Computer Education and Services

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Software Program Tips

This page will contain archived tips that pertain to all types of software programs. I may also include downloads or software I find that may be useful to you.

Topics

Microsoft Paint
Minimal Close
Easy Diary
Backing Up Outlook Express
Insider Learning Center
Keep Your Tunes Organized
KeyFinder
Spyware
End of Message
Resizing Pictures

Did You Send That Email?
Change Notepad or WordPad's Working Directory
How to Restore Backed Up Outlook Express Message Files
Uninstalling Software
New Windows in Outlook
Windows' Address Book
TCP Optimizer
AI Roboform

6/11/2004

AI Roboform

One of the more useful (small) programs found on the Internet is called Roboform. If you need to store passwords for sites, credit cards for shopping, or fill out online forms, this program is for you. Below is a small list of the program's many features:

	Saves and remembers on-line passwords.
	True1-click logins.
	Fills forms such as credit card fields.
	Saves offline data such as software registration codes, ATM passwords, lock combinations
	You can create a Master Password to protect all stored information from other computer users.
	Use it's own Password Generator.
	Written in most languages.
	Can be added to the Internet Explorer and Netscape toolbars for easy access.
	Auto update notifications.
	Uses 3DES encryption.

The program is free with a few limitations and it contains no adware or spyware. The "Pro" version is $29.99. There is even a toll-free number (1-877-ROBOFORM) for support.

This program makes shopping on the Internet safe and easy. No more filling out long registration forms. Try the free version. You will be pleased.

Download here:
RoboForm Free Password Manager

5/21/2004

Resizing Pictures

You know how sometimes when you send a picture through email, the receiver gets it and has to scroll or resize the picture to see it? Also, the file size is so big that most email programs will not send or receive it? There is no need to buy an expensive photo editing program if you are satisfied with the way the picture looks and you just want to email it. Here is an easy way to accomplish that:

	Go to Microsoft Paint (standard in most Windows) and click File>Open>the picture's filename.
	In the menu at the top of Paint, click Image>Stretch/Skew.
	Reduce Stretch percentages by same amount to keep the formatting the same...maybe 50% for horizontally and vertically. You can use the Undo function if you don't like the change in file size or the way the picture looks.
	After you have made a change you like for emailing, save the file as JPEG (jpg, jpeg), or "save as" using a different name if you want to keep the original picture.

Now you are ready to email your picture.

3/18/2004

TCP Optimizer

We just can't seem to get enough speed from our Internet connections. If you want to squeeze every ounce of performance from your Internet connection, you need to tweak the TCP/IP settings for your Windows machine in the Registry. Poking around in the Registry isn't always fun and can be downright dangerous! The good news is that you don't have to put yourself at risk. Instead, just use the free TCP Optimizer application and it will configure the Registry for you. It's free and you can download it at TCP Optimizer.

1/30/2004

End of Message

Try this trick to reduce the time you spend with e-mail: Answer messages by responding only within the subject line. That's right--there's no message except for the subject. For instance, a friend e-mailed me with info about an upcoming garden show. I replied with the subject line, "Got the garden show details -- thanks [EOM]."

The "EOM" means End of Message and it's a shorthand way of sending or answering e-mail that's simply a thank you or an acknowledgement. The trick helps reduce the number of e-mails that need to be opened. Many professionals use the trick because it's increases everyone's productivity.

1/23/2004

Windows' Address Book

One of the little known aspects of Windows is its excellent address book. Although not quite as good as Outlook's, this utility will meet most peoples' needs, and then some.

To open the Address Book, click Start>>Programs (All Programs in Windows XP)>>Accessories>>Address Book.

To create a shortcut on the desktop, hold down the right mouse button on Address Book and drag it to the desktop. When you release the button, left click Copy.

Address Book's forms allow you to enter lots of personal and business information. There also is space for extensive notes. Address Book is available in Windows XP, 98 and ME.

12/12/2003

Spyware

Spyware is programming that is put in someone's computer to secretly gather information about the user and relay it to advertisers or other interested parties. Spyware can get in a computer as a software virus or as the result of installing a new program.

Here are 2 free programs, one of which you can install that will help get rid of spyware. Some people use both:

	One is called Ad-aware provided by Lavasoft. Once you reach the site, click on "Downloads" in the left panel. There you can download the free version.
	The other is called Spybot Search and Destroy provided by PepiMK Software. The download link is also in the left panel.

Both programs install easily and should be updated regularly like your virus program. Both also provide paid versions that are a little more robust and offer more features, but the free versions do a wonderful job.

11/07/2003

New Windows in Outlook
[Outlook]

You can open a folder or Outlook component in a new window by right-clicking it and selecting an option. You can achieve the same result by adding shortcut icons to your Outlook toolbar or directly on your desktop. The shortcuts use a hyperlink in the format of a URI (Uniform Resource Identifier), for example "outlook:calendar" or "outlook:inbox" without the quotes. Shortcuts in this format will always open a new window.

My favorite use for this trick is to add a shortcut to the Quick Launch bar, so I can open my Outlook calendar or my Outlook Tech Support folder with a single click. Here's how to do it for the Outlook calendar:

	Right-click on the desktop and choose New -> Shortcut.
	In the Create Shortcut dialog box type:

outlook:calendar in the box and click Next.

Name your shortcut Calendar or whatever you like, and click Finish.

You can leave the shortcut on your desktop or drag it into your Quick Launch bar (and then delete the desktop shortcut), in order to have single-click access to your Calendar at any time.

Try the same trick with other Outlook elements or mail folders:

outlook:contacts opens Contacts in a new window;

outlook:Tech Support opens a mail folder called Tech Support (case doesn't matter when creating the shortcut) in its own window;

outlook:word 2000 will open the sub-folder word 2000 within the Office 2000 mail folder; and so on. Customize these shortcuts for your own folders and save time.

10/17/2003

KeyFinder

It doesn't seem very likely that one would lose the CD key for Windows or for Microsoft Office, but I have done this more than once. Of course, I finally found the key, but finding required a half hour search. To prevent this happening again, I keep the keys in a separate file on the computer.

If you use a small freeware called KeyFinder, creating your CD key file is easy. Just run the program and then click Save to save your file. The file will contain both the Windows key and the Microsoft Office key.

KeyFinder works with all versions of Windows. You can find it here at

Magical Jelly Bean Software.

3/21/2003

Uninstalling Software

There are times when you use software that you purchase from a store or download from the Internet that you may tire of or find that it is of no use to you. You also may find that you need more hard drive space and need to get rid of programs that are seldom or never used. That means that it's time to uninstall software. It's important to remember, when you uninstall programs or software, bits and pieces of may remain in your computer.

When you purchase a program or software, or download it from the Internet, make sure that the program comes with an uninstall option. That way, all of the program gets removed from your system. Check with the maker of the program for uninstall options before you buy.

If you desire to get rid of the program, use it's uninstaller. If it has no uninstaller, use the Add/Remove option in Control Panel. At least that will remove most or all traces of the program.

01/31/2003

Keep Your Tunes Organized

You can use Windows Media Player to record and organize your music as well as to play your favorite tunes. Windows Media Player Series 9 in Windows makes it easy to copy music from audio CDs or from the Internet radio stations to which you listen. You can then organize the music that you copy onto the hard drive into play lists that you can play in Windows Media Player or copy onto portable devices, such as a portable MP3 player. If your computer has a CDR (CD recordable) or CDRW (CD rewritable) drive, you can even copy the music files onto blank CDs that you burn.

12/06/2002

Insider Learning Center

Microsoft's Insider Learning Center offers you free interactive training to learn basic skills using Visio, FrontPage 2002, Windows XP, and Internet Explorer 6.0. I found the courses quick and easy to follow, though abbreviated. You may find them of some help to you. Click here to access the site.

11/15/2002

How to Restore Backed Up Outlook Express Message Files

Last week we discussed how to back up your Outlook Express files. Once you have your files in a backup folder, you can copy that folder to a CD-R or other removable media. The key is to put the folder in a safe place. When you're ready to copy those files to another installation of Outlook Express, just perform the following steps:

	Open the Windows Explorer and create a folder on the C: drive called MailFiles.
	Copy the .dbx and .wab files you backed up into the MailFiles folder you created on the C: drive

Open Outlook Express. Click on the Tools menu and then click the Options command.

	In the Options dialog box, click on the Maintenance tab. On the Maintenance tab, click on the Store Folder button.
	The Store Location dialog box appears. Click the Change button in the Store Location dialog box.

	The Browse for Folder dialog box appears. Make sure the C: drive is expanded and then click on the MailFiles folder.
	Click OK, then click OK in the Store Location dialog box. A dialog box appears asking you if you want to switch the store location.
	Click Yes. Note that you need to switch your store as soon as you start using the new Outlook Express, as the old message store will replace the current one. Since you're starting with a new Outlook Express, you don't have to worry about losing any messages.

Click OK in the dialog box that tells you the store location won't be changed until you restart Outlook Express.

	Click OK in the Options dialog box.
	Close Outlook Express and then open it again. You'll now see your old messages.
	Now let's get your address book back. In Outlook Express, click the File menu and then point to Import. Click on the Address Book command.

	In the Select Address Book File to Import from dialog box, navigate to your MailFiles folder and click on the .wab file in that folder.
	Click Open.
	Click OK in the dialog box that tells you the import completed successfully.

Now you have all your old messages and your complete address book! Make sure to back up your .dbx and .wab files on a regular basis and then copy them to a safe place. If you do, you'll never lose your important messages or contacts again!

11/08/2002

Backing Up Outlook Express

Your email messages are probably the most important data you keep on your computer. The worst computing disaster most people experience is the loss of their email. Here are some easy steps you can take to back up your messages and address book:

	Right click on the Desktop, point to New and then click Folder. Rename the folder to My Backup Files.
	Click Start and then click Search. In the �What do you want to search for?� area, click on the All files and folders arrow.
	In the Look In box, click Local Hard Drives.
	In the Named box (or �All or part of the file name� box for Win XP), type *.dbx, and then click Search. When the search is completed, you should see a list of all the files with the .dbx file extension in the Search Results window.
	Click the Edit menu and then click the Select All command.
	Click the Edit menu and then click the Copy command.
	On your desktop, double-click the My Backup Files folder.
	On the Edit menu, click Paste.
	Repeat steps 4 through 9, but this time search for files with the *.wab file extension. Those files will be for the Windows Address Book.

Next week I'll show you how to put these files into a backup file, copy the backup file to a safe location, and then restore the files to get your messages and address book back up and running.

07/28/2001

Easy Diary

Notepad is a small word processor program that comes with Windows. It isn't fancy, but it does have one unique feature: log files.

Type ".LOG" (all CAPS without the quotes) at the top of a new Notepad file, and it becomes a log file, and can be used like a diary or daily journal. Save and name your log something like "Journal" or "Diary" so you can find it easily. From then on, every time you make an entry in the file, Notepad adds a time and date stamp. You'll see the stamp the next time you open the file.

06/16/2001

Change Notepad or WordPad's Working Directory

It is suggested that you store all of your data files in one central location (a drive or folder with a series of subfolders) to make data backups easier. Once you've moved all your data files into the appropriate folders, you will also need to redirect or re-create your file shortcuts. One more set of changes you may wish to make is to change the working directories of all your applications. If a program knows where you want to store your data, putting your files there will be that much easier. Most applications offer the commands necessary to change their default directories. For example, in Microsoft Word, you just select Tools, Options, click the File Locations tab, and so on. However, applications such as Notepad and WordPad require you to make the change on the shortcut level.

First, locate the shortcut you use to open a program. (Tip: If the shortcut is on the Start menu, right-click Start, select Open, then locate the shortcut in the Start Menu window.) Right-click the shortcut, select Properties, and in the resulting dialog box, click the Shortcut tab. On the Start In line, type the path of the folder you'd like the program to use as the default, and then click OK. From now on, assuming you use that shortcut to open the application, selecting File, Open inside the program will point you to the specified folder.

(Note: In a given work session, navigating your way to another folder within the program's Open dialog box changes the working directory to that folder.)

12/11/2000

Minimal Close

You want to close a program on your taskbar. You click the program's taskbar button to display the program window and then choose File + Close from the program's menu. To which we say, HOW UNFORGIVABLY WASTEFUL! Because to close any program or window on the taskbar--without even LOOKING at the program or window--all you have to do is:

1. Right-click the taskbar button.
2. Choose Close from the shortcut menu.
Another senseless set of clicks avoided. Then again, you can click the "X" in the upper right corner of the window. You may have to face the "Save" dialog box in any situation.

06/23/2000

Did You Send That Email?

It really doesn't matter what e-mail program you have, usually there is a Sent Mail folder that lets you know what mail you have sent. To make sure your message went out--or to see how prolific a communicator you've been--click the Sent Items or Sent Mail icon to see a list of all the mail you've sent. You can also click a sent message to see what's inside.

07/31/1999

Microsoft Paint

If you are using Microsoft Paint to save an existing graphics file, It is a good idea to eliminate the white background that gets saved along with your graphic. Click the lower-right corner of the white background and drag it to the left. This will keep your image neat and your file size small. Then you can copy and paste your image to another application without using so much hard drive space.

(Disclaimer: Compeds lists these tips only as suggestions. We will not be responsible for any damage or adverse changes to your system or software in their use or misuse.)

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Last modified: November 16, 2007

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Computer Education and Services

Software Program Tips

Send mail to raymonde@msn.com with questions or comments about this web site or use our Feedback form. Last modified: November 16, 2007

Send mail to raymonde@msn.com with questions or comments about this web site or use our Feedback form.
Last modified: November 16, 2007