computer terms

The information listed below is from various issues of The Newbie Club INSIDER.
You can get your own copy when you become a Newbie Club Member at http://newbieclub.com Membership is free!.
The Newbie Club INSIDER is a publication of The Newbie Club, which is owned by Roglan International Ltd.
(C) The Newbie Club(TM) All Rights Reserved

"Talking Text - Whatever Next?"

Is it difficult for you to see your computer display screen clearly? Or do you want to be able to have your computer "speak" whatever is displayed while you perform other tasks?
Well, there are two FREE programs available on this site to do this. One program, called 'SpeakToMe, speaks any text that is copied to the clipboard. Highlighted text from any Windows application is then read to you.
The other program, called 'TalkPad', is a simple word processing program, based on Microsoft's WordPad application. TalkPad speaks each word and sentence as you type and is especially useful for people with vision problems.
To find out more about these FREE downloadable programs go to ... http://hunterz.home.att.net
*from THE NEWBIE CLUB INSIDER Issue 87 October 7, 2002

"Target"

You know what a target is ... it's something you aim at. Or the object of some action. Well, on the Web, a target is a web page or file that your browser will open or download. When you right click a hyperlink, a context menu opens. You'll see "Save Target As..." listed there. The target is the page the link is referring to.
*from THE NEWBIE CLUB INSIDER Issue 83 June 20, 2002

"About Your Task Bar"

The Taskbar a critical component of Windows, so lets turn it inside out.
The Taskbar (at the bottom of your screen) contains the following items:
The Start menu button
Minimized applications (programs)
Quick launch toolbar
System tray
And each is explained below.
The taskbar can be resized to contain as much or as little as you want, or hidden from view entirely.
To hide it ...
Right click a blank area of the taskbar
Select Properties.
Tick the Auto hide check box
Click Apply. Then click OK to put the dialog box away.
The bar will slip down into the nether regions of your monitor,
and will be available for viewing when you run your mouse cursor
to the bottom of your screen.
Just uncheck the box you checked to make it stay put.

"How To Move Your Task Bar"

You can move the taskbar to any of the four sides of your monitor screen. How? Click and drag.
Click on the Bar and hold down your button. Then Draaaag it to the new position and release your mouse button. Bingo!
As you drag, you won't see anything at first. Then suddenly, the bar will flip up to its new location.
Try it. You'll like it. You can always move the bar back to the bottom again.
Is there a shortcut to move the taskbar? Sorry, there's not, since the taskbar cannot have the focus directly. It's what's on the taskbar that receives your focus, not the bar itself.

"Your Task Bar/Start Menu"

The Start Menu on your Task Bar is where you start. Kind of like turning the key in the ignition for the first time.
However, more advanced users know that the Start menu is really a messy place, because there's so much packed into the Start menu you'd need an entire book to explain it all.
There are two regions to the Start menu - the upper and lower.
The upper region is above the Programs item, and you can modify what appears there. You can't do much with the appearance of items below the Programs item.
Just like the desktop, the Start menu is actually a folder on your hard drive, located in \Windows\Start Menu.
Anything you add or remove from the Start Menu folder will show up in the actual Start Menu under the Start button.
Quickly access the Start Menu folder by RIGHT clicking the Start button and selecting Open or Explore. If you select Open, you'll see the folder view. Select Explore, and you'll see the tree view. (No - not a forest - an expanded menu!)
The easiest way to add an item to the Start Menu is to drag an executable file (that's a file that ends with the file extension ".exe" like an ebook or software) directly into the \Windows\Start Menu\Programs folder.
A shortcut (along with its icon, of course) is created on the Start Menu.

"How To Rearrange Your Start Menu"

Rearrange items on the Start Menu by dragging them up or down the list of items. Or drag them right into or out of the menu itself. In fact, the tip above can be circumvented in Windows 98 with a drag of the mouse.
Here's how to actually accomplish it.
Drag a program over the Start button, and hold it there for about two seconds.
The Start Menu opens in living color. Continue to hold the item being dragged until you find a place to put it on the menu. Then let go, and it will be inserted appropriately.
You can load up the Start Menu will all kinds of stuff, or reduce what's there to nothing but the basics that came with your computer when it was new.
Anything you drag to the Start Menu will only be created as a shortcut! If you want the actual program to reside there, you'll have to hold down the Shift key while you do your drag and drop operation. This moves the object instead of making a shortcut to it.
The idea is that moving something takes it out of its original location and puts in a new location. Shortcuts aren't real moves. They're, well, they're shortcuts!
If you want to copy an item to the Start Menu, which would simply duplicate it, you can hold down the Ctrl key while doing the drag-drop routine.
Yes, you can drag a folder full of shortcuts to the Start Menu. This is very useful. It will create a flyout menu you can point to and select from with one click.
For example, create shortcuts in a folder named "Com" (short for communication) that point to your word processor, your web browser, and your email program.
Then drag this folder to the Start Menu. When you run your mouse cursor over it, you'll see the items listed for access. Think about how you can make this work for whatever it is you want

"About Running Tasks"

Minimized Applications - also known as Running Tasks - keep track of minimized applications. What else:-)
Keep tabs on all your running applications by looking at this portion of the taskbar. What portion? It's the expanse of gray to the left of the system tray, which is the area that includes the Windows clock.
Any window that's open will be represented on the taskbar. Just click the button that corresponds to the program you desire to use. If only one program is open, then clicking its button on the taskbar will alternate the focus between the program and the desktop.
The currently active window looks like it's been pushed in on the taskbar. The button appears depressed. If the button belongs to program that you use very little, it probably will be depressed, as all programs like to be used frequently. Hey we all get depressed sometime:-)
RIGHT click on a Taskbar button for a control menu. You can Restore, Move, Size, Minimize, Maximize, and Close the window from that menu.

"Quick Launch Toolbar (QLT)"

Right click a blank area of the taskbar, point to Toolbars, then slide your mouse over and drop down to Quick Launch. If it already has a check mark beside it, it's activated.
The QLT can be used to display whatever you use the most, making it readily accessible. I've almost stopped using the Start Menu, since I've placed almost every icon for every program I use right on the QLT.
Icons you place on the QLT are actually shortcuts to the programs themselves. You can find these items located in the following subfolder location ...
\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer
You can add items directly to the folder, or add them to the QLT by drag and drop.
Right clicking on a QLT button yields yet another context menu with a dozen options, including the Properties of the button you've selected. Try it out.
The System Tray, or Tray for short
There are a couple of default icons in the tray on a bare bones system - the clock and the tiny yellow speaker icon. When you load new software programs, some of them will create little shortcuts in the tray that let mess with certain program properties. Experimentation rules the day, and there's nothing you can do to hurt anything in the tray.
The Tray is really a very weird thing. There's no standard for tray icons ...
Some icons are clicked, others are double clicked, while others require a right click, and some don't get clicked at all. Some flash, some don't. Most icons can be disabled, but some just won't go away.
*from The Newbie Club Insider Issue 157Oct 24th 2003

" Taskbar Buttons -How To Change Font Size On"

Would you like larger fonts on your taskbar buttons? Maybe you're a little short sighted, or just want to mess about a bit:-)
Here's how to do it...
1. Right click anywhere on your Desktop (not on an icon) and the context menu appears.
2. From the context menu, select Properties, and the Display Properties window appears.
3. Select the "Appearance" tab by clicking on it once.
4. Select the "Active Title Bar" from the "Item:" drop down list.
5. Adjust the font size, color, bold, or italics using the selectors to the right of the font box.
6. Click Apply to see how things will look, then OK to put the Display Properties dialog box away.
Before closing the Display Properties window, you can save your setup as a "scheme". Click the "Save As..." button, and give you new setup a name. Then you can select it from the list you'll see under "Scheme:" next time you want to fiddle around a bit.
The Save As button will give you a "Save this color scheme as" window... you may not have a color scheme, but any changes you make will be called such. So they should have named this box "Save scheme as" instead of "Save color scheme as"... but whatever. You get the point?
You can fiddle with any of the options in this window to create exactly the appearance you desire. Why limit yourself to the "out of the box" appearance of Windows? Go ahead... customize to your heart's content! *from The Newbie Club Insider Issue 114 Jan 30th 2003

"Temporary Internet Files"

Every time you view a web page, the images on that page are downloaded to your computer. This happens automatically. The images are stored in a special group of folders. You can go in there and look at all the pictures!
If you have kids, or want to check up on what someone has been viewing on the Net, this is the place to do it. Be warned... if others have access to your computer, there's no telling what you'll find!
To view the images stored on your computer from Web pages, do this:
1. Double Click the My Computer icon to open it.
2. Double click the C: drive.
3. Open the Windows folder.
4. Open the Temporary Internet Files folder.
Inside, you'll find a lot of stuff. Images will be there, and should have the icon of whatever image editor you have installed on your computer. If you don't have an image editor, the icon may look like a blue "e" or Netscape's ship's wheel icon.
Double click the image file, and will open in your image editor, or in your browser, depending on the software installed on your computer.
Also, check the History folder in the Windows folder. It will also reveal a lot of information.
This is just a glimpse into the secrets of your computer. A lot of stuff is stored there. If you want to delete the stuff you find in the Temporary Internet Files folder, just highlight the item, and hit the Delete key. Or highlight one item, and press Ctrl and A keys at the same time. (Ctrl+A). This will select all of the files... then hit the Delete key.
There are many ways to accomplish this task. This is only one. If you know of a faster way to delete files, use it.
*from THE NEWBIE CLUB INSIDER Issue 75 April 28, 2002

"Thread"

A series of messages in an email or online discussion/forum.
When you're emailing back and forth to someone, on a particular topic, always use the 'Reply' button when answering. This keeps all the previous messages on one page, so both parties can refresh themselves about your previous 'conversations'. These messages are known as a 'thread'.
There's nothing worse than receiving an email saying "Here's the information you asked me for Jane". Then Jane scratches her head and asks herself "What the heck was the *original* email about?"
So she sends back an email asking what it's all about ....
........ And a new thread begins:-)
*from THE NEWBIE CLUB INSIDER Issue 82 June 13, 2002

"Title Bar"

Look at your email program right now. Up there at the top of your screen, there's a colored strip with some words in it. The very top of all programs is what's called the Title Bar. This is where the title of the program you are using is shown. The Title Bar is a valuable provider of information.
*from the THE NEWBIE CLUB INSIDER Issue 83 June 20, 2002

"Title Bar"

It's at the top of every window you look at. It's the part of the screen that tells you the name of the program you're using, and where you're at! That is, IF you have the title bar details turned on. It's a good thing to turn on those details, because then you'll have the complete navigation path displayed in every window you look at. There are Microsoft Windows windows I'm referring to... not individual programs. But even so, individual programs have title bars, too. They just don't always display a lot of information in them in addition to the name of the program you're using. See a graphical presentation here: http://newbieclub.com/anatomy
*from THE NEWBIE CLUB INSIDER Issue97October 3, 2002

"Two Browser Windows At Once"

The ability to use a browser, and understand that multiple browser windows can be opened, can work wonders for you. There really is no end to the number of browsers you can have running, but there's a practical limit. All the browser does is request information from a server computer. Once that info is displayed, it just sits there. The browser has done its job.
It's easy to compare information when you "call up" two web sites with two browsers.
Start one browser. Type in an address, and while the page is loading, start up another browser instance. (Each time you click to start your browser is an "instance" of that browser.) Now that you've got your second browser window open, type another address. That second page loads. Now, you can flip between the two pages using Alt+Tab or Alt+Esc. Try it. Comparing information this way is a breeze.
Try not to get in the habit of closing your browser window every time you leave it. Minimize the window instead by clicking on the 'minus' icon in the top right corner of your screen. This moves the window down to your task bar, where it sits waiting to be opened again by clicking on it.
Of course you could buy a second computer and monitor, and run them both at the same time. But this method is easier - and a lot cheaper:-)
*from THE NEWBIE CLUB INSIDER Issue 95 September 19, 2002

"URL"

This: http://www.domain.com is a called a URL, which is short for "Universal Resource Locater." It's the address of a web site.
The slash/ in a URL signifies the start of a new directory (folder) on a web server. A "web server" is another name for a computer who's primary job is to deliver pages that are requested by browsers.
A name ending in .htm or .html is a web page on a computer server.
The "http" part of the address doesn't have to be typed in newer browsers.
Sometimes, even the "www" part of the address doesn't have to be typed, depending on your browser. Internet Explorer will automatically append the proper parts to a domain name, but it makes page loading take longer, since the browser has to do a little searching first.
*from THE NEWBIE CLUB INSIDER Issue77 May 9, 2002

"USB"

Stands for "Universal Serial Bus". It's the bus that keeps going round the fountain at Times Square. (Never been there,and don't know if busses are allowed around the fountain, butit sounded good. Not even sure there's a fountain there, either.)
In computers, this is a method used to transfer data between your computer's brains and the item in question... like aprinter, scanner, or digital camera. Data is transferred to and fro, and electrons hurry hither and yon. All through the USB port. It's faster than a serial port, which is slow way to move data. Andyou can plug and unplug stuff into a USB port with the greatestof ease. Comes standard on all new computers. I hook up myprinter through a USB port.

*from THE NEWBIE CLUB INSIDER Issue 118 February 28, 2003

"About Viruses - Part 1"

With the inter connectivity of the Net, security issues raise their ugly little heads. What do you do about all the viruses, hackers, crackers, and more that seek to work mischief and mayhem? Fortunately, an entire industry has developed to help fend off these fiends.
* A cracker is a computer expert who creates devious programs or breaks into systems with malicious intent. A cracker is the evil twin to the hacker, who is more inclined to break into computers
without doing anything destructive, carrying out complex computer pursuits for their own merit.
* Viruses come in two flavors: malicious, and annoying. And they're either destructive or disrupting. They're created with remarkable speed (about 100 new viruses are discovered monthly),
and infections occur daily.
* Just as a real live virus is passed from person to person, computer viruses are passed primarily through floppy disk swapping and downloading files from the Net, primarily in the form of email attachments.
* Virus scanning and checking programs exist to ward off the attacker. Are they really effective? Maybe. It all depends on how often you update your virus scanning software, and how diligent
you are about using its file examining features. Preventive care is powerful medicine in both the health and computer industries.
* Why isn't a virus checker included with Windows? Possibly because Microsoft is concerned about potential issues similar to those surrounding its inclusion of a browser with the Operating
System--could it be fear of antitrust violations? Whatever the reason, there are many excellent anti-virus programs on the market. But they're not all perfect!
* A few virus checking programs to check out:
Norton Antivirus http://www.symantec.com/
McAfee Virus Scan http://www.mcafee.com
AVG http://www.grisoft.com (free - I've used it for 2 years)
Let's say your system has been infected by a boot sector virus (you won't be able start your computer if this happens), so what do you do? Boot with a floppy disk and run the fdisk/mbr command.
At the (A:) prompt, type fdisk/mbr and press Enter. Let me explain.
If you have the FDISK utility loaded on a diskette, and the disk is loaded into the (A:) drive, the "/mbr" portion of the command (that portion is called a "switch" in computer lingo) will
rewrite the Master Boot Record and wipe out the virus while leaving your drive's partition information and data intact.
This is a drastic measure for a terrible infection, and I don't recommend "playing with it." However, if you're unlucky enough to be afflicted, you have nothing to lose in attempting this cure.
* Find FDISK's home on your computer by searching for FDISK using your search function (press F3 when the desktop is the focus) or use the Start, Find routine. The FDISK command hides in the C:/Windows/Command folder on a general default basis. It'll be there unless it's been moved.
* Copy FDISK to a floppy that you've made bootable. That way you've got it if you ever need it. Then you can actually perform the tip that wipes the virus from the master boot record when
needed (hopefully NEVER).

"About Viruses - Part 2"

* Your system can be infected between scans of your antivirus software, so what do you do? McAfee has a program called V-Shield that runs all the time. It works in the background, constantly
checking for virus activity. This program also slows down you computer, and takes up resources.
* If V-Shield is running continuously, it'll wreak havoc with your disk defragmenter. So you'll need to shut it down before you run the defragmenting program. Remember, your hard drive's
contents get fragmented with use, and need to be defragmented.
As long as your virus program is running, changes will occur to the data structure on your drive that will cause Windows to restart the defragmenting program over and over, resulting in way
too long a wait for this task to complete. Shut down any virus checking software before doing housekeeping chores.
* Eradicate potential viral infections from floppy disks by fully formatting them. If you have used floppies, doing a full format will wipe them clean of viruses and data.
* Be sure to write protect your boot floppies so a virus can't infect them. There's nothing worse than attempting to boot from a floppy only to discover it has a terminal problem.
Slide the little plastic tab on a 3 1/2 inch floppy to the edge of the disk. If you can see through both of the little square holes, you know the disk won't accept data. You'll have to unprotect the disk if you want to add anything to it.
One of the most common methods of transmitting a virus is by sharing floppy disks. Unless you completely trust the source, you may want to think twice about doing this.
One last point. A virus cannot infect your computer unless you give it an opening. The fastest way to bring in an infection is to open every email attachment. These germs spread rapidly from
user to user, since the unsuspecting target doesn't know any better.
Do NOT open email attachments unless you know the sender.
*from THE NEWBIE CLUB INSIDER Issue 192 July 30, 2004

"Viruses, Worms, And Hoaxes ... Oh My!"

There is a virus called the Klez.H virus. If you want to get technical, it's actually called a "worm" because of the way it spreads from system to system.
If your system gets infected, it sends e-mail messages with randomly named attachments and subject fields to everyone in your address book and ICQ database.
What makes this one more dangerous is it uses a randomly chosen email address in the from section. It searches the infected computer inside of Outlook Express for email addresses to use.
So if an infected computer has YOUR email address inside of the Outlook Express mailbox, the next time it mails out it could appear to look like it's coming from you.
So you could get emails from people saying you sent them a virus, even if you don't have one on your system.
You could also receive the virus as an attachment on an email with ANYONE in the from address. It could appear to be from your best friend, your family, your tech support guy, or even me.
Here are just a few of the subject lines I've seen come in with the virus on them:
Worm Klez.E Immunity
W32.Elkern removal tools
A very funny website
1996 Microsoft Corporation
Hello,honey
Initing esdi
Editor of PC Magazine.
Some questions
Telephone number
the Garden of Eden
Undeliverable mail
The body of the emails even sometimes look like friendly messages...with the "Immunity" ones warning you about the virus and claiming to be software to protect you from it. Instead, they infect you.
By the way, quick tip, most people sign their real emails with their name at their bottom. I always do. So any email that appears to be from me without having my name at the bottom of it is a fake.
Some of the new media has been reporting up to 7 percent of computers worldwide are currently infected with this virus... which is causing it to spread like crazy.
If you haven't done so recently, now would be a good time to make sure your Anti-Virus software is up to date...and to do a full system scan.
If you detect this virus, then Symantex has a removal tool available at their web site:
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w 32.klez.removal.tool.html
Not Only is this Virus Raging, But There is a Common Virus Hoax Now Appearing...
I've received quite a few messages letting me know I could be infected with a JDBGMGR.EXE virus. They always appear to be friendly messages and ones which have been forwarded on to me.
They say you may already be infected or I've detected your system is infected.
The email then goes on to say none of the anti-virus software programs can detect it, so you could have received it without ever knowing.
The email tells you to search for a file by the name of JDBGMGR.EXE ... and most likely you'll find it.
You'll find it because it's a Java debugger program running in Explorer. If you listen to the email and delete this so-called virus, then you could potentially have problems with Java on web sites you visit.
If you've deleted it because of one of these messages, then simply upgrade to the newest version of Internet Explorer. Your problem is solved.
*from THE NEWBIE CLUB INSIDER Issue 78 May 16, 2002

"Wallpaper - Changing You Desktop"

Let's change the wallpaper on your computer. It's drab and needs an update. And let's use a photograph instead of a graphic. Okay, use a graphic if you want. But we'll explain how to snag a photo off the web and use it.
Go to a site that has some great photos. Just type "Free Images" into your favorite Search Engine. When you get there, find a Copyright-free photo that appeals to you. Now, right click the image you want to use.
From the popup menu, select 'Set as Wallpaper' and click. The image will replace whatever is on your desktop, and be centered. I don't mean your icons will be replaced, but that any current wallpaper you have will be replaced.
Now, what if you want to tile this picture? That is, use it like tiles to cover your desktop? Here's how.
1. Right click your desktop.
2. Click properties. (Remember, if we don't say to RIGHT click, we mean LEFT click.)
3. The Display Properties window appears. The Background tab should be automatically selected. If it's not, click it once. 4. In the Wallpaper box, you'll see "Internet Explorer Wallpaper" sleeted. There's a drop down box titled 'Display' to the right.
5. Click the drop down box, and choose 'Tile'.
6. Click OK.
The photo will be tiled, covering your entire screen, instead of being centered. If you want to experiment with something, try selecting the 'Stretch' option. To reverse yourself, just go back through the steps above, and select different wallpaper. If you want a VISUAL tutorial on this, see this page: http://newbieclub.com/wallpaper
And by the way, every image you view on the Web is stored on your computer automatically. They're all hiding in your cache. Your cached images are in the following location: C:\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Content if you're using Internet Explorer.
*from THE NEWBIE CLUB INSIDER Issue 231, June 11, 2005

"Web Site Links to Favorite URLs"

We all have a few favorite Websites which we return to now and again. So let's make it super easy for you to visit again. This shows you how to make a push button link to our site, or any site at all, or to any page within a site.
Internet Explorer users:
1. Open Browser. On the Menu line, (Top Toolbar) click View. Hover your mouse over 'Toolbars', and be sure that 'Links' is checked in drop down menu. On right hand side of your top tool bar you will now see a 'Links' button.
2. Visit a web page. When you're at the site you want to create the Link button for, put your mouse cursor on the blue "e" or the icon next to the URL (the www stuff) and click, hold down the mouse button, and drag the URL out of the address bar, and drop it over the 'Links' button. Click on the >> bit at the side of the 'Links' button, and you'll see that a new link has appeared in the drop down list, with the page title listed.
3. Change the title! If it's too long, or doesn't say what you want it to say, RIGHT click the link button, and select Rename. Type the name you want for this button, and click OK. It's renamed!
To visit the site next time you're on-line, just click the button... and the page loads. You don't have to type anything!
Netscape users:
There's a link icon to the left of the location field. Drag this link and drop it to create a link button. The principles are the same between the two browsers, but the details are a bit different. To rename a link, go to Window > Bookmarks > Edit Bookmarks. RIGHT click the bookmark you want to work with, and select Properties.
Type in a new name, click OK, close the window, and you're done. It's a bit more involved with Netscape, but like anything, once you've done it a few times it's old hat.
Those techies sure are clever. Of course they don't always make it clear how you use all their techie stuff.
*from THE NEWBIE CLUB INSIDER Issue92 August 29, 2002

"Websites - Create Desktop Shortcuts to Your Favorite Websites"

You go surf to a cool site, and actually find something of value. As you get ready to spend some quality time reading, the phone rings. Or the kids bust something, the dog tears a hole in your new curtains, or your computer decides to turn a deaf, dumb and blind eye toward you and take a vacation. Golly gee. Now what!!
Stuff happens. And even when everything is going smoothly, you may find there's a particular site you visit ALL the time and would like to be able to head on over with a click on your desktop icons. No problem.
With a web page open, you'll see the address bar has a URL in it. If you're using Explorer, just click on the "e" you see, hold the mouse button down (the left one) and drag the address onto the desktop. Of course you'll have to make sure you can see the desktop behind the browser, at least enough to make the drop.
When you do this, an Internet Explorer icon is created with the title of the page you've been visiting. Now that's just so convenient! Next time you want to visit your favorite and frequently favored page, just double click that icon.
If you're a Netscape fan, drag and drop the Location icon next to the URL onto the desktop for the same effect.
Need more organization? Just make a folder for your favorites and organize that way.
Okay, I hear you thinking. "Why don't you just use the Favorites item that's on the Start Menu? The last bunches of pages you visited are always in there." Well, that's fine. And you can. But if you visit a few sites ALL the time, the desktop is still the best place. It's visual, easy to see, and a big reminder that's always right there.

*from THE NEWBIE CLUB INSIDER Issue98 September 27, 2002

"How To Adjust Window Size"

Windows allows you to customize a window to any width or height.
The secret to making these adjustments lies with the title bar's restore button.
Here's the easiest method to make adjustments.
Step 1.
If your window occupies the entire desktop in a maximized state, click the restore button to reduce the size of the window. This button is located at the top right of your screen and resembles 2 boxes, one on top of the other.
See how the active window has been reduced in size? See all the color around the window? That's the desktop showing from behind.
Now we'll adjust the active window even more
Step 2.
To adjust the size vertically or horizontally, pass your cursor over the border of the active window. You'll see it change into a two headed arrow. When you see the arrow change, click and hold the left mouse button while dragging the window to a new size.
Releasing the mouse button sets the window to its new size.
To change the horizontal and vertical size simultaneously, place your cursor in the lower right hand corner of the active window.
It changes to a diagonal two headed arrow: Click, hold, and drag to change size.
To return the window to its full screen size, click the maximize button. This is the button resembling a single box at the top right.
*from THE NEWBIE CLUB INSIDER Issue 140, June 6, 2003

MS Word Tutorial .. "How To Save Your Word Files"

by Linda Johnson, http://personal-computer-tutor.com

Something I am often asked by my students is "What's the difference between Save and Save As?"
Let me try to explain this in the clearest way possible. Let's use Microsoft Word 2000 for this example. When you create a brand new document and click on the "Save" button on your Standard Toolbar, you will be presented with the "Save As" dialog box because Word wants to know three things:
1. Where do you want to save it?
2. What do you want to name it?
3. What file type do you want it to be?
However, once you have saved it once, clicking on that same button no longer gives you these choices. Why? Because Word assumes you do not want to make those three choices again. Word assumes you simply want to update the original copy by overwriting it with this new version of the same file. If, in fact, you DO want to either put a new copy in a new location, or create a new copy with a new name, or change the file type, you must go to the File menu and choose "Save As".
Remember that Windows will not allow you to have two files with the exact same name in the same folder, so when you save a file to a location where that file already exists, Windows will replace the existing file with your new one. So, if you do not want to overwrite the existing file, but instead want to create another copy with a different name or in a different location or as a different file type, you must go to the File menu and choose "Save As".
When you choose File>Save As, you can use the dropdown box at the top of the Save As dialog box, which says "Save In", to select the location where you want to put your new copy. You can also change the name of your new copy in the "File name" box and save it either in a new location or in the same location as the original (because this new copy now has a different name), and you can also change the file type by selecting a new one from the dropdown box at the bottom that says "Save as type".
Let's look at some of these choices:
1. The first one is obvious. It simply says "Word Document", which is the format you would choose if you want this file to be opened by Word or some other compatible word processor.
2. The next choice is "Web Page" (or in older editions of Word and other programs, it may say "html"). This will save your file in a format that is viewable through a web browser (such as Internet Explorer or Netscape) and can be added to any existing website or become a website all on its own.
3. The next choice is "Document Template" which allows you to save this file as a template which can be used in place of a plain blank document when you want to create a new document with these particular settings. Notice that when you choose this type, Word will automatically change the "Save in" location to its Template folder so it will be accessible to you when you choose File>New to open a new document. If you change this location to something else, you will not see this template in your choices when choosing File>New so I recommend you let Word put it where it wants to put it.
4. Other choices you have in this dropdown list include various plain text options, formats that are compatible with older versions of Word, Corel WordPerfect types, formats for a Mac computer, and a format that is compatible with Microsoft Works. The type you choose will determine what program will open the file, so make your choices based on this.
I hope this explains this clearly. The main thing to remember is that "Save" will simply overwrite your existing file with this new copy, whereas "Save As" will give you the options discussed above.
Linda is the author of the Newbie Club eBooks MS Word Magic 1 and MS Word Magic 2 at http://newbieclub.com/
*from the THE NEWBIE CLUB INSIDER Issue 115 February 7, 2003

"The Difference Between WWW and Internet"

Is the World Wide Web (WWW) the same as the Internet?
Nope!
Even though both terms are widely used to describe this amazing cyberspace universe, they are in fact different.
The Internet is a world wide network of interconnected computers that 'talk' to each other through existing communication routes like telephone lines and cable networks.
Their 'voices' are converted by a modem into funny stuff that a phone and cable line can transmit at amazing speeds.
The Web on the other hand, uses the connection facilities of the Internet, to link and access the hundreds of millions of Web sites scattered around the globe.
The Internet offers a variety of forms of communications, like newsgroups, email, discussion groups and more.
Think of the Internet as a system of roads linking places together. Requests for Web pages and other data, are just 2 of the wide variety of traffic that travel those roads.
So sometimes, when Web pages are loading slowly, and sometimes not at all, it's because too much traffic is on the roads at the same time ...
Grid lock!
To access the Web you need a computer connected to a modem (usually) inside your computer.
You also need an account with an Internet Service Provider (ISP) which operates very powerful, computers called servers, which are permanently connected to the Internet. These servers are your gateway to the Web, and to translate the gibberish - called html - that Web pages are compiled with, you need a program called a browser, like Netscape and Explorer.
Connections to Websites are usually made through hypertext links, usually called hyperlinks. These are the blue underlined words you click on like http://www.newbieclub.com
*from THE NEWBIE CLUB INSIDER Issue116 February 14, 2003

"Zipped Files"

That's simply techie-talk for taking a file and squeezing the space out of it, making it smaller. And smaller files mean less time moving them from computer to computer.

When you see "pictures.zip" you know a couple of things. 1) The file is compressed, and 2) it contains pictures.
Let's say you have taken some digital photos and want to send them to someone... doing so one by one would take a long time. But if you were to zip them up into a "zip file"... they'd be compressed and all in the same package together. You could then send that single package off by email to whomever.
In order to unzip, or un-compress a zip file, you must have some software installed on your computer that knows how to unzip. There's a little note below that talks about "unzipping with confidence". Follow the link, and learn more about the Unzip Wizard. And you'll know more about file compression, too.
File compression is like a kind of computer shorthand. When you attempt to compress a file, the compression software that is being used looks for a series of repeating characters or bits
in the file. The software then replaces these blocks of repeated characters with symbols or shorter words or phrases, which are called 'tokens'.
For example, it takes less space for a computer file to be structured:
"10101000110101[insert 73 zeroes here]11011010010"
than this...
"1010100011010100000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000011011010010"
When you apply a decompression program to a compressed file, the software reads the file and replaces the tokens with the original data, inflating the file back to its original size.
Ah, that's how it works. As long as you have software that will handle the unzipping chore, you've got it made.
*From THE NEWBIE CLUB INSIDER Issue 59, December 27, 2001