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Welcome to today's edition of the Computer Kindergarten Newsletter.
Today is Sunday, September 15, 2002
In this Issue:
Special Feature: Call Waiting
Featured Computer Term: Filenames
Featured Webpage: Control Panel
This Week's Topic: Back Up Your Microsoft Outlook Address Book
Question: Making Outlook Express the Default Email Program
Learning Series: Microsoft Word - The Ruler
Featured Websites: Yom Kippur; Hispanic Heritage Month; September is
National Cholesterol Education Month
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Using Links
A Link is a reference to a website. In this newsletter you will see links to many worthwhile, informative and fun websites. Here are the instructions on how to use links:
A link will be used one of two ways, depending on your email program.
If you see the link in blue, underlined text, all you have to do is click on it and a window with the Website in it will automatically appear on your screen.
If you see the link in plain text, you can copy and paste it into the address bar on your browser. Highlight the link with your mouse, click Edit up on the menu bar, and then click Copy from the menu that you just opened up. Open your browser (click the Start Button, point to Programs, click on Internet Explorer); click on the address bar. Click Edit up on the menu bar, and then click Paste from the menu that you just opened up. Press the Enter key on the keyboard and this will take you to the Website.
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Special Feature: Call Waiting
Question: I have call waiting on my phone. If I’m on the Internet, which I connect to through my phone line, and a call comes in, I usually get disconnected from the Internet. Is there something I can do about this?
Answer:
You can disable the call waiting option on your computer when using the modem. You will need to check with your phone company to find out what your code is, but usually it's something that starts with either * or # and then two numbers, usually #70.
To disable Call-Waiting, you’ll have to access your sign on settings. This varies from program to program, depending on what you use to access the Internet. This is done where you originally setup the phone numbers for the computer to dial. Have your Internet dialup begin with #70 then the phone number, for example #70555-1234.
You will not need this if you use DSL or cable to connect to the Internet.
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Featured Webpage: Control Panel
The Control Panel is the central command site for adjusting the properties of many Windows features. It appears as a window containing a number of different icons, each representing a different set of controls.
To learn more about this important feature, click on the link below:
http://stsico.com/html/my_computer.html
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Today's Computer Term: Filenames
The filename is the name of a file. All files must have names in order for the operating system to save it on a disk and for you to find and work with the file in the future.
Operating systems will have certain rules or restrictions on filenames. For example, most operating systems don’t allow the use of certain punctuations characters in a filename and limit the number of characters used in a filename.
Most operating systems allow a filename extension that consists of a period and characters following the filename. The filename extension usually tells you what type of file it is; for example, the extension .doc indicates a word processing document and .jpg a graphic file such as a scanned photograph.
Filenames must be unique; if you save a second file with the same name as an existing saved file, the second will replace the first file. However, you can have two files with the same name as long as they’re in different folders.
If you’re working in DOS or Windows 3.1, the filename can have up to eight characters. Windows 95 and above will let you have as many characters as you want (up to 255).
Give your files descriptive filenames, so you can find them easily. Don’t use names like Letter1, Letter2, Memo4, Paper6, Paper7; you’ll have to open each file to find the one you’re looking for, which could be a time consuming process. Use names like SmithLetter, JohnsonMemo, EnglishCompPaper or whatever adequately describes the contents of the file to you.
Don't use any punctuation marks; there are some you can use and others you can‘t. It’s easier to just avoid punctuation rather than trying to remember what is ok and what’s not.
File names are not case sensitive; you can use upper- or lower- case letters and spaces in filenames.
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Today's Topic: Back Up Your Microsoft Outlook Address Book
Outlook Express uses the Windows Address Book to store all of your contact information (including any groups that you've created). To get started:
1. Click the Start button, then click Run. Type WAB then click OK. This brings up your Windows Address Book.
2. Click File on the menu bar, then Export, then Address Book (WAB).
3. Choose a place (other than on your hard drive) to store this file (you can choose to save it to a floppy disk or to your folder on the server (for those of you with access to a server).
4. Give it a name and click Save and you’re done.
Your address book is now backed up. You should repeat this periodically to make sure you have the most current version of your address book backed up.
Should you ever need to use the backed up address book, for example, if you buy a new computer, you must Restore the backed up copy.
To restore your address book:
1. Open your Outlook express address book (step 1 above), and click on File on the menu bar, then Import, then Address book.
2. Find the file you exported, click on it, then click on the button that says Open.
3. The computer will automatically import the addresses and tell you when it is finished. All you have to do, is click OK.
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Question: Making Outlook Express the Default Email Program
Question: I used to be an AOL subscriber and now use a cable connection. I did not take American Online off my computer as I am afraid I may get rid of other programs I may need. I use Outlook Express for all my email - but - whenever there is a place to just click to send an email - it opens the AOL program. How to I go about routing these direct connections to my Outlook Express program and not have to search for the email address?
Answer:
You need to make Outlook Express your default e-mail program. Here’s how to do that:
1. Open Outlook Express and click on Tools and then Options.
2. Make sure you are looking at the General tab, and then look down near the bottom of the window where it says, Default Messaging programs.
3. It will say something like this: This application is not the default mail handler. Click the button to the right of that sentence that says Make Default.
4. Click OK, and restart your computer.
You can also make Internet Explorer your default web browser. Then, if someone sends you a document, for example, with a link to a website in it, click on the link and IE will automatically open instead of AOL.
1. Click on Start, go to Settings and click on Control Panel.
2. Double click on the Internet Options icon in the control panel.
3. Click on the Programs tab at the top of the Internet Properties window.
4. At the bottom of this page, it will say Internet Explorer should check to see whether it is the default browser. Click to put a check mark in the box to the left of that sentence.
5. Click OK and restart your computer.
6. Now, open up Internet Explorer. It will tell you that it is not the default browser and ask you if you want to make it the default. Just click Yes and you will be all set.
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Progressive Learning Series: Microsoft Word - The Ruler
The ruler, when displayed in Word, is a very helpful tool. However, it would sometimes be very nice to know a bit more than what the ruler can quickly show you. For instance, you can see on the ruler that you have a tab set at three inches, but what if you want to know how far that tab is from the right margin instead of the left?
Word includes a feature that allows you to see exactly where your tabs and margin settings reside on a line. To take advantage of this tool, click on a tab or margin marker on the ruler. Do not release the mouse button, however. Now, click on the right mouse button. You should now be holding down both mouse buttons.
Notice that the normal ruler measurements disappear, and instead there are distance measurements. The measurements outside the margins show how far to the edge of the paper; those inside show how far it is from a tab to both margins.
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Today's Featured Websites:
Yom Kippur Yom Kippur is celebrated this week. To learn more about this holiday, visit:
http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday4.htm
For audio lectures and articles, take a look at:
http://www.ohr.org.il/special/roshhash/
For the children, you’ll find coloring pages, greeting cards, games, and more at this website:
http://www.torahtots.com/holidays/yomkipur/yomk.htm
Send Yom Kippur greeting cards online to your friends and family.
http://browse.postcards.org/postcards/cards/0925/
Hispanic Heritage Month
Initiated by the U.S. Congress as Hispanic Heritage Week more than 20 years ago, the celebration has grown and expanded to a month in 1989. Learn more about Hispanic heritage at the NASA website.
http://ssdoo.gsfc.nasa.gov/education/hispanic.html
Learn more about the history of Hispanic Heritage Month.
http://latino.sscnet.ucla.edu/heritage/hhhispan.htm
Take a look at the History Channel’s website for music, videos, great graphics and more about this celebration.
http://www.historychannel.com/classroom/hhm/
National Cholesterol Education Month September is National Cholesterol Education Month. Read all about this at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute website.
http://hin.nhlbi.nih.gov/cholmonth/ |
