Below, is a list of commonly-asked questions and how-to's about
computer-related issues, tips, and techniques. Browse through
them. We hope you enjoy them, and are able to help you.

General Tips
Arranging Your Icons
Creating Shortcuts
Desktop Resolution

Microsoft Word 2003 Tips
Change the margins around text in an AutoShape or text box
Resize a text box to fit the text

Tips From Microsoft
8 Ways to Help Maintain Your Computer and Devices at Work
7 Tips to Manage Your Files Better
FAQ for new computer users
Why you should back up your computer files (and how to do it)
Choose the best program for the job
Make sense of technical jargon
Improve your technology skills
Help protect your files from prying eyes
A day in the lives of 5 Windows users

Arranging Your Icons

As an organized person I can spend a lot of time just trying to make sure my Desktop is always looking its best and truly functional for what I need to do. So I am constantly arranging the icons on my Desktop of my computer. The easiest way to arrange your icons and make sure they stay where you want to place them is to:

1. Go to your Desktop computer screen.
2. In Windows, right click with your mouse on any empty area of the Desktop.
3. When the menu pops up, check to make sure Auto Arrange is not checked. With Auto Arrange checked, you will find that all your icons become arranged in columns on the left-hand side of your Desktop no matter where you might try to move them. If it is checked you will not be able to place your icons wherever you choose. By simply clicking again on Auto Arrange you will undo that selection. Once the check mark for Auto Arrange has been cleared, you can then move your Desktop icons to wherever you want on your screen.

Now you can organize access to your most frequently used programs in one spot and access to most frequently used files in another and they will stay there until you decide to move them.

Creating Shortcuts

There are certain files and applications that you use more than others. In Windows, you can create a shortcut on your Desktop for quick access to these files and applications. As with most things in Windows, there are a number of different ways to create a shortcut. Two ways you can do this are:

1. Open Windows Explorer and locate the program or file you want to create a shortcut for.
2. Single-click on the program or file you want.
3. Press and hold down Shift and Ctrl at the same time.
4. Keep Shift and Ctrl held down while dragging the program or file icon to the Desktop or to a folder.
5. While dragging the file or program to your Desktop you should notice a little curled arrow appear. That indicates a shortcut. Release and the shortcut appears.
   or you can......
6. Right click with your mouse on the program or file you want.
7. While holding the mouse button down drag the file or program icon to the Desktop.
8. Release the mouse button and choose Create Shortcut from the drop down menu. This will place a shortcut in the same directory where your program or file lives.

Now you can skip going to the Start Menu or searching for a program or file and have access to it right from the Desktop!

Desktop Resolution

 What do the "desktop resolutions" refer to? Resolution normally refers to the desktop size. This setting has several predetermined values such as 640x480, 800x600 and so on. The 640 refers to the number of pixels across the monitor screen. The 480 refers to the number of pixels from top to bottom on the monitor screen. As the numbers get larger, the result is that everything on the screen gets smaller. Some people prefer smaller windows and print so they can get more on the screen. Others prefer the larger windows and print, because it's easier to read. Most people using a 14-inch monitor usually use the largest print size 640x480. Some people with a 17-inch monitor prefer 800x600. It's all personal preference.

To change the desktop setting, click the Start button, then choose Settings...Control Panel. Double-click the Display icon, then click the Settings tab.You can change the desktop settings here.

Microsoft Word 2003 Tips

To Change the margins around text in an AutoShape or text box...

1. Click the AutoShape (AutoShapes: A group of ready-made shapes that includes basic shapes, such as rectangles and circles, plus a variety of lines and connectors, block arrows, flowchart symbols, stars and banners, and callouts.) or text box (text box: A movable, resizable container for text or graphics. Use text boxes to position several blocks of text on a page or to give text a different orientation from other text in the document.) whose margins you want to change.
2. On the Format menu, click AutoShape or Text Box, and then click the Text Box tab.
3. Under Internal margin, adjust the measurements to increase or decrease the distance between the text and the object.

Note  If text is clipped or not visible after you adjust the spacing, you can make the text box or AutoShape larger by dragging a sizing handle (sizing handle: One of the small circles or squares that appears at the corners and sides of a selected object. You drag these handles to change the size of the object.).

To Resize a text box to fit the text...

You can resize a text box (text box: A movable, resizable container for text or graphics. Use text boxes to position several blocks of text on a page or to give text a different orientation from other text in the document.) or an AutoShape (AutoShapes: A group of ready-made shapes that includes basic shapes, such as rectangles and circles, plus a variety of lines and connectors, block arrows, flowchart symbols, stars and banners, and callouts.) that contains text so that it is as long or as short as the text that it contains. This setting does not apply to linked text boxes.

1. Select the text box. To do this, move the pointer over the border of the text box until the pointer becomes a four-headed arrow, and then click the border.
2. On the Format menu, click the command for the type of object you selected — for example, AutoShape or Text Box — and then click the Text Box tab.
3. Select the Resize AutoShape to fit text check box.

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