October 1 2007
If you use Internet Explorer version 7 (the one with tabs), you may find that some of the webpages are a little hard to read because the text is too small.  Using the new Zoom feature will quickly make the text easier to ready.

With Internet Explorer 7 open:
1. Hold Down your Control Key on your keyboard
2. Scroll away from you using your scroll wheel on your mouse

If you don't have a scroll wheel on your Mouse
1. Look at the lower right hand side of the IE window and find '100%'
2. Click the drop-down to the right of '100%'
3. Select the desired Zoom level

How do you know if you have Internet Explorer 7?
1. Press the Alt key - this reveals the Menu Bar
2. Help > About Internet Explorer

If you don't have Internet Explorer 7 (ver 6 or older) you can adjust the Text Size (not the same as using the Zoom, but close)
1. View > Text Size >
2. Select the desired size

June 25 2007

For those of you who remember DOS, you probably became accustomed to using keyboard shortcuts - Just press the ALT key, then the underlined letter on the Menu bar, then your the underlined letter in the drop-down menu and your done!

Well, those keyboard short-cuts still exist but Windows XP or Vista may be hiding the underline telling you which are the shortcut keys you need to to know. 

You can reveal these keyboard shortcuts by pressing the ALT key on your keyboard when you are working in any software program (The underlines appear both in the Menu Toolbar and in the drop-down menus).  If you want to have them displayed permanently, here's what you need to do:

In Windows XP:
1. Start > Control Panel
2. Double click on the 'Display' icon
-The Display Properties window opens
3. Click the 'Appearance' tab
4. Click the 'Effects' window
5. Uncheck 'Hide underlined letters for keyboard navitation until I press the Alt key
6. Click 'OK'
7. Click 'Apply'
8. Click 'OK'

In Windows Vista:
1. Start > Control Panel
2. Double Click the 'Ease of Access Center' icon
3. Double Click 'Make the keyboard easier to use'
4. Check 'Underline keyboard shorcuts and access keys'
5. Click 'Apply'
6. Click 'Save'

That's it!

April 3 2006
Q: I am faster using my keyboard than using a mouse and I frequently create spreadsheets in Excel.  Can you share some keyboard short-cuts that may help me maneuver through the spreadsheets?

A: Here are a few:

CTRL + (any) Arrow key

-Moves you to the next non-blank cell

CTRL + Home

-Moves you to cell A1

CTRL + End

-Moves you to the last cell in your spreadsheet (lower, right hand side)

CTRL + Page Down or Page Up

-Moves to the next (previous) Worksheet

CTRL + BACKSPACE

-Displays the cell your cursor is currently located (handy if you are currently viewing another part of your spreadsheet and need to revert back)

-CTRL + SPACEBAR

-Selects the entire column

-SHIFT + SPACEBAR

-Selects the entire row

Sept 19 2005
Q: I just installed a new digital camera.  As part of the installation, the software that reads my camera’s pictures has also started opening all my existing photos and digital images.  How can I get the original programs to open my existing pictures?
A:  What happened is that your newly installed digital camera software decided to take over and make itself THE default software for ALL your digital photos and images.  You can change back to the previous software by:
 
1. Open the folder that has the Photos (or even File) you want to open
2. Right click on the File you want to open
Options 1:
3. Select ‘Open With’
-Windows shows you a short list of suggested programs to open the File
4a. Select one from the displayed list it is just a one-time situation
Option 1:
4b. Select ‘Choose Program…’
-Windows displays all the programs on your computer
5. Select the appropriate program
*Be sure to select ‘Always use the selected program to open the selected file’
6. Click ‘OK’
That’s it!

Aug 29 2005
Q: Is there a way to move to the last cell in a spreadsheet?  I work with several spreadsheets that are quite lengthy and I usually overshoot the end when trying to scroll using the mouse.
A: Yes.  Here's how:

Move to the bottom of a spreadsheet by:
Press CTRL + END at the same time
-This actually places you at the last cell in your spreadsheet - at the bottom most right cell

Move to the top of a spreadsheet by:
Press CTRL + HOME at the same time
This moves you to the most upper left cell in your spreadsheet - usually to cell A1

August 1 2005
Q: When working on spreadsheets I sometimes want to get a quick total of several cells without inserting a formula, Is there a way to do this?
A: Yes.  Here's how:

1. Click on the first cell

2. Hold down the CTRL key on your keyboard

3. Click on the next cell

The total is displayed in the lower center of the Excel Status Window as ‘Sum=X’.  You can also use the SHIFT key to select adjacent cells.  Just click on another cell to cancel the summary.

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.

February 28 2005
Q: I use ALT + TAB combination for manuvering between my open windows, but I have to stop and use my mouse when I get into programs that have windows inside them like QuickBooks and ACT!.  Is there a way a similar key combination that will allow me to manuver within the open windows in these programs?
A: Yes. In QuickBooks and ACT! 6.0 all you need to do is press CTRL + Tab. 

These program have windows within their main window.  For example, ACT! will have Contacts, Calendar, and To-dos while QuickBooks, you will have Account List, Vendors, Invoices etc.

I noticed that this tip won't work with the latest versions of ACT! (2005-2006), but it will likely work with other programs. You will just have to do a little experimenting to find out all the ones which do.

January 31 2005
Q: What are the keyboard short-cuts for Copy, Cut, and Paste?
A:
Copy = Press and hold CTRL + C at the same time
Cut = Press and hold the CTRL + X at the same time
Paste = Press and hold the CTRL + V at the same time

If you are Mouse oriented and you Right Click to pull-up the Copy, Cut, or Paste from the Pointer menu, keep in mind that they may not always be available.  In these situations you will almost always be able to use the above Key combinations!

April 11 2005
Q: When I am looking for a website using a search engine, I sometimes have to scan lengthy web pages to look for specific text.  How can I do this faster?
A: After you have opened the website (Either in Internet Explorer or Firefox):
1. Press the CTRL + F keys
-This brings up the ‘Find’ window
2. Type in the text you are looking for into the ‘Find what:’ field
3. Press the ‘Find Next’ button
You are taken to the first location where your text appears occurs on that web page!

You can also use CTRL + F to search through lengthy documents or spreadsheets.

Maybe you have been in this situation:  You are trying to describe what you see on your computer to a co-worker or even someone from technical support.  What you describe is not clicking for the other person.  Harder yet, you spend several minutes trying to figure out what to use as the same terminology to describe what you see.  Well, if you are ever in again just use the Print Screen feature.

The Print Screen feature is on all computers and just like it says, it will take a snap-shot of your computer screen as you currently see it.

Here’s how you use it:
-While your computer is on
1. Press and hold down the FN key or if your computer does not have this key, press the ALT or CTRL key and Press the PRNT SCRN key
2. Open Microsoft Word (or another word processing program)
3. Edit > Paste
-The image of your screen is inserted in the document
You can then save the document and then email it to the person you want to share it with.
That’s it!

Hint:
-On my Dell Laptop the FN key is in blue lettering at right of the Space Bar and my PRNT SCRN is at the left of the Space Bar, also in blue lettering
-On my Desktop with a Logitech keyboard it is the F Mode button & Print Screen buttons at the upper right hand side of the computer
-On other keyboards the FN it is in white lettering at the left hand side of the space bar and the PRNT SCRN button is somewhere at the upper right hand side.