Help Tips

Differences between Windows XP and Vista Presentation

To view the Differences between Windows XP and Vista Presentation slides in PDF (Portable Document Format) prepared by Bill Field and Bob Heath, click on the following link:

(Note: Press the Page Down key on your keyboard to advance slides.)

Windows XP to Vista

Burning CDs and DVDs in Vista

For those of you are having difficulty with CDs or DVDs burned using Vista, here's some helpful information provided by Dick Faust.

Click on the following link to obtain the document in PDF (Portable Document Format):

Burn an XP Compatible CD or DVD in Vista

Dick's latest advice, however, is to not use Vista CD-DVD burning software because no matter what file system version is used in Vista, you won't be able to subsequently burn to that disc using Windows XP. The best advice is to use a flash drive instead of burning to a CD.

TIPS -- For Viewing Web Pages -- Shortcuts for Internet Explorer

Increase or Decrease Text Size while viewing a Web Page

TIP: If you would like to Increase the Text Size you are viewing on a web page, Simply, Hold Down the CTRL Key on your Keyboard,
          while Scrolling Backwards with your Wheel Button on your mouse. This will increase the text size to the largest size.
          To Decrease the Text Size simply Scroll Forward while Holding Down the CTRL key.
          This should work in any of your Web Browsers such as Internet Explorer.

Use your Spacebar as a Shortcut for Scrolling a Web Page

TIP: Tapping the Spacebar in a web browser will Scroll Down One Page at a Time.
Try reversing this! Hold down the Shift Key while Tapping the Spacebar will Scroll Back Up the Page.
This is a great shortcut on a long web page.

Refreshing a Web Page

        When you view a Web page, it is stored in a cache on your computer. The next time you access that page,
           it is loaded onto your screen from the cache.
          Therefore, you may not be seeing the latest version of the page.

TIP: Click on Refresh or Reload button at the top of your browser screen, or press the F5 function key at the top
of your keyboard to refresh the page and see its latest version.
Control + F5 refreshes the current web page regardless of any time stamps.

Find box

TIP: There are a couple of different ways to open the Find box to find something on a web page. Control + F or F3 both work the same way.

Search Bar

TIP: Control + E will bring your cursor to the Search Bar; if an old search is typed in,
it will highlight it so you can type in the new search without leaving your keyboard.

History

TIP: Control + H will show your History.

Stop a new web page from loading

TIP: If you click the ESC key it will stop a new web page from loading.
This comes in handy if you see it has content you don't want, if it is in a different language,
it is loading slowly, or you just change your mind.

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Full Screen

TIP: F11 toggles to and from "Full Screen" mode.

How to use Windows XP

Click on Windows Logo:

Tips

1	You must remove (uninstall) your Anti-Virus program before upgrading to Windows XP.
2	It is best to get a new Anti-Virus program every year and have it set to auto update for the latest virus definitions.
3	Clean up your hard drive: To run Disk Cleanup, select Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Cleanup. Select the drive you want to clean, click OK, and wait patiently as Disk Cleanup determines the amount of space you'll recover from the big clean-out. On the Disk Cleanup tab, select which of the file types you'd like to remove from your system, do NOT select: Compress old files . If you aren't sure exactly what a particular category represents, select it and read its description at the bottom of the dialog box. Once you've made your selections, click OK and click Yes to confirm.
4	* Speed up your boot up: http://www.onecomputerguy.com/windowsxp_tips.htm#services_disable
5	Backup - Make sure you back up your data.
6	* Organize your fonts - Click here In Adobe Acrobat Reader format; print from this page. If you do not have the reader, click here
7	Before installing a program or burning a CD or DVD, turn off your screen saver (since monitors are no longer coated, you don't need one anyhow!).
8	Easily adjust time & date: Need to adjust your system time? Or the date? You could open the Control Panel and select the Date/Time item, but there's a much easier way to get to these settings. Just right-mouse-click the time on your Taskbar and select Adjust Date/Time in the pop-up menu. In the resulting dialog box, select the portion of the time you need to adjust and type your changes. To change the date, adjust the year using the up or down arrows, select a month in the drop-down list, and then click a date on the calendar. Click OK to save your changes.
9	To protect yourself against worm viruses, be sure to download all critical updates. Go to Start > All Programs > Windows Update.
10	If you are not having a problem with your peripherals ( i.e., printer, scanner, etc.), do not update the drivers in Windows Update. Don't fix it if it's not broken!!

* For advanced users

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Updated 01/31/12 by Pat De Rosia