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Welcome to this week's edition of the Computer Kindergarten Newsletter.
Today is Sunday, July 18, 2004
In this Issue:
Special Feature: Windows XP - Desktop Cleanup
Tips & Tricks: Windows XP - Changing Your Desktop Icons
Newsletter Archives: The Difference Between Save and Save As
This Week's Topic: Start Programs Automatically
Questions: America Online – Email a Website Link
Websites of Interest: Movietone Portraits; Dream Analysis; 20 Questions; National Hot Dog Day
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Using Links
A Link is a reference to a website. In this newsletter you will see links to
many worthwhile, informative and fun websites. Here are the instructions on
how to use links:
A link will be used one of two ways, depending on your email program.
If you see the link in blue, underlined text, all you have to do is click on
it and a window with the Website in it will automatically appear on your
screen.
If you see the link in plain text, you can copy and paste it into the address
bar on your browser. Highlight the link with your mouse, click Edit up on
the menu bar, and then click Copy from the menu that you just opened up. Open
your browser (click the Start Button, point to Programs, click on Internet
Explorer); click on the address bar. Click Edit up on the menu bar, and then
click Paste from the menu that you just opened up. Press the Enter key on the
keyboard and this will take you to the Website.
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Special Feature: Windows XP - Desktop Cleanup
The Windows XP Desktop Cleanup feature will automatically move desktop icons that you have not used in the past 60 days into a special folder. This folder is called Unused Desktop icons and Windows creates it, on your desktop, in this process.
To use this feature, right click your desktop and left click Properties from the resulting menu. This will open the Display Properties dialog box.
In the Display Properties dialog box, click the Desktop tab and then click the Customize Desktop button. Click the small box to place a check next to Run Desktop Cleanup Wizard every 60 days. You will also see a button called Clean Desktop Now. You can use this to run the wizard manually.
The Desktop Cleanup feature does not delete or remove any programs from your computer. To use an icon that has been moved to the Unused Desktop Icons folder, just double click on that folder icon on your desktop, then on the icon that you want.
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Tips & Tricks: Windows XP - Changing Your Desktop Icons
The desktop has icons that are shortcuts to different programs on your computer. It will have some icons that were added when the operating system (Windows) was installed and additional ones will be created as you add additional programs, folders and files.
You can customize the icons - for example, change the icon for My Documents - with the following steps:
1. Right click a blank area on your desktop and left click Properties from the resulting menu.
2. Click the Desktop tab and click the Customize Desktop button.
3. You will now see the Desktop Icons dialog box. Click to select the desktop icon you want to change. Click the Change Icon button.
4. Click to Select the new icon you want to use and click the OK button.
5. Close any open dialog boxes.
If you don’t like the icons provided by Windows, you can find icons on the Internet that you can download and use. To do so, go to your favorite search engine and look for Windows icons. Download into your My Documents folder.
In Step 3 above, click the Browse button and maneuver to the icon files in your My Documents folder. Select the one you want to use.
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Newsletter Archives: The Difference Between Save and Save As
Question: When I save a file, the menu has Save and Save As. What is the difference? Which one should I use?
Answer:
Take a look at our newsletter archives for the answer to this question:
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/091403.html
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Today's Topic: Start Programs Automatically
If you use the same program or several programs every time you sit down at your computer, you can save yourself a little time and effort by having those programs start up automatically when you turn the computer on. Just turn your computer on, go and get yourself a cup of coffee and by the time you get back, the computer will be on and your favorite programs will be on the screen waiting for you.
Startup in the Programs menu contains shortcuts to programs that will open automatically when the computer is turned on. Click the Start button, point to Programs and you will see Startup in the list of Program. Point to Startup and you will see a list of all the programs that currently open automatically, if any. (Don’t worry if you do not recognize some of the things in there – there are programs that start up and run behind the scenes.)
Here are the steps to put your favorite program into Startup:
1. Right Click the Start button and left click Open from the resulting menu.
2. Double-click the Programs folder. You will now see a window that displays shortcuts and folders for all the programs currently listed in your Start button's Programs area.
3. Double-click the StartUp folder. You will see a Window with the items that are currently set to open automatically.
4. Drag and drop any programs you want to start automatically into the StartUp window. To do so, move the Startup folder off to the side (to move a window, drag it by its title bar- the blue bar across the top). Now, click the Start button and point to Programs. Make sure you can see at least part of the StartUp window.
Point to the program you want to put in StartUp. Hold down the right mouse button and drag it into the Startup window. Release the button and you will see a menu that says Copy here and Move here. Left click on Copy here.
Close all open Windows. If you want to try it out, turn the computer off and back on again. This program should automatically open for you now.
If you no longer want this program to start automatically, all you have to do is steps 1, 2 and 3 above, then delete the program icon from there. This will not remove or delete the program from the computer; it will just stop it from opening automatically.
Note: when programs startup automatically, it will slow down the computer’s start up time.
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Question: America Online – Email a Website Link
Sometimes I visit an interesting website that I would like to refer to friends. How can I do this? I use America Online.
Answer:
When you visit a website that you would like to share with a friend, it is very easy to email the link.
Click on the red heart on the title bar of the website. A dialog box will open in the middle of your screen. Click on Insert in Mail.
An email will open with the website name in the Subject line and a link to the website in the body. Input the recipient’s email address and any note that you would like to include. Click the Send button and you are done.
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Websites of Interest:
Movietone Portraits
Watch videos of great events and celebrities who made history.
http://www.movietone-portraits.com
Dream Analysis
Learn what your dreams mean with the help of this website.
http://www.swoon.com/dream
20 Questions
Play against the computer. Animal, Vegetable or Mineral. Take a look; this website is good!
http://y.20q.net:8095/btest?x=2
Wednesday, July 21 is National Hot Dog Day
Read more about this observance, learn some history and get some interesting hotdog recipes at this website:
http://www.hot-dog.org/ |
