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Welcome to this week's edition of the Computer Kindergarten Newsletter.
Today is Sunday, March 04, 2007
In this Issue:
Special Feature: Record Error Codes
This Week's Topic: Copy Files from a CD to Your Computer
Question: Closing Programs
Websites of Interest: Daylight Savings Time; Introduction to Identity Theft; BBC: Languages; 100 Most Often Mispronounced Words
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Special Feature: Record Error Codes
When error messages come up on your computer, you will need the exact information in the message in order to research the problem or ask your technical support person for help. Rather than writing the details down, here is a good way to note the information:
Leave the error message window open. Find the Print Screen (PrtSc or PrtScr) and Alt keys on your keyboard. Hold down the Alt key, press and release the Print Screen key, and the release the Alt key. This will take a picture of the window with the error message.
You will now need to open a program to display the picture you just took. Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, Microsoft Works Word Processor or Wordpad will do. Open the program you would like to use.
Once you have the program open, click Edit on the menu and then Paste. You will now see a picture of your error message window.
You can print or save the file as usual.
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Today's Topic: Copy Files from a CD to Your Computer
Question: How can I copy the contents of a CD to my hard drive?
Answer:
First, make a place on the hard drive to store files from the CD. For now, make a folder on the desktop. That will be easy to find later. And, in the future, if you want to move it to the My Documents folder, all you have to do is drag it in.
To make a folder, right click on a blank spot on your desktop. In the menu that you now see, point to New and then click Folder. A folder will appear on the desktop with the name New Folder highlighted in blue. Type a name for your folder, and it will replace the highlighted name.
Now you have a folder on the hard drive for the CD files. Double click on it to open it.
Put the CD in the drive and close it. A window should open automatically, listing all the files on the CD. If it does not open, double click on the My Computer icon, and then double click on the CD drive.
There are now two windows open on your desktop; one has the contents of the CD, and the other is the empty folder on the hard drive.
Arrange the windows so they are side by side, each taking up approximately half of the screen. To do this, right click on a blank spot on the taskbar (the bar across the bottom of the screen). From the resulting menu, click Tile Windows Vertically. The two windows will now line up next to each other.
In the window with the CD files, click Edit on the menu, and then click Select All. All the files will be highlighted. Point to any of the highlighted files, hold down the left mouse button, and drag into the other window (the empty folder on the hard drive). Give the files a few moments to copy.
The files from the CD will now be in the folder on the desktop. You can remove the CD from the drive.
To open any of the files you copied from the CD, double click on the folder icon, and then double click on the file you want to open. The file will open in the appropriate program.
To learn how to copy files from the computer to a CD, visit our newsletter archives:
Copy to a CD with a CD burning program:
http://www.computerkindergarten.com/html/100106.html
Copy to a CD with Windows XP CD Copier:
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/032104.html
Copy to CDs, for older versions of Windows:
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/103005.html
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Question: Closing Programs
What is the reason for closing all programs before turning the computer off? What if this is not done?
Answer:
When you close a program, it shuts down correctly. Many programs need to save certain information before they close, such as changes to settings that you might have made in that session. Some programs create temporary files, and these files are cleaned up and deleted when you close the program.
Closing programs and turning off your computer the correct way will keep the computer clean and running efficiently.
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Websites of Interest:
Daylight Savings Time
Visit this website to learn all about Daylight Savings Time, all over the world.
http://webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/g.html
Introduction to Identity Theft
This is an educational website full of valuable tips that will help you learn about, and avoid, identity theft.
http://www.ou.edu/oupd/idtheft.htm
BBC: Languages
Visit this website to learn a new language online.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/
100 Most Often Mispronounced Words
Here are the most mangled words in the English language.
http://www.yourdictionary.com/library/mispron.html |
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