Computer Tips

Smart Quotes

2008-07-07T16:32:00.000-07:00

As you type text, some Microsoft Office programs automatically change straight quotation marks to curly quotation marks (also known as smart quotes or typographer's quotes). Using Word 2007, turn his feature on or off:

Click the Microsoft Office Button, then Word Options
Click Proofing, then AutoCorrect Options

In the AutoCorrect dialog box, do the following:

Click the AutoFormat As You Type tab, and under Replace as you type, select or clear the "Straight quotes" with “smart quotes” check box
Click the AutoFormat tab, and under Replace, select or clear the "Straight quotes" with “smart quotes” check box

Prevent Virus Attacks with Data Execution Prevention

2008-06-20T11:35:00.001-07:00

Data Execution Prevention (DEP) is a Windows Vista security feature that can help prevent damage to your computer from viruses and other security threats by monitoring your programs to make sure that they use system memory safely. If DEP notices a program on your computer using memory incorrectly, it closes the program and notifies you.

Some legitimate programs may not run correctly when DEP is turned on. Check for a DEP-compatible version of the program or an update from the software publisher. If one is not available, you can turn off DEP for the program:

1. Go to Start >> Control Panel >> System

2. Select Advanced System Settings from the Tasks list on the left

3. Select the Advanced tab, then Settings under the Performance section

4. Select the Data Execution Prevention tab, then click to Turn on DEP for all program except those selected

5. Click on Add, browse for and select the applicable program

6. Click on Apply, then click OK to confirm

Restore Old Versions of Files

2008-06-13T08:53:00.001-07:00

Windows Vista (Business, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions), has a new feature called Restore Previous Versions. Every time a system restore point is created, new versions of your files are created at the same time.

To restore from previous versions of a file: browse through your documents folder and right mouse click on the file name, then click Restore Previous Versions.

From the list of previous versions, select the applicable date to restore from, and then save a copy of the entire document or overwrite the current version.

Screen Orientation Troubleshooting

2008-06-06T09:06:00.000-07:00

Ever hit the wrong sequence of keys on your keyboard and everything on your screen has turned sideways – or even upside down? On some computers, the Ctrl-Alt-Direction keys will change your screen orientation.

To fix the issue: press Ctrl-Alt-Up

If you’d like to change the screen orientation, and you have a Tablet PC, here are the shortcut keys:

Ctrl-Alt-Up - right side up
Ctrl-Alt-Right - 90 degrees
Ctrl-Alt-Down - 180 degrees
Ctrl-Alt-Left - 270 degrees

Adjust Vista's Visual Effects to Improve Performance

2008-06-02T15:15:00.001-07:00

If Windows Vista is running slowly, you can speed it up by disabling up to 20 of it’s visual effects: like the transparent glass look, the way menus open or close, or whether shadows are displayed.

To adjust the visual effects:

1. Go to Start >> Control Panel >> Performance Information and Tools

2. Select Adjust Visual Effects from the Tasks list on the left. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

3. Select the Visual Effects tab, click Adjust for best performance – or click Custom and de-select the visual effects you’d like to turn off.

4. Click Apply, then OK to confirm your changes.

Speech Recognition Software

2008-05-31T21:56:00.001-07:00

Using only your voice, you can start programs, open menus, click buttons and other objects on your screen, dictate text into documents, and even write and send emails.

Windows Vista comes with built-in voice recognition capabilities. To find it, click the Start Button and enter speech recognition in the start search box.

When the search results appear, click on Windows Speech Recognition, plug in your headset or desktop microphone, and follow the wizard.

Regular PC Maintenance

2008-05-26T10:03:00.000-07:00

Over time, computers slow down and may even grind to a halt. Taking a proactive approach with regular maintenance will help prevent disasters - like computer crashes or virus infection - and keep your computer up and running at optimal speeds.

Kootenay I.T. offers discounted regular maintenance contracts and pre-paid service contracts - send an email to request more details.

Typing French Accents

2008-04-20T21:49:00.000-07:00

I'm asked quite often how to type French accents: Hold down the ALT key, then type the three or four digits listed below. When you release the ALT key, the character will appear. Note that you'll need to type the numbers with the numeric keypad, not with the row of numbers across the top of your keyboard.

à - 133
À - 0192
é - 130
É - 144
è - 138
È - 0200
ê - 136

For more French accent codes go to http://french.about.com/library/bl-accents.htm.

Increase productivity on slow internet connections

2008-03-27T11:39:00.001-07:00

If you have a slow internet connection or are still using dial-up, here are some tips to increase the speed of internet browsing and sending or receiving email:

Compress email attachments: Compressing your file attachments can dramatically reduce the time needed to send and receive emails. WinZip is one of the more common compression tools, but you can find more on Windows Marketplace.

Turn off Internet Explorer graphics: Graphics take time to download on slow internet connections, but you have the option to disable the graphics and speed up internet browsing. In Internet Explorer, go to Tools / Internet Options / Advanced. In the Multimedia section, clear all the check boxes, then click Apply to save the changes.

Use email distribution lists: An email message sent to multiple people is sent faster and more efficiently when you use a distribution list. In Microsoft Outlook go to File / New / Distribution List. Enter a name for the list (ie: Family), click Select Members, then browse for and select each contact to add to the list. To send an email using the distribution list, enter the name (ie Family) into the TO field of your email message.

Use simple email signatures: Elaborate signatures that include multiple images take up a lot of unnecessary space in each email, and can slow down the time it takes to send or receive messages. Instead of using images, try a combination of fonts, type sizes and colors to create a distinctive signature.

Increase your web page cache: By increasing the size of your temporary internet files cache, you can decrease the amount of time it takes to open each page when you revisit a website. In Internet Explorer, go to Tools / Internet Options / General tab / Settings. Check the radio button to automatically check for newer versions of stored pages, and set the amount of disk space to at least 250mb.

Exporting Contacts

2008-03-09T16:56:00.000-07:00

One of the quickest ways to send all your Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express contacts to someone is to export them into a spreadsheet file, then email the file to them.

Open Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express
Select File Export
When the Wizard starts, select ‘Export to a File’ and click Next
Select ‘Export to Microsoft Excel’ and click Next
Select your Contacts folder from the list of folders and click Next
Select the location to save the file, and enter a file name
Click Finish