Help with your computer

Keyboard Shortcuts
Using keyboard shortcuts can dramatically increase your work efficiency, especially for repetitive tasks, so try to get into the habit of using your keyboard instead of your mouse:
WINDOWS LOGO (between CTRL and ALT) -- Hit this key and your Start menu appears; is that not faster than going over with your mouse and clicking?
WINDOWS LOGO + F: Find files or folders. This saves you from opening the Windows Explorer and selecting find from the menu. Now you have a one-click computer search!
F1 -- In Windows applications, and in the OS, F1 is a universal call to the app's help system.
F2 -- In Windows Explorer, use F2 to rename files or folders. This is faster than right-clicking and easier than clicking inside the file or folder name and waiting for the input field to become available.
SHIFT+DELETE: Deletes an item immediately without placing it in the Recycle Bin. Works in most Explorer sub-systems or program navigations.
F5 -- This is a universal "Refresh" command, which works in many Windows applications. Use it to refresh your Explorer file system, browser and html editors.
CTRL + Z: Undo your last action. This works in both Windows and Mac machines and, like CTRL + C for copy and CTRL + V for paste, is a universal keyboard command. Undo is handy for quickly erasing your last action in just about any program.
CTRL + A: Select all the items in the current window. This is a great shortcut, which in combination with Copy and Paste, will have you flying around your screen!
Defragging your Hard Drive
Want to keep your computer running smoothly? Would you like to possibly speed it up at the same time? There is a simple little utility program built into Windows that will help you do just that. It is called Disk Defragmenter. Don't be put off by the name. It sounds a bit complicated, but defragmenting your hard disk is easy. You just need a little knowledge about how a computer works to understand what disk defragmentation is and how it works.
Defrag Explained
When you add a file or a new program to a brand new computer, the hard disk is relatively empty so new data is written to the hard disk in one contiguous block. When you need to use that information, the computer can quickly access it because it is all in one place. As you use your computer adding files and programs, the hard disk begins to fill up. Deleting files or removing programs creates small empty areas among the other data that the computer will reuse. After awhile, the computer is no longer saving information in large blocks. Instead, it stores information in the many little empty nooks and crannies of your hard disk. The result is that one program or file is broken up, or fragmented, into little pieces and stored in many different areas of the hard disk. The computer ingeniously keeps track of the addresses of each piece of data and puts it all together when it is needed. Yet, obviously, the more broken up the information is, the longer it takes to access the data and the slower the computer becomes.
Finding the Defrag Utility
The solution is a simple one. Your Windows computer comes with a program that will defragment your hard disk. This process reunites all the data into large blocks and gathers all the free space on the hard disk into one block making data retrieval faster and easier for the computer. Most of you will be able to find the disk defrag program by clicking on the Start button, then choosing (All) Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and finally clicking on the Disk Defragmenter. If you have any trouble finding it, simply click on Start, then Help. Click on the Search tab and type in the word "defragment." The computer will give you a link to the defrag program. Depending on your computer and your hard disk, defragmenting the hard disk can take a bit of time. After you defrag, you will see no difference in your computer, except for a little faster speed if the disk was very fragmented. Yet, getting into the routine of defragging every now and then is a good habit to form since it keeps your computer running smoothly. Some programs, like video editing software, will crash if the disk is too fragmented.
Trouble Shooting Defrag
Before you start the defrag process you will want to turn off any programs that you are running, including those running in the background like firewalls and anti-virus programs. If you try to defrag when these programs are running, the defrag process will constantly be stopped. If you turn off the major programs that you have running and still find that the defrag routine is constantly interrupted, you can defrag from safe mode. Safe mode is a troubleshooting mode for Windows. In normal Windows operations, many individual programs may be automatically started along with the Windows operating system. In safe mode, only the operating system and drivers are loaded. Since no other programs are loaded, there is nothing running in the background to interfere with the defrag process. To start your computer in safe mode, simply turn the computer off, and when it starts to reboot, press the F8 key. The exact time that you should press the F8 key varies with different Windows versions and it is always difficult to pinpoint. Sometimes pressing the F8 key and holding it down during the boot process will work. Continuously tapping the F8 key during the boot process seems to work the best for most computers. Once the safe mode screen comes up, use the arrow key to choose “Safe Mode”. You can verify that you are in safe mode by noting that the computer screen says “safe mode” in each corner. You may notice that the screen looks different, perhaps grainy or pixilated. That is normal for safe mode. Once in safe mode, start the defrag process as noted above. When the process is complete, click Start/Shutdown to restart the computer. How often you defrag your computer depends on the size of your hard drive, the amount you use your computer, and type of use you give it. Once a month is a good practice for most average users. Whether you decide to defrag once a month or just a few times a year, defragging can help your computer run smoother and faster.

Windows Update
Windows Update is the online extension of Windows that helps you to keep your computer up-to-date. Use Windows Update to choose updates for your computer's operating system, software, and hardware. New content is added to the site regularly, so you can always get the most recent updates and fixes to protect your computer and keep it running smoothly.

How do I know if I need an update?
Windows Update scans your computer and provides you with a tailored selection of updates that apply only to the items on your computer. During the scan, a list of categories appears under Welcome to Windows Update and the number of updates that are available in each category is noted in parentheses.

Critical Updates are important!
Any update that is critical to the operation of your computer is considered a "Critical Update," and is automatically selected for installation during the scan for available updates. These updates are provided to help resolve known issues, and to protect your computer from known security vulnerabilities. Whether a critical update applies to your operating system, software programs, or hardware, it is listed in the "Critical Updates" category.

How does it all work?
Follow a simple, three-step process to get the updates you need to keep your computer up-to-date: When you enter Windows Update, click Scan for updates. As you browse through the available updates in each category, click Add to select the update of your choice and add it to the collection of updates you want to install. You can also read a full description of each item by clicking the Read more link. When you have selected all the updates you want, click Review and install updates, and then click Install Now.
Note Some updates may require that you restart your computer. Save your work and close any open programs before beginning the installation process.

Have questions about an update?
Each update is accompanied by a brief description and a Read more link. Click Read more at any time to view information that is specific to each update. Included in this information are system requirements and, if applicable, instructions on how to use and how to uninstall the update.
To see the list of updates you have installed from Windows Update, click View installation history.

How do I get to Windows Update?
Go to the top Toolbar on your screen and select Tools.
Click and select Windows Update from drop-down menu.

Do you really know how
to forward e-mails?

50% of us do;
50% do NOT.
Do you wonder why you get viruses
or junk mail?
Do you hate it?
Every time you forward an e-mail there is information left over from the people who got the message before you, namely their e-mail addresses & names. As the messages get forwarded along, the list of addresses builds, and builds, and builds, and all it takes is for some poor sap to get a virus, and his or her computer can send that virus to every e-mail address that has come across his computer. Or, someone can take all of those addresses and sell them or send junk mail to them in the hopes that you will go to the site and he will make five cents for each hit. That's right, all of that inconvenience over a nickel! How do you stop it? Well, there are two easy steps:
1) When you forward an e-mail, DELETE all of the other addresses that appear in the body of the message. That's right, DELETE them.
Highlight them and delete them, backspace them, cut them, whatever it is you know how to do. It only takes a second. You MUST click the "Forward" button first, then you will have full editing capabilities against the body and headers of the message. If you don't click on "Forward" first, you won't be able to edit the message at all.
2) Whenever you send an e-mail to more than one person, do NOT use the To: or Cc: columns for adding e-mail address. Always use the BCC : (blind carbon copy) column for listing the e-mail addresses. This is the way that people you send to only see their own e-mail address .
If you don't see your BCC: option click on where it says To: and your address list will appear. Highlight the address and choose BCC: and that's it, it's that easy.
When you send to BCC: your message will automatically say "Undisclosed Recipients" in the "TO:" field of the people who receive it.
So please, in the future, let's try to stop the junk mail and the viruses!
Finally, here's an idea!!!
Let's send this to everyone we know. This is something that will help all your friends who are e-mail users.

URL's Demystified

When you view a Web page, the page's address appears in the Address bar in Internet Explorer.
Understanding the four parts of a typical Internet or Web address (otherwise called a URL, or Uniform Resource Locator) is easy.
The first part (http://) is a protocol name (a protocol is a set of rules and standards that enable computers to exchange information). Next (www.) is the location of the site. This is followed by the name of the organization that maintains the site (such as chamblycounty). The final part is a suffix that identifies the kind of organization it is (such as .com for a commercial organization, .gov for a governmental, or .edu for an educational). For example, the address http://www.chamblycounty.com tells us that this Web server uses Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP); that this site is on the World Wide Web (www); and that its Web server is run by chamblycounty.com, a commercial site.

Clearing your browser cache, deleting Cookies, and History
For your security,
we recommend you either close your browser and reopen it frequently, while surfing the net.
Or Clearing your browser cache before you sign off.
Cache
Is a place to store something temporarily. For example, Web pages you visit may be downloaded to your computer and stored in your Web browser's cache, which is physically located on the hard disk of your computer. When you return to a Web page you have recently visited, your Web browser can retrieve it from the cache rather than from the Web server where the page is hosted. This cuts down the retrieval time and helps minimize Internet traffic. Depending on the Web browser you use, you can specify the size of the cache, i.e., how much information it will hold, or whether your browser caches at all.
How do I clear my browser's cache? PC Instructions for Internet Explorer Users:

Select "Tools" from the pull-down menu (IE 5.01 SP2 or higher).
Select "Internet Options"
In the second section where it says "Temporary Internet Files", click on the 'Delete Files' button, check ( ) the option for "Delete all offline content", then click "OK"
When clearing is complete (hourglass returns to mouse pointer), click "OK".
Netscape, Macintosh, Firefox users check your Help section for how to clear the cache.
Cookies
A cookie is a small text file containing a unique identification number that a Web site sends to your computer's Web browser. When you visit a particular site, a cookie may be used to track the activities of your browser as well as provide you with a consistent, more efficient experience. There are two common types of cookies: persistent and non-persistent. Persistent cookies stay in the browser for long periods of time. Cookies cannot view or retrieve data from other cookies, nor can they capture files and data stored on your computer. Only the Web site that sends you cookies is able to read them.
Cookies may also be cleared at the same time you clear cache. Just select this option under Tools, Internet Options, General Tab.
History
The History folder contains links to pages you have recently visited, for quick access to recently viewed pages. In a site that changes as often as chamblycounty.com if you don't clear your History file you maybe viewing an older version of a page. Most computers come set with "Days to keep pages in History" at 20. I recommend you reset this to 1 day.
To clear History, again select this option under Tools, Internet Options, General Tab.

Where Does Microsoft Internet Explorer Store Passwords?
When I visit a site that requires a user ID and password, sometimes Internet Explorer will ask if I want to save the information.
Where does this data get stored?

The saved user ID/password pairs are stored in the Registry under a key whose default permission settings make it inaccessible to all users—even the user to whom the passwords belong. Only the system itself has direct permission to read and change Registry data under this key. Using RegEdit you could modify the permissions on that key and read its contents, but doing so still wouldn't reveal anything useful, as the data is thoroughly encrypted. On the other hand, once you've logged on to your account in Windows, all of your saved passwords can be utilized by anybody who has physical access to the computer. The interloper can't learn what the password is, but can use it to log on automatically. If you allow Windows to save passwords for you, never leave your computer logged on when you're not sitting in front of it. Either choose Log Off from the Start menu or lock the computer As a backup, set the screen saver to kick in after just a few minutes of inactivity, and check the box for password protection.
So, there is a certain amount of risk in letting IE save passwords. Here's how to turn off that feature, if you so choose. Select Tools | Internet Options from IE's menu, click the Content tab, and click the AutoComplete button. Click the Clear Passwords button in the resulting dialog to clear out passwords that were previously saved. Then uncheck the box titled User names and passwords in forms, click OK, and click OK again.
Configuration settings can cause Internet Explorer to react incorrectly to script errors. You may get dialog boxes that display painfully granular details and ask whether to continue running scripts on the same page—handy for developers but pointless for most others. To turn off such notifications, select Internet Options from the Tools menu and click on the Advanced tab. Make sure the box Disable script debugging is checked. Find Display a notification about every script error and make sure it is not checked. Then click on OK.
If you allow the Machine Debug Manager (MDM) to run, it can generate script errors, too. Launch Msconfig from the Start menu's Run dialog and click on the Startup tab. If MDM is on the list, uncheck it and restart. In Windows 2000, Msconfig is not available, so you will have to disable MDM in the Registry. Navigate to the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\ CurrentVersion\RunServices. If you find a value that references the Machine Debug Manager or MDM, delete it.

What is the speed of your Internet connection?

(Click on speedometer to test your connection)

This speedometer is a very important tool, of high precision and regularly calibrated so that it allows you to measure the speed of your access, as much downloads as uploads.
The speed of your Internet connexion not only depends on the technical characteristics of your access as also of the traffic, day and hour. This speedometer is a powerful tool that allows you to measure the speed of its access in the communications inside your country or internationally.

Return to Home Page

Windows Update	Windows Update is the online extension of Windows that helps you to keep your computer up-to-date. Use Windows Update to choose updates for your computer's operating system, software, and hardware. New content is added to the site regularly, so you can always get the most recent updates and fixes to protect your computer and keep it running smoothly.
How do I know if I need an update?	Windows Update scans your computer and provides you with a tailored selection of updates that apply only to the items on your computer. During the scan, a list of categories appears under Welcome to Windows Update and the number of updates that are available in each category is noted in parentheses.
Critical Updates are important!	Any update that is critical to the operation of your computer is considered a "Critical Update," and is automatically selected for installation during the scan for available updates. These updates are provided to help resolve known issues, and to protect your computer from known security vulnerabilities. Whether a critical update applies to your operating system, software programs, or hardware, it is listed in the "Critical Updates" category.
How does it all work?	Follow a simple, three-step process to get the updates you need to keep your computer up-to-date: When you enter Windows Update, click Scan for updates. As you browse through the available updates in each category, click Add to select the update of your choice and add it to the collection of updates you want to install. You can also read a full description of each item by clicking the Read more link. When you have selected all the updates you want, click Review and install updates, and then click Install Now. Note Some updates may require that you restart your computer. Save your work and close any open programs before beginning the installation process.
Have questions about an update?	Each update is accompanied by a brief description and a Read more link. Click Read more at any time to view information that is specific to each update. Included in this information are system requirements and, if applicable, instructions on how to use and how to uninstall the update. To see the list of updates you have installed from Windows Update, click View installation history.
How do I get to Windows Update?	Go to the top Toolbar on your screen and select Tools. Click and select Windows Update from drop-down menu.

Do you really know how to forward e-mails? 50% of us do; 50% do NOT. Do you wonder why you get viruses or junk mail? Do you hate it?	Every time you forward an e-mail there is information left over from the people who got the message before you, namely their e-mail addresses & names. As the messages get forwarded along, the list of addresses builds, and builds, and builds, and all it takes is for some poor sap to get a virus, and his or her computer can send that virus to every e-mail address that has come across his computer. Or, someone can take all of those addresses and sell them or send junk mail to them in the hopes that you will go to the site and he will make five cents for each hit. That's right, all of that inconvenience over a nickel! How do you stop it? Well, there are two easy steps: 1) When you forward an e-mail, DELETE all of the other addresses that appear in the body of the message. That's right, DELETE them. Highlight them and delete them, backspace them, cut them, whatever it is you know how to do. It only takes a second. You MUST click the "Forward" button first, then you will have full editing capabilities against the body and headers of the message. If you don't click on "Forward" first, you won't be able to edit the message at all. 2) Whenever you send an e-mail to more than one person, do NOT use the To: or Cc: columns for adding e-mail address. Always use the BCC : (blind carbon copy) column for listing the e-mail addresses. This is the way that people you send to only see their own e-mail address . If you don't see your BCC: option click on where it says To: and your address list will appear. Highlight the address and choose BCC: and that's it, it's that easy. When you send to BCC: your message will automatically say "Undisclosed Recipients" in the "TO:" field of the people who receive it. So please, in the future, let's try to stop the junk mail and the viruses! Finally, here's an idea!!! Let's send this to everyone we know. This is something that will help all your friends who are e-mail users.
URL's Demystified When you view a Web page, the page's address appears in the Address bar in Internet Explorer. Understanding the four parts of a typical Internet or Web address (otherwise called a URL, or Uniform Resource Locator) is easy.	The first part (http://) is a protocol name (a protocol is a set of rules and standards that enable computers to exchange information). Next (www.) is the location of the site. This is followed by the name of the organization that maintains the site (such as chamblycounty). The final part is a suffix that identifies the kind of organization it is (such as .com for a commercial organization, .gov for a governmental, or .edu for an educational). For example, the address http://www.chamblycounty.com tells us that this Web server uses Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP); that this site is on the World Wide Web (www); and that its Web server is run by chamblycounty.com, a commercial site.
Clearing your browser cache, deleting Cookies, and History For your security, we recommend you either close your browser and reopen it frequently, while surfing the net. Or Clearing your browser cache before you sign off.	Cache Is a place to store something temporarily. For example, Web pages you visit may be downloaded to your computer and stored in your Web browser's cache, which is physically located on the hard disk of your computer. When you return to a Web page you have recently visited, your Web browser can retrieve it from the cache rather than from the Web server where the page is hosted. This cuts down the retrieval time and helps minimize Internet traffic. Depending on the Web browser you use, you can specify the size of the cache, i.e., how much information it will hold, or whether your browser caches at all. How do I clear my browser's cache? PC Instructions for Internet Explorer Users: Select "Tools" from the pull-down menu (IE 5.01 SP2 or higher). Select "Internet Options" In the second section where it says "Temporary Internet Files", click on the 'Delete Files' button, check ( ) the option for "Delete all offline content", then click "OK" When clearing is complete (hourglass returns to mouse pointer), click "OK". Netscape, Macintosh, Firefox users check your Help section for how to clear the cache. Cookies A cookie is a small text file containing a unique identification number that a Web site sends to your computer's Web browser. When you visit a particular site, a cookie may be used to track the activities of your browser as well as provide you with a consistent, more efficient experience. There are two common types of cookies: persistent and non-persistent. Persistent cookies stay in the browser for long periods of time. Cookies cannot view or retrieve data from other cookies, nor can they capture files and data stored on your computer. Only the Web site that sends you cookies is able to read them. Cookies may also be cleared at the same time you clear cache. Just select this option under Tools, Internet Options, General Tab. History The History folder contains links to pages you have recently visited, for quick access to recently viewed pages. In a site that changes as often as chamblycounty.com if you don't clear your History file you maybe viewing an older version of a page. Most computers come set with "Days to keep pages in History" at 20. I recommend you reset this to 1 day. To clear History, again select this option under Tools, Internet Options, General Tab.
Where Does Microsoft Internet Explorer Store Passwords? When I visit a site that requires a user ID and password, sometimes Internet Explorer will ask if I want to save the information. Where does this data get stored?	The saved user ID/password pairs are stored in the Registry under a key whose default permission settings make it inaccessible to all users—even the user to whom the passwords belong. Only the system itself has direct permission to read and change Registry data under this key. Using RegEdit you could modify the permissions on that key and read its contents, but doing so still wouldn't reveal anything useful, as the data is thoroughly encrypted. On the other hand, once you've logged on to your account in Windows, all of your saved passwords can be utilized by anybody who has physical access to the computer. The interloper can't learn what the password is, but can use it to log on automatically. If you allow Windows to save passwords for you, never leave your computer logged on when you're not sitting in front of it. Either choose Log Off from the Start menu or lock the computer As a backup, set the screen saver to kick in after just a few minutes of inactivity, and check the box for password protection. So, there is a certain amount of risk in letting IE save passwords. Here's how to turn off that feature, if you so choose. Select Tools \| Internet Options from IE's menu, click the Content tab, and click the AutoComplete button. Click the Clear Passwords button in the resulting dialog to clear out passwords that were previously saved. Then uncheck the box titled User names and passwords in forms, click OK, and click OK again. Configuration settings can cause Internet Explorer to react incorrectly to script errors. You may get dialog boxes that display painfully granular details and ask whether to continue running scripts on the same page—handy for developers but pointless for most others. To turn off such notifications, select Internet Options from the Tools menu and click on the Advanced tab. Make sure the box Disable script debugging is checked. Find Display a notification about every script error and make sure it is not checked. Then click on OK. If you allow the Machine Debug Manager (MDM) to run, it can generate script errors, too. Launch Msconfig from the Start menu's Run dialog and click on the Startup tab. If MDM is on the list, uncheck it and restart. In Windows 2000, Msconfig is not available, so you will have to disable MDM in the Registry. Navigate to the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\ CurrentVersion\RunServices. If you find a value that references the Machine Debug Manager or MDM, delete it.
What is the speed of your Internet connection? (Click on speedometer to test your connection)	This speedometer is a very important tool, of high precision and regularly calibrated so that it allows you to measure the speed of your access, as much downloads as uploads. The speed of your Internet connexion not only depends on the technical characteristics of your access as also of the traffic, day and hour. This speedometer is a powerful tool that allows you to measure the speed of its access in the communications inside your country or internationally.