WorldStart Tips
Selected Tips from WorldStart are reproduced with permission.
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Questions and Answers (Last revised 4/2/08. Latest additions immediately below.)

Internet Access at a hotel/motel (51)
E-mail Recall (50)
Vista Disk Cleanup (49)
Hidden Features in Google (48)
Timely Defrags (47)
Print Screen Button and Screen Shots (46)
How to clean that keyboard (45)
Vista's Microsoft Management Console (MMC) (44)
Send it later (43)
How can I test my microphone to make sure it's working properly? (42)
Last Known Good Configuration (41)
Vista Startup Sounds (40)
Reformatting Your Hard Drive (39)
Vista Photo Gallery (38)
See Your Programs in One Continuous List (37)
Create Your Own Stationery in Outlook Express (36)
All You Ever Wanted to Know About MP4 (35)
Seeing Blue in MS-Word (34)
Vista Program Compatibility (33)
Changing Vista's Desktop setup (32)
Vista System Restore (31)
Full Path  (A Video Tip) (30)
"Cannot Delete File" error message (29)
Vista Icons (28)
Personalizing Windows Vista (27)
Proper Removal of Your Flash Drive (26)
Document That Problem (25)
Daylight Savings Time and your computer (24)
Rearranging MS Office toolbar buttons or menus (23)
Viruses, Worms and Scams (22)
Enter Info Into Multiple Cells Simultaneously (21)
Bring up all open programs and select the one desired (20)
How to take a screenshot (19)
Locating and saving files in Outlook Express (18)
Using the Menu Key (17)
Increasing the font size in MS Office documents (16)
Rearrange the order of programs under the Start menu (15)
All About Megapixels (14)
Eliminating the Big Red "X" (13)
Does your system operation seem sluggish? (12)
Forward Politely- Always Use BCC! (11)
What has your PC been doing automatically? (10)
Alphabetize (sort) those programs (9)
Dealing with the option to report errors to Microsoft (8)
Let's go over some basic definitions (7)
Finding Your MS Product Codes (6)
Computer Sluggish at Startup? (5)
Windows Clipboard (4)
Email Etiquette (3)
Full Screen Fun (2)
Backup Your Data (1)

51. Internet Access at a hotel/motel
Q. My family and I are going on vacation in a few weeks and we'll be staying in a hotel the whole time. I'd like to take my laptop with me, but I'm not sure if I'll have access to the Internet at the hotel or not. How can I find out? Or, what do I need to do to be able to connect while I'm in my room? Please explain it to me!

A. That's an excellent question! With summertime just around the corner, I'm sure a lot of you will be going on vacation and in this day and age, it's just common procedure to take your computer with you. I mean, you never know when you could need it while you're gone. Maybe you need to stay caught up on your e-mail or perhaps you'll need it to look up driving directions or the location of a restaurant. Either way, to accomplish any of that, you will need an Internet connection. And if you're staying in a hotel, you just might be in luck!

These days, most hotel chains offer Internet access as an "extra" right along with the indoor pool and HBO channels you're used to getting. It's really not hard at all to find a hotel that has some sort of Internet hookup available. So, how do you find out if a hotel has the Internet or not? Well, the easiest thing to do is look on their Web site. If a hotel provides Internet access, it will most likely be highlighted under their Features and Amenities list. For example, I recently stayed at a Best Western and they had all the information I needed to know right on their Web site. Or, you can simply call the hotel for information as well.

Most hotels have either high-speed or wireless Internet. If they offer high-speed Internet (the most common), you should be able to get what you need right at the front desk when you arrive. They will give you the correct cords you need to connect to the Internet in your room. If the hotel has wireless Internet, there should be a WiFi access point right in your room. Of course, your computer will need to be set up for a wireless connection, but most newer computers come that way anyway. Either way, once you have everything set up, you can start surfing the Web with ease!

Again, before you leave for your trip, you'll definitely want to get as much information about the hotel's connections as possible. You'll need to know what type of Internet they offer, where the access points are, if you have to do anything special to get online, how easy (or hard) it is to connect and so on. I'm just saying you should prepare yourself as much as you can so that nothing surprises you once you get to the hotel. Like I said before, you can get all of that information from the hotel's Web site or by calling them on the phone.

Another thing you need to check on is if the hotel charges you to use their Internet access or not. Unfortunately, some hotels do and it can add up quickly. If they do charge you, you'll need to find out if it's an hourly or daily rate, if you pay in advance or when you check out, etc. If you're aware of the costs, you can limit your Internet use during your stay or maybe even choose another hotel that offers it for free. Finding out all of that information before you leave for your trip will really help cut down on your costs.

You should also keep in mind that a lot of hotels have computers in their lobby for their guests to use. If you think you can get by with using one of those, you won't even need to drag your laptop along or worry about paying even more just to use the Internet. That's definitely something you'll want to check on before you leave as well. Every hotel is different, but if you do your homework, you'll be able to find one that meets your Internet needs perfectly. If it's absolutely necessary to have the Internet while you're on vacation, I recommend following these pointers and doing it right. Now, go on and have a good time!

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50. E-mail Recall
We've all done it before. We prepare an e-mail message and we're 100 percent sure it's ready to be sent off, but as soon as we click the Send button, we realize we made a big mistake! Either you addressed it to the wrong person, you forgot some important information or you forgot to make some minor corrections. Whatever the case may be, you're probably wondering if there's any way you can recall that e-mail and try again, right?

Well, to be honest, there really isn't. Unfortunately, in most e-mail programs, once the e-mail is sent, there's no way to retrieve it again. There's no way to do it in Outlook Express or any of the more popular Web based e-mail clients, such as Yahoo!, Hotmail, Gmail or AOL. The only program that allows it is Microsoft Outlook. If you're one of the lucky ones who uses Outlook, you can read here for instructions on how to do that.

As for the rest of us, what can we do? First off, forget about getting the e-mail back, because it's just not going to happen. Once it's sent, it's gone. There are a few things you can do to prevent it from ever happening again though. One of the best things to do is address the e-mail last. Go ahead and type out your e-mail first and put the recipient's e-mail address on the To: line last. Your e-mail program won't send the e-mail without an address, so once you see that, it will make you think harder about who you're sending it to. Also, that may lead you to look over the e-mail one more time to make sure it's error free. So, even though you can't get certain e-mails back, you can keep yourself from making the same mistake twice. Thank goodness!

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49. Vista Disk Cleanup
Q: I've been using Windows Vista since it first came out and I think I'm close to using up all my disk space. Can you please tell me how I can clear up some of that space? I haven't quite figured out how to do it in Vista yet. Thanks so much for your help!

A: Oh, I'm so glad you asked! We've preached and preached on this topic for Windows XP, so there's no reason why we shouldn't do the same for Windows Vista. The disk cleanup process is a little bit different with the Vista operating system, so it's really no surprise that you're having a hard time finding it. I'm sure you're not the only one either. So, if you need to free up some of your disk space on your Vista computer, keep reading, because that's exactly what I'm going to teach you how to do today!

We all know that hard drive capacities are growing more and more everyday, but that doesn't mean we're still limited on the storage space we have. Most people think that if they have a large hard drive capacity, they won't have to worry about running out of room. Well, that's just not the case! It really comes down to the more space you have, the less time you'll spend cleaning it out, which can lead to major build up. Your data will just continue to pile up and once you do finally run out of room, it will take you forever to get the job done.

Yes, you can try doing frequent clean ups, like deleting unused files and uninstalling unnecessary programs, but what if all of that isn't enough? After so much time, doing those things just won't cut it. And that's when the Vista Disk Cleanup comes into play. Just like in XP, the Disk Cleanup will help you free up your disk space so that you won't reach the point of having no storage room left at all. This process is very easy to do with Vista, because it allows you to search for the files that are safe to erase and it lets you make the final decision on what goes and what stays. Here's how to use it!

First, right click on the Computer icon on your desktop and choose Properties. Next, click on the General tab and then hit the Disk Cleanup button. A window will then come up asking you what you'd like to remove, etc. Just choose what you'd like to delete and press OK. Like I said before, you have the final say on what is deleted and what's not. You gotta love that!

There is also a More Options button you can use if you want to clean up some files from other users on your computer. For example, if you want to clear out some of the files your children put on your PC, you can do that here. Note: Keep in mind that you may be asked for your Administrator password before you can begin this though. Once you're all set, you can choose between two other options.

The first is the Programs and Features choice. This one allows you to uninstall programs you no longer need on your computer. With this, you can also see the size of each program, which is nice, because you can really see what's weighing your storage space down. The second option is System Restore and Shadow Copies. This one allows you to remove all your restore points (except for the most recent ones) and any backup images you may have on your hard drive. Getting rid of that old data will really free up a lot of your space.

That's all you have to do to enjoy more storage space again. So, if you haven't done a Disk Cleanup in awhile, I recommend doing it very soon. It won't hurt, I promise!

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48. Hidden Features in Google
Q: I saw something online the other day about some hidden features in Google. Do you know anything about this? If so, what's it referring to? I would love to know!

A: Well, I'm not sure where you got your information, but I do have some Google secrets of my own that I can show you. My source for this is actually from one of WorldStart's message board posts by user "dolphina," so here's a big thank you to them! The post included a link to a Google video you could watch that showed exactly how to do all of the "hidden features" on your own. I watched the video through a couple times and then tried a few of them on my own. And let me tell you, they are awesome! If you're an avid Google searcher, you're going to love what these features bring to the table. So, without further ado, let's see what we've got!

1.) Display the Current Local Time Anywhere - If you're interested in what time it is in different cities around the world, this is the perfect search tool for you. With this feature, you can find the local time for any major city anywhere around the world. To do this, go to Google's Web site (www.google.com) and in the search box, type "time in city name." For example, if you wanted to get the time for Madrid, Spain, you would type in "Time in Madrid." I just did it and right now, as I write this, it is 3:48 p.m. Now, what's even better is that it will give you the time for any other cities around the world by that name as well. For my search, I found out there is a Madrid, Iowa and it is 9:48 a.m. there right now. How cool is that?!

2.) Currency Converter - The next "hidden feature" allows you to use the built in currency converter to look up the current exchange rates for any city in the world. For example, let's say you wanted to find the exchange rate for a U.S. dollar to a British pound. To do that, just type in something like "5.99 usd in gbp." By doing that, you'll learn that $5.99 in U.S. dollars is 2.89022919 British pounds. (Note: You'll want to leave the dollar sign ($) out or you won't get the results you're looking for). Now, if you don't know the abbreviations for all the currencies, you can type something like "Currency of France in American Money" instead. That search will show you that 1 Euro equals 1.4448 U.S. dollars. Awesome!

3.) Find Documents of the Specified Type - With Google, you can search for up to 12 different file formats right from your Web browser. Wow! Those formats include MS Office, PDFs, Lotus files and so on. If you want to search for a specific one, just type "filetype:[extension]" into the search box. For example, if you wanted to find an MS Word document on a certain dog breed, you would just type in the dog breed, followed by "filetype:doc." You can do that for any subject and for any file type. Oh yeah!

4.) Site Specific Search - This feature works perfectly when you want to search through a Web site that doesn't have a search engine included. To do this, you just need to type in a subject, followed by the Web site's URL. For example, you could type in "puggle:puppyfind.com." You can do that for whatever topic you're interested in and for any site you like to visit on a regular basis!

5.) Four Day Weather Forecast - With this Google secret, you can search for the weather forecast for any city around the world. Let's say you're planning a trip to London, England. In that case, go to Google and type in "weather London." I just did that and I can tell you that it is 63° F and mostly cloudy there right now. Your search results will also give you the next four day's worth of weather. On Sunday, it's supposed to be 55 and mostly cloudy. You can do this for any city, anywhere!

6.) Google Calculator - Did you know that Google has a built in calculator? Well, now you do and you can start using it right away! With it, you can actually solve basic to advanced math problems. How great is that?! If you have a math problem that you just cannot solve (maybe you're helping your children or grandchildren with their homework), go to Google and type it in. Just for an example, here's an easy one: "2 + 3." Type that in and your answer will be revealed as "2 + 3 = 5." You can enter in any math equation, no matter how easy or how hard it is!

That's all I have for you today, but I'm sure there are several other Google secrets to be found. You just have to play around with the search engine to see what you can come up with. Hopefully the above six features will get you started though! If you want to see the full Google video about their "hidden features," you can do so right here. Watching it will give you some more ideas of what you can search for as well. Now, go on and have fun with these. What will Google think of next?!

47. Timely Defrags
First of all, if you're not sure what defragmentation means, please read here before you continue on with this tip. Then once you have the basics down, please read on! Alright, so it seems like I've had a lot of people ask me lately how often they should defrag their computer. That's a legit question and since so many of you want to know, I'm not going to waste any more time before I tell you. This is some very important information, so please keep reading if you care about your computer even in the least bit. Here we go!

Basically, how often you should defrag your computer depends on what you use your PC for. If you only use it for a few simple tasks, you probably won't need to run the defrag as often. On the other hand, if you use your computer for some major duties, you'll need to run it more. For example, maybe you only use your computer to send and receive e-mails, play a few games here and there, create a few Word documents or to just simply surf the Web. If that's the case, you can probably get by with defragging once a month or so. But, if you use your computer to play games all day long, download all kinds of music, videos and movies or if you create high-end graphics, you should defrag at least once a week.

Again, it all just depends on what you do with your PC. If you run it really hard most of the time, there will be a lot more data stored in your system that will need to be defragged. That way, everything will be neatly organized and ready for your next endeavor. All in all, the more you defrag, the longer your hard drive will function in top speed for you. Otherwise, it could run ragged and really start to bog you down too. One last thing: Just in case you're not sure how to get to the defrag window, go to Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Defragmenter. Now you have no excuses left for not running your defrag. Get it done!

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46. Print Screen Button and Screen Shots
Q: How do I take a screen shot like the ones in your newsletter?

A: I get email everyday asking that very question. So, here ya go!

You just tap the PrtScn (print screen) button. The real function of this key is to make a "snapshot" of your screen. If you have some imaging software (or a good word processor), you can then paste it into there and crop, etc. In fact, this is how we do our snappy screen shots.

Here's how:

To capture the whole screen, just hit the Print Screen (it might say Prt Sc ) button on your keyboard.

Then, open your imaging software (and a blank page, if you need to - it will depend on your software) and select your "Paste" command (usually Ctrl+V ).

This should paste an image of your computer screen into the document you're working on. You can also paste the image into a word processing program like MS Word or WordPerfect if you don't have imaging software. (With Word 2000 and newer, you might need to have the program open before your hit Prt Sc for the screenshot to go to the clipboard).

If you would like to capture only the current window, hold down the ALT button while you press the Print Screen button.

Soon you'll be a screenshot master.

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45. How to clean that keyboard
Q: My keyboard needs cleaned so bad! Can you give me a guide on how to get the job done right?

A: Excellent question! Have you been noticing a lot of dust and dirt (or maybe even some food pieces) stuck between the keys on your keyboard? Has it been bothering you? Would you like to clean it all out? If so, just follow these four steps for basic keyboard cleaning and you'll have your keyboard looking shiny and new again in no time!

First of all, you'll want to turn off your computer and unplug your keyboard.

1.) Turn your keyboard over and try to shake out any dust, dirt, food, etc. particles that you can.

2.) It is suggested to get a can of compressed air and spray it over the keys to remove any extra debris that may be lying in between the cracks. Compressed air should be available at any computer or photo store. Also, you can read here for some tips on buying the right kind of canned air.

3.) Take a slightly damp cloth and run it over the keys to remove any fingerprints and any other dirt that might be settling in on your keys.

4.) Take your vacuum's dusting brush attachment and set it on a low mode. Just run it over the keyboard to make sure all remaining particles of dust, dirt, food, etc. are removed.

Now, if you need to do a more serious cleaning because you have sticky keys or your keyboard is just so filthy, you can't stand it, take caution and follow the rest of these steps (continued from the steps mentioned above).

First, make sure you keep track of where the keys are placed on your keyboard so that you're able to put them back on in the right order. You may want to draw yourself a picture of some sort to keep track of them as well.

Now, using a small screwdriver, carefully remove all of the smaller keys. You're not going to want to take off the larger keys, like the Space bar, Shift, Enter or Tab, because those are extremely difficult to get back on.

Next, go back to using your compressed air to clean out all of the leftover dirt that is refusing to budge. If you have any stains underneath the keys, use the damp cloth like before to get rid of those as well. Once you've got it cleaned like you want it, put the keys back in their places. Each of them should snap right back on, but be careful while doing this. Also, test each key as you go, just to make sure they're working. When you're all finished, plug your keyboard back in and try out all of the keys to make sure everything is back to normal and working the way you want it to.

Note: Please remember that the second set of steps should only be used if your keyboard is extremely dirty or clogged. You need to take special precaution when using those methods.

Welcome to clean keyboard land!

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44. Vista's Microsoft Management Console (MMC)
Q. I just recently started using Windows Vista and I've noticed that there are some programs running that don't really need to be, but I can't figure out how to turn them off. I know you've discussed this topic for Windows XP before, but how do we do it in Vista? Please help!

A. What an excellent question! And it couldn't have come at a better time. Just the other day, one of my co-workers here at WorldStart, who happens to use a Windows Vista computer, asked me that same exact question. I must admit that I'm not using Vista yet, so I didn't know what to tell her at first. But, I promised to do some research and let her know. Then I go to my e-mail and I see this question in my Inbox. How perfect! So, I figured I'd go ahead and write a tip on this to help all of you out, as well as, my co-worker, all at the same time. I just love it when it works out like that. Here we go!

To begin, all computers have what are called services and those are basically special programs that take care of all the different functions your computer has to deal with in order to run properly. Some of those services are put in place to support some of the other programs on your computer, but in reality, a lot of them are unnecessary. Some of them sort of just sit there and take up space, which is quite annoying when you think about it. I'm sure Microsoft had good reasoning for putting those services in place, but when it comes down to it, you don't really need all of them running all the time. I mean, most of them run the entire time you have your computer turned on and that's just not necessary!

So, if you think there are some services running on your computer that you don't really need (like the person who asked this question), luckily, there is an easy way to turn them off. Windows Vista has a utility called the Microsoft Management Console (MMC), which is what you can use to turn off all those unwanted services. Keep going to learn all about it and find out how you can start using it today!

To open the MMC, click on the Start button and in the search box below it, type in "services.msc." When your results show up, scroll through and click on the one that simply says Services. A new window (it's called the Service Console) will then open for you and you will be able to see all of the services you have running at the present time. There's a lot of them, huh?!

As you can see, the Service Console gives you a lot of information about each service. It also allows you to sort through the services by the titles of Description, Status and Startup Type. If you want to learn more about a specific service, just click on it and a detailed description will then pop up on the left hand side that you can read through. (Note: In order to see the description, you need to be in the Extended mode, so keep that in mind!)

I highly suggest that you read through each of the services before you start closing them down. Like I said before, some of these services support other programs on your computer that you may use on a regular basis, so you'll definitely want to do your homework on each one before you disable them. You may even want to do a little further research on the ones you're not 100 percent positive about, just to be sure you're disabling the right services, etc. Then once you've decided which ones you don't need, just simply right click on the service name and hit Stop.

That's all there is to it. It's a pretty easy process to go through thanks to the MMC, so just take your time and be sure you're turning off what you really want to. If you do that, you'll be good to go from now on!

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43. Send It Later
Have you ever had the need to just send it later? What am I talking about? Well, e-mails of course! Sometimes situations occur where you need to type an e-mail out right away, but it doesn't actually need to be sent out until a later time. This happens to me all the time. I want to make sure I write the e-mail as soon as possible to ensure that I get all my thoughts written down, but the recipient doesn't really need to see the e-mail until a day or so later.

So, what can you do? Well, the simple answer is you can just send the e-mail at a later date and lucky for all of us, Outlook Express makes this possible. Go ahead and compose your e-mail just like you normally would and when you're done, go to File and choose the Send Later option. Now, this will place the e-mail in your Outbox and it will be sent the next time you hit the Send/Receive button. So, if you don't want it sent until the next day, it's important that you don't click that Send/Receive button again until sometime the next day.

42. How can I test my microphone to make sure it's working properly?
Q. How can I test my microphone to make sure it's working properly?

A. That's a great question and I'm so glad you asked! So, if you want to test either a recently purchased external microphone or if you want to test one you already have (external or internal), this is the tip for you! It's a good idea to test your microphone hardware every once in awhile just so you can be sure that everything is working properly. Also, if you use your mic quite often, this is even more important for you.

Alright, let's get started! For Windows XP, make sure your external microphone is plugged in and ready to go (if you have an internal one, you should be set to go). When you're ready, click on Start, All Programs, Accessories, Entertainment, Volume Control. The Master Volume box will come up and you will want to go to the Options menu at the top and choose Properties.

Now, choose the radio button that says Recording and click OK. Another window will appear and you'll just want to make sure the Microphone channel is selected. Go ahead and move the mic volume slider to around the middle section, just so it's placed in that general area. Now, just leave that box open.

Next, we're going to need to go into the Control Panel, so click on Start, Control Panel and click on the Sounds, Speech and Audio Devices link. Choose Sounds and Audio Devices and click on the Voice tab. Now, under the Voice recording area, click on the Test Hardware button and the testing will begin.

The Sound Hardware Test Wizard will then come up. Just click on the Next button and wait for the wizard to complete the tests of the sound hardware. This could take a couple minutes or so. When that is done, the Microphone Test window will come up on your screen. Now, go ahead and speak into your mic or you can just tap it lightly if you wish. The Recording Volume slider should move up and down in response to the sound you are making through your microphone. When you're all done testing your mic, just click on Finish and the wizard will close.

Just in case this happens to you, while you're using the wizard, an alert box may pop up telling you that the "Run a DLL as an App" program is blocked and it will ask you if you want to unblock it. You can if you want, but it is not necessary to unblock it for the mic test to function correctly.

Also, just in case you were wondering, you can follow similar instructions for older versions of Windows as well. The only difference may be that you'll go to Start, Programs, Accessories, Entertainment and choose Sound Recorder instead of Volume Control. From there on out, the above directions are very similar and you will be fine if you just follow them. Happy mic testing!

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41. Last Known Good Configuration
Q. Can you please explain what the Last Known Good Configuration is? I'm not quite understanding it. Thank you so much!

A. That is an excellent question and I'm so glad you asked! Shawn (our tech support guy) was telling me about this the other day and we both thought it would be a very good idea to run a tip on it. Then I got this question in my e-mail and I thought, "Perfect!" So, here it goes.

Let me first give you a basic definition of this feature. I think that will really help you begin to understand its concept. The Last Known Good Configuration is basically a copy of a computer's hardware configuration and its driver settings. It is taken from the system's registry readings when a computer has a good, clean boot up. This copy is made for whenever a computer fails to boot up successfully. When that happens, the system's operating system is able to pull up the good copy and perform a successful startup.

The Last Known Good Configuration feature is available for any Windows operating system from NT on. Also, if your computer does happen to have some problems during its boot up, Windows will detect that and it will actually add the copy of your last successful boot to your startup menu. That way, you can go and access it from that point and start your boot up correctly again.

This feature is mostly helpful after new drivers or devices are installed on your system. If either of those had an error while the install was in process, you can still go back and get a clean boot. One more thing: every time your computer boots up correctly, the Last Known Good Configuration record is replaced with the newest one. That way, you have the most recent successful boot for your computer to start with.

Okay, so now that all of that is out of the way, are you wondering how you can actually use this on your own computer? I thought you might. For this, I'm going to use an example. Let's say you just installed a new driver on your system. It seems like the installation was done right, but for some reason, your computer will not start up like it usually does. Well, this is exactly where the Last Known Good Configuration feature comes in handy.

To start your computer using the Last Known Good Configuration that your computer has on record, simply start up your computer like normal and when you see the "Please select the operating system to start" message come up, hit the F8 key on your keyboard. Next, the Windows Advanced Options menu will appear and you can use your keyboard's arrow keys to scroll down to the "Last Known Good Configuration (your most recent settings that worked)" option. Once you've got it highlighted, press the Enter key on your keyboard.

Your computer will then boot up successfully and you'll be able to look into what caused the problem in the first place. Now, keep in mind that the Last Known Good Configuration feature does not automatically fix the problems you were having. It will only get your computer started so you can troubleshoot the rest of the problem on your own. Either way, it's an easy way to combat your computer startup troubles. You can't complain about that, now can you?!

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40. Vista Startup Sounds
So, tell me, are you a new Windows Vista user? Or maybe you've been using it for awhile now. Either way, do you like the way the Vista operating system sounds when you boot up your computer. You know, it plays that little song for you. All the Windows operating systems do it, but that doesn't necessarily mean we have to like it, right? Well, if you're one that doesn't care for the whole intro song type of thing, there is a way you can shut it off. Want to know how? Then read on!

Now, before I go any further, I want you all to know that you're very lucky when it comes to this kind of thing, because originally, there was no way to turn this sound off in earlier versions of Windows. But, now with Vista, there is, so we might as well take advantage of it, don't you think?! Alright, to turn off the startup sounds that Vista makes, click on your Start button and in the search box below it, type in the word "sound" to create a search query for it.

When your results come up, find the one that simply says "Sound" and click on it. Next, choose the Sounds tab. From there, look to the bottom of the box and uncheck the option that says "Play Windows Startup Sound." When you're finished, click Apply and then OK. That's all there is to it! Once you do this, you won't have to hear all those "sometimes annoying" sounds that play while your operating system is starting up. How great is that? Give it a try today!

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39. Reformatting Your Hard Drive
Q: I've been told that I need to reformat my hard drive, but I'm not sure where to start. What are the basic steps for reformatting a computer?

A: What a great question! This is one that I've been getting a lot of lately too. Basically, anyone who uses a computer on a regular basis will come across this at one point or another, so it's good to know the basic details about getting the job done. When we use our computers, we expect everything to run smoothly and properly, but sometimes that's just not the case, now is it? Unfortunately, the time comes when we need to start over fresh with our PCs and that's where reformatting comes into play.

When you reformat, you usually start with your hard drive. That is where most of your information lies, so if you wipe the slate clean with that, your computer will be like brand new. Some people even do this on a regular basis, which isn't a bad idea, but it's not necessary either. Also, some newer computers come with a boot disk or installation CD that is intended to help with the reformat process. They are specially made to help bring your computer back to the shape it was in when you first bought it. Reformatting is the best choice if you're having trouble with programs crashing without any explanation or if you've just run out of troubleshooting ideas.

There are five steps in the reformatting process and I will go over the very basics of them for you right now. So, if your computer is in need of a fresh start, listen up!

1.) The first thing you need to do is back up your files. Not only should you back up your data files, but any program files, application files, software pieces, your favorites, e-mails, etc. Back up anything you want saved and will use at a later time. If you don't think you'll need certain files, get rid of them before you start. There's no use backing up items you won't need. Just go through and do a quick clean up and then back up what you have left. You can read here for some additional help with this.

2.) The next thing you should do is create a boot disk (if your computer didn't come with one, as I mentioned above). Either make a bootable floppy disk or a CD; whichever will work best for your computer. When you're done, test it to make sure it's going to work for you. You'll want to be sure of this before you move on to the next step. If you're not sure what a bootable disk is, read here for some help.

3.) Now, the process gets a little more involved. The third step is to partition and reformat your hard drive. Partitioning is separating your hard drive into different areas, so you can store your information in a more reasonable matter. Reformatting the hard drive basically clears off any existing data (hence, the back up). This process wipes everything from each partition you created and it then prepares it to receive new information. Read this tip for some more help with this.

4.) Okay, the hardest part is over and once you get past this step, you're home free! The next thing you need to do is just reinstall everything. The first thing to reinstall is your operating system. You should have an installation CD that came with your computer that you can use to do this. You can then put all of your files, programs, etc. back on your PC. Once you have all of that done, you can start finding your favorite Web sites again and get back to normal.

5.) Now, this is the easiest step, I promise! All you have to do from here on out is enjoy your new hard drive! With everything restored and freshly put in place, you can use your computer with the freedom you had when you brought it home for the first time. You should now be able to use all of your programs with ease and with no hold ups. Now, doesn't that sound wonderful?!

I know I only went over the basic instructions on what to do and you still may not know how to go about doing everything, but there are several helpful tutorials available on the Internet that can give you additional help if you need it. Just do a search with your favorite search engine and you'll be all set. Reformatting is a tedious procedure, but when you're done, you'll be glad you took the time to do it!

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38. Vista Photo Gallery
Q. What can you tell me about the Photo Gallery feature that comes with Windows Vista? I haven't gotten Vista yet, but this is one of the features I'm interested in learning more about before making the switch. Any information you have would be greatly appreciated!

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34. Seeing Blue in MS-Word
Are you one of the many people who find it easier to read light printing on a dark background?

Would you like to see the "light" in MS Word?

Word has the option of setting your screen to display a blue background with white lettering!

Now, I don't mean actually changing the text to white and the background to blue. No, this setting in Word makes the color change for easy reading on the monitor, without messing with the printing of the document. This means the good news is that while you get to see things a little easier, you don't have to spend a lot of time setting everything back to black and white in order to print it.

To make the change, simply go to the Tools menu, Options choice.

Then in the General tab, check the box for Blue background, White text.

That's it. Now you should see blue, which is certainly better than feeling blue, don't you think?!

P.S. - If you don't like the change or it isn't helping, simply go back in and uncheck the box!

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33. Vista Program Compatibility
I'm going to take a guess and bet that most of you who have upgraded to Windows Vista are having a little trouble getting your older programs to work. Am I right? You know, programs that worked fine for you with Windows XP (or even older versions of Windows) just don't work so well anymore. So, is there anything you can do to get the programs you love back up and running with your new Vista PC?

Well, as a matter of fact, there is. Microsoft is good at making sure all of that is covered. They have integrated what is called a Program Compatibility Wizard into Vista. So, if you have an older program that is not working with the new operating system, you can run it through this wizard to simulate earlier versions of Windows to try and get it to work again. To get to the wizard, just go to Start, Control Panel and click on Programs. Next, click on the option that says "Use an older program with this version of Windows" and the wizard will open.

You can then just go through the steps and see if the program will actually work with Vista. Now, most of the programs that worked with XP also work with Vista, but you may have some trouble with a lot of the older programs. Also, you shouldn't use the wizard with any older antivirus programs, disk utilities or other system programs. Doing that could cause some security holes or even data loss. So, if you feel like you're in a rut with getting your programs to work with your new Vista computer, give this wizard a try. You never know what it could do for you!

A: Here's WorldStart to the rescue again! I've heard so many varying views about the new operating system of Windows Vista that it's not even funny anymore. Some people hate it, some people love it and others just ride along in the middle. Yes, Vista comes with a lot of brand new features and although it would be in Microsoft's best interest if everyone fell head over heels in love with them, but that's just not very realistic.

So, if you want to change your Vista computer around a little, have at it! Now, as the person who asked today's question stated, one of the new features in Vista is the 3D desktop. And while it's cool to look at sometimes, it can also be a little overwhelming. The 3D desktop has to do with Vista's appearance and performance and all the other Windows versions allowed you to make some changes within those realms, so why would Vista be any different? Come along with me as we make your Vista desktop all that you want it to be!

First, right click on the Computer icon on your desktop and choose Properties. From there, click on the Advanced System Settings link that is located off to the left side of the dialogue box. Once you click that, you will be asked if you're sure you want to continue on (since they're advanced settings and all). Just click Continue and go on. Next, choose the Advanced tab and then hit the Settings button. From there, you want to be under the Visual Effects tab.

Once you're there, you will see three options at the top of the window. They are: "Let Windows choose," "Adjust for best appearance," "Adjust for best performance" and "Custom." Below those options, you will see a list of settings. The list is pretty long, so it may take you awhile to scroll through them all. As you look through them, you may want to start picking and choosing the ones you want to keep on your computer. Think about each one and picture in your mind what it would do to your PC. Here are some of the settings you have to choose from:

Animate controls and elements inside windows

Animate windows when minimizing and maximizing

Enable desktop composition

Fade or slide menus into view

Fade out menu items after clicking

Show shadows under menus

Show shadows under mouse pointer

Slide taskbar buttons

Smooth scroll list boxes

Okay, I think you get the picture. There's so much to choose from. Alright, now, let's go over a couple of the options I mentioned above again. If you click on the first one (Let Windows choose), the Windows operating system will choose what it thinks are the best choices for your computer. Now, this may be a good choice, but it still may leave you wanting more (or less) from your desktop experience.

On the other hand, if you click on the Custom choice, you can make your own decisions. You can just check or uncheck certain settings and everything will come out just the way you want it. I think this is the best option for anyone who likes to do things on their own. That's why I told you to really pay attention to the options in the list as you're reading through them. If you picture in your mind what a certain setting will do to your computer, you'll have a better reason for choosing what you choose.

When you're all done customizing your 3D desktop, just click the OK button and they will all be saved. You can then go and test your new settings out. See how everything changed? Do you like it? Not so sure? Either way, you now know how easy it is to change these settings and you can go back time and time again until you have everything set perfectly for your Vista experience. Have fun!

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31. Vista System Restore
Are you one of the many computer users who went from using Windows XP to Windows Vista? It seems to be "the thing to do" these days, but let's be honest here. Are you having trouble finding some of the things you absolutely loved using in XP? How about the system restore feature, for example? I know that's one of my favorites, but it's so difficult to find in Vista. Well, today I'm going to give you the lowdown on how you can easily find it and start using it once again!

To get to the system restore window, right click on the Computer icon on your desktop and choose Properties. From there, click on the System Protection link on the left hand side. Another box will come up asking you if you want to continue on or cancel. Click Continue and then make sure you're under the System Protection tab. At the top of the window, there's a link you can click on to learn about how much disk space you need to do a system restore, etc. You can do that if you'd like or you can just move on.

To do an actual system restore, just click on the System Restore button and go through the process. Or, if you'd like to create your own restore point, click on the Create button. Type in a few key words for the point you'd like to go back to and then hit Create again. Go through the steps and you'll be all set. In the middle of the window, you're able to see all of the restores you've done in the past. So, if this is your first time, you'll see all of them the next time you go in to do a system restore. When you're all done, click OK and you'll be good to go. So, from now on, you don't have to worry about not being able to find the system restore option in Windows Vista. Just refer back to this tip for the scoop!

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30. Full Path (A Video Tip)
We all do it. Yes, we all work with the components that make up our My Computer folder quite often, don't we? I mean, it holds all the drives we need to look at and just about everything else that we use on a regular basis. So, tell me, do you ever get lost when you're using it? I mean, there's so many parts to it. Sometimes it's hard to tell whether you're coming or going. So, wouldn't it be nice to be able to see the full path for whatever you're working in first hand? I thought you might like that idea. To find out how to do that, just click on the link! http://imgsrv.worldstart.com/videotips/index.htm

Or, if you would just like to read today's tip, you can do that as well, here:
http://www.worldstart.com/tips/tips.php/1233

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29. "Cannot Delete File" error message
Q. Sometimes when I try to delete a file from my computer, it comes up with a "Cannot Delete File" error. Why does this happen and is there any way I can get around it? Please help!

A: Worry no more! I can help, I can help! And believe me, I feel your pain. I often get that same error message and let me tell you, it ranks pretty high on my chart as one of the most frustrating things that could possibly happen with my computer. And guessing by the tone of the question, I'm thinking several of you have had this problem as well.

Well, you've come to the right place, because I'm going to show you how you can actually get rid of the files your computer deems undeleteable. Now, before I go on, I want to make sure everyone's on the same page. The "Cannot Delete File" error often shows up when you're trying to delete certain files off of your computer. It could be a document or a picture, a music file or even a saved e-mail. Whatever it is, for some reason, this error occurs more often than we'd all like.

This error can pop up under several different circumstances as well. Sometimes the message may tell you that it cannot delete the file because there's not enough free disk space. Other times, it will tell you that another person or program is using the file and you have to close any applications that may be accessing it. Well, a lot of times, none of the scenarios make any sense. So, more often than not, you're left sitting there thinking, "What am I supposed to do now"? Here are some instructions on how to get past that pesky little error message. If you follow them exactly, the file you want to delete really will be deleted by the time you're finished. Here we go!

1.) First, you need to find the location of the file you're trying to delete, as well as, the file's name. For example, maybe you're trying to delete a file called "mywork.txt" and it's located in your My Documents folder. (The location for that would then be C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name\My Documents. You must find the exact and full location of the file for this to work). Write both of these down on a piece of paper and keep it close to you.

2.) Next, go to Start, Turn Off Computer and choose Restart.

3.) When your computer starts to boot back up, continuously hit the F8 key on your keyboard until the Advanced Boot Options Menu comes up.

4.) From that menu, select the Safe Mode with Command Prompt choice and then log in normally to your local administrator account.

5.) In the command prompt box, you're going to use the letters "cd" (it stands for change directory) with the location of your file that you wrote down earlier. You'll also need to put quotation marks around the location. So, with my example from up above, you would type in cd "C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name\My Documents." You don't put quotes around the cd part, just the location.

6.) The next command you need to type in is the delete command, which is "del." You'll need to do this with the file name that you want to delete. With my example above, you would type in del mywork.txt. You don't use quotation marks for this part.

Once you have all that done, the file should be gone. You can go back to your initial location to make sure, but it should be deleted for good. If all goes well, you won't ever have to worry about that darn file again. This is just an easy way to be rid of all those files that your computer tells you it cannot delete. You can't beat that feeling of happiness, can you?!

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28. Vista Icons
Okay, I have one more Windows Vista tip for you this week! I couldn't resist putting this one in the newsletter, because I have a feeling it's something you new Vista users have been struggling with for awhile now. So, what am I going to talk about today? Well, as you might have guessed from the title, it's going to be all about the Vista icons.

Ever since you upgraded to Vista, you've probably noticed that the icons on your desktop are a little bigger than the earlier versions of Windows ever had. You've probably noticed that the text that comes along with those icons is larger as well. Or, who knows, maybe neither of them are big enough to meet your preferences. So, how can you change them? Allow me to fill you in on a little Vista secret!

First, right click on your desktop and go to View. Once the pull over menu appears, you'll see the first three choices of Large, Medium and Classic Icons. Your icons right now are probably set on Medium, so if you want to make them smaller or larger, choose either Larger or Classic. Just click on your choice and the icons will automatically change for you. Now, I will tell you that the Larger choice makes the icons very big and they will take up most of your desktop space, but if that's how you like it, go for it. The Classic choice will make your icons the size they were in XP. So, the choice is yours, but at least you now know how to modify them when you're looking for a change!

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27. Personalizing Windows Vista
Can you give me some basic directions on how to personalize my Windows Vista? I'm talking about the desktop wallpaper, screensavers, etc. Vista's layout seems to be a lot different and I can't quite figure out how to do it. Please help!

Excellent question! This is one of the things I've been wanting to check out myself ever since we got a Vista machine here in the office. This is also the perfect question for today, because I wanted to lighten things up in this issue of the newsletter. The last few days' Q&A questions have been rather lengthy and I wanted to slip something a little less serious into today's.

So, if you are now using Windows Vista and you're having trouble figuring out how to personalize it with your own wallpaper, etc., here are some simple instructions for you on how to do it. It's not as hard as it may seem either. So, let's get started!

To get to the options window, right click on your desktop and choose Personalize. You will then have several different settings to choose from. For this tip, I'm only going to go over Window Color and Appearance, Desktop Background and Screensaver. The others (Sounds, Mouse Pointers, Theme and Display Settings) are pretty much the same as they were in Windows XP.

Window Color and Appearance: For this one, you can choose a solid color for your window color. This is the color you'll see when you open any new window. There are several color options to choose from, including blue, teal, red, pink and a frost (white) color. If you're not happy with any of those, you can click on the Color Mixer to make your own combination. Once you're done, click OK and your new color will take over. If you don't like it, just go back and choose another one until you find the right one for you.

Desktop Background: This is for your computer's desktop wallpaper. When you get to this screen, you have several options to choose from. There is Windows Wallpaper, Pictures, Sample Pictures, Public Pictures and Solid Colors. The Windows Wallpaper has several different customized pictures. You know, they're the ones that already come with your computer. There are some really neat ones, so just browse through them and see if there's any you like. For Pictures and Public Pictures, you can insert your own photo in to be used for your background. Just hit the Browse button, find the picture you want to use and select it. These new wallpaper choices will come up automatically, as soon as you click on them once.

There are also some Sample Pictures to choose from or if you just want a solid color, choose Solid Colors. There are several very nice colors to choose from, if that's what you prefer. Once you choose the background you want, you can pick to have it stretched, tiled or centered on your desktop. Just click the appropriate button at the bottom of the window and click OK when you're all done. I personally like the orangish/yellowish daisies picture from Windows. It lights up my screen!

Screensaver: This works pretty much like the older versions of Windows, but there are some different choices in Vista. Use the drop down menu to see all of the selections and just click the one you want to use. I really like the bubbles. They just float across your screen and they're so vivid looking! There are other choices, like using your own photos and even a marine aquarium as well. You can also choose how much wait time you want before your screensaver kicks on. Mine's set at 10 minutes, but you can wait as long or as little as you'd like. You can also click the Preview button to see what your new screensaver will look like. If you don't like, choose a new one before you click that OK button.

One more thing: To navigate back and forth between these different screens, just use the back arrow button located in the upper left hand corner of the Personalize window. That way, you don't have to keep right clicking on your desktop each time you want to change something.

Once you get your new Vista computer looking the way you want it, you'll be so much happier. I know it's a slow process to get things back to a normal way for yourself, but as I'm sure you can already see, it's worth taking the time to get things perfect for your new computer. Happy personalizing!

There are actually a couple different ways you can do this. I suggest that you read through them and choose the one that you feel the most comfortable with. The first one has a few less steps than the second, so we'll start there. When you're ready to take your flash drive out, double click on the My Computer icon on your desktop and find the drive that your flash drive is listed under. (It will usually be listed under a "Removable Disk" letter). Right click on that drive and choose Eject. You can then remove the flash drive with no risks of ruining anything.

The second way is to use your Safely Remove Hardware icon, located in your bottom system tray. Double click on that icon (it's a little green arrow with a little gray disk underneath it). Highlight the choice that says "USB Mass Storage Device" and click on the Stop button. Next, find the entry for your flash drive and click on it so it's highlighted. Click OK. You will then see a little pop up window in the bottom of your screen telling you that it's now safe to remove the hardware. Once you see that, you can remove the flash drive and go on your way. As you can see, both ways are very easy to do, but you need to make sure you do at least one of them, in order to keep your flash drive safe!

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25. Document That Problem
Have you ever run into a problem with your computer that happened to bring up an error message? I'm sure you have. You're really lucky if you've never had to deal with that. Well, when that happens, wouldn't it be nice if you could just capture that error message and send it to someone else so they could help you figure out what's wrong? It sure would save me quite a few times! Well, lucky for us all, there's a way. Here's how!

Find the Print Screen and Alt buttons on your keyboard and you'll be all set. The PrtScr button is located on the right hand side of your keyboard right next to the Scroll Lock key. (It's also right beside the F12 key on most keyboards). If you hit the Alt and PrtScr keys at the same time, your computer will take a "snapshot" of the active window (which would be the error message). Now, if you want to get a shot of the whole screen, push the Shift key along with the PrtScr key and you'll have it.

Once you have that image captured, you can go and paste it in another program and then send it to your "computer expert" for advice. You can put it in MS Word, Notepad, Wordpad or even in an e-mail. It's up to you. Once you have the program you want to put it in open, just hit Ctrl + V to paste the screenshot (or go to Edit, Paste). Along with the image, you can type out a description of what you were doing when the problem occurred. That will especially help if you're sending it to someone else to look at. With both the screenshot and the description, they should be able to lead you in the right direction to get things fixed. Having all of that information documented helps if you have to call on some professional tech support as well. You gotta love that!

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24. Daylight Savings Time and your computer
Q: I've been hearing a lot lately about how the Daylight Savings Time is going to change this year. With all the rumors running around, I'm beginning to worry about how my computer will react to the change. Can you provide any insight on that?

A: I sure can! The new Daylight Savings Time change is right around the corner and I've been getting several e-mails about it in the last couple of weeks. Even Chad, our tech support guru, told me that I should do an article on this subject. It's good that you all have asked about it, because it's very important to know what types of things will be affected when the time change does come.

First of all, just in case you haven't heard, the new Daylight Savings Time (in the U.S.) will start on March 11, 2007 and extend through November 4, 2007. Between the two, there is a four week difference in the times and that's quite a big change for all of us to endure. But, don't worry, it should all come through as painless as can be.

Okay, back to the question at hand. Will the time change affect your computer? Well, there are a couple of things that could happen when all of this hits. First, it's possible that your computer's time zones will be off target during the extended four week period. It's also possible that some of your software programs, etc. will run into some problems. Now, it's not guaranteed that you will have any problems once March 11th comes around, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

So, to ensure that you won't have any trouble, Microsoft is suggesting that everyone updates their Windows operating system. It's important that you update any calendar programs you have on your computer as well. To help with all of this, Microsoft has put together a Daylight Savings Time Update Guide, which makes it very easy to get all the updates you need for your computer. All you have to do is answer a few questions and then run a quick download of the Update Guide. It will run exactly for the type of system you have, which will allow you to combat any problems in the future.

Before you begin with the Update Guide, make sure you have the JavaScript on your computer enabled. To do this in Internet Explorer, go to Tools, Internet Options and click on the Security tab. Next, click on the Custom Level button and scroll down to the Scripting section. For JavaScript, click Enable under "Active Scripting." Click OK twice. In Firefox, go to Tools, Options and click on the Web Features icon. Check the box that says "Enable JavaScript." Click OK when you're done.

Alright, once you have all that done, navigate your way to the Guide by clicking here. Answer the first question (whether you're a home user, etc.) and click Next. The next question asks you for your operating system type. Select the one that fits yours and click Next. (Note: If you're not sure on all the components of this, right click on the My Computer icon on your desktop and choose Properties. From there, you will be able to see what version of Windows you have and if you have any extra features or not).

The next part is the actual download. Just click on the Download button to begin. Click Run and then Run again. Then just let the install go and click Next when it's finished. You can then choose which program you want to run the update on and click Next again. Click Next once more to begin the update process. Let the update run and just follow any more directions it gives you. When it's all complete, your computer will be fully updated and ready for the new Daylight Savings Time. If you want to update more than one program, just run the download again.

Now, if you have upgraded to Windows Vista, chances are, you won't be affected by the time change. You can still run through the Update Guide if you want to confirm it, but it may just not be necessary for you. Also, if you have the Automatic Updates feature turned on for your computer, you may not need to worry about running the Update Guide either. You can always do it just to make sure, but it will probably just come in your regular updates like normal.

Either way, this is a great tool to use to ensure that you and your computer will be safe when the new Daylight Savings Time comes along. You can't complain about that!

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23. Rearranging MS Office toolbar buttons or menus
Have you ever found yourself wishing your toolbar buttons or menus were in a different order?

Maybe their current order just doesn't work efficiently for you, or maybe you're used to some other program and would like to make a smooth transition to your new habitat.

Whatever the case may be, if you're looking for a way to quickly rearrange the "furniture" (that is, the menus and buttons), then I've got the tip for you.

First hold down the Alt key.

Now, using the mouse, click-hold-and-drag the menu name or button to its new location.

You should notice that the pointer becomes a vertical bar showing you exactly where the button or menu will be located.

When it's positioned as you wish, simply release the mouse button.

Voila! You can't make rearranging any easier than that!

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22. Viruses, Worms and Scams
Q. Many times I have found myself questioning an e-mail. Should I open it or not, etc. Can you please give me some more information on e-mail security?

A: Sure thing, that's no problem at all! Everyday thousands of viruses, worms and scams travel through the Internet. They also travel through electronic mail, or of course, as we know it, e-mail. Every e-mail user should know the basics of protecting themselves from a virus or a scam on the Internet. Knowing the basics will decrease your chances of receiving one of these nasty intrusions.

The first rule of e-mail security is to make sure you only open e-mail from recipients that you know very well. If you get an e-mail from a business, corporation or organization, keep in mind that you should only receive an e-mail from a place like that if you had contacted them first. If you did not contact them, then by all means, don’t open the e-mail!

I recently received an e-mail from Microsoft with a subject line of “Use this Patch Immediately!” Microsoft will not contact you about patches or anything else, unless you contact them first. This “patch,” which was attached to the e-mail, could have very well been a virus or a worm.

One of the new techniques of spam senders is pretending to be someone else sending the message. The message I received from Microsoft was not from Microsoft at all, but instead, it was from someone who changed the recipient e-mail to security@microsoft.com, which is not legit.

Also, take note that if you receive an e-mail from a bank requesting your information over the Internet, do not give it to them. There was a Bank of America e-mail scam going around the Internet recently. It was one where a link took you to a site that “looked” like Bank of America's official Web site requesting your information, but it was really someone pretending to be the bank. It is always safer to visit your bank and ask them about the e-mail.

The most common scam to receive today is the Nigerian e-mail scam. This involves an e-mail telling you that someone found a large amount of money that “belongs” to you. However, they have to get this money into the United States for you, so they request that you send them money to assist them in their work. Never send money to anyone you don’t know, especially if you receive an e-mail from a suspicious person.

So, there you have it, a little more information on e-mail security and ways to stay protected.

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21. Enter Info Into Multiple Cells Simultaneously
Ever have the same info to enter into multiple cells in MS Excel?

What did you do? Did you type the data into one cell then copy and paste it everywhere else in the worksheet?

A bit of a pain wasn't it?

How about a way to get the data into all those cells simultaneously? A method that doesn't require all the copy / paste stuff?

It sounded like a good idea to me too, so here's what I found.

To enter the same data into multiple cells, (even non-adjacent cells) simply select the cells while holding down the Ctrl key.

With all the cells still selected, it's time to type your data. But wait! Be sure that you do NOT hit the Enter key. Move out of the cells with the arrow keys or use the mouse to click elsewhere.

The trick to getting the data into all the cells is in the big finish.

When the data is typed, all you have to do to enter it into all the selected cells simultaneously is to hit Ctrl + Enter.

Voila!

That's all it took to avoid a whole lot of copy / paste time. A little Ctrl with your Enter key and you've mastered the art of putting data into many cells instead of just one.

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20. Bring up all open programs and select the one desired
Say you have about four different programs running on your PC at the same time. You have your e-mail up and running, a Web browser window open, a Word document ready for review and your music player playing your favorite song. With all of that going on, have you ever wondered if there was a quick way to view all of those programs and then pull up the one you want right then and there?

Well, you're in luck. All you have to do is press Alt + Tab and it will bring up all of the programs you have open. Just continue to press the Tab key to scroll your way across the programs, highlight the one you want and then release the ALT key to bring up the one you chose. Want to change programs again? Just repeat the process. It's so simple and it also helps you to keep track of everything you have running.

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19. How to take a screenshot
You just tap the PrtScr (print screen) button. The real function of this key is to make a "snapshot" of your screen. If you have some imaging software (or a good word processor), you can then paste your shot into that and crop, etc. In fact, this is how we do our snappy screen shots.

Here's how: To capture the whole screen, just hit the Print Screen (it might say Prt Sc ) button on your keyboard. It's located right above the Insert, Home and Page Up keys.

Then, open your imaging software (and a blank page, if you need to, it will depend on your software) and select your "Paste" command (usually Ctrl+V ).

This should paste an image of your computer screen into the document you're working on. You can also paste the image into a word processing program like MS Word or WordPerfect if you don't have imaging software. (With Word 2000 and newer, you might need to have the program open before you hit Prt Scr for the screenshot to go to the clipboard).

If you would like to capture only the current window, hold down the ALT button while you press the Print Screen button.

Soon you'll be a screenshot master.

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18. Locating and saving files in Outlook Express
The biggest trick (problem) is figuring out where your particular e-mail program keeps all your messages. Outlook Express uses small databases to store your information. Once you figure out where those databases are, you can copy them, back them up or do whatever else to it that your little heart desires.

If you are running a newer version of Outlook Express, it's fairly easy to figure out where your e-mail databases are. Just hit the Tools menu, Options. On the screen that pops up, click the Maintenance tab, then click the Store Folder button. Outlook Express will show you where it's keeping your e-mail databases.

Note that you can also change this location should you want it to be easier to find. I keep mine in a folder named "outlook express" in the "My Documents" folder. That way, all I have to do it back up my "My Documents" folder and I automatically have my e-mail backed up.

If you don't have that option, don't worry. Outlook Express usually keeps your e-mail database(s) in the following location:

C:\Windows\Application data\Microsoft\Outlook Express

If you have your computer set up for multiple users, your Outlook Express mail is probably in:

C:\Windows\Application data\Identities\ID NUMBER\Microsoft\Outlook Express

Note that the "ID NUMBER" folder above will probably be a folder that uses an alphanumeric code for its name.

If for some reason you don't see the Outlook Express folder in the above location, right-click your Start button, select Find (or Search) and enter *.dbx in the Named field (make sure you select your C: drive from the "look in" drop down box). This will bring up these "dbx" files, which live in the folder you're looking for. Note that on some older versions of Outlook Express, these may have been "mbx" files, so if you can't find *.dbx files, try *.mbx .

Once you've located these files, keep in mind that all of this information may not fit onto a floppy. You may need either a zip disk or a CD-R for storage. My e-mail files are 246 MB in size!

As for getting the e-mail restored, just copy and paste it back into whatever directory it's stored in on the new (or newly formatted) computer. If for some reason your information doesn't seem to transfer, despite being in the folder, delete your Local Folders folder (on the new machine / install) and restart Outlook Express. That should do it.

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17. Using the Menu Key
I made a new friend today. It was there all along and I never noticed it on the right side of my keyboard between the Window Key and the Control Key. I don't even know its name, so I call it the Menu Key. Why? Because when you press it, it opens up a drop down menu for whatever program you're in. The menu includes all the information you would see if you right clicked, so I guess you could also call it the Right-Click Key.

So, next time you're typing away and need an edit menu or some other feature that you normally right-click to get, just head down to the Menu Key. Pretty soon it'll be your friend too.

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16. Increasing the font size in MS Office documents
Something unusual happened to me the other day. While researching for an MS Office tip, I did a search through the Office Assistant and had quite a surprise when the information window opened.

What I got was this: The titles are legible, but for the rest, it's quite a struggle.

The window was normal size, it was only the informational text that was way too small.

Thinking that this could easily happen to someone else, it seemed that this was a situation we should discuss, so we all will know the solution.

After I recovered from my initial bewilderment, I dug through my mental archives for a way to increase text size and came up with a very quick fix.

First, click into the informational size of the help window.

Now, while holding down the Ctrl key, spin the scroll wheel on your mouse. If nothing happens, then scroll in the other direction.

You should find that the text size increases to normal and you can get the information you need without a magnifying glass.

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15. Rearrange the order of programs under the Start menu
Q: I would like to rearrange the order of my programs under the Start menu. How can I do this?

A: I get e-mails all the time from readers who want to change the order of the programs in their Programs menu (Start button, Programs). You'll be glad to know it's as easy as drag and drop.

Here's how:

1. Click the Start button, Programs.

2. Once you're in the programs menu, click and hold the icon next to the item you would like to move.

3. While holding the mouse button down, move the item up or down the menu. You'll see a black line showing where you can drop the item as you move it.

If this doesn't work, you probably don't have active desktop installed (in other words, you gotta have IE 4.0 or better).

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14. All About Megapixels
We've been getting a lot of questions about megapixels (MP) lately. Stuff like, "How many do I need"? and "Will my photos be sharper with more"? and "Will more megapixels improve the quality of my images"?

Well, here's the scoop!

First, how they are determined...

So, you've found a camera that has 5.0 megapixels and you're wondering exactly how they arrived at that number. Did they just grab it out of the digital ether, or is there some math you're missin' out on?

Well, the term "megapixel" simply means 1 million pixels. So, that means a 5 MP camera can capture five million pixels at its highest quality setting. The more of these pixels you capture, the larger you can print your image. Stop and re-read that last sentence! It's the main reason for wanting more megapixels.

Alright then, how many MP are you going to need to print the size photos you want to print? Well, it depends on how large you want to print and at what resolution. Now, stick with me here.

For the most part, photo-quality ink jet printers do well with 200 DPI, although 300 DPI is usually considered "photo quality." I can almost never tell the difference. I've seen "OK" results at lower resolutions than mentioned above, but 200 DPI or better always makes a nice print for me. So, we'll use that number as the minimum and plug it into the following equation:

In order to print a 4x6 at 200 DPI, you need to take the length and multiply it by the resolution, then do the same with