PC Hints and Tips

Vista lets you add two extra clocks, for different time zones, to your Taskbar. Just click Start, Control Panel, Clock, Language and Region. Choose ‘Date and Time’ and select the Additional Clocks option.

You can move your most frequently accessed programs to the top of the Start menu. Click Start, All Programs, right-click the program shortcut you want and select ‘Pin to Start Menu’.

To turn your favourite snaps into a screensaver, right-click the Desktop, select Properties and click the Screen Saver tab. From the drop-down list select My Pictures Slideshow, or click Settings to choose a different folder of photos on your hard disk.

To cut your click rate in hald, open any folder, then go to Tools, Folder Options. In the ‘Click items as follows’ section, select ‘Single-clic to open an item (point to select)’ and click OK.

Much of the look of Windows Vista can be brought to XP using this transformation pack (http://www.jcxp.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=23824). Visit the link for details of the features in the latest version and a user guide. Choose from one of the download locations and then extract the file using compression tool WInRAR (http://www.rarlabs.com).

Install the pack and restart Windows when prompted. A Vista-style boot screen will appear. Additional tweaks, such as changing the system fonts and applying transparency effects to windows, can be achieved from the Welcome screen.

Depending on your computer hardware - ideally you need a DirectX 8 graphics card and at least 512MB of memory - extra features such as Taskbar pop-ups, a Flip 3D-style method of switching between open programs and a Vista-type sidebar are also available. Installation can be a lengthy process, but is trouble free and, as back-ups are made of any files that are replaced, you can easily remove the pack and revert to Windows XP.

IE7 can fill in a previously visited web addresses as you start typing. You’ll need to turn on the Inline AutoComplete feature first though. Go to Tools, Internet Options, click the Advanced tab and tick ‘Use inline AutoComplete’.

To delete various remnants of your browsing history quickly, go to Tools and select Delete Browsing History. This lets you delete individual elements such as temporary internet files, cookies and passwords, or wipe everything in one go by choosing ‘Delete all’.

If you miss the old Menu Bar in IS, which contained the File, Favourites and Tools menus, hold down Alt on your keyboard and it will temporarily re-appear. To restore the missing Menu Bar to the browser permanently, right-click a  blank area of the main toolbar and select Menu Bar.

If you delete a bookmark by accident, don’t panie. Click Bookmarks, Organise Bookmarks, and then click Edit and Undo (or press Ctrl+Z on your keyboard). The bookmark will be instantly restored.

You don’t need to click the address bar to select it each time you want to type in a web address. Just press Alt+D to highlight the bar ready for you to enter a URL.