More Tips

OFFICE 2007
Minimize the Office Ribbon
As you know, the familiar toolbars in previous versions of Office have now been replaced by the Ribbon.  The Ribbon is pretty big, so here's a tip if you would prefer to reclaim some of your screen space.

Right-click on the Ribbon (near the top or bottom, rather than in the center) and select Minimize the Ribbon.  The Ribbon seems to disappear leaving the Ribbon Headings.  To select a command, just click on the heading and the Ribbon will reappear.  Select a command, and the Ribbon will minimize again!

To turn this off, right-click in the headings and uncheck Minimize the Ribbon.

MICROSOFT OFFICE 2007
Where did that command go?
If you've recently changed to Microsoft Office 2007 and have now moved from toolbars to ribbon, your biggest challenge is probably finding all the commands you used to know in the 2003 version.  I know that's a big problem for me!

To make finding commands in 2007 easier, Microsoft has created a useful tool.  The Interactive Guides will show you the 2003 version of the program.  When you click on the menu option, it will then show you where the command is located in 2007.

You'll find the Interactive Guides available for most of the Office programs at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/training/HA102295841033.aspx?pid=CL100788241033.

WINDOWS
Finding recent documents
Did you recently work on a document and now you would like to quickly open it again?  One way to easily find and open any file is from the Recent Documents option.  In XP it's called My Recent Documents; in Vista, it's called Recent Items.

In both cases, you'll find it on the right-hand side of your Start Menu.  It will give you easy access to the last 15 documents that you have opened.

MICROSOFT WORD
Full screen views in Word 2003 and 2007
If you would like to review your document in a full screen uncluttered view, then in Word 2003, you can go to View | Full Screen.  You will be able to view and edit your document in a full screen view without the toolbars or menus displayed.  To access the menus, simply bring your cursor to the top of the screen.  To return to Normal view, you can press the Escape key or click the Close button on the Full Screen toolbar.

To access this feature in Word  2007, select Full Screen Reading on the View Ribbon.  Notice the additional buttons on the top of the screen for Tools and View Options.  They will give you additional features and options.

MICROSOFT OFFICE
How many spaces between sentences, one or two?
While this is not really a computer tip, I just learned of this and thought I would pass it on.

For many years, I have used two spaces between sentences and knew that this was grammatically correct. I have recently discovered that this rule has been changed. It is now correct to use only one space between sentences.

The original rule of two spaces referred to using a typewriter. Computers use "proportionally spaced fonts" and do not need to have extra spacing between sentences. Boy, will this be a hard habit to break!

For further details about this (for those of you who are interested in such matters) you can read an explanation at http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/typespacing/a/onetwospaces.htm.

MICROSOFT OFFICE: DATE AND TIME
Update Automatically or fixed date and time
In Word 2003, you insert date and time from the Tools menu.  In Word 2007, you use the Insert Ribbon.  In both cases, you have a check box for Update Automatically.

If you leave the box unchecked, the inserted date/time will be fixed and will not change.  If you check the box, each time you open the file, the entry will change to the current date/time.

Use this setting for documents or Excel spreadsheets that you frequently open and revise, such as a form letter or weekly schedule.

WINDOWS VISTA
Copy any portion of your screen to a file!
Microsoft has added a new tool to the Home Premium and Ultimate versions of Windows Vista.  By using the Snipping Tool, you can select the area that you wish to save and copy it to the Clipboard or to a JPG file.

To open the Snipping Tool, from the Start Menu, go to All Programs | Accessories (or just type "snip" in the Start Menu search box).

BTW, in any version of Windows you can copy a screen shot to the Clipboard by pressing the PrtSc (Print Screen) key.  A copy of the active window is copied to the clipboard by pressing Alt-PrtSc.

INTERNET EXPLORER 7
Enlarge web pages for easier viewing!
If you have difficulty reading a web page, you can easily enlarge it to read it more clearly.  Look in the lower-right corner of your browser for the "100%" button.  Each click on that button will enlarge the window by 25%.  You can return to 100% from the menu by clicking on the down arrow right next to it.

Any new windows you open will display at 100%.  If you would like to have additional windows open at the larger view, you can go to Tools | Internet Options.  On the Advanced tab under Accessibility, you can uncheck the option to Reset zoom level to 100% for new windows and tabs.

BTW, you can also enlarge or reduce a web page by holding the Ctrl key as you move the scroll wheel on your mouse.

INTERNET EXPLORER
Create Desktop shortcuts for Internet sites!
Want to place a shortcut icon for a web site right on your Desktop?  It's easy to do and a great way to remind you about returning to a site instead of saving it in your Favorites.

Just right-click on the web page, making sure that you are not on a picture or a link.  From the menu, select "Create Shortcut."  You will now have an icon on your Desktop that will take you back to that page anytime!

MICROSOFT WORD
View many pages!
Would you like to view multiple pages of a lengthy document in Word?  If you click on the Zoom window on the toolbar, you can choose between Whole Page or Two Pages.

To view more pages than that, you can either select a smaller percentage or you can go to View | Zoom (in 2003 or 2007) and select Many Pages.  From there, you can select the number of pages to view by clicking on the button.  You can also adjust the grid to vary between, for example, four pages across or two pages across by two pages down.

While you may not be able to read the text at that level, this is great for viewing your layout on documents such as newsletters.

GREAT NEW INTERNET SERVICE: JOTT
Here is a FREE Internet service that I felt was worth passing along.  Have you ever needed to send yourself or someone else a quick reminder?

If you use Jott (www.jott.com) you can call from your phone and leave a brief message which will then be converted to text and sent as an email or text message.  You can even specify a group so that everyone in the group can receive the message!

FEMA FLOOD ZONE DESIGNATIONS

If you would like to find out more information about the flood plain designations that appear on the FEMA flood zone maps, you can  click on the link below to access this information from the FEMA website:

http://msc.fema.gov/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/info?storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&content=floodZones&title=FEMA%20Flood%20Zone%20Designations

OFFICE ALTERNATIVES
Microsoft Office contains the well-known application programs such as Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook, and Access.  Prices for the Office suite of programs run from around $150 and up.  If you would like to explore some free alternatives to Office, here are a couple of great contenders:

Open Office
This popular suite of programs contains a word processor, spreadsheet, presentations, and more.  It's an "open source" project which means that developers from the general public can submit features and enhancements.

Google Docs
With Google Docs, you receive a word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation program.  While not as complete with features as Open Office, the best thing about Google Docs is that you do not install it on your computer; it runs from your browser!  It will also store your documents online making them available to you from any computer.

In addition to being free, both of these suites of programs are compatible with your current Microsoft Office documents.  In addition, they often contain additional features that their Office counterparts may be lacking.

MICROSOFT OUTLOOK
Check email from different computers!
If you check your email using Outlook on more than one computer, here is a setting you will want to have:

1. Go to Tools | Account Settings and select the account to modify.
2. Select Change or Modify setting.
3. From the Change Email Settings window, click the More Settings button
4. Go to the Advanced tab
5. Check the box for "Leave a copy of messages on the server."
6. Also check to remove after 10 days.
7. Click OK

Now when you check email from one location, it will remain on the server so it will also be there when you check from the other location.

WINDOWS/OUTLOOK
Create an email shortcut on your desktop!!
Do you have someone that you email to often?  Why not create an email shortcut icon on your Desktop?  This will only work if you use Outlook, Outlook Express, or Windows Mail (Vista) for your email.

To create an email shortcut follow these steps:

1. Right-click on your Desktop and select New | Shortcut
2. In the Location field, type mailto:name@email.com (name@email.com will represent the email address-- Do NOT add a space after mailto:)
3. Click Next
4. Add a name for your shortcut such as Email Nancy
5. Click Finish

Now, when you double-click the shortcut icon, you will have a new email already addressed!!

INTERNET EXPLORER
Want to quickly return to the top of a lengthy web page?  Just press the Home key on your keyboard, and you're there!

HOW TO SPELL REALTOR® -- Part III (The end!!!)
Putting it on automatic!!!
Having Word automatically change realtor to REALTOR® can be a big time saver.  To set this up in Word 2003, follow the steps below:

1. Type REALTOR® in your Word document using steps I have  discussed in previous tips.
2. Select the text after typing
3. Go to Tools-->AutoCorrect Options in Word and make sure you are on the AutoCorrect tab
4. Type realtor in the first box and make sure the Plain Text option is displayed over the second box where REALTOR® is displayed.  (If you also see an asterisk, remove it.)
5. Click OK.

The next time you type realtor in Word (or any Office program) it will automatically change to REALTOR® !!

BTW, you can access AutoCorrect Options in Word 2007 by clicking on the Office button, then Word Options, and then Proofing.

HOW TO SPELL REALTOR® -- Part II
Using Character Map to add symbols
Last week I showed you a few ways to create the ®  to add to REALTOR.  Another way to create this in ANY  program is to use the Character Map program that is included with Windows.  This program is a great way to add symbols  such as ® or ñ to your  work.

To launch Character Map, go to Start-->All Programs-->System Tools-->Character Map (in Vista, you can simply enter char in the Search box of the Start Menu).  Once you are in the program, simply select the ® symbol from the grid.  The next step is to click Select at the bottom and then Copy.  Finally, you can Paste the symbol into your application. 

NOTE: If you look at the lower right corner of the Character Map window, it will show you the Alt+ combination to add that symbol another time.  Look at last week's tip for information on using the Alt+ combination.

HOW TO SPELL REALTOR®
Here's a few tips on correctly typing letters and symbol
To be absolutely correct, REALTOR® is spelled this way, with all caps and the ® symbol.

To create the ® symbol in Word, simply type (r).  Word will change it to ®.

Another method for creating this symbol will require the numeric keys on the right-hand side of your keyboard (generally on desktop computers).   This will NOT work on the number keys across the top of your keyboard!!!
While holding down the Alt key, type 0174 on the numeric keys.  When you release the Alt key, you will have a ® at your insertion point!

INTERNET EXPLORER 7
Find information on a web page!
Need to find some specific information on a web page, such as a name or certain words?  Pressing Ctrl-F will bring up the Find dialog box.  Enter the text you are searching for and click Next (or press Enter) to go forward to that text.  Repeated instances of next will continue your search  forward through the web page.

You can also click the down arrow next to the Search window and select Find on this Page.

INTERNET EXPLORER 7
View your recent history!
Want to view a page that you (or someone else) has visited recently.  View your browser's History list!

To view your browser's history, click on the Favorites icon at the left (that's the star).  Then select History from the top of the window.  To view pages that you visited today, click on Today.  You can then click on the link for the pages that were viewed today.

WINDOWS VISTA
New Folder Organization
Windows Vista has changed the way your files and folders are organized.  Instead of My Documents and My Pictures, etc. you now have a Users folder with your name.  Within that User folder, you will have a Documents folder, a Pictures folder, a Downloads folder, a Favorites folder, etc. 

All the folders are placed under your user name instead of within other folders.  Once you get used to this, you should be able to find your files a bit faster than before.

MICROSOFT WORD 2007
Blogging with Word!!!
Did you know that you can add new posts to your blog with Word 2007?  All you need to do is click on the Office button (in the upper left corner) and select New.  Then select New Blog Post.

After you enter your blog address and credentials, Word 2007 will post your entry for you!

MICROSOFT OUTLOOK
Save multiple attachments at one time

•  Open the message
•  On the File menu, click Save Attachments
•  Click OK, and then click the folder where you want to save the attached files
•  Click OK

INTERNET EXPLORER 7
Use Quick Tabs to view all your open web pages!!
If you have multiple web pages open in Internet Explorer 7, you can view thumbnail images of all your tabs by using Quick Tabs.  The Quick Tabs button is just before the first tab on your command bar, or you can simply press Ctrl-Q on your keyboard.

Click on one of the thumbnail images and you will be selecting that tab to view in the browser.

MICROSOFT EXCEL
Great Keyboard Shortcuts to Know!!
Ctrl-Home moves you to cell A1 (the "Home" cell)
Ctrl-End moves you to the end of your data (good for continuing from where you left off)
Home moves you to the beginning of a row

By the way, an Excel 2003 worksheet has 256 columns and 65,536 rows.  Excel 2007 has much more than that (16,384 columns and 1,048,576 rows)!  That's probably more than you'll ever need.

WINDOWS VISTA
Time limits in Windows Vista Parental Controls
With Windows Vista, after you and your family have agreed on a set of rules governing computer use, Parental Controls can help enforce those limits.

Windows Vista Parental Controls are included in the non-business versions of Windows Vista, which are Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows Vista Home Premium, and Windows Vista Home Basic.

After you create a user account for each child, you can adjust the Parental Control settings:

1. Open the Control Panel, and then double-click User Accounts and Family Safety.

2. Select the child you want to apply restrictions to, and then click Time Limits.

3. On the grid, click the specific times and days that you don’t want your child to use the computer.

WINDOWS VISTA
To modify the size of your Desktop icons, simply right-click on your Desktop and move your mouse over View.  From the menu, choose Large, Medium, or Classic.

WINDOWS VISTA
Setting up ReadyBoost
Want to improve the performance of your system? Press some flash memory into service. You can use a USB flash drive, a Compact Flash card, or a Secure Digital card, as long as there's at least 235 MB of free space.

From the Computer window, right-click the flash drive icon, choose Properties, click the ReadyBoost tab, and select Use This Device.

WINDOWS
When opening a new window, if it does not open to a full screen, you can force the window to maximize by simply double-clicking the open Windows Title Bar. That can make it easier for you to read an article, edit your work or just make things easier to see.

WINDOWS VISTA
In Windows Vista, you can add additional clocks to the system tray. Click the clock, and then click Date and Time Settings. Click the Additional Clocks tab. You can add one or two additional clocks to the tray and select their time zones.

SEARCH ENGINE
Get a quick definition for a word!
Need to look up a definition quickly?  Just enter define and the word into most search engines.  The first entry in the search results will show the definition.  Try it!!

WINDOWS
Copy screens in Windows
The PrntScr (Print Screen) key can be found hanging around in the upper right corner of your keyboard.  There are two main ways to use this key:

• Press PrntScr key alone and an image of whatever is on your screen will be copied to the Windows Clipboard
• Press Alt-PrntScr and an image of the active window is copied to your Clipboard.

From there, you can paste this into an email or into Word.  It’s also a helpful thing to know if you are sending a copy of an error message to a tech support agent.

WINDOWS
Bypass the Recycle Bin to Permanently Delete Files!
You probably know that when you delete an item in Windows, it moves to the Recycle Bin where you can retrieve it later if you've deleted it in error.

Pressing Shift-Delete will permanently delete an item, and it will not go into the Recycle Bin.

WINDOWS
Want to "undo" an error that you just made?  In Office applications there is an Undo button on the toolbar.  It looks like a blue arrow pointing left.

Many other applications (Office included) support "undo-ing" by pressing Ctrl-Z.  Remember this the next time you make a change and think you'll have to spend the day fixing it!

WINDOWS
Here's a quick way to minimize all your open windows at once!  Just press the Windows Key along with M.

ZIPFORM DESKTOP
Where do I go if I want to backup my saved transactions or move them to a different computer?

Go to the following path on your computer to retrieve your previous transactions:

C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\RE FormsNet\Depot\Local

Copy all of the folders that are in the Local folder to a disk and place them into the exact same location on the other computer.

HINT: You can copy and paste the file path shown into Start | Run to display the folder.

WINDOWS
Rename a batch of pictures quickly and easily!!!
When you save pictures from your digital camera, each picture typically has names such as 17862534, 1786253, etc..  You can rename all the pictures in your folder with these simple steps:

1. Open the folder containing your pictures

2. Select the pictures in your folder (Ctrl-A will select them all).

3. Right click on any of the selected pictures and choose Rename from the menu.

4. Enter a name such as Bridgeport Property

5. Press Enter or click away from the pictures

6. Your pictures will now be named Bridgeport Property, Bridgeport Property (1), Bridgeport Property (2), etc.

By the way, this tip isn't just for pictures; you can do this with any folder of files!

WINDOWS
Selecting, Part III
Try these ways to select files in Windows XP or Vista.  Remember that you will need to select files before you move, copy, or delete them.
 

Once you select the files you wish, you can move them all as a group by dragging from any one of the selected files.  They will all move together!

DONATE YOUR OLD COMPUTER!!
If you are purchasing a new computer and have no need for your old one, you may wish to donate it.  One agency that I recommend is Desert Waste Not Warehouse.  They will refurbish your old computer and make it available to non-profit organizations. 

Also, before you dispose of your computer, be sure to wipe your hard drive clean!!!  Personal information may be extracted from your computer even if you have deleted the files or formatted the drives.

You can purchase a commercial disk wiping utility, or you can download a free utility at http://dban.sourceforge.net/.  If your old computer has a floppy drive, download the utility to create a boot floppy.  After you create the boot disk, put it in the drive and turn on the computer.  Type autonuke at the prompt.  It will take a while to run as it wipes the hard disk three times.

Remember to ONLY use this utility to destroy ALL the data on your old computer!!!

WORD AND EXCEL
Selecting, Part II
Here's a great tip to select either a large area of text in Word or a large range of cells in Excel!

First, place your insertion point at the beginning of the text or cells you wish to select.  Next, scroll down until you can see the end point for your select--DON'T DRAG!!

Finally, hold down the Shift key and click where the end of your selection will be.  You will have everything in between the beginning and end point selected.

REMEMBER, there is NO dragging involved in this; just click at the beginning and Shift-click at the end.  Try it out!

MICROSOFT WORD
Recently, I published a series of tips concerning menus in Windows. For an encore, I will publish a few tips on Selecting.

In order to perform any action on anything in Windows (i.e. deleting text, moving files, etc.), you must first select the thing(s) that you want to move, delete, format, etc.  Typically, you will click on an object to select it, and drag over text in a document.

Let’s say that you wanted to change or delete some text in Word. Try some of the tips below to select text in your document:
 

Once you've selected the text, you can now delete, reformat, or make any changes that you wish.  And I'll bet you thought the only way to do this was to drag your mouse!!!

Next week I'll show you a great selection feature for both Word and Excel!!

MICROSOFT OUTLOOK
Add a time zone to your calendar!
If you're like me, it's hard to remember what time it is in other time zones.  Fortunately, Outlook will let you add an additional time zone to your daily calendar.

From the 1-Day or 5-Day view, simply right-click on the time scale and select Change Time Zone... Label your current time zone (as AZ) and click Show an Additional Time Zone.  From there, you can add a label and select the time zone to include.

These time zones will display in both the 1-Day and the 5-Day views.

MICROSOFT OFFICE 2003
Customizing Office 2003 Toolbars
When you install Office, it starts you out with two rather annoying defaults: Toolbars are spread across your screen and Personalized Menus (the long and short menus).

To turn these features off, go to View | Toolbars | Customize... (or right-click on a toolbar and select Customize...).  From the dialog box, place check marks in the first two boxes, Show Standard and Formatting Toolbars on Two Rows, and Always Show Full Menus.  Then click on Close.

ZIPFORM AND OUTLOOK
Here's a quick way to create a new ZipForm transaction from an Outlook contact:

•  Select the contact in Outlook and go to Tools | Add Contact to ZipForm 5.0
•  Click Yes to allow ZipForm to access your Address Book
•  From the Login screen, the Login is Master and the Password is password
•  Select Create new and choose either Buyer or Seller
•  Click the appropriate Apply As ... button at the bottom
•  Click OK and accept Local in the Location box
•  Complete Header information and apply a Template if desired
•  Open ZipForm

When you open ZipForm you will see the new transaction with the contact information added to the Cover Sheet!!!

WINDOWS
Even more on Menus!
Here's the last tip I'll give you for awhile on menus.  When you dropped down a menu, did you ever notice that some menu items have three dots (called an ellipse) after the option and some don't?

The ellipse lets you know that once you select that option, the program will open another window asking you for more information.  An option without an ellipse will perform the action right away.

For example, choosing Print... from the File Menu in Word will open a Print Options window asking you to select a printer or choose pages to print.  Choosing Print Preview from the File Menu will immediately bring you into Print Preview.

Keep this in mind the next time you are nervous about selecting an unfamiliar menu option.  If it has an ellipse, it will open another window before performing any action.  That gives you an opportunity to cancel before anything happens! 

WINDOWS
More on Menus!
Here's some tips to help you speed up how you open menus in your favorite applications. Notice that each menu has one letter underlined. You can open any menu by pressing Alt plus the underlined letter. For example, pressing Alt-F will open the File Menu.

Once the menu is opened, notice the commands with letters underlined. Just pressing the letter key (without the Alt-key) will launch that command. For example, with the File Menu opened, you can close the current document by just pressing the C key.

WINDOWS
Mouse clicks--left and right!
The right mouse button has only one function; when you click it it displays a menu. That's all it does!

The menu you get will give you options for whatever you  right-clicked on.  Try right-clicking on various items on your Desktop or in your applications.  The menus you get will be different for each item you right-clicked.  NOTE: Some applications may not support right-clicking at all, so nothing will happen.

To make a selection from the menu, use a regular left click!!  To remove the menu, just click away from it.

I personally use the right-click a lot.  It keeps my attention focused on what I am working on rather than having to look to the top of my screen for a menu or toolbar. 

WINDOWS XP
Show me the Desktop!
Need a quick way to get to your Desktop when you have lots of windows open?  Instead of minimizing each one individually, just right-click on an empty area on the taskbar and select Show the Desktop.  To put everything back, just right-click on the taskbar again and select either Show Open Windows or Undo Minimize All.

INTERNET EXPLORER 7
Using Tabs  in IE7
Tabbed viewing is one of the most visible new features in this new browser.  You can open multiple web sites in new tabs without opening new browser windows.  This makes it easier to switch between open web sites.  You can modify how IE7 opens tabs from Tools | Internet Options | Tab Settings.

One of the best settings to choose is to always have IE7 open your Home Page in a new tab instead of a blank page.  Select this option and the next time that you click on the blank tab space in your browser to open a new tab, it will open it up in your Home Page.

By the way, you can also right-click on a link and select Open in New Tab from the menu so you won't lose the page you are on.

ZIPFORM
How do I change the company information that appears on the footer of my forms?
According to ZipForm, this is one of the most-asked questions.  Below are links to help you:

Using ZipForm Desktop: http://support.zipform.com/zfd/KBA-01123.asp

Using ZipForm Online: http://support.zipform.com/zfo/KBA-01052.asp

MICROSOFT OFFICE
Increase/Decrease Text Size
If you would like a quick way to increase or decrease the text size in any of your Office applications, just use these simple keyboard shortcuts (after first selecting the text):

Ctrl-Shift >       Increase font size

Ctrl-Shift <       Decrease font size

BTW, the best way to use this is to hold down the Ctrl and Shift keys with your left hand and then tap on the < or > key with your right.  The text size will increase or decrease with each tap.

MICROSOFT WORD
Change Case in Microsoft Word
Did you ever type some text in lower case and then realized that you meant to type it in UPPERCASE or Title Case?  Before you hit the delete key and start over, simply select the text and choose Format | Change Case.  You will then have choices of how to reformat the text.  Since uppercase is common, that will always be the defaulted selection

INTERNET SITE
Is it Fact or Urban Legend?
The Internet is a great way to pass along useful information, but much of the information that we receive via email may not be true.  An urban legend is information that sounds real, but once you examine it, has no actual basis in fact.    Recent examples include calling police by entering your ATM code in reverse or computer viruses that can wipe out your hard drive!

You can find out the facts about these legends at www.snopes.com.  This site is a great way to find out if terrorists are really masquerading as UPS workers or if Bill Gates is really giving away money if you send email to AOL.  You can browse the site for the latest legends or enter information in the search window to check on something you may have received.

INTERNET EXPLORER 7
Get your Menu Bar back!!
Do you miss the menu bar that you used to have in the earlier version?  You can get it back.  Just click on the settings button (that's the one that looks like a cog).  From there, select Menu Bar.  You can now access features for your browser just like you used to!

EXCEL
Special Formatting for Phone Numbers, Social Security, and Zip+4
Do you need to enter phone numbers or Social Security numbers into an Excel spreadsheet? If you are tired of entering the formatting characters into your entries, you can speed up this process by using Special Formatting.

For example, let’s say you are entering a column of phone numbers, simply select the column (by clicking on the column header).  Then select Format | Cells and choose Special from the list and then Phone Numbers.

Seven digit entries will be formatted as 555-1234. Ten digit entries will be formatted as (520) 555-1234.

ZIPFORM
Override Formatted Fields
Do you ever need to add different information into a ZipForm field than the form is formatted for (such as adding text into a numeric field)?  ZipForm will seem to not let you do that.

The solution is to simply press the Spacebar.  You will notice the field color change from blue to green.  You can now enter anything you wish into the field!!

WINDOWS
Pin Shortcuts to your Start Menu
Would you like to have a program icon display on the front of your Start Menu instead of having to go through All Programs?  This can be a big timesaver for programs you use often!

Just go to the program through All Programs and right-click on the icon.  From the menu, choose Pin to Start Menu.  Now the program can be launched right from the Start Menu.

To remove the icon, right-click and select Unpin from Start Menu.

WINDOWS
Delete files instead of sending to the Recycle Bin!
You know that when you delete a file that it actually moves to the Recycle Bin.  You can also empty the Recycle Bin by right-clicking the icon and selecting Empty Recycle Bin.

If you ever wish to delete a file without sending it to the Recycle Bin, just hold down the Shift key as you press Delete.  Windows will ask you if you are sure you wish to delete the file.  Pressing Yes will delete the file bypassing the Recycle Bin.

OUTLOOK
Create Distribution Lists
Do you frequently need to send email to multiple recipients?  Create a  distribution list! 

1. Go to File|New|Distribution List
2. Give the list a name in the name field
3. Select Members will let you add members from the Global Address List (if your company is using this function).
   Add New will let you add names and email addresses
4. Save and Close

The next time you need to send email to the members of your list, simply enter the name of your list in the To: field.  You can also right-click on the name in your Contacts folder and select New Message to Contact.

Remember, if you don't want your recipients' email addresses to be visible to each other, put YOUR name in the To: field and the list name in the Bcc: field.

 

CREATE A PHOTO SCREEN SAVER
You can create a custom screen saver slideshow from a folder of photos!

1. Right-click the desktop, click Properties, and then click the Screen Saver tab.
2. Next, select My Pictures Slideshow on the Screen Saver drop-down menu.
3. Click Settings, then click the Browse button to select the location of your pictures folder, and then click OK.
 

INTERNET EXPLORER
Keyboard Shortcuts!!
Here's a few keyboard shortcuts for Internet Explorer that will have you surfing like a pro!
 

MICROSOFT WORD
What's your point?
You probably already know that fonts in Windows applications are measured in points.  You have a document and the font is in Arial 12 point text, but did you know what a “point” actually is?

 A point is a printer's term for a type measurement.  Technically, a point is 1/72 of an inch.  Therefore, a font that is 72 points would be one inch tall.  This information may save you if you’re ever on Jeopardy!

 BTW, would you like to change the default font in Word?  Just go to Format | Font and select the font and size that you like (my preference is for Arial 12 point).  Then press the Default button at the bottom of the window.  Click Yes to change the template.

This will change your default font for all NEW documents you create from now on.

MICROSOFT WORD
Drawing a Line
You can easily create a line across the page of your Word document with just a few keystrokes.

Type three consecutive hyphens and press Enter to get a normal line. Type three underscores and Enter, and you'll get a bold line. And if you type three equal signs and press Enter, you'll get a double line.

What do you get when you try this with the pound sign (#), the asterisk (*), or the  tilde (~)?

MICROSOFT EXCEL
Control Direction
Here's a simple yet very handy tip. By default, the cell pointer moves down when you press Enter after entering data into a cell. But you can actually change the direction in which the cell pointer will move when you press Enter.

Go to Tools | Options and go to the Edit tab. Check the box next to Move selection after Enter if it isn't already enabled, and choose the direction you want the pointer to move in from the drop-down menu.

When working in a document, you can make the pointer move in the opposite direction from the one you've chosen by holding down Shift while you press Enter.

OFFICE AND INTERNET EXPLORER
Using the Research Pane
Would you like to look up a definition for a word on a web site or in a Word document or email?  You have many research tools available right at your fingertips!

Just hold down the ALT key while you click on the word. In Internet Explorer, you'll need to open the Research Pane first.  Press the Research button on the toolbar.  It looks like some books with a magnifying glass. 

The Research Pane will appear letting you view the word in Encarta Dictionary, Thesaurus, Encyclopedia, or foreign language dictionary.  Pretty nifty!

WINDOWS
Zoom in and Out
You can use the scroll button on your mouse to zoom in and out of documents quickly. Just hold down the Ctrl key and roll the scroll wheel forward to get a closer view of the document, or roll it back to shrink it.

WINDOWS
Resize Pictures-- FAST!!
Want a quick and easy way to resize pictures in order to upload?  Click on this link for the Microsoft Power Toys Page: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx .

Download and install the Image Resizer tool.  It's a small, free program from Microsoft that will install into Windows in just seconds.

Once installed, you simply right-click on a picture (or group of pictures) and choose "Resize Pictures" from the menu.  You can then choose from Small, Medium, or Large size.  The Image Resizer will create a resized copy leaving the original unchanged!!!

 

WINDOWS
Use Keyboard Shortcuts to Launch Applications
Of all the programs installed on your computer, you use maybe five regularly, right? Creating a keyboard shortcut is a great way to launch them fast.

1. Right-click an application's shortcut icon (in your Start menu) and then click Properties.

2. Click the Shortcut tab and locate the Shortcut key text box.

3. Type in a letter, number, or assign a function key (for letters and numbers, Windows adds Ctrl-Alt to your shortcut).

4. Click OK.

Now your favorite application is just a keystroke away!

 

OUTLOOK
Create an Email Shortcut on your Desktop!

Would you like an icon on your desktop to create a new email message to a specific person?  It’s easy using the Shortcut Wizard!

First, right-click on your desktop and select New Shortcut.  In the first field of the wizard where it asks for the location of the file, enter “mailto:xxxxxx.email.com”.  In other words, after mailto: add the email address of the person you are emailing.  Click Next.  In the next window, enter a name for the shortcut, such as Email to Bob.  Then click Finish.

 The next time you would like to send an email to Bob, simply double-click the shortcut and the new email form will come up already addressed.
 

WORD (OR ANY OFFICE FILE)
Lock down those documents!

Want to protect your document from prying eyes? You can password protect any document so that only an authorized person can either open the document or make changes to it.

From File-->Save as… click on the Tools button in the upper right of the Save As window (not the Word toolbar!). Next, choose Security Options. From there, you can either add a Password to Open the file or a Password to Edit the file.

If you choose Password to Edit, the document can only be opened as a Read Only copy of the file unless the password is entered. The document can be edited, but can only be saved as a different file. The original will remain unchanged.

Don’t forget your password or you will not be able to open the file yourself!

 

WINDOWS

 Are you frequently doing tHIS wITH yOUR tEXT?  I do because I cannot type and watch the screen at the same time!
 

Let Windows alert you with a beep if you accidentally hit the Caps Lock or Num Lock key.  To set this alert, open Control Panel from the Start Menu and then open Accessibility Options.  Put a check mark next to the Toggle Keys option and click OK.