Printing Font Samples
Most computers come pre-installed with a bounty of printer fonts, and WinXP only added to them. You can also download hundreds more, or even make your own. Knowing how they will all look when they print can be tough, but can also be an important aspect!
Luckily, there’s an easy way to print samples of the fonts on your computer. Go to Start Menu , Settings … Continue reading
Comments | Filed under: Uncategorized |
Fix Split Links
Don’t you just hate it when the web link in an email is split? The first line is clickable, but it goes nowhere. Try the old copy/paste and you still only get the top part.
Some readers suggest making the text smaller or the page bigger to display the whole link. It’s worth a try. But if that doesn’t work, here’s how to handle ‘em:
1. Copy… Continue reading
Comments | Filed under: E-Mail Help, Using The Internet |
Note – This tip is for Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher. For those who are still with me, if you have any sites that require a password for access, you’ve probably noticed that IE offers to remember these passwords / usernames for you. Of course, some of you like having your browser remember passwords and usernames for you. All that’s required when you go back to the site is a… Continue reading
Comments | Filed under: Using The Internet |
Q:
I hate it when my browser auto-completes search engine entries and addresses when I start typing. How do I avoid this?
A:
Well, if you’re using Internet Explorer (5.0 or higher), just go to Tools, Internet Options , then choose the Content tab and select the ” AutoComplete ” button. This will bring up a control panel where you can turn AutoComplete on or off for web… Continue reading
Comments | Filed under: Using The Internet |
Clear Internet History
Speaking of cache, this is one that takes up a lot of space and can be emptied easily. If this folder is full, you might try to save a picture that says .jpg only to have it try to save as as bitmap. This is a sign that your Internet History cache is full. Keep in mind, though, that frequently visited pages will take longer to download… Continue reading
Comments | Filed under: Using The Internet |
Hello, I’m Johhny Cache! Sorry, I couldn’t help it! I was wearing black today, plus this will remind you to say it the right way.
Cache files are used to store information on a temporary basis for quick access. The physical location of this can be either on a hard drive or in RAM memory.
The idea behind it is… Continue reading
Comments | Filed under: Computer Terms |
Get Your Computer Details
Want to figure out all your computer specs? Stuff like CPU speed, RAM, Hard Drive space, screen resolution, etc? It’s actually not as easy as it should be. Maybe I’m missing something, but as far as I can tell, you have to go to separate areas in Windows to figure this it out.
So here’s a how-to chart:
RAM & Windows Version -
Right-click My… Continue reading
Comments | Filed under: System Tune-Up Help |
Q:
Is there a way to hide my taskbar?
A:
Right-click any blank area on your taskbar (your taskbar is what your Start button sits on) and select “Properties” from the menu that pops up. Select “Autohide” or “Auto-hide taskbar” from the resulting screen.
Now, your taskbar will disappear when you move your mouse away from… Continue reading
Comments | Filed under: Desktop Enhancement |
Don’t you get tired of scrolling through long drop down box lists? I know that I do. I’m gonna show you an easy way to get through them today. I’ll illustrate how to do it with an example.
Let’s say you’re filling out an online registration form that asks for your country. If you live in Australia, you’re all set since your country is towards the top… Continue reading
Comments | Filed under: Shortcuts & Keyboard Tricks, Using The Internet |
Q:
What does it mean to “configure”?
A:
That’s one of those computer words that you see tossed about. It can refer to the set-up of your computer hardware: memory and devices. It can be your combination of software: operating system, utilities, and applications. It can also mean the adjustment of your software: options or preferences.
Many computer problems are caused by poor configuration and can often be… Continue reading
Comments | Filed under: Computer Terms |
Q:
I have an A: drive and a C: drive. Why don’t I have a B: drive? Did the programmers at Microsoft skip kindergarten?
A:
Ah, don’t fear, those MS programmers had a full education. The B: drive used to be (and still is I guess) reserved for a 5 1/4 inch floppy drive. You remember ‘em… They were the huge, bendy disks that didn’t hold much and… Continue reading
Comments | Filed under: Uncategorized |
Quick Homepages & Favs
Want a quick way to set your homepage with Internet Explorer? Head to your address bar and drag the little Explorer icon next to the address to your Homepage button.
You’ll get a message asking you to confirm that you want to switch your homepage. Answering “yes” will set the homepage for you.
What if you just want to save… Continue reading
Comments | Filed under: Using The Internet |
“OS” is short for “Operating System.” Windows is an “OS,” as is Linux and Mac OS X. Whatever flavor you enjoy, they all do pretty much the same thing – they give you a way to run programs and work with your computer. Continue reading
Comments | Filed under: Computer Terms |
Q: I was at a really cool site and wanted to send it to my friend. Is there a way to email the entire web page?
A: If you’re using Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator you can. Here’s how to send a favorite page to a buddy:
Internet Explorer:
1. Click the File menu, Send, Page by e-mail.
2. Outlook Express (or Outlook) will now open and the page… Continue reading
Comments | Filed under: E-Mail Help, Using The Internet |
So, you’ve upgraded to Windows XP or Vista and now some of your old programs don’t work. I hate that! It’s been our experience that most older programs designed for older versions of Windows will run on XP, regardless of what version they were originally designed for. The only ones that refuse to run are the ones you really, really need 
If you can’t get a… Continue reading
Comments | Filed under: System Tune-Up Help |
Spam Filtering—Killing The Patient To Cure The Disease?
OK, everyone hates junk e-mail and wants to do something about it. Since we’re in the newsletter publishing business, we deal with this on a daily basis and are noticing a disturbing trend.
Basically, anti-spam efforts are choking the life out of e-mail.
Here’s what’s happening. Spam is a continual nuisance and ISP s are pressures to help keep it… Continue reading
Comments | Filed under: E-Mail Help, Uncategorized |
What are those random letters and words that show up in the subject or at the bottom of many spam emails?
I get those emails too: a graphic will appear selling some product and at the top or bottom it looks like a three year-old was attacking the keyboard. Or you’ll see some random words like “goldfish tinman wart
Comments | Filed under: E-Mail Help |
Q:
What are plug-ins?
A:
A plug-in is a small application that works with your browser to display certain types of web media. For example, some web sites use Shockwave to allow you to play interactive games. However, in order to play these games, you need to have a Shockwave plug-in. Oh, if you want to check out some of these games and more, head to:
Comments | Filed under: Computer Terms, Using The Internet |
Save Power
Want to leave your computer on but don’t want to use all that extra electricity? Windows provides an easy way to reduce the power your system consumes when you are not using it. This is especially handy for laptop users.
I think the easiest way to get to these options is to right click an empty space on the desktop and select Properties in the menu that appears… Continue reading
Comments | Filed under: Uncategorized |
Q:
Should I leave my computer on all the time, or turn it off?
A:
This debate comes up often. Sparks continue to fly on both sides of the issue (especially if you don’t have a surge protector!)
I guess I’ll give you the thoughts from both camps and let you decide.
Leave it on:
The… Continue reading
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Here’s a quickie way to view the properties of a file or program.
If you need to get the properties for something (like an icon, for instance), just hold down your ALT key and double-click it .
Instant properties!
Try it with “My Computer” or one of your regular desktop icons.
And… Continue reading
Comments | Filed under: Shortcuts & Keyboard Tricks |
Q:
Will smoking around my computer mess it up?
A:
In the early days, computer geeks kept their systems in dust free, temperature controlled rooms and required everyone to wear static free booties before entering their “labs”. What a far cry from today where people eat and drink over their keyboards or use the cup mounted on their monitor for an ash tray.
Despite all our… Continue reading
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New Wave
OK, you’ve downloaded some wave files and you would like to use them in your sound scheme. How do you do it? Well, it’s easy!
1. First, click your Start button, Settings , Control panel (XP users, hit the Start button, Control Panel ). You should see an icon for either Sounds or Sounds & Audio Devices . Double-click it.
2. A screen will be displayed that allows… Continue reading
Comments | Filed under: Multimedia |
Do you have awesome wallpaper that’s obscured by all those nasty little icons cluttering your desktop ? Well, here’s how to make them all disappear, at least temporarily…
Win XP Instructions:
A pretty easy process here.
Just right-click your Desktop , Arrange Icons By , then click the ” Show Desktop Icons ” item.
Why the PhD’s at Microsoft decided it was a good idea to stick the “Show… Continue reading
Comments | Filed under: Desktop Enhancement |
I always have too many programs open at the same time and I can’t remember which icon belongs to which program on my toolbar. Is there an easy way to tell which button is which?
By hovering over an item, a balloon should come up telling you what the program is.
One easy
Comments | Filed under: Desktop Enhancement, Shortcuts & Keyboard Tricks |
Check for Corrupt System Files
Did you ever have the suspicion that one of your Windows system files was corrupt? Normally, this problem causes lots of frustration while you try to hunt down the impaired file or do a complete re-install of Windows. Well, hold your Install Disks! There’s another way.
Prior to Windows ME the operating system might overwrite shared system files (for example .dll and .exe files) when… Continue reading
Comments | Filed under: System Tune-Up Help |
Q:
I have been receiving these annoying pop-ups that say that Windows XP has a security leak in it’s messenger that allows my IP address to be leaked and allows these annoying pop-ups to occur even without my browser open. They try to get me to buy their software to stop the pop-ups. Do I need to install their software or is there something I can do?
A:
Comments | Filed under: System Tune-Up Help, Using The Internet |
