Click on a date below & jump to that date's article. |
To FIND a Word or Phrase on this page, press Ctrl+F and type
in the target phrase.
(Ctrl+F works on most other Web pages, as well.)
The "date" links work fine with Internet Explorer.
With other browsers you can use Ctrl+F
(such as Find Feb 13).
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Microsoft Publisher
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Printing Multiple Photos on a Single Page
Making Text Flow Around a Picture
Resizing Pictures on a Word Processing Page
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Having Fun with an MP3 Player
Using 2 Monitors with a Desktop PC
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Various Ways of Posting Your Photos Online
Adding Text to a Photo
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Overcoming SPAM (Unsolicited Junk Email)
How We Get on Spam Lists
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Digital Photo Management Made Easy - Part 2
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Digital Photo Management Made Easy - Part 1
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Understanding Filename Extensions (.BMP, .DOC, XLS., etc.)
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Wireless Network Security Questions
Images & Attachments Being Blocked in Outlook Express
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Improving Legibility of LCD Flat Screen Monitors
Windows Accessibility Options for Users with Disabilities
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Moving an Address Book from Outlook Express
to Outlook & Vice Versa
Downloading & Playing Songs from this Site's
Music Pages
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iPods & Other Portable MP3 Players
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Basics of Various Digital Music Formats
Creating Your Own WAV Files
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Drawing Tools in your Word Processor
Using WordArt
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Printing Photo Thumbnails
More on Printing Out One's Medical History
Feeback on VoIP
Entering Keywords into a Search Engine
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Some Info on VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
Free PC-PC Voice Communications
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More on Maintaining a Digital Medical History
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Using an MSWord Table for a Simple Database
Handy Advanced Feature of Excel
Avoid What Can Be an Embarrassing Error
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Reducing the File Size of a Photo
OCR (optical character recognition) for Tables
Medical History Print-out
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Data Storage Options
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Handling Files that Won't Open
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Mailing Labels & Envelopes with MSWord & Excel
Handling Zip Codes in Excel (or any spreadsheet)
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Doing Mailing Labels & Envelopes with MSWorks
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Getting Started with PowerPoint
Free PowerPoint View Available
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Use MSCONFIG for Managing your Startup Programs
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Inserting 'Small-Character' Fractions: ¼, ½, ¾
Using WinXP's 'System Restore" Function |
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Some Thoughts on Having Your Own Web Site |
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Downloading 'Open Office'
Downloading Various Types of Programs |
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Arranging Files in a Folder
Your Desktop Is Also a Folder, & Can Be Viewed as Such
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Your Clipboard Contents Can Be Stolen by a Web Site
'Pasting Multiple Times' Explained |
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Free 'Open Office' Suite in Use by Mass. State Govt.
Bypassing a Popup Blocker
'Taking a Picture' of an Error Message |
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The Good & the Evil Face of the Internet
Parental Controls?
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Dealing with Internet Threats
Viruses, Spyware, Hacker Attacks
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Playing Downloaded Songs Continuously
Cell Outlines Disappeared in MSWord Tables
No Numeric Keypads on Notebook PCs???
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Incuding Graphics on Avery Labels
Label-Editing Tools in MSWord TABLE Menu
"Magnifying Glass" Icon in Various Programs
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No Sound from PC's Speakers
Missing Speaker Icon
Please Use BCCs (Blind Carbon Copies)
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"Type-In" vs "Write-In" Forms
Copying Text & Graphics from PDF Files
Low Cost PDF Creation Program
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Finding "NORMAL.DOT"
"Find" & "Replace" Commands
Another MSWord Problem
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More on "Straightening Photos"
Cropping Saves Money on Expensive Ink
Sharing of Photos Online with Google's Free "Hello"
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Cryptic Error Messages on the Internet
Restoring Default Internet Settings Helps
Restoring MSWord Default Settings
Prune Unused Icons from Word Toolbar
Changing Word's Default Font
Making Automatic Backups in Word
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Straightening a Poorly Aligned Photo
Photo-Editing with Picasa2
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Karen's Power Tools
Amazing Free Software
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Using "StripMail"
Using "Quick Launch"
"Irfanview" Can Add Text to a Photo
More Uses for Ctrl+Z (Undo)
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Phishing Emails Arriving Frequently
Keylogging Also on the Rise
Pleased with Most Online Customer Service -
But Not with AOL
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Legitimate & Useful Free Programs Available
Some "Anti-Spyware" Products - Really Spyware
Some Freeware Programs Getting Harder to Find
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Telling Your Scanner What to Do
Easy Steps to Follow
Do It With Many Different Programs
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Yellow Stickie Notes - a Wonderfully Handy Tool!
Stickies Don't Have to Be Yellow
Two Different Versions of Stickie Notes
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Moving Address Book Between Email Programs
What Is a CSV File?
Address Book Moving Help for AOL Users
Reducing Sizes of Pictures to Be Attached to Email
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Error Message Displayed on Computer Startup
Many Different Reasons for Such Errors
Problem May Be in Windows Registry
(Edit at Your Own Risk)
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Easy Way to Attach a File to an Email
Get to Know "Windows Explorer"
(NOT the same as "Internet Explorer")
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Email - Normal Screen View, Tiny Printout
Changing Font & Oject Size with Screen Resolution
Changing Font Size in MSWord to Any You Want
No Need Being Online to Write Email in AOL or OE
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Keeping Things Organized on Today's Hard Drives
Put SubFolders Inside Other Folders
Create Shortcuts that Point to Important Folders
Use Underscore to Make an Item List First (_Item)
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A Little About Browser Functions
What Are 'Cookies'
Use Your 'Refresh' Button
Covering Your Web Site Tracks
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Compatibility Issues Between Word Processors
Which Word Processor Is "Best?"
Using RTF (Rich Text Formatting)
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Creating a Simple HTML File to Use in an Email
Free Program: "1st Page 2000"*
*(Not the Same as "Front Page")
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Putting a Self-Calculating Invoice Form in an Email
Using the "Sigma" S "AutoSum" Command
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Lining Up Columns in an Email
Use MSWord to Create an HTML File
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Netscape 8.0 - Another Point of View
Which Media Player to Use?
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Netscape 8.0 Browser Worth Considering
How to Download a File to a PC Not Connected
How to "Straighten" a "Leaning" Photo
Which Firewall to Use?
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New Mydoom Virus!
Digital Image Formats: BMP vs JPG (JPEG/JPE)
JPG Is a "Lossy" Format - BMP Is Not Lossy
GIFs Used Mainly for Web Drawings & Animations
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Which Files Can Be Safely Deleted?
Having File Name Extensions Showing Is Essential
Difference Between "Deleting" and "Uninstalling"
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What Does "File Tagging" Mean?
Change Those Cryptic File Names
Saving Pictures as JPGs and BMPs
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Is Your PC Slowing Down?
Clear Up Your Disk Fragmentation
Useful Free Program: "EasyClean"
"Belarc Advisor" - Another Useful Freebie
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Differences Between a Database & a Spreadsheet
Creating a Formula in a Database
Database Filters
Using a Database's "Form" View
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Balancing Your Checkbook with a Spreadsheet
"Formula" Amount Vs a "Typed-In" Amount
Using a Spreadsheet's "Editing Field"
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Fixing Problems with the ENTER Key
"W32.Sober" - A New Worm to Be on Aware Of
Be Careful of Files with a ".ZIP" Extension
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Easier Way to Launch Favorite Programs
Use You Taskbar's "Quick Launch" Area
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Questions Often Asked by PC Newcomers
What Are "Hard" and "Floppy" Disks?
Why Do I Get "Low Memory" Messages?
Should I Upgrade or by Buy a New PC?
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Fixing a CD Drawer that Would Not Open
PC Looking for a Printer which Is No Longer in Use?
Another Hardware Fix that Works in Many Instances
Older Hardware Cheaper to Replace than to Repair
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Could Hardly Wait to Install my First Mouse
Using a Window's Upper Right Corner's 3 Buttons
Sometimes It's Easier to Use the Keyboard
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Internet Minefield - Getting a Virus - Spam
Being Infected with Adware & Spyware
Can You Trust Anything That's Free?
I Use Norton Anti-Virus, but...
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Evolution of Artwork Preparation for Printing
Camera-Ready Art or "Printer" Ready Art?
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Animated Graphic as a Desktop Background
Screen Saver from Your Favorite Pictures
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Saving Files Directly to Floppy Disks (Risky)
Flash Memory Drives & External Hard Drives
Free Online File Storage
Incremental File Names
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Items Out of Order in Alphabetized Lists
Why Do Deleted Items Still Show in a List?
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PC Terminology Sometimes Confusing
Best "Suite" Value for Many Home PC Users
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New Internet Threat: "Pharming"
Using "Signatures" in Email
Inserting Long Phrases with One or Two Keystrokes
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All-in-One Printing/Scanning/Faxing vs Stand-Alone Devices
OCR (optical character recognition)
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Communicating with IMs (Instant Messages)
IMs Can Be Transmitted as Audio, as well as Text
So Which IM Service Is Best?
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"Web-Based" Email vs Mail Saved on Your PC
Gmail Saved Online & Can Also be Copied to OE Inbox
Now AOL Email Can Also be Copied to OE Inbox
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Brief History of Email
Which Email Service Is Best?
Using Your Name with a Different Email Service
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Filing Your Income Tax Forms Online
Asking for an Extension
Be Careful What You Click On
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Printing Maps & Directions from an Online Service
Monitor View of Ink Supply May Not Be Accurate
Don't Depend on Directions from One Map Program
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Malformatted Text with Long & Short Lines
Adding CRs to Put White Space Between Paragraphs
What Do All Those Strange Symbols Mean?
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When Your Printer Prints Too Much
Printing Just a Selection from a Page
Using a Programmable 4-Button Optical Mouse
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Using TABS in Your Word Processing
Setting TABS with Your Horizontal Ruler
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MSWord Problems & Their Fix
Doing Windows with Your Keyboard (instead of your mouse)
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Deleting Unneeded Duplicate Files & Folders
Alternative Way to Delete Files & Clear Drive Space
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Leave Your PC On or Off?
Firewalls Not Designed to Stop Viruses or Spyware
More RAM - Cheap & Effective
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Limitations of Various Graphics Programs
Using the "Clone" Tool
More on Backing Up & Moving Outlook Express Files
Finding and/or Moving Your Outlook Express Folder
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More Fonts than You Know What to Do With?
Certain Fonts Should NOT Be Deleted
Recipient May Not See a Fancy Font You Use
Exchanging Fonts with a Friend
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Updated "Picasa" Free from Google
PhotoShop Elements
Editing Animated GIFs
Newer Anti-Spyware Programs
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Inserting a Picture into a Valentine Letter
Use "Text Boxes" as Movable Frames for Pictures
Inserting a Picture into an Email
Inserting Animated Graphics into an Email
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Plain & Fancy Formatting in Outlook Express
Free Online Spell-Checker
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Drag & Drop Just About Anything
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Microsoft's New Anti-Spyware Program
My Favorite Free Anti-Spyware Programs
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How to Crop a Picture
How to Resize a Picture
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The Basics of JPG (aka JPEG & JPE)
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Understanding CYMK & RGB
3 Colors in a Cartridge vs 3 Separate Cartridges
Cheap Paper Actually Better than Kodak's
Editing for Better Pictures & Cheaper Printing
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Digital Cameras & Megapixels
Optical Zoom vs Digital Zoom
Printers Are Cheap, but Ink Is Expensive
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AT&T "CallVantage" Not Working
Backing Up Various Types of Email
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Backing Up Outlook Express Email
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Microsoft Publisher
I've written about how adding pictures to an MSWord document can turn it
into an attractive newsletter. DTP (desktop publishing) of magazines and
newspapers, on the other hand, is done with heavy-duty programs such as
QuarkXpress, which can cost over $600.
However, those who design newsletters and brochures for small businesses,
clubs, community organizations, and churches, will find all the text and
graphics tools they need in Microsoft Publisher, which sells for about $80.
Publisher comes with a number of "wizards" that ease a user into creating
layouts for greeting cards, postcards, business cards, and various types of
publications. The program also has templates for creating cards that will be
folded in various ways, making it easy to independently design each surface
that will be seen after folding.
If your newsletter is to be printed on a standard 8.5x11-inch sheet, I'd
suggest clicking the Blank Page icon. To add text to the page, click on the
blue A in the vertical tool box, whereupon your cursor will become a small
cross that lets you draw a "text box."
Use the word processing toolbar to choose fonts and to format their colors
and styles. Text boxes can be reshaped to accommodate your typing, and can
be moved around on your page as needed. If you plan a traditional 3-column
newsletter, each column will be a separate text box; but text can be made to
flow seamlessly from one box to another.
Pictures can be placed on a page, and do NOT have to be inside text boxes
(as they do in MSWord) in order to be moved around. Click on Insert>Picture
File, and browse to the target graphic. Images can be resized by grabbing
any corner and adjusting as you see fit. To maintain a picture's aspect
ratio, hold down Shift while adjusting its size.
If you depress Alt when grabbing a corner, you can rotate the image to a
different angle. By clicking the toolbar's Rotate icon, you can choose
Clockwise or Counter-clockwise and type in the exact number of degrees you
want an image rotated
If you place a picture on top of any text, the typing will rearrange itself
to flow around the picture. However, you can click the "Bring to Front" or
"Send to Back" icons to change the order of selected overlapping items.
To crop a picture (remove excess material surrounding the main subject) go
to Format>Crop Picture, whereupon clicking on an image's corner will change
your cursor in a "double-scissors" icon. If you've clicked the upper left
corner, pushing the "crop" icon toward the center of the picture will cut
away material from the top and left edges. Moving in from other corners
crops two other edges accordingly.
Publisher also comes with lots of clipart images, along with the Drawing and
WordArt capabilities found in MSWord. I could give many more pointers on
using the program, but it is very intuitive and marvelously easy to use.
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Printing Multiple Photos on a Single Page
I've been asked how to print a group of snapshots on a standard letter-size
sheet of paper. The easiest way is to use your word processor to create a
blank page, followed by inserting photos into it. By placing each photo in a
"text box," they can be moved around on the page to your liking.
In MSWord, go to Insert > Text Box. In recent versions of Word, a box will
appear with gray edges. If you click any edge, the box will change size and
display a blinking cursor in its upper left corner. In older Word versions,
going to Insert > Text Box will turn your cursor into a small cross, with
which you can draw a box of the approximate size and shape needed to hold a
photo. Then click inside the box.
Now that you have a box containing a blinking cursor, go to
Insert > Picture > From File, and browse to a desired photo. Double-click it to
insert it into the box. At this point you may have to fine-tune the box's
shape to accommodate the enclosed picture's size. Grab any edge or corner to
reshape it.
To move a box, click on any edge. When your cursor changes to a four-arrow
pointer you can move the box and its enclosed picture around on the page.
Repeat the above steps for each additional photo you want on the page.
If you now choose to print the page, each text box will show up as a frame
around its picture. To make a frame invisible, click on it and go to
Format > Text Box > Colors & Lines > Line > Color and choose "No Line."
Why are these frames called "text boxes?" It's because text can be typed
into a box and formatted using your standard Word toolbar, whereupon the box can be
moved to anywhere on a Word page. This is often done if the page is an advertisement
of some kind, which would benefit from having key phrases enlarged and
displayed as colorful attention-getters.
This also applies to any kind of a document into which you might want to
place a picture and have the body text flow around it.
Making Text Flow Around a Picture
Choose an insertion point in an existing document where you would like a
picture (or some special text, or both) to appear. Use the above steps to
put the moveable box where you want it. Doing this, however, will cause the
box to cover some of your text. To make the text flow around it, click on
the box and go to Format > Text Box > Layout and choose from the miniature
illustrations of various types of text flow.
Resizing a Picture on a Word Processing Page
Getting back to placing multiple pictures on a blank page, an image can be
resized by simply clicking on a corner and moving your mouse accordingly.
Dragging an image's corner will maintain its aspect ratio, while clicking
on an edge will cause the image to be distorted as it is adjusted.
Be aware that image-bearing word processing pages tend to have very large
file sizes, and may not be suitable for sending as e-mail attachments. But
they print beautifully.
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Having Fun with an MP3 Player
After years of collecting and playing free music on my computer, I finally
bought an MP3 player. Since the advent of the pricey iPod, I decided to wait
until one could be had for about $100, and settled on a Samsung YP-F1X. The
device is about the size and shape of a man's thumb, with five buttons and a
three-line monochrome LCD.
Also included are a voice recorder and an FM radio. I realize something this
small with such tiny buttons is not for everyone, but I must say I am
delighted with mine. The sound quality is remarkable, and up to 120 songs
can be loaded into the 512 MB of flash memory. Larger capacity units are
available for more money, but using my PC to swap play lists is so easy that
I expect it will be quite a while before I buy bigger.
The player has a belt clip and a neck strap; however, I find carrying it in
my shirt pocket works best. Songs are played in alphabetical order, but you
can edit their names when copying them into the player, thus rearranging them
to your liking. After the player is shut down, it automatically picks up
where you left off when turned back on. Beyond that, you can skip around in
your play list without too much difficulty.
MP3, WMA, ASF, and Ogg music files are playable. Music CDs can be easily
ripped to one of these formats with Windows Media Player 10, and you can
convert WAV files to WMAs or MP3s very easily. The earbuds that come with the unit
work fine, but I have other headsets I prefer when listening at home. Also,
feeding the output into amplified external speakers produces some amazing
sound.
Besides music, I have lots of MP3 files of old radio shows and stand-up
comedians, which make a long drive a little more tolerable. A headphone jack
splitter (available at Radio Shack and other electronics stores) means two
people can be listening to the same player. Earbuds, unlike cover-the-ear
headphones, don't keep you from hearing traffic and other external sounds.
The battery is built-in and goes for 8-9 hours between charges. I honestly
don't know what happens when the battery eventually dies in three or four
years, but I expect price drops on these devices will make buying a new
player the logical choice.
My Desktop PC Has Two Monitors
Another recent purchase was a video card with two monitor connectors, along
with a second flat-screen monitor. I had a technician install the card.
Why two monitors? Well, if you are dragging and dropping text from, say,
one MSWord document into another, you can have each page on a separate screen and
the mouse pointer moves seamlessly from one monitor to the other.
If you have a wide spreadsheet that keeps you scrolling left and right, it
can be spread over the two screens so that horizontal scrolling isn't
needed.
Also, I sometimes use large sticky notes, a
free program
which I stick on the second monitor, leaving the main one uncluttered.
If you ever decide on having a second monitor you will quickly find many uses for it.
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Posting Your Photos Online
When I recently mentioned "ignoring online offers" to help manage my digital
photos, one reader wrote to say he has been very pleased with
www.kodak.com's free EasyShare service,
which lets him display his pictures
online so that others can see them. He said that posting 99 photos was quick
and easy, and that Kodak helped send email to all those whom he wanted to
see the pictures.
So I signed up for the service. I'm curious to see if the email contacts
whose names I supplied (my own extra email names) will end up on any
advertising lists.
Like most free services, EasyShare is loaded with items its purveyors hope
you will buy along the way, such as glossy prints of the photos. However, it
is possible to just use the free service, whereby one's pictures are posted
as a "slide show."
I would have preferred a "thumbnail" option, which would let viewers pick
and choose which photos to enlarge, rather than expect them to go through
the whole slide presentation. However, I suppose posting the photos in small
groups would make it easier on a viewer.
A competitive free service is
www.dotPhoto.com, which also lets you post
videos for others to see. Both services let you add MP3 music to their slide
shows.
My preferred way of displaying photos online is to use my own Web site. Most
ISPs nowadays let their subscribers have a free site, where they can display
their photos, text, music, and videos. Also, you can display the photos so
visitors can see them individually, rather than having to work their way
through a slide show. Go to your ISP's home page and look for information on
"Free Web Sites."
Adding Text to a Photo
I've been asked about adding text to a photo. Windows' "Paint" program
(Start>Programs>Accessories>Paint) lets you do this by clicking the "A"
icon, followed by typing in your text. The typing will appear in a "text
box," which can be reshaped and moved to where you want it on the picture.
If you scroll over the text, a box will open that lets you choose another
font and/or size. Left-clicking a shade in the color toolbar will make the
text appear in that color.
In Irfanview
(free from www.irfanview.com)
lettering can be added to a picture
by drawing a text box of the approximate size and shape desired with your
mouse pointer, followed by clicking Edit > Insert Text into Selection, and
typing in your words.
Before clicking OK, click the "Choose Font" button and make your choice.
Clicking the "Append Date" button will insert the current date into the text
box. The same is true for adding the current Time and/or Copyright symbol.
If you click "Text is Transparent," the area around the text will be clear
so that the picture shows through.
Other options in Windows Paint under "Image" are "Flip" and "Rotate, " along
with "Stretch & Skew. " The latter lets you resize a picture and/or "skew"
it into a different shape.
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Overcoming SPAM (Unsolicited Junk Email)
Barry Elkin asks if there is any way to block unsolicited email promoting
"investment tips" and the like. Well, after years of offering little or no
help in dealing with spam, ISPs and Web-based email services have become
pro-active in trying to protect their subscribers.
Hotmail was once suspected of actually encouraging spam so that subscribers'
mailboxes would fill up quickly and nudge them toward buying additional
storage space from Microsoft. However, since Google's Gmail service began
offering 2.5 gigabytes of free space, Hotmail, Yahoo, AIM, and others have
also increased theirs along with taking some meaningful anti-spam steps.
Most have begun putting suspicious emails into a folder named Junk or Spam
or Bulk, where subscribers can delete them with just a few clicks.
So why don't the services just delete the garbage to begin with? Well, there
is no way to be 100% sure if any given email is spam or if it's
legitimate. I find two or three valid emails in my Junk folders each month,
along with a few scams in my inbox. However, these are easily dealt with.
Many services let you block messages from specific email addresses; but
this rarely stops professional spammers, since they used "spoofed" return
addresses and never use the same one twice. Some email clients, such as
Outlook Express, let you create a "white list inbox" of acceptable
addresses, whereupon mail from others can be put into a special folder,
deleted, or dealt with as you prefer.
The only foolproof way I know of stopping spam dead in its tracks is to
change your email address. Yes, I realize that if you've had a
long-standing name/address of, say, JohnQDoe@xyz.com, you are reluctant to
give it up. However, JohnQDoe@gmail.com (or @ another free service) might be
available. Gmail can even be configured to pass messages on to an Outlook
Express account, giving you the best of both systems.
How We Get on Spam Lists
How do spammers get our addresses in the first place? Well, if you've ever
received a "forwarded" email with lots of "carbon copy" addresses
displayed, it means all those addresses (including yours) have been seen by
many different people along the way. Always use BCCs (blind carbon copies)!
More information on sending BCCs here.
If you've ever used your email address when posting something in a Web
site's "Guest Book," you've made it available to automated
address-harvesters who roam the Web looking for new victims. The same is
true for email addresses that show up in chat rooms, blogs, or other types
of forums. If you conduct any business transactions online, legitimate
companies will keep your address from being passed around. However, many
phony sites are set up just to collect names and addresses.
Giving your address to someone offering "free screensavers" or "free
smilies" or asking you to participate in a "free survey" is a quick way to
get it added to one or more spam lists.
However, the free services listed on my site (www.pcdon.com)
have been tried and proven over many years. | |
Digital Photo Management Made Easy - Part 2
When the photo has been cropped and/or resized the way you want
it, go to File > Save As and name it - you can keep the existing name, or
type a new one. In the "Save as Type" field, choose JPG for any picture you
plan to email or post on a Web site. In fact, JPG has become the most
popular format for snapshots and family photos. More about the other formats
later.
Irfanview doesn't have the huge arsenal of editing tools found in programs
like PhotoShop or PaintShopPro, but it does have some useful ones.
If a photo is too dark or too light or needs some color correction, click on
Image>Enhance Colors. Here you'll find sliding scales for increasing or
decreasing Brightness and Contrast, along with scales for adding and
subtracting RGB colors. You'll also see two reduced images - one to show
the original coloring and one to show the changes taking place as you edit.
If, after clicking OK, you're not pleased with the end result, use Edit>Undo
to revert to the original image.
You'll find several other useful options under Image, such as Rotate, Flip,
Sharpen, and Convert to Negative or Gray Scale. Under Image>Effects you'll
find some avant-garde treatments such as Emboss, Oil Paint, and Explosion.
If you plan on doing a lot of edits on a particular image, I'd recommend
saving it as a BMP, rather than as a JPG, while you edit. Re-edits on a JPG
tend to diminish resolution quality with each subsequent Save. BMPs,
conversely, maintain resolution quality with multiple Saves. Save the
picture as a JPG when you're sure you will do no more editing on it, and
keep the BMP version on hand, just in case.
If file size is a major consideration, a JPG can have its byte count
adjusted with a slide bar which appears when doing File>Save
As>(filename).JPG. Experiment to see how small you can make a JPG and still
maintain a presentable final result.
In addition to manipulating JPG options, the physical size of a picture
obviously affects its final byte count. If you have trouble emailing, say,
an 8x10-inch image, how about reducing it to 4x6 - or something in between?
Use cropping and/or resizing to get the size and aspect ratio you want.
As for printing, if you're using a "photo printer" dedicated to outputting
standard sizes such as 3x5 or 4x6, crop and resize before you print.
Otherwise you can waste a lot of ink printing out acres of, say, the grass
and sky which surround a tiny subject in the middle of the picture.
Irfanview also works beautifully with desktop scanners. Use File>Select
Twain Source to make your PC communicate with your scanner, and File>Acquire
to do the scanning.
Using Your "PrintScreen" Key
To capture something seen on your Desktop, press PrtScr (the PrintScreen
key), followed by opening Irfanview and clicking the Paste Icon. Crop and
Save As, to preserve the image, along with using any of the editing steps
explained above.
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Digital Photo Management Made Easy - Part 1
I've been getting dozens of questions about storing, editing, and sharing
digital photos. Well, there are dozens of ways of doing these things; but
I'll just describe the easy methods I use.
For starters, I ignore all the online promotions from Kodak and others who
offer to help us do these things for a nominal fee. With WinXP, no special
software is needed to get photos from your digital camera onto your hard
drive. For pre-WinXP users, a CD always comes with a digital camera which
make your PC and camera work together.
Although some cameras connect directly to a PC for transferring photos, most
use a tiny flash memory card, which you remove from the camera and connect
to your PC via an adapter into a USB port. I have two cameras, each using a
different shaped flash card, so I bought an adaptor that accepts four
different sizes.
When a photo-laden card is connected to your PC, the pictures normally begin
showing up on your screen via an image-editing program, which then invites
you to copy them onto your hard drive - usually into your "My Pictures"
folder by simply dragging and dropping them.
Well, I use seven different image-editors for various tasks, but prefer one
particular program for opening, cropping, and resizing photos. Irfanview is
completely free from
www.irfanview.com. As you download it, click YES
when asked if you want it to be the default program for opening your bitmap
images (JPG, BMP, TIF, etc.). Then, whenever a photo's
filename or icon is double-clicked, it will open in Irfanview.
Since digital photos tend to be fairly large, they may not fit completely in
the Irfanview window. Click the toolbar "minus sign" to reduce the view
size. Each click makes the view 10 percent smaller.
To make the photo physically smaller in size, click Image>Resize/Resample.
Here you'll find many options, such as HALF, which makes the photo 1/4 its
original size (half as high and half as wide). Or you can reduce it by a
chosen percentage, say, 75% to make it 3/4 of the original. You can also
designate an exact height or width in pixels or inches.
This is also where you choose the DPI (dots per inch) for the image
resolution. 300 DPI works well for images to be output on an inkjet printer.
However, if the image will just be viewed on a screen, 96 DPI is fine for
most LCD (liquid crystal display) monitors with 72 DPI being suitable for older CRT
(cathode ray tube) monitors.
Now you may want to "crop" the photo, i.e. select the important area, and
eliminate the extraneous background which can quickly empty your expensive
inkjet cartridges.
With your left mouse-button held down, use the arrow pointer to draw a box
around the area you want to keep. Release the mouse-button to fix the dashed
outline in place. Finally, click the toolbar scissors followed by clicking
the "clipboard paste" icon to complete the cropping.
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Understanding Filename Extensions
One of the fundamentals of today's PCs is that all filenames have an
extension that tells us something about the file. For instance, .TXT means
the file is a "plain text" document, while .PDF is a Portable Document File
which is usually opened with Acrobat Reader. Many extensions apply to files
created by one particular program, such as .XLS, which means the file was
created with Excel.
Some extensions have become so associated with a particular program that
finding them used with another program seems strange. We normally assume
that a .DOC file is a Microsoft Word document, but there was a time when
WordPerfect also used the extension. Furthermore, Windows comes with a
program called Wordpad, which, in some versions of Windows, appends .DOC to
its filenames.
Image files with extensions such as .JPG, .BMP, and .GIF can be created in
different graphics programs, such as Adobe PhotoShop or Windows Paint, and
opened with almost any other bitmap editor.
Most extensions consist of three characters, but some may have two or four,
such as .AI (Adobe Illustrator) and .HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), with
the latter being able to use .HTM as a viable alternative.
Generally speaking, you cannot arbitrarily change a filename's extension
without corrupting the file. However, there are a few exceptions to this
rule. For instance, .HTML can be changed to .HTM, and vice versa, without
affecting the file. Variations of .JPG include .JPEG and .JPE, which are
usually interchangeable, but you may have to experiment. The same applies to
.TIF and .TIFF.
There was a time when AOL used .RTX as the extension for its HTML files; and
this can usually be changed to .HTM or .HTML with no problems.
Also, it's not uncommon to run across an HTML file saved with a .TXT
extension. This is because HTML files actually do consist entirely of "plain
text" and are converted into the colorful Web pages we see by what the
various "plain text commands" cause to happen in a browser such as Internet
Explorer or Firefox, as well as in HTML-based email. If you do encounter a
.TXT file that is full strange-looking code, manually changing .TXT to .HTM
will usually make it legible.
Speaking of which, any filename can be edited by right-clicking it and
choosing RENAME from the popup menu.
Those who do image-editing learn early on that .BMP and .TIF files tend to
be very large, and can be converted to much smaller .JPG files with minimal
loss of resolution quality. However, manually changing an extension will NOT
work - a file must be opened with an image-editor and converted to a format
such as JPG by using "File>Save As" (or "File>Export As" in some programs).
However, it is possible for a filename extension to be mysteriously changed,
and can then be very difficult to fix. When this happened to Thomas Johnson
recently, he found a Web site devoted to reinstating corrupted filename
extensions:
www.dougknox.com/xp/file_assoc.htm
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Wireless Network Security Questions
Tom Boyd wrote to ask about security issues in regard to using a wireless
network in one's home, saying he has heard that a neighbor could access your
computer. Yes, going wireless increases the risk of others being able to get
into your network; however, there are many security measures that can be
used to protect yourself.
One method is the encryption of sensitive data, such as financial
transactions with your bank or an online vendor, most of whom now have
reliable protection systems in place. These establishments all have Privacy
and Security links on their sites - usually at the bottom of their Home
Page - that explain these how these systems work. If in doubt, call or
write to those with whom you would exchange critical data.
Mary and I do all our banking and most of our shopping online, and never
have any problems
Also available for home-based wireless networks are programs that scan your
system for potential security leaks. Such a program, Microsoft Baseline
Security Analyzer, is freely downloadable from the MS site, or you can find
a link on my site.
Also, everyone needs a firewall, whether your PC is wired or wireless. I
prefer the free one from ZoneAlarm (which has a link on this site's Home Page) to the one
that comes with Windows Service Pack 2, which I disabled. Some users prefer a
mechanical firewall, such as the Belkin 4-Port Router, which can be found at
any computer store.
For those who connect wirelessly to "hot spots" in hotels, airports and
other places, I received an ad today for a $12.95 handheld device which
claims to help locate the best location for reliable connectivity in these
areas:
www.serif.co.uk/sop2/showOffer.asp?AMC=WIFE113
Regarding security, we all need an onboard anti-virus program, and one or
more anti-spyware programs to clear out the unwanted cookies we pick up when
visiting certain Web sites. Beyond that, common sense tells us not to click
on pop-ups saying we are the millionth visitor to a site and have won a
valuable prize. Also, clicking on links for "free screensavers" and "free
emoticons" - where you have to give your email address to download the
freebies - is a sure way to get on multiple spam lists.
Even using IMs (instant messages) can make you vulnerable to receiving
malware, if you click on a link someone sends you. An IM used to be
considered safe because you are normally corresponding with a friend whom
you trust. Now, however, hackers have ways of accessing an IM and making it
look as though a link came from your friend. You can't be too careful.
Images & Other Attachments Being Blocked in Outlook Express
Jan Sperla wrote to say she can't see pictures or other attachments sent her
via email since installing McAfee AntiVirus. This can be fixed in Outlook
Express by going to Tools>Options>Security, where a number of email
restrictions can be enabled or disabled. Experiment to see which choices
work best for you.
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Maximizing the Visibility of LCD Flat Screen Monitors
After some recent eye surgery I found my eyes tiring quickly when using the
computer, so I decided to replace my 15-inch flat screen monitor with a
larger one. Well, unlike the heavy CRT monitors we used for years, which
looked sharp at any screen setting, LCD monitors are designed to be used at
one specific resolution, and tend to look mushy at other settings.
However, Windows XP has a way to fix this.
To change the resolution of any monitor, right-click a blank area of your
Desktop and choose Properties. Next click Settings and look for a horizontal
slide-bar with a number below it. 800x600 is the setting used on most CRT
monitors, but LCD monitors use higher settings, meaning more things can be
seen on the screen, which will be smaller, but will be sharp and crisp.
Moving the slide-bar to the left will lower screen settings, displaying
larger but fewer items. Conversely, sliding it to the right will increase
settings, showing more but smaller items.
If you choose a flat screen setting other than the one recommended, WinXP
will let you fix the resulting fuzziness with a feature called ClearType.
Back on the Desktop do a right-click and choose Properties. Select
Appearance, click the "Effects" button, and click ClearType. Also, checkmark "Use the
following method to smooth edges of screen fonts." In the drop-down box,
select ClearType and
click OK. Finally, click Apply > OK to exit this window.
Next, go to Microsoft's ClearType site:
www.microsoft.com/typography/ClearTypeInfo.mspx.
Follow the simple steps there to improve your text display.
If you want larger text in various applications, here are some tips:
In your browser, click View > Text Size, and choose a setting.
In Netscape and
Firefox this works with most text, however in Internet Explorer it seems to
work with about half of the text you encounter. Nonetheless, View > Text Size
works fine in Outlook Express. If you have a mouse with a center wheel,
rolling it while pressing Ctrl has the same effect as using View > Text Size.
This also applies to MSWord, which otherwise suggests you go to View>Zoom to
choose a Text Size percentage. Or you can drag the Zoom/percentage window onto your
Toolbar by going to Tools > Customize and clicking Tools > View and
grabbing Zoom from the Commands list.
Windows Accessibility Options for Users with Disabilities
Folks with severe vision problems, or with other physical limitations, can
use Windows Accessibility options. Go to
Start > Programs > Accessibility > Accessibility Wizard. Here you will find all
kinds of monitor settings and keyboard adjustments that will help in many
different ways. Older versions of Windows may not have the Accessibility
Wizard, but will still list the various options.
A quick way to improve the legibility of text found on Web sites or in
email that has low contrast against its background is to simply scroll over
it with your mouse.
If you receive email with tiny text, click Reply. You can then scroll over
it and choose a larger number from the Toolbar Size menu.
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Moving an Address Book from Outlook to Outlook Express & Vice Versa
A number of Outlook users have asked how to copy their Address Book into
Outlook Express, while a number of OE users have asked how to copy theirs
into Outlook. Import/Export options can be found in both programs under
File.
As an example, an OE user would click File>Export>Address Book.
A box will appear with the phrase "Text File (Comma Separated Values). Click this
phrase and then click Export. Next click Browse to choose Desktop or a
specific folder into which your data will be stored. When you see "Save
exported file as:" type a filename such as ADDRESSES.CSV into the blank
field, followed by clicking Next.
You can type in any filename you want, but it MUST have the extension .csv
(capital letters optional).
Then you will be asked to select the fields you wish to export, such as Name
and Email Address. Finally, click Finish to see a message saying "Address
Book export process has completed."
To copy this data into Outlook, launch the program and click
File>Import/Export. In the box that appears choose "Import from another
program or file" and click Next.
When you see "Select file type to import from:" choose "Comma Separated
Values (Windows)" and click Next. When you see "File to import:" click
Browse to locate the CSV file you created. Select it and click Next. When
you see "Select destination folder:" choose Contacts and click Next. You
will then see "The following actions will be performed:" followed by an
"Import" message describing the action. Finally, click Finish for the action
to take place.
The above instructions are for copying names and addresses from OE 6 into
Outlook 2000, and may vary slightly when using other versions of these
programs. The steps for copying Outlook "Contacts" into an OE Address Book
are also similar to the above.
Downloading & Playing Songs from this Site's
Music Pages
Since mentioning a collection of downloadable Christmas music on my Web
site, some folks have written to say they have problems playing and/or
downloading the songs. These problems are often caused by using a program
other than Windows Media Player (such as RealPlayer or QuickTime). The
default player for WinXP users is Windows Media Player 10, while
Windows Media Player 9 works with earlier versions of Windows. The programs
can be freely downloaded from www.download.com or
www.microsoft.com.
With Windows Media Player installed, a single left-click on any of my site's
songs will cause the song to play. To copy a song to your own hard drive,
right-click it and choose "Save Target As," whereupon clicking "Save" will
cause it to be copied into your "My Music" folder, which is inside your "My
Documents" folder. Henceforth, left-clicking the downloaded song will make
it play via Windows Media Player.
If you do have other media players on your hard drive, you may find that one
appears when you click a music file. This can be fixed by right-clicking the
file, left-clicking "Open with:" and choosing Windows Media Player. Also,
click "Choose Program" and checkmark "Always use the selected program to
open this kind of file."
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iPods & Other Portable MP3 Players
With the huge success of all versions of Apple's iPod, one would think
choosing a portable media player and obtaining content to go with it should
be fairly simple. Good luck.
For young people who want the latest in pop rock, 99-cent iTunes played on
any iPod would probably fill the bill. For those of us who find iPods a
little pricey and who like finding free music online, choosing a player
becomes more complicated.
There are so many MP3 players available (literally dozens) that adequately
describing them here is impossible. However, I can offer some tips that
might make choosing one a little easier.
They come in three main types; hard-drive based, CD-based, and flash memory
based, the latter being recommended for strenuous activities that might
cause a hard drive or CD to skip. Storage capacities range from 32 megabytes
to multiple gigabytes.
Some are powered by a single AA or AAA replaceable battery, while others use
a non-replaceable built-in rechargeable battery. Screen display sizes and
their legibility are all over the place and can only be judged by seeing
them in person. Likewise, the controls for choosing a song or an album or a
music genre, along with the On, Off, and Play controls vary from real simple
to unbelievably complex.
Probably the most confusing issue is which music formats a player
recognizes. Although the devices are called "MP3 players," most also play
WMA, ATRAC3, OGG, and AAC files. Many play WAV files; and for those that
don't your WAVs can be converted to WMAs with Windows Media Player 10 (which
comes with WinXP).
Some include a built-in voice recorder and/or an FM radio, while some of the
very newest include screens for displaying movies and other video content.
Some players may come bundled with ties to an online music store
(iPod/iTunes) or subscription music service, which lets you buy music at
discount prices when you pay a monthly or annual membership fee.
Personally, I would avoid any service bearing the names "Real" or
"Rhapsody." A reader told me last week he got a credit card bill for a
collection of "rap" tunes that did not order from RealAudio/Rhapsody, and
had difficulty getting his card credited. He added, "I'm 62 years old - why
would I be ordering rap songs?"
I would also advise against buying an MP3 player as a gift, unless the
recipient has said exactly what he/she wants. There are way too many
variables to be out-guessing what someone might appreciate in a portable
media player.
As for choosing one for yourself, there are dozens of reviews on
www.pcworld.com,
www.cnet.com,
www.amazon.com, and on all the various consumer
electronic sites.
If you buy one online, be sure you understand the vendor's return policy.
Some charge a hefty "restocking fee" while others have no extra charges for
exchanging one kind for another. Many refuse to accept any return that does not
have all its original packaging.
Also, many vendors now buy and sell used players.
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An Overview of Digital Music Formats
When the Walkman first appeared in 1979 I envisioned a day when songs would
be sold by sending signals over phone lines that would be recorded onto
blank cassettes, thus cutting a music store's inventory costs. Who could
have imagined they would one day be downloaded onto a computer or a
credit-card-sized audio player?
However, not all digital music is created equal and it helps to have a basic
understanding of the various kinds. Among the earliest forms was the MIDI
(Musical Instrument Digital Interface). These are sounds that are played
directly into a computer via an electronic keyboard or synthesizer. As such,
MIDIs are computer files which can only be played back on a computer. You
can burn MIDI files onto a CD, but they won't be recognized by a
conventional CD player.
WAV (Waveform Audio) files came into being with the introduction of Windows,
and were first used for "You've Got Mail" and other brief voice or musical
messages. They have since become a popular format for converting tracks of
music CDs, records, and cassettes into digital audio files. WAVs can be
played on many, but not all, of the iPods and their competitors, as well as
on some of the newer CD players.
Other popular audio formats are MP3, WMA, and ASF. Again, not all formats
play on all portable players, and more about this will be explained
tomorrow. Hundreds of PC-compatible "big band swing era" WAVs and MP3s are
freely available on my site, along with a sizeable collection of Christmas
music (www.pcdon.com/page90.html).
Creating Your Own WAV Files
Back to WAV files, you can create your own, using Windows' built-in "Sound
Recorder." The utility is located in different places in various versions of
Windows, so it's best to go to Start > Find/Search > Files & Folders and type
"sound recorder" into the "Name" field.
When the Recorder icon appears, drag it onto your Desktop. Double-clicking
it will bring up a miniature "recording panel" with buttons for Record,
Play, Stop, etc. With a microphone plugged into to your computer's "Mic"
jack, you can create a new voice file by going to File>New. Next, click
"Record" (the round red button) and speak into the microphone.
To end the recording, click Stop (the square black button). To save your
file, go to File>Save As and give it a name.
To hear your WAV, go to File>Open, choose the target file and click "Play."
Click "Stop" to end the playback at any time. You can jump to the beginning
of a sound file by clicking the "double left-arrow" button, or to its end by
clicking the "double right-arrow" button.
To learn how to edit WAVs, go to your Sound Recorder's "Help" menu.
Finally, WAVs can be attached to outgoing emails or placed on a Web site.
With Outlook Express you can even embed a WAV directly into an email, so
that it plays when the message is opened. After creatubg a new message,
click Format>Background>Sound, and browse to the target WAV.
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Drawing Tools in your Word Processor
Although word processors are not usually thought of as "graphics programs"
they do have some helpful drawing tools. In MSWord, go to
View>Toolbars>Drawing. In WordPerfect, go to Insert > Graphics > Draw Picture.
In MSWorks, go to Insert > Picture > New Drawing.
The way these tools work varies considerably among the different programs,
and are best learned by experimenting and consulting their Help files.
Here's a brief sampling of what can be done in MSWord. On the Drawing
Toolbar, click the rectangle or the oval to draw a corresponding shape in
whatever size you want. Click on AutoShapes to find a collection of popular
templates, including a heart, a happy face, and all kinds of stars and
arrows.
Click the Pen tool to choose an outline color and click the Paint Bucket for
a fill color. Click the Lines icon to choose the thickness of a line or
outline, and on the Dash icon if you want the line broken.
Click the Shadowed Box to add a shadow, or the 3-D icon to add perspective
to a rectangle. Click the Rotate icon and then grab a shape's corner
"handle" to manually rotate it.
If you want two or more objects to move as one unit, click each of them
while pressing Shift. Then go to Draw > Group. If you want to flip the
combined objects, go to Draw > Rotate or Flip. If you want to align them on
their centers or along a particular edge, go to Draw Align or Distribute.
The latter option puts equal spaces between objects.
If you have overlapping objects and want to change their order, click on an
object and go to Draw > Order.
These tools are no substitute for a full-featured drawing program such as
Adobe Illustrator or Corel Draw, but they are easy to use and come in handy
for a quick and simple illustration.
Another handy tool is WordArt. As its name suggests, you can do artistic
things with a word or a phrase. Go to Insert > Picture > WordArt. For MSWorks
users, a box will appear reading YOUR TEXT HERE. The regular word processing
toolbar will be replaced with a new one that lets you edit the WordArt
"drawing."
Click on "Plain Text" and a drop-down window will show a variety of shapes,
such as a waving banner, an arch, and a "stop sign" octagon. Click on a
design and your phrase will conform to its shape, whereupon you can edit the
drawing by giving it, say, a shadow or a 3-D look.
MSWord users will be presented with a "WordArt Gallery" from which a number
of colorful pre-designed templates can be chosen. Click OK and a floating
WordArt toolbar will give you even more options. WordPerfect users have
similar options with TextArt.
MSWord also has some photo-editing tools. Click on an image and a toolbar
icon will let you crop the picture, along with letting you adjust its
lightness, darkness, and contrast. Again, experimenting and using Help is
the best way to learn.
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Printing Photo Thumbnails
Judy Fallon called to ask how to do a printout of the thumbnail views of the photos in her WinXP "My Pictures" folder. (One of WinXP's handiest features, by the way, is having a thumbnail view of all your bitmap images: JPGs, GIFs, etc.). I told Judy, regrettably, that I knew of no way to print pages of these thumbnails. She replied that she once knew how, but had lost the instructions.
So I suggested something that I find myself suggesting more and more these days: Go to your favorite search engine (I like Google) and type in some keywords related to your question, such as "print windows xp thumbnails." The next day, Judy sent me the following email:
"Hey, you really helped me out and I appreciate it! Regarding the thumbnail question, it's EASY! I searched all over Help in XP, and in my 'Dummies' book and just couldn't find it. After you told me I could ask a regular question in Google, I went and did it. I got my answer immediately and have since printed out all my thumbnails! Whoopee, I am a happy girl! What I was interested in was the 'contact sheet' printout. Here is the page with details on how to do it:
www.windowsmarketplace.com/Content.aspx?ctId=47). Many thanks again for your help!"
More on Printing Out One's Medical History
I continue to get feedback regarding my suggestions about printing several copies of one's medical history and prescription drug information.
Patricia Breedlove wrote: "I put my records into a spreadsheet, in which I have a column for Prescriptions, where I enter their costs. I also have a column for Location, in which I put my driving mileage. And I have a column for Comments, where I can enter prescription numbers, doctor's name, purpose of medication, and any other pertinent info applying to other entries, such as dentist, eye doctor or other specialist.
"The Comments column can be on a second page that some might not want to print. But they would have valuable income tax info readily available at tax time. I have also printed out part of this spreadsheet to include in my tax return when there were unusually high expenditures that might trigger an audit."
Feeback on VoIP
Regarding my recent comments on VoIP (the low-cost alternative to regular land-line telephones), I heard from several people with replies ranging from: "I have a system that works great" to "VoIP is not for everyone. Here are some things you need to know before signing up." I have posted these messages on my site.
Entering Keywords into a Search Engine
Getting back to asking questions via a search engine, many "forums," "bulletin boards" and "SIGs" (special interest groups) exist on all kinds of subjects, where people ask questions, post replies and have free-for-all discussions that often produce a wealth of valuable information.
You would also be surprised how often a PC question will refer you to a page on my site (www.pcdon.com). For instance, ask a question about defrag or scandisk or keyboard symbol shortcuts.
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Looking Back on VoIP a Year Later
It was just a year ago that I wrote about VoIP (Voice over Internet
Protocol) and said I had signed up for ATT's "CallVantage" service. Well, it
did not work and cost me considerably by the time I cancelled and returned
all their equipment - and noticed that shortly thereafter the product was
no longer advertised around here.
However, VoIP apparently works for someone somewhere, since many companies
are now advertising it, and Vonage - the first in this field - has been at
it for quite a while. If it works for you, tell me and I'll write about it
here.
The basic idea of VoIP is that voice communication can be channeled through
cable networks faster and less expensively than via phone lines, thus making
it possible to offer consumers lower phone rates. There are other perks,
such as asking for any area code you want, regardless of your location. You
can also take your desk phone with you and connect it to a distant computer,
whereupon it would perform just as it does at home.
VoIP ads are everywhere, and the lists of benefits are long and impressive.
However, there are some things they seldom, if ever, mention. With ATT's
system, I never had a call that didn't have voice drop-outs of 10 to 30
seconds. Callers and I had to continually repeat what we had just said. I
assume this has been fixed - but keep it in mind.
Another issue is lack of connectivity to any 911 services. I assume this
will eventually be fixed, but ask before you sign up. Also, VoIP is totally
dependent on your cable service. If it is down, so is your phone service.
Keeping at least one regular phone line - and/or a cell phone - is worth
considering.
In any case, computer-aided voice communications is not all that new. Four
years ago I was using a free service called DialPad, which let me use a
microphone, along with my PC's speakers, to call long distance numbers at no
cost. However, the technology was new and the voice quality was unreliable.
Recently, however, Yahoo bought DialPad and converted to a for-pay VoIP
service.
Free PC-PC Voice Communications
Nonetheless, free voice communications via your computer do exist. The
various free IM (instant message) services have been offering voice
communications for some time now. However, it only works between users who
are signed up with the same service. All AOL and Compuserve users have
built-in IM capabilities, and anyone can sign up for free AIM (AOL Instant
Messaging). Microsoft, ICQ, and Yahoo have similar competitive services, but
most IMers use AOL/AIM.
Some of the above IM services even offer free A/V (audio/video) Messaging,
if each correspondent has a PC camera installed. (But wouldn't this mean
being expected to shave and comb one's hair?) I'm happy with voice only.
Space here does not allow for tutorials on the above features, but clicking
on your Buddy List's "Help" icon can get you all kinds of information.
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More on Maintaining a Digital Copy of Your Medical Records
My recent suggestion of a creating a computer print-out of one's surgical
history, medications, and drugs to which he/she is allergic, drew a lot of
response. One reader suggested copying the file to a USB flash memory drive,
which could be attached to a key chain and kept within easy reach.
When I said I have a copy of my Medical History page on my web site, several
people asked how this might be formatted so that not just anyone could
access it. More on that later.
To begin with, I chose MSWord to create a page showing my name, age, and
phone numbers, along with names and numbers of those whom I would want
contacted in an emergency. I did not include my home address, social
security number, or medical insurance information, since doing so could make
identity theft easier if the document should fall into malevolent hands.
I then listed the names and phone numbers of my family physician and
dentist.
Next I typed in a list of my current meds, and used the TAB key to create a
column showing their prescribed dosages and when taken.
Then I listed the drugs to which I'm allergic in bold, red text.
Finally, I listed all the surgeries I've had, along with the names of the
doctors who attended me and in which hospitals.
I carry a few print-outs in my car's glove compartment as well as in my
wallet, while others are kept on a shelf near my PC. Mary, of course, keeps
a few copies in her purse. Any time something new needs to be added (I
recently had cataract surgery) we update the page, and dispose of all
previous copies.
As one reader suggested, the Word file can be saved on a flash drive. It can
also be saved there as a plain text file, in the unlikely event a medical
office's computer might not have Word or a Word-compatible program with
which to open it.
As for placing the document on a web site and creating a "secret" way of
accessing it, I've explained this on my site. However, you don't need a web
site to maintain a copy online.
If you have a web-based email account, simply send yourself a letter with
the document attached. No matter where we are nowadays, we can always access
web-stored mail, along with any attachments. Gmail, for instance, offers 2.5
gigabytes of free storage space. AIM mail offers 2 gigabytes, and is easier
to use than Gmail.
You could even put the document directly into the body of an email, and not
bother with an attachment. This, however, would increase the chances of the
information being casually seen by others for whom it may not have been
intended.
A friend told me she also scans all her hospital records and adds these to
her file. If you have any suggestions, the North County Times has a "Comments" box on
my archives page at
www.nctimes.com/articles/2005/10/30/news/columnists/computer_tutor_don/21_09_5110_29_05.txt.
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Using an MSWord Table for a Simple Database
I've explained recently how to use Excel to list names and addresses that
would be formatted for mailing labels and envelopes with MSWord. If you
prefer, Word's "Table" function can be used instead of Excel, meaning it can
all be done in Word.
Open a new, blank Word page and go to Table > Insert Table. Choose 6 Columns
and the approximate number of rows you think you'll need. (This can be
adjusted later.) Type First Name, Last Name, etc,. into the top six cells,
and fill in the name/address data accordingly.
To alphabetize your data, go to Table > Sort. Choose Column 2 > Text>Ascending.
This will sort everything by Last Name. (Be sure to checkmark "My List Has a
Header Row.")
You can also opt for a "landscape" layout (to widen the columns) but this
really isn't necessary. Data that doesn't fit into a cell on one line
"wordwraps" itself to as many lines as are needed. Sorting these columns
will still be as per the first character(s) in any cell.
Use File > Save As to save the table with a name such as "Mailing-List.doc."
To format the data for printing on labels or envelopes, use File > New to
start another blank Word page. Go to Letters & Mailings > Envelopes & Labels,
and follow the prompts for preparing labels (30 up on Avery #8160/#5160
stock) or envelopes, with or without a Return Address. Illustrated
instructions are available at
www.pcdon.com/page25.html.
When printing envelopes, the layout template assumes the standard #10
variety. Other sizes can be chosen by clicking Options. If you have an
odd-sized greeting card envelope, choose Custom and type in its dimensions.
Getting back to Excel, if you have a name list that includes first and last
names in a single cell, they can be separated into two columns using the
following steps:
Let's say your list has cells with names such Mary Jones and Bob Smith in
Column A, but you want a Last Name column for Jones and Smith, with the
first names in their own column.
Highlight Column A and go to Insert > Column to create a blank Column B.
With column A still selected, choose Data > Text to Columns and follow a wizard for
separating the names into two columns. Start by choosing Delimited, clicking
Next, and choosing "Space" as the delimiter. Clicking Finish will divide all
names into a First Name column and a Last Name column.
This works fine if all names are simply two words separated by a space.
Names that include a middle initial and/or a title are more of a challenge.
However, the wizard has lots of options that are worth exploring.
Easy Way to Avoid What Can Be an Embarrassing Error
One final thought about envelopes - how about using the "window" type to
avoid stuffing the Smith letter into an envelope addressed to Jones? I've
been doing this with my Christmas letters for years.
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Reducing the File Size of a Photo
Lynn Harper wrote: "How do I reduce a 2 MB JPG to a few hundred KB? I don't
want to resize it; just make the file size smaller so it can be emailed
more easily."
Well, it's helpful to understand why digital photos are usually saved in the
JPG format to begin with. There are file size choices that range from very
small to very large (lower to higher quality resolution). Surprisingly,
going from a high bit count to a lower bit count often results in an image
that shows little or no discernable difference in quality.
Various image-editing programs have different ways of letting you adjust the
bit count, but my favorite is Irfanview, which is a free download from
www.irfanview.com. Open a picture in
Irfanview, go to File > Save As, and
choose JPG from the "Save As Type" list. A sliding "Save Quality: Best to
Lowest" bar will appear that displays a percentage number as it is moved.
Experiment with different percentages to see how small you can make the
file, yet maintain an acceptable image.
IMPORTANT: be sure to change the
file name with each attempt (such as photo1.jpg, photo2.jpg, photo3.jpg,
etc.). Always retain a copy of the original image with its name unchanged.
If the original's file size is reduced and saved with the same name it can
NOT be returned to its previous status.
Another reader wrote to say she has an 8-page print-out of an Excel
spreadsheet that needs editing; but she no longer has the PC on which it was
created, nor a backup disk of any kind.
OCR (Optical Character Recognition)
The solution is to scan the pages with an OCR (optical character
recognition) program. Many scanners come with OCR software nowadays, while
stand-alone programs sell for about $50. I'd suggest a Google search for
"Free or Low Cost OCR."
A scanner basically takes a "picture" of a page of text; but an OCR program
is needed to convert all the little dots into text that can be edited. The
quality of the conversion is largely dependent upon the sharpness and
clarity of the original print. A page with thumb prints, pencil notations,
or which was not aligned parallel to the edges of the scanner, can require a
lot of proofreading and manual editing.
Today's quality OCR programs not only convert typewritten sheets into
editable text, they can even line up the columns in a spreadsheet or
database.
Medical History Print-out
One of the first things I did with a computer years ago was create a page
showing my complete medical history, along with any current medications I
might be taking, and drugs to which I was allergic. Thus, in the event of an
emergency or going to a new doctor's office, I could hand the staffers
up-to-date information about my health. You'd be surprised at how often I've
heard, "Wow! This is great. I wish all our patients would hand us one of
these!"
Now I even have the info posted at on my web site, where it can easily be
found in case I'm ever in a situation where I need it and don't have a copy with me.
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Data Storage Options
My first computer in 1977 saved its data to audio cassettes, using a
portable recorder. It was a tediously slow and unreliable system. When a
5.25" floppy disk drive became available for $500 it held 360 KB of data and
made backing up my files much easier. This was eventually replaced by a 3.5"
drive along with disks that held 1.44 MB of data. When CD burners became
available, I felt I was in backup heaven with all the data I could put on a
disc.
Now I do my main backing up on a 120 GB external hard drive and use 256 MB
USB flash memory drives for moving smaller amounts of data from one PC to
another. These devices, which are also known as thumb drives or memory
sticks, have no moving parts and use simple drag-and-drop commands to copy
files to an from them. I still use my CD-burning drive to play music discs,
but haven't burned a CD in ages.
Much of what I back up is written material, such as these columns, along
with some funny stories about growing up in Hollywood during the 1940s and
1950s. Nowadays I also back up text as e-mail files, using Google's 2.5 GB
free online storage. Other Web-based services, such as Yahoo and AIM, offer
similar storage options.
Much of what I write ends up on my Web site, which is yet another backup.
Speaking of which, I recently signed up for a Google ad service that
provides me with a little income - about the same amount my Web site costs
me each month. If you've thought about having your own Web site, but object
to the advertising placed on your pages by the various "free" services -
some of which contains colorful animations - you might be interested in
Google's plan.
You can opt for small text-only ads and choose where, if, and how they will
appear on a page. The ad contents are based on the content of your pages and
tend to be complementary and non-intrusive. Any ad that is clicked on by a
visitor credits you with a small stipend.
As for the contents of a personal Web site, family photos are among the most
obvious choices; but how about the story of your life? There was a time when
the limitations of a typewriter and one's typing skills made writing
somewhat difficult for the average person. Then how would they publish a
typewritten bio? Well, vanity book publishers have been around for a long
time; but with today's computers, word processors, printers, and various
online services - including blogs and podcasting - you, too, can write the
great American novel - or whatever you want.
Back to flash memory drives, their ease of use also comes with certain
risks. If others have access to your PC, copying your files can be
unnervingly easy. I have information on my site about a free downloadable
program that lets you lock your USB ports so no one has access but you. More
information here:
Block the Bad Guys.
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Handling Files that Won't Open
Dave Silvestri asks how to alter a "read only" file so it can be opened and
viewed. Well, a file can be made "read only" by right-clicking its icon and
checking its pertinent "Attributes" box. The reason for doing this is to
keep the file from being edited by others who might open it. It has nothing
to do with keeping a file from being opened in the first place. This usually
happens because the user does not have a program that matches the particular
file.
I hear from folks every day who can't open files received as e-mail
attachments. Often, their filenames have extensions such as WPS, PDF, WPD,
or ZIP. The programs normally used for opening these files are MSWorks,
Adobe Reader, WordPerfect, and WinZip, respectively.
Does this mean having to buy more programs? Not usually; workarounds abound.
For instance, users of the WordPerfect or MSWorks word processors often
receive documents created in MSWord (with a .DOC extension) which refuse to
open when double-clicked. However, one can launch WP or Works and go to
File>Open and then look for "Word (.DOC)" in the "Files of Type" list near
the bottom left of the page. MSWord users can likewise open WP and Works
files by clicking the corresponding file type in this area.
The same is true for opening files created with Excel, Quattro, or the
MSWorks spreadsheet in each others' programs.
Unfortunately, this doesn't always work because of version changes in the
various programs over the years.
However, you could ask whoever created a problem word processing file to
save it as a "Rich Text Format" file (with an .RTF extension), which is
normally compatible with all word processors.
A file with a .ZIP extension is one that has been compressed (zipped) to
make it smaller for uploading and downloading. WinXP users have built-in
unzipping software which automatically decompresses a double-clicked file.
Pre-WinXP users can download WinZip from Download.com, where Acrobat Reader
can be found for opening .PDF (Portable Document files). WinZip is
shareware, and Reader is free.
Be advised, though, not to open any .ZIP file you are not expecting - it is
a format frequently used by virus writers to disguise an infected file.
If a spreadsheet file cannot be opened by your spreadsheet program, you
might try opening it as a .TXT file, whereupon data in columns might be
displayed as tabbed text entries. This can work well for simple worksheets,
such as a list of names and addresses, but generally doesn't help much with
files that contain math calculations.
Speaking of ".TXT," you can manually change the extension of an
uncooperative word processing or spreadsheet file to .TXT, which will let
you open it as Notepad plain text file. What you will see is a combination
of some legible text mixed in with lots of meaningless hieroglyphics.
Depending on the complexity of the document, you may or may not find the
pieces of legible text useful. It's worth a try.
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Doing Mailing Labels and Envelopes with MSWord & Excel (Illustrated Instructions
HERE)
I explained recently how to create mailing labels and envelopes with
MSWorks. Here's how it's done with MSWord.
In some versions, a helpful "wizard" can be found by clicking Tools > Letters
& Mailings > Mail Merge Wizard.
With MSWord it's best to use Excel as the "database" of names and addresses,
while Word will format the actual printouts.
Excel, technically, is a spreadsheet program - but works fine as a database
if you use the top row as a "header row." Type: First Name, Last Name,
Street Address, City, State, and Zip into the top row's first six cells.
Now go to File > Save As, and name your database, say, "Family Addresses.XLS,"
whereupon it will be saved in your "My Documents" folder. You can
alphabetize the data by last name by clicking Data > Sort > Last Name > Ascending.
If you want a hard copy of the database, it's best to use File > Page
Layout > Landscape for printing.
Be aware that the font used in Excel has nothing to do with the one to be
used on the actual labels or envelopes. Choosing a font for printing is
where Word comes in.
Launch Word and use File>Save As to name the file, say, "Family
Addresses.DOC." Click on Tools and you'll see a menu item called "Envelopes
& Labels." Don't go there! Rather, click on Mail Merge > Create, and choose
"Envelopes & Labels."
Let's start with labels. Click on "Active Window" and then click Get
Data > Open Data Source. This should take you to your "My Documents" folder -
but you probably won't see your Excel file listed. This is because Word
looks for files ending with a ".DOC" extension. Click on "Files of Type" and
choose "MSExcel *.XLS" (or "All Files").
Double-click your Excel Address List's icon. You'll get some prompts about
"using the entire spreadsheet" and "setting up your main document." You'll
eventually arrive at choosing a specific label. The Avery 5160/laser and
8160/inkjet are the most popular, with 30 labels per sheet.
Next you'll see an enlarged, blank label, where you'll be asked to insert
the "Merge Fields." Click "First Name," press the spacebar and click "Last
Name." Press ENTER to start the next line and fill in the other fields
accordingly.
Feed the names into this file by clicking Merge to New Document > All Records.
Next click Merge. Finally, go to Edit > Select All and choose the font, style,
and color you want.
Using File > Print Preview will display how the first page of completed labels
will look. Pressing PageDown will show subsequent pages.
Formatting envelopes is similar to the above, but you'll also be given the
opportunity to insert a Return Address.
Regarding MSWorks...
Some versions of MSWorks have replaced its older word processing application
with MSWord. Users of these versions can combine the MSWorks instructions I
gave yesterday with the ones shown above to simplify the job.
Regarding Zip Codes...
Zip codes in an Excel sheet can be problematical, since any beginning with
zeros will have the zeros removed in the print-out. You can circumvent this by
selecting the Zip Code column and doing Format > Cell > Number > Text.
Illustrated instructions for all the above can be found at
www.pcdon.com/page25.html.
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Creating Mailing Labels and Envelopes with MSWorks (Illustrated Instructions
HERE)
Creating mailling labels and envelopes for multiple recipients is done with
two programs; a "database," which lists the recipients' names and
addresses, and a "word processing," program, which is used to format the actual
print-outs.
MSOffice users normally use Excel for their database and MSWord for the
formatting.
MSWorks users have a Database utility for their listings, and use the Word
Processing application (or MSWord) for the formatting.
What is a database? It's an organized cross-reference listing of various
types of information. The database used by most of us is a collection of
names, addresses, and phone numbers.
MSWorks users will choose its "Database" utility to list the information,
while its "Word Processing" application will be used for the formatting
(newer versions of MSWorks use MSWord for its word processing). Some
versions of MSWorks offer a step-by-step "wizard" to get you started. The
following mini-tutorial applies to all versions of Works.
Create your list of names and addresses in Works by choosing its "Database"
utility, which asks you to create column headings called "Fields." Overtype
"Field1" with something like "FirstName." Click on ADD and "Field2" will
appear, over which you would type "LastName." After typing your "Field"
Headings, click on Exit or Done.
Now go to File > Save As, and name the file, say, "Holiday Name List." By
default, the file will normally be saved in your "My Documents" folder.
However, you can designate any folder you want. Works will add the extension
".WDB" to the database filename.
Now comes the hard part; typing in all the names, addresses, and etc.
Alphabetize your data by going to Records>Sort Records, and following the
prompts.
Now we'll format the printing of the labels or envelopes. Go to
File > New > Word Processor (or launch MSWord if you have it). Use File > Save As
to name the file, say, "Envelope Printing Template." Works will add the
extension ".WPS" to the filename (Word will append ".DOC").
Next go to Tools > Labels (or Tools > Envelopes) where a rather intimidating
multiple-choice window will appear; but don't let it scare you. Just click
NEXT.
For labels, choose Avery #8160 for inkjet printing or #5160 for laser
printing. Click NEXT two more times.
A window will open to display any databases you have created. Choose
"Holiday Name List.WDB." (or Holiday Name List.DOC). Now, if you plan to
print a label or envelope for every name on the list, keep clicking NEXT
until you arrive at "Label Layout" or "Envelope Layout."
Here you'll click "Add Field" and "New Line" until you get a layout that
displays "First & Last Name" on the top line, "Street Address" on the second
line, and "City, State, Zip" on the third line. Using an additional line for
"Apt." (or whatever) is optional.
Additional formatting options, such as font styles and colors, are available
by clicking "Advanced." Go to File>Print Preview, to see just how your
print-out will look.
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Getting Started with PowerPoint
A friend just told me her third-grader son has been told to include a
PowerPoint presentation along with a science project assignment due at the
end of the semester. Does this tell you PowerPoint is not that hard to
master?
The program comes with all versions of MSOffice, but goes unused by many
because they don't understand how it works. Well, PowerPoint was designed to
create and display "slide shows," which can include pictures and text.
Beyond that, animations, sound, and other special effects can easily be
added.
A line of text, for instance, can be made to appear one word or one letter
at a time. Items can be made to slide in from one edge of the screen, or
they can appear as a "venetian blind" effect. These are just a couple of
examples.
If you've never seen a PP presentation, I've put a couple on
my home page
which can be easily downloaded and played. One contains some beautiful
pictures with accompanying text, while the other is an impressive collection
of photos taken of Hurricane Katrina's devastation.
If you don't have MSOffice, a free PowerPoint viewer can be downloaded from
www.microsoft.com. (The viewer allows for
the viewing of PP presentations, but has no tools for editing slide shows.) However,
WordPerfect Office comes with Presentations, a PP-compatible program.
PowerPoint filenames end with .PPS or .PPT. "PPS" means PowerPoint Show,
indicating the presentation will run when double-clicked, whereas "PPT"
means the file will open in the editing mode.
Most presentations are designed to display each slide for a certain number
of seconds before moving on to the next. Some change slides when your
left-button mouse is pressed. A right-click will normally display a menu
with options for ending the presentation or rerunning it. Pressing ESC will
usually end a slide show.
You can change a presentation file from its "run" to "edit" mode by manually
changing the PPS extension to PPT. (Right-click the filename and choose Rename.)
As for creating your own presentation, space here does not allow a full
tutorial, but here are some tips to get you started. After launching
PowerPoint, click on "AutoContent Wizard" to be led through a series of
prompts that should have you up and running in no time. However, I prefer
clicking "Blank Presentation" and building one from scratch.
Or use a template with a collection of suggested layouts. Dark bars
represent text boxes, cartoon faces represent picture boxes, while other
boxes represent bulleted lists and graphs. You can click on a text box and
type in a message, which can be edited in much the same way you edit word
processing documents.
The toolbar "Insert" menu includes options for various types of objects.
Once you have created a slide with a message, the real fun begins.
Mouse-select some text and click Slide Show > Custom Animation. Next click
"Entry Animation & Sound" and choose one of the special effects.
Finally, click Slide Show > View Show (or press F5). Your screen will go
blank and wait for a mouse click to start the show. After the animated text does
its thing, click twice to return to editing.
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Use MSCONFIG to Manage Your Startup Programs
Although I've written previously about using MSCONFIG to improve PC
performance by keeping unneeded programs from running in the background, I
continue to get questions about the utility. The following is a more
comprehensive explanation of what it's all about.
Today's computers are designed to do many different things at the same time;
however, having multiple programs open at once means each runs more slowly.
Worse yet, if programs not in use are running, the ones you are using are
slowed even more.
What might such a program be? Well, a good example is RealPlayer. This media
player is needed to hear songs whose file names have .RA or .RAM extensions.
However, the player is designed to start running the moment you turn on your
PC - whether you plan to use it or not. Windows Media Player, conversely,
is not so-rigged.
Other examples are AOL, and AIM. Why have them running when they are not
being used? Turn them on when you need them.
So are there any programs that should start when one's computer is turned
on? Well, if you are on a network of any kind, your firewall should always
be in place; and if you go online regularly, your anti-virus program should
be running. Icons for these utilities are normally displayed in your System
Tray - near the digital clock - as are AOL and AIM icons. However, not all
background-running programs show up there. This is why you have MSCONFIG in
Win98, WinME, and WinXP.
Go to Start>Run, type MSCONFIG (or msconfig) and click
OK. Click the Startup
tab to see a list of cryptically-named programs with a check box next to
each. By horizontally adjusting the "Command" and "Location" dividers, you
can read more about each file, such as "Norton" or "Symantec" likely
indicating anti-virus tools.
Most of us don't need more than a few of these items turned on, and they are
usually the top four or five entries. In any case, unchecking an item does
NOT delete the program; you are simply telling it not to start running when
your computer starts. Furthermore, any unchecked item can be re-enabled at
any time.
If totally confused about what to have turned on and off, turn everything
off except the very top item. Reboot your computer and look at your System
Tray. If icons normally seen there (such as your anti-virus program) are
missing, return to MSCONFIG and checkmark the second item on the list.
Repeat this process as needed.
Also be on the alert for any changes in how your PC is behaving. If
something seems wrong and you suspect a disabled startup item my be the
reason, experiment by re-enabling others one by one.
And do not assume that this is a one-time ritual. Software authors have
sneaky ways of adding auto-startups to this list. For instance, I recently
downloaded the latest version of Acrobat Reader, and found that Adobe had
placed "Reader-Quick-Startup" on the list, despite the fact that I use
Reader no more than once a week.
These instructions can be found on my web site with a helpful illustration
by clicking here.
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Using Small-Character Fractions
(½ instead of 1/2)
Mitchell Psenner wrote to ask if there is a way of typing a fraction such as
5/8 so it will be displayed with a small 5 over a small 8.
Well, MSWord users learn early on that 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4 are
automatically converted to a small-characterr format
(¼, ½, and ¾;)
the moment they are typed; but other fractions are not.
However, a number of other small-character fractions are available with a
font named MS Reference Specialty, which most Windows users have nowadays.
(I can email you the font if you don't have it.)
To access this font (and other special-character fonts) MSWord users can
click on Insert>Symbol. However, MSWord newcomers are often perplexed by the
default font that appears, "Symbol," which contains the Greek alphabet,
along with some specialty graphics. Simply click the drop-down arrow to the
right of "Font:" to find the alphabet you want.
With programs other than MSWord, such as your e-mail client, special
characters can be found by clicking Start>Run and typing in charmap
(character map). After using the "Font" drop-down menu to find the one you
want, click on the target character. Then click the Select button.
Mouse-select the character that appears and then click the Copy button. Back in
your document, do Edit>Paste (or Ctrl+V) to insert the special symbol.
On the subject of special characters, Ginny Abushanab wrote that she had
deleted her "Wingdings" fonts since she thought she would never use them,
but then discovered they contained some symbols she could use. (I've
emailed Ginny replacements.)
Most Windows PCs have fonts such as Wingdings, Webdings, and Dixieland, that
provide a variety of special symbols such as happy faces, flags, and arrows.
One way to check them out is to click Start>Run, type FONTS, and take a
look. Getting back to MSWord's changing the format of certain fractions, you can
reverse the transformation by simply clicking your toolbar's UNDO icon (bent
left arrow) or by doing Ctrl+Z.
If you want to permanently defeat this
feature, go to Tools>AutoCorrect>AutoFormat and UNcheck the "Fraction
Characters" box.
While there, you may want to defeat some other AutoCorrect features, such as
"Capitalize first letter of a sentence." Since names like eBay and iPod have
become commonplace, some sentence structure rules don't always apply nowadays.
Under AutoFormat As You Type, look at things such as Automatic Numbered and
Bulleted Lists. Having these items checked means that when you type
something like, say, the number 1, followed by tab, pressing ENTER at the
end of a paragraph will begin the next paragraph with a 2 and a tabbed space
- whether you want it or not.
Again, you can undo this with Ctrl+Z, but many of us prefer to have these
features disabled in MSWord.
Speaking of reversing things, one of the most useful features of WinXP is
the ability to reset your system to an earlier date, in case you find
yourself in an unfixable error situation. Click Start > All
Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Restore and follow the prompts.
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Some Thoughts on Having Your Own Web Site
I was called recently by a local Yellow Pages representative who asked how
often I use their book to look things up. I told her I honestly couldn't
remember when I last picked up the book - I find everything online.
When I started my small business in 1960, the Yellow Pages were my chief
source of new customers, and remained so for the next 40 years. Nowadays,
however, having a Web address is essential for business; but more and more
individuals and families are putting up their own sites.
Why? Well, for starters, it's just plain fun, with posting family photos
being one of the most obvious joys. Instead of e-mailing them to far-flung
friends and family, let them log onto your site and take a look - from
where they can also be easily downloaded.
Not surprisingly, the explosive growth of
the Internet has meant creating a site with a unique name is becoming
increasingly difficult. If you've ever thought about having your own
distinctive "dot com" name, you can go to www.whois.com to see if it's
available. As you might expect, availability of name combinations such as
Mary and Jones are hard to come by, but there are other choices.
Originally, the COM appendage meant "commercial" and NET suggested
"network," although there are no rules about which you can use. Other
appendages that do have some rules include GOV, EDU, and ORG. Since domain
names are getting snapped up so rapidly nowadays, newer extensions such as
BIZ and INFO have been made available. However, COM is the overwhelming
first choice of businesses, with NET being an acceptable second. Seeing BIZ
on a company name has been found to discourage prospective visitors.
If you do decide to register a unique name, nothing says you have to
actually create a site to go with it. You can save it for whenever you are
ready, as I am doing with donedrington.com. I chose pcdon.com for my active
site, since it is easier to type into a URL field.
If you don't mind having someone else's ads on your site, there are a number
of "free home page" services, such as those which may be provided by your
own ISP. They will offer templates with colorful layouts designed for clubs,
churches, hobby groups, and businesses. Some templates may be restrictive
regarding where you can place a picture or text, while others are more
flexible and may even let you do some HTML-editing on the page.
One of the main challenges is finding someone who will do a good job at a fair price - and who will guarantee their work. I could tell you some horror stories about miscommunications between webmasters and clients.
Well, I've known Barbara Quanbeck for a number of years and have implicit faith in her ethics and her work.
No, she didn't do my website, but it was she who nagged me into learning some HTML so I could create this one.
However, if you have thought about having a site that is exclusively yours,
write me at the above email address, or call (949) 646-8615.
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Downloading Open Office
Regarding Open Office, the free productivity suite I recently mentioned, a
few readers have mentioned problems downloading the application from
www.openoffice.org. Here are some tips that might help. For starters, it is
a large package that can take several hours to download via phone lines, but
which can take less than 15 minutes via cable - or a CD can be ordered from
the site.
At the moment two Open Office suites are available; an older "stable"
version, and a newer "beta" version with advanced features, which the
authors encourage using, along with sending them feedback if any problems
are encountered. I opted for the latter, and it has been working just fine.
The downloaded file has a .ZIP extension, which generates a SETUP.EXE file
when double-clicked. Double-clicking this file takes you smoothly through
the rest of the suite's installation.
Tips on Downloading Various Types of Programs
Speaking of downloading programs, I get a lot of questions on whether one
should click RUN or SAVE when these options appear. Well, deciding which to
choose is easier if you have a basic understanding of downloaded programs in
general. Some are very small and consist of a single file, whereas many
programs consist of multiple files which, when installed, end up in various
places on your hard drive.
When you choose SAVE, a "setup" file is placed on your hard drive, which is
usually a compressed version of the finished program and which is generally used just once
(to install the actual program). Back when hard drives were small it made sense to delete
these setup files once they had created the finished program. With today's
huge drives, some prefer to keep these files on board in case something goes
wrong and a program needs to be reinstalled.
The RUN option means the setup file will decompress itself into the working
files of the desired program and place them on your HD, but will NOT install
a copy of itself. In the case of a small, single file program, RUN will launch
the program so that you can use it online. A good example of this type of program
is StripMail, which, when run, will rearrange the text in a malformatted email
you might receive (you know - with long and short lines and all the little "pointy"
symbols). StripMail is No. 8 on the list of Free Programs & Services
found on my Home Page (www.pcdon.com).
Another RUN/SAVE consideration is your Internet connection. Folks with
telephone dial-up might prefer to SAVE a setup file rather than endure
another lengthy download if the program should fail.
Another issue could be the program's price. Most downloads I recommend are
totally free - however, over the years a few have become "for sale" items.
Having the program's setup file on hand could save money if it ever needs to
be reinstalled.
Another issue could be that an updated program is less desirable than its
predecessor. A case in point is the Yellow Stickies program listed on my home
page. I prefer the original which uses "plain text" to the newer "HTML"
version. When I downloaded the "new improved" program it overwrote my older
one, and the program's author had dropped the original from his site.
However, since I still had the setup file I downloaded years ago, going back
to the older version was no problem - and I make both versions available on
my site. (Yellow Stickies is No. 10 on the list of Free Programs.)
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Arranging Files in a Folder
A number of readers have asked if there is a way to have files listed in the
order by which they were put into a folder, and subsequently rearranged like
the icons on one's Desktop. Well, in addition to being arranged
alphabetically, files in any folder can be listed by Size or Type, along
with about three dozen other sorting criteria.
Open any folder with a double-click, and then click on View>Arrange Icons
By, whereupon you will normally find choices of Name, Size, Type, and
Modified. You can also go to View > Choose Details, and find many more sorting
options. By default, files are sorted alphabetically by Name. However I
prefer listing them by Type.
This means that a given folder will list any sub-folders it contains first,
followed by groups of similar files. For instance, a folder holding an
assortment of images will have all the BMPs, JPGs, and TIFs in their own
groups. If you are looking for an image named, say, Avocados, and can't
remember which graphic format it was saved in, going to View > Arrange Icons
By > Name will list all the A files first, regardless of their type.
If you aren't sure of a picture's name or format, but recall that it was
edited recently, choosing Modified will list the most recently edited files
first. Under View > Choose Details, you can add Date Created to the list (or
have it replace Modified) if that would be helpful.
To display the sort criteria's Headers and Columns, click on View > Details.
If you want to reverse the sort order (Z t | | |
Vintage Pop,
Downloadable
