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Welcome to today's edition of the Computer Kindergarten Newsletter.
Today is Sunday, December 2, 2001
In this Issue:
Featured Computer Term: System Tray
Topic: Personalize Your Internet Experience
Progressive Learning Series: Labels
Featured Website: Online Newspaper Directory
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Today's Featured Computer Term: System Tray
Introduced with Windows 95, the system tray is located in the Windows taskbar (usually at the bottom right corner) and contains miniature icons for easy access to system functions such as fax, printer, modem, volume, clock and more. Double click or right click on an icon to view and access the details and controls.
The following two questions from Computer Kindergarten newsletter subscribers concern objects found in the System Tray.
Question
I just received your Buying the Perfect PC book and have really learned a lot from it. The reason I ordered it was this: I couldn’t turn the volume down on my computer because I lost the volume control that's usually at the bottom right of my screen. Everything was very loud and my neighbor told me I need a new computer. I had the volume control there and working before and am not sure how it got lost. Is there a way to get it back or should I buy a new computer?
Answer
Glad you liked the book! You do not need to buy a new computer; bringing back your volume control is really a very easy task. (By the way, you may not want to ask your neighbor for computer advice any more.)
You don’t mention which version of Windows you’re using, so the instructions following will cover all versions.
If you’re using Windows 95, 98 or ME, double click on the My Computer Icon on your desktop and then double click on Control Panel. Look for something that says one or more of the following: Sounds, Multimedia, or Sounds and Multimedia. Double click on that. You’ll see text that says something along the line of Display volume control on taskbar. This will have a checkbox (small square) to the left of it. Click on the checkbox and then click the OK button.
If you’re using Windows XP, click on the Start button, and then click on Control Panel. Look for Sounds and Audio Devices. Double click on that and then click on the checkbox next to Place volume icon on the taskbar. Click the OK button.
You'll see the volume control icon back in the system tray. ***
Question
My computer’s clock does not display the correct time. Can I fix this and does it mean that there’s something wrong with my computer?
Answer
The computer’s clock displays the time in the system tray, which sits in the lower right corner of the screen on the taskbar. Yes, you can change the time on your computer’s clock. Just double click on the clock, which will then open the Date and Time Properties dialog box.
In the Date and Time Properties dialog box you can make several changes. Not only can you fix the date and time, should that have gone wrong, but, should you take your laptop on vacation with you, you can change the Time Zone.
To adjust the time, click on what you want to change. For example, to change the hour, click on the hour, then click the up or down arrow to the right. To change the date, just click on the new date in the calendar. When your changes are complete, click the OK button.
The incorrect time on the clock doesn’t necessarily mean that there’s something wrong with your computer. However, the first sign that the battery is going bad is usually the computer’s clock. It'll start running slow (or fast) and no matter how many times you reset it, it seems to lose or gain time within a few hours again.
This little battery, called the Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) battery, also maintains all your settings while your PC is turned off. So, if your computer has been acting weird when you turn it on, it could be that this battery is about to die on you.
Today’s batteries should last 2-5 years with regular use. If yours goes bad though, the battery can easily be changed; no, it’s not time for that new computer yet.
If you’re comfortable opening up your computer and going inside, you can change it yourself. If not, this should be a relatively inexpensive job at a reliable and trustworthy computer repair shop.
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Today's Topic: Personalizing Your Internet Experience
Internet Explorer is great and you can customize its appearance to make it even better for you.
If you never use some of those toolbars at the top, like the links and radio tools bars, you can turn them off. To adjust the settings, click View on the top menu, and then click on Toolbars. You should see the options: Standard Buttons, Address Bar, Links, Radio and Customize. (Note: There are many different versions of Internet Explorer and some options may be under different menus.) If you don't use these bars, uncheck them by clicking on them so they will no longer be there and take up room. (You probably want to keep the Address Bar because you’ll need that to type or paste website addresses into)
You may notice that your address bar and the image above are on a different line. You can change where yours resides by clicking it, holding and dragging it into the spot that you want it.
A nice feature for getting more space to view a Website in Internet Explorer is the full screen mode. To access the full screen mode, just press the F11 key (on the keyboard). To go back to regular mode, just press the F11 key again.
If you are familiar with the icons, you can completely remove the text next to them or you can customize their appearance by clicking on customize under the View/Toolbars menu. The best approach is to try it and then change it back if you don't like it.
For America Online users: you can still use Internet Explorer with America Online. Sign on to America Online, and then minimize that window (the little button with the dash on it in the top right corner). Open Internet Explorer and you can get on the Internet from there. You’ll find that it’s really a better program to use when browsing the Internet.
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Progressive Learning Series: Microsoft Word Labels
The following is a question from a newsletter subscriber.
Question
I’d like to print names and addresses for my holiday cards on labels. Is it possible to do this?
Answer
Yes it is. You can use Microsoft Word or Microsoft Works and it’s very easy to do.
In Microsoft Word:
Click on the Tools menu. Click on Envelopes and Labels and then on the Labels tab. Click on the Options button. Under product number, find and click on the type of labels you have. Click the OK button. Click on the New document button.
This will create a new document with gray lines showing the label format. Type the first name and address then press the Tab button on the keyboard to move the insertion point to the next label. Continue until all labels are typed. Print the document in the usual way.
In Microsoft Works
Click on the Tools menu and then on Labels. Click on multiple entry labels and then click OK. Under product number, find and click on the type of labels you have. Click on the New document button.
This will create a new document with gray lines showing the label format. Type the first name and address then press the Tab button on the keyboard to move the insertion point to the next label. Continue until all labels are typed. Print the document in the usual way.
Make sure you purchase labels that are a good quality. Low quality or marginal labels may peel off as the label paper moves through the printer. If this happens, you could end up with labels stuck inside your printer where it is difficult to remove them. If you have a laser printer, make sure the labels you use are designed for the high heat generated by a laser printer. If not, the adhesive on the back of the labels may soften to a point where the labels come off in the printer, or the adhesive oozes out and messes up your printer. Good quality labels should be available from any business supply store, and are worth the few extra pennies you have to pay.
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Today's Featured Website: Online Newspaper Directory
At this Website, you can take a look at online versions of newspapers and magazines from many different towns and cities in the U.S. This is a nice site to visit if you’re looking for top news stories or thinking about taking a trip somewhere.
http://aol.com/directories/newspaper.adp |
