Whether you’re new to Windows 7, new to computers, or kind of an “old hand” it’s not a bad idea to go back to basics once in awhile. Navigate Windows with Breadcrumbs, copy and paste text, and put some photos on a flash drive.
 

Use Breadcrumbs to find your way around

When you have a folder open in Windows 7 (or Vista), you’ll notice that the address bar at the top of the folder window looks different. Where XP would display the whole path name and where it had the “up” button, Vista and Windows 7 just display folder names. This is called Breadcrumb Navigation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breadcrumb_%28navigation%29) --- Yes, for Hansel and Gretel--- and provides a way of letting you know where you are.

You can click on an item displayed in your breadcrumb trail to go directly there. Or you can click on the down arrow next to any of the items to display a list of folders within that folder. Choose the one you want, click on it and go there.

Do you still need to know the actual path, the way you would see it in XP? No problem. Right-click on your breadcrumbs, and click Edit address. You’ll see the familiar-looking path.

Photo: Contributed

Copy and Paste Text

If you have text somewhere and you want an exact copy of it somewhere else, it’s easy to do that. Like so many things in Windows, there are many ways to accomplish this. Here are the easiest ones.

• Open up your document or email that has the text you want to copy

• Place your mouse cursor at the beginning of the part you want to copy

• Hold the left mouse button down, and move the mouse diagonally to the end of the part you want to copy

• Release the mouse button. You should see the part you want to copy highlighted

• With your cursor still over any part of the selected text, right-click

• Select Copy

• Now move your cursor to the spot where you want to copy this text to. Maybe you have to open up another document or email.

• Place the cursor where you want the text to end up, and right-click

• Select Paste

That’s all there is to it. If you want to use keyboard shortcuts, instead of the right-click steps, use Ctrl+C to copy, and Ctrl+V to paste. (That is, hold down the key marked CTRL, and at the same time press the C key for copy or the V key for paste.

You can try all that out on this website: http://www.webmasternow.com/copyandpaste.html.

Copy or Move Files and Folders

Besides copying and pasting text, you can easily copy or move files. Why would you want to do this? Well, if you have some pictures on your computer that you want to take to the photo developing place, you can copy them onto a flash drive.

Like so many things in Windows, there are lots of ways to accomplish this. Probably the easiest one is to drag and drop them.

• Open the folder that contains the files you want to copy. Now also open the target folder --- where you want the copy of the files to end up. Put those Windows side by side so you can see what’s in both of them.

• Click once on the file you want to move to select it.

• Hold down your left mouse button while dragging the folder to the target window.

• When the file is over the target, release the mouse button.

Here’s a link to a screencast that will show you what I mean: http://youtu.be/MHSfqmsjpeo

You can drag an entire folder over the same way.

If you want to move instead of copy the files or folders, right-click and drag instead of using the left mouse button. You’ll see a choice of copy or move. Select move, and you’re good to go.

Do you need help with your computer? I'm here to help you and your home or business computer get along!

Cate Eales runs Computer Care Kelowna (http://computercarekelowna.com/) a mobile service helping home users and businesses get along with their computers. To arrange an appointment phone her at 250-764-7043. Cate also welcomes your comments and suggestions. Send email to help@computercarekelowna.com.

You can read previous columns here: http://rlis.com/column.htm . If you'd like to subscribe to this column by email, please visit this link: http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?Sub=20618 . It's easy, and free. If you'd prefer the RSS Feed, click here: http://rlis.com/rlis.xml.

Make things bigger or smaller in Windows. Get your Google back!

I can see clearly now

You can easily change the screen resolution so that you can see things more clearly. A higher resolution results in sharper-looking icons on your desktop, and you can fit more icons on there. Why? Because the higher your screen resolution, the smaller each item will be. If you have trouble seeing icons or the little text under them, you can change the screen resolution.

In Windows 7 or Vista:

• Click on Start | Control Panel | Appearance and Personalization | Adjust screen resolution

• Move the slider down in Windows 7 to decrease the resolution/increase the size of each item. Move it to the left in Vista for the same effect.

• Click on Apply

• Click on Keep to save the changes or Revert to cancel the changes

The screen resolution will be the same for all users of that computer.

If you want to leave the resolution alone but just make everything big all the time, you can change the size of text in all your applications.

In Windows 7:

• Click on Start | Control Panel | Appearance and Personalization | Adjust screen resolution

• Choose Smaller, Medium, or Larger

• Click Apply

You’ll need to log off and log on to Windows for the change to take effect.

In Vista:

• Right-click on an empty spot on the desktop

• Click on Personalize | Adjust font size (DPI)

• Choose Larger Scale

• Click OK

You’ll need to restart Windows for the change to take effect.

Just plain stupid with a stubborn streak

Bing is a search engine like Google and Yahoo!, except it comes from Microsoft. Several customers and readers mentioned lately that Bing crept in somehow, and now has become the default search in Internet Explorer 9. And it doesn’t want to go gracefully. (http://youtu.be/iTUKHMlbYGA)

You can uninstall the Bing toolbar as you would any other program.  Go to your Control Panel, then Uninstall a program, and uninstall Bing Toolbar.

That will take care of the toolbar, but your IE9 might be set to use Bing as the default search engine.  In that case you have to get a different search engine (for instance, Google) and make that the default search engine.  To do that:

• Open Internet Explorer

• Click on the Tools icon at the far right side of the browser window (looks like a gear)

• Click on Internet Options | General

• In the Search section, click on Settings

• If you see Google there, click on Google | Set as default | Close

• If you don't see Google there, click on Find more search providers... in the lower left corner of the window

• That takes you to the Internet Explorer Gallery

• Click on the orange word search and scroll way over to the right until you find Google Search (you have to scroll a long way)

• Click on Google Search

• Select the default choice

• Click on Add to Internet Explorer

• Click on Add

• OK your way out

That should set Google as your default search engine.  Now if you want to remove Bing completely:

• Open Internet Explorer

• Click on the Tools icon at the far right side of the browser window (looks like a gear)

• Click on Internet Options | General

• In the Search section, click on Settings

• Select Bing

• Click on Remove

• OK your way out

That actually takes more time to write than it does to show. Here’s a screencast that might help: http://youtu.be/V9zzkMLI2Q8.

Photo: Contributed

Do you need help with your computer? I'm here to help you and your home or business computer get along!

Cate Eales runs Computer Care Kelowna (http://computercarekelowna.com/) a mobile service helping home users and businesses get along with their computers. To arrange an appointment phone her at 250-764-7043. Cate also welcomes your comments and suggestions. Send email to help@computercarekelowna.com.

You can read previous columns here: http://rlis.com/column.htm . If you'd like to subscribe to this column by email, please visit this link: http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?Sub=20618 . It's easy, and free. If you'd prefer the RSS Feed, click here: http://rlis.com/rlis.xml.

It seems like every time you turn around, some program is asking you for permission to update. Is it safe to update? Is it safe NOT to update? This week we’ll sort that out.

Windows Updates

I’ve had this conversation with just about every customer I have visited in the last two weeks. You need to let Windows Update do its thing! There are different types of updates, and sometimes you get updates for other Microsoft products like Office, and Windows Live programs. A good, easy to understand explanation of that is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Update. But yes, you need to do the updates.

Most Windows Updates will apply themselves in the background and never bother you until they’re done. But some, generally those that require you to restart the computer to finish the update process, need your permission. Pay attention to the Windows Update notification in the lower right-hand corner of your computer screen (by the clock). Click (or right-click) on the icon and check what it’s asking you to do.

Java Updates, Adobe Updates

You also need to let your Java, your Adobe Flash Player and your Adobe Reader have their updates when they ask for them. Those updates are offered to protect your computer from malicious software exploits. They’re not offered to annoy you. Allow them.

If you’ve been declining those updates for weeks or months or years, you can find out whether you have the current versions of those programs easily, and in one place. Point your browser to the Online Software Inspector at Secunia.com: http://secunia.com/vulnerability_scanning/online/. Run the online scanner. It will show you if you have out of date/insecure versions of many common programs and it will provide a link to the most recent version.

The Secunia Online Software Inspector (OSI) works beautifully. I signed up for the Reminder service, so that when their database is updated, I get an email reminding me to run a scan. Although Secunia also offers a Personal Software Inspector (PSI), I believe that the Online scanner is enough for most of us. I find the PSI aggressive and annoying. My advice is to stick with the OSI and sign up for their reminders.

Photo: Contributed

Antivirus Updates

Allow these. Antivirus programs need updates every day to keep ahead of (or at least keep up with) the latest threats and make sure you’re protected. Most antivirus programs update themselves automatically every day. Check yours to make sure it’s set to do that.
 

Everything else

Other updates can be applied --- or not --- at your discretion. If you have a newer computer, maybe you’re being offered updates from the manufacturer. If you have an HP, Canon, Epson or Brother printer/scanner you might get update notifications for that machine, too.

You might not need these updates. Have a look at what’s being offered and understand just what the purpose of the update is. Is this a fix for a problem you are having? Is this an enhancement, rather than a fix? Is this security related?

If you need it or want it, read and follow the installation instructions. Sometimes they’re important! And if you encounter an update that demands you turn off your antivirus protection, and then ask yourself if you trust the provider enough to turn off your antivirus protection.

Some major updates require modification of System files. Of course, what a good antivirus product does is prevent things from modifying System files! So you’re going to have a conflict, and generally this results in problems or at the very least in confusion. If your update is important enough to turn off your antivirus protection, then go for it. Just make sure you turn it back on when the update has completely finished.

Now you’re ready to stay up to date…and safe!

Do you need help with your computer? I'm here to help you and your home or business computer get along!

Cate Eales runs Computer Care Kelowna (http://computercarekelowna.com/) a mobile service helping home users and businesses get along with their computers. To arrange an appointment phone her at 250-764-7043. Cate also welcomes your comments and suggestions. Send email to help@computercarekelowna.com.

Some serious-sounding problems are not very hard to fix. This week: What to do if your computer screen shows everything sideways or upside down, how to make your keyboard behave, and how to stop exploding windows.

Photo: Contributed

Help! My laptop is sideways!

Every so often I get a phone call or an email from someone who managed to turn the display sideways on their laptop, and wonders how to get it back. Some laptops are different, but on most of them the following key combinations will work:

• Turn it right side up: Ctrl + Alt + Up Arrow

• Rotate 90 degrees: Ctrl + Alt + Right Arrow

• Turn it upside down: Ctrl + Alt + Down Arrow

• Rotate 279 degrees: Ctrl + Alt + Left Arrow (or sometimes, Crtl + Shift + R for some reason!)

Sometimes you can right-click on the Desktop and get to your graphics options. You should find a “Rotation” choice there, too.

Now you don’t have to stand on your head or lie on your side to use your computer!

Help! Mon clavier me rend fou!

I frequently receive email from people whose keyboards have taken leave of their senses. Usually the question goes like this:

When I want a question mark this is what I get ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ. As you can see, if I hit the apostrophe I get this èèèè.

Last month I helped a customer who could not get the computer to type the @ sign when she pressed the Shift and the number 2. This was VERY inconvenient when it came to sending email! The cause of the problem is the same as the ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ problem: Your keyboard is speaking French.

If you’re only ever going to type in English, set your keyboard to the US layout.

• Click on Start | Control Panel

• Click on Clock, Language and Region (In XP, Region and Language)

• Click on Language | Details | Change keyboards

• Add the US keyboard and save it as default

• While you’re there, click on Language Bar, then on Hidden

• OK your way out

Now your keyboard will be set up just for English, the Language Bar will be hidden so you don’t accidentally change your language. To learn more about keyboard layouts, have a look at the documentation here: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Change-your-keyboard-layout.

Help! My windows are exploding all over the screen!

Recently I received an email from a reader asking me how to stop pages from exploding. Trust me, this got my attention! When I got to the part where he said he was using Windows 7, I figured out the problem.

Aero Snap is a feature of Windows 7. When you drag a window to the left side of the screen, it will automagically dock or “snap” to that side of the screen. If you drag right, it snaps right. If you drag a window to the top of your screen, it will maximize. It takes some getting used to, and lots of people like it. Others find it disconcerting. If you don’t want things snapping, it’s easy to turn Aero Snap off:

• Click on Start | Control Panel | Ease of Access | Ease of Access Center

• Click on “Make the mouse easier to use”

• Put a check in the box for “Prevent windows from being automatically arranged when moved to the edge of the screen.”

• OK your way out

That’s all there is to it. If you want to know more about Aero Snap, the Microsoft tutorials are here: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/products/features/snap.

Do you need help with your computer? I'm here to help you and your home or business computer get along!

Cate Eales runs Computer Care Kelowna (http://computercarekelowna.com/) a mobile service helping home users and businesses get along with their computers. To arrange an appointment phone her at 250-764-7043. Cate also welcomes your comments and suggestions. Send email to help@computercarekelowna.com.

You can read previous columns here: http://rlis.com/column.htm . If you'd like to subscribe to this column by email, please visit this link: http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?Sub=20618 . It's easy, and free. If you'd prefer the RSS Feed, click here: http://rlis.com/rlis.xml.