TECH TIPS
from the Technology Committee [click to view their home page]

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Do you have a question or topic that you would like addressed in Tech Tips? We welcome your submissions!

This Edition's Categories:

Web Browsing / Email     |     MS Power Tips     |    Computers & Hardware

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Web Browsing / Email

Have Internet Explorer automatically delete temporary files

1. From within IE, click on Tools, Internet Options.
2. Select the Advanced tab
3. Scroll down to the Security area
4. Check the box to Empty Temporary Internet Files when browser is closed.

Michael DeCamillis, Dolvin Consulting, Inc — www.dolvin.com

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MS Power Tips

Office 2007 Compatibility

Microsoft Office 2007 saves files in a format which is not readable by earlier versions of Office, such as Office 2003. By installing the Compatibility Pack in addition to Microsoft Office 2000, Office XP, or Office 2003, you will be able open, edit, and save files using the file formats new to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007. You can download the Compatibility pack at http://download.microsoft.com.

Sam Giraffe, Giraffe Tech LLC — www.giraffetech.biz

Eliminate Error Reporting popup after a crash

Want to get rid of the anoying "Report this error?" interview after a program crashes in Windows?

1.Right-click on My Computer
2.Select Properties
3.Click on Advanced
4.Choose Error Reporting
5.Check the box to disable error reporting.

Jonathan B Bayer, Bayer Technology Group — www.bayertechnologygroup.com

Handy Windows short cut keys

Press the Window key alone to display the Start menu. Press the “Windows” key and the following for some time saving shortcuts:
1. Tab – Scroll through the Taskbar buttons.
2. D – Display the Desktop. Press again to restore all windows.
3. E – Opens the File explorer.
4. F - Opens the Find or Search window.
5. L - Lock your computer.
6. M – Minimize all open windows.
7. Shift+M – Restores all previously open windows.
8. R – Display the Run command.
9. F1 – Displays the Windows Help menu.
10. Pause/Break – Displays the system properties box.

Michael DeCamillis, Dolvin Consulting— www.dolvin.com

Parental Controls in Vista

Microsoft Vista Home Premium & Ultimate includes parental controls that let you control the Internet access of users on your computer. You can limit web access to certain known sites, and also allow access to the Internet only in certain hours of the day This feature is not available in any release of Windows XP, it is a Vista specific feature.

Sam Giraffe, Giraffe Tech LLC — www.giraffetech.biz

Eliminate eye candy on Windows XP

To turn off the unnecessary graphic effects (and possibly make your machine run more efficiently) right-click the desktop, select Properties and change the Theme to Windows Classic.

Jonathan B Bayer, Bayer Technology Group — www.bayertechnologygroup.com

Eliminate New Programs highlight

1.Right-click the Start button and choose Properties.
2.Click Customize and choose the Advanced tab.
3.Uncheck "Highlight Newly Installed Programs."

Jonathan B Bayer, Bayer Technology Group — www.bayertechnologygroup.com

Assign your own drive letters

Windows 2000, 2003, XP and Vista
Open the Disk Management console (diskmgmt.msc).
Right-click on any drive, and select Change drive letter and path.
Windows will let you know if the drive letter cannot be changed for some reason.

Jonathan B Bayer, Bayer Technology Group — www.bayertechnologygroup.com

The Ultimate Time-saving MS Office Tips

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Zoom control

You can use the scroll button on your mouse to zoom in and out of documents quickly. Just hold down the CTRL key and roll the scroll wheel forward to zoom in and get a closer look or roll backward to zoom out.

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Menu options

If you hold down the SHIFT key while selecting the File menu in Word or Outlook while composing a message, the menu options change. Options to Save All and Close all open files.

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Special symbols

The Auto Correct feature in Office can automatically place symbols in your documents.

( c ) will create: ©
( r ) will create: ®
( tm ) will create: ™

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Simple way to add a separator line in a Word document

You can create a line across the page in Word or Outlook with a few simple keystrokes.
1. Type three consecutive hyphens and press the Enter key to get at normal line.
2. Type three consecutive underscores and press the Enter key to get a bold line.
3. Type three consecutive equal signs and press the Enter key to get a double line.

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Smart tags

Smart tags were introduced in Office XP and are small XML based icons that dynamically appear above or below data when an action is possible. Some smart tags are specific to an application, like Stock symbols in Excel or to a specific type of data like an address in Word or Outlook. The most universal is the Paste options which appears whenever data is pasted into any office application.

To enable the smart tags, select Auto Correct options in the Tools menu of any Office application and click on Smart Tags tab. Make sure the Label text with smart tags box is checked. You can find numerous recognizers such as address, financial symbol, person name, and others. You can also select to remove Smart tags.

Press Alt+Shift+F10 to display Smart tag options.

Paste Smart tag:
After pasting data in any Office application. Click on the Smart tag (looks like a clipboard) will open a menu with numerous formatting choices.

Matching destination formatting will format the data being pasted the same way as the rest of the document. Keep source formatting will keep the pasted data in the same format you found it.

Address Smart tag:
If you type the name of one your Outlook contacts in a Word document, a Smart tag will provide options to send an Email, open the contact information, insert the person’s address, or schedule a meeting.

You can also add the address to your contact list and to display either a map or driving directions.

Excel error checking Smart tag:
Error checking tags appear when a cell entry violates a set of rules for a function or formula. The choices offered help users spot possible errors in calculations and enable corrections.

Stock symbol Smart tag:
In Excel the Smart tag recognizes Stock symbols and lets users get information from MSN Money Central.

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Move paragraphs

Do not waste time dragging text around within your document using the mouse. Just click on the paragraph that you would like to move, hold down Shift+Alt, and move the paragraph up or down using the arrow keys. Each press of the arrow key causes the selected paragraph to jump over on adjacent paragraph.

Michael DeCamillis, Dolvin Consulting, Inc — www.dolvin.com

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Computers & Hardware

WIRELESS NETWORKING: Stay Safe When Using Public Wireless Networks (Hotspots)

Public wireless networks (also known as hotspots) don’t use encryption, which means your data is not protected while being transmitted through the air. It is possible for a criminal using high-tech equipment to intercept this data and view your user names, passwords, credit card numbers, financial documents, or other private information. To stay safe while using a hotspot, follow these tips:

• Disable your wireless card when not using it: There is no better way to secure your computer than shutting off its wireless card when you don’t need to use it.

• Use a firewall: A firewall is a program that acts like a shield to protect your computer from the watchful eyes of Internet criminals. It also can filter the data that enters your computer, control Internet cookies, and warn you when sinister spyware programs try to transmit data about you over the Web.

• Use SSL encryption: If you see an icon resembling a padlock in the lower right-hand corner of your Internet browser, then you can safely enter credit-card numbers or passwords into the current Web page.

• Don’t use shared folders: Before accessing a public wireless network, remove important files from your Shared Documents folder. Also, you should disable file sharing in your folders.

• Watch for wandering eyes: An easy way for a thief to steal your passwords or other sensitive information requires no technology: all he or she has to do is look over your shoulder while you type. Keep an eye out for those snoops, and consider turning down the brightness or intensity of your computer screen.

Michael Petriello, 1-800-905-GEEK — www.1800905geek.com

BUILDING A NETWORK: Find the Best Place to Install your Router

One of the most important steps in setting up a network with wireless capability is to place the wireless router in a location that gives you the best possible wireless access and coverage. Before picking a spot, think about the areas in your home or office where you will frequently use your wireless and mobile devices. Here are some tips for finding a good location:

• Install near the broadband modem: If you are planning to share an Internet connection with two or more computers, then you should install your wireless router near the DSL or cable modem. Doing so will allow you to easily run a cable between the modem and the router. If this location doesn’t provide adequate wireless coverage, you can move your modem to a different wall outlet (if you broadband connection allows) or extend the connection between the modem and router with a longer wire.

• Install near the center of your coverage area: After deciding the general area of the home or office where you want to have a wireless network, you should install the wireless router in the center of that area. This will insure that your wireless computers and mobile devices have access to strong wireless signals no matter where you go in your coverage area. Avoid basement locations if possible as the thick basement walls tend to weaken signal strength, and also lengthens the distance to locations on upper floors creating potential signal strength problems.

Michael Petriello, 1-800-905-GEEK — www.1800905geek.com