

        Go to church somewhere Sunday.
         -- Don

How to Change the Default Working Folder. (10-02-2001)

First, let me define a working folder for those new to computers. You can store documents that you have created or imported in any folder on your hard drive, but it is helpful to store them in one general place. This makes them easier to find and to backup. Microsoft Windows provides a folder named "My Documents" for this purpose. In the My Documents folder you can create other sub-folders to organize your documents.
        The first time you open the Open and Save As dialog boxes (on the File menu) after starting Word or any other Office program, the My Documents folder is the default working, or active, folder. If the Office Shortcut Bar is visible, the My Documents folder is the default folder that opens when the "Open Office Document" button is pressed.
        You can change the default folder if you wish. To change that folder in Word only, follow these steps: (1) On the Tools menu, select Options, then click the File Locations tab on the dialog box that appears. (2) In the File Types list, click Documents. (3) Click Modify. (4) To select a folder that already exists on your hard drive, locate and click the folder you want and click OK. Then click OK again.
        To create a new folder to serve as the default working folder, after you click on Modify, click on the "Create New Folder" icon (the closed file folder with an asterisk on the upper right corner), then type a name for the new folder in the Name box. Click OK and OK.
        You will notice that you also can set default folders for clip art, templates, options, recovered files, tools, and startup in the same dialog box.
        To rename or move the default working folder for all of the Microsoft Office suite programs do the following (If you have already changed the default folder for Word or another individual Office program, that setting will not be affected): (1)) Save and close all Office files, and then close all Office Programs. (2) In Windows Explorer move or copy any files you want to locate easily into the My Documents folder. (3)) To rename the My Documents folder, right-click the My Documents folder in Windows Explorer, and then select Rename on the context menu that appears. Type the new name for the folder and press ENTER. (4) To move the My Documents folder, drag (by holding down the left mouse button) the My Documents Folder to a new location in Windows Explorer.

Open CD ROM drawer another way (10-02-2001)

Does your CD-ROM drawer get stuck? Or, is it unhandy for you to reach down (or up, or over) and fiddle with the button to access the CD ROM's tray? Here is another way. Just right-click on your CD-ROM in Windows Explorer and left-click on "Eject" on the context menu that appears (A quick way to open Windows Explorer is to hold down the Windows key and press E). If the drawer is stuck, you might try this method before using the paper clip. Oh, you didn't know about the paper clip? The button that opens the CD-ROM drawer is mechanical, in that you must press it for it to work. Sometimes they give trouble. If the above-mentioned method does not open a stuck drawer, use a paper clip. If you look at the faceplate of the drive, you will notice there is a tiny hole. If the drawer is stuck, you can straighten out a paperclip and insert it into the hole. When the clip has entered far enough, it will disengage the auto-eject mechanism. You then should be able to simply pull the tray out manually, perhaps with fingernails on the ends of the drawer, or other means. If you have to use another instrument, be careful not to scratch the CD-ROM if one is in the drive.

        Would you like to dress up some or all of the messages you send using Outlook Express? You can do this in at least two ways:
    Method One:
   1. Click on the New Message icon on the Toolbar to open the New Message window.
    2. On the Format menu of the New Message window, click on Apply Stationery. In the pop-out menu, you can select the stationery you wish to use for the message, select "More Stationery" for additional selections, or choose "None" to send the message without stationery.
    Method Two: You can select a default stationery that will override any selection you made using Method One above.
    1. In Outlook Express, on the Tools menu click on "Options."
    2. Click on the "Compose" tab.
    3. Under "Stationery" put a check in the "Mail" checkbox (click).
    4. Click on the "Select" button at the end of the Mail field.
    5. Scroll through the choices offered.
    6. Put a check in the "Show preview" checkbox. Then When you click on one in the list, a sample of it will be displayed.
    7. When you find one you like, click OK.
        You can edit any of those listed by clicking on the "Edit" button. An edit window will open with the stationery image loaded.
        If you prefer, you can design your own stationery. Click on the "Create New" button and a wizard will lead you through the process.
        To disable any stationery from being a default stationery that overrides choices from the New Message window's Format menu, just uncheck "Mail" on the Compose tab of the Options dialog box and click OK. Changes will not be made unless you click the OK button.
        Additional stationery can be downloaded from Microsoft and a number of other web sites.

Set for Left-Handed User.
        Your mouse comes with the default settings for a right-handed user, but if you are left-handed its use can be a little awkward. You can reconfigure the button settings. However, you will need to remember that when a right-click is called for, you will need to press the left button, and visa versa. Here's how to make the change:
    1. Click on Start and choose Control Panel (In versions earlier than XP you may need to click on Settings and then Control Panel).
    2. In the Control Panel, click on Mouse. If the Mouse icon is not shown, switch to Classic View (in the left panel).
    3. In the Mouse Properties window that appears, under the Buttons tab, click on the checkbox labeled "Switch primary and secondary buttons" to put a checkmark in it.
    4. Click OK.
        Now, all of the primary functions will use the right button and secondary functions will use the left one. If your mouse also has a wheel, its use will remain the same.

Change the double-click speed
        If you have arthritis, or for other reasons you find it difficult to make two clicks of the left button quickly enough to register as a double-click, you can change the required speed. In the Mouse Properties window (instructions in 1st item above), under the Buttons tab, drag the Double-click speed needle to set a comfortable speed. A test folder icon is provided for you to double-click. If your clicks are close enough together, the test folder will open or close.

ClickLock
        Some people have trouble holding down the mouse button to drag an item. If this is a problem for you, you can set the ClickLock. When this is set, you just click on the item (in effect locking the button down), move the mouse arrow to the location at which you wish to move it and click again to unlock it. This option can be found under the Buttons tab of the Mouse Properties window (instructions in 1st item above). Just click the checkbox and then click OK.

Change the Pointer Appearance
        Don't like the default pointers? You can change them. Windows uses a different pointer shape for each of a variety of situations. The situations are: "Normal Select," "Help Select," "Working In Background," "Busy," "Precision Select," "Text Select," "Handwriting," "Unavailable," "Vertical Resize," "Horizontal Resize," "Diagonal Resize 1," Diagonal Resize 2," "Move," "Alternate Select" and "Link Select." If you wish to change the scheme for your arrows, do the following:
    1. Go to the Mouse Properties window (instructions in 1st item above) and select the Pointers tab.
    2. Click the small down arrow at the end of the Scheme field.
    3. Select one of the schemes in the drop-down list. Examples for each item in the list will be shown in the larger pane below. If you highlight one of the items in larger pane, its arrow (or symbol) will display in the small pane to the right of the Scheme field.
    4. If you wish to customize further, select an item in the lower pane, click the browse button, select a symbol. When finished, click the Save As button, give your new scheme a name and click OK. Your new customized scheme will now appear in the list of schemes accessed by the drop-down list.
    5. You may wish to check the "Enable pointer shadow" checkbox.
    6. If you selected a scheme from the drop-down list, there is no need to save it. Click OK.
        If you prefer the original scheme but forgot its name, it is "Windows Default (system scheme)."

Mouse Wheel
        Look under the Wheel tab of the Mouse Properties window (instructions in 1st item above) to make adjustments to the Wheel. Many mice and trackballs have a wheel (normally between the left & right buttons). You can scroll a document or web page by rotating it. Here is where you select the amount of scroll for each click of the wheel. Use the little selection arrow to increase or decrease the number of lines you want to scroll for each wheel click when you turn it. If you prefer it to scroll a whole screen at a time, click that radio button instead. Click Apply if you plan to make additional changes in the Mouse Properties window. Otherwise click OK

Hardware
        The Devices pane under the Hardware tab of the Mouse Properties window (instructions in 1st item above) will list your installed mouse or trackball. The name and type are given in the pane at the top. Below the pane, under Device Properties, are listed the manufacturer and current status of the device (usually, "This device is working properly"). In addition, are Troubleshoot and Properties buttons.
        By clicking the Properties button, you will access another Properties window with more information about your device, along with some options. The General tab allows you to enable or disable the mouse, or to troubleshoot it if you are having a problem. The Driver tab gives you the date and version of the driver for the mouse and allows you to view the driver details, update it, roll back to a previously used driver or uninstall the mouse. The Power Management lets you tell the computer to allow you to use the mouse to bring the computer out of standby. Some devices may also have the option to allow the computer to turn them off to save power.

Other Mouse Arrow Changes
        Under the Pointer Options tab you can make additional changes to the way the pointer works. How to make the changes will be obvious, but you may wish a bit of clarification about the effects of these options. The following are brief explanations:
    1. Motion. This regulates the speed the mouse arrow travels as you move the mouse. Fast: You can cover a lot of territory fast with just a little movement of the mouse. Slow: You move the mouse a lot for a little movement of the arrow. You probably want to set the needle somewhere in between the two. About half way seems suitable for most people. If you tend to move the mouse when double-clicking it (so the double-click doesn't register), slowing the mouse movement may help. Another solution is to use a trackball instead of a mouse. You can simply lift your finger off of the ball and the arrow won't move. That is what I prefer to work with anyway. You may also wish to check "Enhance pointer precision." If you are going to make other changes, click apply. When you have finished, click OK.
    2. Snap To. With this setting, anytime a dialog box appears, the mouse arrow automatically goes to the default button. However, it can present a problem. I have found times when I selected an option different from the default but slightly moved the mouse; then, just as I started to click, the arrow jumped to the default selection that was nearby. I leave this box unchecked. It was more of a nuisance than a help.
    3. Visibility. (1) Display pointer trails. If you are using a notebook computer, you may wish to check this box. It will help to keep the mouse from disappearing and make it easier to follow. However, with a desktop computer and a standard monitor, it would probably be more of a bother and of no help.
        (2) Hide pointer while typing. This is just a matter of preference. I have the box checked on my desktop computer.
        (3) Show location of the pointer when I press the control key. If you have difficulty locating the pointer sometimes, you may wish to check this box. With it activated, pressing the Ctrl key will briefly display some circles around the pointer (not the insertion point). This can be especially helpful on notebook computers or when working with large fine-text documents or spreadsheets.

        Have you had problems opening attachments in Outlook Express lately? Beginning with OE 6, service pack 1, Outlook Express has a new security option titled "Do not allow attachments to be saved or opened that could potentially be a virus." It is turned on by default. Even HTML code (the markup language for web pages) in the attachment may trigger this filter, because scripts may be embedded that would plant a virus. You can turn this off to save or open an attachment, but Microsoft recommends that you turn it back on for normal use. A more detailed explanation can be found at Microsoft support 1 and Microsoft Support 2.
        I'll show you how to turn this feature off, but first let me suggest that you adopt some rules for opening attachments. Here are the rules I go by. I only open attachments if one of the following conditions are present: 1. I am expecting that attachment or 2. It is from someone I know and there is a message in the body of the e-mail with information that a virus author would not know, that confirms to me that the message is really from the stated sender and it refers to the attachment. Otherwise I delete the e-mail message and attachments and empty the Deleted Items folder.
        Here is the reason for the confirming message in the e-mail. Some viruses will send a message to everyone in your address book. The messages will appear to be coming from you. They may contain a type of message you would never send or a bland message such as "Here is something you will find interesting." An included attachment may contain any type of message or pictures, but also a virus. Without your knowing it, you could even be infecting other computers.
        Now, here are the instructions for unblocking the attachments. The steps may vary slightly in your version.
    1. In Outlook Express, go to the Tools menu and select "Options."
    2. On the Security tab, uncheck "Do not allow attachments to be saved or opened that could potentially be a virus."
    3. Click OK.
        You will also want to check the box labeled "Warn me when other applications try to send mail as me." I would leave this box permanently checked.
        Be sure to keep your antivirus definitions up to date. And run the program periodically, just in case it has failed catching an incoming virus.

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Previous Computer Stuff tips, tricks & helps are stored here.

Menu for Page 14 of Archives for Computer Stuff

Add HTML Wallpaper (08-01-2001)

Change Folder Icon on Desktop (08-01-2001)

Make Recycle Bin Leaner (08-01-2001)

See Changes Made to Your Registry (08-01-2001)

Stop Search for New Floppy Drive (08-01-2001)

Use BootLog to Find Boot-Up Problems (08-01-2001)

How to Change the Default Font in Word. (10-02-2001)

How to Change the Default Working Folder. (10-02-2001)

Open CD ROM drawer another way (10-02-2001)

Adding Stationery to Your OE Messages

Put Your Favorites on the Desktop

Customize Your Mouse settings

Attachments Don't Open in Outlook Express

ActiveX Controls

Cannot Send Pictures in Outlook Express

Change Font Characteristics for OE Messages

Explorer Bar in Internet Explorer

Messages Not Visible in Outlook Express

Outlook Express Won't Preview Pictures

Strange Names in Your Address Book

Web Pages and Your Folders in Same Window

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Home | Eternal Gems | Computer Stuff | Resource Center | News & Weather | Calculators Archives for Eternal Gems | Archives for Computer Stuff | Bio Info | Contact Us

Previous Computer Stuff tips, tricks & helps are stored here.

Menu for Page 14 of Archives for Computer Stuff

Add HTML Wallpaper (08-01-2001)

Change Folder Icon on Desktop (08-01-2001)

Make Recycle Bin Leaner (08-01-2001)

See Changes Made to Your Registry (08-01-2001)

Stop Search for New Floppy Drive (08-01-2001)

Use BootLog to Find Boot-Up Problems (08-01-2001)

How to Change the Default Font in Word. (10-02-2001)

How to Change the Default Working Folder. (10-02-2001)

Open CD ROM drawer another way (10-02-2001)

Home | Eternal Gems | Computer Stuff | Resource Center | News & Weather | Calculators Archives for Eternal Gems | Archives for Computer Stuff | Bio Info | Contact Us

Home | Eternal Gems | Computer Stuff | Resource Center | News & Weather | Calculators
Archives for Eternal Gems | Archives for Computer Stuff | Bio Info | Contact Us

Home | Eternal Gems | Computer Stuff | Resource Center | News & Weather | Calculators
Archives for Eternal Gems | Archives for Computer Stuff | Bio Info | Contact Us