March 28 2005
Q: I have numerous work files (spreadsheets, documents, presentations, etc.) scattered on my hard drive.  How can I scan my entire computer and identify all my work files so I can delete the ones I no longer use?
A: You can use the Search feature in Windows to find your files, then delete the ones you no longer need. Here's how:
-In Windows XP
1. Start (button) > Search
-This opens Windows Search feature
-Under the section that says ‘What do you want to search for?
2. Click ‘Documents (word processing, spreadsheet, etc.)’
-Under ‘Search by any or all of the criteria below’
3. Click ‘Don’t remember’
4. Click the ‘Search’ button
-All your documents, spreadsheets, presentations, etc are displayed
-The results may take a few moments depending on your computer’s processor, and/or the amount of RAM memory your computer has.

Step 2-Organize the way the Files are displayed
-In the window that is displaying your Files
1. View > Details
2. Arrange Icons by > Modified
-This arranges the Files according to when they were last modified.
-This arrangement organizes all your Files according to when they were last changed.
 
Step 3-Keep or delete?
-Don’t know what a File contains? - Just double click on it to see what is inside.
-Ready to delete a File? - Just right click on the File name icon then select ‘Delete’ from the Pointer Menu.

March 14 2005
Q: Sometimes I get an extra plank page when I print a Word document.  Why is that and how can stop it?
A: Well, when you are typing a letter, memo, document, report, etc, in Word, Word is recording each keystroke.  What I mean is that every time you press the keyboard, Word is entering a character on the page.

Most of the characters are visible-like the letters that consist of the text you type.  Some of the characters are invisible-like when you press the SPACEBAR or when you press the ENTER key.  The invisible character left behind after pressing the ENTER key is the crux of this problem.

The reason a blank page prints when you print that Document in Word is because at the end of that Document there is a collection of invisible ENTER characters-enough to push your Document into printing an extra page.

To eliminate these characters (and the unneeded blank page) all you need to do is:
1. Press and hold the CTRL key and press the END key
-This will take place your cursor at the absolute end of your Document
2. Press the BACKSPACE key until you reach the last text of your Document
3. Save your Document
-You can then verify that you have eliminated the extra page by looking at the lower left hand side of the Window.  You will see a fraction like '1/2' which means your cursor is on page one of two.  If your Document was 4 pages and you successfully deleted the unneeded ENTER characters it should read '1/3'.

If you would like to see the non-printing characters like SPACEBAR, ENTER, etc., look in the Toolbar in the upper right hand side of the Window for a button that has a paragraph symbol and click on it.  Click on it again to turn it off.

March 21 2005
Q: Somehow I renamed a file when I was moving between my word processor and a network folder.  How can I rename the file without opening it and doing a File > Save As?
A: All you need to do to rename a file is:
1. Open the Folder that contains the file you want to rename
2. Right Click on the File
3. Select 'Rename' from the Pointer menu
4. Type in the new name you want to give to that file
5. Press the ENTER key when done
That’s it!

You can also Select/Highlight the file, press the F2 key, type in the new name, the press the ENTER key.

March 7 2005
Q: When I am typing an email, all of a sudden my cursor starts to overwrite what I previously typed.  What happened and how do I make it stop?
A: When you were typing, you must have pressed the Insert key.  This invoked an old computer feature-Overtype.  To remedy this all you need to do is press the INSERT key again and this feature will turn-off.

This applies to other programs like Word, Excel, etc.