"How to Remove Programs Safely"

Resolution - Changing

How many rows of buttons can you put on the taskbar? (the bar at the very bottom of your screen with all those buttons)
The answer depends on your screen resolution. If you're running your computer at 640 x 480 pixels, then you can have 9 rows. If you're at 1,280 x 1,024 then 20 rows will do it. Why anyone would desire such antics is beyond comprehension.
Don't panic
This would be a good time explain about Resolutions, and provide a few usability tips. Resolution is measured in pixels, across the screen and down the screen. So 640 x 480 means you could count 640 dots across, and 480 dots down.
Set the number of pixels your monitor displays in the Display Properties dialog box. Click ...
Start
Settings
Control Panel
Display
Settings
Then adjust Screen area in pixels, then click OK
If you don't like it just go back and reset it to your previous setting - so make a note of your present setting.
The resolution options will depend on the quality of your video
card. The more memory it comes with, combined with its overall abilities, the more colors you can view at a certain
resolution.
For example, you may be able to set your computer to display 64 million colors (not photographic quality, but close) and be able to run at 800 x 600 resolution. However, if you bump the resolution up a notch to 1,024 x 768, then the number of colors you can view may drop to 256 colors. It all depends on whether or not your video card has the muscle to do it..

"Save to Disk - What's That?"

Okay, you've seen screen captures. You know, those windows pictures we use so extensively in our Newbie Club Ebooks andWebsite tutorials.
How is this accomplished?
Ctrl + Print Screen is the key
This is where the Print Screen key on your keyboard comes in handy. It may be called PrntScn on your keyboard, or someother variant. But it's purpose is to make a copy of whatever is on your screen. It copies the info to the Windows clipboard. Then you can paste into another document that will accept it,such as Word, or a graphics program.
But what if you want to capture only the active window - the actual window that you may have just brought up on your screen?
That's when you use two keys together. The Alt and the Print Screen keys.
Hold down the Alt key. Press the Print Screen key. That's it! You've just made a copy of the active window, placing it onthe clipboard, ready to insert wherever you want to insert it.
I use a graphics program called Paint. It comes with your computer. You can try it now. It's really cool! Or you can usesome other graphics programs that are far more robust.
However, nothing too fancy is required to make these screen captures.
*from  THE NEWBIE CLUB INSIDER  Issue 170 February 15, 2004

Are you getting a bit fed up watching that lonely goldfish swimming around aimlessly. Or are you bored to tears from watching little brightly colored froggy-woggies bouncing from one side to the other?
I'm talking about your screen saver of course - not the wonders of nature in your back yard:-)
Then change it. In fact why not change the colors of your windows, and other stuff you work with every time you use your computer?
Michael Angelo to the rescue ...
There is a long way, and a short way to do this, so naturally
I'll explain the short way...
RIGHT click on any area of your desktop - avoid the icons:-)
LEFT click on Properties.
Click on 'Screen Saver' tab.
Open 'Screen Saver' Drop down box
Choose the design you want.
Click OK.
Done.
Now you can watch big froggy-woggies eating lil' ol gold fish! While you're in there try changing your color schemes by clicking open the 'Appearance' tab. Mess around a bit and see the kinds of effects you can get.
There's more to life than those boring gray windows after all.
Pass the fish food please!
*from  THE NEWBIE CLUB INSIDER  Issue 181 May 15, 2004

" Searching on the Internet"

A server computer lives a life of servitude. It's sole purpose in life is to live as a waiter. It just sits there24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year after year doing nothing but giving information to the browsers who request it. A noble task, 'tis true. For without the server... we'd have no Internet, and no web pages to view.
*from the THE NEWBIE CLUB INSIDER  Issue 73 July 9, 2002  "

"Can You Remove A Shared File?"

"Shortcut"

A shortcut icon is not the actual program, but a representation of that program. It is a pointer to the program which you place in an easy-to-use place (your desktop, or main screen you look at). Right clicking a shortcut icon and choosing 'Properties' will show you the details about that icon.
*From THE NEWBIE CLUB INSIDER  Issue 53 Nov 8, 2001

 Shortcut to the Desktop

 Here's how it's done in any version of Windows.
1. Right click a blank portion of the desktop and choose 'New' from the menu that appears. When the flyout menu appears, choose 'Shortcut' and click. The Create Shortcut dialog box appears.
2. Click the 'Browse' button on this dialog box. The 'Browse' dialog box appears. You can navigate to the folder that says 'Program Files' and double click to open it inside the 'Browse' window.
3. Once you've opened the Program Files folder, navigate to the folder that contains the program you want to create a new shortcut to. In other words, locate the target folder and double click. Inside, you'll find the actual icon for the program you're interested in. Click it once to highlight it, then click the 'Open' button. This won't open the program, but will place the entire path to that program, including the name of the program into the command line of the 'Create Shortcut' dialog box.
4. Click the 'Next' button. You'll now select a name for the shortcut. You can call it anything you want. Then click the 'Finish' button, and you'll see a new icon appear on your desktop that has the name you gave it. A little tiny curved arrow will appear on the icon, alerting you to the fact that this is a shortcut to the program. It's not the real file.
That's it. Create as many shortcuts as you need or want! 
*from the THE NEWBIE CLUB INSIDER  Issue 71 March 29, 2002

Some of us are just plain curious, and like to see how things work. We all feel more comfortable with our computers when we get a glimpse behind the curtain, as it were. Removing the mystery is
part of what this newsletter is all about. So this next tip will help you get just a tiny feel for things.
You know what a shortcut is, but can you find the program it's referring to? Maybe you downloaded Keyboard Magic!, First Website Builder, or some other ebook from The Newbie Club and aren't sure where the file is located, but you do see a shortcut. Okay, it's easy enough.
We'll use the right click method again. As you'll see, right clicking reveals a lot.
Right click any shortcut, and choose 'Properties' from the menu that appears.
In the 'Properties' dialog box, you'll see some interesting information.
The 'Target' gives you the path to the program. (Most programs end with the three letter file extension '.exe'.)
The 'Start in:' line shows you the path that leads to the file itself.
You can envision your computer as a giant forest full of rabbit trails. Along each trail is a rabbit hole. The rabbit hole is the program, and the trail is the path. The rabbit hole is also the 'Target'.
And now you know why Netscape Navigator's browser uses the words, "Save Target As..." when you right click a download link, or any link on a web page. 'Coz the lead programmer for the Netscape browser was raised by a family of rabbits. :-)
The 'Target' is always the file you want to use. And a file can be a program, a picture, a video, or a document.
*from the THE NEWBIE CLUB INSIDER  Issue 197 September 5, 2004

"Shrinking Folder Icons"

By default, and by no fault of its own, Windows uses large icons to display the folders and files on your computer. These are large compared to the Detail view icons, and can may soon start running out of space.
To change your icon view, do the following:
In any window that displays icons, such as My Computer or Windows Explorer, you will see just under the Title Bar what is called the Menu Line. Stuff like File, Edit, View, Options, and Help. These are common Menu items.
Click on 'View'.
When it opens, you'll see listed among other items, Large Icons, Small Icons, List, and Details. Try clicking each one. See how the icons change size? I suggest you select the Details view if you want to see more info listed about each folder and file.
You will need to scroll up and down the list if you're looking at your root directory. Argh! What does "root directory" mean - or is this a gardening tutorial?
If you look only at your (C) drive, and don't open any folders, you are in the "root" directory. Or "root" folder. Just like a tree and its branches come from the root, your computer's files and folders all find their root in the (C) directory or folder. (Folder and Directory can be used to mean the same thing.)
So there you go. The whole point of these tutorials is to help you become more comfortable with your computer, and to understand it better.
*from the THE NEWBIE CLUB INSIDER  Issue 98 October 11, 2002

" Sites - How To Find Out Who's Behind A Site"

You're surfing the web, and come across a web site that doesn't tell you much about *who* is really behind the workings. So who controls that site?
How do you know you can trust the information he or she is handing out to you? On every site I own - or create for a client - I *always* give my name and full contact details on
an easily found page.
It gives credibility to the information I offer, and it's the professional thing to do.
But some people are either *shy*, or just plain don't want you, to know who's behind it. In cases like this I'm always very wary.
But you *can* find out, and here's how.
All web sites have to be hosted somewhere. Some company or organization that provides a computer that's connected to the Internet all the time (known as a web server) provides
this hosting service.
They're called "web hosts".
The web site is found by domain name, such as newbieclub.com. Who registered the newbieclub.com domain name? Who is behind the site? Some person. Some individual is the "registrant" of the domain. Who is it? Or maybe I should ask "to whom" does this domain name belong?
Just visit http://www.onewhois.com and type the domain name of any site... and you'll have the answer to your question. Up comes a bunch of information about the site, and the
person who registered it!
If you're having problems with a site, you can try contacting the person who registered it. They may be able to help.
Example: Visit http://www.onewhois.com and type newbieclub.com and you'll find that Joe Robson registered the domain name. And you'll also see where I live, and what my
phone number is.
The WHOIS database is a repository of all the domains that are registered.
And now you know... so there you go!
*from the THE NEWBIE CLUB INSIDER  Issue 94September 12, 2002

A. "Path" What's that?
The ankle bone connects to the shin bone. The shin bone connects to the knee bone. The knee bone connects to the... you know.
Well, a 'path' on your computer is a series of folders along the  way. The path you follow to get to a specific resource. Kind of like the various parts of your anatomy connecting to other various parts...
Okay, here's an example:
C:\My Documents\Recipes\cornbread.txt
'cornbread.txt' is the file name. It's found in the 'Recipes' folder, which is found in the 'My Documents' folder, which is found in the C: folder... which is your hard drive. So the 'path' to cornbread.txt goes through the C:\My Documents\Recipes forest.
Why does this matter?
It's just lingo. But without knowing the lingo, your trip through the Black Forest of computers will be filled with terror and frustration. Right? Of course.
....While we're on the subject of slashes (aren't we?)
B. "Forward slash - back slash"
Ever wondered why the slash is forward (/) in a web page URL, and backward (\) on your computer? No? Okay.
All Internet resources use the forward slash to separate one resource from another. Page names are separate from domain names.
The forward slash indicates a 'change in resource'.
On your home computer, you'll see the slash is backward, or leaning to the left. "And never the two shall mingle!" You can try using a backslash in a Web page URL. But it won't work. You CAN use a backslash in your browser, like this:
C:\My Computer
Do that, and you'll list all the stuff on your computer! But you won't see stuff on the Internet that way. Who cares? Someone. Somewhere.
*from the THE NEWBIE CLUB INSIDER  Issue 186 June 20, 2004

Does your system have a sound card and speakers? Did it come with a microphone? If yes, let's have some fun!
You can make your computer say anything when it starts up and shuts down, or when you click on some item... all you need to do is record your voice. First, let's do the recording, then we'll set up the sounds in the next tutorial.
I'm sticking with the recording stuff that comes with Windows. If you have some other sound recorder, you can use it.
1. Open the Sound Recorder. It's under Start, Programs, Accessories, Entertainment.
2. With your microphone hooked up, click the red round dot on the far right side. This is the record button.
3. Say a few words, then stop the recorder by clicking the square Stop button next to the Record button.
4. Save the file (click File, Save As, and give it a name.) Save it in your Documents folder, under My Recordings. If there's no folder named My Recordings, you can create the folder, or just save the file in My Documents for now.
You can record phrases, words, anything. Add music if you want. If you're into telephone answering machine messages, hook up your answering system to your computer. (Now that's a tricky one!)
Remember, a "document" is not just a word document. It can be a picture, a sound, a spreadsheet, whatever. In the purest terms, a document may be written words... but in computer parlance, it's more.
Note: The sound recorder has a 60 second limit. That's way more than you'll need for simple voice work. And by the way, 60 seconds of sound during my test took up 1.2 megabytes of disk space. You can record a LOT of sound and still have room to spare. So have fun with this! You can always delete the files later if you find you aren't using them.
*from the THE NEWBIE CLUB INSIDER  Issue 110 January 4, 2003

In the previous tutorial, we used Sound Recorder to make our own sounds. Now what do we do with them? Lets attach them to events in the Sounds Properties window. Here's how...
1. Open the Sounds Properties dialog box. You'll find it as an icon in the Control Panel, named "Sounds".
2. Highlight the line item named "Close program" by clicking on it once. The "Name:" field comes alive. You can select from pre-existing sounds there, but we're going to browse for our new sound.
3. Click the 'Browse...' button, and navigate to your My Documents folder, and select your new sound. The speaker will appear in the Preview box if you had no sounds selected previously.
4. Preview the sound by clicking the right arrow button in the Preview area. Like what you hear? Okay!
5. Click the Apply button. Select another Event, attach a new sound, click Apply, until you've set up all the sounds you want.
6. Click the OK button to put the dialog box away.
The Details button will give you additional details on the sound file you select. In the Schemes field, you can choose from existing sound schemes, if they exist on your system.
Someone I know hears a 'Clear Off' sound when he closes down his computer each day. Funny guy!
*from the THE NEWBIE CLUB INSIDER  Issue 110 January 4, 2003

"Spam: you don't have to eat it"

First of all, let's tackle spam. Have you ever eaten any? Did your parents ever put the meaty stuff on your plate contrary to your request?
That food wasn't asked for. So it was unsolicited. And that pretty much sums up electronic spam, also known as unsolicited e-mail. It's also known as UCE-- Unsolicited Commercial E-mail.
Whether you get real bent out of shape and go ballistic, or you just hit the delete key is up to you. We prefer the delete key ourselves. If it gets real bad, you can try enlisting the services of SpamCop.com or an organization like them.
*From THE NEWBIE CLUB INSIDER  Issue 104 Nov 14, 2002

"Spammers"

People who send spam are called spammers. How do they get your e-mail address, anyway? Well, if you keep things to yourself, and don't post messages on newsgroups that include your email address, you're probably safe from spam.
Spammers also use robots to harvest email addresses from web sites. If you're a web designer or site owner, you can be sure the robots are out harvesting email as you read. It's an ongoing war. Can you stop incoming junk email? In a word, not really. Ok, make that two words. And another thing-- I wouldn't bother replying to those spam mails you get saying "to be removed from further mailing, just reply to this message." All that does is validate your email address so they can Spam again.
*From THE NEWBIE CLUB INSIDER  Issue 104 Nov 14, 2002

"Sp*mming? Are You Spamming"

Are you unwittingly spreading spam? You know, the junk email that clogs your inbox. In the broadest definition, spam is any email received... that wasn't requested.
Could you be contributing to the spread of sp*m, and not know it?
You found a humorous or inspirational story. "Frank would like this," you say. "And so would all the other folks in my address book." So you load up a bunch of email addresses in the CC line of your email client, and hit the Send button.
Now you hear the banging on your front door. "Must be the sp*m cops," you mutter. Because there are plenty of them patrolling the Internet, looking for anyone they can accuse of a violation. And they might just practice Net Rage (I'll explain that in a minute).
OK, think about this.
If you use the CC (Courtesy Copy) line in your email client,
for addresses, *everybody* gets a copy...
But they also see *everyone else's* email address!
That's not a good thing for privacy. With no mention of the fact they didn't request this message from you... so technically, you just sp*mmed them. (Maybe they don't want the email. Technically, you're not sp*mming if you aren't sending offers for free cell phones or methods on making $5,000 in 30 days. Or less.
I get a bunch of forwarded email... and a bunch of "fr*e" email addresses thanks to folks who practice this form of "accidental sp*mming".
If you want to send email to more than one person, use the BCC field in your email - that's for a Blind Courtesy Copy. Type one person's address into the TO: field, and put the rest of the addresses, separated by commas, where they belong. In the BCC.
Just don't confuse that with the BBC, which is where I get my Television shows.
You've heard of road rage, right? There are actually crazy people on the Internet who practice Net Rage. They'll do anything possible to make life miserable for you. Email is a wonderful communication tool. But like constant chatter from small children, many just tune it out. And that's not communication.
I hope you find yourself following this simple rule:
"If someone doesn't request it, don't send it." That'll keep you out of any trouble...
*From THE NEWBIE CLUB INSIDER  Issue 104 Nov 14, 2002

 "Splash Screen"

The Status Bar is at the very bottom of each window, and gives various bits of information.
*FromTHE NEWBIE CLUB INSIDER  Issue 108 December 20, 2002

Adding new hardware to your computer isn't as easy as adding a new software program, but here's some tips to consider.
First of all, know what's in your computer. That means, find out exactly what's hiding in there by opening the case, and checking it all out. Not very practical advice? OK, then dig around inside using software. The next bunch of tips tell you how.
To see what processor is installed and how much Random Access Memory (RAM) you've got, right click My Computer (on your Desktop) and select Properties (or use the Windows Logo key+Pause, or hold down the Alt key while double clicking.
To see what size your hard drive is, go for My Computer once again. Double click the My Computer icon to open, then right click the drive letter you're interested in (usually 'C') and click Properties.
To see what type of video card (also called a video display adapter, or graphics card) you have installed, right click the Desktop, and choose Properties from the context menu. When you see the Display Properties dialog box, choose the Settings tab. You'll see the brand and model of the monitor installed (or it may just list "Plug and Play Monitor") along with the video card that makes it work.
To see what kind of hardware is installed in your computer (that wasn't already covered above), open the Control Panel ( Start. Settings. Control Panel) and double click the System icon. Click the Device Manager tab for a complete list.
Click down the list of installed hardware. You can click the Properties button after highlighting a particular item, and you'll see more details on drivers, settings, and other info that may just bore you to tears.
Interesting stuff this. Just don't go messing around, ticking and unticking, unless you know exactly what you're doing:-)
*From THE NEWBIE CLUBINSIDER Issue 186 June 27, 2004

Computers must store data somewhere. Where does your computer store its data?
The primary location is on the hard drive, or hard disk. It's the same thing--just different words are used to describe it.
Your hard drive is called 'hard' because it's not soft. Really. In the 'old days' of computing, we used 'floppy disks' to store data. They were soft and pliable, and got messed up all the time.
Hard disks came along and replaced the floppy disk.
How many different types of disks are there? I won't enumerate them all here, but will give you some basic principles that guide you.
1. If it's inside your computer, it's a hard disk. That is, if you cannot remove it except to open the computer case.
2. If you can remove the disk, it's called 'removable storage'. That is, items like 3.5 inch disks, Zip disks, etc.
A Zip disk is a popular brand of removable storage that comes in 100 megabyte, 250 megabyte and 750 megabyte flavors. It requires a special disk reader, too, which is readily available most any office store.
There's another storage device known as 'optical storage' or the CD. Who hasn't seen a CD? These are obviously removable, and the nicest thing about them is the amount of data they will hold. The common CD discs hold 700 megabytes of data, and you can create them yourself if you have a CD burner.
All computers come with a hard drive. Most come with a small slot for a 3.5 inch diskette. This slot is the "A drive" or "B drive".
Storage is different from memory. Remember, your hard or soft disks or drives store your stuff even when the computer is turned off. On the other hand, your computer's memory, or RAM, only holds data when the computer is turned on. As soon as you turn it off, all the data in RAM is lost.
There are external hard drives, too. These are special units that attach by a cable to your computer, and are great for laptop computers, or anyone who doesn't want to open their computer case and install an additional hard drive. (It's only easy if you've done it before!)
*From THE NEWBIE CLUB INSIDER  Issue 108 December 20, 2002