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Welcome to this week's edition of the Computer Kindergarten Newsletter.
Today is Sunday, March 27, 2005
Happy Easter!
In this Issue:
Special Feature: Proper Shutdowns
Tips & Tricks: Quick Maximize
Featured Computer Term: Easter Eggs
This Week's Topic: The Clipboard
Question: Tiled Windows
Question: Copy From PDF Files
Websites of Interest: Easter
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Special Feature: Proper Shutdowns
When I turn my computer on, there is a message that says Windows didn't shut down properly. Scan Disk starts, which takes a long time. Why is this happening?
Answer:
The computer must be shut down correctly. All open programs must be closed and all running processes must be stopped.
You have to close all the programs that you opened. When the computer is properly shut down, it will close all running processes.
You cannot press the on button or turn off the switch on the surge protector to properly shut down. Windows provides a command in the Start menu to turn off the computer. Following are the steps to do so:
Windows XP
Click Start. Click Turn Off Computer. A small window will appear in the middle of the screen; click the red button with the words Turn Off Computer below it. The computer will shut down.
Windows 95, 98 and ME
Click Start. Click Shut down. Click Yes or OK. Depending on the configuration of your computer, you may need to manually turn off the computer. If you get a message that says “It is now safe to turn off your computer,” press the On button.
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Tips & Tricks: Quick Maximize
if you have a program open in a small window, you can quickly make it bigger with this keyboard shortcut: hold down the Alt key and press the Space bar. Release those and press the X key. You will see that the window is now maximized.
For more about Minimize, Maximize and Restore, visit our website:
http://stsico.com/html/windows_intro.html
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Featured Computer Term: Easter Eggs
An Easter Egg is a special message, screen or amusing tidbit buried by programmers in their software creations. The message is usually hidden in the code of a program as a joke, intended to be found by persons disassembling or browsing the code.
The message, which can also be a graphic, sound effect or simple game, happens in response to some undocumented set of commands or keystrokes. To see an Easter Egg, you need to know a special procedure or sequence of keystrokes.
Typically, Easter Eggs are used to display the credits for the development team or to display a humorous message.
Find Easter Eggs in programs, movies, DVDs and more at this website:
http://www.eeggs.com/
Is there a computer term or phrase that you'd like to see an explanation of?
Email it to info@computerkindergarten.com and we'll put the term and its
definition in an upcoming newsletter.
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Today's Topic: The Clipboard
I have seen many references to the Windows Clipboard. I cannot find it on my computer though. Can you explain what it is?
Answer:
The Windows clipboard is used to temporarily store the text, images, files or folders that you copy or cut. Once something has been copied or cut to the clipboard it can then be pasted into another location.
The clipboard isn't really a program you have a need to open – it is a feature of Windows that works behind the scenes.
Here’s how it works in a little more detail:
Let’s say you wrote a letter in your word processing program and would now like to send it out in an email to a friend.
Highlight and copy (Edit, Copy) the text from the letter. When you do this, the highlighted and copied text is placed on the clipboard.
Open your email program and then open a new mail window. The copied text is still on the clipboard.
Click in the message area of the new mail window. Paste the copied text in (Edit, Paste). The text that is currently in the clipboard is now placed in the message area of the new mail window.
Information currently on the clipboard will usually remain there until some other text, image, file or folder is copied or cut or until the computer is shut down.
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Question: Tiled Windows
I frequently work with multiple windows open. It seems like there should be a quick method to restore and line them up next to each other. Is there?
Answer:
Yes, there is. Right click on a blank area on the taskbar. From the resulting menu, left click on either Tile Windows Horizontally or Tile Windows Vertically.
Your open windows will now be lined up next to each other. Keep in mind that the more windows you have open the smaller each one will be.
To maximize any of the open windows, either click the Maximize button in the top right corner or right click on that program’s taskbar button and left click on Maximize in the resulting menu.
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Question: Copy From PDF Files
I receive many PDF files and would like to be able to copy text from them. I am not able to highlight and copy text but someone told me that it can be done. Can it?
Answer:
Yes, it can. You will see a toolbar at the top of the PDF document. Look for the Text Select Tool – that’s the button with the T on it. Click it. you will now be able to highlight and copy text.
If you do not have this feature in your version of Acrobat Reader, you can download the latest version, free at:
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
Visit our newsletter archives to learn more about PDF files:
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/051604.html
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Websites of Interest: Easter
We've put many interesting and enjoyable Easter links on our website. For information on religious observations and traditions of the holiday, recipes, graphics, links for children and much more, please take a look:
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/easter.html |
