Don't neglect your computer. Take a look in this section and see how you can keep your computer running smooth and happy.

Computer Memory Tip

If it wasn't for the fact that my son and husband use my computer, I wouldn't use my CD drive too often. If you find you never really use your CD drive you can reclaim some of the memory reserved for your CD drive in your cashe. 

Here's how:
Right-click on My Computer 
Select Properties 
Select the Performance tab
Select the File System button 
Select the CD-ROM tab

Adjust cache memory down as far as 244. 

Restart your computer. 

If you find your CD-ROM runs poorly, go back in raise 
the cache memory until you find an acceptable level. 

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Faster Start Up (Not available for win. 95)

If your computer seems to take it's time starting up, it may be because it's cluttered with a bunch of different system-level tasks. With a few simple steps you can increase your start up time by unchecking some of these time consuming tasks. 

Here's how:

Go to the Start menu.
Select Run.
Type in msconfig
Press OK.
Select the Startup Tab. 

Uncheck any programs that you are familiar with. For instance, gator, aol, or any other program that you recognize. Don't uncheck anything you don't understand the function of. You don't want to accidentally turn off something your computer needs. When you are finished, click OK. Next time you start your computer, it should launch faster. 

If you turn off a program that you need, simply restore it. Open MSCONFIG and click on the General tab. Select the box stating Normal Startup - restore all drivers and software. 

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Speed Up Your Computer:

Change It's Identity (Win. 98 and up only) 

Most likely you use your computer as a desktop computer and not a network server. Windows 95 and 98 place this setting on your computer by default. 

Big deal... what's the diff bub?

Without getting to technical, it's all about memory. If you tell your computer you use it for a network server it allocates more memory to recently accessed files and folders. 

As a desktop computer your computer only retains around 32 folders and 677 files accessed. When you're a network server, your computer will retain 64 recently opened folders, and 2,729 recent files! 

This setting requires an additional 30K of memory, however, it increases your access speed greatly. 

Here's how to change the settings:

Right-click on "My Computer"
Select "Properties"
Click the "Performance" tab
Select the "File System" button
Select "Network Server" in the drop-down menu under "Typical role of this computer"

Close and restart your engines... er... computer. ;-) 

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WebTV Copy & Paste Tip:

Tthere are two kinds of WebTv, WebTv Classic and WebTv Plus. Not a lot of differences, but only WebTV Plus can pick up the special AOL link trick of which I used a few issues ago.

WebTV doesn't support anything higher at this point than Javascript 1.1 with bits of 1.2. So WebTv users can't click on links that are contained in some java script button links.

Copy & Paste tip:

Press "cmd" and hold while pressing "a" You will see lettering invert. Now hold down "cmd" and press "c" You have now successfully copied the page. *PC users have a ctrl key.

When you need to make a copy, simply go to your blank space...
such as email, hold down the "cmd" key and press "v"

If you want to copy something specific, here's how:

There is a find button on the keyboard. If you're using the remote instead of a keyboard, pull up the on-screen keyboard.

Press your find button. Fill in the blank that comes up, with the beginning word or couple of words, etc. and press enter.

Now press the shift key and hold down, while you press your right arrow. This will invert a letter one space at a time. Hold down your down arrow, and invert a line at a time.

You then hold down "cmd" and press "c".

You should hear a little click sound. It's also a good idea if you are only copying a small part of a page, to then hold down the "cmd" and press the "x" key.

You should hear a little snip sound.

You now have it in the browser. Take to your blank space and release as before with the "cmd" and "v" keys.

You can also use this cut and paste to add to your signature.

For further help, you can find more information at the WebTV website: http://www.webtv.net.

I'll be placing a special article inside my website later to include more WebTV tips. If you're a WebTV user and you have some nice tips you want to share, email me and I'll add them to my files.

These tips came from WebTV users that read a post I had written in one of the discussion groups I belong to. You see how valuable discussion groups are? :-) 

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Print Screen button:  You probably have noticed that pressing the print screen button doesn't do anything... at least it doesn't appear to do anything.

In order to make this little button useful here's what you have to do.

First, you must save the image of what's displayed on your computer to the clipboard, then paste that image into a document where it can be printed. This is where that little button comes in handy. :-)

The How To:

• First, maximize the window you'd like to capture. Make it fill your entire screen. 
• Hold down ALT + Print Scrn at the same time to capture the image screen.
• Open a new document in MS Word or MS Photo Editor. 
• Paste the screen shot by holding down CTRL + V at the same time. 
• Now you can print the document when you're finished pasting sceen shots.