Computer Outlook Radio Talk Show

The ICF (Internet Connection Firewall) that ships with Windows XP doesn't have all the bells and whistles of third-party firewalls, but it does the most important job of blocking unsolicited incoming traffic from the Internet.

To activate the ICF, on any computer directly connected to the Internet (if you have several computers sharing an Internet connection, this would be the computer with the primary, direct connection) double-click My Network Places and click View Network Connections. Click the Advanced tab, check the box under Internet Connection Firewall and click OK.

As we went to press, Microsoft had promised to include enhancements to the ICF in a Windows XP Service Pack 2, due sometime in the first quarter of this year. Look for it-or let Windows Update look for it for you-and install it when it's available.

Switch, Eliminate, Or Modify Your Sound Effects. (Windows 98)
June 11, 2004

Windows has more bleeps, clicks, and dingdongs than R2D2 having a hissy fit. You can silence your Windows configuration entirely or just eliminate and change some of the default warning sounds by going to Start, Settings, and Control Panel, then opening Sounds or Sounds Properties. To eliminate all audio feedback from Windows, click the Schemes drop-down menu and choose No Sounds. To silence only select sounds, highlight the relevant listing in the Events listing. The name of the sound currently assigned to that event will appear in the Sound box below, and you can hear the sound by clicking the Play button to the right of the sound's name. Use the drop-down menu to change the sound associated with this event. To silence the event altogether, scroll to the top of that drop-down menu and highlight [None]. An especially irritating sound effect is the click that IE makes whenever you click a link. Find this irritant in the Windows Explorer area of the Events list as the Start Navigation event. Highlight this event and set the sound to None.

Remember that Win98 sound effects are simple WAV audio files, so you can replace any of these built-in effects with sound files of your own. For instance, to replace Win98's standard startup theme, highlight the Start Windows event, then click the Browse button and use the Open file box to navigate to the WAV file of your choice. Highlight this file and click Open to associate it with the startup event. Click OK in the Sounds Properties box to activate the change.

This Computer Tip is provided by Smart Computing Magazine

If you bought ink or toner lately, you're probably still reeling from the cost. Printer supplies are expensive, and users who rely on printers for nonessential jobs probably spend more on supplies than necessary. Most printers have a Draft or Economy mode that reduces the amount of ink or toner applied to the page. This reduces the output quality and can save media, especially over a large print job. In WinXP, click Start, Control Panel, Printers And Other Hardware (in Category View), and Printers And Faxes and right-click your printer and select Properties. From the General tab, click Printing Preferences and the Advanced Options tab. Enable the Draft or Economy mode for your printer and apply your changes.

Heat build-up inside your chassis can slow performance, cause your system to shut down, or even permanently damage components. Make sure a rat’s nest of cables isn’t trapping hot air in your system. If possible, replace wide floppy and hard drive cables with their rounded equivalents. Use plastic zip ties (not rubber bands) to bind cables into tidy bundles so they block as little air as possible.

Many print jobs are destined for a few minutes of use before hitting the recycling bin. The source pages might use color, but you don’t necessarily need to see the color on paper. Use the printer’s Properties area to find your color output options and select grayscale or black output as is appropriate.

Image files consume a lot of storage space. After all, each pixel that goes into an image is represented by several bytes of data. That 800 x 600 image we considered earlier would weigh in at nearly 1.5MB; a 1,600 x 1,200 image would consume more than 5MB. To work around these size constraints, camera manufac-turers add compression technology to their products.

Drive naming.
May 7, 2004

In Windows Explorer (right-click Start and select Explore), your hard drive’s partition(s) (electronic section[s] of a drive’s storage space, each with its own drive letter, such as C: or D:) probably appear as “Local Disk (C:)” or something similar. You can rename a partition to help you remember which is which, such as “Applications” or “Personal Data.” In Win98, right-click a partition you want to rename and select Properties. Type the new name, such as Windows, which will appear in the Label field. Press ENTER. In WinXP, right-click the partition and choose Rename. Type the new name in the blank, then press ENTER. WinXP will add the drive letter in parentheses, as in “Personal Data (E:).”

Save a Web page to your hard drive.
April 30, 2004

Saving a link to a Web page in your Favorites menu is convenient, but sometimes it’s better to save a Web page to your hard drive. If that Web page is taken offline, you’ll no longer have access to it if you’ve only saved the link to it in your Favorites menu. To save a Web page, click File in the browser’s Menu bar. Netscape users, click Save Page As, choose a folder to save the Web page to, and then click Save. IE users, click File and then Save As. Choose a folder and then click Save.

Use a surge protector.
April 23, 2004

Fluctuations in electricity occur on a daily basis, even when the weather is nice and sunny. Although your computer can tackle most of these surges without any trouble, others can be potentially damaging to sensitive components that can't handle too much (or even too little) power at one time. You should use a surge-protected power strip or a similar surge protector to shield your PC from major power fluctuations. When shopping for a surge protector, make sure that the device you buy definitely has surge protection because many power strips offer no surge protection at all. And although surge protectors do an admirable job of fending off dangerous fluctuations, they won't do much to protect your system against a nearby lightning strike. Therefore, always unplug your computer's power cord and phone jack during electrical storms.

Set cookie settings.
April 16, 2004

Many Web sites store cookies on your PC so the Web site will remember you when you return. Web browsers include tools you can use to control how cookies are handled. Netscape users can access cookie controls by clicking Edit, Preferences, Privacy & Security, and finally Cookies. You can disable all cookies, enable cookies based on your privacy settings, or enable all cookies. Click the radio button next to the option you prefer. IE users, click Tools, then Internet Options, and then click the Privacy tab. Move the slider bar to the top to block all cookies. The middle settings block most cookies, and the lowest setting enables all cookies.

Always verify the backup.
April 9, 2004

When you create a backup, always verify it. Many users (even experienced users) frequently skip verifying a backup to cut corners. When the day comes when you need the backup, you may be horrified to find that the backup was damaged or incomplete and, therefore, worthless. Checking the backup after you make it ensures that the backup is readable and complete. If the verification fails, you may find there's trouble with the backup drive or the CDs or tapes, which you can fix or replace before you need them.

Check your PC's online security.
April 2, 2004

If you want to see how secure your PC is when you're surfing the Internet, go to Gibson Research's Shields Up site at https://grc.com (follow the links to get to the Shields Up page). Scroll down the page and click the Test My Shields and Probe My Ports buttons. The Web site will scan your PC to see if it can find any security weaknesses.

Use a firewall.
March 26, 2004

If you have a broadband Internet connection, you absolutely must have a firewall to protect your PC from intrusions. If you use WinXP, you can use the firewall included with the OS. Click Start followed by Control Panel. Double-click Network Connections and right-click the icon for your PC's connection. Click Properties and then the Advanced tab. Click the Protect My Computer checkbox to enable the firewall.

Choose an online username and password.
March 19, 2004

Many Web sites require you to register and create an online username and password before you can use their services. It's a good idea, but you shouldn't use the same username and password for every online service you use. If you have to, write down a list of usernames and passwords you use for different Web sites and store it in a safe place. Avoid using obvious passwords such as your maiden name. Also, consider changing your passwords every few months, just to be safe.

Protect your personal information.
March 12, 2004

The Internet is a great resource for marketing companies to find personal information about online users, such as a person's address and phone number. If you sign up for an online membership or Web service, be sure to read the site's privacy policy carefully to see if the company will share or sell your personal information. If it will, you may want to think twice about signing up for the service.

Find videos online.
March 5, 2004

As with online music, there are many places to find videos online. You can use your media players to find videos, but many online news sites such as CNN.com and MSNBC.com also include video clips of daily news events. Sports Web sites such as ESPN.com have video highlights from recent games. And if you know a good movie is coming out soon, go to the movie's Web site. It'll almost certainly include trailers of the flick.

Download Images.
February 27, 2004

If you spot a picture online that you'd like to save, right-click the image and click Save As. Select a folder to save the image to in the Save As dialog box and click Save. Your PC will download the image and save it to your hard drive.

This Computer Tip is provided by Smart Computing Magazine

THIS COMPUTER TIP IS SPONSORED BY: PC CLUB

Listen to Internet radio.
February 20, 2004

You can listen to your favorite local radio station through your computer or listen to a station from around the world. Use Musicmatch, Windows Media Player 9, and RealOne Player to search for online radio stations. Each program has a Radio button prominently displayed in its interface. Simply click the button to find a list of online radio stations.

This Computer Tip is provided by Smart Computing Magazine

THIS COMPUTER TIP IS SPONSORED BY: PC CLUB

If you're willing to pay a few dollars a month, you can subscribe to an online music service. When you subscribe to the service, you can listen to, download, and burn to CD all of your favorite hits. Pressplay (http://www.pressplay.com) and Real.com's Musicpass are both worth checking out

Download RealOne Player.
January 16, 2004

Many online media files will only work with a Real media player, but you can download a free version of the player so you can enjoy that content. Go to http://www.real.com and click the Free RealOne Player link in the upper-right corner of the Real.com home page. Click the Download The Free RealOne Player link and click Yes when asked if you want to install and run the RealOne Player Installer. This will open a Download Manager window that will show the progress of the download. Follow the instructions in the RealOne Install Wizard to finish installing the program..

This Computer Tip is provided by Smart Computing Magazine

Download Windows Media Player 9.
January 2, 2004

To download the latest version of Windows Media Player, go to http://www.microsoft.com. Click the Downloads link that appears on the left side of the Microsoft home page. On the Downloads page, click Windows Media in the Download Categories section. There are two downloads for Windows Media Player 9: one for Win98SE (Second Edition), Windows Me, Windows 2000; and one for WinXP. Click the link that applies to your OS (operating system). Click the Download link along the right side of the page and click Save in the File Download dialog box that appears. Choose a folder to save the download in and click Save again. Once Windows Media Player 9 is downloaded, open the folder you saved it to and double-click the MPSetup icon. Follow the instructions in the installation wizard to install Windows Media Player 9.

This Computer Tip is provided by Smart Computing Magazine

Update Windows.
December 26,2003
Microsoft frequently releases updates for Windows and Microsoft programs that you can download. Windows XP users, click Start and then All Programs. Next, click Windows Update at the top of the All Programs menu. Windows 98 users, click Start and then click the Windows Update icon in the Start menu. Your PC will go to the Windows Update (http://windows update.microsoft.com) site. The Web site will scan your computer to see which updates you can download. Click the links for the updates you wish to download and then click the Download button.

This Computer Tip is provided by Smart Computing Magazine

Save a Web page to your hard drive.
December 19,2003

Saving a link to a Web page in your Favorites menu is convenient, but sometimes it’s better to save a Web page to your hard drive. If that Web page is taken offline, you’ll no longer have access to it if you’ve only saved the link to it in your Favorites menu. To save a Web page, click File in the browser’s Menu bar. Netscape users, click Save Page As, choose a folder to save the Web page to, and then click Save. IE users, click File and then Save As. Choose a folder and then click Save..

This Computer Tip is provided by Smart Computing Magazine

December 12,2003

Add a Web site to your Favorites or Bookmarks list.
December 12,2003

You can save a Web site to your Favorites menu so you can quickly access the site rather than having to type in the Web site’s URL every time you want to go there. First, go to the Web site you wish to add. IE users, click Favorites in the Menu bar, then click Add To Favorites. Click OK in the Add To Favorites dialog box. Netscape users, click the Bookmarks icon at the top of the browser window and then click Bookmark This Page.

This Computer Tip is provided by Smart Computing Magazine

Use multiple browser windows
December 5,2003

Occasionally, you may want to use more than one Web browser window at a time. Say you’re reading a news article online that contains a link to related information. You can open the related information in a new window so you won’t have to leave the article. Right-click the link and click Open In New Window. You can also open more than one browser window by pressing CTRL-N. This will open a copy of the Web page you’re currently viewing in a new window.

This Computer Tip is provided by Smart Computing Magazine

THIS COMPUTER TIP IS SPONSORED BY: PC CLUB & COMDEX 2003

Other online destinations.
November 28, 2003.

If you have a favorite newspaper, TV station, magazine, or company, it almost certainly has a Web site. You can find the Web sites for these locations through an Internet search. Most companies display their URL (uniform resource locator, also called the Web site address) in their ads. Magazines and newspapers often include their URLs within their pages. Type the URL into the Address field of your browser and press ENTER to go to the Web site.

This Computer Tip is provided by Smart Computing Magazine

THIS COMPUTER TIP IS SPONSORED BY: PC CLUB & COMDEX 2003

Use an Internet portal.
November 21, 2003.

If you’re in the mood to browse the Web rather than look for specific information, go to an Internet portal such as Yahoo! at http://www.yahoo.com. Internet portals are like phone books for the Internet. They contain directories of several subject areas, such as Reference, Sports, and Entertainment. The categories are divided into subcategories, such as auto racing and movies. Click a category link to see a list of subcategories and Web sites related to the topic you’ve selected.

This Computer Tip is provided by Smart Computing Magazine

THIS COMPUTER TIP IS SPONSORED BY: PC CLUB & COMDEX 2003

Use a search engine.
November 14, 2003.

Search engines scan the content of millions and millions of Web pages, noting key words on each page that describe what the Web page is all about. Portal Web sites, which we’ll discuss in a moment, include search engines, but there are some Web sites that are solely dedicated to searching the Internet. Google is a good place to start an Internet search. Go to http://www.google.com and enter one or more search terms in the text box, then click Google Search. Google will display links to Web sites related to your search terms. Click a link to go to that Web page.

This Computer Tip is provided by Smart Computing Magazine

THIS COMPUTER TIP IS SPONSORED BY: PC CLUB & COMDEX 2003

Set a home page. FOR WINDOWS XP
November 7, 2003.

To set a Web page as your home page, first go to the Web page that you’d like to use. Internet Explorer users, click Tools in the Menu bar followed by Internet Options. Click the Use Current button in the Home Page section. Netscape users, click Edit, then Preferences, then Navigator. You’ll see a Home Page section in the middle of the dialog box. Click the Use Current Page button to set your home page.

This Computer Tip is provided by Smart Computing Magazine

THIS COMPUTER TIP IS SPONSORED BY: PC CLUB & COMDEX 2003

Clean up messy hard drives. FOR WINDOWS XP
OCTOBER 24,2003

Clean up some of the clutter on your hard drive through periodic use of the Disk Cleanup utility. Right-click your drive letter in Windows Explorer; choose Properties and click the Disk Cleanup button. (You can also click Start, All Programs, Accessories and System Tools; accessed this way, you’ll also see another tab called More Options that has links to the Add Or Remove Programs utility and to System Restore.) From Disk Cleanup you can choose to remove temporary Internet files and Windows temporary files (created by some downloads and system operations and not properly deleted afterward), clean out the Recycle Bin, and remove any old Chkdsk files (data chains preserved when you ran Chkdsk and chose to save, rather than delete, the wayward files and folders).

This Computer Tip is provided by Smart Computing Magazine

THIS COMPUTER TIP IS SPONSORED BY: PC CLUB & COMDEX 2003

Make a custom screen saver. FOR WINDOWS XP
OCTOBER 24,2003

You can customize your WinXP screen saver with your own digital photos. Start by right-clicking an empty spot on the Desktop. Choose Properties from the pop-up menu. When the Display Properties menu appears, select the Screen Saver tab. Choose My Pictures Slideshow from the drop-down menu. To see pictures from a specific set of photos rather than from your entire collection, click Settings under the Screen Saver tab, then Browse to find the specific file(s) you want to display. Click OK. To make sure you are satisfied with your selection, choose Preview.

This Computer Tip is provided by Smart Computing Magazine

THIS COMPUTER TIP IS SPONSORED BY: PC CLUB & COMDEX 2003

Hide all Desktop icons. FOR WINDOWS XP
OCTOBER 17,2003

If you would rather see unobstructed photos of your children, pet, or last vacation, you can hide your Desktop icons completely. Right-click a blank section of the Desktop and select Arrange Icons By. The next menu has a check mark next to Show Desktop Icons. Remove the check mark, and your shortcut icons will disappear. To restore the icons, reverse this procedure.

This Computer Tip is provided by Smart Computing Magazine

THIS COMPUTER TIP IS SPONSORED BY: PC CLUB & COMDEX 2003

Restore previously removed shortcuts. FOR WINDOWS XP
OCTOBER 10,2003

To restore a shortcut that you took off the Desktop, open the Unused Desktop Shortcuts folder, locate the shortcut you want to restore, and drag it back onto the Desktop

This Computer Tip is provided by Smart Computing Magazine

THIS COMPUTER TIP IS SPONSORED BY: PC CLUB & COMDEX 2003

Change your mouse pointer. . FOR WINDOWS XP
OCTOBER 3,2003

If you dislike the look and function of the standard WinXP mouse pointers, you can change them. From the Start menu, select the Control Panel option. When the Control Panel opens, double-click the Mouse icon. This will bring up the Mouse Properties dialog box. To change the pointers, select the Pointers tab and choose from the drop-down menu

This Computer Tip is provided by Smart Computing Magazine

THIS COMPUTER TIP IS SPONSORED BY: PC CLUB & COMDEX 2003

Use a Web page image as wallpaper. FOR WINDOWS XP
SEPTEMBER 26,2003

Wallpaper doesn’t necessarily have to be a picture that resides on your computer. Select any graphic you find on the Internet by placing your mouse pointer on the image you want and right-clicking. Select Set As Background from the pop-up menu, and you will have changed your wallpaper. (Be sure you have permission to use the image.)

This Computer Tip is provided by Smart Computing Magazine

THIS COMPUTER TIP IS SPONSORED BY: PC CLUB & COMDEX 2003

Customize Desktop icons. FOR WINDOWS XP
SEPTEMBER 19, 2003

To change the picture that a Desktop icon displays, right-click the icon. Select Properties from the pop-up menu, then select the Shortcut tab, and the Change Icon button. Select from a list of ready-made icons. Additional icon files are available on the Internet.

This Computer Tip is provided by Smart Computing Magazine

THIS COMPUTER TIP IS SPONSORED BY: PC CLUB & COMDEX 2003

Lock your Desktop icons. FOR WINDOWS XP
SEPTEMBER 12, 2003

You can lock your desktop icons so that they don’t inadvertently get rearranged. Right-click the Desktop. Select Arrange Icons By, then click to place a check mark next to Lock Web Items On Desktop. The icons will stay in the same location until you unlock them. Although you won’t be able to rearrange icons on the Desktop, you’ll still be able to place them in the Recycle Bin.

This Computer Tip is provided by Smart Computing Magazine

THIS COMPUTER TIP IS SPONSORED BY: PC CLUB & COMDEX 2003

Add those familiar Desktop icons. FOR WINDOWS XP
SEPTEMBER 5,2003

WinXP does not automatically display the familiar My Computer, My Documents, Internet Explorer, and My Network Places icons that were standard on previous versions of Windows. If you would like them on your Desktop, right-click the Desktop and select Properties. Select Desktop from the Display Properties menu and click Customize Desktop. Check the boxes for the folders that you want to display

This Computer Tip is provided by Smart Computing Magazine

THIS COMPUTER TIP IS SPONSORED BY: PC CLUB & COMDEX 2003

Set your system’s time and date. FOR WINDOWS XP AUGUST 29,2003
At the bottom right of the Taskbar, Windows displays the current time in the System Tray; if you hover your mouse over the time, a tooltip displays the current date, as well. This is a cool feature unless it’s wrong. In that case, open Control Panel (click Start, Settings, Control Panel) and launch the Date/Time applet. On the Date & Time tab, click the down arrow buttons to select the month and year and click the correct date in the calendar below. To the right, click the hour and use the up and down arrow buttons to adjust and do the same with the minutes

This Computer Tip is provided by Smart Computing Magazine

THIS COMPUTER TIP IS SPONSORED BY: PC CLUB & COMDEX 2003

Rename your icons. FOR WINDOWS XP AUGUST 22,2003
Change the name of an icon by right-clicking it, selecting Rename from the drop-down menu, and entering the new name.

This Computer Tip is provided by Smart Computing Magazine

Prolong Your Monitor's Life. (Desktop - Win9x Me, XP) JULY 18, 2003
Click on "Start," "Settings" and/or "Control Panel," "Power Options or Management." Select time to turn monitor off when not in use.

Rush hour on the Windows Taskbar JULY 4, 2003.
If your Taskbar is too full to read individual items, position your mouse pointer on top of the Taskbar until you see a double-headed arrow. Left click and drag upwards to make room for all those open windows.

Windows Operating Systems JUNE 27, 2003
(Ctrl+Alt+Del) - Brings up the Close Program dialog box. From there you can highlight the program that you wish to close. (F1) - Help

One size doesn't fit all JUNE 20, 2003.
Windows recalls your browser window’s size on shut down, then reopens it the same size. To change it, resize the last open window before shutting down.

Make a bold statement. (Word 2000) JUNE 13, 2003
If you want bold, italicized or underlined text, don't reach for the mouse. Just hit "Ctrl" and the letter "b" "i" or "u" to activate or deactivate those emphases.

Guess the address. (Outlook Express) JUNE 6, 2003
A speedy way to address a message is to start typing the recipient's name in the “To:” line. As you fill in letters Outlook Express will guess which moniker you want.

Desktop Redecorating, Wallpaper Style MAY 2, 2003
Can't stand the sight of that boring, solid-colored desktop? Then spice it up with some wallpaper. Right-mouse-click a blank area of the desktop, select Properties, and on the Background tab, you'll see loads of options under Wallpaper.

Select any item in the list (in the white box), and it appears in the preview at the top of the dialog box. When you find one you like, select an option under Display--Center, Tile, or Stretch, depending on the wallpaper you've chosen (select each one to see its effect on the preview)--then click Apply or OK to paste it onto your desktop.

REMOVE YELLOW SPEAKER FROM TASKBAR MAY 9, 2003
See that little yellow speaker in the tray of your Taskbar? If you use it frequently (click it once for volume control), great. If not, there's no point wasting valuable Taskbar space. To hide this control, right-click the speaker icon and select Adjust Audio Properties.

On the Audio tab of the Audio Properties dialog box, deselect Show Volume Control On The Taskbar and then click OK. Want your speaker back? Open the Control Panel, double-click Multimedia, select the option you just deselected (on the Audio tab), then click OK.

Uninstall A Software Program MAY 16, 2003
Most software today includes an Uninstall Program. There are two places in Windows 95 and 98 that you can find the Uninstall Program.

1. Click on Start and then click on the Programs Icon. Find the program you are trying to uninstall and see if the uninstall is located there. If so, double click it and it will execute the uninstall program on it's own. If there isn't an Uninstall Program listed, follow the step below.

2. Click on Start and then click on Settings. Next click Control Panel. Once in the Control Panel find Add/Remove Programs. Click on Add/Remove Programs and then scroll down the list of Installed Software. If you find the program you are trying to uninstall, click on the Add/Remove Button.

Answer 'yes' when it asks you if you want to remove this program. If uninstall does not exist for this program, then see if there is a Readme File for this program or try using the programs Help Feature. You can also contact the program's Technical Support on the Internet for help.

CUT-AND-PASTE INSTEAD OF DRAG-AND-DROP MAY 23, 2003
Planning to move some selected icons to a new location, say to a new folder or to the desktop? Don't assume you have to click and drag them all the way there. Instead, try a cut-and-paste operation.

Assuming you've already selected the icons, right-click the selection and select Cut. Poof--the icons disappear. Right-click their destination (desktop, folder, wherever), select Paste, and they're right where you want them.

VIEWING THE CLIPBOARD MAY 30, 2003
If you ever get so wrapped up in your work that you forget what you last left on your Clipboard, you can get a quick look at it without doing any pasting. Simply go to Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Clipboard Viewer. Doing this saves you from lousing up your work by pasting an unwanted chunk of data into an existing file.

Ads, How To Turn The Annoyance Off W/E APRIL 4, 2003
How can you turn off those annoying ads that AOL gives you when you log on?

1. Go to the Members menu at the top of the screen and select My AOL.
2. Click on the Preferences, then select Marketing Preferences.
3. Click on the Set Up Now button.
4. Double-click on Tell Us What Your Popup Preferences Are.
5. Click on the box at the bottom right-hand corner of the screen.
6. Click on the Send button.

NOTE: You can also set your mail preferences from this area.

NEW HARDWARE PROFILE APRIL11, 2003
If you have two device drivers for two pieces of hardware and they just don't get along, but you need to sometimes use the one piece of hardware and other times need to use the other, consider making a separate Hardware Profile for each. Then you can restart and choose the other profile when you need to use the other device.

1. Open Start, Settings, Control Panel.
2. Double-click the System icon.
3. Click the Hardware Profiles tab.
4. Select a profile and click Copy.
5. Enter a relevant name for the new profile and click OK.

CHANGE A HARDWARE PROFILE APRIL 18, 2003
You can make a new hardware profile -- in the Control Panel, System -- when you have conflicting device drivers. You name each profile and choose which drivers will be installed with it. Then, when you want to switch among them, you must:

1. Reboot your Windows 98.
2. At the System Prompt, choose the profile you want from the numbered list.

NEW HARD DRIVE ICON APRIL 25, 2003
"How do I change the name of my hard drive?" To change the name of any drive on your system, open a My Computer window, right-click the drive's icon, and select Properties. In the text box next to Label, type a new name of up to 11 characters, then click OK.

DRAGGING FILES TO THE START MENU W/E MARCH 7, 2003
The Start menu is a great place to keep your most frequently accessed programs and files, and it's the first place a seasoned Windows user goes when looking for something. Seeing how the Start menu is so frequently accessed, it's fortunate that adding any sort of file to this menu is simple: Just drag the file and drop it on the Start button to create a Start menu shortcut. Doing this adds the file to the top of the Start menu, way up there somewhere above your Windows Update icon. But you can move the file wherever you wish. Just click the Start menu, move your mouse to the new icon, grab it, and drag and drop it anywhere else on the Start menu.

CHANGING DESKTOP ICONS W/E MARCH 14, 2003
The standard Windows desktop icons are fine, but they may not be just right for the kind of desktop you have in mind. Remember that you can choose from a handful of alternative icons for your My Computer, Network Neighborhood, Recycle Bin, and My Documents folders. Just right-click on your desktop and select Properties. Click Effects and choose the icon you wish to modify from the box at the top. Click the Change Icon tab and select a new icon from the list (browse to the folder containing the icon files, if necessary), then click OK twice.

PRINTING FONT SAMPLES MARCH 21, 2003
These days, most computers come pre-installed with a bounty of printer fonts. Knowing how they will all look when they print can be tough. There's an easy way to print samples of the fonts on your computer. Go to Start, Settings, Control Panel and double-click the Fonts folder. Hold down the Ctrl key and select the fonts you want to print by clicking with your mouse. Next, right-click on one of the selected fonts and choose Print. You'll have to click OK in dialog boxes for each font you selected, but once you do that, your printer will go to work printing sample pages for each font.

CREATING A NEW TOOLBAR MARCH 28, 2003
If you have a folder that you access so frequently that it deserves its own Toolbar, you can give it one in Windows 98. Right-click on the Taskbar and select Toolbars, New Toolbar. Navigate to the folder you want as a Toolbar and select it. The contents of the folder are displayed as part of your Taskbar, and you can move your new Toolbar to other edges of the desktop and resize it the same way you can your Taskbar.

Deleting Documents In A Single Step_02/28/03
As long as you are absolutely, positively sure that you want to get rid of a file, you can delete it from your computer in a single step, without first moving the file to the Recycle Bin. Just select the file and press Shift-Delete. True, you'll still have to confirm this step by pressing Enter in the resulting dialog box, but at least you can avoid having to open the Recycle Bin.

Opening The Start Menu From The keyboard_02/21/03
As a rule, operating your computer from the keyboard is faster than working with a mouse, so any time you can execute a task using the keyboard only, you're saving yourself a little time. Remember that your Start menu is available to you at any time, no matter what program you're using. You simply press the Windows key to access Start menu functions. Then use the up and down arrows and the Enter key to launch programs, open the Control Panel folder, or anything else you want to do from the Start menu.

Viewing The Clipboard_02/14/03
If you ever get so wrapped up in your work that you forget what you last left on your Clipboard, you can get a quick look at it without doing any pasting. Simply go to Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Clipboard Viewer. Doing this saves you from lousing up your work by pasting an unwanted chunk of data into an existing file.

Change Color Around Icon labels_02/07/03
Want to change the color that Windows 98 uses around your icon labels--for example, if the color doesn't blend with the wallpaper you selected? This color is determined behind the scenes by the current desktop color.

Right-click the desktop, select Properties, and in the Display Properties dialog box, click the Appearance tab. Under Item, select Desktop, if it isn't already selected, then choose your color in the dropdown palette under Color. Click OK, and the boxes around your desktop icon labels will take on a new hue..


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