Windows Tips     

Increase your Windows enjoyment and productivity with our  tips!



Have programs open and minimized
when you start Windows.

This is an easy tip to actualize...and a timesaving one if you immediately
enter certain programs whenever you turn on your computer. Want Word
or Act or your ISP at your fingertips and ready to start? Then put shortcut
icons to these programs in your startup group, with MINIMIZE indicated
in the icon's property dialog box.

Just as in the previous tip, you will right click your taskbar to access taskbar
properties, then choose start menu programs (see Adding and Removing
 Program Shortcuts from your Taskbar Menu in our online Windows 
manual ), choose advanced, select programs, then startup group and
right click to create a shortcut icon to the .exe file of the program you wish
to start....or the document file you want open at startup.

Once the shortcut is created:
1) Right click it and chose properties.
2) In the shortcut tab, select minimized in the RUN field.
3) Click o.k. to close the dialog box.
4) Voila! This program (or file) will be open and minimized the next time
your start Windows.

BACK  Index of Windows Tips        Category Index




Change your cursors to larger sizes for
better visibility and usability.      

Ever get frustrated because your standard cursor or the resize arrows are
too small to see? Change them - choose a larger size! If you have Microsoft
Plus, you have wide variety of cursors to choose from, including animated
ones, but even without Microsoft Plus, you can easily switch to a large or
extra large cursor scheme.


How do you change your cursor?

1) In Control Panel, open your Mouse icon.

2) Choose the pointers tab, and select the cursor you want to change.

3) Select the browse button. You should now be in your cursor directory.
(If not, take a detour to Explorer or My Computer and your Windows
directory, arrange files by type, and look for files ending with .cur (and if
you wish, .ani for animated.  Move them into a subdirectory called cursors).

4) Choose the cursor you wish to use to replace the one you already have,
then click open.

5) Repeat this procedure for any other cursor you wish to change.

6) Once you have made your selection, click the SAVE AS button, give
your new scheme a name, and save it.

7) If you want to change ALL your cursors to a large or extra large size,
choose instead SCHEME, and then large or extra large. All your cursors
will then be a larger size.

8) When done, click ok to exit the dialog box.

WARNING: If you use extra large, you may find your pointer cursor too
large for editing in your word processing program. When you point to a letter,
your cursor may cover it up. The extra large scheme is not recommended,
unless you have vision problems which warrant using this scheme.

BACK  Index of Windows Tips         Category Index

An Easy Way to Copy or Move Files.....

In my Windows manual, I explain how to copy files and move files. But
no matter how many times you may read the guidelines for copying and
moving, you may still get confused about whether dragging a file is likely
to copy it or move it....and what key you might press to move a file when
dragging copies it (as it does to a different drive) or to copy a file when
dragging moves it (as it does to the same drive).

Make the process either....by right clicking the file before you drag it.

1) Select the file by holding down the RIGHT mouse button as you
     place your cursor on it.
2) DRAG it to the folder in which you wish to move or copy it.
3. Release the mouse button.
4. Before moving your hand away from the folder, choose MOVE HERE
    or COPY HERE from the drop down menu.
5. Voila! Your file has been either moved or copied, just as you wished.
    And you didn't have to remember any confusing commands either!

Next Windows Tip      Index of Windows Tips