Computer Info – September 25, 2002

 

This Week’s Meeting

 

            We will take a look at Windows XP.  Please bring your comments about your experiences that might help others – or your questions about something that we can all learn from.

 

My Documents – Windows XP

            If you do a search for MY DOCUMENTS in Windows XP – I am sure you will be surprised by how many you find – some of them are folders and some of them are shortcuts for the SEND TO menu – so that you can use the right mouse button on a file to quickly send it (copy it) to the MY DOCUMENT folder.  But which one will it send it to????

            You have to ignore the DOCUMENTS AND SETTINGS folder – that is where Windows is doing their organizing.  The only one that you should be concerned with – is the MY DOCUMENTS folder.

            In Windows XP, all users get their own file-storage areas, and each is off-limits to other users. Programs are stored in a common area, so you need only one copy of each application regardless of how many users share a computer.  The MY DOCUMENTS folder that shows up – is the one for the user who is currently logged on to Windows.

 

Correct Time – Windows XP

            Windows XP allows you to keep your computer clock at the correct time.  If you go to the CONTROL PANEL and click on DATE AND TIME.  There is a tab for INTERNET TIME.  Here you can set it to Synchronize with an Internet Time Server automatically.  Or there is a button labeled UPDATE NOW. 

 

Defrag and ScanDisk – Windows XP

            ScanDisk is now called Error Checking.  There are numerous ways to get to these programs.  Here is one way.  Open MY COMPUTER.  Right click on C:\ Drive (which is your hard drive) and choose PROPERTIES.  This will open up a small window with five tabs – choose the TOOLS tab.  Under Error Checking, click CHECK NOW. 

            On this same tab, you will find DEFRAG.  It certainly does look different than previous versions of Defrag. 

 

Disk Cleanup – Windows XP

            When you right click on C:\ Drive (your hard drive) in MY COMPUTER and then choose PROPERTIES.  On the GENERAL tab, you will find the button for DISK CLEANUP.  There have been a few items added to this that were not in the previous versions of Windows. 

 

Device Manager – Windows XP

            Right click on MY COMPUTER and choose PROPERTIES.  On the HARDWARE tab, click on DEVICE MANAGER.  Once you get here, you will notice that it looks similar to the other versions of Windows.  To see the properties of any device, double click on it.