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It's the little things that make the most difference.
Just ask your spouse. The same holds true for computers.
Knowing the little tweaks and adjustments that improve
your relationship with the mechanical beast can go a
long way to a better relationship.
Permit me to share a few tips that I've acquired over
the years. These suggestions are merely a sample of
common issues in the computer dating game. Your personal
experience with your own beloved computer may vary.
Keep A Notebook Nearby
The Windows operating system is too complex! If you
want to make an adjustment to your computer there are
far too many choice to be made. Further more, once you've
changed a setting, remembering how to change it back
a week or month later is a true chore.
So, here's suggestion one. Keep a notebook near the
computer. Every time you make an adjustment, make an
entry to the log book. Sure, you can do the same thing
on the computer itself, but be sure to print it out.
The one day the computer won't turn on or the hard drive
takes an unscheduled vacation, you'll be glad you have
a printed version of the tweak log book.
Upgrade From Windows 95, 98
Just about everyone has experienced that sense of panic
when the computer freezes. You push a key and nothing
happens. You move the mouse and the cursor remains stuck.
What do you do? The number of computer lockups has decreased
with the use of Windows 2000 and Windows XP. If you
are running Windows 98 or 95, it's time to buy a new
computer with an up-to-date operating system. Hey, you
probably bought that computer to deal with the Y2K problem
so it's about time to consider a replacement anyhow!
Windows 2000 and XP have added a utility that permits
you to close down a single offending software application
with out having to reboot the machine.
If you're using Windows 2000 or XP, simply press CTRL+ALT+DEL
and you'll see a dialog box. From the choices, click
on "Task Manager." You'll then see another
dialog box with tabs across the top. Select "Applications."
If there's a recalcitrant program, it will generally
be listed with a note saying, "stopped running,"
or some other descriptive phrase indicating a problem.
At the bottom of the dialog box you can click on "close
application" for the offending program. Exit the
dialog boxes and hopefully you'll be back to normal.
As to why the particular software decided to freeze
your computer, we would have to spend a lot of time
sorting it out. If it happens regularly, then you need
to dig further. If it happens only once, consider it
just a burp and keep working.
Change The Settings
Ever wonder why the screen looks fuzzy or the icons
on the desktop are so large? Ever wonder how to make
changes to those settings without feeling like a technophobe?
It's really easy.
It an open area of your desktop, just click on the
right mouse button -- you know, the button on the right
side that you rarely use. A dialog box pops up. At the
bottom you should see an entry for "properties."
Just left click (the button you regularly use on the
mouse) on it. A new box opens with tabs across the top.
Move over to the right and select "settings."
If you have a relatively new computer with a decent
graphics card, you will hopefully see a panel with the
label "colors," and inside it will say "True
Color [32 bit]." If not, click on the arrow to
the right of that box and you should see a list of choices
suitable for your machine. Remember, the more color
you show, the more computing horsepower is required.
The more color you show, the better the image will appear,
especially when viewing pictures.
If all you read are black documents on a white background,
then you can use a lower setting. But, after all, of
course you look at lots of stuff on the Internet and
want to have vibrant colors to make the experience more
enjoyable.
While you're in the same dialog box, just to the right
you'll see another box with the label "screen area."
This sets the size of the image you'll be able to see.
The higher the numbers, the more you can see on your
screen. However, the icons and text get smaller.
You adjust the setting by moving the slider bar. For
most users, 1024x768 is the average setting for a 17-inch
monitor. If you have a larger monitor, just increase
it to the point of visual comfort. Click on the spot
where it says "apply," and see if you like
the result. If not, just change it back.
With a setting of 1024x768 or greater (higher numbers),
you may be able to increase the size of the window for
your word processor to allow viewing a full page of
text. You may also find it beneficial to use the zoom
feature to make it more legible. For viewing pictures,
the higher the setting, the more you'll be able to see.
Download TweakUI
If you're enjoying this tweak and tune episode, there's
lots more you can do to enhance the computing experience.
Microsoft has a utility which you can download called
TweakUI.
The name indicates it is a tweak for the user interface.
Quite frankly, it has lots of "goodies" to
permit you to adjust your computing experience to your
personal preferences. If you decide to download TweakUI,
be sure to have a back up of your machine before you
install any new software.
Use The Right Mouse Button
Earlier I mentioned the right mouse button. This is
truly an underused feature.
When you're in an application such as your word processor,
the right mouse button gives you context sensitive help
as to what you can do at the exact point in the document
where the cursor is located. Try it a few times, you'll
be amazed at how much power that little button brings
forth.
Remember, the left mouse button executes a command;
the right mouse button brings up a menu of choices.
Top
This article has been reprinted with the permission
of Lawyers Weekly USA, the national newspaper for small
law firms. To subscribe, please visit www.lawyersweeklyusa.com
or call (800) 451-9998.
Bruce L. Dorner practices
law in Londonderry, New Hampshire. He is a graduate
of Northeastern University and New England School of
Law. bldorner@choiceonemail.com
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