Computer Tip of the Week

How can know if I am securely shopping online?
Answer:
1. Make sure there is a padlock icon on either the taskbar or in the URL/Address bar.
2. Make sure the URL reads HTTPS:// instead of just HTTP://
3. Sites with extended validation display the Web address bar with a green background to indicate that the site is authentic.
The Shopping Cart for Jay and Julie Tales has all three security features.

08/01/08
How can I quickly find businesses and places of interests in cities that I visit?
Answer:
Type local.google.com into your Web address bar. Google will bring up a map of the US. Double-click the state that you are interested in; then double-click on the region or city you are interested in. Then in the Search box, type of business that you are interested looking for, such as Theaters,
Type maps.google.com into your Web address bar and Google will bring up a map of the US. Double-click on the state that you are interested in; then double-click on the region or city you are interested in. Click on the [Street View] button and you can see a panoramic picture of the street you are interested in.

07/11/08
How do I quickly undo a Microsoft Word Auto correction that I do not want?
Answer:
1. Click the Undo icon or
2. Tap [Ctrl] + Z

06/26/08
Can I increase or decrease the font size in the Internet Explorer?
Answer:
Click View, select Text Size, and choose either Largest, Larger, Medium, Smaller, Smallest. If you do not see the View menu, right-click on the toolbar and click Menu Bar.

05/30/08
Windows XP had an Up One Level folder icon in the Windows Explorer. This icon does not appear with Windows Vista. How can I easily go up one folder in Windows Vista?
Answer:
To go up one folder level to a parent folder in Vista's Windows Explorer – simply tap [Alt] + [Left Arrow] or the [Alt] + [Up Arrow].

05/22/08
What programs can I download to to make free phone calls or print stamps at home?
Answer:
Skype.com allows you to chat for with free Skype-to-Skype calls. You can talk (voice), chat (text), or make video calls for free. You can make International calls to landlines from 2.1¢ per minute or unlimited calls for $9.95 a month.
Stamps.com allows you to calculate and print USPS postage right from your PC for $17.99 a month.

04/10/08
How can I place my favorite Web site on the Windows Start menu?
Answer:
Simply drag your favorite Web site address from your Internet Explorer Favorites onto the Windows Start button and let go before the Start menu opens. Or hold it over the Window Start button and drag it to All Programs after the Start menu opens, and then drag it wherever you want.

03/07/08
How can I magnify what is on my screen?
Answer:
The Windows Magnifier allows you to use a section of your screen to magnify whatever your mouse is scrolling over. To access the Magnifier, click the Start > All Programs > Accessories > Accessibility for Windows XP or Ease of Access for Windows Vista > and finally click Magnifier.

02/22/08
How do you clean your keyboard?
Answer:
Shut down your computer; disconnect the keyboard. Use your vacuum cleaner with its crevice tool to suck out any crud from your keys. If necessary, use tweezers to remove stubborn hairs and other debris. Take a cloth and get it slightly wet with soapy water. Tilt your keyboard, so it is partly upside down, and so that none of your cleaning fluid will settle into the keyboard contacts; and then clean off your keyboard. It’s that easy.

02/15/08
How do you quickly launch your screen saver?
Answer: Search your Windows folder for screensaver files: enter *.scr in the search box. You can preview each of the scr files that are found by double-clicking on them. Right-click your favorite scr file, choose Send To from the shortcut menu, and then click Desktop (create shortcut). To quickly activate your favorite screensaver, just double-click the screensaver icon that was sent to your desktop.

02/08/08
Can you set a password for a Word or Excel document?
Answer:
With Office 2003, choose Save As. At the top of the Save As dialog window there is a Tools option. Click the drop-down arrow adjacent to the Tools item, and choose Security Options. Then enter your desired password in the Password to Open textbox. In Office 2007, the Tools option is at the bottom of the Save As dialog window; from the Tools drop-down menu you choose General Options.

02/01/08
You can set system passwords in Windows Vista by going to the Control Panel and clicking on the User Accounts applet icon. Are there guidelines for setting passwords?
Four basic password guidelines:
Do not select a word that can be easily guessed
Passwords should be at least 8 characters long
Passwords should be a combination of UPPER and lower case characters
Passwords should contain both letters and numbers.

01/18/08
Is your Computer running slow? Or your Screen flooded with popups? Are you getting an error message and don't know what to do?
One Possible Solution:
There are companies like www.PCLive.com that will remotely repair your computer for $49.95 per incident and www.support.com where prices range from $75 to $99 dollars. I am not recommending these services; I am just mentioning that there are alternatives.

12/28/07
How can I can see exactly what was downloaded in the days before the hardware or software failures began on my computer?
Answer:
Click the Vista Start button, and in the Start Search box, type perfmon. This will launch the Reliability and Performance Monitor. When it finishes initializing, select the Reliability Monitor on the left menu. The (I)s on the System Stability Chart are (I)nformation notes indicating what software was installed during the past month. The (X)s indicate when failures occurred. If you can see a pattern between new installs and crashes, you may be able to determine what is causing your problems.

12/07/07
How can I download videos from such sites as YouTube?
Answer:
Step 1. Browse to the YouTube video page that you want to download.
Step 2. In your browser open a new window or tab and go to www.keepvid.com.
Step 3: At the top of the KeepVid site is a green text box that reads:
“Copy the link of the page with the video on it and paste it here”
So copy and paste the Web address of URL for your YouTube video then click the [Download] button.
Step 4. The next part is a little confusing because shortly after you click [Download] a » Download Link « message will appear right below the Original Download button. Click on the Download Link link and save the get_video file to your computer.
5. The downloaded file is in the Flash Video FLV format. But it does not have the FLV file extension. You will have to right-click on the file and rename get_video to get_video.flv. And while you are at it you can change the file name from get_video to any appropriate name you want.
6. The FLV file requires a FLV Player to play. One place to get a free FLV Player is from Applian Technologies which also install a Freecorder toolbar on your browser that will allow you to record internet audio files as well.

10/12/07
How can I easily switch between multiple open Windows when using Windows XP and Windows Vista?
Answer:
1. Click the application buttons on the Taskbar found on the bottom of the screen.
2. Tap [Alt] + [Tab] to bring up a pop-up Task Switcher window that displays thumbnails of your open applications.
3. If you have Windows Vista and a new high-end graphics card, you can use the new Aero Flip 3D experience. This will display the open applications as flipped and stacked semitransparent Aero windows: Either click the Switch between windows icon often found on the Quick Launch tool bar on the bottom of the screen, or by tap [Alt] + [Tab].

10/05/07
In addition to the Office 2007 Compatibility Pack (see tip 04/22/07), what else can I do to allow Office 2003/XP read the new Office 2007 .docx and .xlsx files?
Answer: You can choose the Save As option and under the Save as type dropdown choose Word 97-2003 Document.
You can also Set Office 2007 to automatically save in Office 97-2003 format: Click the circular Office button in the upper-left corner or your Microsoft Word screen, then click the [Word Options] button on the bottom of the pop-up window. Click the Save option shown on the left side, and in the Save Files in this format dropdown, choose Word 97-2003 Document, and then click [OK]. Now Office 2007 will save all of your files in Office 97-2003 format.
Note: Documents created in Word 2007 and then saved in Word 97-2003 .doc format are often twice as large as Word 2007 .docX files sizes.

09/22/07
My computer is slowing down. What can I do to speed it up?
Answer: There are numerous things that can slow down your computer. Check for Spyware (see tip 07/07/06). Check for Viruses or even Antivirus Software that may be consuming too much of your system resources (see tip 07/20/07). Make sure your hard drive is not full - your system will slow down substantially if there is not enough room for system page swap files. Delete temporary files; delete old files that are no longer needed; and then be sure to empty the Recycle Bin because deleted files are still stored in the Recycle Bin and consequently they are still stored on your hard drive.

08/03/07
If my computer stops working properly, how can I restore my computer to the state it was in before the problems started?
Answer: You can access System Restore by clicking Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Restore. Once you are there, you can choose different Restore points to go back to. Note: If you have an antivirus program like Nortons AntiVirus, you may have to first temporarily disable Nortons AntiVirus or boot in Safe Mode, and then do the restore from Safe Mode

07/20/07
My Norton’s antivirus is so controlling and consumes so much of my system resources, that it has become almost as bad as the viruses that it is trying to protect me from. What can I do?
Answer: Until Nortons comes out with a product that does not severely slow your system down, many users are recommending that you consider trial or free programs such as AVG (http://www.grisoft.com), Avast (www.avast.com) and Avira Antivir (www.free-av.com) or consider buying McAfee at your local computer store.

06/29/07
How can I change my computer's settings to turn off or go to sleep when I'm not using it?
Answer: Click Start > Settings > Control Panel > choose Display and make the desired settings.

06/22/07
How can I quickly test my Internet connection if I cannot get online?
Answer: The Tools icon that appears on the Internet Explorer 7 menu has an option to Diagnose Connection Problems that you can use if you cannot connect to the Internet. It will check your network adapter and IP addresses, then step you through the network connection process step by step, prompting you to make sure the cable is plugged in, and the power is turned on.

06/15/07
Can I block Pop-ups or Phishing scams without downloading special software?
Answer: Internet Explorer 7 has a built-in Pop-up Blocker to keep most annoying advertisements from harassing you. You can toggle it on or off from the dropdown Tools menu in IE7 (the icon looks like a gear). There is also a Phishing Filter option on the same dropdown menu.

06/08/07
How can I see more of a Web page on the screen or make the text of a particular Web page larger?
Answer: Tap the [F11] function key and your browser window will maximize with minimal toolbars. Tap [F11] again to toggle back to normal view. Also with IE7, you can click the Page menu icon and then choose a larger text size or choose to Zoom to a larger size.

06/01/07
How can I remove unwanted toolbars from the Windows Explorer? (such as the Yahoo or Google toolbars)
Answer: Right-click on a blank area of the menu bar, and click on the item(s) that you want to remove or restore, toggling a check or uncheck mark next to the item(s).

05/24/07
How can I quickly run the Windows Calculator or open the Windows NotePad in Windows Vista?
Answer: Click Start and type "calc" or "notepad" in the Start Search box. (It is similar in Windows XP.)

04/22/07
How do I install the Office 2007 Compatibility Pack so my Office 2003/XP can read the new Office 2007 .docx and .xlsx files?
Answer:
1. Make sure your system is up to date: install all High-Priority/Required updates from Microsoft Update at http://update.microsoft.com (This is required for Microsoft Office XP and 2003 users).
2. Do a search on “Microsoft Office 2007 Compatibility Pack” to go to the appropriate Compatibility Pack Download Web Page or click on the link below:
(www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=941b3470-3ae9-4aee-8f43-c6bb74cd1466)
3. When you get to the Microsoft Office 2007 Compatibility Pack download page, click on the [Download] button to save the FileFormatConverters.exe file to your hard drive.
4. Double-click the FileFormatConverters.exe program file on your hard drive to start the setup program and then follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation.

03/09/07
With Windows Vista, how can you capture specific parts of the display screen to easily paste this image into a document or file?
Answer: Click Start > Programs > Accessories, and select the Snipping Tool.

03/02/07
With Windows Vista, how do you display a Menu Bar on the Windows Explorer or My computer, so that you can see File, Edit, View, Tools, Help menu so that you can do things like making Vista show you file extensions?
Answer: Click Organize > Layout, and choose Menu Bar - which is hidden by default.

02/23/07
Should I upgrade to Vista?
Answer: Not unless you have to or not unless your new machine comes with Vista. There is very little new functionality, it is expensive, it will take a long time to install everything correctly, and you will find that many of your peripheral devices, such as printers and monitors, may not work without locating, downloading and installing new drivers. Plus you will probably also have to add more RAM, because it is much more memory intensive.

02/16/07
How do you create your own Styles in Microsoft Office 2007?
Answer: Highlight the text that you want to use as the basis of your new style, then right-click and choose Styles, and select Save selection as a new Quick Style.

02/09/07
Is there an alternative to Microsoft Office 2007 and spending several hundred dollars and then spending many hours learning how to use its radically new interface?
Answer: You can download for free Open Office (which reads and writes to most Microsoft Office files and uses the conventional File, Edit, View, Tools menu). It downloads and install fairly quickly - see: www.openoffice.org

02/02/07
If the tabs or indents or spacing is messed up in Microsoft Word XP/2003 and nothing seems to reset it, how can you clean up the formatting in Word?
Answer: New versions of Word have a Style box in the upper left corner, near the File/Edit menu. Click the drop down next to the style box and choose Clear Formatting.

01/26/07
How can you find files written last week, last month, or last spring?
Answer: In the Windows Explorer XP, choose View > Details, and to sort the files by date, simply click on the Date Modified header in the File View window.

12/08/06
What do you do if you install some new software or make a system change and now your computer will no longer boot up? How do you log back on and uninstall your new program or undo your change?
Answer: Tap [F8] a two or three seconds after powering up your computer, as soon as Windows starts to load. This will load the special startup menu to either Boot in Safe mode for Troubleshooting or to restore your system to the Last Known Good Configuration.

11/24/06
How can I turn off Error Reporting [Send] [Don't Sent] which wastes even more time after a Windows error?
Answer: Right-Click on My Computer (or Open the System Applet in the Control Panel). Select the Advanced tab, Click the [Error Reporting] button on the bottom of the screen and select the "Disable error Reporting" option.

11/10/06
I downloaded Windows Live OneCare and now my Internet connection does not work.
Answer: The odds are the firewall is blocking you. Open Windows Live OneCare; click the “View or change settings” link under Other Tasks on the left side of the window; click the Firewall tab at the top of the next window, and move the slider bar to the bottom to turn the firewall off again. Unfortunately, this is a common problem and for Windows OneCare it is basically all or nothing. Hopefully, Windows will eventually adjust their settings so that you can actually use their firewall to protect your system, and still use the Internet.

10/27/06
How can I configure Outlook to automatically display the calendar before I check my email?
Answer: Click Tools > Options, click the Other tab, then in the General section, click the [Advanced Options] button, and then click the [Browse] button to choose the Calendar as the startup module.

10/20/06
What is the easiest way to find my favorite picture on the Web?
Answer: Go to www.msn.com, click in the | Images | link at the top of the screen, enter a description of the desired picture, and click the [Search Images] button.

10/13/06
How can I make my browser automatically launch my favorite Web site?
Answer: Copy the address of your favorite Web site. ([Ctrl] + [C]) Then, if you are using the Internet Explorer, choose Tools > Internet Options, and under the General Tab paste the copied address in the Home page address box. Finally, click the [Use Current] button and click [OK].

09/22/06
How can I put my Web Page on the Internet?
Answer: Buy a domain name and hosting service from a company like www.GoDaddy.com (cost about $54 a year) or for a free banner-supporter site see www.freeservers.com or www.geocities.yahoo.com/home/ and use their built-in file managers to upload your files.

09/15/06
How can I make my own Web Page with Microsoft Word?
Answer: Because Web pages do not recognize Tabs, you must use a Table if you want to line things up in columns. After you have created a table and entered your data into the table, you can simply choose File > Save As Web Page and Word will create an .htm file that can be opened by any browser.

09/08/06
How can I check for possible disk problems?
Solution: Open My Computer right-click drive C, choose Properties, click Tools tab, and click the Check Now button. For other diagnostic hints, click Start, choose Help and type troubleshoot. Microsoft has some good troubleshooting pages.

09/1/06
How do I really uninstall software so the entire folder, system files, and all the registry settings are gone?
Solution: Click Start, Settings, Control Panel, choose Add or Remove Programs (do not just delete the shortcut and avoid trying to delete the program folders by your yourself).

08/25/06
How can I select a group of files or all of the files in a Window Explorer directory so that I can delete, move, drag or copy them all at once?
Solution: [Ctrl] + [A] to select all files or to select just some files, find and then click on the first file that you want, then hold the [Ctrl] key down and click on the next file(s) that you want.

08/18/06
How can I find recently used files?
Solution: Click View in the Windows Explorer main menu, and then choose Details, then click on the Date Modified heading to show each file listed by date, most recent first.

08/04/06
How do I enable the Windows XP Quick Launch Toolbar so that I can have shortcuts on the Taskbar?
Solution: Right-click the Taskbar, choose Toolbars, click Quick Launch. Drag your desired shortcuts to the Quick Launch Toolbar. You can also Right-click the Taskbar and choose Lock the Taskbar.

07/14/06
How do I back up my files?
Solution: 1. [Ctrl] + [C] to Copy, then [Ctrl] + [V] to Paste or Copy > Paste
2. Open and Save as a different name or Save the file to a different folder or drive.
3. Click, Select and Drag the file to a different drive (a [+] will appear under the file name indicating a new copy)
4. My personal favorite is to save all of my files in a directory that I create called Data. Then I make Sub Folders called Jay, Julie, MCC, House. Then I open my Word Processor and choose Tools, Options Files locations and instead of saving to My Documents, I set the file location to Data – Now I can easily Drag and Drop my Data folder to an external USB drive or burn it to a CD or DVD.
5. Finally, you can criticize the current administration publicly and let the NSA backup your files for you.

07/07/06
Do you want to protect your computer from Spyware that can track your every Internet move and substantially slow down the performance of your computer?
Solution: Download Microsoft's Defender, a free AntiSpyware program at.
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx

06/30/06
Are you afraid of what Microsoft may do to your computer without you knowing it? For instance is the Windows Genuine Advantage – Validation update really beneficial to you or to Microsoft? Or may it be a hassle of constant warnings that you have an illegal copy of something if you have not done everything the Microsoft way, such as upgrading a perfectly legal copy of Windows to a newer copy of Windows?
Solution: Although Microsoft updates are essential for security – you may choose to not automatically update and install everything Microsoft tries to put on your computer. To check your current Update settings in Windows XP – Right-click My Computer, choose Properties, choose the Automatic Updates tab, then select Notify me but don’t automatically download or install them. Or if you do choose Automatic, but instead of choosing the Express option button when the update begins, choose the Custom option button - and take the extra minute to preview what Microsoft is sending you.

06/23/06
How can you capture a screen picture of an Error Message (or any other screen) that you want to keep as a record or to use when you talk to a service tech in the future?
Solution: [Alt] + [Print Screen] - This will copy the Active Application window into the clipboard. [Print Screen] by itself will copy all of the screen on your monitor to the clipboard. Then you can open your word processor, type the date and few words of description about your error, and then paste the screen capture from the clipboard into your word processing document. (Choose Edit > Paste)

06/15/06
How can you quickly Undelete a file that you just deleted or restore a file name that you just renamed?
Solution: [Ctrl] + [Z] - Z is the last letter of the alphabet and [Ctrl] + [Z] can undo the last thing you did in Windows or Microsoft Office or most applications.

06/09/06
Some Handy Windows Shortcuts - Using the Windows key (the Flag-key between [Ctrl] and [Alt])
[WindowsKey] + [E] - Open the Windows Explorer quickly
[WindowsKey] + [F] - Find Files and Folders quickly
[WindowsKey] + [L] - Graceful Logout when your mouse dies
[WindowsKey] + [M] - Quickly Minimize all opened Windows

06/02/06
How do you set MS Office XP/2003 hyperlinks to open by double-clicking instead of [Ctrl] + click?
Solution: Choose Tools > Options > Edit tab and
Uncheck Ctrl + Click to follow hyperlink

05/26/06
How do you reset your MS Word 2000, XP, or 2003 margins from the default of 1.25 inches - which wastes paper?
Solution: Choose File > Page Setup > change the margins to your desired setting and then
Click the [Default] button

05/19/06
Does MS Word AutoNumber drive you crazy and insert numbers when you don't want them?
Solution: Choose Tools > AutoCorrect Options, click the AutoFormat As You Type tab, and
Uncheck Automatic numbered lists

05/12/06
Do your Microsoft Office 2000, XP, or 2003 menus keep changing?
Or are you tired of waiting several seconds to see the full menu?
Solution: Choose View > Toolbars > Customize, click the Options tab, and
Uncheck Show full menus after a short delay, and Check Always show full menus.

05/05/06
Are your Microsoft Office 2000, XP, or 2003 file sizes tooo big?
Solution: Choose Tools > Options > click the Save tab, and Uncheck Allow Fast Saves.