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We're Back!

I hope everyone had a terrific holiday. We're still trying to get caught back up around here after a 4 day weekend, but I think we'll be back on track soon :-)

Computers 101

Q:
Do I have to shut down all my software before I shut my computer down?

A:
Not really. Windows will shut things down for you, which can be a real time saver if you have a dozen open programs. However, note that if you have stuff pending (like unsaved documents) the program will (or should) ask if you want to save this stuff before it shuts down. Probably best to make sure everything is saved first though...

Also note that if you have an open folder, you'll find that it gets re-opened when Windows starts the next time.

Tip of the Day

Your Printer X 2

Web Link - http://www.worldstart.com/tips/printerx2.htm

Do you need to adjust your printer settings a lot? You know, maybe most of the time you print in Draft mode to save on ink expense, but sometimes you need to print out a photograph and select different, higher quality settings. Or perhaps you have your printer set to print in grayscale all the time normally, but find that you need to switch back to color mode frequently too.

Well, if you have that problem, have I got a trick for you!

Instead of messing around with changing settings back and forth all the time, install your printer a second time - with different settings. Then, all you need to do is select the second version or regular version of the printer from the print dialog box. Much faster than changing settings back and forth.

Here's a sample:

To install your printer twice, just go to the Printers folder under your Start button, Settings, Printers (for XP users, under the Control Panel).

Click the Add Printer icon and install the printer as you normally would. Oh, here's a little shortcut - You should be able to pick your printer from the list the wizard provides and not need to dig out your printer driver disks. And don't worry - you can install the same printer twice without any problem.

For example, in the shot below, I just selected my printer from the list and was never asked for a disk.

When it comes time to name the printer give it a different, probably more descriptive, name.

You can also re-name the original printer if you like. Just right-click it and select "rename" from the resulting menu. I named my original HP-Color and the new one HP-Draft.

Next, while you're still in the Printers folder, put in your custom settings for each printer by Right-clicking the printer you want to modify and selecting Properties from the resulting menu. This is where you set the printers up for color, draft, b&w, etc. The procedure varies from printer to printer, but it's never too hard. Just play around with the tabs and buttons until you find the settings you want to change.

Personally, I have one printer set up for regular color printing and one for draft quality grayscale printing.

Amanda's Cool Site of the Day

Speed Traps

Did you get caught in a speed trap over the holiday? To help avoid them in the future, check out today's cool site. They'll give you a hand:

http://www.speedtrap.org/

Do you have a cool site that you want to share? Send it to Amanda! Here's her address:

amanda@worldstart.com

Oh, and we're looking for non-commercial sites. We generally don't run sites that are strictly for shopping.