geekgirls.com Open in urlscan Pro
34.174.201.132  Public Scan

Form analysis
1 forms found in the DOM

GET https://geekgirls.com/

<form role="search" method="get" class="et-search-form" action="https://geekgirls.com/"> <input type="search" class="et-search-field" placeholder="Search …" value="" name="s" title="Search for:"></form>

Text Content

Mastodon
 * About
 * Contact

 * Home
 * Win 7
 * pre-7 Windows
 * Databases
 * Office Apps
   * Outlook
   * Word
   * Excel
 * The Net
 * Networking
 * Beginners
 * Bit Bucket
   * Tips
   * Reviews
   * Commentary
 * Bose Goes Under


Select Page
 * Home
 * Win 7
 * pre-7 Windows
 * Databases
 * Office Apps
   * Outlook
   * Word
   * Excel
 * The Net
 * Networking
 * Beginners
 * Bit Bucket
   * Tips
   * Reviews
   * Commentary
 * Bose Goes Under
 * About
 * Contact




GEEKGIRL'S PLAIN ENGLISH COMPUTING

Computer tips and techniques you can understand

  

Welcome to Geekgirl’s Plain English Computing.

Here you’ll find articles on (mostly arcane) computer topics ranging from
Windows 7 to Microsoft Office to security tips.

I don’t get much time to update this site these days, but I have plans to do so
when retirement comes my way. :-)

So go ahead and browse the articles below, or use the Article Index or Search in
the menu to dig around.





OPEN OUTLOOK CALENDAR IN ITS OWN WINDOW

Internet, Office Apps, Outlook, Tips | 2 Comments



Using Office 365 Home Premium? The method described below doesn't work in Office
365 Home Premium. You'll need to follow a different route, which I describe at
the end of this article. Also note that these instructions are for those using
Windows 7 or before, although...


CREATING A WELL-SPACED DOCUMENT

Basic Computing, Blog, Office Apps, Tips, Word | 1 Comment

Become familiar with Microsoft Word’s ruler, tabs, tables and basic spacing
techniques and you’ll find it easy to produce any type of document, from a
résumé to a report.


HOW TO USE A SPREADSHEET TO CREATE A SIMPLE BUDGET

Basic Computing, Excel, Featured, Office Apps | 7 Comments

Creating a budget is of one the simplest and most useful tasks you can do using
a spreadsheet. Here’s a step-by-step guide to simple budget creation in Excel.


FIND ANYTHING WITH EVERYTHING

Featured, Tools and techniques, Windows | 0 Comments

Although search in Windows 7 is pretty good, it’s geared towards finding
documents. So if you’re searching for a program file or a library file (.dll) or
some other non-document file, it’s not much help. Windows Search also searches
file contents as well as filenames, which is useful but slow. To find any file
fast, try Everything.


WHICH DATABASE SERIES SHOULD I READ?

Databases, Office Apps | 2 Comments

Not sure which series of database tutorials on Geekgirl’s Plain English
Computing is right for you, Databasics or Databases from Scratch? Here’s a quick
description of their contents.


DATABASES FROM SCRATCH I: INTRODUCTION

Databases, Office Apps | 20 Comments

The first in a series of articles on choosing, designing and using a database
program.


TOP TIPS FOR THE IPHONE KEYBOARD

Apple, Basic Computing, iPhone, Tips | 0 Comments

Some people love the iPhone’s ‘soft’ keyboard, others loathe it. Whichever camp
you belong to, you can make your keyboarding life far more efficient by taking
advantage of all the hidden tricks lurking beneath the keyboard’s apparently
simple exterior.


MAC TIP: A SHORTCUT THROUGH ENCLOSING FOLDERS

Apple, Mac, Tips | 0 Comments

When you dig down through folder within folder within folder to find a file,
there are a variety of ways to navigate back up through those layers of folders,
including one not-so-obvious shortcut.


FIVE FREE ONLINE OFFICE TOOLS

Blog, Office Apps, Reviews, Word | 0 Comments

Here are five useful tools and services to ease your work tasks, from handling
PDFs to creating charts to replacing Microsoft Office in its entirety.


FEED YOUR WALLPAPER

Blog, Tips, Tools and techniques, Windows, Windows 7 | 6 Comments



Windows 7 lets you download your wallpaper from an RSS feed. That means you can
get a stream of wallpapers from any photo blog or website with a feed.


HOW BACKUPBUDDY SAVED MY BACON

Blog, Commentary, Internet, Reviews, Ruminations, Tips | 26 Comments



WordPress delights and terrifies me. This open-source blogging platform is a
wonder to use. Not easy, but easy enough, and filled with such endless
possibilities. But…it’s scary as all get out, too.


A DOZEN QUICK WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR DESKTOP

Blog, Tips, Windows, Windows 7 | 6 Comments

Windows 7 includes all sorts of small improvements that will make your computing
life more enjoyable. These tips will help you make the most of your desktop
working environment.


DISTRACTION-FREE WEB READING

Blog, Commentary, Internet, Reviews | 0 Comments

Apple has just released a new version of its web browser, Safari. Apple claims
it's the fastest browser around, but then Opera makes that claim, too, and
Google's Chrome 5 is certainly a contender for the title. Whether Safari is the
fastest browser is not...


STAYING SAFE ONLINE

Blog, Internet | 0 Comments



One of the most wildly successful attacks on the Internet ever was the Sapphire
worm. When this nasty little piece of code was released onto the Net, it spread
from computer to computer with extraordinary speed. During its first minute on
the Net, its rate of spread...


VIEWING AND ORGANISING FILES

Basic Computing, Windows, Windows 7 | 0 Comments



With Windows 7, Microsoft has made substantial changes to the way you view and
manage files within folders, building upon the dramatic improvements introduced
in Vista. Compared to Windows XP, Windows 7’s file management is more powerful,
more flexible and far more visually appealing. Find out how to take advantage of
these new features.


QUICKLY COPY A FOLDER’S CONTENTS

Pre-7 Windows, Tips, Windows, Windows 7 | 0 Comments

To quickly copy all the files in a folder in Windows 7 or Vista: Open the
folder. Right-click the breadcrumb bar and select Copy Address. Minimise the
open folder, right-click within another folder or on the desktop and choose
Paste from the pop-up menu. A copy of the...


USING THE HANDY SENDTO COMMAND

Pre-7 Windows, Tips, Windows | 6 Comments

The Send To option has always been one of Windows’ handiest shortcuts. It lets
you copy a file - or a folder full of files - to another folder without having
to navigate your way to that destination folder. Send To also lets you quickly
upload, email or open a...


DATABASICS III: DATA ENTRY DESIGN

Databases | 12 Comments

It's staggering how many shareware and commercial database applications have
appalling data entry screens. Many developers seem to think that well-oiled
inner workings are all that's needed to sell an application, when any user knows
that, when you get down to it, the...


EASY HOME NETWORKING

Networking, Windows | 3 Comments

These days, almost every home is a candidate for a network. Most people have at
least one older computer hanging around and families with children or two
working adults are likely to have multiple desktop and notebook machines. While
networking computers used to be...


INSTALLING WINDOWS 7 ONTO A DISC-LESS COMPUTER

Windows, Windows 7 | 1 Comment

Although the usual way to install Windows 7 is from a DVD, it’s possible to copy
the contents of your installation DVD to a USB flash drive and install the
operating system from there. This is particularly handy for optical-disc-less
notebooks and for netbooks, which...


DATABASICS II: CREATING YOUR FIRST DATABASE

Databases | 20 Comments

This tutorial guides you through building a simple, single-file database. In a
single-file database, also known as a flat-file database, you put all your
information into a single table. This is the simplest form of database to
create, but it has some serious...


CUSTOMISING WINDOWS

Pre-7 Windows, Windows, Windows 7 | 0 Comments

Windows is malleable. It’s designed to be tinkered with, adjusted, customised.
When you first run Windows - whether it's Windows 7, Vista, Windows XP or even
an earlier version - what you see is Microsoft’s idea of how the operating
system should work and look. You...


WORRY-FREE WINDOWS 7 INSTALLATION

Windows, Windows 7 | 0 Comments

Are you ready for Windows 7? It doesn’t take much to qualify. Pudgy old Vista’s
slender successor requires nothing more from your PC than a gigabyte of RAM, a
processor running at 1GHz, 16 gigabytes of hard drive space and a video card
with support for DirectX 9 and...


HANDY DANDY COMPUTER JARGON DECODER

Basic Computing | 0 Comments

Can't tell your hardware from your software? This plain English computer
glossary introduces all the terms you need to get started with computers and the
Internet. A access To gain entry to or connect to. Access (Capital "A").
Microsoft's database management program,...


DELETING AN OPEN DOCUMENT IN MICROSOFT WORD

Office Apps, Word | 0 Comments

Have you ever wanted to delete the document currently open in Word? I find I
often want to do this when I’m trying to clean out a whole bunch of old
documents: I open each one, check the contents and, if I no longer need it,
delete it on the spot. Word won’t normally...


UNDERSTANDING EXCEL REFERENCES

Excel, Office Apps | 0 Comments

When you refer to a cell in an Excel formula, you can use any of three different
ways of referring to that cell, known as relative, absolute and mixed
references. Relative cell references are the most commonly used. A relative cell
reference in a formula is based on...


HELP! MY KINDLE WON’T CONNECT TO THE WHISPERNET!

Blog, Internet, Tips | 12 Comments

Two of the Kindle’s most appealing features are its wireless connection, which
lets you download new books any time of the day from most places in the US, and
the rapidly expanding treasure trove of ebooks available on Amazon. So it’s a
sad, sad day when you switch on...


KINDLE AND THE LIMITATIONS OF THE WHISPERNET

Internet, Reviews | 0 Comments

I’ve been away for a week in the wilds of Wyoming. For the trip, my suitcase was
jam packed as usual, so I was delighted that instead of loading up further with
a handful of books, all the reading matter I took was in my Kindle. On the road
is where the Kindle really...


SEARCHING BY IMAGE

Featured, Internet, Tips | 1 Comment



No doubt you’ve used Google Image Search to find images, but did you know you
can do the reverse: feed an image to Google Image Search and it will let you
know the where, the what, the who and/or the when of the photo?


SOLVING THE PASSWORD DILEMMA

Basic Computing, Blog, Internet, Tips | 1 Comment

How do you create a password that’s both secure and memorable? Here’s a
foolproof method (or two)…


SYNC, SHARE, BACKUP WITH DROPBOX

Basic Computing, Blog, Reviews, Tips | 2 Comments

One hundred million people have a Dropbox account. Discover why you should join
them.


DATABASICS VII: PARAMETER QUERIES

Databases, Office Apps | 4 Comments

Interactive, on-the-fly parameter queries add a huge amount of flexibility and
power to run-of-the-mill static queries. Learn how to create your own using
Microsoft Access.


DATABASES FROM SCRATCH III: THE DESIGN PROCESS

Databases, Office Apps | 29 Comments

This third article in the Databases from Scratch series delves into the database
heartland by exploring relational database design.


HOW TO MAKE HIDDEN IPHONE APPS VISIBLE

Apple, Blog, iPhone, Tips | 1 Comment

Once your idevice’s screens are stuffed with apps, there’s no need to uninstall
an app before adding a new one to your collection. Just go ahead and install it.
The app will be on your device, but hidden from view.


A KEYBOARD SHORTCUT TO SAVE YOUR SANITY

Basic Computing, Blog, Mac, Tips, Tools and techniques, Windows | 5 Comments

I was sitting around a fire with a bunch of friends on the weekend and one of
them was doing some work on her notebook. All of a sudden she cried out – her
battery had died and she hadn’t saved her work.


FIND WHERE A FILE IS STORED

Tips, Tools and techniques, Windows, Windows 7 | 3 Comments

Windows file search is a handy feature, but it doesn’t always get you what you
need. Here’s a simple tip to help you uncover a file within its context.


VIRGIN MOBILE MIFI – AFFORDABLE WIRELESS ON THE GO

Blog, Internet, Networking, Reviews | 9 Comments

Virgin Mobile may not have been the first company to deliver a mobile wireless
hotspot wrapped up in a tiny device called a MiFi, but it is the first to make
that little piece of portable magic affordable.


BREADCRUMBING

Tools and techniques, Windows, Windows 7 | 4 Comments



The breadcrumb bar, originally introduced in Vista, has brought an entirely new
way of navigating in Windows. It replaces the plodding, sub-folder-based,
dig-down method of yore with shortcut jumps.


RENAMING FILES AND FILE EXTENSIONS

Tools and techniques, Windows, Windows 7 | 17 Comments

It’s easier to change filenames in Vista and Windows 7 than in previous versions
of Windows. Unfortunately, the improved file renaming method has one drawback:
it makes it harder to change the file extension.


DISPLAY EACH WORD DOCUMENT IN ITS OWN WINDOW

Blog, Office Apps, Tips, Word | 13 Comments

If you have a document open in Word 2007 or Word 2010 and you open another
document, that second document is displayed in the same window as the first. To
view the now-hidden first document, you can’t, as you might expect, swap between
the two documents by pressing Alt+Tab…


GET YOURSELF A BETTER BROWSER

Basic Computing, Blog, Internet | 6 Comments

For years, Microsoft has been including a web browser known as Internet Explorer
with Windows. Windows 7 shipped with version 8 of Internet Explorer, better
known as IE 8. Many people settle for using Internet Explorer simply because
it’s supplied with Windows, but it...


EMAILING PHOTOS

Basic Computing, Internet, Tips | 24 Comments



The real joy in taking photos is in sharing. Whether it's a cute snap of your
daughter playing with her first set of Lego blocks or a dazzling shot of
Saturn's rings taken through a telescope-mounted camera, your photos cry out to
be handed around. With your computer,...


SPREADSHEETING I: BASIC CONCEPTS

Basic Computing, Excel, Office Apps | 0 Comments

While word processing programs are the most commonly used office application and
browsers are probably the most commonly used application of all, much of the
success of personal computers is due to spreadsheets. In 1979, two blokes – Dan
Bricklin and Bob Frankston –...


GOOGLE: THE WHOLE SHEBANG

Internet | 2 Comments

There are plenty of web search engines, but to most of us Google is web search.
The company has so successfully redefined the search market that its name has
become synonymous with searching. Although most people use Google, few use it
really effectively. Here’s a...


SHADING EVERY OTHER ROW IN EXCEL

Excel, Office Apps | 6 Comments

I sometimes wonder whether Microsoft spends so much on its programming budget it
has little left over to spend on designers. This thought often crosses my mind
when working with Office sample files, templates and styles. Take, for example,
the auto-formats supplied...


WINDOWS XP CONTROL PANEL SHORTCUTS

Pre-7 Windows, Windows | 51 Comments

The Control Panel centralises access to Windows' multitudinous settings. From
the Control Panel you can adjust and tweak Windows' appearance, performance,
network connections, hardware settings and a whole lot more. While many of the
settings in the Control Panel are...


SETTING UP A HOME NETWORK ON WINDOWS XP

Networking, Pre-7 Windows, Windows | 31 Comments

In the olden days – about 15 years ago when Windows 95 first arrived on the
scene – creating a home network was a fearsome task reserved for the
knowledgeable or the courageous. That's no longer the case. Windows XP makes
setting up a network easy. The toughest part...


RECOVERING DELETED FILES

Pre-7 Windows, Windows, Windows 7 | 118 Comments

We all know cats have nine lives, but did you know files have three? When you
create a file, it has its first bite at existence, an existence which continues
until you, in your casual god-like manner, delete it. Deleting the file isn't
the end, though. All you need to...


DATABASICS I: RECORDS & QUERIES & KEYS, OH MY!

Databases | 29 Comments

What's a database? If you think of word processors as… well… processors of
words, and spreadsheets as number processors, then you can think of databases as
processors of unstructured information, aka "data". Feed a database data in any
sort of guise – as numbers,...


THE JOY OF JUMP LISTS

Windows, Windows 7 | 2 Comments

The Recent Documents list has been a feature of Windows for many years. It
provides a quick way to access the files you’ve used most recently. In Windows
7, you’ll find Recent Documents has been tucked away out of sight and is only
available by customizing the Start...


WHICH WINDOWS 7 FOR ME?

Windows, Windows 7 | 0 Comments

When you buy a copy of Windows 7 to install on an existing computer, there are
three key questions you need to ask yourself: Which edition of 7 do I want? Can
I buy an upgrade version or do I need to pay for the more expensive full
version? Should I choose a 32-bit or...


SELECTING A COLUMN OF TEXT IN WORD

Office Apps, Word | 0 Comments

Most text selection in Word involves selecting horizontally – selecting a line
or a paragraph of text. Sometimes, though, you need to select a vertical slab of
text. To do that, hold down the Alt key while you click and drag your mouse over
the text. This comes in...


OMITTING PAGE NUMBERS IN MICROSOFT WORD

Office Apps, Word | 7 Comments

How do you omit the page number on the final page of a Word document? I was
asked this recently by someone who is using Lulu.com’s self-publishing service.
Lulu had asked her to resubmit her book with a completely blank final page – no
page number, nothing. Finding...


AUTOMATE EMAIL HANDLING WITH GMAIL’S FILTERS

Blog, Internet, Tips | 0 Comments

The Gmail team has been adding features to Google’s web-based email program at a
gallop. A quick click of Gmail’s Settings link unveils an impressive array. By
clicking the Labs tab and enabling some of Gmail’s experimental features, you’ll
find yourself with even...


SELECTING COLUMNS OF TEXT IN WORD

Office Apps, Tips, Word | 0 Comments

Most text selection in Word involves selecting horizontally – selecting a line
or a paragraph of text. Sometimes, though, you need to select a vertical slab of
text. To do that, hold down the Alt key while you click and drag your mouse over
the text. This comes in...


THE YEAR OF THE DATABASE

Blog, Commentary, Databases, Reviews | 1 Comment

I’ve put the Kindle and the Sony Reader aside for a day to finish writing my
latest comparative review of database software for Australian PC User magazine.
I’ve been writing such reviews since the early 1980s, when dBASE was top dog in
the database stakes. It was a...


HEARTBLEED: WHICH PASSWORDS SHOULD I CHANGE?

Blog, Internet, News, Security | 0 Comments



Here’s a handy list of major services that were affected by the Heartbleed bug
and which require a password change, plus Geekgirl’s recommendation for a
password manager to ease the burden of changing your passwords.


SPREADSHEETING II: GOOD SPREADSHEET DESIGN

Basic Computing, Excel, Office Apps | 1 Comment

What makes a good spreadsheet? Two things: good design and good data.


WINDOWS 7 VS WINDOWS 8

Blog, Commentary, Windows, Windows 7 | 0 Comments

Windows 8 is not for everyone. Should you upgrade, or should you stick with
Windows 7? Here are 10 reasons to stay with 7, 10 reasons to take the leap to 8.


DATABASICS VI: EXPLORING QUERY TYPES

Blog, Databases, Office Apps | 7 Comments

Learn how to start building more complex database queries, such as comparative
and action queries, using Microsoft Access.


DATABASES FROM SCRATCH II: SIMPLE DATABASE DESIGN

Databases, Office Apps | 10 Comments

The second in a series of articles on choosing, designing and using a database
program. This one covers simple table design.


DIALOG BOX SHORTCUTS

Blog, Featured, Pre-7 Windows, Tips, Tools and techniques, Windows, Windows 7,
Windows XP | 0 Comments

One of less than obvious tools Windows offers is the right-click menu within
file dialog boxes. Give it a try: open an application and then press Ctrl-O or
click the Open icon to display the Open dialog box. Right-click any of the files
or folders displayed in that dialog and you’ll see a context menu pop open.


INSTALLING AND TROUBLESHOOTING WINDOWS 7 SERVICE PACK 1

Windows, Windows 7 | 1 Comment

Usually, I advise people to wait a while before installing a service pack, just
in case the service pack delivers its own set of problems. But SP1 for Windows 7
is unlike any previous service pack in one significant way: it’s almost a
non-event.


BETTER STICKY NOTES FOR YOUR COMPUTER

Basic Computing, Blog, Reviews | 0 Comments

Sticky notes for your computer are a wonderful idea. These digital alternatives
to Post-It Notes save paper, won’t come unstuck, prompt you with audible and
visual reminders, and are a lifesaver for anyone whose memory is not one hundred
percent. (Include me in!)


HOW TO FORMAT MULTIPLE ELEMENTS IN WORD

Blog, Office Apps, Tips, Word | 2 Comments

When you need to apply the same formatting to multiple parts of a Microsoft Word
document, there’s no need to go through the same motions repeatedly. Word
provides a smogasbord of techniques for formatting a bunch of elements in a
document quickly and efficiently.


PREPARING FOR YOUR INEVITABLE COMPUTER DISASTER

Tips, Tools and techniques, Windows, Windows 7 | 4 Comments

Backing up your data is preparation for the blow that will strike. With a recent
backup in hand, even a distressing event such as a hard disk failure may prove
to be no more than a blip in your routine.


PORTABLE SMTP: TAKE YOUR EMAIL WITH YOU

Internet | 22 Comments

There are all sorts of ways to access your email while on the road and most have
distinct disadvantages. The ideal method lets you take your regular email with
you: the same email program, same address, same configuration and same mail
store no matter where you are. Enter portable SMTP.


SHOULD YOU INSTALL THE 64-BIT VERSION OF MICROSOFT OFFICE 2010?

Office Apps, Tips | 1 Comment

The latest version of Microsoft Office comes in 32-bit and 64-bit flavours. It’d
be natural to assume that if you have a 64-bit computer running a 64-bit version
of Windows then you should install the 64-bit version of Office 2010. Not so.
You’re almost certainly better off using the 32-bit version.

That’s because Microsoft has included little in the 64-bit version that you
won’t find in the 32-bit version, with two exceptions…


DATABASICS IV: STREAMLINING DATA ENTRY

Databases, Office Apps | 6 Comments

In the previous tutorial I discussed some guidelines for creating data entry
screens that are easy to use. In this tutorial, we'll put those guidelines into
action by refining the membership database we introduced in part two of this
series. I'll step through the...


SORTING OUTLOOK CONTACTS AND MESSAGES BY MULTIPLE CRITERIA

Blog, Office Apps, Outlook, Tips | 9 Comments



It's a trivial task to sort your Outlook contacts: simply display them in List
view and click any of the column headers. So, to sort by category, click the
Category column header; to sort by name, click the Full Name column header. It's
an equally trivial task to sort...


RESIZE AND RESTORE YOUR DESKTOP ICONS

Pre-7 Windows, Tips, Windows, Windows 7 | 0 Comments

There’s no need to squint to view the icons on your desktop, you can resize them
on the fly: Click an empty space on the desktop then hold down the Ctrl key and
roll your mouse wheel forward to increase the icon size, backwards to decrease
the size. This doesn’t...


TROUBLESHOOTING INTERNET PROBLEMS

Internet | 0 Comments

Troubleshooting communications problems can be a frustrating pastime. There are
so many parts to any computer connection it’s often hard to isolate where the
problem is located, let alone pin down exactly what’s wrong. The trouble could
be with your hardware: modem,...


BASIC MOUSING TECHNIQUE

Basic Computing | 6 Comments



Most of your interaction with your computer will be via the mouse, keyboard and
screen. If you're a poor typist, do yourself a very big favour and buy a typing
tutor program for your computer. You can pick up a good one for under 20 bucks,
either from a computer store...


WHY DEFRAG?

Pre-7 Windows, Windows | 24 Comments



Windows 98, Windows Me and Windows XP come with a collection of house cleaning
tools, including ScanDisk, Disk Defragmenter and Disk Cleanup, to help keep your
disk in peak working order. Why should you bother with the housework? A couple
of reasons. First, disks are...


LEARNING TO LOVE THE NEW TASKBAR

Windows, Windows 7 | 0 Comments



Once you get past the initial unfamiliarity, you’ll find the new taskbar has a
lot to offer. Microsoft has given the taskbar a complete makeover. If you’re an
old hand with Windows, you’ll need to invest some time in getting acquainted
with the new layout. At first,...


USING THE SPIKE TO REARRANGE TEXT IN MICROSOFT WORD

Word | 0 Comments



Microsoft has long produced software with a belt-and-braces approach, offering a
choice of ways to perform a particular task. For example, in Word, you’ll find a
smorgasbord of methods for cutting, copying and pasting text. There’s the usual
cut, copy and paste via...


A DATABASE DICTIONARY

Databases | 34 Comments

Can’t tell your first normal form from your third? Untangle basic database
jargon with this easy-to-understand dictionary of terms.


UNDERSTANDING LIBRARIES

Windows, Windows 7 | 3 Comments

Windows 7 contains plenty of new features, but there’s only one truly new
concept you’ll need to wrap your head around: libraries. Libraries provide a new
way of managing, viewing and finding your files, toppling the old (My) Documents
folder from its central...


WHAT TO EXPECT FROM WINDOWS 7

Windows, Windows 7 | 0 Comments

There’s a theory that Microsoft gets it right with every other version of
Windows. Those who subscribe to this school of thought give Windows 95, Windows
98 Second Edition and Windows XP the plaudits; Windows 98, Windows Me and
Windows Vista are relegated to the...


AUTOMATICALLY OPEN THE LAST EDITED DOCUMENT IN WORD

Office Apps, Word | 0 Comments

If you frequently find yourself wanting to edit the same document you were using
in your last Word session, you can create a shortcut which does just this, using
a command-line switch. Here’s how: Right-click an empty spot on your desktop and
choose New -> Shortcut...


USING MICROSOFT WORD’S HIDDEN CALCULATOR

Office Apps, Word | 1 Comment



You’ve probably heard the stats: 80% of Microsoft Word users make use of only
20% of its features. My guess is that only about 0.1% of Word users use the
handy calculator built right into the program. I’m not talking about the SUM()
and AVERAGE() fields or any of the...


REMOVING CLUTTER FROM A NEW COMPUTER

Basic Computing, Blog, Tips | 5 Comments

Computer manufacturers love to load up new systems with “helpful” utilities and
features. Of course, what they regard as helpful, you may regard as rubbish.
Whenever I set up a new computer for myself or someone else, I go through a
routine to eliminate...


GENERATING CONTENT AUTOMATICALLY IN WORD

Office Apps, Tips, Word | 0 Comments

One of Word’s quirky, tucked-away features is the rand() function. It lets you
quickly insert a block of text in a document. To use the function in pre-2007
versions of Word, at the beginning of a line type =rand() and press Enter. Word
inserts three paragraphs, each...

All content copyright 2017 by Rose Vines and Geekgirl's Plain English Computing.