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Rick

Good ol’ AOL

Amazingly, I have not railed against AOL yet in any of my ‘Shotguns’. No matter how hard I try, somehow the topic comes up. Just today, I helped a customer hook up her new DSL Internet and cancel her AOL account. By switching to DSL, she is saving about $2 a month locally and gaining so much more service. In some areas, you can save $10 or more by switching to DSL.

What else is gained by switching to DSL service from AOL?

Print Preview Revisited

I have a couple of tips related to this topic on the site that I will link later, but this feature is important to keep in mind when creating documents you want to print. Print Preview also comes in handy when printing out documents that you aren’t sure how they will look printed; like spreadsheets and web pages. If something doesn’t look quite right, you can then close the preview window and click into the Page Properties from the File menu to adjust margins or paper size and orientation before previewing again.

Here are two tips related to conserving a little paper, ink and time that you can find on the site:

The power of databases

Lately, I have been helping a business customer set up a database to help manage a portion of their business. Databases are highly underutilized in the small to medium sized business. Databases differ greatly to spreadsheets and potentially offer many more benefits to using spreadsheets.

Properly designed and built, a database can save many hours of data entry and reduce entry errors to almost zero. Databases also provide the opportunity to instantly extract subsets of information from the data…this is done through a process called queries. Reporting functions also excel (no pun intended) with databases and can be customized to meet any need.

Macs vs. PCs – the truth comes out

I typically don’t post Shotgun articles on Sunday, but this one is good.  One common thing you hear about Mac computers is that they are "more reliable" and "faster" than PCs. This article has some great points. Most of what drives Mac popularity is what the author calls "a cult-like following."

The source is The Inquirer, not the truth-bending grocery store tabloid. The Inquirer in this case is a very popular online computer news magazine. 

Resolving problems with PayPal

Once in a great while a person on eBay will take your money but never send you the item. This is one of the advantages to using PayPal. If the seller has a PayPal account you can file a complaint with PayPal.

To start the complaint process go to www.PayPal.com, log into your account and click on the Resolution Center.

If the person does not work with PayPal to resolve the problem then PayPal will remove the funds from the seller’s account and refund it to you. 

Remember the size of your program windows

Sometimes Windows forgets what size you like your application Windows to open up with when you start them. To get Windows to remember your preferences, follow these steps:

  1. Open your program
  2. Manually resize the Window using by clicking on the edge of your window and stretch it to the size you desire
  3. Now click File —> Close (or exit) from the menus

When you re-start the program, it should remember your preference.

 

Install Windows 98 over the top of Windows 98

This trick only works with Windows 98!

Occasionally Windows 98 will become too corrupted to use effectively. One possible solution to this is to do a fresh install of Windows 98 over the top of itself.

This process will not destroy any data on your computer.

1. Place the Windows 98 CD into your computer. If you have one, it is also a good idea to place the Windows 98 floppy into the floppy drive.

2. Turn off your computer and turn it back on.

3. Choose to start your computer With CD-ROM support – but do not select the option to Setup Windows 98.

4. The screen will eventually come to a C:>

Proper Cleaning of your LCD (flat panel) Monitor

Flat panel monitors make a wonderful addition to any computer. However, they do require more special care when cleaning than traditional CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitors. CRT monitors all have a glass front. LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) monitors, on the other hand, have a much softer face…almost membrane like. Because of this, LCD monitors are much more prone to being damaged from being touched and poked.

Rule #1:  Never touch an LCD monitor with your fingers or poke them with any object. Permanent damage can result.

CRT monitors can be cleaned in a myriad of ways because of their glass exterior. You can use water, glass cleaners, or just about anything that you would use on your windows at home. LCD monitors should never be cleaned with harsh chemicals of any type. Instead, if a liquid must be used, use only water or water mixed with a little rubbing alcohol. Some people even recommend diluted vinegar as well.

Rule #2:  Never spray any liquid directly onto a LCD monitor. Instead, use a soft cotton cloth and apply the liquid to it first.

When cleaning any kind of glass surface, it is common and acceptable to use circular motions and any number of cleaning rags are acceptable. As you probably guessed by now, LCD monitors are different. ONLY use soft, clean cotton cloths or special made LCD screen wipes that can be found in electronic or office stores.

Rule #3:  When cleaning your LCD monitor, do not rub in a circular pattern. Instead, use a side-to-side motion or up and down. And even then try to move your rag in only one direction. For example, wipe from left-to-right only or top-to-bottom.

LCD monitors can last a long period of time and provide you with excellent images IF you follow the simple precautions above to keep it clean.