MS-Word --- Letter Wizard

Computer Info – April 5, 2001

No Meeting This Week

There will be no meeting this week – due to the fact that the library will be hosting a volunteer banquet. Also we will not have a meeting on April 18^th.

Adjustments May Help Aging PCs
(March 19, 2001 article in News Journal by Tony Briggs)

        The old PC isn't running quite as fast as it once did. In fact, it might seem like it's getting downright slow. Before you try anything drastic, here's a list of quick and easy adjustments that might just help, and certainly won't hurt.
        These tips are going to be old hat to experienced users but if you are new to computing, read on.
        -- Step 1: Get rid of files you don't need. This is easy with a built-in Windows program called Disk Cleanup. (Click Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Cleanup.) It scans your hard drive and tells you how much space is being used by various junk files. Generally, it is safe to clear the recycling bin, temporary Internet files and files in your temporary directory. These files can consume a lot of space on your hard drive so run this program once a month or so to keep you drive free of clutter.
        -- Step 2: Defragment your hard drive. This IS a simple process and probably will do more than anything else to breathe new life into a sluggish computer. The Disk Defragmenter utility, which is built intoWindows 98, 98 Second Edition, Me and 2000, rearranges the information on your hard drive so it can be accessed more quickly. Click Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools and Disk Defragmenter to begin the process. Be patient. If you have a slow computer, a large hard drive or one that is badly defragmented, it may take hours for the utility to complete its job. Be sure to shut down any resident or background programs first, such as instant messenger programs, because they might prevent the Disk Defragmenter from completing its job.
        Also be aware you might need to run ScanDisk first (also found in System Tools) to clear any orphaned or corrupted files from your hard drive. They sometimes appear if your computer is not shut down properly.
        -- Step 3: Tweak your desktop settings. You might gain a little speed by turning off active desktop, animations, themes and changing the color depth and resolution. Most of these changes can be accessed in display properties utility, which is in the Control Panel (Start, Settings, Control Panel, Display). Click the "Settings" tab and look at the Colors box. If it reads "True Color" in either 24-bit or 32-bit, click the down arrow and High Color 16-bit instead. This will make very little difference in what you actually see on your monitor but will save a lot of CPU cycles. Next click the "Effects" tab and look at the options below. Uncheck all the boxes for maximum performance. However, without font smoothing, some Web pages and documents will look a bit chunky. Now click the "Web" tab and make sure the "Show Web content on my active desktop" box is not checked. Active desktop is a big performance hog and should usually be turned off, unless you can't live without the fancy effects it provides. Next, click the "Background" tab and choose "None" for the background wallpaper. If you are using any of the fancy Windows desktop themes, those will be turned off when you do this.

Congratulations. Your computer should now run faster -- or it will after you reboot. If it isn't you may have more serious problems, or possibly just need a faster computer.

Keyboard Short Cuts for MS-Word

Ctrl+O Will open an existing document.

Ctrl+N Will open a new blank document

Ctrl+B Will turn on or off the Bold print switch

Ctrl+I Will turn on or off the Italic print switch

Ctrl+U Will turn on or off the Underline switch

Ctrl+L Will align your paragraph to the Left

Ctrl+E Will center your paragraph

Ctrl+R Will align your paragraph to the Right

Ctrl+J Will fully justify your paragraph

Ctrl+A Will Select All in your document

Ctrl+Z This will undo the last thing you did

Ctrl+Y This will redo the last thing you did

Ctrl+S After you have a name & Place, this will save your document

Ctrl+P This will print your document

F7 This will toggle your Spell Checker

Shift+F7 This will toggle the thesaurus

F12 This is for File Save As

Windows Keyboard Short-cuts

Win+E Launch Explorer

Win+F Find Files/Folders

Win+M Minimize All Windows

Win+R The Run Dialog Box

Win+Break Launch System Properties Panel