|
Benefit from MY
sleepless nights in front of the computer
Windows® 95&
98
From
main page.skip
these
To
set this web site as your desktop wallpaper do the
following:
If you are
using Internet Explorer 5:
Click the 'File' menu
then click 'Save as'.
In the 'File type' box choose 'Web page, complete'
Select an existing folder in which you want the program
to save a copy of the currently displayed page. (You can
create a new folder by clicking the  icon. Need more help to do
this?)
Click the 'Save' button.
Next, minimize all open windows and right click a blank
area on the desktop.
Click 'Properties', then click the 'Background' tab in
the window that opens up.
Click the 'Browse' button and find the saved copy of the
web page from steps 1-3 above.
Click 'Open', then 'Ok'.
If a box prompting you to whether to enable Active
Desktop appears, click 'Yes'
In not
using Internet Explorer 5:
Click the 'File' menu
then click 'Save as'.
The file type 'Web page, complete' will not
be available so use file type 'Html'
Create a new folder by clicking the icon. (Need more help to do
this?)
Open the new folder, and click the 'Save' button to save
the web page.
Use Windows Explorer to open the folder you just created
and create a new folder called 'images' (lower
case letters only.)
Go back to your web browser and with the web page still
displayed on the screen, right click each image, click
'Save picture as' (or video) and save them in the
'images' folder you created above. (do not change the
name of the image file!)
Next, minimize all open windows and right click a blank
area on the desktop.
Click 'Properties', then click the 'Background' tab in
the window that opens up.
Click the 'Browse' button and find the saved copy of the
web page from above.
Click 'Open', then 'Ok'.
If a box prompting you to whether to enable Active
Desktop appears, click 'Yes'
- You can check the progress of a
document you have sent to print by double clicking the
printer icon that appears in the system tray
(located in the right hand corner of
start bar which displays the time) after you issue the print
command. It shows the number of pages printed, which one is
currently being printed and any pages waiting to be printed
of the current documents (or under certain circumstances
kilobytes printed & to be printed). Any documents that
have been sent to print but not yet printed are also
displayed.
You can also cancel pending print jobs by clicking the
'Printer' menu, then 'Purge Print Documents' or individually
right click a document you want to abort printing and click
'Cancel Printing'.
More
- Many
Windows programs are now configured to run automatically when
your computer starts. Microsoft Shortcut Bar, Net2Phone,
and Find Fast are a few examples. To prevent some of
these unnecessary programs from running until you
specifically start them do this;
Right click
the 'Start' button
Click
'Explore'
Windows
explorer should open in the folder 'c:\WindowsStart Menu'
and show the 'Programs' folder in the right pane. The
shortcuts in this folder correspond to the shortcuts you see
when you click the start button.
Open the
'Programs' folder then the 'StartUp' folder
All the
shortcuts in this folder are automatically run whenever
Windows starts, so delete the shortcuts to the programs you
don't want to start automatically or move them to another
folder.
General Computer Tips
From
main page.
- In Microsoft
Word, Excel etc. you can give yourself more screen room
by removing the icons you do not use and adding the ones
you do use to the menu bar.
Right click on
a blank spot on the menu bar (example after the Help menu)
then click 'Customize'
Now click and
drag as many of the buttons you use most often that can hold
unto to the menu bar after the 'Help' menu
Use the
customize dialogue box that is now on the screen, in the
'Toolbars' box, remove the check mark from the toolbars you
no longer need, then click the 'Close' button
Note
you must close the program and if asked save the changes to
the office templates (e.g. Normal.dot) in order for the
changes to show up next time.
Higher Level Tips
From
main page.
WARNING:
Professionals ONLY! This is NO joke!
- As
promised last month, here's how to customize the look of
your Windows startup
menu
Insert
the following line in the [Menu] section of the 'config.sys'
file insert a line with the following syntax:
MENUCOLOR=x,y
x - Specifies the
color of the menu text. You can specify a value from 0 to
15; (see "Color Values" bellow.)
y - (Optional)
Specifies the color of the screen background. You can specify
a value
from 0 to 15; (see "Color Values" bellow.)
The y value is
optional; if you do not specify a value, MS-DOS uses a black
background. Logically, if you don't use the y value you don't
need the comma.
Use different values for x and y, or the text
will not be visible.
| Color Values |
| 0 |
Black |
8 |
Gray |
| 1 |
Blue |
9 |
Bright blue |
| 2 |
Green |
10 |
Bright green |
| 3 |
Cyan |
11 |
Bright cyan |
| 4 |
Red |
12 |
Bright red |
| 5 |
Magenta |
13 |
Bright
magenta |
| 6 |
Brown |
14 |
Yellow |
| 7 |
White |
15 |
Bright
white |
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
ARCHIVES
Windows® 95&
98
If
you are using Windows 98 and want to restart
your computer this particular time only but don't want
'Restart' to be automatically selected in the shut down
dialogue box the next time you attempt to shut down your
computer,
instead of
clicking 'Restart' then clicking the 'Ok'
button
Double
click the 'Restart' option
This way
the computer will restart, but, the next time you attempt
to shut down, the 'Restart' selection will NOT be
automatically selected
- Many
Windows programs are now configured to run automatically when
your computer starts. Microsoft Shortcut Bar, Net2Phone,
and Find Fast are a few examples. To prevent some of
these unnecessary programs from running until you
specifically start them do this;
Right
click the 'Start' button
Click 'Explore'
Windows
explorer should open in the folder 'c:\WindowsStart
Menu' and show the 'Programs' folder in the right pane.
The shortcuts in this folder correspond to the shortcuts
you see when you click the start button.
Open the 'Programs'
folder then the 'StartUp' folder
All the
shortcuts in this folder are automatically run whenever
Windows starts, so delete the shortcuts to the programs
you don't want to start automatically or move them to
another folder.
Microsoft
word, excel etc. have an auto-correct feature,
where, let us say you forget you have the Caps Lock key
on
and
start typing a sentence (e.g. mICROSOFT WORD) the
program automatically corrects your text so that the
first letter of the sentence only is capitalized. Not
only that, but it actually turns off the Caps Lock
key for you. Try it, keep your eye on the Caps Lock
light on the keyboard.
You can
set any Windows based program to start by pressing a key
combination, (e.g. Alt Ctrl E). To do this, simply:
Create
a shortcut to the program (or edit and existing one)
then:
Click
the shortcut with the right mouse button,
Click:
Properties
Click
the Shortcut tab
In the
box for Shortcut Key type the letter you want
to assign to this program
In the
box will appear Ctrl + Alt + the letter you pressed,
you will have to hold down those keys to start the
program
Click
the OK button
If you
have Windows 98 or just the desktop update you can put
shortcuts right on the Start Menu.
Open Windows
Explorer, create a folder and place the shortcuts
you desire in it
Click
the start bar with the right mouse button
Click:
Toolbars
Then
click: New Toolbar...
In the
New Toolbar window that opens, find the folder you
created above
Once
the shortcut bar has been activated you can right
click it and click Show Title and Show Text
(to remove the tick marks) which will display the
shortcut icons only
When you
use the right mouse button to click a file from windows
explorer, in the Send To menu you can send the file
to destinations such as '3½ Floppy(A)' or 'Desktop'.
You can create a shortcut to any other location (or even
to a Windows application, printer, or fax), and place it
in the SendTo folder located in the Windows
folder. Then you can send files to this location
automatically.
You can
start Windows-based programs from a command prompt by
typing the name of the program you want to run. Thus you
can also start Windows-based programs from your
masterfully created batch programs.
To quickly
change screen resolution, use the right mouse button
to click the display icon (looks like a computer screen)
in the system tray (lower right corner of your screen) on
the task bar, then select the desired resolution.
When using the Save As command to save a file,
you can also create a new folder in which to store the
file, simply click the 'Create new folder' icon.
Alternatively, use the right mouse button to click a
blank spot in the dialog box list of currently existing
folders and files, point to New, and then click Folder.
After giving the folder the desired name,
Double-click the new folder to open it, and then continue
the save process.
To remove
Auto Run when an audio CD is inserted, hold down the
Shift key when you insert the CD, or make the following
changes:
1.
Open a folder (for example, My Computer).
2.
On the View menu, click Options, and then click File
Types.
3.
Click Audio CD, and then click Edit.
4.
In the Action list, click Play.
5.
Click Set Default to turn off Auto Run.
Note:
If the Play command is bold, the CD will play when it
is inserted, if Play is not bold, it will not.
You
can put a volume control icon (to adjust the speaker
volume) on the taskbar by following these steps:
1.
In Control Panel, double-click the Multimedia
icon.
2.
Click the Audio tab, and then click Show
Volume Control on the taskbar.
3.
Click the volume (speaker) icon on the taskbar to
open the volume control. Double-click the volume
(speaker) icon to open Volume Control
Internet Tips!
You can
have your computer download your favorite web sites
automatically.
This
makes them available for you to view latter, instead
of sitting in front of the screen waiting for it to
download, or if you are super busy like me. Using
Internet Explorer:
Visit
the web site and click Favorites on the menu
Next
click Add to favorites
Click
in the box Make available offline
Click
the Customize button
Follow
the on screen instructions to set up the schedule
times and frequency for downloading the web site. Of
course your computer will need to be connected to the
phone line so that the automatic dial-up connection
to the Internet can be established.
To
speed up
displaying of web pages with Microsoft Internet Explorer;
Click: View, Internet
Options,
In the "Temporary
Internet Files" section, click the
"Settings" button,
In the "Check for
newer versions of stored pages:" section, select
"Never"
The pictures are stored
on your hard drive and are do not have to be downloaded
when you access the page again
Creating you website yourself
By
far the easiest way is to use a program like Microsoft
Word or Power Point
to
create your web page but you would have to install
the web authoring tools when installing or change the
setup of the Microsoft office. Other programs such as
Microsoft Front Page express are specifically
designed for web page creation although these are
usually more complex.
If
you know a bit about computer programs and want more
control and maneuverability (or something more
challenging) the html language used to create web pages
really is not that complicated.
To
see what I am talking about, just click on the
background (i.e. where there is no picture or button)
of this or absolutely ANY web page whatsoever
with the right mouse button then chose "View
source". You will see the text file that
contains the codes that makes this web page what it
is. These can be use in creating your own web page.
By keeping your eye open, using your brain and a bit
of initiative and ingenuity you can modify (and even
create) codes to suit your needs.
If
you want to put pictures on your web site you will
need these to be in digital format (JPEG File
Interchange Format with extension .jpg or GIF with
extension .gif). This will most likely require access
to either a digital camera or a standard camera and a
scanner, along with a good graphics program. Videos
and animations like you see on this web site are a
little more complex to create, and these are usually
in windows movie clip (*.avi) format.
Finding
A Place to Anchor Your Web Page On The Internet
If you
think your presence on the net is not worth \$250 per year:
There
are many web sites which offer free hosting of web
pages. Sites such as www.geocities.com for
example. However, these sites usually do not give you
a domain name and so you end up with an address like www.geocities.com/hollywood/cinema/5380. Also
these sites place a small advertisement banner at the
top of your pages and have rules as to the content
permissible on your site,
Domain
name hosting (e.g. www.yoursite.com) is a
completely different kettle of fish, horse of a
different color, alien of a different galaxy ... you
get the picture. The domain names you're accustomed
to (.com, .net and .gov) cost money (see bellow).
However, there are also international domain names
(eg .bb .us - anything other than .com, .net and
.gov) which are registered in different countries
around the world. Some of these may be free. You can
use one of these options to register your own web
site such as www.yourname.com, www.yourname.us etc.
There is hope however! Sites
such as www.freeservers.com
give you a domain name (eg www.iamfred.8m.com)
for FREE! But these domain names always contain
an "8m" or a "freeservers "
depending on the site you register with so you
never get the exact domain name you desire. They
also put a small banner advertising there web
site automatically at the top of every page on
your site these also have rules as to the content
permissible on your site.
If
you can squeeze the change into your corporate budget:
International
domain names (.com, .net and .gov) domain names are
registered by one firm InteNic which
charges a yearly fee of \$US 35 to register each name,
the first two years being payable up front. If you
want to register such a name there are sites that
search for and register unused names, such as Freeservers.com, Reserveme.com, and Networksolutions.com. After
your site is registered you will need a web server
(computer) permanently connected to the internet
(every hour that the computer is not connected to the
internet your web site will be inaccessible.) You
have two options:
- Have your site
hosted. There are web sites that will
host your registered domain names for
free or for a reasonable fee. Using this
method - registering domain name, having
it hosted and creating the web page
itself - ƒred can have you on the internet
for as little as \$250 PER YEAR.
- Have your own
server. This requires a computer with
modem and other necessary peripherals,
(disk drives etc) and a permanent
internet connection. By my estimates the
computer is the achievable part, some may
be available for as low as \$ECC 1500. The
permanent Internet connection, however,
will probably be about \$3600 PER MONTH
(using Cable and Wireless' Caribsurf
internet rates) which pushes this outside
the feasibility range of most persons.
However certain businesses may achieve
enough advantages from being on the net
(e.g. vehicle dealers who can now sell
internationally) to justify this
expenditure.
General
Computer Tips
- In Microsoft
Word, Excel etc. you can give yourself more screen room
by removing the icons you do not use and adding the ones
you do use to the menu bar.
Right
click on a blank spot on the menu bar (example after the
Help menu) then click 'Customize'
Now click
and drag as many of the buttons you use most often that
can hold unto to the menu bar after the 'Help' menu
Use the
customize dialogue box that is now on the screen, in the
'Toolbars' box, remove the check mark from the toolbars
you no longer need, then click the 'Close' button
Note
you must close the program and if asked save the changes
to the office templates (e.g. Normal.dot) in order for
the changes to show up next time.
Computer
viruses & the internet
Computer
viruses are programs written by unscrupulous
programmers to deliberately damage or delete files on
your computer which in turn may cause your computer (or
parts of it) to malfunction. These programs are
ingeniously designed to spread (like AIDS) along with and
infected file that is copied and may remain hidden until
it is ready to do further damage.
Computer
viruses are common to the Internet where they are easily
spread via email attachments and downloaded programs.
Since
anyone with the expertise can create a completely new
virus at any time, the best protection against virus
infection is to use an antivirus program that can be
updated regularly. Examples being McAfee and Norton
Antivirus.
Higher
Level Tips
WARNING: Professionals ONLY!
For
example, you have some old MS-DOS games that just will not
run in an MS-DOS window, and require a DOS mode sound card
driver that is not necessary when running windows or you want
to configure your computer to give you the option to start
with conservative memory configuration...
Set up
your config.sys as follows (scroll through):
The
line [COMMON] tells the operating system that the
commands in that section are common to both choices. (Not the
square brackets [ ] are NOT optional)
Commands
in the [DOSGAMES] and [NODOSGAMES] sections
will be activated only if that option is selected.
The [MENU]
command causes a menu to appear during booting giving the
user a choice between the options outlined below, and this
section gives some other menu details:
The
first option 'MENUITEM=DOSGAMES, I want to
play my MS-DOS games.' instructs that commands
in the [DOSGAMES] section will be activated if the
option: 'I want to play MS-DOS games' is
selected from the menu.
The
second option 'MENUITEM=NODOSGAMES, I do
not intend to play my MS-DOS games.' instructs
that commands in the [NODOSGAMES] section will be
activated if the option: 'I do not intend to play my
MS-DOS games' is selected from the menu.
The
optional command line 'MENUDEFAULT=NODOSGAMES,5'
caused the operating system to automatically select option [NODOSGAMES]
(i.e. the 2nd option) after 5 seconds.
Set up
your autoexec.bat as follows (scroll through):
The
command line 'GOTO COMMON' causes the system to jump
to the line with the same option (DOSGAMES or NODOSGAMES)
that was selected in the config.sys execution and
continue processing commands from there on. These must be the
same as those used in the config.sys file. (Note the
'GOTO END' command is necessary to skip the 'NODOSGAMES'
section, as the system would have continued on to execute
lines 9-13)
If
your computer has trouble running those old MS-DOS
programs such as games etc. it could be due to a lack
of conventional memory.
Your
computer may have device drivers or other TSR
(terminate and stay resident) programs that are not
needed. You can check available conventional memory
by typing the command: Mem /c |more. This will
display your computer's memory summary. Identify any
unnecessary programs loaded (such as DOS Mode sound
card drivers - generally not needed with Windows 95
& higher)
You
can reconfigure your computer's memory by editing the
config.sys and autoexec.bat files on the root
directory of your default hard drive. The lines that
execute the unnecessary TSR can be stopped from being
run by typing the word REM at the beginning of
the line.
You know that screen when you start
your computer that says "Microsoft® Windows®
95".  Well you
can replace it with a picture of anything you want. For
brilliant example check out my boot screen changer.
Besides
the "cd." (current directory) and
"cd.." (change to parent directory) which you
are accustomed to there are now also
"cd..."(change to two parent directories up
{new in Windows 95} and "cd...." (go up three
directories {new in Windows 95}.
For
example, if you are in the C:\WindowsSystemViewers
directory, and you enter cd... at the command prompt,
the directory changes to C:.
 Go back to main page!
 Ask fred
|
