Comparison of Microsoft Windows Vista

What is Windows Vista?

Operating systems control the functions performed by a computer For example, the operating system on your computer controls the input from the keyboard and mouse to your computer, the opening and closing of programs, the transfer of information to a printer, the organization of the files on your computer, and the screen display. To function, every computer must have an operating system. Windows Vista is an operating system. It was released by the Microsoft Corporation in late 2006.

Windows Vista comes in several versions: Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise. The features available to you depend on the version of Windows Vista you have.

Windows Vista Enterprise is for large global organizations and is only available to organizations with desktops covered by Software Assurance agreements or organizations with a Microsoft Enterprise Agreement that includes the Windows desktop component.

Windows Vista Home Basic is the entry-level edition. Geared toward home computer users, Home Basic has features that allow you to search your computer, search the Web, browse the Internet, view photos, send and retrieve e-mail, and set parental controls. Windows Defender and Windows Firewall are included with Windows Vista Home Basic. Windows Defender helps protect your computer from spyware. Spyware is malicious software you install on your computer inadvertently or is put on your computer without your consent. Windows Firewall helps protect your computer from malicious software and unauthorized access to your computer.

Windows Vista Home Premium has most of the features found in Windows Vista Home Basic plus additional features such as Aero, Windows Media Center, Windows Meeting Space, Windows Mobility Center, Windows SideShow, and Tablet PC support. Windows Aero features translucent windows and smooth animations, including the capability to do three-dimensional flips through open windows. It also provides a thumbnail preview of the contents of open windows when you pause your mouse pointer over the window’s identifier on the taskbar or Alt-Tab through windows. With Windows Media Center, you can record and watch TV shows, listen to Internet and FM radio, view home movies, create slide shows, and burn CDs or DVDs. You can use Windows Meeting Space to set up meetings in which you can share documents, programs, or your desktop with others. Windows Mobility Center provides a convenient location for you to adjust the settings for your mobile PC. With Windows SideShow, you can send information from your computer to other devices such as mobile phones, hand-held computers, and TVs. A tablet PC is a mobile computer that you can interact with by writing on the screen or by using your finger or a pen. You can use Windows Vista Premium with a tablet PC.

Windows Vista Business is designed for small businesses. It is simple to use and has mechanisms that protect your information from unauthorized viewing.

Windows Ultimate includes all the features of Windows Vista Home Premium and Windows Vista Business and has extra features such as DreamScene, Language Packs, and BitLocker Drive Encryption. With DreamScene, you can use full-motion video as your wallpaper. Language packs allow you to install multiple languages on a single PC. BitLocker Drive Encryption encrypts your data to protect it from unauthorized viewing.

Windows Vista Feature Comparison
Features	Basic	Home Premium	Business	Ultimate
Windows Defender	X	X	X	X
Windows Firewall	X	X	X	X
Instant Search	X	X	X	X
Network and Sharing Center	X	X	X	X
Internet Explorer 7	X	X	X	X
Parental Controls	X	X
Windows Aero		X	X	X
Mobility Center		X	X	X
Tablet PC Support		X	X	X
Windows Meeting Space		X	X	X
Windows Sideshow		X	X	X
Windows Media Center		X		X
Windows Complete backup and restore			X	X
Windows Fax and Scan			X	X
Scheduled Backup		X	X	X
Remote Desktop Connection			X	X
Window BitLocker Drive Encryption				X
Windows DVD Maker		X		X
Windows Movie Maker in High Definition		X		X
If you do not have Windows Vista or if the version of Windows Vista you have does not have the features you need, you can upgrade your operating system.

RSS Feeds Choose for Yourself

RSS 101: Get online articles delivered to you

Published: February 14, 2006
By Armelle O'Neal

Have you felt overwhelmed by the information thrown at you when opening your Web browser to your home page or other favorite Web sites? Have you ever wondered how you could pare down what you see to only what you really care about? Worry no more! You can indeed raise your efficiency to a whole new level by consuming Web information using RSS (Really Simple Syndication).
In this article, I will give a quick overview of RSS and its purpose. I will also discuss the pros and cons of RSS. Finally, I'll explain what you need to start using it.



What is RSS?
RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. It provides an easy way to gather and display information from varied and multiple sources, including news stories, updates to Web sites, business and stock statistics, and new posts to blogs.
You may have noticed the little orange RSS or XML icons inviting you to "syndicate this page" on some of the sites you visit regularly. Does this look familiar?
If not, don't feel bad! According to a recent survey by Yahoo, only 12 percent of Internet users are aware of RSS and a mere 4 percent have knowingly used RSS. It's a shame because RSS can save you a lot of time each day.

Why should I use RSS?
In short, RSS is a timesaver.
For example, lets say that you visit a number of sites (such as national news sites, industry sites, tech news sites, or other sites related to your job) several times daily. Rather than spending 4 - 5 minutes scanning each site looking for new information, you can subscribe to RSS feeds for those sites and the new articles will be delivered to you as they become available.

What are RSS feeds and how do they work?
Think of RSS feeds as targeted headlines for Web surfing. They are compiled, updated, and distributed in Extensible Markup Language (XML). Each feed contains a list of new articles from a site with a title, summary, and link to the full article for each item. So, if you are interested in reading a particular article that has just been posted to one of your favorite sites, you simply click the corresponding link.
To read these feeds, you need a tool called a feed reader or news aggregator. It maintains a list of the Web feeds you syndicated, checks them at regular intervals for updates, and displays their contents in a readable format. All feed readers track what you've read previously and highlight new content for easy scanning.

RSS: Pros and Cons
Just as any other technology does, RSS has its detractors and its fans. Take a look at the table below to get on overview of both the plusses and minuses of RSS.
Pros
Cons
•
RSS feeds are timely because subscribers get updates and breaking news as soon as they are available.
•
RSS feeds are cost effective because because distribution and delivery costs are very low.
•
RSS works well with e-mail. An e-mail client is not required to view RSS feeds but they can also be received, viewed, and managed in your e-mail client.
•
RSS helps you manage and organize content. Messages and articles can easily be archived, sorted, and categorized automatically.
•
RSS maintains privacy and anonymity. You fully control the subscription to and removal from RSS feeds. You dont have to provide your e-mail address or any other personal information when selecting the feeds you want to syndicate.
•
RSS feeds help you save time by scoping the content that you receive to your specific interests and ensuring that the information is always up to date.
•
RSS feeds provide no history, which means that although you always get the newest information, you can easily miss an article of interest to you if you dont check the feeds for a few days (when youre on vacation, for example).
•
RSS feeds are a bandwidth waster because they automatically download RSS files (usually hourly) to check for updates and changes.
•
RSS feeds are complicated to set up. As people hear about RSS and understand its value, they also become disappointed by the fact that it is not as easy as surfing the Web.
•
RSS content doesnt lend itself to search. Many search engines include RSS feeds but they struggle to identify which information is new and, hence, greatly limit the value of search operations on this type of content.
•
RSS feeds usually only show an abridged version of the content, which can be cryptic and may require you to open your Web browser to see the full article.


How do I get started?
1.
Get a feed reader. There are two types:
•
Web-based: With this type of reader, you can check your feeds from any computer, which is very convenient but it comes at a cost: limited functionality and speed.
•
Application-based: With this type of reader, you get a more polished and full-featured product, but it lacks mobility.
I personally use a Web-based news aggregator, called NewsGator, because I use different computers throughout the day (desktop, laptop, and Tablet PC) and want to always see the most current information regardless of the computer I happen to be using.
2.
Subscribe to feeds. Sadly, there is no single way that all Web sites let you know that you can syndicate their content. The most common method is the orange XML button: . Clicking the button will add that feed to your feed reader list and will ensure that you receive updated notifications and contents from that site.
3.
Read and manage the scoped information you receive.
RSS feeds are great timesavers. They are not only a technology but also a new communication medium. They enable you to customize the flow of information and control the content that you choose to read and share for work, for school, for business reasons, or just for fun.

Windows Power users have a secret up their sleeve. It’s the all powerful Run command. Well it’s not as powerful as -UX’s terminal but it’ll get you by. Here’s a comprehensive list Run commands that you can use whether you’re on XP or Vista.

If you’re looking for a command in particular, save yourself the trouble and use the Find /Search function of your browser by pressing “Ctrl + F”.

For 2000 and XP users

1. Accessibility Controls - access.cpl
2. Accessibility Wizard - accwiz
3. Add Hardware Wizard - hdwwiz.cpl
4. Add/Remove Programs - appwiz.cpl
5. Administrative Tools - control admintools
6. Automatic Updates - wuaucpl.cpl
7. Bluetooth Transfer Wizard - fsquirt
8. Calculator - calc
9. Certificate Manager - certmgr.msc
10. Character Map - charmap
11. Check Disk Utility - chkdsk
12. Clipboard Viewer - clipbrd
13. Command Prompt - cmd
14. Component Services - dcomcnfg
15. Computer Management - compmgmt.msc
16. Control Panel - control
17. Date and Time Properties - timedate.cpl
18. DDE Shares - ddeshare
19. Device Manager - devmgmt.msc
20. Direct X Troubleshooter - dxdiag
21. Disk Cleanup Utility - cleanmgr
22. Disk Defragment - dfrg.msc
23. Disk Management - diskmgmt.msc
24. Disk Partition Manager - diskpart
25. Display Properties - control desktop
26. Display Properties - desk.cpl
27. Dr. Watson System Troubleshooting Utility - drwtsn32
28. Driver Verifier Utility - verifier
29. Event Viewer - eventvwr.msc
30. Files and Settings Transfer Tool - migwiz
31. File Signature Verification Tool - sigverif
32. Findfast - findfast.cpl
33. Firefox - firefox
34. Folders Properties - control folders
35. Fonts - control fonts
36. Fonts Folder - fonts
37. Free Cell Card Game - freecell
38. Game Controllers - joy.cpl
39. Group Policy Editor (for xp professional) - gpedit.msc
40. Hearts Card Game - mshearts
41. Help and Support - helpctr
42. HyperTerminal - hypertrm
43. Iexpress Wizard - iexpress
44. Indexing Service - ciadv.msc
45. Internet Connection Wizard - icwconn1
46. Internet Explorer - iexplore
47. Internet Properties - inetcpl.cpl
48. Keyboard Properties - control keyboard
49. Local Security Settings - secpol.msc
50. Local Users and Groups - lusrmgr.msc
51. Logs You Out Of Windows - logoff
52. Malicious Software Removal Tool - mrt
53. Microsoft Chat - winchat
54. Microsoft Movie Maker - moviemk
55. Microsoft Paint - mspaint
56. Microsoft Syncronization Tool - mobsync
57. Minesweeper Game - winmine
58. Mouse Properties - control mouse
59. Mouse Properties - main.cpl
60. Netmeeting - conf
61. Network Connections - control netconnections
62. Network Connections - ncpa.cpl
63. Network Setup Wizard - netsetup.cpl
64. Notepad notepad
65. Object Packager - packager
66. ODBC Data Source Administrator - odbccp32.cpl
67. On Screen Keyboard - osk
68. Outlook Express - msimn
69. Paint - pbrush
70. Password Properties - password.cpl
71. Performance Monitor - perfmon.msc
72. Performance Monitor - perfmon
73. Phone and Modem Options - telephon.cpl
74. Phone Dialer - dialer
75. Pinball Game - pinball
76. Power Configuration - powercfg.cpl
77. Printers and Faxes - control printers
78. Printers Folder - printers
79. Regional Settings - intl.cpl
80. Registry Editor - regedit
81. Registry Editor - regedit32
82. Remote Access Phonebook - rasphone
83. Remote Desktop - mstsc
84. Removable Storage - ntmsmgr.msc
85. Removable Storage Operator Requests - ntmsoprq.msc
86. Resultant Set of Policy (for xp professional) - rsop.msc
87. Scanners and Cameras - sticpl.cpl
88. Scheduled Tasks - control schedtasks
89. Security Center - wscui.cpl
90. Services - services.msc
91. Shared Folders - fsmgmt.msc
92. Shuts Down Windows - shutdown
93. Sounds and Audio - mmsys.cpl
94. Spider Solitare Card Game - spider
95. SQL Client Configuration - cliconfg
96. System Configuration Editor - sysedit
97. System Configuration Utility - msconfig
98. System Information - msinfo32
99. System Properties - sysdm.cpl
100. Task Manager - taskmgr
101. TCP Tester - tcptest
102. Telnet Client - telnet
103. User Account Management - nusrmgr.cpl
104. Utility Manager - utilman
105. Windows Address Book - wab
106. Windows Address Book Import Utility - wabmig
107. Windows Explorer - explorer
108. Windows Firewall - firewall.cpl
109. Windows Magnifier - magnify
110. Windows Management Infrastructure - wmimgmt.msc
111. Windows Media Player - wmplayer
112. Windows Messenger - msmsgs
113. Windows System Security Tool - syskey
114. Windows Update Launches - wupdmgr
115. Windows Version - winver
116. Windows XP Tour Wizard - tourstart
117. Wordpad - write

For Vista Users

1. Display Adapter Troubleshooter - AdapterTroubleshooter
2. Authorization Manager - azman.msc
3. Bitlocker Wizard - bitlockerwizard
4. Color Management - colorcpl
5. Computer Management Launcher - CompMgmtLauncher
6. Control Panel - control
7. Credential Backup and Restore Wizard - credwiz
8. Defragment User Interface - dfrgui
9. Driver Package Installer - dpinst
10. DPI Scaling - dpiscaling
11. DVD Player - dvdplay
12. Event Viewer - eventvwr
13. Firewall Control Panel - FirewallControlPanel
14. Firewall Settings - FirewallSettings
15. Windows Shared Folder Management - fsmgmt.msc
16. Bitlocker Notifier - fvenotify
17. Fax Cover Sheet Editor - fxscover
18. Help Pane - helppane
19. Iexpress (Self Extracting Package Creator) - iexpress
20. iSCSI Initiator - iscsicpl
21. Logoff from Windows (Warning: when you run this it will log you off immediately) - logoff
22. Language Pack Installer - lpksetup
23. Windows Mobility Center (only available on mobile pcs) - mblctr
24. Microsoft Sync Center - mobsync
25. Microsoft Support Diagnostic Tool - msdt
26. Remote Assistance - msra
27. User Accounts - Netplwiz
28. ODBC Data Source Administrator - odbcad32
29. Optional Features Manager - optionalfeatures
30. People Near Me - p2phost
31. Performance Monitor - perfmon
32. Presentation Settings (only available on mobile pcs) - presentationsettings
33. Printer Migration - PrintBrmUi
34. Encryption File System - rekeywiz
35. Windows Backup Utility - sdclt
36. Accesibility Settings - sethc
37. Windows Share Creation Wizard - shrpubw
38. Software Licensing (Windows Activation) - slui
39. Sound Volume - sndvol
40. Snipping Tool (an Advanced Print Screen function) - snippingtool
41. Sound Recorder - soundrecorder
42. Sticky Note - StikyNot
43. System Properties (Advanced preselected) - SystemPropertiesAdvanced
44. System Properties (Computer Name preselected) - SystemPropertiesComputerName
45. System Properties (Data Execution Prevention preselected) - SystemPropertiesDataExecutionPrevention
46. System Properties (Hardware preselected) - SystemPropertiesHardware
47. System Properties (Performance preselected) - SystemPropertiesPerformance
48. System Properties (Protection preselected) - SystemPropertiesProtection
49. System Properties (Remote preselected) - SystemPropertiesRemote
50. Ditilizer Calibration Tool - tabcal
51. Trusted Platform Module - TpmInit
52. Problem Reports and Solutions - wercon
53. Windows Firewall with Advanced Security - wf.msc
54. Windows Fax and Scan - wfs
55. Windows Image Acquisition (requires a scanner) - wiaacmgr
56. Windows Update App Manager - wuapp
57. Windows Standalong Update Manager - wusa

Welcome to The Computer Help A to Z Tips-Kit!
38 COMPUTER TIPS THAT YOU CAN PUT TO USE RIGHT AWAY by John Anthony ------Throughout tips, the terms program and application are used interchangeably.
Wherever the term 'click' appears, use the left mouse button unless the directions say to use the right button.
Tips 1 and 2 are very basic concepts that are essential to understanding and using Windows based PCs!

1. WHAT IS A PATH
Accessing folders and files in a PC is similar to the way you access files in a filing cabinet. In a filing cabinet, each drawer holds hanging folders. Within each of these you can have files as well as manila folders that contain files. You can't put manila folders inside other manila folders though. In a PC you have much more flexibility. For example, one folder can have 10 folders and many files in it. Each of those can have 10 folders and many files inside it and so on. You can expand the folder within a folder structure as deep and wide as you want to. As you navigate through folders to the location of a specific file, you are following a path. A path always begins with the hard drive letter and then lists in order the folders you go through to get to the file. For example, iexplore.exe is the program that opens and runs the Internet Explorer browser. This program is found in the 'Internet Explorer' folder which is in the 'Program Files' folder. The complete path to iexplore.exe is: C:\program files\internet explorer\iexplore.exe. 2. HOW TO SELECT FILES, FOLDERS AND TEXT
Selecting files, folders and text is something that is done often with Windows. Every item must be selected before you can move, copy or delete it. To select a file or folder, put your cursor over the item and then click your mouse. The item is highlighted to indicate you've successfully selected it. To select text within a file, hold down the left mouse button and move (drag) the cursor across the text. Release the button. The selected text is highlighted. To unselect an item just move your cursor to a clear area and hit the left mouse button.
3. USE FIND/SEARCH TO LOCATE FILES
Have you ever saved a file and then wondered where it went when you went to retrieve it? A useful utility called 'Search' (older Windows operating systems call it Find) can save the day.
Click 'Start' and look for 'Search' or 'Find'.
If you have 'Find' click it. If you have 'Search', select it, then click 'For Folders and Files'. In both cases a 'Search' box opens.
Enter the name of the file in the 'Search' box.
Select the drive(s) you want to search in by selecting them in the 'Look in' drop down box.
Click the 'Search button' and all files and folders matching the search criteria appear on the right side of the Search Window along with each file's path.

================================ Tips 4-10 are about using Windows Explorer.

4. USING WINDOWS EXPLORER
Windows Explorer is a utility that has been included with every Windows OS since Windows 95. It provides a way for you to manage all the folders and files on your PC.

5. HOW TO OPEN WINDOWS EXPLORER
You can find Windows Explorer by right-clicking 'Start'. Then select Explore from the list that appears and Windows Explorer opens.

6. VIEWING FOLDERS AND FILES
in Windows Explorer On the left side of Windows Explorer you will see a section called 'folders'. Under folders in Desktop are My Computer, My Network Place, Recycle Bin and My Documents. To see the all the folders and files on your PC, click 'My Computer' and it expands to show a list of the drive resources on your PC. Typically you will have listed:
3-1/2 inch floppy drive (A:)
hard drive (C:)
CD or DVD (D:)
Control Panel icon.
For the curious among you who may wonder what happened to the B drive, it used to be assigned to a floppy drive. In 1981 the IBM PC came out with no hard drive, and up to a maximum of two 160 Kbyte floppy drives labeled A and B. The operating system ran from a disk in the A drive. Application programs and user data ran on the disk in the B drive. As designers worked on the first PC hard drive they called it 'C', the next letter in the alphabet. When the hard drive was introduced in the PC-XT in 1983, it held the operating system as well as application programs and user data. Two floppy drives were no longer necessary. The A drive was retained to load data and programs onto the hard drive, and the B drive was no longer installed in commercial PCs. However, the hooks are still in most operating systems to recognize and use a second floppy drive which if installed will still use drive letter B.
7. HOW TO MOVE FILES AND FOLDERS
in Windows Explorer
Select the file or folder you wish to move, and continue holding down the left mouse button.
Drag the item until it is over the destination folder.
Release the button and the item is moved.
Note: When you move a folder all folders and files under it are also moved.
8. COPYING FILES AND FOLDERS
in Windows Explorer
Place the cursor over the file or folder you want to copy, and right-click your mouse.
Select copy from the menu that appears.
Place your cursor over the destination folder and again right-click your mouse.
Select paste from the menu and the item is copied to the destination folder.
Note: When you copy a folder all folders and files under it are also copied.

9. HOW TO ADD A NEW FOLDER
in Windows Explorer
Navigate to the folder where you want to add a folder. Select the folder. The selected folder has an 'open folder' icon. Unselected folders have 'closed folder' icons. Only one folder can be selected at a time.
With the folder selected, go to the 'File' command on the menu bar at the top left of the screen. A drop down menu appears.
Select 'New' and another menu appears. Select 'Folder' and a new folder icon appears under the selected folder and in the right side view of Explorer with the name 'new folder' highlighted.
Type the name you want for the new folder and it overwrites the highlighted text.
Click your mouse or hit the 'enter' key and the new name is stored.

10. HOW TO RENAME A FOLDER in Windows Explorer
Select the folder, then hit the 'F2' key. The name of the folder is highlighted.
Type the name for the new folder and it overwrites the highlighted text.
Click your mouse or hit the 'enter' key and the new name is stored.

===== 11. SAVE YOUR WORK OFTEN
When you are creating/modifying a file make sure to save your work often. How often? Every time I add a line or two I save it. There are a couple of ways to do this:
With the file open click the 'Save' icon (looks like a floppy disk) on the toolbar near the top of screen.
An alternate way is to hold down the 'Alt' key while hitting the 'F' key then the 'S' key.
Saving your work often is very important because PCs do get hung up and have to be restarted. If you've done a lot of work without saving it and the PC hangs up, all your work is lost when you do a reset! 12. RESET OR SHUTDOWN A PC (Windows 98)
To shutdown a PC, you simultaneously press the 'Ctrl-Alt-Delete' keys. The 'Close Program' window opens.
Click the 'Shutdown' button. Windows closes and the PC shuts down.
An alternate way:
Click the 'Start' button on the task bar.
Select the 'Shutdown' icon and a 'Shutdown' window with a combo box appears.
Click the arrow on the combo box and a number of options, depending on the OS, are listed.
Select 'Shutdown' to close Windows and power off the PC.
Select 'Restart' to close Windows, reset the PC and restart Windows. The PC does not power down.
===================== Tips 13-17 are about deleting files.
13. HOW TO DELETE FILES
To delete a file or folder, select it and then press the 'Delete' key. It is a good idea to delete outdated files that you no longer need. They add up and eventually take up a lot of space on your hard drive.
14. DELETE WINDOWS RECENT FILES
(Windows 98) Windows saves shortcuts to files that you have recently accessed or created to the 'Recent' folder located at C:\Windows\Recent. After a while a lot of shortcuts exist. If you don't need these shortcuts any more, delete them.
15. DELETE WINDOWS TEMPORARY INTERNET FILES
Whenever you access web sites on the Internet, cookies (small information files) and other files are written to a folder located at C:\Windows\Temporary Internet Files. After a while these files build up and take up lots of room on your hard drive. Go in and delete these every so often.
16. WHAT IS THE RECYCLE BIN
The recycle bin can be found in Windows Explorer. A shortcut to the Recycle Bin is also on the Desktop. Any time you delete an item (folder, file or icon) it ends up in the Recycle Bin. It is a special area where deleted items remain until you restore them or permanently delete them. Restoring items
Open the Recycle Bin and select the item to be restored with the right mouse button.
Choose select 'restore' from the menu that appears and the item is restored to it's original location.
Deleting items
Click 'File' on the menu bar and select 'Empty Recycle Bin' and all the items are erased. If your sound is on, you will hear what sounds like paper being crumpled up.
If you only want to delete specific items, select them. Then hit the 'Delete' key.

17. HOW TO BYPASS THE RECYCLE BIN
If you are sure that you do not want an item, you can bypass the Recycle Bin and permanently delete it. Select the item you want to delete. Hold the 'Shift' key down and hit the 'Delete' key. The item bypasses the Recycle Bin and is permanently deleted. ========================== 18. CLEANING YOUR MOUSE
See the 'Easy Tips' section of the ComputerHelpAtoZ.com for complete instructions.
19. ADJUST YOUR PC's TIME AND DATE
Double click the time that is displayed at the right hand end of the taskbar, which is located at the bottom of the Desktop. The 'Date/Time' window appears. You can adjust the year, month, day, time and time zone to match your PCs location.
20. USE CUT, COPY AND PASTE TO MAKE FILE EDITING EASY
See the 'Easy Tips' section of the ComputerHelpAtoZ.com for complete instructions.
21. USE NOTEPAD TO CREATE SIMPLE TEXT FILES Notepad is a limited word processor that comes with Windows. It allows you to create simple text documents with black only fonts. You can search for text strings in a document. All Notepad files have a text (.txt) file type. To open Notepad, go to 'Start', then 'Programs' then 'Accessories'. Single click the Notepad icon and it opens with a blank document.
22. USE WORDPAD TO CREATE SIMPLE WORD DOCUMENTS
Wordpad is a word processor that comes with Windows. It has all the features of Notepad plus more, like colored fonts, text alignment/formatting, and support for Word documents (.doc). A ruler is available to gauge text line lengths. To open Wordpad, go to 'Start', then 'Programs' then 'Accessories' and single click the Wordpad Icon. Wordpad is a word processor that comes with Windows.
================= Tips 23-26 show how to change the view of running programs.

23. CONTROL THE VIEWS OF RUNNING PROGRAMS
Every running program is contained in a window on the desktop. In the upper right corner of each window there are usually three small control boxes that are used to control how the window is displayed.
24. MINIMIZE A WINDOW
The left most control box has a minus [-] sign in it. If you put the cursor over this box and click your mouse the application is 'minimized' and placed on the task bar as a small block. To expand the minimized program, click it and it expands to become the active program on your desktop.
25. MAXIMIZE A WINDOW
The control box in the center has a square [ ] in it. If you put the cursor over this box and click your mouse the application is 'maximized' and takes up the entire screen. When maximized this control box changes to show one square in front of another square. Clicking this control box again restores the window back to about half size.
26. CLOSE AN ACTIVE WINDOW
The control box on the right has an [x] in it. If you put the cursor over this box and click your mouse the application terminates. To open it again you must click the program icon for it. =================== 27. HOW TO ADD SHORTCUTS TO THE DESKTOP
A shortcut is an icon on the desktop that you click to open an application. This saves you from having to navigate the path to the actual location of the file. It's easy to add a shortcut:
Right-click anywhere on the desktop. A pop-up menu appears. Select 'New', then 'Shortcut' and a 'Create Shortcut' window opens.
Use the 'Browse' button to find the path to the application or program.
Select the icon of the program you want and the path to it appears in the 'command line' box.
Click 'next' and a 'Select a Title' box appears where you are asked to enter a name for the shortcut.
Enter a name and then click 'finish'. The new shortcut appears on the desktop. Drag the shortcut icon to where you want it on the desktop.
============Tips 28-31 show some useful tools found in the Control Panel.
28. USING THE CONTROL PANEL
The Control Panel is utility that lets you configure just about everything in your PC. To open the Control Panel:
Go to 'Start', then 'Settings'.
Select 'Control Panel' and the Control Panel Window appears on the desktop with many icons inside it.
29. ADD AND REMOVE INSTALLED PROGRAMS
(Windows 98) Double click the Add/Remove programs icon in the control panel and the 'Add/Remove Programs' window appears. The top portion of the window allows you to install programs. When you install programs from a CD or floppy, the installation doesn't open the 'Add/Remove Programs' window and proceeds without it. Removing Programs: The bottom portion of the window shows all user installed programs loaded on the PC and allows you to remove them. To remove a program, select it and then click the 'Add/Remove' button. You will be asked again if you want to proceed. Clicking 'yes' removes all the components of the selected program.
30. SET POWER USAGE OPTIONS
Double click the Power Options icon in the control panel and a window appears with a number of tabs across the top labeled: Power Schemes, Alarms, Power Meter, Advanced and Hibernate. There may be variances in these options depending on which Windows operating system you have. Power schemes is very useful, especially if you leave your PC on all the time. Double click on it to open it. Two of the selections allow you to automatically turn off your monitor and hard drive(s) a selectable amount of time since the last keystroke or mouse movement. This saves your hard drive life by not having it continuously spin when it is not in use. You also save power by not having your display on when it is not in use. To set the amount of time the hard drive runs before shutting down, select the time you want from the drop down menu next to 'Turn off hard disks'. The monitor shutdown time is set similarly in the 'Turn off monitor' drop down box. The hard drive and monitor wake up when you initiate any activity that requires them.
31. SET YOUR MODEM'S MAX SPEED
Double click the Modem icon in the control panel. The 'Modem Options' window appears. Two tabs should appear, 'General' and 'Diagnostics'.
Select the 'General' tab, then select 'Properties'. which opens and has a 'Maximum Speed' box about half way down.
Open the box and select 115,200, then 'OK'.
If you have a 56kb/s modem this setting won't hurt it, but a setting of 9600 could slow it down.
============ 32. ADD PROGRAM ICONS TO QUICK LAUNCH TOOLBAR
The Quick Launch toolbar can be opened on the task bar. It is used to hold the icons of programs you use most frequently. They are always visible and accessible on the toolbar. To add a program icon from the desktop to the toolbar, drag it from the desktop to the end of the task bar near the 'Start' button. A copy of the program icon appears on the toolbar. You can also add an icon by copying it to the Quick Launch folder which is found at: C:\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch.
33. ADD PROGRAM ICONS TO THE START MENU
When you click 'Start' there is an area above the 'Programs' folder where you can store program icons that you use fairly often. To add an icon here:
Click 'Start', then 'Settings', then 'Taskbar and Start Menu'. The 'Taskbar and Start Menu' properties box opens.
Click the 'advanced' tab, then select 'add'. A 'Create Shortcut' window opens where you select the path to the program icon.
Select the icon and a 'Select Program' folder appears.
Select the 'Start' folder, and a 'Select a Title' Folder appears where you can rename the icon if you wish.
Click 'Finish' and the icon is added.
34. ADD WEB LINKS TO YOUR FAVORITES LIST While viewing an Internet web page with your Internet Explorer browser press 'Alt' and 'D' together, and the link for the page is added to your favorites list. If you get a message that says 'Are you sure you want to remove folder xxxx', it means you favorites window is active. Click anywhere on the web page itself and try again. The web page link is stored even if your favorites list is not displayed. To display your favorites, click the 'Favorites' button on the standard toolbar and they on the left side of your browser.
35. PROTECT YOUR PC WITH A SURGE PROTECTOR This is an area that is critical to the continued operation of your PC. Power surges and lightning strikes can sometimes get coupled onto your PC through the power or phone line. These surges can damage your PC. Surge protected power strips have snubber circuits that filter out these potentially dangerous power line transients. In addition to AC line protection many surge protectors also have protected phone line connectors. Use these to protect your PC's modem: a) Plug a standard telephone cable between the phone wall connector and the 'In' connector on the surge protector. b) Use a second cable to connect your modem to the 'Out' connector. Your modem and PC are now protected from dangerous phone line transients. Surge protectors with these features cost around $20 dollars and are well worth every bit of it!
36. DEFRAGMENT YOUR HARD DRIVE
A heavily fragmented drive can slow down your PC. Running this maintenance task can help keep your PC running at top speed. See the 'Easy Tips' section of the ComputerHelpAtoZ.com for complete instructions.
37. HOW TO CLOSE RUNNING PROGRAMS
(Windows 98) Your PC can get hung up when applications get lost or stalled. With 'Close Program' you can usually identify and close the errant program. All Windows operating systems beyond Windows 95 have a 'Close Program' box that lets you see all running programs. To close a running program:
Open 'Close Program' by simultaneously pressing the 'Ctrl-Alt-Delete' keys. Usually the program that is hung up says (not responding) next to it.
To close it or any other program, select it and then press the 'End Task' button.
If the program remains hung up, repeat these two steps until it closes. In some cases, depending on type of error, it is necessary to reset the PC.
38. ADJUST TEXT SIZE IN YOUR INTERNET EXPLORER
When viewing web pages in your browser the text size may not be suitable for you. This is easily changed.
Select 'View' on the menu bar found at the top of the browser. From the drop-down menu select 'Text Size' and another menu opens.
This menu has five options: largest, larger,medium, smaller and smallest. One of them is identified as the current option.
Select a size that moves the text size in the direction you desire and all body text on the current web page is accordingly adjusted.
Text that is explicitly set in the web page mayNOT change size.

March Computer Classes

Basic Computer Instruction

3/02/09 Basic Computing and E-Mail
3/05/09 Basic Computing and E-Mail
3/06/09 Basic Computing and E-Mail
3/09/09 Search Engines/Google
3/12/09 No Class Scheduled
3/13/09 Search Engines/Google
3/16/09 How to Clean WindowsXP
3/19/09 How to Clean WindowsXP
3/20/09 How to Clean WindowsXP
3/23/09 Windows Tutorial
3/26/09 Windows Tutorial
3/27/09 Windows Tutorial
3/30/09 Windows Tutorial
EACH CLASS WILL BE OF ONE HOUR DURATION
CLASSES START AT 6PM AND FINISH AT 7PM
FRIDAY CLASSES WILL START AT 2PM AND FINISH AT 3PM