SNAP TO

 Use the Windows Snap To feature

Take full advantage of the Windows mouse Snap To feature, which will automatically move your mouse to buttons that appear in a dialog box.
For example, if you delete a file or close a window you may get a prompt asking you if you are sure you want to perform the task. With the Snap To feature enabled, the mouse cursor automatically moves to the Ok button, so all you will have to do is click the mouse button if you agree. This saves you the time of having to move the mouse cursor over to the Ok button and then click Ok.
To enable this feature open the Mouse properties under the Windows Control Panel and check the Snap To check box under the Pointer Options tab.

Using Google Docs without a GMail Account

USE FREE GOOGLE DOCS! 

Google Docs are an  online software

• word processor,
•  spreadsheet 
•  presentation editor 

You can create new documents from scratch or upload existing documents, spreadsheets and presentations. There's no software to download, and all your work is stored safely online and can be accessed from any computer. 

Here is How:


Click on this black arrow and watch the short video

Rename Mulitple Files at Once

File this in the "wow, I did not know you could do that!" category.......  

BUT did you know that you can re-name multiple files at once?

Next time you have a bunch of files, or pictures with names like IMG_324 and you want to rename them in a uniform way, try this:

 1. Highlight all the files in question...

2. RIGHT click

3. Click Rename  and call it something that best describes the group, for example "Guitar" 

4. Success! A uniform naming system!  

A Free Site to Re-size and Edit your Summer Pictures

Sometimes, when you are emailing pictures they will transfer better if they are a smaller size. Sometimes, a picture will look better if part of the picture is cropped out. Here is a website http://www.picresize.com/ that will allow you to re-size and edit pictures without buying expensive (or any) software .

Give it a try!

1. go to www.picresize.com
2. select a picture from your picture file to be edited
3. click Browse to locate picture
4. click continue to move on to next step.

4. At this point you have the option to crop, rotate, re-size or add special effects to the picture.

Good luck, call or email me if you have any questions

How to check all of your email accounts from Gmail

Just about everybody these days has more than one email account Some people have 8+ accounts with different email service providers, including Yahoo, Gmail, Aol, hotmail, comcast, roadrunner etc.

You can use Gmail for all your email since it’s web-based and therefore not tied down to one computer, like you would be if you preferred Outlook,  You might be interested in knowing how to setup all of your email accounts in Gmail so you can receive all emails via your Google Inbox.

So here’s how to setup Gmail as a master account for collecting email from all of your other online accounts:

First, log into your Gmail account and click on Settings at the top right corner.

Now click on the Accounts tab and click on Add another email account under the Get mail from otheraccounts heading.

Now you’ll be presented with a little pop-up window where you can enter in the email address for the account you want to add in. The cool thing about this is that you don’t have to sit there and worry about finding the pop and smtp server names for your ISP, Google will automatically try to determine the servers for you based on the email address!

After I entered my email address, Google automatically determined the POP server name and the port number. All you have to do is enter in your password for the account.

You also have the option to leave a copy in your account, label the messages from the new account so you can sort them quickly, and to archive them directly so that they don’t show up in your Inbox.

Now the email accounts will be checked by Google on some periodic basis and the emails will be retrieved and stored according to your preferences. Unfortunately, you cannot set the time period for the email checking.

Even if you do not want to use Gmail as a catch-all account, it’s still a great way to backup all of your other email accounts, especially if you’re using Outlook. Just configure each new account to be archived automatically. That way, you can continue to check emails through Outlook, but it’ll all be backed up on Gmail too. If your computer crashes and you lose your Outlook data file, the emails will still be in Gmail!!! Enjoy!!!

How do I add programs to the Quick Launch Toolbar in Windows 7?

How to add programs to the Quick Launch Toolbar in Windows 7?

The Quick Launch toolbar is very helpful in accessing the programs you use the most. Fortunately, it is very easy to add programs to the Quick Launch toolbar.

Click the icon of the program that you want to add to the Quick Launch toolbar and drag it to the Quick Launch toolbar. See how easy it is!

You can find programs to add to the Quick Launch on the Start menu or on your desktop.
Click the Start button and then click All Programs.

Drag any program from the start menu to the Quick Launch tool bar and release your mouse button. The icon will then be displayed on the toolbar.

Drag any program icon on your desktop to the Quick Launch toolbar in the same way.
Remove Program from Quick Launch Toolbar

If you want to remove a program from the Quick Launch toolbar, simply right-click the program icon and select Delete

Mouse Tips Everyone Should Know

Do you take full advantage of the computer mouse?

Quickly Zoom In and Out

           Hold down the Ctrl key and roll the wheel on the mouse. It will enlarge or shrink the print on a web page, word document, excel spreadsheet, depending which way you roll the mouse.

Select with double and triple click

          Any word can be easily selected by double-clicking the word. If you want to highlight the whole paragraph, click the mouse button three times on any text in the paragraph.

Use the right-click on the mouse

          Take full advantage of the right-click any time you highlight text or wish to view the properties of an object.
For example, if you highlight a file or text, you can right-click that highlighted item copy it and then right-click anywhere else to paste it.

Manage the open window with the mouse

          Double-click the top title bar of any window to maximize a window or if it is already maximized resize it to a window. You can also double-click the icon for the window in the top-left corner of the window to close that window.

Moving Quickly Through a Document with Your Keyboard

Some people enjoy using their keyboards to move the mouse cursor from sentence to sentence in an e-mail or from paragraph to paragraph in a different document.

Here's a great tip for you on how you can move your cursor in what may be a better way.

In order to position the cursor exactly where you want it, it is often easier to use the arrow keys on your keyboard, rather than the mouse.

Hold the Ctrl key down on your keyboard and then hit the right arrow key or the left arrow key, the cursor will jump to the next word (or sentence, etc.) instead of the next letter. Each time you hit the arrow key once, with the Ctrl key held down, it will jump to the next space.

Holding the Ctrl key while hitting the up and down arrow keys, will jump your cursor between paragraphs.

View Two Windows Side-by-Side using Win 7

Smart Window or Snap, in Windows 7 allows the user to view two windows side-by-side. without having to manually re-size either window.
These steps can be done using the Windows key and the right and left arrow keys by doing the below steps.

1. While pressing the Windows button on your keyboard,

2. Press either the Right or Left arrow on your keyboard. (This will move the open window to either the left or right portion of the screen.)

3. Choose the other Window you wish to view to the side of the Window in step one.

4. Use the Windows key for this step, as described in step one above, use the opposite (right or left) arrow button that you used in step one.

Downsides of an Aging Computer

An increasingly common question is how long to stick with an aging computer? Computers don’t age well. Technology changes too quickly and the impact on the performance of a five year old computer is noticeable.

Frequently it becomes a question of continuing to use an older computer that “sort of” meets your needs, or upgrading to a new computer with its many potential benefits.

Having the budget to buy a new computer is a key starting point. Transferring documents, data, programs, favorites/bookmarks and settings are other considerations for a computer migration.

This post will examine Ten Downsides of an aging computer system.

1. Too Slow — The current computer is too slow, especially with several programs open at the same time. Everything takes longer and you sometimes don’t do certain tasks, including maintenance, because they just take too long.

2. Too Unreliable — There are too many quirky or weird behaviors that sap your productivity or enjoyment when using the computer.

3. Too Long — The computer takes longer and longer to boot up and to shut down.

4. Too Little RAM — The computer does not have enough RAM (memory) and it makes the system run significantly slower than it would with a greater amount of RAM installed.

5. Upgrading Components Won’t Help – There are various component upgrades that can be done such as adding RAM, upgrading to a faster graphics adapter, or upgrading to a faster network adapter, but the CPU and bus speed will still be the same – Slow.

6. Repairs May Be A Bad Investment – It may be necessary to repair a component (CD-ROM drive, graphics card, hard disk drive, or network adapter), but is it worthwhile to pour money for components and labor into an aging computer that may crash completely in six months?

7. Software Confusion – There is uncertainty about all the programs and processes that are loading every time the computer boots up. Which ones are necessary, which ones just bog the system down and which ones are safe to deactivate or turn off?

8. More Software Confusion – Over the years you have installed numerous programs, utilities, add-ons, plug-ins, and widgets. This creates lots of software clutter and more uncertainty about what can be uninstalled cleanly.

9. Version Confusion — Not sure what programs, drivers, upgrades, add-ins, plug-ins or widgets are up to date or if they can all work together without causing strange behavior or intermittent problems.

10. Tune Up Needed — The computer hasn’t been tuned up or cleaned up effectively in years. For desktop computers in particular this can lead to accumulations of dust, cobwebs or possibly pet hair in the vents, filters or interior of the computer.

There are always good reasons for sticking with the computer you currently own and use. However, sometimes the decision to replace a computer becomes more urgent when a serious problem with an aging computer doesn’t leave much choice but to replace it.

In the meantime be sure to keep your computer tuned up and your data backed up because there are a whole set of Murphy’s Laws that apply to computers.