ISAC Computer Support Group

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61 - Modem - Change Disconnect Time
86 - Outlook Express - Delete Messages Faster
87a - Outlook Express - Delete Names Etc. From Forwarded Messages
87b - Outlook Express - Is It a Hoax?
108 - Outlook Express - Moving Email Between Computers or Saving to a Disk for Future Use
154a - Powertoys - Add A Preview Button
154b - Powertoys - Alt-Tab Task Switcher
173 Win XP - Pin or Unpin Programs to The Start Menu
174 Win XP - Sort your Programs Alphabetically
175 - Win XP - Show Hidden Files

Tips of the Month
Open Questions & Answers

61 Modem - Change Disconnect Time

When you have a limited monthly rate on a dial network, every minute counts. To disconnect when an occurrence arises (door bell, family, friends. etc) it does not pay to have your computer sit idle while it's on the Internet.

	Left click on
	Left click on
	Double left click on
	Select the tab
	Left click on

When the Standard Modem Properties window opens

Select the tab

Left click on

When the Standard Modem Default Preferences window open

Select the tab

Under Call Preferences

Place a check mark next to Disconnect a call if .....

Enter the number of minutes you feel would be satisfactory for your mode of operation (you can always return and update the settings)

You should also set a number of seconds to Cancel the call if .....

Left click on

86 - Outlook Express - Delete Messages Faster

It's spring cleanup time, get rid of the old Thanksgiving, Halloween, Christmas, etc cards and mail. The jokes have been around two, three times, virus threats and hoaxes long past and you have had no interrupts to your e-mail. Anything you want to keep can be burned to a disk, the rest can be deleted.

The best approach for a fast cleaning job is to group the messages by From, Subject, Received or any other column you may have set to view your E-mail.

Select any column (1) - Note if you multiple left click on the column, it will sort ascending and descending

Left click on the first you wish to delete

Scroll to the bottom of the group to be wiped out

Hold down one of the Shift Keys and left click (2) - Note how the selected E-mail files are highlighted

Left click on the Delete button. (3)

87a - Outlook Express - Delete Names Etc. From Forwarded Messages

Many times we receive e-mail with addresses of family, friends and others we do not know. However we would like to Forward the message to a friend or one of the family.

	After you select the Forward button
	Hold down the left click at the beginning of the unwanted addresses
	Drag the mouse pointer over all the addresses in the message to highlight it as shown.
	Press the Delete button on your keyboard.
	Enter the name of the recipient in the To: field
	When more than one recipient is going to be addressed, use BCC (Blind Carbon Copy).

Note: - some Web Mail requires an E-mail address in the To: field, - use your own E-mail address.

This particular E-mail had more than 100 E-mail addresses attached to it and sent out by 5 to their families and friends for an average of 20 each. If each of the people followed the same pattern, by the time the 10th group had forwarded this E-mail, the total contacts would be 10,240,000,000,000. The population of the world - March 08, 2008 was 6,655,433,655. If everyone in this world had an e-mail address, they would have received this message over 1500 times. Do you sometimes wonder why the Internet is so slow??

This message may have already fallen into the wrong hands, E-mail addresses are worth a lot of money to spammers. Don't support them

The message turned out to be a hoax and has been around since January 2002

Its reappearance appeared to have originated in the UK from a police station in Dorset.

If you had a contact (spammer) who is looking for addresses, you could easily make $ in a few seconds.

Note: - The spammer would prefer to receive the E-mail with the "message deleted", he only wants the addresses.

DO NOT EVER - ATTACH UNNECESSARY E-MAIL ADDRESSES TO YOUR MESSAGES.

87b - E-mail - Is it a Hoax?

Ever receive an E-mail and it appears too good\bad to be true? Take a moment and check it out on the Internet.

The subject of the E-mail above (87a) was "email with a Power Point presentation 'Life is beautiful'"

Click on the above icon

Type a few words of the E-mail subject into the Search field

Save these addresses in your Favorites/Bookmarks and use them.

The next time you receive a hoax, do the sender and yourself a favour and send them the address of this page.

108 Outlook Express - Moving Email Between Computers or Saving to a Disk for Future Use

Spent over 3 hours on this subject and got no where. After 3 days of rest, a method was found.

This can be done by temporarily storing your Email files on your Desktop or in My Documents

Desktop Storage

Open

Resize the OE window to give you access to the Desktop

If your Desktop Icons are not visible

Right click on the Desktop

When the sub-menu opens

Select Arrange Icons By

Left click on Show Desktop Icons

Right click on the Desktop

When the sub-menu opens

Select New

Left click on Folder

Locate your New Folder icon on the Desktop

Right click on your

When the sub-menu opens

Left click on Rename

Type an appropriate name for your New Folder

Select the Email you wish to save

Drag the selected Email into your New Folder

Open a couple of files in your New Folder to verify the process is complete

You can now burn the folder to a disk and open it on another computer.

The files can be dragged into Outlook Express on the other computer.

It is now safe to erase the original files in OE

Left click on Edit

Left click on Select All

Left click on the button

My Documents Storage

Left click on

Left click on

Left click on File

Select New

Left click on New Folder

Rename your New Folder appropriately

Open

Right click on the Task Bar

When the sub-menu opens

Left click on Tile Windows Vertically (There must be only 2 applications, My Documents and Inbox - Outlook Express buttons on the Task Bar)

Open the New Folder

Select the Email you wish to save

Drag the selected Email into your New Folder

154a Powertoys - Add A Preview Button

The purpose of this button

is to give you access to 4 desktops where you can open an application on each.

This is one of many of the Powertoys from M$ and you will find some of them very good and others not so good. It appears M$ put their programmers to work developing these Toys to prove their worth. M$ does not support these Toys. If you see something you might like, when in doubt, try it out.

Left click on this icon to connect to M$ Powertoys

Left click on this icon to connect to M$ Powertoys Virtual Desktop Manager

When the above window appears

Left click on

It is recommended you set the location to save the file in My Documents/My Downloads/Desktop Manager

Open DeskmanPowertoySetup.exe

Left click on the Taskbar

Lift click on the Preview Key on the Taskbar

The result will be something like this

The application you wish to access, is just a left click on the one you want as shown on the desktop

or, one of the 4 preview buttons next to the Systray

If you decide this is not for you, open the Control Panel, Add or Remove Programs and remove Virtual Desktop Manager Powertoy for Windows XP

154b - Powertoys - Alt-Tab Task Switcher

This PowerToy enhances the existing Alt + Tab application switching mechanism of Windows XP. It provides a thumbnail preview of windows in the task list and is compliant with Windows XP visual style. You use this just as you do the existing Alt + Tab mechanism.

Left click on this icon to connect to M$ Powertoys

Left click on this icon to connect to M$ Powertoys Alt-Tab Replacement

When the above window appears

Left click on

It is recommended you set the location to save the file in My Documents/My Downloads/Taskswitch

Open TaskswitchPowertoySetup.exe

Press and hold the Alt key

Press the Tab key to cycle through the running applications

When the desired application is highlighted release the Alt key

You can move backwards through the task list by pressing and holding the Shift and Alt key and then pressing the Tab key.

If you decide this is not for you, open the Control Panel, Add or Remove Programs and remove Alt-Tab Task Switcher Powertoy for Windows XP

173 Win XP - Pin or Unpin Programs to The Start Menu

If you have an application you wish to be more accessible, it's best to make it readily available on your Start Menu

Left click on

Select

Right click to select an application (ex. Paint)

When the sub-menu opens

Left click on Pin to Start Menu

Left click on

The application (Paint) you chose will now appear on the Start Menu

*********

If you have an application on the Start Menu you rarely use, remove it by selecting one of two methods

Left click on

When the Start Menu opens

Right click on the application you wish to remove from the Start Menu (Paint)

Left click on Unpin from Start menu

OR

Left click on Remove from This List

174 Win XP - Sort your Programs Alphabetically

To select an application from a list, it is always less troublesome if the list is sorted alphabetically.

	Left click on
	Select

When the menu opens

Right click on any adjacent folder or application to display a sub menu

Left click on Sort by Name

Individual folders containing a large number of applications, can also be sorted by using the right click to generate the sub-menu and, left clicking on Sort by Name

This method of sorting applications does not work on the Start Menu itself

Left click on

When the Start Menu opens

Hold down the right click on the application you wish to move.

Drag the application to any position on the Start Menu

Release the left click

175 - Win XP - Show Hidden Files

This option becomes necessary specifically when updating files. When asked by your software or troubleshooter to investigate revisions levels of a particular application support file, you may not be able to find the file in question because it is hidden.

	Files are hidden to prevent inexperienced users from gaining access to something they don't fully understand.
	Hidden files are generally System files and the disruption of any one of these files could make an application unusable or at worst, crash your system and at very worst, make your system unbootable.

When you have the confidence to move ahead with this exercise

	Left Click on
	Select
	Select

When the Folder Options window opens

	Select the View tab
	Scroll to the Hidden files and folders section
	Set the button for Show hidden files and folders
	Left click on
	Left click on

When you use Windows Explorer, all files on your Hard Drive will be visible and accessible.

System files and folders are recognizable as being less distinct in colour.

Placing your mouse pointer on the file name can give you information similar to this.

	Right click on the file
	Select Properties

When the Properties window opens

	Note: - Attributes: Read-only is set, Hidden is set and almost hidden.
	This signifies it is a System file and is not to be messed with except with extreme care.

Tips of the Month

Open Questions & Answers

Ingersoll Senior Citizens Revised: April 07, 2008 .

Ingersoll Senior Citizens
Revised: April 07, 2008 .