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Windows Key Shortcuts

Windows Key alone

Displays the Start Menu.

Windows Key + D

Minimizes all windows and shows the Desktop.

Windows Key + D

Opens all windows and takes you right back to
where you were.

Windows Key + E

Opens a new Explorer Window.

Windows Key + F

Displays the Find all files dialog box.

Windows Key + L

Locks your Windows XP computer.

Windows Key + M

Minimizes all open windows.

Windows Key + Shift
+ M

Restores all previously open windows

Windows Key + R

Displays the Run command.

Windows Key + F1

Displays the Windows Help menu.

Windows Key +
Pause/Break

Displays the Systems Properties dialog.

Windows Key + Tab

Cycles through the Minimized buttons on the
Task Bar.

Alt + Tab

Toggles between open windows.

Everything in your computer is made up of files. Text, photos,
graphics, songs, etc. are all files so you may as well know how to
handle them properly.

Files may be grouped together and put into folders. Folders may to
organize your files and avoid clutter, especially on your desktop which
is a great place to store things that you want to access quickly and
easily. Sooner or later everyone accumulates too many items on the
desktop. I suggest that you create a new folder for your desktop and
put in it all items that you seldom use and even items that you are timid
about deleting for whatever reason. Name this Stuff or Save or
anything else you like knowing it may be renamed whenever you get
the urge. Now you will have one folder instead of perhaps 15 or 20
items that add to Desktop Clutter.

For any of you who may not know how to create a folder, Right

Click on

a clear area of your desktop, point to New and when a

flyout menu

appears, Click on Folder. There is now an icon that is

highlighted

(Selected) and the cursor is blinking. This means it

wants you to give it a

name. Type the one word name you like and

hit Enter to finalize the

operation. You may drag this folder to

wherever you like on the desktop.

Anytime you wish to rename

this

or any folder, Right Click on it, hit

Rename, and proceed as

above.

Start with making a file, say a list of

things you want to do.

MORE FILE MANAGEMENT

When saving a file you can choose Save or Save As. The first
time you save it doesn’t matter because either choice will save
the file the same. Once a file has been saved, if you later open it
and make any changes, you now can save it in its new form only
by going to File, Save. The original file content will disappear.
You can save both the original file and the changed version by
going to File, Save As and a dialog box will open. For the new
version to be saved as an additional file, at least one of the three
original descriptions must be changed. In the Save In box you
may enter a new location or in the File Name you may alter the
name however you wish. I usually just add the number 1 or the
letter A to the original name.
The third place where you may make a change is in the Save as
type field but that is not usually done except when you are
dealing with photos and want to change the format from perhaps
a jpeg to a bmp or tiff. This will be discussed in a later article. If
you close the file by using the X on top without first going to File
and a Save option, you will be asked if you want to save the
changes. If you say Yes the changed version will replace the
original. If you say No the original file will remain. You will have
lost the opportunity to save both versions.
When a folder is opened you have several choices as to how you
may view the contents. Go to View on one of the top toolbars and
take your pick. Click on each one and compare the results. If your
folder contains photos then use Thumbnails but for everything
else I prefer the List view as everything is alphabetical, concise,
and easy to find. You may prefer the Details view which gives
additional data. Check them all out and decide what you want to
use. Change the view at will.

SHORTCUTS

The last item I wish to discuss is Shortcuts. A shortcut is an icon

that

takes you to a folder, file, game, program, etc. that you

designate and

may be put almost anywhere but usually on your

Desktop. The simplest

way to create a shortcut is to Right Click

the item and point to Send

To. In the flyout menu that comes

Click on Desktop (create shortcut)

and release. The shortcut

now somewhere on your desktop. If you

prefer you may

rename it

as described in a previous article. You will

know which

icons are

shortcuts by the little curved arrow on the lower

left

corner of the

icon. In a future article I will discuss the

convenience of

using the

Send To folder and how you can add

your favorite locations to

you won’t be limited to Microsoft’s

very few default areas.

Windows uses many temporary files during normal computer

efficiency. They should be deleted

regularly, perhaps monthly

with

normal use.

Go Offline, Disable Zone Alarm, Norton, & programs that are

running;

Zone Alarm & AntiVirus may be enough.

If a file cannot

deleted, while

all files are Selected, hold Ctrl down and Click

that

file to deselect.

To eliminate many unnecessary temp files Click on Start > Find or

Search > All Files and Folders.

In the File Name box type *.tmp and then scroll down to the Look

box

and make sure it says Local Hard Drives (C). Click Find

Now or

Search.

This will find many files ending in *.tmp -- all are

unnecessary, including

some stray ones that may have found

their

way into other directories.

Now Select and Delete. Many temporary files on the hard drive

will

eliminated.

Additional tmp files can be found by doing the following:

(1) Click on the START menu.

(2) Click Run

(3) Enter %temp%

(4) Click OK.

That will open a temp folder. Delete all files that can be deleted.

Then also in Run

enter %systemroot%\Temp and click Okay.

Delete

all these files that you can.

When deleting you may get a message that a particular file

cannot

deleted. If so Select that file and then go to Edit >

Invert

Selection. Now

all files except the pesky one are Selected

Delete them. If you get

another troublesome file it will be at

the

top

of the list so Select all below

it and again Delete.

Eventually

you will

have deleted all but a very few

files that you

can live with.

Empty the Recycle Bin because this is where those deleted files

went

and you don’t need them.

Another suggestion:

Open Control Panel > Internet Options > Advanced and near the

bottom check Empty Temporary Internet Files when browser is

closed.

With these temporary files removed your computer will work

efficiently.

SYSTEM RESTORE

System Restore is a utility found in Windows ME and

Windows XP

operating

systems. This function

automatically takes a picture of

your

hard drive’s

Windows system files and the Registry.

problem by using System

Restore to

back to a time

when all was well.

Every day that

your

computer is in

use

when there is a brief period of

inactivity

System

Restore is

supposed to

create a checkpoint. Also,

new

strange and some

If your computer starts

program is

checkpoint is to be

installed a

created. This

usually

does

happen but

sometimes it

doesn’t. Therefore,

before

you install

something

that

may

cause

problems,

it is a good idea

to create

your

own Restore Point

manually.

create a Restore Point, go to Start, Programs,

Accessories,

System

Tools, System Restore and follow

the prompts. If going

back in time

does

not resolve the

issue you may undo that

change and revert to

time. I find that System Restore

works well if

it is used

soon

as you notice

something is wrong

but

if you try to go back

to a

date that

is more than 2

weeks

ago

it is less likely to work. This

utility

won’t affect

any

files you have

created or My Documents,

Temporary

Internet Files,

Internet

Explorer

History, Cookies,

Favorites, Outlook

Express, or the

Recycle Bin.

However,

when you

revert to an earlier

date, all

programs

that were installed after the

date will be lost.

If your computer is infected with a virus you should

shut

down

System

Restore so that once your machine is

virus free you will

not

re-

infect it

by going back to a

Restore Point that will have the

virus

napping in a

corner. When the virus has been removed you

may

restart System

Restore.

All the old checkpoints will be

gone

but

you will be creating

new

ones

immediately. If

you do not have

Windows ME or XP you may

buy

GoBack by

Norton which is

almost

identical to System

Restore.

GoBack

and Norton

Antivirus

are both

included in Norton System

Works.

SEND TO

The Send To option is used to move files around. If you

and select Send

To.

Then click the

folder where you

want to place the file. That

will put

a copy of the file in

the second folder, while leaving the

original in

its place.

You can also

use Send To if you want to e-

mail a file.

Again, Right Click the file and

click Mail Recipient.

This

will open

your e-mail software with the file

already

attached.

Address and

send. Or you can create a

shortcut on

the desktop.

Right Click the

item and Click

Desktop (create shortcut)

once you’

ve reached the

Send To folder. Windows comes with just a few

basic

folder

entries

in its Send To folder but you can add

such as

Jokes,

Cartoons, Photo Albums, Letters,

Tips, etc.

Folders are easy to

add to the Send To folder.

To do this, click

Start, Run. In the text

box,

enter

“SendTo” (without the quotes and

no space between

both words).

Click OK. The Send To folder will

open. In

the Send

To folder, click File,

New, Shortcut. Click the

Browse button and

find the folder in which you

are

interested.

Click it and click OK.

Click Next and type a

name for the

shortcut

or leave what is there.

Click

Finish. Repeat for each folder you

want to add.

Most advertised and/or promoted Windows utilities for consumer PCs

are “feel-good” add-ons. The more heavily promoted, the more likely

they are ineffective, and simply a means of draining your pocketbook

or wallet.

Please do not succumb to the temptation to download them and/or use
them. If they have been injected into your PC by some means, remove
them. This includes Driver Update Utilities, Various Security add-ons, and
Registry Cleaners. Updated Drivers are always available from your system’s
manufacturer, and are the only drivers that should be used with your system
– other non-OEM (original Equipment Manufacturer) drivers will in most
cases introduce incompatibilities.

The only recommended basic utility products for the non-professional are:

Malwarebytes – Anti-Malware detection and removal adjunct to your
Anti-Virus.
CCleaner by Piriform– Literally “Crap” Cleaner removes accumulated
detritus (avoid the Registry Cleaner options).
Secunia - Software Version Inspector – Advises regarding outdated
Software versions that possess vulnerabilities.
Defraggler by Piriform – Customizable defragmenter only for older
systems.

FILE AND FOLDER TASKS
Other Places lists areas where you may open a group of
folders contained therein. The File & Folder Task area lets
you quickly do many things from right where you are.

Some of these things are

Move, E-mail, Delete,

Print,

Copy,

Rename

, etc. The options available will

vary with the

particular

file that

you open.

You can close this pane to utilize the entire window

area for

the

folder

contents or get it back if it is

missing by going to

Tools >

Folder

Options > Show

common tasks in

folders > Okay

While there, check out all the other options and you may

want

use

some. Please note that when only one

choice is made

there is

only an

Okay button and no

Apply button. That is

because

anytime

only one

change

is made Okay without Apply

sufficient.

However, if

you make

more than one change

Apply will

pop up

and

you must hit Apply and

then Okay. This

is standard

all

through Windows.

"POP" is an acronym for "Post Office Protocol". A communications "protocol" is just the language
used between your email program, a POP client, and your ISP's mail - or POP - server.

SMTP stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. Again, another language used between your
email program, an SMTP client, and the SMTP server to which you will send your email.

POP3 is one half of the email puzzle, and SMTP is the other. POP3 is the protocol, or
"language", that's used to download your email from your ISP to your mail program. SMTP is the
protocol used to send mail.

But why "POP"? or 3? And what are you supposed to enter when you're asked to configure your
"POP3" or "SMTP" account in your email client?.

This is version 3 of the POP protocol. It underwent a few revisions before it became what it is
today.

To configure a POP account you need three pieces of information:

The name of your ISP's mail server that holds your email. Typically it's something like
"mail.example.com".
The name of the account you were assigned by your ISP. This may or may not be your
email name, or something like it, or something completely unrelated.
The password to your account.

With that properly configured, you can download the email that your ISP has been collecting on
your behalf.

Sending mail uses a different protocol, SMTP, which stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol,
language used between your email program, an SMTP client, and the SMTP server to which you
send your email. Typically your SMTP server will be the same as your POP3 server, though
that's not always the case. If so, it doesn't really imply that the two are related, just that the same
machine is acting as a server for both protocols.

Like POP3, the SMTP server may require you to log in first; often with the same account
information that the POP3 server used. (If it doesn't require you to authenticate somehow, it's
called an "open relay" and may be a major contributor to internet spam.)

So to configure your outgoing mail, you'll specify the name of the outgoing server, and possibly
the login information it will use.

And finally, note that all of this really applies only to email programs that you run on your own
computer, like Outlook, Eudora and others. Web-based email, such as Hotmail, Yahoo and the
like, simply display the email directly from their servers in your web browser - no configuration
needed, other than logging in.