|
Welcome to today's edition of the Computer Kindergarten Newsletter.
Today is Wednesday, July 11, 2001
In this Issue:
Featured Computer Term: Default
Topic: Safe Shutdowns
Progressive Learning Series: Change Your Default Folder
Featured Website: Anybirthday
***********************************************************************
Today's Featured Computer Term: Default
Default is a value or setting that a device or program automatically selects if you do not specify a substitute. For example, word processors have default margins and default page lengths that you can override or reset.
The default drive is the disk drive the computer accesses unless you specify a different disk drive. Likewise, the default directory is the directory the operating system searches unless you specify a different directory.
The default can also be an action that a device or program will take. For example, some word processors generate backup files by default.
***********************************************************************
Today's Topic: Safe Shutdowns
When your computer stops responding to your actions and you're stuck (for example clicking a button yields no response, your mouse pointer won't move, or a program stubbornly refuses to close), don't reach for the on button right away.
Keeping your computer in good running order depends in part on clean shutdowns (where you choose Start, Shutdown, OK (or Yes, depending on Window version) -- and wait for the "It's now safe to turn off your computer" message) at the end of each Windows session. Too many incomplete shutdowns and abrupt reboots can damage system files and adversely impact the performance of Windows.
If there's a problem and you can't do anything, try this instead: press Ctrl+Alt+Del. The Close Program dialog box opens, listing all of the programs running on your PC at the moment. Look for the program with the words Not Responding next to its listing. Select it and click End Task. If it can, Windows will close this stuck program, freeing you up to save the work in your other programs.
After this, do a proper shutdown and turn back on, just to get everything back in working order.
***********************************************************************
Progressive Learning Series: Change Your Default Folder
If you don't use My Documents for storing your work, you'll find that you're continually changing folders when you save and open Word files.
To point Word away from My Documents and toward your preferred folder, open the Tools menu and select Options. Click the File Locations tab, choose the Documents entry, and click Modify. Select the folder you'd like to use as your default, and click OK.
***********************************************************************
Today's Featured Website: Anybirthday
Here's an interesting Website. Go to anybirthday.com, click on search and you can input anyone's name to find their birthday.
www.anybirthday.com/ |
