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Computers 101

Q:
What is the difference between Downloading, Uploading and Installing?

A:
Here's a blow by blow:

Downloading - This is moving a file that's on the Internet (or over a network) onto your computer. For most of us, downloading is just a matter of clicking a download link on a web site and saving the file to disk. If you want more info on downloading, be sure to check out our download guide at:

http://www.worldstart.com/guides/download.htm

Uploading - This is the opposite of downloading. With uploading, you take a file from your computer and send it to a computer on the internet (or a computer / server on a network). Usually this is done with an FTP client, but some web sites you'll come across will allow you to send files to them with your web browser.

Installing - This is often confused with downloading, but it's a different animal. When you install something, you basically "put" the program on your computer so you can use it. Normally this is done via a setup program and a wizard to make installation easy. Once you're done installing a program, you can usually run it from your Start Menu, Programs area.

Tip of the Day

Spunkier Menus

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

Are your menus a bit sluggish? Well, you'll be happy to learn that you can speed up their display speed. This trick is most noticeable for sub menus (like on your Programs menu). I didn't think I'd be that impressed with it when I first tried it, but these faster menus are better! It kind of makes your computer seem a bit faster and more responsive.

Anyhow, in order to do this tip, you'll need to edit your registry. As such, it automatically falls into the advanced users category. If you try this tip, you do so at your own risk. If you completely mess up your computer, don't even ask for my help. You've been warned :-)

Also, if you're at all unsure of yourself in the registry editing arena, it may be a good idea to back up your registry. Once you're in the Registry editor, just hit the File menu, Export to make a backup copy.

OK, enough warnings. Hopefully you're still with me. Here's how you change your menu display speed:

1. Hit the Start button, Run.

2. Type:

regedit

and hit Enter (or click OK if you prefer).

3. Navigate to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop

Once you open the Desktop folder, scroll down to the "MenuShowDelay" item on the right.

Special Note:

If you don't see a "MenuShowDelay" item, you can make one. Just right-click a blank area in the right hand pane. Select New, String from the resulting menu.

Next, type in:

MenuShowDelay

Exactly as shown. Once that's done, you can proceed to the next step:

Double-click the "MenuShowDelay" item and change the value to a lower number (default is 400 or 500 depending on the system). I like 100 myself (enter 0 for instant menus). Oh, those numbers are in milliseconds, in case you were worried about it. Be sure to enter something here if you had to create the value using the special note above!

Hit OK, exit the registry editor, and restart your computer.

Once you're restarted, head to the Start button, Programs. Play around with the sub menus and I think you'll find they are much more responsive. Keep in mind if your system resources are maxed out - or if the thing is just plain slow - you may not see much improvement.

Amanda's Cool Site of the Day

New York Times

Do you feel the need to read the New York Times? Well, forget about getting that subscription, head to their web site instead. You'll have
to go through a free registration process, but it's relatively painless.

http://www.nytimes.com/

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.