Author Archive

How to Change the Default Icons for Folders in Windows XP
You cannot customize the default icon for a folder in Windows; however, you can make a shortcut to a folder and change the look of the shortcut icon. To make a shortcut to a folder and change the look of the shortcut icon:
·    Open My Computer and browse to the folder that you want.
·    Right-click the folder, and then click Create Shortcut. If you are prompted to place the shortcut on the desktop, click Yes.
·    Right-click the shortcut you created, click Properties, and then click Change Icon.
·    Click the picture of the icon you would like the shortcut to use, click OK, and then click OK.
No Icons Available
If you click Change Icon, and there are no icons available, use the Browse button to find Shell32.dll:
·    Right-click the shortcut you created, click Properties, and then click Change Icon.
·    Click Browse, type %systemroot%\system32\shell32.dll in the File name box, click Open, click the icon you want to use, click OK, and then click OK.

How to Change Column Settings in Windows Explorer
This article describes how to change the column settings in Windows Explorer. To change which columns are displayed, or change the width or order of the windows and folders in Windows Explorer:
·    In Windows Explorer, click the folder, and then click Choose Details on the View menu.
·    Click to select the check box of each item that you would like to add to the current view, or click to clear the check boxes of items that you do not want.
·    To reorder your columns, click the item (but do not clear the check box), and then click Move Up or Move Down until the items are in the order that you want. Click OK.
Note: You must click Details on the View menu in order to display the details of the files in the selected folder.
To change the width of the columns, use the appropriate method:
Method One
·    On the View menu, click Choose Details, and then click the name of the column that you want to adjust. In the Width of selected column (in pixels) box, enter the size thatyou want, and then click OK.
Method Two
·    Widen columns manually by positioning the mouse pointer between two border buttons of the column headings, the pointer turns into a double arrowhead.
·    Click and hold the left mouse button, and then drag the column to the desired width.

To set wizard options:
·    For users with low vision, click the I am blind or have difficulty seeing things on screen option, and then click Next.
·    Select the scroll bar and window border size that is comfortable, and then click Next.
·    Select the icon size that is comfortable, and then click Next.
·    Select the high-contrast color scheme that is comfortable, and then click Next.
·    Select the size and color of the mouse cursor that is comfortable, and then click Next.
·    Adjust the cursor blink rate and size that is comfortable, and then click Next.
·    Click Finish to apply your settings.
Turn Off, Display, and Select an Animated Character in Search Companion in Windows XP
This article describes how to turn off, display, and select a different animated screen character in Search Companion.
How to Turn Off the Animated Screen Character
·    Click Start, and then click Search.
·    In the Search Companion dialog box, click Change Preferences.
·    In the How do you want to use Search Companion box, click Without an animated screen character.
The screen character is no longer displayed in Search Companion.
Note: You can also right-click the screen character, and then click Turn off the animated character in the You rang box.
How to Display the Animated Screen Character
·    Click Start, and then click Search.
·    In the Search Companion dialog box, click Change Preferences.
·    Click With an animated screen character in the How do you want to use Search Companion box.
The screen character is displayed in Search Companion.
How to Select a Different Animated Screen Character
·    Click Start, and then click Search.
·    In the Search Companion dialog box, click Change Preferences.
·    Click With a different character in the How do you want to use Search Companion box.
·    Click Back or Next in the Which character would you like to use box to view the characters.
·    When the character that you want is displayed, click OK.
The screen character that you selected is displayed in Search Companion.
Note: You can also right-click the screen character, and then click Choose a different animated character in the You rang box.
Troubleshooting
If the Search Companion dialog box is not displayed, press F3 to open it.
You can also open the Search Companion dialog box when you press F3 in Windows Explorer, My Computer, or Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Click the options that you need on the Narrator dialog box:
·    Click Announce events on screen to have new windows, menus, or shortcut menus read aloud when they are displayed.
·    Click Read typed characters to have typed characters read aloud.
·    Click Move mouse pointer to the active item to have the pointer follow the active item on the screen.
·    Click the Voice button to adjust the speed, volume, or pitch of the voice.
The Control Panel Accessibility Program
You can use the Accessibility Program in Control Panel to enable and configure
features that assist users who have low vision. To open the Accessibility dialog box:
·    Click Start, click Control Panel, and then click Accessibility Options.
·    In the Accessibility Options dialog box, select the Display tab to have access to options for visually-impaired users.
·    Select the Use High Contrast check box to change the screen display to use colors and fonts designed for easier reading.
·    Click the Settings button to select a high-contrast color scheme for your Windows XP system. The default high-contrast scheme is High Contrast Black (Large).
·    Choose a scheme from the drop-down list in the High contrast appearance screen;
picking a scheme with the word “large” or “extra large” in the scheme name is typically best.
·    Use the Cursor Options section of the dialog box to change the appearance of the cursor so that it is easier to see:
·    Adjust the Blink Rate to change the speed of the cursor’s blinking action.
·    Move the slider bar between None and Fast until you find the blink rate that makes it easy to spot the cursor on the screen.
·    Adjust the width of the cursor by moving the Width slider bar between Narrow and
Wide until you find the width that is easy to see.
The Accessibility Wizard
If you prefer the wizard interface to enable features, open the Accessibility Wizard.
To open the Accessibility Wizard:
·    Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to Accessibility, and then click Accessibility Wizard.
·    When the wizard starts, click Next to begin setting accessibility options.
Use the wizard options that apply to features for users with low vision. The following three options are displayed on the Text size options screen:
·    Use usual size text for Windows: This option makes no changes to the standard Windows appearance scheme.
·    Use large window titles and menus: This option is the same as selecting the High Contrast option in the Accessibility program in Control Panel.
·    Use Microsoft Magnifier, and large titles and menus: This option turns on Magnifier. Click Next after making your selection. On the next screen, the options thatare displayed depend on the choices that you selected in the previous screen. Click Next to continue.
Note: After you have completed the first part of the Accessibility Wizard and the Set Wizard Options section, completes the process to set the Accessibility Features

To update Magnifier options:
To use the change position of the Magnifier window feature:
·    Place the pointer inside the magnification window. The insertion point becomes a hand. Use a drag-and drop operation to move the window to the desired area on your desktop.
To use the change size of the Magnifier window feature:
·    Move the pointer over the edge of the magnification window. The insertion point becomes a double-pointed arrow. Use a drag-and drop operation to move the magnification window border to resize the window.To use the invert colors of the Magnifier window feature:
·    In the Magnifier Settings dialog box, select the Invert colors check box.
To use the set the magnification level feature, In the Magnifier Settings dialog box,
select a magnification level. The default magnification level is 2.
To use the set Magnifier tracking options feature:
·    Select the check box next to each tracking option that you want to use.
To magnify the area around the pointer as it moves on the screen:
·    Select Follow mouse cursor.
To magnify the area at the insertion point:
·    Select Follow keyboard focus. When you press TAB or use the arrow keys, the focus moves to reflect the current screen position.
To display the magnified area that surrounds the insertion point while you are typing:
·    Select Follow text editing.
To Use Narrator to Provide Audio Assistance for the Screen Display
Narrator is a text-to-speech utility for users who are blind or who have low vision.
Narrator is designed to work with Notepad, WordPad, Control Panel programs, Microsoft Internet Explorer, the Windows desktop, and Windows Setup. Narrator may not work correctly in other programs. Narrator reads what is displayed on your screen: the contents of the active window, menu options, or the text that you have typed. You must have text-to-speech capabilities installed on the computer to use Narrator. Narrator is not available for all languages and is currently only supported on the English version of Windows XP. Narrator has a number of options with which you can customize the way in which screen elements are read.

The Start Menu Accessibility Programs
The Start menu contains visual enhancement utilities that you can select.
To use the Accessibility program:
·    Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, and then click Accessibility.
·    Select one of the following features:
Magnifier: With this feature, you can enlarge the screen display.
Narrator: This feature provides audio assistance about the items that are displayed on the screen.
To Use Magnifier to Enlarge the Screen Display
Magnifier is a display utility that makes the screen more readable for users who have low vision. Magnifier creates a separate window on which a magnified portion of the screen is displayed. You can also change the color scheme of the magnification window for easier visibility. You can move or resize the Magnifier window, or use a drag-and-drop operation to move it to the edge of the screen and lock it in place.
Magnifier is intended to provide a minimum level of functionality for users with slight visual problems. When Magnifier is open, you can arrange the Magnifier window, and use the Magnifier Settings dialog box to set Magnifier options

Excels Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut key
Action

Menu equivalent
comments

Version
Ctrl+A

Select All

None

All
Ctrl+B

Bold

Format, Cells, Font, Font Style, Bold

All
Ctrl+C

Copy

Edit, Copy

All
Ctrl+D

Fill Down

Edit, Fill, Down

All
Ctrl+F

Find

Edit, Find

All
Ctrl+G

Goto

Edit, Goto

All
Ctrl+H

Replace

Edit, Replace

All
Ctrl+I

Italic

Format, Cells, Font, Font Style, Italic

All
Ctrl+K

Insert Hyperlink

Insert, Hyperlink

Excel 97/2000
Ctrl+N

New Workbook

File, New

All
Ctrl+O

Open

File, Open

All
Ctrl+P

Print

File, Print

All
Ctrl+R

Fill Right

Edit, Fill Right

All
Ctrl+S

Save

File, Save

All
Ctrl+U

Underline

Format, Cells, Font, Underline, Single

All
Ctrl+V

Paste

Edit, Paste

All
Ctrl W

Close

File, Close

Excel 97/2000
Ctrl+X

Cut

Edit, Cut

All
Ctrl+Y

Repeat

Edit, Repeat

All
Ctrl+Z

Undo

Edit, Undo

All
F1

Help

Help, Contents and Index

All
F2

Edit

None

All
F3

Paste Name

Insert, Name, Paste

All
F4

Repeat last action

Edit, Repeat. Works while not in Edit mode.

All
F4

While typing a formula, switch between absolute/relative refs

None

All
F5

Goto

Edit, Goto

All
F6

Next Pane

None

All
F7

Spell check

Tools, Spelling

All
F8

Extend mode

None

All
F9

Recalculate all workbooks

Tools, Options, Calculation, Calc,Now

All
F10

Activate Menubar

N/A

All
F11

New Chart

Insert, Chart

All
F12

Save As

File, Save As

All
Ctrl+:

Insert Current Time

None

All
Ctrl+;

Insert Current Date

None

All
Ctrl+”

Copy Value from Cell Above

Edit, Paste Special, Value

All
Ctrl+’

Copy Fromula from Cell Above

Edit, Copy

All
Shift

Hold down shift for additional functions in Excel’s menu

none

Excel 97/2000
Shift+F1

What’s This?

Help, What’s This?

All
Shift+F2

Edit cell comment

Insert, Edit Comments

All
Shift+F3

Paste function into formula

Insert, Function

All
Shift+F4

Find Next

Edit, Find, Find Next

All
Shift+F5

Find

Edit, Find, Find Next

All
Shift+F6

Previous Pane

None

All
Shift+F8

Add to selection

None

All
Shift+F9

Calculate active worksheet

Calc Sheet

All
Shift+F10

Display shortcut menu

None

All
Shift+F11

New worksheet

Insert, Worksheet

All
Shift+F12

Save

File, Save

All
Ctrl+F3

Define name

Insert, Names, Define

All
Ctrl+F4

Close

File, Close

All
Ctrl+F5

XL, Restore window size

Restore

All
Ctrl+F6

Next workbook window

Window, …

All
Shift+Ctrl+F6

Previous workbook window

Window, …

All
Ctrl+F7

Move window

XL, Move

All
Ctrl+F8

Resize window

XL, Size

All
Ctrl+F9

Minimize workbook

XL, Minimize

All
Ctrl+F10

Maximize or restore window

XL, Maximize

All
Ctrl+F11

Inset 4.0 Macro sheet

None in Excel 97. In versions prior to 97 – Insert, Macro, 4.0 Macro

All
Ctrl+F12

File Open

File, Open

All
Alt+F1

Insert Chart

Insert, Chart…

All
Alt+F2

Save As

File, Save As

All
Alt+F4

Exit

File, Exit

All
Alt+F8

Macro dialog box

Tools, Macro, Macros in Excel 97 Tools,Macros – in earlier versions

Excel 97/2000
Alt+F11

Visual Basic Editor

Tools, Macro, Visual Basic Editor

Excel 97/2000
Ctrl+Shift+F3

Create name by using names of row and column labels

Insert, Name, Create

All
Ctrl+Shift+F6

Previous Window

Window, …

All
Ctrl+Shift+F12

Print

File, Print

All
Alt+Shift+F1

New worksheet

Insert, Worksheet

All
Alt+Shift+F2

Save

File, Save

All
Alt+=

AutoSum

No direct equivalent

All
Ctrl+`

Toggle Value/Formula display

Tools, Options, View, Formulas

All
Ctrl+Shift+A

Insert argument names into formula

No direct equivalent

All
Alt+Down arrow

Display AutoComplete list

None

Excel 95
Alt+’

Format Style dialog box

Format, Style

All
Ctrl+Shift+~

General format

Format, Cells, Number, Category, General

All
Ctrl+Shift+!

Comma format

Format, Cells, Number, Category, Number

All
Ctrl+Shift+@

Time format

Format, Cells, Number, Category, Time

All
Ctrl+Shift+#

Date format

Format, Cells, Number, Category, Date

All
Ctrl+Shift+$

Currency format

Format, Cells, Number, Category, Currency

All
Ctrl+Shift+%

Percent format

Format, Cells, Number, Category, Percentage

All
Ctrl+Shift+^

Exponential format

Format, Cells, Number, Category,

All
Ctrl+Shift+&

Place outline border around selected cells

Format, Cells, Border

All
Ctrl+Shift+_

Remove outline border

Format, Cells, Border

All
Ctrl+Shift+*

Select current region

Edit, Goto, Special, Current Region

All
Ctrl++

Insert

Insert, (Rows, Columns, or Cells) Depends on selection

All
Ctrl+-

Delete

Delete, (Rows, Columns, or Cells) Depends on selection

All
Ctrl+1

Format cells dialog box

Format, Cells

All
Ctrl+2

Bold

Format, Cells, Font, Font Style, Bold

All
Ctrl+3

Italic

Format, Cells, Font, Font Style, Italic

All
Ctrl+4

Underline

Format, Cells, Font, Font Style, Underline

All
Ctrl+5

Strikethrough

Format, Cells, Font, Effects, Strikethrough

All
Ctrl+6

Show/Hide objects

Tools, Options, View, Objects, Show All/Hide

All
Ctrl+7

Show/Hide Standard toolbar

View, Toolbars, Stardard

All
Ctrl+8

Toggle Outline symbols

None

All
Ctrl+9

Hide rows

Format, Row, Hide

All
Ctrl+0

Hide columns

Format, Column, Hide

All
Ctrl+Shift+(

Unhide rows

Format, Row, Unhide

All
Ctrl+Shift+)

Unhide columns

Format, Column, Unhide

All
Alt or F10

Activate the menu

None

All
Ctrl+Tab

In toolbar: next toolbar

None

Excel 97/2000
Shift+Ctrl+Tab

In toolbar: previous toolbar

None

Excel 97/2000
Ctrl+Tab

In a workbook: activate next workbook

None

Driving around your desktop

To…	Use this shortcut
Select a file/folder/icon	Type the first letter of the file. If you have several files starting with the same letter, continue hitting the letter key until your cursor lands on the file or folder you want.
Search for a file/folder	F3
Rename a file/folder	Select the file/folder, click F2, and then re-type the name
Find out when the file or folder was created, by whom, and how big it is	Select the file, right-click, and then click Properties
Display the Start menu	Ctrl + Esc
Create a shortcut on your desktop to your favorite file/folder	Drag the file/folder icon to your desktop
Scroll between open items	Alt + Tab, then hold down Alt while clicking Tab to reach the desired file or program

Working with Word

To…	Use this shortcut
Select text	Shift + Right Arrow, Left Arrow, Up Arrow, or Down Arrow to highlight text
Copy selected text	Ctrl + C
Cut selected text	Ctrl + X
Paste selected text	Ctrl + V
Undo your last action	Ctrl + Z
Select all the text within your document	Ctrl + A
Bold text	Ctrl + B
Italicize text	Ctrl + I
Underline	Ctrl + U
Decrease font size	Ctrl + Shift + <
Increase font size	Ctrl + Shift + >
Change font	Ctrl + Shift + F, then use the arrow keys to reach the new font
Change font size	Ctrl + Shift + P, then use the arrow keys to reach the new font size
Create page break	Ctrl + Enter
Create new document	Ctrl + N
Open My Documents window	Ctrl + O
Close a document	Ctrl + W
Save a document	Ctrl + S
Print a document	Ctrl + P
Preview what you’re about to print	Alt + Ctrl + I

Accelerating Excel

To…	Use this shortcut
Move right to left, cell by cell	Tab
Move up and down, cell by cell	Enter
Erase data in current cell	Backspace
Return to the beginning of the row	Home
Enter the date	Ctrl + ; (semicolon)
Enter the time	Ctrl + Shift + : (colon)
Start a formula	= (equal sign)
Check the spelling of titles or words within the cells	F7
Find out about the style within the cell	ALT + ‘ (apostrophe)
Display the Format Cells dialog box	Ctrl + 1
Apply the general number format	Ctrl + Shift + ~
Turn numbers into dollars	Ctrl + Shift + $
Make numbers a percentage	Ctrl + Shift + %
Apply a border	Ctrl + Shift + &

You can use keyboard shortcuts to access the Font box and the Font Size box on the Formatting toolbar and then quickly change the font or size of selected text.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Select the text you want to change.

2. Press CTRL+SHIFT+F to access the Font box or CTRL+SHIFT+P to access the Font Size box.

3. Press UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW to select the font name or size you want.

4. Press ENTER to accept the font name or size.

Editor’s Note: This tip works in the following Office 2000 programs: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft FrontPage®, PowerPoint, Microsoft Publisher, and Word.

Many freeware and commercial software programs have a habit of setting themselves up to run automatically upon Windows startup. This can contribute to the gradual decline in startup speed that most Windows XP systems (and windows PCs in general) experience. Also, having programs that you only use selectively, or not at all, load automatically is a waste of system resources that could be better used for other things.

To top it off, many internet nasties such as spyware programs, viruses and Trojan horses will install themselves into one of the automatic start locations on your system in order to make sure that they are run on startup. So the point is, take a look at what is currently running every time you load your PC, and disable what you don’t need or can’t identify.

To do this: The first place you should go is ’start\programs\startup’ which is a directory Windows XP uses to launch application shortcuts on boot-up.

If you remove the shortcuts from this directory, the applications will not load on startup. This directory can also be a repository for various badness such as spyware and virus software, so if there are files here which are not shortcuts and you don’t recognize them, you may wish to consider removing them anyways, as Windows will not place critical files in this directory.

The next location for removing unnecessary startup files is the handy MSCONFIG utility that has been resurrected from the graveyard of Windows 9x especially for XP.

Go to ’start\run’ and type ‘msconfig’ to access the utility.

The ’startup’ tab in MSCONFIG provides access to several other applications that are started at boot up and are running in the background. By examining their Filenames and directories, you should be able to get a feeling for what is necessary and what is not. Be aware than several viruses and worms have a habit of disguising themselves with authoritative sounding Windows system file names.

The other method for removing these programs is through the programs themselves, as many applications, for example MSN messenger, contain the option to remove the software from startup.