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For quick reference, click on the item of interest to you:
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How much memory should I have on my computer?
This is an often asked question but there really isn't one pat answer.
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Do I have to shut down all my software
Not really. Windows will shut things down for you, which can be a real
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Have you ever been visiting a web site and saw several links you
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Cache (pronounced "cash") memory is supplemental memory used
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Back & Forward on web pages using your Wheel Mouse
This tip, obviously, requires you have a wheel mouse as well as Internet
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Are the descriptions under your desktop icons are too small for you?
You are in luck - this can easily be changed. Right click a blank area
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Have you ever been on a web page and you just know a friend of yours
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A zip file is basically a "package" of one or more compressed files. If
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Quicker Access With IE Favorites
Here is a trick MS Internet Explorer users will like. (Sorry, this does
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After about 15 minutes of not using your computer, your monitor
Windows has a Power Management setting that will shut your monitor off
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You've just been sent an e-mail with a virus warning. Do you send it
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Ever been curious about what's inside the computer box? An
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Cleaning up Your Control Panel
Windows and other programs are great for dumping icons
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For just about everyone, there are two program expulsion options.
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Basically, it allows you to have web-related content on your desktop.
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Sometimes a flicker on your screen can be associated with
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If you have Internet Explorer 4.0 or 5.0 installed, you can
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*This works in Internet Explorer.
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Disabling the CD ROM Autoplay Feature
If your CD ROM drive fires up every time you insert a
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If you'd like to know the official time to set your PC clock to,
How much memory should you have on your computer?
Do I have to shut down all my software before
I shut down my computer?
Better Browsing Tip
What is Cache Memory?
Back & Forward on Web Pages Using your Wheel Mouse
Descriptions under desktop icons too small
Send a Page
What are Zip Files?
Quicker Access With IE Favorites
After about 15 minutes of not using your computer,
your monitor goes blank. Why is this?
Virus Hoaxes
System Information
Cleaning up Your Control Panel
Removing Unwanted Programs
What Does the Active Desktop Do?
Eliminate Screen Flickers
My Computer as a Toolbar
Disabling the CD ROM Autoplay Feature
Sync Up Your PC Clock
However, there are some basic guidelines one can use. First, the
newer your operating system is, the more memory you have. It is a
good idea to know your memory's capacity. For instance, Window's
95 runs best on 16 or 32 meg of RAM. Window's 98 and Window's
ME runs best with 32 or 64 megs of RAM. For Window's 200 and
above, you would not want less than 64 meg of RAM. Preferably,
128 megs.
Another question to consider is how much you run at any given time
while using your computer. If you run a lot of programs at the same
time, or if you use a lot of memory for graphics and games, you
won't be happy with the above numbers. These types of programs
use a lot of memory.
When your computer fills up its RAM, it will begin to put information
that normally would be placed in your memory, onto your hard drive.
This will show in that your computer will become painfully slow and
your hard drive will begin to show a lot of activity.
If your computer is turning to your hard drive frequently, that is a
good indication you may need more memory.
A good general guideline would be to not go under 64 megs of RAM
or higher. If you want more performance, shoot for 128. Again, this
all depends on your personal usage and how much material/graphis
and games you use. If you do a lot of that, you definitely should shoot
for 128 megs. Those who really run a lot of programs and once as
well as store graphics and games, go up to 256 megs!
Now, what about adding some member? Depending on how your
computer is set up, you may have memory slots meant for adding
up to 64 megs at a time. You could start with that and see how
things go. You may find yourself perfectly satisfied - or not!
Older computers however, cannot handle a ton of memory. It
is a good idea to check your owners manual to be safe. If you
have a computer built in the last several years, you should be able
to upgrade to at least 256 megs.
If you are not sure what type of memory your computer takes, again,
check your owners manual. If you are still unsure, you really should
check with a computer shop.
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before I shut my computer down?
time saver if you have a dozen open programs. However, note that if you
have stuff pending (like unsaved documents) Windows will ask if you
want to save this stuff before it shuts down.
Also note that if you have an open folder, you'll find that it gets
re-opened when Windows starts the next time.
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wished to read but did not want to lose spot on the web page?
Next time you find yourself in this spot, right-click the link you
wish to view and select "open in new window" from the menu
that comes up. A new browser window will open and will display
the page you wished to view. If you wish, you may also hold
down the SHIFT key while you click. This will have the same
results; opening the page in a new window.
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to speed things up on your computer. Generally, it is faster than
standard memory and is usually built into your motherboard and/or
your CPU. The cache memory stores frequently used bits of information.
Programs will run the same snippet of code in many cases, again and
again. Instead of grabbing the code from the slower RAM memory,
your CPU grabs it from the faster cache memory.
Things get a little more confusing now. There are two types of cache
memory that you will need to know about. Those are L1 and L2. L1
cache is actually integrated with your CPU, L2 is usually next to the
CPU on the motherboard. The amount of memory varies from board
to board and from chip to chip but is is usually not that much of a
difference. It is less than 2 meg in most instances, but this does
depend on what you buy. Most L1 cache is less than 256K (KB, not
Meg). That is a small amount, but it truly does increase your speed
of your computer's performance significantly.
At this point, many
wonder if they can add more cache memory to further speed things up.
In most cases, no, you cannot and you cannot add L1 at all. Some
motherboards may allow you to add additional L2 cache, but those are
few and far between.
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Explorer.
If you hold down your shift key on a web page and spin the wheel on the
wheel mouse, Explorer goes either back or forward, to previously viewed
web pages, depending on which direction you spin it. Give it a try!
Open up explorer and follow a few links. Then, hold down your SHIFT key
and spin that wheel. Neat, isn't it? This may not be needed often, but it
is fun to play with!
Next, a little Wheel Mouse trick. This, again, is for Internet Explorer only.
Did you ever find yourself on a web page where they have the font so small
you can barely read it? Hold down your CONTROL key and roll the wheel on
your wheel mouse. You will see that you can increase or decrease the font
size as fast as you can spin the wheel.
Again, play with it a little - you never know, this trick may come in handy
from time to time. If you do not have a wheel mouse, you still have the
option of going into your "view" menu on your toolbar and using the option
to increase your font there. The sub menu that comes up when you click
on your "view" menu will have the options listed. Just highlight and click
the size you desire.
Note: You may find in some cases, on some web sites, a difference in the
way it is displayed when you change the font. That does not indicate
anything is wrong with your computer or settings, that is because web
designers often create web sites to look good based on a certain size of
font.
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of your desktop and select Properties from the resulting menu. Click
the Appearance tab and select "Icon" from the "Item" drop down box.
This should be the second option in the drop down box. You should now
see a "Font" drop down box below the one you were just playing with.
You can adjust the size from the "Size" drop down box next to it.
Notes: Times New Roman and Arial are the most readable fonts, so you
may wish to change the font to one of those, also. In addition, you can
also adjust the size of the desktop icons if you wish. On that same screen
use the top "Size" box. If you want them bigger, just arrow up. If you prefer
them smaller, click the down arrow.
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would love to see it? Sure, you can write down the URL for your friend,
but did you ever take a good look at some of the URL's? Whew! What
you can do instead is easier for you and for your friend. First, I should
mention you need to be using Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator
to be able to do this tip. Here is what you do:
In Internet Explorer:
1. Head to your homepage.
2. Click the File menu, Send, Page by e-mail.
3. Outlook Express (or Outlook) will now open and the page you were
just looking at will be made into an e-mail message. Fill in the recipient's
address and send it off. To test this, use your own address and send it to
yourself. Some pages you try to send may give you a message that not
all graphics or such will show in the e-mail the recipient views. If you'd
rather they see the whole page, choose "send a link". This will place the
link of the web page you are browsing right into the e-mail so the recipient
will be able to just click on it and open it.
In Netscape 6:
1. Head to your homepage.
2. Click the File menu, Send Page.
3. Netscape Mail will now open and the page you were just looking at will
be made into an e-mail message. All you need to do is fill in the recipient's
address and send it off. To test this, try sending yourself a link.
Notes: Your friend will need an HTML compatible e-mail client to be able
to view the page, but most e-mail programs are now HTML capable.
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you download a lot of software, you'll run across these all the time.
They are not difficult to work with. You'll need an "unzipping" program
in order to access them, something like Winzip is a good choice.
Once unzipped, you simply run the install program (if there is one) and
you're all set. In fact, Winzip will automatically run the installation
program for you if it finds one!
You can download Winzip from:
http://www.winzip.com
It is a shareware program, so if you use it you should pay for it. It
doesn't have an expiration though, so you can "evaluate" it for as long
as you like.
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not work on Netscape).
I don't know about you, but I have a ton of favorites! Clicking
on my favorites folder drops down hundreds of web sites. Well, if you
find yourself in this position, there is a little trick that will help you out.
Click the "Favorites" menu then hit the first letter of the favorite you are
seeking. The first item with that letter will be highlighted. If that is not
the one you are looking for, tap the letter again. The next favorite that
beings with that letter will be highlighted. When you come to the one
you are looking for, hit the Enter key. There it is!
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goes blank. Why is this?
after a specified amount of time. If you don't like when it's shutting the monitor
off, you can change it by doing the following:
1. Hit the Start button, Settings, Control Panel. Then open the Power
Management icon.
2. Look for the "Turn off monitor" drop box (it's towards the bottom).
Select the amount of time you want the computer to wait before shutting
off the monitor, or tell it not to shut the monitor off at all.
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along to everyone you know? Check the following sites before you
panic or send all your friends into a panic! Why people start these
stupid rumors is anybody's guess, but it happens all the time, sadly.
Symantec Hoax Page
Urban Legends
About.com's Urban Legends & Hoaxes
easy way to find out from the Windows desktop is to
right-click on My Computer, and select System Information
from the menu. Up pops a pretty screen where you can find a
myriad of information, including drives, memory, displays,
Internet, etc.
IMPORTANT NOTE: DO NOT change any of this information unless you
know what you're doing!
More System Information
Windows 98 includes a tool called Microsoft System
Information (Msinfo32.exe). This tool can be used to gather
information about your computer, to diagnose issues with
your computer, or to access other tools that are included
with Windows 98. To start Hardware Diagnostic, click Start,
click Run, type msinfo32.exe in the Open box, and then
click OK.
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in your Control Panel. Other software applications, especially
office suites, sometimes add icons to their own utilities
in the Control Panel. As a result, over time your Control
Panel window can become quite a cluttered mess.
If you have icons in your Control Panel you never use, you
can clean it up. In your c:\windows\system folder (where
c:\windows is the folder where Windows is installed), there
will be one CPL file for every Control Panel item. Identify the
item's CPL file (you can usually tell by the filename) and move
it to a safe place (a diskette or another folder on your hard drive).
Do not simply delete the file; you may want or need it in the
future. Moving the CPL file is sufficient to remove the icon from the
Control Panel.
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The best way, is to click your Start button, go to Programs, select
the program folder - or group - you wish to remove. Check to see if
there is a "program uninstall" option. Most programs include one.
If there is one, highlight it with your mouse, click on it and begin the
uninstall. If the program does not have an uninstall option, we move
on the the "Add/Remove" Programs option. Hit Start, Settings,
Control Panel. Next, open up the "Add/Remove Programs" icon.
Most 32 bit programs should be listed there (older 16 bit dos & win 3.1
programs usually aren't). Just select the one you want taken off and
click the Add/Remove button. The rest is self explanatory - and quick!
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For example, if you like to use different types of background wallpaper
you normally have to use a BMP file. With active desktop installed, you
can use JPEGs too. It also lets you do some other cool things, like
single-clicking of program icons and using HTML documents as wallpaper.
If you have IE 4.0 or better, you probably do have Active Desktop installed.
**Customizing the Web Style Mode of Active Desktop**
If you've enabled Windows Active Desktop feature and use the Web style
setting and the single-click mode as well, you might find the underlining
unattractive or annoying. You can eliminate the underlining, while still
enjoying the convenience of single-clicking. Open My Computer or Windows
Explorer and choose View, Folder Options from the menu. Select the
Custom, Based On Settings You Choose option (if it isn't already selected),
then click the Settings button. Select the "Underline Icon Titles Only When
I Point At Them" option and click OK, followed by Close to apply the new
settings. Your icons and filenames will retain their normal appearance until
you move your mouse pointer over them.
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the refresh rate set for your monitor. To adjust your
monitor for an optimal refresh rate, go to the Control
Panel and double-click on the Display icon. From the
display window, click on the Settings tab. Click on the
button labeled Advanced Properties. Then click on the
Adapter tab to see the refresh rate. The refresh rate may
be set to "optimal", "adapter" or "default". Select the
drop-down box and select 72 or 75. If yours is currently
set higher than 75, leave it alone. If it is set at 60,
change it. Do not move it higher than 75 unless you are
sure your monitor can handle that range. Flicker is not
noticable to the eye at 72 or above.
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turn My Computer into a toolbar by dragging it from your
desktop and dropping it at the very edge of your screen.
Now you have a toolbar listing your computer's key
components. Hold the Ctrl key and click a drive icon to see
all the folders and files in that drive.
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When you find a web page you want to print, press Ctrl-P or select
File/Print to access the Print dialog box, which has many useful options.
It is best NOT to click the Print button on the toolbar because what it
does, by default, is bypass the Print dialog box where you can place
commands and/or make custom selections. To print all frames on a page,
select either the "As laid out on screen" or the "All frames individually"
option. To print an individual frame, move the cursor into the frame you
want to print and click once before you call up the Print dialog box. You
can then select "Only the selected frame."
You can also print all documents linked to the one you're currently
viewing by checking "Print all linked documents." Be warned: some pages
link to a lot of other pages. Check the "Print table of links" box, and
click OK to get a list of all the pages you'll print if you select this.
Finally, if the page you're on contains a link to another page, you can
print that page by right-clicking the link and selecting Print Target.
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CD-and it's driving you crazy-you can disable the autoplay
feature. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and
choose Control Panel. Double-click the System icon and
click the Device Manager tab. Expand the CD ROM tree and
double-click the name of your CD ROM drive. Click the
Settings tab and then deselect the Auto Insert Notification
option. Click OK through the remaining open dialog boxes to
save the new setting. Just remember that the next time you
install software, you'll have to start the setup program
manually.
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go to Time.gov
To reset your time, right-click right where the time is showing on
your taskbar in the lower right corner. A menu will pop up where
you will see the selection "Adjust Date/Time". Highlight that, and
the screen will come up where you make the changes!
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Disclaimer: These tips are intended to help you work with your computer and learn a few tricks with it. Should anything go wrong while you are trying a tip, this site and it's owner holds no responsibilty! These tips, if followed properly, are harmless and fun. Not a one of them can hurt your computer in any manner. If you are doubtful or unsure, do not try one.