Express Tips Volume 1

Express Tips Volume 1
Express Tips Archive

Table of Contents
..............................................................................................................................................1
Express Tips Volume 1.........................................................................................................1
Express Tips Archive...........................................................................................................2
Introduction..................................................................................................................5
Browsers.........................................................................................................................5
Accurately Selecting Text on a Web Page : ................................................................5
Quickly Close A Browser Window: ............................................................................5
Quickly Access the Web..............................................................................................5
Share a site quickly......................................................................................................5
Searching multiple search engines simultaneously......................................................6
Use a Web librarian to find good sites for kids ...........................................................6
Excel................................................................................................................................7
Apply commonly used number formats with shortcut keys........................................7
Convert numbers entered as text..................................................................................7
Prevent Excel startup macros from running.................................................................7
Quickly add several sheets to a workbook...................................................................8
Using Auto Fill: ...........................................................................................................8
Outlook and Outlook Express......................................................................................9
Avoid accidently replying to spammers.......................................................................9
Outlook - Add a new contact and address book entry from an Outlook message:......9
Outlook - Attach a read or delivery receipt to your Outlook messages:....................10
Outlook - Determine which folder opens when you launch Outlook from a shortcut.
....................................................................................................................................10
Junk mail and viruses.................................................................................................11
Outlook - JAWS and Windows .................................................................................11
Jaws Keystrokes for Outlook.................................................................................12
Windows keystrokes for Outlook..........................................................................12
Outlook Express - Sending music in messages: .......................................................13
Outlook Express - Switching Identities.....................................................................13
Outlook Express - No More Blocked Attachments: .................................................13
MS-WORD...................................................................................................................15
Add line numbers to your document..........................................................................15
All about lists.............................................................................................................15
All about 'Fast Save'...................................................................................................16
Change the orientation of a section in Word .............................................................17
Fast Autocorrect.........................................................................................................18
Finding synonyms in a flash .....................................................................................18
Navigate tables using shortcut keys: .........................................................................18
Print a portion of a document.....................................................................................19
Print two-sided pages without a duplex printer: .......................................................19
Recover a corrupted document..................................................................................20
Reduce glare discomfort by customizing onscreen document display:.....................21
Remove many links at once: .....................................................................................21
2
Shortcuts to Find, Replace, and Go To features.........................................................21

Speed up searches......................................................................................................22
Toggling the Task Pane: ............................................................................................22
Triple-spacing your document...................................................................................22
Understanding page sizes...........................................................................................23
Windows......................................................................................................................24
Create Startup discs....................................................................................................24
Degunking your PC....................................................................................................24
Purge Your Sent Items Folder................................................................................25
Consolidate Your Media Files................................................................................25
Get Rid of Spyware and Adware...........................................................................26
Use Windows Disk Cleanup and Then Defrag Your Hard Drive...........................27
Clean Your Registry...............................................................................................27
Disinfecting your PC..................................................................................................28
Don’t turn off your PC ..............................................................................................29
Go Classic..................................................................................................................30
Error Reports..............................................................................................................30
What About Privacy?.............................................................................................31
Configuring WER..................................................................................................31
Loose XP "New Program" Pop-Ups: ........................................................................32
More Windows tips....................................................................................................32
Remember the Keyboard.......................................................................................32
Using the Alt Tab...............................................................................................32
Windows Logo and Application Key Substitutes..............................................33
Find the Missing Window..................................................................................33
Start Windows without waiting for Welcome (Home Edition)..................................33
Using Disk Cleanup...............................................................................................33
Change the Size of the Recycle Bin.......................................................................34
Remove Unused Programs.....................................................................................34
Get Hardware Details from the Device Manager..................................................34
Get even more hardware information................................................................34
Learn more with System Information................................................................34
Learn what's running..........................................................................................34
Identify cryptic processes..................................................................................35
Use Windows Help................................................................................................35
Capture error messages..........................................................................................35
Use Microsoft Knowledge Base............................................................................35
Protect yourself online by limiting your privelages...................................................36
Quick access to Device Manager: .............................................................................36
Secure your PC..........................................................................................................36
Secure your new system.........................................................................................36
Keep files private...................................................................................................37
Update automatically.............................................................................................37
Toughen passwords................................................................................................37
Beware of spyware.................................................................................................37
Start Windows without waiting for Welcome............................................................38
3
Tips and Tricks for JFW.............................................................................................38

JAWS Commands..................................................................................................38
Run Dialog ShortCuts ...........................................................................................39
Turn off pesky messages: ..........................................................................................39
Navigate Directories with the Command Prompt......................................................40
Using DIR Command............................................................................................40
Using XCOPY.......................................................................................................40
Run Programs from the Command Prompt...........................................................41
Find Matching Files with Command Prompt.........................................................41
Utilizing the Run command.......................................................................................41
Launching applications..........................................................................................41
Navigating to a Website.........................................................................................42
Loading Files.........................................................................................................42
Navigating to Directories.......................................................................................42
Miscellaneous shortcuts.........................................................................................42
Windows XP Keyboard Commands..........................................................................42
General use.............................................................................................................42
Keyboard shortcuts for dialog boxes:....................................................................44
Keyboard commands used with the Windows key................................................44
Helpful accessibility keyboard shortcuts:..............................................................45
Keyboard shortcuts you can use with Windows Explorer:....................................46
Notes......................................................................................................................46
Other.............................................................................................................................46
Backup your Pac Mate...............................................................................................46
Notebook Computers - Improve battery life: ............................................................46
Windows Media Player keyboard commands............................................................47
Player controls keyboard shortcuts........................................................................47
Copy from CD keyboard shortcuts........................................................................47
Media Library keyboard shortcuts.........................................................................48
Copy to CD or Device keyboard shortcuts............................................................48
Skin Chooser keyboard shortcuts...........................................................................48
File menu keyboard shortcuts................................................................................48
View menu keyboard shortcuts..............................................................................48
Play menu keyboard shortcuts...............................................................................49
Tools menu keyboard shortcuts.............................................................................49
Help menu keyboard shortcuts...............................................................................49
Anchor window menu keyboard shortcuts............................................................49
Skin shortcut menu keyboard shortcuts.................................................................50
More Online Resources .............................................................................................50
Using Kurzweil’s Virtual Printer...............................................................................51
Downloading Files From The Internet: .....................................................................51
Apply commonly used number formats with shortcut keys......................................53
4
Introduction
Welcome to volume one of Frontier Computing’s Express Tips Archive. We believe
many of the tips in this document will appeal to both the new user and the seasoned
veteran.
All tips contained in this document have either been posted on the Express Tips web page
or have appeared in previous issues of Frontier News.
We would like to thank the Frontier trainers, technical staff and the many customers who
over the past eighteen months, have submitted their tips, tricks, feedback and comments
to the Express Tips project.
Enjoy!
Browsers
Accurately Selecting Text on a Web Page :
If you've tried to highlight text on a Web page by dragging your mouse across the text
with the button depressed, you know how awkward it can be. Often either some of the
text you meant to select is left out, or else headings, figures, and other elements are
mistakenly included in your selection. Fortunately, there's a much cleaner and easier way.
Simply click just to the left of the beginning of the text you want to select, release the
mouse button, position your insertion point immediately following the last part of the
desired text, hold down the Shift key and click again. When you do, all the text between
the two click points is highlighted and selected. JAWS users can achieve the same results
by routing and using the JAWS cursor instead of the mouse.
Quickly Close A Browser Window:

If you're using Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator, you can quickly close the active
browser window using the keystroke combination Ctrl W. Not only can this help you exit
your browser, but you can also use it to quickly dispose of pop-up ads (just make sure the
ads are the active browser window). You can also use this keystroke combination to close
Windows Explorer, My Computer, open folders, and open documents within most
desktop applications.
Quickly Access the Web

Did you know that you can use Internet Explorer to create shortcuts on your desktop that
link directly to an Internet site? First, pull down Internet Explorer's File menu from the
site you want to create a shortcut to and select the Send command. Next, choose Create
Desktop Shortcut from the resulting menu. A shortcut to the current URL will appear on
your desktop. From now on, you can launch Internet Explorer and connect to the site
simply by double-clicking your new shortcut.
Share a site quickly

Ever come across the perfect site for a friend while surfing, but wish there was an easier
way to send him or her the link? Typically, you'd copy the address from the Address bar,
open your email application, create a new message, and paste the link into the body of the
5
message. If your main email application is set as the default, there's an easier way to do
this in Internet Explorer
Simply navigate to the page you want to share and choose File |Send to access your
sending options. From here, selecting Page By E-mail sends the entire HTML contents of
the page, while Link By E-mail simply sends the hyperlink. For most cases, the Link By
E-mail option is the best, as it sends the smallest mail file and will allow your recipient to
access the most up-to-date version of the site. The Page By E-mail option is good if you
want to provide a snapshot of a specific version of the site, but adds extra file size and
might not be readable if your recipient can't render HTML in his email reader. The last
option on the Send menu is Shortcut To Desktop, which is a quick way to save a Web
address if you don't want to send an email right away. Of course, you can also accomplish
this by right-clicking on the Web page and selecting Create Shortcut or dragging the URL
from the Address bar to the Desktop, but it's always good to know all your options.
Searching multiple search engines simultaneously

Has your favorite search engine ever let you down? Of course it
has-none of them are perfect. However, when it comes time to look to a second search
engine for some assistance, you may not know where to turn. If you don't know which
search engine to use, or you simply want a second opinion from an entire crowd of search
engines, why not use a group of them simultaneously for your search? This is known as a
metasearch. There are a lot of metasearch engines available on the Internet. Basically,
they sit back and let other search engines do the dirty work. When you enter a search
term at a metasearch engine,. it sends out your search request to a number of other search
engine databases (such as Google's and Ask Jeeve's) and then compiles the results for
you. It may seem a bit like cheating, but it isn't a bad way to begin a search. Here are a
few metasearch engines to get you started.
<a href="http://www.ixquick.com">Ixquick web site</a> 
<a href="www.metacrawler.com/index.html">MetaCrawler web site</a> 
<a href="www.search.com">Search.Com web site</a>
<a href="http://www.ferretsoft.com/">Ferret Soft web site</a>
Use a Web librarian to find good sites for kids

The KidsClick! Web site was designed to give kids a place a safe place to search for
information on the Internet. Set up like the Dewey Decimal System, a user can either
enter a search term or click on one of the many categories to view a list of targeted sites.
Sites are divided by topic, and they also include illustrations and what reading level is
necessary to fully appreciate the site. If your kids need information for a project or you
just want to let them surf the Web without worrying what they'll come across, give
KidsClick! a try at:
http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/KidsClick!/
6
Excel
Apply commonly used number formats with shortcut keys
Inevitably, you come across worksheet cells that use number formatting that's
inappropriate for the type of data they display. For example, a formula that processes date
values may automatically return a value formatted as a date, even though it should really
appear as an integer. Or, involving a percentage value in a formula may produce a result
that's inappropriately formatted as a percent.
To resolve such situations, you probably select Format | Cells from the menu bar and use
the Format Cells Dialogue box to apply a more desirable number format. In many cases,
that requires a lot more work than is necessary. Instead, you can use the following
shortcut keys to apply several of the most frequently used Excel number formats:
• Ctrl Shift ~ applies the General number format.
• Ctrl Shift $ applies the Currency number format with two decimal places and
negative values in parentheses.
• Ctrl Shift % applies the Percentage number format with no decimal places.
• Ctrl Shift ^ applies the scientific number format with two decimal places.
• Ctrl Shift # applies the Date format in the form 15-Mar-04.
• Ctrl Shift @ applies the Time format in the form 12:00 ARE.
• Ctrl Shift ! Applies the Number format with two decimal places, thousands
separator, and minus sign (-) for negative values.
Convert numbers entered as text

You may occasionally come across numbers in Excel that were entered with a preceding
apostrophe ('), which formats the number as text. You're especially likely to run into this
problem when you import data into Excel from some other application source. If you
want to convert the value to a genuine number, you may find that the task isn't as easy as
you'd suspect. You might logically assume that changing the cell's format to a number
format would do the trick. Unfortunately, such is not the case. If you only need to convert
one or two values, you can just re-enter them. However, for a large volume, there are
more efficient ways to accomplish the task.
If you have Excel 2002, there's an easy solution. You can take advantage of a smart tag
that addresses this specific problem.
Simply select the cell or range of cells that you want to convert. When the smart tag
button appears, click on it and choose Convert To Number from the action menu.
Things are a bit trickier if you have an older version of Excel, but the process is still
better than a brute force re-entry effort. First, enter the number 1 in any blank cell. Next,
select the cell and choose Edit | Copy from the menu bar. Then, select all the cells
containing values you want converted. Choose Edit | Paste Special from the menu bar.
Finally, select the Multiply option button and click OK.
Prevent Excel startup macros from running

Macros are supposed to make your life easier, but sometimes they may get in the way.
For instance, you may have workbooks that automatically run macros when they're
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opened. When you need to quickly check out some existing data as you're rushing off to a
meeting, sitting through the macro can seem to be an eternity.
Fortunately, you can easily prevent startup macros from running.
Simply hold down the [Shift] key when you open the file. Note that you'll need to keep
the [Shift] key pressed throughout any warning dialog boxes that may appear during the
process.
Quickly add several sheets to a workbook

If you need to add worksheets to an Excel file, chances are that you use the Insert |
Worksheet menu command. There's a much faster way to go about this task: simply press
[Shift][F11] and Excel adds a new blank worksheet before whichever sheet you were
working on at the time. If you need to add several worksheets to a workbook, you can use
either technique to create all of the sheets at once. While holding down the [Shift] key,
click on the same number of worksheet tabs as new sheets you want to create. Then, use
either the menu command or shortcut key as you normally would.
Using Auto Fill:

Say that you wanted to have headings of January through December in the first row of
your worksheet. Just type in January in cell A1. Then hold down the shift key and use the
right arrow to move to cell L1. Now press alt e for the edit menu. Press i for the fill
command. Press S for the series command. This brings up the series dialog. Press Alt-F to
mark the AutoFill radio button. JFW announces, "Type AutoFill Radio Button Checked."
Press enter. Excel will automatically fill in January through December for you and read it
to you. Press home to return to the first cell and then right arrow to review the month in
each cell that excel has filled in for you. Excel will auto fill days of the week also and
other things.
8
Outlook and Outlook Express

Avoid accidently replying to spammers
If you use Microsoft Outlook, here's a tip that may help eliminate some spam. Unless
you check all the setting options in Outlook, you might unknowingly be replying to
spammers.
Select Options from the Tools menu, click on the E-mail Options button, then click on the
Tracking Options button. Make sure that Always send a response is not checked. If it is,
uncheck it to stop automatically sending e-mail confirmations to spammers.
If you have the automatic response selected, you may be unwittingly verifying your e-
mail address to spammers. This tip is specific to Outlook 2003, but similar settings
should be found in previous versions of Outlook.
Spammers send out mail to thousands of addresses, many of which are out of date or
otherwise invalid. If they can identify a valid e-mail address, it immediately becomes
more valuable and goes right to the top of the list for more spam. Sometimes the spam
will include instructions on how to opt out, but following those instructions just verifies
that your address is active. Most of us know not to reply to spam; we just have to make
sure our e-mail clients aren't responding on our behalf. Recent versions of Outlook
Express also have the ability to supply return receipts automatically. Select Options from
its Tools menu and click on the Receipts tab. Make sure you haven't selected the option
always to send a receipt.
A sneaky spammer can also validate addresses using a Web bug, also known as a Web
beacon. This is typically a 1- by 1-pixel transparent GIF, but in truth, any external content
in an HTML-based e-mail message can function as a Web beacon. When you preview or
view the message, your e-mail client has to fetch that external content from the
spammer's server, which identifies your e-mail address as a live one. Outlook 2003
blocks images and external content by default. To check or change this setting, click on
the Change Automatic Download Settings button on the Security tab of the Options
dialog. Note that in Windows XP Service Pack 2, Outlook Express will gain the ability to
block external content in HTML e-mail just as Outlook does now.
Outlook - Add a new contact and address book entry from an Outlook
message:
Here's a neat way to add a person to your contact list from an email message. Instead of
closing the message and opening a contact form, in the open email message, right-click
on the person's name. From the shortcut menu, select Add To Contacts.
A new contact form opens and the person's name is already entered into the form. If you
are using Outlook Express, you can add the person to your personal address book. In the
open email message, right-click on the person's name and choose Add To Personal
Address Book.
Screen Reader Tip Activate the review cursor and navigate to the person’s name in the
From field of the email header. Then, press the keyboard equivalent for the right mouse
button.
9
Outlook - Attach a read or delivery receipt to your Outlook messages:

Instead of waiting and wondering if a message you sent was delivered or opened, you can
attach a delivery and or a read receipt to the message. Outlook sends you an automated
message when your message is delivered to the recipient's Inbox and when it is opened.
You can set this option for individual messages or for all messages you send. Obviously,
this feature might not work across the Internet.
To set these options for one message,:
open the message and click the Options button.

In the Voting And Tracking Options panel, select Request A Delivery Receipt For This
Message and/or Request A Read Receipt For This Message check box.
Click Close.
To set tracking for all messages you send,:
choose Tools | Options from the menu bar and click the E-mail Options button.
Click the Tracking Options button.
In the Options panel, select the Read Receipt and/or Delivery Receipt check boxes.
,Click OK repeatedly until you return to Outlook.
Now every message you send will have these features attached.
Outlook - Determine which folder opens when you launch Outlook

from a shortcut.
One way to change the folder that opens when you start Outlook. is to change the Startup
In This Folder setting, which you can access from the Options/Other/Advanced dialog
box. Many of us change the setting to have Outlook go directly to the Inbox. Sometimes,
it would be convenient if you could launch Outlook and go directly to a different folder
such as Calendar or Contacts.
Here's a technique you can use to change the folder that opens when you start Outlook.
To implement this technique, you'll need to use an Outlook shortcut. If you don't already
use a shortcut to open Outlook, create one first. For example, to create a desktop shortcut
for Outlook, in Windows Explorer, locate the Outlook.exe file. Right-click on the file
name and choose Send To Desktop (Create Shortcut). Then on the desktop, right-click on
the shortcut and choose Properties from the resulting shortcut menu. Click on the
Shortcut tab. In the Target text box, edit the command line to read as follows to open the
Contacts folder:
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\OUTLOOK.EXE" outlook:contacts
To open a different folder, replace"contacts" with the name of the folder you'd like
Outlook to open. When you've finished, click OK. Now, when you start Outlook using
the shortcut you've modified, Outlook opens the folder you specified.
10
Junk mail and viruses

Do you really know how to forward e-mails?
Do you wonder why you get viruses or junk mail?
Here's why: Every time you forward an e-mail there is
information left over from the people who got the message
before you, namely their e-mail addresses & names, and the
person that sent it to them, etc. As the messages get
forwarded along, the list of addresses builds, and builds,
and builds, and all it takes is for one person to get a
virus, and his or her computer can send that virus to every
e-mail address that has come across his computer. Or,
someone can take all of those addresses and sell them or
send junk mail to them in the hopes that you will go to the
site and he will make five cents for each hit. That's
right, all of that inconvenience so someone can get a
nickel! How do you stop it?
Well, there are two easy steps:
1. FORWARDING E-MAILS: When you forward an e-mail, DELETE
all of the other addresses that appear in the body of
the message. You MUST click the "Forward"button
first, and then you will have full editing
capabilities for the body and headers of the message.
Highlight all those addresses and delete them,
backspace them, cut them, whatever it is you know how
to do. It only takes a second. Note that if you don't
click on "Forward" first, you won't be able to edit
the message at all.
2. SENDING E-MAILS: Whenever you send an e-mail to more
than one person, do NOT use the To: or Cc: columns for
adding e-mail address. Always use the BCC: (blind
carbon copy) column for listing the e-mail addresses.
The recipient of your e-mail only sees his/her address
and doesn't know who else you sent it to. If you
don't see your BCC: option, click on where it says
"To:", and your address list will appear. Highlight
the address and choose BCC: it should be down there
somewhere at the bottom. It's easy. When you send to
BCC: your message will automatically say "Undisclosed
Recipients" in the "TO:" field of the people who
receive it.
So, let’s give it a try and stop the junk mail and the
viruses!
Outlook - JAWS and Windows

For all of us users of Outlook, Here are the jaws specific
keystrokes MS-Outlook. The JAWS commands are followed by a
list found in "windows keystrokes for Outlook."
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Jaws Keystrokes for Outlook

Insert+A=AttachmentsList
Insert+F7=ReadMisspelledAndSuggestion
Control+Insert+T=ClickNoteIcon
Alt+1=Read1HeaderControl
Alt+`=GoToBodyWindow
Alt+Shift+4=ClickCcButton
Alt+Shift+3=ClickToButton
Alt+Shift+7=ClickReminderSoundButton
Control+Insert+D=SayDate
Alt+Shift+9=ClickAddressButton
Alt+Equals=Read11HeaderControl
Control+Insert+F4=CloseOfficeAssistant
Insert+F8=CallToolBars
Control+Insert+DownArrow=ReadCurrentScreen
Control+PageDown=ReadNextScreen
Control+PageUp=ReadPriorScreen
Insert+UpArrow=SayLine
Insert+Tab=SaySelectedLink
Control+D=MessageBodyDelete
Control+Insert+W=ReadWarningHeader
Control+Enter=SendMessage
Control+Delete=DeleteWord
Control+Shift+C=NewContactDialog
Control+Shift+H=NewOfficeDocument
Control+Shift+,=MoveBackItem
Control+Shift+.=MoveForwardItem
Windows keystrokes for Outlook

Show the Address Book Ctrl+Shift+B
Dial Ctrl+Shift+D
Find Ctrl+Shift+F
Turn on editing in a field (except icon view) F2
Create an appointment Ctrl+Shift+A
Create a contact Ctrl+Shift+C
Create a folder Ctrl+Shift+E
Create a journal entry Ctrl+Shift+J
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Create a message Ctrl+Shift+M

Create a meeting request Ctrl+Shift+Q
Create a note Ctrl+Shift+N
Post to folder Ctrl+Shift+P
Create a task Ctrl+Shift+K
Create a task request Ctrl+Shift+U
Edit a URL in the body of a note Ctrl+Left-mouse button
Specify a Web browser Shift+Left-mouse button
Insert a hyperlink Ctrl+K (WordMail only)
Outlook Express - Sending music in messages:

All right, the first thing you have to do is make sure you are sending the message using
html format. Create a new message and press alt O for the format menu. Arrow down and
hit enter on rich text html. Then press alt O again. Then arrow down to background and
press the right arrow to open the submenu. Arrow down to sound and hit enter. You will
be in a background sound dialog. You will be in an edit field where you can just enter the
path and file name, for example, C:WINDOWSDesktopjinglebells.mid. Or you can tab to
the browse button and hit enter and find the mid or wav file or whatever sound clip you
want to attach. Then tab to the okay button and hit enter. Then just compose your
message like normal and send it.
Outlook Express - Switching Identities

If your family shares a computer and you use Outlook Express as your email client, you
may find that the program?s Identity feature is useful in keeping your email separate.
However, switching identities can cause OE to disappear. Once this happens, OE quite
often won't come back.
Microsoft acknowledges this bug in Knowledge Base article 311399. So far, the problem
has not been fixed. Until Microsoft corrects the problem, you must go into the Task
Manager (press Ctrl-Alt-Del), choose the Processes tab, and end the Msimn.exe process.
Then relaunch Outlook Express and you should be able to switch between identities
freely. Keep these instructions handy, because each time you reboot, you'll have to go
through them all over again.
Outlook Express - No More Blocked Attachments:

Recently, several customers report that with Outlook Express version 6, they are unable
to open attachments. Either nothing happens when they click on the paperclip icon or
else, when they try to open the attachment, they receive the message” Outlook Express
removed access to the following unsafe attachments.”
Version 6 of Outlook Express adds an option to block attachments that match Internet
Explorer 6's unsafe-files list. According to Microsoft, this feature is not enabled by
default. But judging from many customer and trainee complaints, it is enabled in some
circumstances. Another complaint is that nearly all of the attachments received are
considered unsafe.
13
To turn off this feature in Outlook Express, select Options from the Tools menu, click on
the Security tab, and uncheck the box that says Do not allow attachments to be saved or
opened that could potentially be a virus. Once you click on OK, you should be able to
open your attachments without any further trouble. Before you do this, make sure your
antivirus software is up to date, and set it to update automatically.
14
MS-WORD
Add line numbers to your document
If you work with lengthy contracts or manuscripts, you'll often need to verbally refer your
colleagues or clients to a specific passage as you review the piece together. Chapters,
page numbers, section titles, and descriptive headings can certainly come in handy during
a sit-down review. However, Word offers another reference tool that you may not be
aware of: line numbers. To add line numbers to your documents:
1. Switch to Print Layout view by selecting View | Print Layout from the menu bar.
(If you're using Word 97/2001, switch to Page Layout view by choosing View |
Page Layout.)
2. Select the text you want numbered. If you want to restrict line numbers to just a
portion of your document text, select only the text you'd like to number. (Note:
When you use this method, Word will automatically sandwich the selected text
between Next Page section breaks when it applies line numbers.) Or, if you want
to add line numbers to a specific section, place the insertion point anywhere
within that section. If you want to number the entire document, you don't need to
select anything.
3. Choose File | Page Setup from the menu bar (Format | Document in Word 2001),
and then click on the Layout tab in the Page Setup dialog box. Select the item you
want to number from the Apply To dropdown list.
4. Click the Line Numbers button. Select the Add Line Numbering check box in the
Line Numbers dialog box, and customize the available numbering options as
desired. When you've finished, click OK to close the Line Numbers dialog box,
and then click OK again to close the Page Setup dialog box.
Word adds printable line numbers in your document's left margin, in accordance with the
specifications you made in the Line Numbering dialog box. (Note: The Line Numbers
feature does NOT number headers and footers, tables, footnotes and endnotes, text boxes,
or frames.)
All about lists

There are two types of lists commonly used in printed material. The first is a bulleted list,
and the second is a numbered list. A bulleted list is nothing but a list of individual items
with a symbol to the left side of the first line of each item in the list. For example, the
following is a bulleted list:
• This is the first item in the list.
• This is the second item in the list. There is more than one line in this item. Notice
that the extra lines are aligned with the line above, not with the bullet or the text
margin.
• This is the third item in the list.
• This is the fourth item in the list.
In the case of this bulleted list, the symbol used as the "bullet" is a small dot. A numbered
list is a little bit different. It consists of a series of items, each with a sequential number in
15
front of it. Numbered lists are used extensively in printed materials to describe a
sequence of steps to be followed.
This usage points out the primary way you can decide which type of list to use. If you
have a sequence of steps, which must be followed in order, then you should use a
numbered list. If you have a group of items to which you want special treatment given,
but they don't represent a series that must be followed in sequence, then you should use a
bulleted list.
To Create A List
If you want to add lists to your document, Word allows you to do so quite easily. To do
so, follow these steps:
1. Type your list, only pressing Enter at the end of each item in the list. If an
item runs more than one line, do not press Enter at the end of each line (let the
text wrap to the next line automatically).
2. Select all the items in the list.
3. To create a numbered list, choose Bullets and Numbering from the Format menu.
Next, CTRL TAB to select Numbered. Then, press TAB to move into the list of
choices for a numbered list. The first choice is None. Arrow to any of the other
choices and press the Enter key. Or, click on the Numbering tool in the
Formatting toolbar.
To create a bulleted list

Choose Bullets and Numbering from the Format menu. Next, press CTRL TAB to get to
Bulleted. Press TAB to move into the choice of bullets. The first choice is None. Arrow
to any of the other choices and press the Enter key. Or, click on the Bullets tool in the
Formatting toolbar.
All about 'Fast Save'

Word supports a unique method of saving your document. This method is referred to as
fast saving, and can cut the time necessary to save your file to disk. This is especially true
if you are working with very large files--for instance, ones that contain a lot of graphic
images. Fast saving results in your file being saved normally the first time it is put on the
disk, and then subsequent saves simply append your changes to the end of the original
file. Every so often, Word rewrites the whole file to start with a clean copy.
To enable fast saving, follow these steps:
1. Choose Options from the Tools menu. You will see the Options dialog box.
2. Click on the Save tab.
3. Make sure the Allow Fast Saves check box is selected.
4. Click on OK.
This being said, long-time users of Word know that there are many reasons not to use
Word's FastSave feature
• Other word processors may not be able to open Word documents saved with the
FastSave feature enabled. For instance, WordPerfect says it can open Word
documents, yet some versions of WordPerfect cannot open FastSaved Word
documents.
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• Third-party software designed to work with Word documents (such as some

grammar checkers, document management programs, and desktop publishing
software) will not work correctly with FastSaved Word documents.
• Find File (either in Word or in Windows) may not work correctly with FastSaved
Word documents.
• FastSave results in more complex files being saved on disk. Any time you
increase complexity, you run the risk of corrupting the files easier.
• FastSaved files take up more disk space.
• There have been reports of macro viruses "living on" in FastSaved documents,
even though you thought you had them removed.
The list could go on and on, but you get the idea. In short, unless you have a specific need
to use FastSave (such as if you are only creating simple documents using Word on a slow
machine), it is probably a good idea to make sure it is turned off.
As a side note, there are several circumstances under which a FastSave is not done by
Word, even if you have enabled the feature. These circumstances include the following:
• When you save a document for the first time. (This makes sense, right?) This
includes when you choose Save As to save under a new name or in a new
location.
• When your document is saved on a network server or remote volume. (Word only
performs a FastSave to a local volume.)
• When Word reaches the limit of how much information it can save using the
FastSave option. In this case Word does a normal save, and then again starts using
FastSave for future saves.
Change the orientation of a section in Word

Most documents you create are likely to use portrait page orientation. However, when
your document contains an oversized item like a table, chart, or diagram that's wider than
your document's portrait-oriented pages, you might want to print that item using
landscape orientation instead. When you're working with drawing objects, you can often
solve this problem by rotating the objects 90 degrees. However, if you're working with
text, tables, embedded objects, and other types of graphic objects, rotating isn't always
the best option, if it's an option at all. As an alternative, you can apply landscape
orientation to a single item or selection without affecting the portrait orientation used in
the rest of your document. Better yet, you can do it on-the-fly, without using the Break
dialog box to manually insert section breaks! To do so:
Select the item(s) that you want to appear on a landscape-oriented page

Choose File | Page Setup from the menu bar.
In the Page Setup dialog box, if necessary, click on the Margins tab. TAB to the
Orientation Panel and choose Landscape.
Next, TAB to the Apply To: drop down list and choose Selected Text.
Click OK.
Word automatically inserts Next Page section breaks at the beginning and end of your
selection and applies landscape orientation to the isolated section. When you print your
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document, your selection prints in landscape orientation, while the rest of your document
prints in portrait orientation.
Fast Autocorrect
Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, and Word 2003
AutoCorrect can help improve your documents by correcting errors common to your
typing. Here’s a quick one-step method to add those corrections to the AutoCorrect list.
Chances are good that you already know what AutoCorrect is and that it can be a boon
for those words you habitually mistype. (Exactly why I invariably mistype some words,
I'll never understand.)
However, setting up AutoCorrect to compensate for your mistyping can be a bother.
Here's a quick way to make short work of adding your mistypings to AutoCorrect
1. Assuming that Word flags the mistyped word as misspelled, right-click on it. A
Context menu appears.
2. If spelling corrections are offered in the Context menu, there should also be a
menu choice called AutoCorrect. Choose it and you will see the same spelling
corrections in the resultant submenu.
3. Choose the correct spelling in this submenu.
What you have just done is tell Word that you want to create an AutoCorrect entry that
will automatically correct the mistyped word using the selected spelling. Fast, neat, and
easy!
Finding synonyms in a flash

Even the best writer can freeze up mid-sentence as he grasps for an elusive word that's on
the tip of his tongue. Fortunately, you don't have to pull out your tattered paperback
thesaurus to find a replacement for the word you just typed; in fact, you may not even
need to sift through Word's menus to launch the application's thesaurus feature. Instead,
simply right-click on the word in question and then choose Synonyms from the resulting
shortcut menu. When you do, a context-sensitive submenu appears featuring a list of
possible alternatives to the word in the document. If you see one you like, select it in the
submenu and Word replaces the original term in the document with your selection.
Occasionally, Word is even able to offer antonyms to the word on which you right-
clicked (these are followed by the word "Antonym" in parentheses). If you don't find a
word you like, select Thesaurus at the bottom of the list to launch Word's full-blown
thesaurus.
Navigate tables using shortcut keys:

(WORD 97/2000/2001/2002)
Getting around in a Word table is a bit different than getting around in a document. Here
are some general, non access technology specific keystroke commands that will help you
navigate tables created in Microsoft WORD.
Press Alt Down Arrow to move one cell to the right
(option down arrow in Word 2001)
Press Alt Up Arrow to move one cell to the left
(option up arrow in Word 2001)
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Press Alt Home to move to the beginning of the row

(control home in Word 2001)
Press Alt End to move to the end of the row
(CTRL + End in Word 2001)
Press Up Arrow to move one cell up
Press Down Arrow to move one cell down
Press Alt Page Up to move to the top of the column
(CTRL + Page Up in Word 2001)
Press AltPage Down to move to the bottom of the column
(CTRL + Page Down in Word 2001)
Print a portion of a document

If you've ever wanted to print part of a document without printing the whole thing, you
might have considered copying and pasting the passage in a new document, and then
printing that new document. While effective, this method isn't very efficient.
Fortunately, there's a much simpler process. To print a portion of a document, simply
select the information you want to print, and then choose File | Print from the menu bar to
open the Print dialog box. In the Page Range panel, choose the Selection option, and then
click OK. Use this technique to print text, tables, text boxes, graphics, and embedded
objects. (Note: To successfully select and print a graphic or an embedded object using
this feature, it must be positioned in-line with the text.)
You can also print noncontiguous pages or a specific page range without making a
selection beforehand. Just select File | Print from the menu bar to open the Print dialog
box. Select the Pages option button and then specify the range in the corresponding text
box. For instance, you can print pages six through eight by typing "6-8" (without quotes)
in the Pages text box. Or, print pages six and eight by typing "6,8" (without quotes). You
can also print specific sections by using "s#" (without quotes) to specify the section
number. For instance, "s3,s7" prints only the third and seventh sections in your document.
To print page numbers within a section, use "p#s#" (without quotes). For example, "p2s2-
p8s2" prints pages two through eight of section two. After you've finished specifying
your print range, click OK to send the job to your printer.
Print two-sided pages without a duplex printer:

(Word 97/2000/2002)
When you need to print a multi-page document, you can use half as much paper by
printing on both sides of each page. Duplex printers make this job easy, but not everyone
is fortunate enough to have access to one. However, you can achieve the effects of duplex
printing with a standard printer simply by printing your document in two passes.
Important: Since all printers (and their drivers) behave differently, you may need to make
some modifications to the procedures described below. Determining the ideal settings and
paper feed positions for your printer will likely require some trial and error; I recommend
experimenting with a three-page document to determine which combinations produce the
desired results. In addition, keep in mind that your printer driver may offer a manual
duplex feature you can use instead of Word's printing options. See your printer manual
for details.
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In Word 2002, you can print on both sides of the page using the new Manual Duplex
feature. Open the document you want to print, then choose File | Print. Select the Manual
Duplex check box, and then click OK. Word prints the document's odd pages; when it's
finished, it prompts you to remove the printout and place it back in the input bin (i.e., the
printer's feed tray). Position the stack in the feed tray so it will print on the blank side of
each page, then initiate the second pass by clicking OK.
(Note: If the fronts and backs of your printout don't match up, access the Print dialog box
and then click the Options button. Clear the Front Of The Sheet check box, select the
Back Of The Sheet check box, and then click OK to return to the Print dialog box.)
In Word 97/2000, open the document you want to print, then choose File | Print. To print
the first pass, select Odd Pages from the Print dropdown list, and then click OK. To print
the second pass, remove the printout and place it back in the printer's feed tray, being
careful to position the stack so it will print on the blank side of each page. Choose File |
Print, select Even Pages from the Print dropdown list, and then click OK.
(Note: If the fronts and backs of your printout don't match up, you may need to reverse
the print order for one or both passes. To do so, access the Print dialog box and then click
the Options button. Select the Reverse Print Order check box, and then click OK to return
to the Print dialog box.)
Recover a corrupted document

When a single document starts behaving strangely, it may have become corrupted.
Although it's often difficult to pinpoint the corruption's cause, it can be easy to salvage
the document's content. If you're using Word 2002, you can force Word to try to repair a
problem document when you open it. Choose File | Open, locate and select the problem
document, then choose Open And Repair from the Open button's dropdown menu. If that
doesn't help (or if you're using an earlier version of Word), here are three more tricks that
can help you breathe new life into a corrupted document:
1. One of the most effective solutions is to convert the document to a Rich Text
Format (RTF) or Web page (HTM) file, then convert it back to a Word document
(DOC) file. You can do this easily using the Save As dialog box. This conversion
trick essentially strips problematic metadata from the DOC file without altering
the document's formatting.
2. Another simple solution is to copy the corrupted document's content and paste it
into a new, blank document. The trick is to copy everything but the document's
last paragraph mark. You'll also want to avoid copying section breaks, if the
corrupted document contains them. The last paragraph mark, as well as each
section break, contains a variety of formatting information about the document.
When the information stored in any of these elements becomes corrupted, your
entire document can pay the price.
3. If you're having trouble opening the document, try using the Recover Text From
Any File feature to extract the document's text. Choose File | Open, then locate
and select the problem document. Next, choose Recover Text From Any File (*.*)
from the Files Of Type dropdown list. Next, click the dropdown arrow next to the
Open button, and choose Open As Copy. (In Word 97, right-click on the file and
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choose Open As Copy.) Word creates an unformatted copy of the problem

document.
Reduce glare discomfort by customizing onscreen document display:

(Word 97/2000/2001/2002)
If Word's default white document background is hard on your eyes, you can change the
default onscreen color scheme to reduce your discomfort. Simply choose Tools | Options
(Edit | Preferences in Word 2001), and then click on the General tab. In the General
Options panel, choose the Blue Background, White Text check box, and then click OK.
Word changes the default white document background to blue. Text that uses the
Automatic font color is displayed in white. Keep in mind, this color scheme is for
onscreen use only; printed documents aren't affected.
Remove many links at once:

If you are anything like me, and regularly work with large Word documents that start out
as HTML documents containing hundreds of hyperlinks, getting rid of all these links can
be tedious. You probably know how to remove one link at a time by moving the cursor to
the link, hitting Ctrl-K to bring up the Edit Hyperlink dialog, and then choosing the
Remove Link button. when you have to remove hundreds of links, this takes a
maddeningly long time. There is a faster way to get rid of the hyperlinks.
You can remove all of the links with just two keystrokes: Ctrl-Ato select the entire
document and Ctrl-ShiftF9 to convert all the links into text. This technique works with
other fields as well, turning a field into text using the field result. For example, if you've
inserted a date field to show the current date, selecting the field and pressing Ctrl-Shift-
F9 will turn it into text so the date won't change from one day to the next.
If you have other fields in your document along with the hyperlinks and you don't want to
convert those fields to text, you can select a portion of the document, being careful not to
include the fields you don't want to convert, and then press Ctrl-Shift-F9, repeating as
many times as necessary for the entire file. This isn't as easy as giving the command for
the entire document at once, but it is still faster than removing each link individually. By
the way, a somewhat quicker way to remove a single link than the Ctrl-K method is to
right- click on the link and choose Remove Hyperlink from the context menu.
Shortcuts to Find, Replace, and Go To features

When you proofread or revise documents, you frequently need to access the Find And
Replace dialog box and its Find, Replace, and Go To tabs. You might need to search for a
word or phrase using the Find tab, which you can access by choosing Edit | Find from the
menu bar. Or, you may want to replace a word or phrase with something different using
the Replace tab, which you can access by choosing Edit | Replace from the menu bar. The
Go To tab enables you to jump to a bookmark, comment, or other location in your
document, and you can access it by selecting Edit | Go To from the menu bar. However,
since the Find, Replace, and Go To tabs are so frequently used, it can be tedious to access
them repeatedly from the Edit menu. Instead, try using their built-in keyboard shortcuts.
To access the Find tab, press [Ctrl]F; to access the Replace tab, press [Ctrl]H; and to
access the Go To tab, press [Ctrl]G.
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Speed up searches
Word 2000 and 2002 make it easy to find recurring words and phrases in your document
by allowing you to select the words you'd like to search for. When you select a word or
phrase in your document and then choose Edit | Find or Edit | Replace from the menu bar,
Word automatically inserts the string you've selected in the Find What text box so that
you don't need to retype it. This technique also works when you use the CtrlF or CtrlH
shortcut command.
Toggling the Task Pane:

One of the neat features in WORD 2002/XP is the Task Pane. In the past,, I have avoided
features like the Office Assistant… a different pain; especially for screen readers. I
discovered that his is not the case with the Task Pane. The frustration for me is that out of
the box, in MS-WORD, the only way to access the task pane is to select the View menu
and then choose Task Pane. Of course, I could always run out and purchase one of the
new Microsoft Office keyboards with the nifty Task Pane key. My keyboard is just fine ,
but I’m tired of navigating to the View menu, scrolling down, and selecting Task Pane
every time I want to use the darn thing. Ideally, there should be a hotkey combination to
toggle the task pane on and off.
Fortunately, it's not hard to assign a keyboard shortcut to any Word menu command. Here
is what to do.
1. Select Customize from the Tools menu and TAB to the Keyboard button at the
bottom. Of the dialogue box. Press Enter or Spacebar. You will be placed in the
Categories list view.
2. Arrow down and highlight View in the Categories box and TAB once. You are
now in the Commands list.
3. Arrow down to view. View Task Pane in the Commands box.
4. TAB twice to get to the Press new shortcut key box and press the shortcut
combination you want to use, such as Ctrl+Alt+T. You should see Currently
assigned to: [unassigned] below the box. If not, choose another key combination
to avoid overwriting an existing keyboard shortcut.
5. TAB to Save Changes In and ensure that Normal.dot is selected. then TAB to
Close, then Close again. Now pressing your selected key combination toggles the
task pane on and off.
Note: Use function key F6 to switch between your document and the active Task Pane.
Once in the Task Pane, use TAB or SHIFT TAB to move through the options.
Triple-spacing your document

If you ever have a need to triple-space your document before printing it, Word provides
an easy way to do this.
If possible, you should keep your document in the format in which you view it on the
screen, and only format it for triple spacing before you actually print. To print a triple-
spaced version of your document, do the following:
1. Save your document.
2. Choose Select All from the Edit menu, or press Ctrl+A.
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3. Choose Paragraph from the Format menu. You will see the Paragraph dialog box.
Notice that none of the fields in the dialog box are filled in. This is because you
have selected the entire document, and no single paragraph setting applies to the
entire document.
4. In the Spacing area, choose Multiple in the Line Spacing drop-down list.
5. Change the At setting (to the right of the Line Spacing drop-down list) to 3.
6. Click on OK.
7. Print your document.
8. Close your document without saving.
This last step is important. If you save your document before exiting, then the triple
spacing will be permanently saved with the document, as well.
As a side note, there are several circumstances under which a FastSave is not done by
Word, even if you have enabled the feature. These circumstances include the following:
When you save a document for the first time. (This makes sense, right?) This includes
when you choose Save As to save under a new name or in a new location.
When your document is saved on a network server or remote volume. (Word only
performs a FastSave to a local volume.)
When Word reaches the limit of how much information it can save using the FastSave
option. In this case Word does a normal save, and then again starts using FastSave for
future saves.
Understanding page sizes

You probably know that you can specify a size for the paper on which you print your
Word documents. If you go to the Page Setup option on the File menu, and then click on
the Paper Size tab (Word 97 and Word
2000) or the Paper tab (Word 2002), you can specify a number of different paper sizes
that are allowable on your printer.
If you want to specify a custom paper size, you can do so by simply adjusting the Height
and Width settings in the dialog box. As you do so, notice that the Paper Size setting
changes to Custom Size. Word allows you to set any page height and width between .1
inches and 22 inches. (These limits are hard-coded into Word and cannot be changed.) If
you want to print documents with larger dimensions, then you need to choose a different
program--other than Word--to do your printing.
Be aware that if you specify a custom size for printing, the results may not be exactly
what you think they will be. For instance, if you specify a page width of 15 inches, but
the printer can only handle paper up to 10 inches wide, then the resulting printout will not
be satisfactory, and the printer may actually reject the print job. You should make sure
that you specify paper sizes that are within the limits of what your printer can actually
handle.
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Windows
Create Startup discs
There are times when you can't boot your system from the hard drive, thanks to either a
system problem, a lost password, or the simple fact that the OS hasn't been installed.
Windows XP offers a number of options for booting from floppy disks, but you must
prepare them before they're needed.
A computer with no operating system installed will usually boot from the Windows XP
CD. For that rare system that won't, Microsoft offers downloadable programs to create
the necessary set of bootable floppy disks. Navigate to
http://support.microsoft.com
and search for article 310994. Find the download link for your Win XP version and
language. The downloaded program will create six setup disks, which can be used to start
your system up and begin installing the OS from a CD in a nonbootable drive.
If something goes wrong with the boot drive, you may be able to recover the system
using a bootable floppy disk. Don't just format a disk with the box Create an MS-DOS
Startup disk checked; you want to boot Windows XP, not MS-DOS. Start by formatting
the disk without checking that box. Then copy the three files Boot.ini, Ntdetect.com, and
Ntldr from the root directory of the boot drive (C:\) to the floppy disk. Boot the computer
from this disk and verify that Windows XP starts (this may require that you change BIOS
settings to boot from a floppy disk). Label the disk clearly and store it in a safe place.
If you ever forget your password, a password reset floppy disk can save the day. This isn't
the same as writing down your password and storing it in a safe. The password reset disk
lets you reset your password without revealing what the previous password was. The
precise technique for creating and using a password reset disk varies by account type and
log-on type. Search on password reset disk in the Help and Support applet for details
specific to your situation.
Degunking your PC
Perhaps you've wondered, "Is it just me, or is my PC getting slower?" Well, your PC is
getting slower, as what we affectionately call gunk collects in it. Gunk is data, files, and
programs you don't need, and debris from applications you've uninstalled. It's the entropy
of hard drive fragmentation, and chaos in the Windows Registry from abandoned or
corrupted keys. It's spyware and adware, which beyond compromising your privacy can
slow your PC and make it unstable.
All this is reversible, though. Once you've swept out your PC, it will be faster and more
reliable. Discipline and good habits are important; with regular care, digital gunk will
never get the better of you again.
Here is a list of five PC degunking techniques. They're most effective when done in the
following order.
1. Purge Your Sent Items Folder
2. Consolidate Your Media Files
3. Get Rid of Spyware and Adware
4. Use Windows Disk Cleanup and Then Defrag Your Hard Drive
5. Clean Your Registry
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Purge Your Sent Items Folder

Nearly all e-mail clients keep a copy of every sent message. Though most messages are
small, in aggregate their size quickly grows. If you mail large files, you may have many
megabytes of them—most of which are stored elsewhere and can be
deleted—saved in the Sent Items folder.
You can quickly free up some serious space while sparing the bulk of the messages. Open
your Sent Items (or Outbox) folder, and make sure you have the Size column displayed in
the message index.
In Outlook Express, go to View | Columns, and click on Size. In Outlook, select View |
Current View | Customize Current View, and then click on the Fields button. With Size
displayed, click on the Size column header to sort the index by message size; then select
the larger messages that you want to get rid of and delete them. Outlook 2003 contains a
very useful Large Mail search folder that organizes all your mail by size, making it easy
to spot really big messages.
Outlook also allows you to delete sent messages automatically after a specified period of
time. Choose Tools | Options. Click on the Other tab and then select the AutoArchive
button. One option lets you permanently delete items older than a specified age. For other
e-mail clients, you may be able to write a filter that automatically deletes messages after a
period of time, but the easiest way may be to sort your messages regularly by date,
highlight messages older than 30 or 60 days, and then delete them as a batch.
Consolidate Your Media Files

Nothing fills hard drives faster than digital media. Between digital photos, MP3s, rips of
DVDs, and MPEG home movies, even an 80GB disk isn't so big anymore. Here are steps
you can take to keep your media collection from devouring your hard drive.
• Consolidate digital media under one folder. A logical place is under My
Documents, where Windows already creates My Music and My Pictures
subdirectories. You can make additional folders for videos, scanned images, and
more. Your digital media will be easier to manage if it's all in one place. Backups
will also be easier, because if you just want to protect your data, you need only
back up My Documents. Should your C: drive, in which Windows places My
Documents, fill up too quickly, you can move My Documents to another drive by
right-clicking on My Documents, selecting Properties, and then entering a new
target and clicking on Move. All the files will be sent to the new location.
• Purge your digital photo archives of unneeded shots. Most of us save near-
duplicate or bad shots. With higher-end cameras, they can take up several
megabytes each. The easiest way to purge them is with a thumbnail viewer;
Windows Explorer can act as a primitive one. From your photos directory, select
View | Thumbnails. Many scanners and digital cameras come with better viewers.
ZoomBrowser, which is bundled with Canon digital cameras, and Hemera
Graphics Desk, which comes with HP scanners, are both excellent. With many
shots visible at once, you can quickly eliminate failed photos and choose the best
of several similar shots. If you really don't want to part with them, off-load them
to a recordable CD or DVD.
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• Purge your digital video clips of bad shots and editing culls. Digital video files are
huge, and raw dumps from a DV recorder contain much useless footage. One
approach is that your hard drive is for processing videos, and DVD-Rs are for
storing them. Try to develop the discipline of editing your video files soon after
taking them, then immediately burn them to DVD.
• Purge your music collection of duplicate song files. If you get your MP3s from
various sources, you no doubt have duplicate tracks, especially if you don't use a
database to manage your music.
The problem stems from a lack of filename conventions. MP3 filenames may
begin with a track, album, or artist name. But is "Norwegian Wood" under "The
Beatles" or "Beatles, The"? (Or even "The Beetles"? Early on, file traders
misspelled artist names to get around blocking systems.) Consider creating a file
convention, then editing the names of your music files to follow it. This will turn
up all the dupes: Windows won't let you have two files in the same directory with
the same name.
You could also sort music files by size. This is best for files obtained online,
which have often been renamed. In Windows Explorer, sort on size; duplicate
tracks—which should be the same or very similar in size—will be
adjacent and easy to spot.
• Purge old versions of your artwork. If you create computer drawings or
animations, you may have many old versions of each on disk. Unless an earlier
version has an unusual technique, it's mostly wasted space. Force yourself to let
them go—or at least archive them to CD or DVD.
Get Rid of Spyware and Adware

You should eliminate spyware and adware. Many "free" utilities install a program that
transmits details about your Web browsing habits to a server owned by an advertising
company (if you're lucky).
This process will tailor ads (often pop-ups) to your interests, but it may also bring a
torrent of spam. Such programs are installed with little warning and are hard to remove.
They slow your machine, clog your Registry, and may compromise your PC's network
machinery.
And that's just the "legitimate" spyware. Related programs (and much worse) are Trojan
horses that steal passwords and open network back doors into your PC for malefactors to
exploit. They can also turn your PC into a spam proxy without your knowledge.
It's best to avoid installing spyware in the first place. Before you install a "free" program,
see if it comes with spyware. Read the licensing agreement carefully. Also, go to Google
and type the program's name, followed by "spyware." If spyware is associated with it,
you'll find Web sites carrying other users' cries of agony.
Not all spyware is installed with another application; it may come from a Web site. A
pop-up may ask if you want to install something and make it appear that it's a condition
of entry. Don't click on Yes. Better, use a pop-up stopper utility, The WINDOWS upgrade
XP Service Pack 2 has a built-in blocker.)
If your Web browser (particularly Internet Explorer) isn't configured correctly, some Web
sites can install spyware without asking permission. IE6 has two options that you must
disable. (On IE5 and earlier, only the first will be present.) Bring up IE, and select Tools |
26
Internet Options. Click on the Advanced tab; under Browsing is a list of minor topics.
The two to uncheck are Enable Install on Demand (Internet Explorer), and Enable Install
on Demand (Other). Then click on OK.
The most notorious spyware sources are file-sharing utilities, spam-promoted Web sites,
and sites offering sleazeware such as porn, warez (pirated software), and cracks (tools to
defeat software serial-number registration.) Stay away from these and your defenses
won't be tested as often.
Some spyware goes to great lengths to avoid removal. Some nastier items modify the
Registry and install small boot-time service routines: If removed, they will reinstall
themselves from a hidden file!
The best way to get rid of spyware and adware is to use a utility that's specifically
designed for this. One of our favourites is Webroot's Spy Sweeper ($30 direct), followed
closely by the free Spybot Search &mp; Destroy 
www.safer-networking.org
donations are encouraged. In addition to spyware, these programs remove cookies from
known spyware and adware companies. Both programs are very easy to use; run them
regularly to be sure that nothing sneaks past you.
Use Windows Disk Cleanup and Then Defrag Your Hard Drive
Windows Disk Cleanup removes cached and temporary files from your PC. To run it,
select Start | Programs | Accessories | System Tools | Disk Cleanup. Or you can start it
from a button on the main Properties display for any nonremovable hard drive. Once you
select a drive to clean, Cleanup will determine what it can remove—this may take
a while—and then supply a list of file categories. Check the ones that you want to
clear, and click on OK. If you're unsure about the files in a given category, you can click
on the Files button to review them, but you're unlikely to find any tagged files worth
keeping.
After using Disk Cleanup, defragment your hard drive. Windows 2000 and XP have a
built-in defragging utility, which is in the same System Tools menu as Disk Cleanup. But
you can have better, more reliable defragging with Executive Software's Diskeeper 8.0
Professional Edition or Raxco's PerfectDisk 6.0. Both are excellent programs.
Disk defragmentation will reverse a sort of entropy that gradually breaks down the files
stored on your hard drive into small, scattered chunks. When you erase a file, Windows
reuses that space.
Deleting files opens up free space holes on your drive, which Windows fills as new files
are created. Windows knows exactly where each piece of a fragmented file resides, but it
has to do a lot more chasing in order to access the scattered fragments. Defragmentation
reorganizes your hard drive so that its files are stored as single sequential blocks and thus
reading these files can be done as quickly as is physically possible.
Clean Your Registry

Abandoned, incorrect, and corrupted entries in the Windows Registry top our list of gunk.
Often people are terrified of trying to clean the Registry, having been told that doing so is
about as safe as defusing a nuclear weapon.
There is some truth in this. The Registry is Windows' most vulnerable subsystem, in that
relatively small changes done incorrectly can render the system unbootable. The Registry
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is crucial because it is the central database where Windows "remembers" how its
thousands of pieces are configured and work together—everything from what
color your title bars are to how Windows boots the system and what files it uses when it
does.
As you install and uninstall applications, keys are abandoned or invalidated. Many
applications store their lists of recently accessed files in the Registry, and as you move
files around or swap removable media, keys representing these lists are invalidated and
must be built again—adding still more keys to the Registry and slowing your
system down. (Windows needs time to determine that a given Registry key is invalid,
then it must search the Registry again for a valid instance of the same item.)
The safest way to deal with Registry gunk is with one of several excellent third-party
Registry cleaners. V Communications' RegistryFixer, part of the company's Fix-It
Utilities 5, is a good choice. Another decent product in the category is Rose City
Software's Registry First Aid
www.rosecitysoftware.com 
It's inexpensive ($21 direct) and extremely careful with your system. It backs up the
Registry before each cleaning run and prompts you to back up your system through
Windows Backup if you choose. It deletes only keys it knows it can remove without
harming Windows; fortunately, these are the most common ones and the ones most to
blame for system slowdowns. Registry First Aid lets you select what sorts of Registry
problems to scan for. As the program scans, it builds a list of problem keys. Though the
scan can take time, removing the bad keys takes just seconds. The program lets you
schedule Registry cleanings regularly.
You may well have performed some of these steps before, but more important than any
one technique is cleaning your PC regularly so that it lasts longer and runs better. The
problem is neither you nor the PC: It's the gunk. Clean it out and become a degunking
believer.
Disinfecting your PC
What would you do if your Windows computer suddenly became unresponsive? Or if you
could no longer access the Internet?
Viruses and spyware can cause that, even when you're running up-to-date protection
against them. Tools aren't perfect, and it's possible that some malware sneaked by.
If you can't get online, you're stuck with the tools built into Windows XP. Your
first step is to reboot into Safe Mode. This will prevent much of the software on the
system from loading, including whatever might be causing your problem, but will still
leave you in a position to correct it. To get into Safe Mode, press F8 as soon as your
system beeps on boot-up and select the appropriate option from the menu that Appears.
Another way to get back to a working state is with System Restore, accessible from Help
and Support on the Start menu. Unless you've told it not to, Windows periodically saves
the system state so you can restore it relatively easily. System Restore undoes changes
such as program installations, intentional or otherwise, but leaves your documents and
most other changes untouched. It's a rather coarse tool, though, and you might want to
avoid endangering other changes you've made—or perhaps you've already disabled it.
A better way may be to take a surgical approach to cleaning your Windows start-up.
There are a dizzying number of ways, which malware can exploit, to start programs when
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Windows boots. Windows XP comes with two programs you can use to check what's
launching at boot time.
The better program for viewing the information is System Information, located in the
System Tools section of the Accessories group on the Start menu. Click on Software
Environment, then Startup Programs. You'll see a list of the programs that start with
Windows, including in each case the actual program location and parameters, the user
name under which it is run (or an indication that it's run for all users), and the location of
the command to start it with Windows—either a Registry key or a folder.
But what are all these programs? If you have another system that can still get online, or a
friend to help you over the phone, you can search a database of start-up apps at:
www.sysinfo.org
If not, you'll have to guess, based on each program's location and the trial and error of
removing it.
Unfortunately, System Information is read-only. You can't change the settings. The safest
way to proceed is with Windows' System Configuration utility (click on Start, select Run,
then type msconfig and press Enter). The narrow window is not resizable, but you
can double-click on the column separators to make them fit the width of the data. Click
on the Startup tab to reveal a list of programs with much of the same information you saw
in System Information. Uncheck the programs you want to disable, close the utility,
and reboot and those programs will not load. If this hasn't gotten you back online, your
problems may lie in Internet Explorer. These difficulties are often caused by programs
called Browser Helper Objects (BHOs). They plug right into IE, adding toolbars and
changing behaviors, often for the worse. Many tools for removing BHOs exist, but
without Internet access they're probably not available to you. You do have Windows'
Registry Editor, through Start | Run | regedit. (The instructions that follow require you to
know what you're doing in Regedit. If you don't, you run a serious risk of making things
even worse.)
Click on Start | Run and type regedit to start. Browse on the left side to this key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrenTVersion\
Explorer\Browser Helper Objects. The keys that you'll see each have a class ID (usually
written as "CLSID"), which is a 128-bit value like {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-
B87D-784B7D6BE0B3}. Each of these keys corresponds to a BHO loaded by
Internet Explorer; a feature at www.sysinfo.org identifies the BHO that corresponds to
each CLSID. You could prevent Internet Explorer from loading BHOs by deleting them
from below the Browser Helper Objects key, but we wouldn't advise it. Just right-click on
a given BHO's key, select Rename, and add NOLOAD or the like to the front of the key.
This will stop the BHO from launching and is easily undone if need be. Quit Internet
Explorer; when you restart the browser, it should be BHO-free.
These steps may not be a cure-all, but they should be enough to get you back up and
running and online.
Don’t turn off your PC

One of the biggest bones of contention among new users is whether or not to leave the
computer turned on for extended periods of time.
My position in the debate: I say, forget the thing even has a power switch. Leave it on.
That way your machine is instantly available, just like every other tech product you own.
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It also lets backup programs, antivirus apps, and spyware cleaners do their thing
thoroughly every night without slowing you down--or vice versa. That's how the pros run
machines after all.
The cost? The average PC draws something like 60 watts in normal operation. At the
average national rate of 10 cents per kilowatt-hour, that's $6 a month running all the time.
Add in a monitor, and you might round up to $10, much less for an LCD. So we're talking
maybe $120 per year.
What about wear and tear? The only part of a PC you really worry about breaking is the
hard drive. My Seagate Barracuda is a 600,000-hour part (as measured by its mean-time-
between-failures rating). That's about 69 years, always on. I've also noticed that PCs are
like jetliners--they almost never crap out when cruising, but you have to watch those
takeoffs and landings. Cycling the power on a PC is when you should tighten your seat
belt.
But if the benefits of instant-on and background housekeeping don't turn you on, here's a
more human-based reason to never shut down your machine: It takes my computer 48
seconds to boot. During that time, if you're like me, you sit there, pretty much staring at
the BIOS and Windows screens. Maybe you're even mouth-breathing. Done just once a
day, that's 4.9 hours of looking stupid, every year. I'll gladly play $120 to take that off my
resume.
Go Classic
If you're a little overwhelmed by Windows XP's updated look and feel, you might want to
try turning back the clock to a simpler, less convoluted time. Seriously, Windows XP
allows you to revert to Classic mode in a few simple steps.
1. Start by right-clicking on an empty space (no icons or maximized applications) on
your desktop.
2. Select Properties from the drop-down menu. Or, from Control Panel, choose
Display.
3. Select the Appearance tab.
4. In the Windows and buttons: drop down menu, select Windows Classic style.
5. Hit Apply.
6. Hit OK.
Error Reports
When a program crashes under Windows XP, a dialog box may ask you to send an error
report to Microsoft. Does sending a report do any good? More important, do error reports
contain private information about you?
Windows Error Reporting (WER), introduced with Windows XP, lets users send detailed
reports when programs crash and lets vendors inform users of fixes and workarounds for
reported errors. The error reports are stored in a password-protected database.
Programs must be specially written to use WER. Microsoft uses WER in all recent
programs and strongly encourages other companies to do the same. There is no charge for
using the system. The list of participating vendors is long (see:
https://winqual.microsoft.com/parentorgs.asp
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and the feedback has been positive. Representatives at Zone Labs say that WER has
quickly alerted them to incompatibilities with new operating systems and patches.
What About Privacy?

The data collected in error reports depends on the
type of error and may include recent actions (for example, menu choices), network
information, machine configuration, relevant files (such as documents, logs, or
configuration files), a snapshot of memory, and software configuration information
obtained by scanning file versions and Registry settings. A detailed list can be found
at: 
http://oca.microsoft.com/en/dcp20.asp
Error reports can inadvertently contain private information. For example, a snapshot of
memory might contain your name, fragments of a document you were
writing at the time of the crash, or data recently submitted to a Web site. Private
information also may be in Registry keys, log files, or documents sent with the error
report.
Error reports are transmitted using HTTPS. Encryption which prevents others from
eavesdropping on your transmission, but it also prevents security tools such as Zone
Lab's myVault from detecting when personal information is being passed. Developers
using WER must sign an agreement ensuring your privacy, but if you think a particular
error report may contain personal information, you shouldn't send the report.
Unless identifying information is captured inadvertently, the basic report is anonymous.
But vendors can incorporate other options when WER-enabling their software. After
submitting an error report, you may be asked whether you'd like to fill out a survey or
track the status of your report. Such options remove anonymity.
With the recent updates to WER, information related to your report, if available, is
displayed automatically when you submit the report. This may include a hotfix, an
update, or information on a workaround. For details, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base
article 821253
http://support.microsoft.com/default.asp?scid=kb;e
n-us;821253
Configuring WER
By default, Windows XP offers to submit all error reports, but if you are logged on with
Administrator privileges, you can customize which errors are reported or disable error
reporting entirely.
To change your WER options, open the Control Panel, launch the System applet, and
click on the Error Reporting button in the Advanced page. This launches the Error
Reporting dialog.
If you select Disable error reporting, you can still be notified when critical errors occur.
To see the list of errors, go to the System Tools folder under Accessories, launch the
System Information applet, expand the Software Environment node, then highlight
Windows Error Reporting.
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IT administrators can use the Corporate Error Reporting tool to collect reports throughout
their organizations and select which to submit. The tool is part of the Office XP Resource
Kit.
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=6754
To configure Corporate Error Reporting, enable the Report Errors policy setting in the
Group Policy applet and set the Corporate upload file path to the local file server where
the tool is installed. All error reports will then be directed to this file server for review.
Submitting crash reports provides good information to vendors but use the feature
cautiously, since private information can be included in the error report.
Loose XP "New Program" Pop-Ups:

When you install a new program under Windows XP, do you get an annoying little yellow
box with a message when you click the Start button. If so, here's how you can get rid of
it.
Right-click on the Start Menu, choose Properties, and click on the Start Menu tab. (Make
sure that Start menu is selected rather than Classic Start menu .)
click on the Customize button next to Start menu.
Click on the Advanced tab.
locate the box near the top titled Highlight newly installed programs, and uncheck it.
Click on OK to accept the change.
More Windows tips

Whether your computer experience dates back to the DOS days or began with Windows
XP, there's always something new to learn about the popular OS. We've collected some of
our favorite tips for working in Windows. Congratulate yourself for the ones you already
know, and see how many new tricks you can learn.
Except where noted, these tips apply to Windows 98, Me, 2000, and XP. Some tips are
applicable to Windows 95 and NT 4.0 as well.
Remember the Keyboard

Windows is a WIMP. That is, its interface is based on Windows, Icons, Menus, and
Pointers. Still, taking your hand off the keyboard to grasp the mouse can disrupt your
typing. And what if the mouse is unavailable, perhaps because you're troubleshooting a
mouse driver problem or, using a screen reader? Almost anything you can do by clicking
and dragging you can do just as well via your keyboard.
Using the Alt Tab

Clicking on a taskbar button activates the corresponding program, but the icons are small,
and the button captions are often truncated into gibberish. Press Alt-Tab repeatedly to
cycle through larger icons representing open programs—even some that don't show up on
the taskbar. Pressing Shift-Alt-Tab cycles the other way, in case you missed the
application you wanted.
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Windows Logo and Application Key Substitutes

If you're stuck using a keyboard that lacks the Windows logo and Application (right-
click) keys, you can substitute Ctrl-Esc and Shift-F10, respectively.
Find the Missing Window

When configuration changes cause a window to stray outside the visible desktop area,
haul it back using your keyboard. Alt-Spacebar invokes the window's System menu,
which typically appears in the upper-left-hand corner, but with an off-screen window,
appears as close as possible to the off-screen window. Press M for Move and use the
Arrow keys to bring the errant window back into view (
These are just a few of the powerful shortcut keys available in Windows. To learn more
of them, launch Help from the Start menu and search the Index for shortcut keys.
Start Windows without waiting for Welcome (Home Edition)

Would you like to change your Windows XP Home Edition start-up back to what it was
originally? Remember when Windows used to go immediately to your desktop when you
booted up? Now when you start your computer, you get a split screen showing the
Windows XP logo on one side and your user name on the other. You have to click on your
name, then your personal settings are loaded, and finally your desktop appears. These
extra steps take time.
Here'S what'S happening and what you can do to start Windows without having to click
your username.
To log on to Windows XP without going through the Welcome screen, you must have
exactly one user account defined and you must have the Guest account turned off. That's
the original arrangement. A recent Windows XP update screws up this plan by adding a
virtual user called ASP.NET, which isn't useful unless you're a programmer. Assuming
you're not, just delete it.
Of course, subsequent Windows updates are likely to bring back that unwanted account.
For a more permanent solution, download TweakUI from
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp.
Install and launch TweakUI; unlike earlier versions, the utility launches from the Start
menu rather than the Control Panel. Double-click on the Logon item to open it and then
click on Autologon. Check the box titled Log on automatically at system startup, enter
your user name and password, and click on OK.
Now TweakUI will log you on using your user name and password even if more than one
account exists.
Using Disk Cleanup

A system clogged with unnecessary files runs more slowly, and the mess makes important
things harder to find. To cut through the clutter, open the Start menu and select Programs
| Accessories | System Tools | Disk Cleanup. The Disk Cleanup applet calculates the
amount of space you can save by emptying the Recycle Bin, deleting temporary Internet
files, and (for NTFS drives) compressing old files 
Check off the options that make sense and click on OK to regain the specified amount of
hard drive space.
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Change the Size of the Recycle Bin

You might be surprised at the amount of space Disk Cleanup saves by emptying the
Recycle Bin. By default, Windows allocates up to 10 percent of each drive for the
Recycle Bin. This method made sense when drives were measured in megabytes. But
these days, you can set the amount as low as 1 percent for a large drive by right-clicking
on Recycle Bin, choosing Properties, setting the new percentage, and clicking on OK.
Remove Unused Programs

To get rid of never- or seldom-used programs, launch Add/Remove Programs from the
Control Panel and examine each item. Don't meddle with items that are completely
unfamiliar; they may be required by the system. But if you find a standalone application
that you no longer use, get rid of it! Depending on the program in question, Add/Remove
Programs in Windows 2000 and XP reveals the size of the installation, as well as how
recently and how often it was used.
Get Hardware Details from the Device Manager

When you run into a problem with Windows or an application, support technicians will
likely ask for complex details about your hardware configuration. You can get all the
information they request without ever opening your computer's case. Right-click on My
Computer and choose Properties, or launch the System applet from the Control Panel.
Depending on your Windows version, either click on the Device Manager tab or click on
the Device Manager button on the Hardware tab. You'll find an exhaustive list of your
system's hardware, organized by type. Double-click on a device for its detailed
information and, on some platforms, a Troubleshooter option .
Get even more hardware information

For a more detailed view of certain hardware elements, launch DXDIAG from the Start
menu's Run dialog. Although it's designed to diagnose DirectX problems, the System,
Sound, and Display tabs of the dialog provide useful information about the CPU,
memory, sound card, and display adapter—including the amount of video memory.
Learn more with System Information

Of course, a prime source of system information is the System Information applet itself.
From the Start menu, select Programs | Accessories | System Tools | System Information.
The Hardware Resources and Components groups in particular reveal data about the
system's hardware. You may not be able to interpret all of the information, but you can
save a text report and pass it along to tech support.
Learn what's running

Many programs install themselves so they launch automatically at Windows start-up.
Whether you need them or not, they're using memory and CPU cycles. Windows 98, Me,
and XP users can disable unnecessary background programs using the Startup tab of the
MSCONFIG program, which you can launch from the Start menu's Run dialog. Windows
2000 users will need a third-party tool, such as Startup Cop utility.
34
Disabling anything listed in either MSCONFIG or Startup Cop should be safe. But keep
in mind that if you disable the system tray, you'll lose the clock and volume control in the
system tray. Also, one or more instances of LoadPowerProfile or TweakUI do no harm,
because they don't remain in memory.
Identify cryptic processes

You can see what's currently running on your system by launching the Task Manager by
pressing Ctrl-Alt-Del. In Windows 98 and Me, you will see a simple list of active
applications. Windows XP and 2000 will also list all active processes along with their
memory usage and CPU time.
Don't worry if the System Idle process seems to be hogging the CPU; all unused CPU
cycles are assigned to this process.
To identify cryptic processes with names like Ctfmon.exe, you can get help on the
Internet. There are a number of Web sites that list and identify those names, such as:
Pacman's Portal: Startup Tips
http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/
And
AnswersThatWork.com: Task List Programs
http://www.answersthatwork.com/
Use Windows Help

If you have a problem with your computer, don't call for tech support right away. Select
Help from the Start menu and enter the search term troubleshooters in the Index tab. If
the Help system doesn't have a trouble-shooter for your particular problem, try searching
on other terms related to the problem.
Capture error messages

Many computer problems involve error messages, and it's essential to record the precise
wording of these messages. In Windows 2000 and XP, pressing Ctrl-C will copy most
error messages to the Clipboard. Launch Notepad, paste a copied message, and save it.
Under Windows 98 and Me (or when Ctrl-C doesn't work), type the exact text of the
message into Notepad for reference. (You can also take a screenshot of the error message
by hitting Alt-PrintScreen, which copies the screen image to the Clipboard, and then
opening Paint and pasting the image into a blank file. You now have a picture of the error
message.) When copying or reporting an error message, you can omit the interminable
lists of numbers found at the end of some message boxes.
Use Microsoft Knowledge Base

The next place to go for help is the immense Microsoft Knowledge Base. Navigate to:
http://support.microsoft.com 
and type in a few search terms that describe the difficulty—for instance, shutdown
problem—or search on an exact phrase from an error message. If necessary, refine the
search by selecting your version of Windows from the drop-down list provided.
If all else fails, you can call tech support and describe the problem, along with the
remedies you've tried. And of course, you now know the skills to provide any system
information that tech support requests.
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Protect yourself online by limiting your privelages

In a move that might not sound quite right, limiting your rights and privileges on your
own system might be a good idea. Most Windows operating systems allow you to
designate users as administrators or otherwise limited users, with the administrators
having the ability to install programs, change system settings, manage passwords, and
just be in control of the system. This poses a risk in the case of a virus attack, as savvy
hackers can also use these rights if they break into your system.
To minimize this potential vulnerability, consider logging in as a user with limited
privileges for everyday tasks and only logging in as the administrator when you need to
perform those types of tasks.
Quick access to Device Manager:

(Windows 95 – xp)
As you may know, when you're troubleshooting a problem in Windows, Device Manager
is invaluable. If you need to access it often, there's a quick way to open Device Manager
from the desktop--simply hold down the [Alt] key, double-click My Computer, and
depending on your version of Windows, choose Device Manager from either the shortcut
menu or System Properties dialogue box.
Secure your PC
Here are a few basic steps you can take to ensure that your computer is as secure from
unwanted snoops and junk advertisers as reasonably possible.
A few primary steps are to keep Windows, applications, and your antivirus and personal
firewall updated with the latest security patches (you are running antivirus and a firewall,
right?); set a screen saver and system resume password; and choose strong passwords.
Secure your new system

New systems may have security holes that can be exploited by worms like Blaster, which
wreaked a fair amount of havoc on PCs in the past year. The first thing to do with a new
or reformatted system (or one you've just upgraded from XP Home to XP Pro, for that
matter) is to update it with critical security patches from Microsoft. But there's a catch:
You could get infected by a worm in the few minutes required to download the security
patches.
The solution is to turn on Internet Connection Firewall (ICF) before you connect to the
Internet for the first time. To do this, go to the Control Panel, select Network
Connections, and highlight the name of the connection. Right-click and select Properties
to bring up networking settings. Click on the Advanced tab, then select Protect my
computer and network by limiting or preventing access to this computer from the
Internet, and click on OK. ICF is now on.
Next, connect to the Internet and browse to http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com. Follow
this page and download and install all critical security updates.
To stay safe, know that ICF can do the job as a basic firewall, but third-party solutions do
more and offer greater control over security settings.
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Keep files private

If you want to encrypt the contents of an individual file or directory, Windows XP Pro
will do the trick, provided you enable NTFS on your hard drive. To encrypt a file, right-
click on it to bring up the Properties window. Click on the Advanced button, then in the
Advanced Attributes dialog box click on Encrypt contents to secure data. This will
encrypt the file (using either DES, which employs a 56-bit key on each 64-bit block of
data, or 3DES, which uses a 56-bit key three times on each 64-bit block of data), and it
will provide a certificate just for you. This certificate is key; if you reinstall Windows or
otherwise lose your user account, your access to the encrypted files will be gone, too. You
need to export your certificates to back them up: For detailed instructions, search on
export certificate in Windows Help.
Windows XP does not require you to enter your password when you open the encrypted
file. Once you log on to a session, encrypted files are available for you—and anyone who
walks up to your system—to view.
Windows XP Home doesn't support this method. Both XP Home and XP Pro, however,
let you create password-protected compressed files. To do this, right-click on the desired
file and choose Send To | Compressed (zipped) Folder. Open the resulting folder and
select Add a Password from the File menu; delete the original file. Note that this
encryption is relatively weak. It should dissuade casual users but won't put up much of a
fight against someone determined to hack it apart.
Update automatically
If it seems Microsoft comes out with another critical update just about every day, that's
because new threats pop up that often. Check for Windows Security Updates regularly, or
let the system do it: Go to the Control Panel, select the System icon, and click on the
Automatic Updates tab to reveal the Windows Update settings.
Make sure the check box Keep my computer up to date is checked. With this option
selected, you have several choices for specifying exactly how and when new updates get
downloaded and installed. I recommend choosing Download the updates automatically
and notify me when they are ready to be installed, so you'll have control over when the
installation takes place.
Toughen passwords
A password is pointless if it's easy to crack. Automated programs called password
crackers can easily break passwords built from one or more common names or dictionary
words, like CoolDude or KitchenLarry. You need a strong password, eight or more
characters, including both numeric and special characters (like 7@#&!). Avoid
incorporating actual words or names. You also need to change your passwords frequently.
Beware of spyware
Spyware has gotten a lot of press lately, and for good reason. Without protection, after a
few browsing sessions, and almost certainly after downloading some freeware
(particularly certain peer-to-peer file-sharing apps), your system will probably collect
unwanted software that can take control of your system and turn it into a console to
37
display apparently unstoppable pop-up ads, or worse. A good antispyware program is a

must-have.
Need convincing? Try this simple test. Launch Msconfig from the Start | Run dialog, and
click on the Startup tab. If there are unfamiliar-looking items, look them up at:
www.sysinfo.org/startupinfo.php or
www.answersthatwork.com/Tasklist_pages/tasklist.htm.
Even if doing this task checks out, there's no guarantee that your system is spyware-free;
I strongly recommend installing and running an antispyware application.
Spybot Search and Destroy
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html
add aware
http://www.download.com/Ad-aware/3000-8022-10045910.html
Start Windows without waiting for Welcome

Would you like to change your Windows XP Home Edition start-up back to what it was
originally. Windows used to go immediately to your desktop when you booted up. Now
when you start my computer, you get a split screen showing the Windows XP logo on one
side and your user name on the other. You have to click on your name, your personal
settings are loaded, and finally the desktop appears. These extra steps take time. 
Well, here'S what'S happening and what you can do to start Windows without having to
click your username.
To log on to Windows XP without going through the Welcome screen, you must have
exactly one user account defined and you must have the Guest account turned off. That's
the original arrangement. A recent Windows XP update screws up this plan by adding a
virtual user called ASP.NET, which isn't useful unless you're a programmer. Assuming
you're not, just delete it.
Of course, subsequent Windows updates are likely to bring back that unwanted account.
For a more permanent solution, download TweakUI from
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp
Install and launch TweakUI; unlike earlier versions, the utility launches from the Start
menu rather than the Control Panel. Double-click on the Logon item to open it and then
click on Autologon. Check the box titled Log on automatically at system startup, enter
your user name and password, and click on OK.
Now TweakUI will log you on using your user name and password even if more than one
account exists.
Tips and Tricks for JFW

If you don’t already know these keyboard commands, try to learn a couple of them each
day. Before you know it, you’ll wonder how you got along without them.
JAWS Commands
When you are on a menu item, press 5 on the numeric keypad and it will read the
underlined letter that you can use as a shortcut for that menu item.
Say Line INSERT+UP ARROW
Say Prior Line UP ARROW
Say Next Line DOWN ARROW
38
Say Sentence ALT+NUM PAD 5

Say Prior Sentence ALT+UP ARROW
Say Next Sentence ALT+DOWN ARROW
Say to Cursor INSERT+HOME
Says the text from the beginning of the line to the cursor.
Say from Cursor INSERT+PAGE UP
Says the text from the cursor to the end of the line.
While reading a message in Outlook Express if you tab to a link and press the windows
application key, you will have a context menu, you can then press a for add to favorites.
In Outlook Express to hear the following headers, press alt plus the number on the num
row. To move to the field, press alt and the number twice rapidly.
From Field (ALT+1)
Date Field (ALT+2)
To Field (ALT+3)
Cc Field (ALT+4)
Bcc Field (ALT+5)
Subject Field (ALT+6)
Attachments List (INSERT+A)
The following commands are not jaws specific, but I have found them to be very useful.
Run Dialog ShortCuts

(Start menu, then press r for the run dialog and type the following commands and hit
enter)
command = MSDOS Prompt
control = Control Panel
defrag = Disk Defragmenter
explorer = Windows Explorer
iexplore = Internet Explorer
msconfig = System Configuration Utility
msimn = Outlook Express
notepad = Notepad
regedit = Registry Editor
sfc = System File Checker
winword = Word
wordpad = Wordpad
Turn off pesky messages:

( Microsoft Windows 2000 and XP)
Do you keep getting weird popups on your desktop. that look like warning messages
from Windows? Do some of them try to sell you a program that will block popups! These
adds don't seem the same as the popup internet ads. Here's how you can get rid of them.
Network administrators have used the Messenger service built into both Windows 2000
and XP (not to be confused with Windows or MSN Messenger) to broadcast notices to all
network users using the NET SEND command. These days, however, they're much more
39
likely to use e-mail. In their place, spammers and users on your network who know your
IP address can use Messenger to pester you with alerts.
The service is loaded at start-up by default. If you don't want to receive these messages
any more, you need to follow the following steps.
Click on Start and select Run. Type services.msc and press OK.
Now double-click on the Messenger service and press Stop.
From the Startup type list, select Disabled to prevent Messenger from loading
automatically the next time Windows starts up.
If you are running a hardware firewall, messages from outside your network won't get to
you anyway; with a software firewall your system will not receive messages even from
within your network. But you might as well turn off the service if you are sure you don't
need it.
Navigate Directories with the Command Prompt

Old-school DOS users remember launching programs and performing all their file
management tasks with the command prompt. Budding advanced users will also want to
learn about the powerful features still accessible in this monochrome window. Windows
Explorer provides a handy view of your hard drive's file system, but the command
prompt is better for certain tasks.
The two can even work together: When you drag a file or folder from Explorer to a
command prompt window, its full path name is appended to the command line.
For example, you can type CD (CD for Change Directory followed by a space) and then
drag a folder to the command prompt. When you press Enter, the command prompt
changes directory to the specified folder. Conversely, you can enter "explorer /e,."
(explorer, space, slash, e, comma, period) at the prompt to open Windows Explorer in the
folder you're working with.
Using DIR Command

The DIR command provides a directory listing of the current folder, but it omits files
with Hidden and System attributes. DIR /A shows all files—regardless of their attributes.
You can also use the ATTRIB command to display or change the attributes of matching
files. For example, ATTRIB -H DESKTOP.INI will unhide a Desktop.ini file.
Using XCOPY
Windows Explorer can copy selected files or folders to other locations. For a finer level
of control, use the XCOPY command at the command prompt. XCOPY's abilities include
copying all files matching one or more file specifications, all files changed on or after a
specific date, or all files that have the archive bit set. Other options let you find and copy
matching files in subdirectories, copy over read-only files, retain file attributes when
copying, and more. The command XCOPY /? lists the XCOPY command's syntax, but
the data fills more than one screen. For a full listing, redirect that information into the file
Xcopy.txt using the command XCOPY /? > XCOPY.TXT, then open Xcopy.txt in
Notepad.
40
Run Programs from the Command Prompt

To run a program from the Command Prompt, just type its name. To launch a data file,
you need the START command. For example, START XCOPY.TXT will open the
specified text file in Notepad.
Find Matching Files with Command Prompt

Whereas the DIR command lists files matching a file specification, the FOR command
acts on matching files. The following command opens all files in the current directory
whose filename is Project1, launching each in the application appropriate to its extension:
FOR %v IN (PROJECT1.*) DO START %v. The %v represents a variable; you can use
any letter. For each file that matches the list of file specifications in parentheses, the
command after DO repeats, substituting that file's name for the variable. With Window
2000 and XP, the FOR command is even more powerful.
For a full list of its features, enter FOR/? > FORHELP.TXT and launch Forhelp.txt.
The commands discussed above are hardly the only DOS-style functions that remain
useful under Windows. To get a list of all the standard commands, enter
HELP > HELP.TXT and view Help.txt in Notepad
Utilizing the Run command

It's amazing how much that run command under the Start Menu can do for us speech
access users. Instead of plodding through the start menu or the desktop, we can use this
run menu to do stuff that even the mouse user can't do as quickly. Let’s look at a great
majority of those shortcuts now.
The first thing you have to do is activate the run dialog. You can do this by holding down
the Windows key and pressing r, or by locating it in the start menu.
Launching applications
Try this: Activate the run dialog and type calc. The Windows calculator loads. If you
wanted to load this program the old fashioned way, you would have to navigate to the
accessories menu under the programs submenu, then locate the calculator program. You
can access any application using the run dialog, but only a select few can be accessed by
simply specifying the program name. If the application you are trying to execute is in the
Windows path environment variable, the application program name will suffice.
However, if the application is not in the Windows path, you'll have to specify the
complete path and filename of the application. Other programs you can activate very
quickly follow. Simply type any of the following shortcut commands into the Run dialog
and hit enter.
Media Player: mplayer
Microsoft Word: WinWord
Microsoft Excel: Excel
Notepad: Notepad
WordPad: WordPad
Microsoft Access: Msaccess
Microsoft PowerPoint: powerpnt
41
Internet Explorer: Iexplore

DOS prompt: Command
Navigating to a Website
From the run dialog, you can type in any URL, and Internet Explorer will load and place
you at that website. This is quicker than having to first load Internet Explorer, then
activate the open dialog and finally type in the URL.
Loading Files
If you know the path and filename of any file associated with a program, you can type
this in and have the program load automatically with that file. For instance, specifying
any text file will load Notepad.
Specifying any zip file will load your Archive Manager, which is probably Winzip.
Specifying a wave file will load Media Player, or another program you may have
installed to handle music files.
Navigating to Directories
If you would like to quickly load Windows Explorer, simply type in the path to which
you would like to be placed. For instance, type c:\windows if you would like Windows
Explorer to display the Windows folder.
Miscellaneous shortcuts
You can type the word Fonts to have Windows list the fonts which are on your computer.
You can also type the name of a Windows utility, such as Defrag, Scandisk, or Sfc.
Windows XP Keyboard Commands
General use
To
Press
Copy.
CTRL+C
Cut.
CTRL+X
Paste.
CTRL+V
Undo.
CTRL+Z
Delete.
DELETE
Delete selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin.
SHIFT+DELETE
Copy selected item.
CTRL while dragging an item
Create shortcut to selected item.
42
CTRL+SHIFT while dragging an item

Rename selected item.
F2
Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word.
CTRL+RIGHT ARROW
Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word.
CTRL+LEFT ARROW
Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph.
CTRL+DOWN ARROW
Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph.
CTRL+UP ARROW
Highlight a block of text.
CTRL+SHIFT with any of the arrow keys
Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text within a
document.
SHIFT with any of the arrow keys
Select all.
CTRL+A
Search for a file or folder.
F3
View properties for the selected item.
ALT+ENTER
Close the active item, or quit the active program.
ALT+F4
Open the shortcut menu for the active window.
ALT+SPACEBAR
Close the active document in programs that allow you to have multiple documents open
simultaneously.
CTRL+F4
Switch between open items.
ALT+TAB
Cycle through items in the order they were opened.
ALT+ESC
Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop.
F6
Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer.
F4
Display the shortcut menu for the selected item.
SHIFT+F10
Display the System menu for the active window.
ALT+SPACEBAR
Display the Start menu.
CTRL+ESC
Display the corresponding menu.
ALT+Underlined letter in a menu name
Carry out the corresponding command.
43
Underlined letter in a command name on an open menu

Activate the menu bar in the active program.
F10
Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu.
RIGHT ARROW
Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu.
LEFT ARROW
Refresh the active window.
F5
View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer.
BACKSPACE
Cancel the current task.
ESC
Prevent the CD from automatically playing.
SHIFT when you insert a CD into the CD-ROM drive
Keyboard shortcuts for dialog boxes:

To
Press
Move forward through tabs.
CTRL+TAB
Move backward through tabs.
CTRL+SHIFT+TAB
Move forward through options.
TAB
Move backward through options.
SHIFT+TAB
Carry out the corresponding command or select the corresponding option.
ALT+Underlined letter
Carry out the command for the active option or button.
ENTER
Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box.
SPACEBAR
Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons.
Arrow keys
Display Help.
F1
Display the items in the active list.
F4
Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box.
BACKSPACE
Keyboard commands used with the Windows key

If you have a Microsoft Natural Keyboard, or any other compatible keyboard that
includes the Windows logo key Windows logo key and the Application key Application
key , you can use these keyboard shortcuts:
44
To
Press
Display or hide the Start menu.
Windows logo key
Display the System Properties dialog box.
Windows logo key +BREAK
Show the desktop.
Windows logo key +D
Minimize all windows.
Windows logo key +M
Restore minimized windows.
Windows logo key +Shift+M
Open My Computer.
Windows logo key +E
Search for a file or folder.
Windows logo key +F
Search for computers.
CTRL+Windows logo key +F
Display Windows Help.
Windows logo key +F1
Lock your computer if you are connected to a network domain, or switch users if you are
not connected to a network domain.
Windows logo key + L
Open the Run dialog box.
Windows logo key +R
Display the shortcut menu for the selected item.
Application key
Open Utility Manager.
Windows logo key +U
Helpful accessibility keyboard shortcuts:

To
Press
Switch FilterKeys on and off.
Right SHIFT for eight seconds
Switch High Contrast on and off.
Left ALT +left SHIFT +PRINT SCREEN
Switch MouseKeys on and off.
Left ALT +left SHIFT +NUM LOCK
Switch StickyKeys on and off.
SHIFT five times
Switch ToggleKeys on and off.
NUM LOCK for five seconds
Open Utility Manager.
Windows logo key +U
45
Keyboard shortcuts you can use with Windows Explorer:

To
Press
Display the bottom of the active window.
END
Display the top of the active window.
HOME
Display all subfolders under the selected folder.
NUM LOCK+ASTERISK on numeric keypad (*)
Display the contents of the selected folder.
NUM LOCK+PLUS SIGN on numeric keypad (+)
Collapse the selected folder.
NUM LOCK+MINUS SIGN on numeric keypad (-)
Collapse current selection if it's expanded, or select parent folder.
LEFT ARROW
Display current selection if it's collapsed, or select first subfolder.
RIGHT ARROW
Notes
• You must associate a password with your user account to secure it from unauthorized
access. If you do not have a password associated with your user account, pressing the +L
will not prevent other users from accessing your account information.
• Some keyboard shortcuts may not work if StickyKeys is turned on in Accessibility
Options.
• If you are connected to Windows through Microsoft Terminal Services Client, some
shortcuts have changed. For more information, see the online documentation for Terminal
Services Client.
Other
Backup your Pac Mate
Have you become dependent on your Pac Mate or other Pocket PC device for
transporting your data? If so, chances are you have probably had occasion to have to reset
your unit and as a result lose your data.
Sprite Software of Auckland, New Zealand have an excellent backup solution with their
Sprite Backup software. The cost is approximately $19.95 U.S. and can be downloaded
from:
http://www.spritesoftware.com/products/sprite_backup.html
By the way, it is also available as a 10 day free trial so you may try before you buy.
Notebook Computers - Improve battery life:

More and more of us are enjoying the mobility provided by the latest notebook/wireless-
network adapter combos , However, leaving the wireless on, will drain the notebook's
battery. Short of plugging in, here are a few things you can do in order to maximize
battery life.
46
With wireless on and not associated to an access point (AP), the wireless radio uses its
full power to search constantly for an AP to associate to. Be sure to enable your wireless
adapter's power-saving mode. That way, once the radio associates with an AP, the adapter
will go into its low-power mode.
If you are someplace where there is no wireless connection, turn off integrated wireless.
If you're using a PC Card, simply pull it out of the slot. To be certain the integrated
wireless is off, check to see whether your notebook has a hardware button or software (or
both) to disable it. In many cases, a hardware button disables only the wireless radio,
which is actually the biggest power draw (and the part of the device that the airlines want
off).
You may also have a software "switch." If so, you should also disable this, as it will
probably disable the mini- PCI card that contains the actual wireless components. Such
measures will give you the maximum power savings.
Windows Media Player keyboard commands

One of the first things we all want to do with a new computer is play music files and
make CDs. Windows Media Player is often the first program used to manage music
files. Here is a list of some helpful keyboard commands to control Windows Media
Player.
Player controls keyboard shortcuts

The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts for the buttons that are available in the
Playback Controls area. These keyboard shortcuts are also available when Windows
Media Player is in skin mode, depending on the skin.
CTRL+P Play or pause a file
CTRL+S Stop playback
F8 Mute volume
F9 Decrease volume
F10 Increase volume
CTRL+B Play previous item
CTRL+F Play next item
CTRL+SHIFT+B Rewind
CTRL+SHIFT+F Fast-forward
CTRL+SHIFT+G Play faster than normal speed (time compression)
CTRL+SHIFT+N Play at normal speed
CTRL+SHIFT+S Play slower than normal speed (time expansion)
Note - Rewind and fast-forward are not available for all files.
Time compression and time expansion are only available on select versions of Windows.
Copy from CD keyboard shortcuts

The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts that are available in the Copy from CD
feature.
ALT+C Copy tracks
ALT+S Stop copy
ALT+A Show names of album tracks to find or update information on the Web
47
ALT+I Display/Hide album information
Media Library keyboard shortcuts

The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts that are available in the Media Library
feature.
ALT+I Display/Hide album information
ALT+A Display Playlists button menu
ALT+S Show or hide the Search text box
ALT+N Search Media Library
ALT+D Display Add button menu
CTRL+N Create a new playlist
Copy to CD or Device keyboard shortcuts

The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts that are available in the Copy to CD or
Device feature.
ALT+C Copy files
ALT+L Cancel copying
DELETE Delete a selected item
UP ARROW Move to the previous item in the list
DOWN ARROW Move to the next item in the list
F5 Refresh the information in the panes
Skin Chooser keyboard shortcuts

The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts in the Skin Chooser feature.
ALT+A Apply a skin
ALT+S Access and download more skins
DELETE Delete a selected item
File menu keyboard shortcuts

The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts for the File menu commands.
ALT+F Display the File menu
CTRL+O Open a file
CTRL+U Specify a URL or path to a file
CTRL+W Close or stop playing a file
CTRL+N Create a new playlist
CTRL+D Edit the current playlist
F3 Search specified locations for digital media files
ALT+F4 Exit or close the Player
View menu keyboard shortcuts

The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts for the View menu commands
ALT+V Display the View menu
CTRL+1 Switch to full mode
CTRL+2 Switch to skin mode
CTRL+M Display menu bar in full mode
48
CTRL+SHIFT+M Autohide menu bar in full mode

CTRL + I Capture a DVD image
ALT+ENTER Display video in full screen
ALT+1 Zoom at 50%
ALT+2 Zoom at 100%
ALT+3 Zoom at 200%
Note, DVD commands are available only if you have a software decoder and hardware
to support playing DVDs.
Play menu keyboard shortcuts

The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts for the Play menu commands.
ALT+P Display the Play menu
CTRL+P Play or pause playback
CTRL+SHIFT+G Use a fast play speed
CTRL+SHIFT+N Use a normal play speed
CTRL+SHIFT+S Use a slow play speed
CTRL+B Play the previous item
CTRL+F Play the next item
CTRL+SHIFT+B Rewind a file
CTRL+SHIFT+F Fast-forward a file
CTRL+H Shuffle the playlist
CTRL+T Repeat the playlist
CTRL+SHIFT+C Turn on or off captions and subtitles
F10 Increase volume
F9 Decrease volume
F8 Mute volume
CTRL+E Eject CD or DVD
Notes - The Eject keyboard shortcut is not displayed and does not work if multiple CD-
ROM or DVD drives are attached to the computer.
DVD commands are available only if you have a software decoder and hardware to
support playing DVDs.
Tools menu keyboard shortcuts

The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts for the Tools menu commands.
ALT+T Display the Tools menu
F3 Search specified locations for digital media files
Help menu keyboard shortcuts

The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts for the Help menu commands.
ALT+H Display the Help menu
F1 Display Windows Media Player Help
Anchor window menu keyboard shortcuts

The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts for the anchor window menu commands.
49
ALT+F6 to focus on anchor, then ALT key again Display the anchor window menu
CTRL+O Open or play a file
CTRL+U Specify URL or path to a file
Skin shortcut menu keyboard shortcuts

The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts for the commands on the Skin shortcut
menu, which are available only when Windows Media Player is in skin mode. The Skin
shortcut menu provides access to a variety of commands that are available when
Windows Media Player is in full mode.
SHIFT+F10 Display shortcut menu
SHIFT+F10, arrow keys, and ENTER Navigate through menu
ESC Close shortcut menu
CTRL+O Open a file
CTRL+U Specify a URL or path to a file
CTRL+H Shuffle the playlist
CTRL+T Repeat the playlist
F10 Increase volume
F9 Decrease volume
F8 Mute volume
CTRL+P Play or pause a file
CTRL+B Play the previous file
CTRL+F Play the next file
F1 Display Windows Media Player Help
Learn to use some of these commands and you will be surprised how easy it is to control
Windows Media Player.
More Online Resources

What do you do when WORD’S built in Help function falls short? Where else can you
look for answers to common questions about Word or other Office applications? Here are
some additional support resources for the newest releases of Word and other Microsoft
Office programs on the Web.
Microsoft Office Product Documentation

http://www.microsoft.com/office/techinfo/productdoc/default.htm
Microsoft Office Newsgroups

http://communities.microsoft.com/newsgroups/default.asp?icp=prod_office&slcid=us
Product Support for Office Users

http://www.microsoft.com/office/support/default.htm
50
Using Kurzweil’s Virtual Printer

Kurzweil 1000 is loaded with many features. One of the often overlooked elements
installed with Kurzweil 1000 is the ‘Virtual Printer’. The idea is that documents, web
pages and PDF files can be printed directly to and converted by Kurzweil 1000. The
process is straightforward. Once the document has been sent to Kurzweil, you can edit,
reformat and convert the document as you would any other document processed by
Kurzweil. To see how it works:
Open any web page or PDF document.
Go to the File menu and choose Print.
In the Print dialogue box, select Kurzweil Virtual Printer from the list of available
printers.
Press OK to start the process.
Kurzweil will launch automatically and convert the document.
Note – If you are sending a large PDF file to Kurzweil, it can take several minutes before
the conversion is complete. So, be patient.
Because Kurzweil will use its default settings, it is a good idea to set these defaults to
include the option to save the image. You can toggle this option from Kurzweil's
Settings/Configuration menu. This way, if you are not satisfied with the results, you can
make settings adjustments and have Kurzweil re-recognize the page.
Downloading Files From The Internet:

Now that you have your new computer and setup your internet connection, you are
probably eager to download some files from the internet. This document includes tips on
the following topics.
• Making a special download directory.
• Finding and downloading software.
• Decompressing your downloads.
• Installing the software.
• Cleaning up your directory.
PART 1: -- Make a Download Directory
Downloading can get messy. Unless you neatly file away new software, you’ll be buried
under a cluttered desktop, lost files, and overflowing folders. To keep track of
downloaded software and files, you should save them in a special download folder or
directory that you can use over and over. Once you create this folder and call it something
obvious, say, Downloads, you’ll always know where to find your new files.
51
To make a special folder for storing your downloaded programs, follow these steps. Then,
when your Web browser prompts you to save downloads into a certain folder, simply save
them to the directory you’ve created.
1. In Windows Explorer select the drive where you’ll store the folder.
2. Press alt F for the file menu, select new, then F for folder.
3. A folder will be created with a default name New Folder. Type Downloads over that
name and press Enter.
PART 2: -- Find and Download the Software
After you’ve entered on a link to start a download, your Web browser determines what
happens next. When the file download dialog begins, hit enter as the default is to save it
to disk. When the save as dialog begins, the file name will already be in the edit field. To
be sure that our downloads folder is selected:
1. Tab to the save in combo box.

2. Press the down arrow to open the combo box.
3. Press down arrow to select the c drive.
4. Press tab to move to the list view with the list of folders.
5. Locate the downloads folder and press enter.
Once you have specified the downloads folder, all your downloads will go to that folder
until you change it.
PART 3 -- Decompress the file.
If your downloaded file has the extension .exe, it’s probably self-extracting, which means
it will automatically install as soon as you enter on the filename. Once your installation is
complete, you can skip straight to step five. If you’ve downloaded a file that ends in .zip,
however, you’ll need to decompress it with a program such as WinZip. Here’s one way to
do it:
1. Locate the file and press your windows application key or shift f10.
2. Choose extract to from the context menu.
3. Type in the name of a folder where you wish to extract the files to.
4. Tab to the extract button and hit enter.
PART 4: -- Install the Software
If a file with a .zip extension contains a program called either Install or Setup that is the
program to run to install the program. Check the downloaded file’s readme file if it has
one, a text file that contains special installation instructions and extra information about
your new application. Once you know what you’re getting into, follow the instructions as
they come up. Software will prompt you through the necessary steps.
52
PART 5: -- Clean Up Your Directory
You may want to hold on to the zip file if you need to reinstall it. You can create another
folder and give it a name you will recognize as being the permanent folder for installed
programs. Then copy the installation program from the downloads file to your permanent
folder. Then you can delete all the files created during installation and clean up your
downloads folder for the next time.
That’s it. You’re now ready to enjoy your new program. Just a note anytime you are
going to be downloading files, it is important to have a good anti-virus program and to
use it. Protect yourself so that nothing stands between you and discovering all the fun
things you can find on the internet.
****
Apply commonly used number formats with shortcut keys

Inevitably, you come across worksheet cells that use number formatting that's
inappropriate for the type of data they display. For example, a formula that processes date
values may automatically return a value formatted as a date, even though it should really
appear as an integer. Or, involving a percentage value in a formula may produce a result
that's inappropriately formatted as a percent.
To resolve such situations, you probably select Format | Cells from the menu bar and use
the Format Cells Dialogue box to apply a more desirable number format. In many cases,
that requires a lot more work than is necessary. Instead, you can use the following
shortcut keys to apply several of the most frequently used Excel number formats:
• Ctrl Shift ~ applies the General number format.
• Ctrl Shift $ applies the Currency number format with two decimal places and
negative values in parentheses.
• Ctrl Shift % applies the Percentage number format with no decimal places.
• Ctrl Shift ^ applies the scientific number format with two decimal places.
• Ctrl Shift # applies the Date format in the form 15-Mar-04.
• Ctrl Shift @ applies the Time format in the form 12:00 ARE.
• Ctrl Shift ! Applies the Number format with two decimal places, thousands
separator, and minus sign (-) for negative values.
53

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Express Tips Archive

Shortcuts to Find, Replace, and Go To features.........................................................21

Tips and Tricks for JFW.............................................................................................38

Quickly Close A Browser Window:

Quickly Access the Web

Share a site quickly

Searching multiple search engines simultaneously

Use a Web librarian to find good sites for kids

Convert numbers entered as text

Prevent Excel startup macros from running

Quickly add several sheets to a workbook

Using Auto Fill:

Outlook and Outlook Express

Outlook - Attach a read or delivery receipt to your Outlook messages:

open the message and click the Options button.

Outlook - Determine which folder opens when you launch Outlook

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\OUTLOOK.EXE" outlook:contacts

Junk mail and viruses

Outlook - JAWS and Windows

Jaws Keystrokes for Outlook

Windows keystrokes for Outlook

Create a message Ctrl+Shift+M

Outlook Express - Sending music in messages:

Outlook Express - Switching Identities

Outlook Express - No More Blocked Attachments:

All about lists

To create a bulleted list

All about 'Fast Save'

• Third-party software designed to work with Word documents (such as some

Change the orientation of a section in Word

Select the item(s) that you want to appear on a landscape-oriented page

Finding synonyms in a flash

Navigate tables using shortcut keys:

Press Alt Home to move to the beginning of the row

Print a portion of a document

Print two-sided pages without a duplex printer:

Recover a corrupted document

choose Open As Copy.) Word creates an unformatted copy of the problem

Reduce glare discomfort by customizing onscreen document display:

Remove many links at once:

Shortcuts to Find, Replace, and Go To features

Toggling the Task Pane:

Triple-spacing your document

Understanding page sizes

Purge Your Sent Items Folder

Consolidate Your Media Files

Get Rid of Spyware and Adware

Clean Your Registry

Don’t turn off your PC

What About Privacy?

Loose XP "New Program" Pop-Ups:

More Windows tips

Remember the Keyboard

Using the Alt Tab

Windows Logo and Application Key Substitutes

Find the Missing Window

Start Windows without waiting for Welcome (Home Edition)