MS-Windows 3.1 Tips
		c2000 ~ mswindow ~ tips

Details taken directly from the Centreline 2000 RAPID-RESPONSE HELP-LINE and available to you. You can subscribe to the HELP-LINE here. ACCESS: Adding menu items to access ACCESS: Blank pages in reports ACCESS: Compacting databases ACCESS: Decision Maker in Access!! ACCESS: Speeding up searches CARDFILE: Cardfile out of memory COMMUNICATIONS: Avoid character loss in transmission COMMUNICATIONS: Checking your modem from DOS COMMUNICATIONS: Multiple numbers for terminal. DOS: Loading programs when you call a DOS shell DOS: No pound sign in DOS DOS: Out of environment space DOS: Special prompts for DOS in Windows EXCEL: Jumping to previous location EXCEL: Maximising worksheets on startup EXCEL: Modifying autostart worksheets EXCEL: No blank worksheet EXCEL: Open a file on startup FILE MANAGER: Changing diskettes FILE MANAGER: File Manager shortcuts FILE MANAGER: Printing file lists FILE MANAGER: Removing confirmations FILE MANAGER: Searching by name FILE MANAGER: Vertical Tiling GENERAL: Copying windows for documentation GENERAL: Dialog box shortcuts GENERAL: IRQ List GENERAL: Keyboard error on boot GENERAL: Purple patches on screen GENERAL: Quick ways to change window size GENERAL: Screen wobble GENERAL: Sneaky uses of wallpaper GENERAL: System Editor for system files GENERAL: Windows doesn't start HELP: Accessing specific help NOTEPAD: Storing file details PAINTBRUSH: Pasting large pictures into Paintbrush PROGRAM MANAGER: Automatically loading files and their appli PROGRAM MANAGER: Automatically starting programs PROGRAM MANAGER: Autostart programs without Startup PROGRAM MANAGER: Hot keys for launching programs PROGRAM MANAGER: Icons for installing PROGRAM MANAGER: Protecting settings PROGRAM MANAGER: Quick icon selection PROGRAM MANAGER: Restoring lost icons PROGRAM MANAGER: Saving program manager configurations PROGRAM MANAGER: Shortcut keys revisited PROGRAM MANAGER: Simple task switching PROGRAM MANAGER: Stopping control panel changes PROGRAM MANAGER: Stopping Startup Programs TUNING: 32-BIT Disk Access TUNING: Accelerate non-Windows programs TUNING: Bypassing the startup logo for Windows TUNING: Faster shutdowns TUNING: Fonts too small on icons TUNING: Increasing swap space size TUNING: Permanent swapfiles on DoubleSpace TUNING: Put Windows at the top of the FAT table TUNING: Remove wallpaper to save memory TUNING: Removing double buffering TUNING: Running DOS in high memory TUNING: Saving file space TUNING: Saving wallpaper space TUNING: Sharing CD-ROM over a network TUNING: Simple Security TUNING: Windows Resolution and Speed WORD: Autosave documents WORD: Boxing text within a sentence WORD: Checking formatting attributes WORD: Closing all files WORD: Counting selected words WORD: Counting words in a document WORD: Drag and drop copy WORD: Envelope fonts WORD: Envelopes wrong on HP Laserjet WORD: Finding ALT key numbers for special characters WORD: Foriegn currency symbols WORD: Getting Page Margins WORD: Inserting date and time as a fixed value WORD: Inserting tabs in tables WORD: Internet Assistant WORD: Line breaks without paragraphs WORD: Making indexes WORD: More shortcuts WORD: More shortcuts - 2 WORD: More shortcuts - 3 WORD: More shortcuts - 4 WORD: Moving rows in tables WORD: Moving toolbar buttons WORD: No blank document WORD: Only 255 fonts in Word 2.0 WORD: Optional hyphens WORD: Printing all available fonts WORD: Quick GO TO WORD: Quickly selecting text WORD: Select objects in complex pictures WORD: Selecting to end of file WORD: Simple foreign characters in Word WORD: Special Characters WORD: Tables at top of document WORD: Word 6.0 and Word 2.0 compatability Last Updated: 08-06-1996 ACCESS: Adding menu items to access Q: How can I add my own items to the Access menu. A: Depends whether you want to add a macro or a function. Edit the MSACCESS.INI file and add a section [Menu Add-Ins]. For a macro you would add: &My Menu Item=MacroName For an AccessBasic function you would add: &My Menu Item==Function() (yes, you must use double equals signs) Return to index ACCESS: Blank pages in reports Q: Every other page in my report is blank, why? A: The report width is wider than the page margins. This means that the 2nd page is actually trying to print the right hand half of the report. Just shrink the width of the report in DESIGN mode. Access 2.0 will warn you of this error when switching from DESIGN to PREVIEW mode. Access 1.0 did not. Return to index ACCESS: Compacting databases Q: What does the Compact option do in Access - is it worth running? A: As Access works it tends not to remove or free any disk space as records, forms, reports or whatever are deleted, duplicated and so on. The Compact Database option basically re-builds the database without all the junk in it. This can make a terrific difference in file size (and I think speed as well). For example, our address database went from 4MB to 2.5MB after the last compact. Return to index ACCESS: Decision Maker in Access!! Q: I really miss the Decision Maker from Uniplex now I've switched to Windows - can somebody program one for me? A: Well, incredibly enough, there is one in MS-Access the database. Click on the module button, then View and Immediate Window. Then type the following command: ? SysCmd(888,"Is this a decision maker?") Lo and behold you get an answer, such as Doubtful, Yes, NO and all sorts!! Return to index ACCESS: Speeding up searches Q: Any good ways of making Access go faster? A: The simplest way, particularly when you have forms or reports with sorting - as they nearly all have - is to use indexes. An index is an internal list of all the values in a field already sorted - this makes the database run much faster. Select the table and then the Design button. You can then select which fields should have indexes in the properties at the bottom of the screen. Return to index CARDFILE: Cardfile out of memory Q: I've been using CardFile for ages, but suddenly it won't let me add cards. What's causing the "Not enough memory" error message? A: It's almost certainly not a lack of memory but an inherent limit in CardFile. CardFile can only deal with about 1,240 cards. If you are near that limit then you need to think about splitting up the cards - or maybe switching to a different application such as Sidekick. Return to index COMMUNICATIONS: Avoid character loss in transmission Q: I lose characters during transmission - is there a simple fix? A: There are many causes of character loss, but you may want to try adding COM1BUFFER=2048 to the [386enh] section of SYSTEM.INI. This increases the buffer size used for communications from the default 128. If your modem is not on COM1 then use COM2BUFFER etc. Return to index COMMUNICATIONS: Checking your modem from DOS Q: I've installed a modem on my PC but I'm not sure its working or whether my Windows software is wrong? A: To quick test a modem at the DOS prompt you can type: ECHO ATDT > COM1 this should take your modem off-hook and you should hear the dial tone. Type ECHO ATDT<number> > COM1 to actually get it to dial. Type ECHO ATH0 > COM1 to disconnect and finally ECHO ATZ > COM1 to reset the modem. Obviously if your modem is on another COM port then use the appropriate COM number. Return to index COMMUNICATIONS: Multiple numbers for terminal. Q: I call several different numbers on a regular basis with terminal. Can I avoid having to re-enter the telephone number each time? A: You can save terminal settings to files call <file>.TRM and then use File Open in the usual way to reload them. You can add the .TRM files to Program Manager and click on them directly (as long as you have .TRM associated with Terminal). Return to index DOS: Loading programs when you call a DOS shell Q: Most of the time I do not use DOS and yet the MOUSE driver is lurking there using up memory. I have a suspicion there is a way round this.... A: With a little jiggery-pokery yes. Step 1) Create a DOS batch file which runs the commands you are interested in this case: SET MOUSE=C:\MOUSE LH C:\MOUSE\MOUSE.EXE /Q Step 2) Load up the default DOS PIF file in the PIF editor and in the optional parameters text box add: /K <FILENAME>.BAT The /K means that DOS will run the named program or batch file before you get a DOS prompt. In theory you could add any number of commands in your batch file. Return to index DOS: No pound sign in DOS Q: I get a pound sign in Windows, but not in DOS, how can I get the pound sign in DOS? A: Check your CONFIG.SYS for a line which reads: COUNTRY=044,,C:\DOS\COUNTRY.SYS and check your AUTOEXEC.BAT for the line: C:\DOS\KEYB UK,,C:\DOS\KEYBOARD.SYS These are the DOS programs for setting up a UK keyboard. Return to index DOS: Out of environment space Q: I get messages about running out of environment space while trying to SET variables in a batch script - what's happening? A: The DOS command shell only has 512 bytes by default for storing SET values, so long paths and extra variables can soon go over the top of this. To add extra space add the following line to CONFIG.SYS SHELL=C:\DOS\COMMAND.COM C:\DOS /E:1024 /P This gives you 1024 bytes of environment space - adjust to fit your needs. Return to index DOS: Special prompts for DOS in Windows Q: When I run DOS from Windows how can I tell? A: You can change the DOS prompt when it is run from Windows by adding this line to AUTOEXEC.BAT SET WINMPT="From Windows $p$g" Return to index EXCEL: Jumping to previous location Q: I need to toggle between two locations in my worksheet, is there an easy way to do this? A: Press F5 for go to and enter the cell reference you want to go to. Next time you press F5 just press <ENTER> and you will return to your previous location. Return to index EXCEL: Maximising worksheets on startup Q: Can I force worksheets to be maximised when I open them? A: Add the foloowing macro to your worksheets: Auto-open(a) =NEW(1) =WINDOW.MAXIMIZE() =ACTIVATE("GLOBAL.XLM") =FILE.CLOSE() =RETURN() Return to index EXCEL: Modifying autostart worksheets Q: How do I modify a .XLA autostart worksheet, whenever I select it the worksheets loads and runs, how do I modify it? A: Hold down the <SHIFT> key when you click on OK in the file open dialog. This stops the Autoexec section of the file. Incidentally, this tip applies to Access and Word as well. Return to index EXCEL: No blank worksheet Q: How do I stop Excel starting with a blank worksheet everytime. A: Change the command line in the Program Manager properties to read EXCEL.EXE /E Return to index EXCEL: Open a file on startup Q: How do I have a worksheet automatically open on startup? A: To open a worksheet, macro sheet or chart every time you start up Excel just copy the file to the folder EXCEL/XLSTART. Return to index FILE MANAGER: Changing diskettes Q: After I've changed a diskette I have to select the C: drive and then the A: drive to get the proper listing, is there a quick way? A: Just press <F5> to refresh the file list. This works for diskettes but also any folder where files have been changed by another program. Return to index FILE MANAGER: File Manager shortcuts Q: Are there any useful File Manager Shortcuts? A: You can change drives by pressing <CONTROL><DISK LETTER>, for example <CONTROL><A> will switch to the A: drive. Hold down the <SHIFT> key when you click on a drive icon and all the sub-folders are automatically opened. Press the / slash key to select all files in a folder. Return to index FILE MANAGER: Printing file lists Q: How do I print a list of files from File Manager A: I don't know why, but most File Managers in most operating systems do not give you a simple way of listing your files to the printer. You can do it, by using a DOS fudge. In File Manager select File Run, then type COMMAND /C DIR C:\FOLDER > LPT1 in the command line box. Replace C: and FOLDER with the drive and path of the directory you want to list. Return to index FILE MANAGER: Removing confirmations Q: I get fed up with answering all those confirmations whenever I move, copy or delete files. Any suggestions? A: Select Options and the Confirmation on the menu bar. You can choose to keep some confirmations on lose others. Return to index FILE MANAGER: Searching by name Q: I have hundreds of files in a single directory, finding the right one by scrolling can take forever - any ideas? A: Click on the right hand pane and then keep pressing the first letter of the file, File Manager scans throught the list of filenames to the next file starting with that letter. Return to index FILE MANAGER: Vertical Tiling Q: The horizontal tiling in File Manager makes it really difficult to see whats going on - how can I make it vertically tile without arranging all the windows by hand? A: Hold down the <SHIFT> key when you select the Tile command - this sets up vertical tiles. Sadly, this doesn't work in Program Manager where I would like horizontal tiling. Return to index GENERAL: Copying windows for documentation Q: I can copy the whole screen using the Print Screen key, but what can I do to get only a single Window? A: If you hold down the <ALT> key before pressing <Print Screen> you get only the active window. Return to index GENERAL: Dialog box shortcuts Q: Are there any useful shortcut keys for working in dialog boxes? A: Press <SPACEBAR> to toggle check boxes Press <ESC> to cancel out of a dialog box Press <RETURN> to OK a dialog box Press <TAB> to move to the next field Return to index GENERAL: IRQ List Q: What are the standard IRQ's used by PC's? A: The list will vary slightly from machine to machine, but here is a pretty typical list. 0 - Timer Click 1 - Keyboard 2 - Second 8259A or Interupt Controller 3 - Com Ports 2 and 4 4 - Com ports 1 and 3 5 - LPT2 6 - Floppy disk 7 - LPT1 8 - Real Time Clock 9 - Redirected IRQ 2 10 - often free - often used by soundcards 11 - often free 12 - PS/2 Style Mouse 13 - Math Co-Processor 14 - Fixed Disk 15 - often free Return to index GENERAL: Keyboard error on boot Q: Occasionally I get an error "Keyboard Error: Press F1 to continue" when I boot, yet everything seems OK? A: Usually it means that you have pressed a key while the keyboard was being tested, just be more patient while the system boots. It can also mean that your keyboard isn't plugged in - if pressing F1 does nothing then check the cables. If after all that it still doesn't work then maybe your keyboard really doesn't work! Return to index GENERAL: Purple patches on screen Q: My screen has developed mis-coloured patches on screen - does this mean my expensive 20 inch monitor is duff? A: Probably not, you probably need to "de-gauss" your screen. The colour build-up is due to magnetic sources close to your monitor - I bet you've got speakers next to your monitor? Move the speakers away (they can cause permanent damage if your unlucky). Next have a poke around your monitor, the larger monitors nearly always have a "de-gauss" button. Some do not but will automatically de-gauss on startup or shutdown. It may take several de-gausses to fully clear the problem. Return to index GENERAL: Quick ways to change window size Q: Is there a better way than hitting the fiddly Minimise and Maximise buttons to change Window size? A: Double click on the title bar will toggle between Maximise and normal window sizes. Return to index GENERAL: Screen wobble Q: Since summer started my monitor wobbles and waves - is the heat doing this? A: Usually it is because of some magnetic interference close by. This is 9 times out of 10 due to a desk fan running next the monitor. Just move the fan further away. Check also for speakers or other electrical stuff. If none of these works it may be that your monitor power supply is getting ready to fail. Return to index GENERAL: Sneaky uses of wallpaper Q: I have created a wallpaper file that has my handy shortcut keys on it. Any other ideas? A: How about: phone numbers, useful dates, this months birthdays, week numbers by date common file names function names for programmers a calendar internal phone list. There must be loads of useful things you could use Return to index GENERAL: System Editor for system files Q: Is there a simple way of modifying the usual system files such as config.sys, win.ini etc? A: The system editor automatically edits the four key files: - WIN.INI - SYSTEM.INI - CONFIG.SYS - AUTOEXEC.BAT If this is not on a program manager group you can run it using File, Run and entering SYSEDIT <ENTER> Return to index GENERAL: Windows doesn't start Q: My Windows no longer starts - how can I find out when its failing? A: Run WIN /B at the DOS prompt, this will create a file called BOOTLOG.TXT in your Windows directory. This gives fairly detailed information about what is happening as the system boots. (It also slows booting a lot!) Return to index HELP: Accessing specific help Q: Can I get help about a specific button or menu option anywhere? A: Although it is not supported by all programs you can often press <SHIFT><F1> and the mouse cursor will change to a question mark. Click on the menu or toolbar or whatever and you will probably get a help screen for that option. Incidentally <F1> will always get you general help in any program. Return to index NOTEPAD: Storing file details Q: I've seen text files which have dates and times stored at the top of them - is this an automatic feature of something? A: Yes, Notepad will automatically stamp files for you if you enter .LOG at the top of the text file. Then the date and time is stored every time you file the document. Return to index PAINTBRUSH: Pasting large pictures into Paintbrush Q: When I use Print Screen to save the a screen dump I paste it into Paintbrush but it loses most of the picture - why? A: Bug or undocumented feature.... If the image you are pasting is bigger than the area shown on screen you must first Zoom Out to see the whole picture and then do the paste. Return to index PROGRAM MANAGER: Automatically loading files and their appli Q: Can I put a data file onto the program manager desktop? A: Yes, just drag the item directly from file manager into the required program manager group. As long as the data type has an associated program then the program will be launched with the data file just by double clicking the data file icon. Return to index PROGRAM MANAGER: Automatically starting programs Q: How can I have my Word Processor automatically started when I turn on Windows? A: Simple, just copy the icon of your WP into the Startup group in program manager. If you do not have a Startup group, create one using File New and then clicking on "Program Group" - call the group and the file Startup. To copy the icon hold down the <CONTROL> key while you drag the icon from its usual place to the startup group. Return to index PROGRAM MANAGER: Autostart programs without Startup Q: I have programs which startup automatically yet are not in my Startup group. Where do they come from? A: Your WIN.INI file can contain lines such as LOAD= and RUN=. LOAD fires up the program as an icon, while RUN fires up the program in its regular window. There's usually not much in it, but this method does allow you to control the order of startup when this is important. Also, programs loaded this way are not disabled by holding the <SHIFT> key when windows starts - could be a useful protection? Return to index PROGRAM MANAGER: Hot keys for launching programs Q: How do I create a hot key to launch a program from Program Manager? A: Select the application icon in Program Manager and then click on File Properties. In the dialog box place the cursor in the Shortcut Key box. Hold down the <CONTROL> and <ALT> key and press a letter (for example W for Word Processing). Click on the OK button. Now whenever you press <CONTROL><ALT><W> your word processor will be launched. Return to index PROGRAM MANAGER: Icons for installing Q: I install stuff off free disks regularly, can I create a Program Manager icon to do this for me? A: Yes, create two icons, one runs a:\install and the other runs a:\setup. That will hit 90% of all installations. Return to index PROGRAM MANAGER: Protecting settings Q: How can I stop my children messing up my program manager settings? A: You can set NoSaveSettings=1 in a [Restrictions] section on your PROGMAN.INI file. Return to index PROGRAM MANAGER: Quick icon selection Q: I've got lots of duplicate icons in each of my working groups, any quick ways to find the right one? A: Just typing the initial letter of the title will take you to the appropriate item. Jolly useful when your icons include lots of similar data files with identical icons for example. Return to index PROGRAM MANAGER: Restoring lost icons Q: I used to have an icon for <insert program here> in my Main group - how can I get it back? A: This is a common problem after you have accidentally deleted a Windows program icon. Select File Run and in the command line type SETUP /P and click <OK>. This will reset Main, Accessories, Games and Startup to include the Windows default icons, including those deleted. This will not remove any icons you may have added there although it will reset any icons you have changed. Return to index PROGRAM MANAGER: Saving program manager configurations Q: How do I save the Program Manager without exiting Windows? A: Hold down the <SHIFT> key and select <FILE><EXIT>. The settings are saved to disk but Windows doesn't exit. You can then turn off the "Save settings on exit" under the Options menu. Return to index PROGRAM MANAGER: Shortcut keys revisited Q: I've loaded up lots of shortcut keys for my program manager icons, but how do I find out what they are? A: Use the File Properties dialog to see what shortcuts you have set. How about adding the shortcut keys to the icons title so you'll never forget? Return to index PROGRAM MANAGER: Simple task switching Q: I've seen people switch between Windows very quickly, with just a couple of keystrokes, how is this done? A: This has the rather american name of "cool switching". You can enable it from Control Panel by selecting Desktop. Then select the "Fast Alt+Tab switching" check box. From now on holding the <ALT> key while pressing <TAB> will cycle you through all the running applications. <ALT><TAB> once will switch back to the previous application. Return to index PROGRAM MANAGER: Stopping control panel changes Q: How can I stop users changing their control panel settings? A: You can disable access to each of the control panel modules by adding this section to CONTROL.INI [Don't Load] Color=True Ports=True etc... Each one can be disabled individually. Return to index PROGRAM MANAGER: Stopping Startup Programs Q: How do I temporarily disable programs in the Startup group? A: Hold down the shift key while Windows is loading will stop the Startup programs being loaded. Return to index TUNING: 32-BIT Disk Access Q: What is this 32-Bit Disk stuff and should I use it? A: 32-bit disk access is a way of letting your disk drives really sing - and yes you should use it if you can. To enable it select 386 Enhanced from the Control Panel and the Virtual Memory. You will see two check boxes for 32-bit disk access and 32-bit file access click them both. Now you may not always be able to select these, especially if you have a temporary swap file. Also some disk configurations do not allow it. However, Windows will check your setup when you select these options. Return to index TUNING: Accelerate non-Windows programs Q: From Windows I run a DOS application which does a lot of file manipulation, it seems very slow on my machine, but not on others, how come? A: Possibly because Windows File Manager is busy tracking changes made to files while you are in DOS. You can turn this off by editing SYSTEM.INI and adding the line FileSysChange=Off to the [386enh] section. This stops File Manager being updated every time a file changes under DOS. To update the File Manager listing, just press <F5> Return to index TUNING: Bypassing the startup logo for Windows Q: I use WIN : to bypass the startup logo when starting up windows, but if I do my network doesn't work, why? A: Using this option also disables the network from being initialised for Windows. Try WIN /N instead. Return to index TUNING: Faster shutdowns Q: I've added InitPS2MouseAtExit=False to the [386enh] section of SYSTEM.INI and my system shuts down much faster now. A: There are hundreds of features you can tweak and tune in SYSTEM.INI, this is just one of them. Actually the claim to gain speed is unsubstantiated - we'd be interested in hearing anybody elses experience here. Return to index TUNING: Fonts too small on icons Q: My fonts are too small for me to read when I run in high resolution modes - can I change this? A: Edit your WIN.INI file, in the [Desktop] section add the following lines: IconTitleSize=10 (the default is 8) IconTitleStyle=1 (this makes the font bold) IconTitleFaceName=MS Sans Serif (or whatever font you would like) If your font causes names to overlap you may need to change the icon spacing with: IconSpacing=100 (the default is 77) Return to index TUNING: Increasing swap space size Q: Can I increase the size of my swap space? A: Yes, select the 386 Enhanced option from the Control Panel. Click on Virtual Memory to see swap file settings. Note that although Windows suggests limits to the size of the swap file you can go over these limits. However, this will not cure the "Out of memory" message you get when your system runs out of resources as the swap file will not affect this. Return to index TUNING: Permanent swapfiles on DoubleSpace Q: I cannot create a permanent swap file on drive D: Is this because it is DoubleSpaced? A: Yes, on DOS 6.0 and DOS 6.2 with DoubleSpace and DriveSpace respectively you cannot create a permanent swap file on that drive. You can create one on the uncompressed drive. Return to index TUNING: Put Windows at the top of the FAT table Q: Does the physical location of files on disk matter to performance? A: Yes, the File Allocation Table (FAT) is held at the physical start of the disk. Files closest to the FAT are found faster - therefore putting a commonly used directory, such as the Windows directory early in the file system will improve performace. This is usually the case on a newly installed system anyway, but a file system which has been restored from tape may put windows at the end of the disk instead. Some commercial disk optimisation routines will allow you to put commonly used folders near the FAT. Return to index TUNING: Remove wallpaper to save memory Q: Can I increase the amount of memory I have available? A: You can free Windows memory by removing wallpaper. Instead choose one of the desktop patterns from the Control Panel. Return to index TUNING: Removing double buffering Q: Install automatically included double buffering, can I remove it? A: Double buffering is used on some ESDI and SCSI controllers to prevent disk errors. However a lot of systems do not require it and yet it is installed automatically. Type smartdrv at the DOS prompt - if all columns are marked "no" under the buffering column then you can remove double buffering. Edit config.sys and remove the /double-buffer parameter. Return to index TUNING: Running DOS in high memory Q: Can I run DOS in high memory with Windows? A: Yes, and it can make a difference to some applications, both Windows and DOS programs. Add the line DOS=HIGH in your config.sys file. You will also need to add HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.EXE at the top of the config.sys file (although these are usually present anyway). You can also load other TSR's and drivers etc high by changing any DEVICE= lines to DEVICEHIGH=. Return to index TUNING: Saving file space Q: These paintbrush files are so big - can I make them smaller? A: Save paintbrush files in PCX format rather than BMP - this makes a huge difference to the final file size. Return to index TUNING: Saving wallpaper space Q: I really like wallpaper files, but they are large, is there a smaller format I can use? A: You can also use RLE or Run Lenght Encoded files. You will need an application such as Paint Shop Pro to set this up. Read the file(s) in and select Save As. Some programs will have .RLE as a specific format, others will offer BMP with a compressed option. Either will do. Return to index TUNING: Sharing CD-ROM over a network Q: Can I share the CD drive connected to one machine with others on my Workgroups network? A: Yes, find the MSCDEX.EXE file in your AUTOEXEC.BAT and add the switch /S after the file name. Return to index TUNING: Simple Security Q: How can I stop people getting at my PC while I am away from my desk? A: You can set a password on your Screen Saver (use the Desktop module in Control Panel). This is not brilliantly secure, but often serves the purpose. Return to index TUNING: Windows Resolution and Speed Q: Does screen resolution affect speed? A: Yes it does, usually the more colours and the more pixels on your screen the slower your system. If colour is not important to you then you might want to look at reducing the colour depth you use. Equally, lower resolutions will also work faster. Usually.... We have heard reports that some higher resolutions on some graphic cards are actually faster than lower resolutions - pays to experiment Return to index WORD: Autosave documents Q: How do I set documents to be saved automatically? A: Click on Tools, Options and then the Save tab. You will see the option "Automatic save every <10> minutes". Set the time to the required value and make sure the check box is selected. Return to index WORD: Boxing text within a sentence Q: I'd like to highlight single words within a line of text, is this possible? A: With the cursor in the right place select Insert, Field. In the field codes text box type: EQ \X(here's some text) and press <RETURN>. The text will appear boxed. Don't worry if the box also shows up grey on screen, this will not printed grey, it just means you have the Show Fields set in your options. Return to index WORD: Checking formatting attributes Q: How can I simply see all the formatting atrributes for any text? A: Well, option 1 is to right click and then select Fonts or Paragraph. Messy I know. Option 2 is to click on Help button on the toolbar, the cursor changes to a question mark. Then click on your text and a popup box tells you about the style, format, indentation etc. Press the <ESC> key to turn it off, or click on the Help button again. Return to index WORD: Closing all files Q: Is there a way to close all open documents in Word? A: Word 6.0 will allow will close all open files if you hold down the <SHIFT> key before clicking on the File menu. You will see Close has become Close All. Alternatively, having closed one file, press the repeat key <CONTROL><Y> to repeat the action. Return to index WORD: Counting selected words Q: I only want to cound words in a certain portion of a document - can I do this? A: Yes, select the text you want to count then choose the Word Count utility. Return to index WORD: Counting words in a document Q: Word 2.0 does not calculate the correct number of words in a document - is there a macro that can do this? A: The following macro will count the correct number of words: Sub MAIN FileSummaryInfo .Update Dim Dlg as FileSummaryInfo GetCurValues dlg MsgBox "Number of words = " + dlg.NumWords End Sub Return to index WORD: Drag and drop copy Q: I use drag and drop a lot to move text, but how can I copy it instead? A: Hold down the <CONTROL> key before you start dragging the text, then when you release the mouse button to "drop" the text, it will be copied, rather than moved. You can use this trick in many programs. Return to index WORD: Envelope fonts Q: Does the Post Office express a preference for fonts on envelopes? A: Yes, Arial it is the simplest and best bet. Courier isn't a bad choice either. This means that your mail can be handled automatically. I'm not sure this actually gets there any faster, but there you go. Our regular mailshots use Courier and 2nd class post but often get there next day. Return to index WORD: Envelopes wrong on HP Laserjet Q: My HP Laserjet IIP doesn't print envelopes properly. A: In Word 2.0 you need to add the line HPPCCL=+2 to the Word section of your WIN.INI. Return to index WORD: Finding ALT key numbers for special characters Q: I know I can use <ALT> plus numbers to enter special characters such as © and ½. How do I find out what these numbers are? A: Run the Character Map program from Accessories. The status bar at the bottom right shows you the key numbers you must use. Alternatively you can just select the character here. Return to index WORD: Foriegn currency symbols Q: How do I quickly enter foreign currency symbols? A: You can enter all manner of characters using the <ALT><numbers> sequence. The <numbers> are always three digit numbers. Some useful currency symbols are: <ALT>+156 for the pound sign &163; <ALT>+157 for Japanese Yen ¥ <ALT>+155 for the cent symbol ¢ Return to index WORD: Getting Page Margins Q: How can I find out the page margins for a given printer? A: Go to page setup, set all margins to 0 (zero). Click OK. Word will tell you that the margins are too small. Click on the FIX button and the smallest possible margins are set up. Return to index WORD: Inserting date and time as a fixed value Q: If I just insert a date/time field it changes whenever I edit the document, can I make this fixed? A: Use this macro: Sub MAIN InsertDateTime .DateTimePic = "d MMMM, yyyy" WordLeft 1,1 Unlink Fields CharRight 1 Insert ." " End Sub Return to index WORD: Inserting tabs in tables Q: How can I enter a tab in a table? A: Use <CONTROL><TAB> when in the table to enter a tab in the usual way. Just pressing <TAB> will move you to the next cell. Incidentally, pressing <TAB> at the end of a table automatically extends the table. Return to index WORD: Internet Assistant Q: Why does Word GPF when I have installed Internet Assistant? A: The most likely cause is that Word in being invoked with the /N switch to stop a blank doc being created. Check your Program Manager settings for Winword. Return to index WORD: Line breaks without paragraphs Q: I want to be able to add line breaks within text, but how do I stop Word giving me a new pararaph? A: You can also use <CONTROL><RETURN> to enter a line break without starting a new paragraph. This works in other programs too. Return to index WORD: Making indexes Q: Is there a way of marking all occurences of a word to create an index? A: Word 2.0 comes with a document NEWMACRO.DOC - a useful little file with many pre-built macros. You will find one called ConcordanceIndex which will do the job you want. Return to index WORD: More shortcuts Q: Can I change font size quickly? A: Select the text you want to change then press <CONTROL><SHIFT>-> to increase size and <CONTROL><SHIFT>-< to reduce size. Return to index WORD: More shortcuts - 2 Q: Any more Word shortcuts? A: How about: <CONTROL><SHIFT><A> to capitalise everything <CONTROL><SHIFT><Q> to convert to symbol font <CONTROL><ALT><C> for copyright <CONTROL><ALT><R> for registered trademark <CONTROL><ALT><T> for trademark <CONTROL><ALT><.> for ellipsis (3 dots) (why bother?) Return to index WORD: More shortcuts - 3 Q: Any more? A: <CONTROL><UP> or <DOWN> goes to the previous and next paragraph. <CONTROL><LEFT> or <RIGHT> goes to the previous or next word. <CONTROL><HOME> or <END> goes to the top or bottom of document. Hold down the <SHIFT> key at the same time and you will select from current position to the new location. Return to index WORD: More shortcuts - 4 Q: I love these Word shortcuts, any more? A: Double click on REC to open the Record Macro dialog. Double click on Mrk to open up the Revisions dialog Double click on the page number panel to get up the Go To dialog. Double click on a Draw toolbar item and it stays selected after you have finished drawing an object Double click on the format painter likewise keeps the painter selected Double click on the header or footer to switch to header mode, likewise double click on the body to get back to the body text. Return to index WORD: Moving rows in tables Q: I use drag and drop to move rows in tables, its ok but fiddly, is there a quick way? A: Changing the order of rows in a table can take ages using drag and drop, but there is a brilliant short cut. Hold down the <CTRL> and <SHIFT> keys and then press <UP> or <DOWN> to move the whole row. Return to index WORD: Moving toolbar buttons Q: Can I change the order of the toolbar buttons? A: The easiest way is to hold <ALT> down, then just drag and drop the icons around the toolbar. Return to index WORD: No blank document Q: Can I stop Word starting with a blank document? A: Change your program command line in the Program Manager to read WINWORD /N. This stops that irritating blank new document being created. Just a word of warning though, the first version of Word 6.0 cannot cope with this and neither can the Internet Assistant for Word. These will cause GPF's - just set the command back to normal if this happens to you. Return to index WORD: Only 255 fonts in Word 2.0 Q: I have 600 fonts on a CD-ROM - why does Word only show 255 in its font list? A: There is an inherent restriction in Word 2.0 which only shows 255 fonts. Return to index WORD: Optional hyphens Q: When I layout documents for newsletters I often use hyphenations to give me better paragraph fit. But then if I edit the text the paragraphs get left in. Any ideas? A: You can use <CONTROL><HYPHEN> to enter an optional hyphen. This will be used if it is in the right place for a line break or stripped out if in the middle of a line. Return to index WORD: Printing all available fonts Q: How can I get a document containing all the available fonts? A: Use the macro: Sub MAIN CR$=Chr$(11) + Chr$(9) FileNew .NewTemplate = 0,,Template="NORMAL" AllFonts = CountFonts() For i = 1 to AllFonts F$ = Font$(i) Font F$,16 Insert F$+CR$ Insert "ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ" + CR$ Insert "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz" + CR$ + CR$ Next i End Sub Return to index WORD: Quick GO TO Q: Is there a quicker way of getting to the Go To dialog? A: Double click on the Status Bar at the bottom of your Word document, this pops-up the go to dialog box. Or, use <CONTROL><G> for the same affect. Return to index WORD: Quickly selecting text Q: Is there a simple way of selecting large chunks of text? A: The F8 key is an extended selection key. Each time you press it more is selected. Presses Action one - puts EXT (for extended) in the status bar two - selects the word three - selects sentence four - selects paragraph five - selects document Once in extended mode you can move around the document and the selection will follow you. Press <ESC> to clear the EXT mode. Return to index WORD: Select objects in complex pictures Q: I have a graphic which has several elements stacked on top of each other. How do I access the bottom elements? A: The <TAB> key will select each of your objects in turn. Return to index WORD: Selecting to end of file Q: Because of the templates I use I often need to delete to end of document, how do I do this? A: Press <SHIFT><CONTROL><END> and everything from your cursor position to the end of document will be selected. Then just hit <DELETE> You can also use <SHIFT><CONTROL><HOME> to select everything to the start of the document. This works in most programs. Return to index WORD: Simple foreign characters in Word Q: Is there a an easier way than using <ALT> numbers to get foreign characters into Word documents? A: Hold down the <CONTROL> key, press the accent you want, release the <CONTROL> key, then type the letter. You can get most of the useful combinations this way. Return to index WORD: Special Characters Q: The AutoCorrect feature in Word is really great for entering unusual symbols, but is there something I can use in all programs? A: You can use the <ALT><NUMBER> sequence anywhere, you hold down the <ALT> key, type a 3 or 4 digit number and then release the <ALT> key. In this way you can access many special characters. Here are some useful keys: <ALT>+0169 inserts © <ALT>+171 inserts ½ <ALT>+172 inserts ¼ <ALT>+0190 inserts ¾ <ALT>+0174 inserts ® Return to index WORD: Tables at top of document Q: I have a table at the top of a document, how am I supposed to be able to enter text above the table? A: Put the cursor at the top left of table, press <CTRL><ENTER> this will put a line above the table - you can now edit in the usual way. Return to index WORD: Word 6.0 and Word 2.0 compatability Q: I have Word 6.0, my colleague has Word 2.0 - he can send me files, but I can't send him files - help! A: Okay, option 1 is for you to save files as Word 2.0 format. Use the File Save As command select Word 2.0 for output. Option 2, the better way, is to call the Microsoft Upgrade line and ask for the Word 6.0 convertor for Word 2.0. This is an add-on convertor which allows Word 2.0 to read Word 6.0 files directly. Microsoft cunningly didn't release this straight-away and I know several places where the whole company had to upgrade to Word 6.0 just because one or two users had. Return to index

 

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