Any Gmail users out there?

As I move more and more of my computing away from my desktop computer to the Internet and Ubuntu, my computing life becomes less complicated and quite mobile. I can access documents, calendar information, contact information, and more from my phone (Treo 755p at the moment) and any Internet connected computer any where I happen to be. The one looming part of my desktop computer that I can’t move completely to the web...

Using Check boxes to Select Files and Folders R...

Some computer users have trouble remembering or using the keyboard and mouse shortcuts to select multiple files and folders. Windows Vista offers an option to allow users to check boxes instead of using the keyboard/mouse combos to select multiple files. To enable this option, again in Windows Vista only, follow these steps: Open in folder (My Computer, Documents, Windows Explorer, etc) Click Organize from the menus Click...

Re-name your files and folders the easy way –...

Renaming files and folders can be a tricky task with the mouse. However, using your keyboard, renaming your files or folders is simple! 1. Click ONE time on the file or folder that you want to rename 2. Press the F2 key on your keyboard 3. Type the new name (remember that you can use up to 255 characters…but no slashes) 4. Press Enter on your keyboard There you have four easy steps to organizing your files....

Print Folder Contents

The ability to print out the contents of a folder (directory) on your computer does not exist in Windows. “Why would I need to print out a list of what is in my folders?”, you ask. A couple of reasons actually; 1) it can serve as a quick glance reference to your computer’s contents and 2) you might want to print a copy of file names that you backed up. Thanks to the hard work and ingenuity of programmers...

Desktop Shortcuts Make Computing Easier – Vi...

Learning to make Windows work for you instead of you working for it can yield many more happy and productive hours using your computer. One highly under utilized feature of Windows is the shortcut icon. Learning to use and manage shortcuts will give you a huge advantage with your computer. A shortcut is simply a ‘pointer’ to a location on your computer. Every entry in your programs menu of the start button is a...

Ubuntu – Day 5

I haven’t ported much of my data to this computer from my Windows’ computer, but haven’t missed any of it yet either. I do have this system hooked into my home network so I can access shared folders on the Windows’ machine if I need those files. I mentioned on the show today that one of the huge reasons I like Mozilla Firefox is the availability of “extensions”. Extensions are little...

Set a startup password for Microsoft Outlook

Some computer users who work in an office or on a PC with other roomates or kids would like to password protect their email, calendar, contacts, etc in Microsoft Outlook. Until today, I didn’t know how to do that. As you know, when I learn something new, I pass it on to you. Remember, this tip is for OUTLOOK users NOT Outlook Express users: Start Microsoft Outlook RIGHT Click the Outlook Today icon on the left or the...

Windows Vista’s Open and Save Dialog Box ...

Windows Vista has brought us many changes…some good, many not so good. One change that takes some getting used to is the new open/save dialog box. It takes a little getting used to, but with some practice and tips in my video tip below, you will be in harmony with Gates' new monster. In the video, I include how to create shortcuts to your most used folders, explain the new Vista file hierarchy, and demonstrate how...

Backup – What, Where, When, and How – ...

It doesn?t take long to back up your files, but it does take discipline.  Just like getting the oil changed in our cars regularly to maintain its health, it is imperative that a good backup program be put in place for you computer creations. Follow these simple rules for backing up your files and you will be able to face any computer calamity: Save your files in a common folder or directory like My Document or Work Make...

Don’t put folders and files on your desktop

A few days ago one of my clients called me with some strange problems. Suddenly many of her files disappeared from her computer. None of the files seemed to be related. She was missing a few Microsoft Word documents, some photos and her genealogy. After looking around and doing several searches she happened to mention that she used to have a folder on her desktop called "Old Desktop Files." It was a folder with...

Windows Vista makes networking maddening

I setup a new Windows Vista machine yesterday on a network with two Windows XP systems. My client wanted Vista to be the main computer that shared files and printers with the other two computers. It only took me 45 minutes to figure out how to set it all up. In Windows XP I can setup a network in less than 15 minutes – probably less than 10. One of the first complaints I had early on with Windows XP was that it was...

Using Picasa to make a CD of your favorite picture...

Lately I have had several people ask me how to make a CD from only certain pictures from several folders. Here is a short video explaining how it's done. The background music came out pretty bad, but the rest of the video should run OK. (click "read more if the video isn't already showing)   ...

Getting Better Prints from Digital Photos

One of the disadvantages to digital photography (if you can call it that) is that you don't get prints as often. Photos tend to sit on disk or on your computer's hard drive and never get shared. The photo album is sadly becoming extinct. If you would like to start printing out some of those digital photos, here are some pointers. Install Picasa: We talk about it a lot, but not often enough. Picasa will make selecting,...

Don’t back up a shortcut

I've mentioned this before many times, but it bears repeating often especially since I saw it at least three times this week. First, I want to commend the computer users out there for backing up and thinking of backing up! However, it is imperative to know what you are backing up.  A shortcut is indicated by a little arrow in the lower left hand corner of a folder or file. If your backup media has any of these types of...

Screen saver using your own pictures

Windows Me had a similar screen saver option, but Windows XP made the feature even better. Since many computer users take lots of digital pictures, why not put those pictures on display as your screen saver. Here's how in Windows XP (Windows 98 users see end of this tip): RIGHT Click one time on a blank part of your desktop Click Properties Click the Screen Saver tab Click the drop-down arrow next to the name of the...