When you have lots of software installed there can be too many items to fit on the Start menu. When this happens you will either see buttons to scroll the menu up and down, or two or more columns of menu items will be displayed. You can choose which option to use by right-clicking the Start button and choosing Properties. Click the Customize button and then select the Advanced tab. Tick or clear the Scroll Programs tick box, whichever you prefer.
I have never found it easy to organise the Favourites menu in Internet Explorer, but I recently discovered a simple way. Click Start, Run and enter Favourites. Your Favourites open in an Explorer window and it’s then easy to move them, delete them, and rename them as if they were files.
I love Firefox and wanted to try out the latest beta of Firefox 3, but couldn’t bring myself to go through the hassle of trying to install it on my computer before it’s full tested. It’s just asking for trouble, isn’t it? But there’s a website called PortableApps (http://portableapps.com/apps/internet/firefox_portable/test) that has a portable version of the software, which you can run on a USB memory drive without having to install it.
There probably never was a time when the name of your much-loved pet was going to make a particularly clever password but, with so much more of our lives available to anyone who can crack a password, it’s now more important than ever to choose a good one. For a nice balance between easy to remember and secure, take a look at Password Bird (www.passwordbird.com). It uses a number of elements - a favourite name, word and date - to make a password that shouldn’t make sense to anyone but you.
It’s irritating when computer suppliers put programs you don’t want on new PCs. One of the things they can do is to add a link to the Start menu, like an advert for themselves or some third-party they have done a deal with. If you have a link that hasn’t been used before. You cannot get rid of this Start menu item by right-clicking it and selecting delete. Instead you need to right-click the Start menu and Properties from the context menu that is displayed. Choose the Start menu tab, select the ‘Start menu’ option and click the Customize button. Select the Advanced tab and find Manufacturer Link on the list of Start Menu items. Clear the tick box and click OK twice.
I’ve been using a new Firefox add-on - the Email This bookmarklet extension (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3102). It’s a quick and handy way of firing off a quick email with a link in it, for when you want to show someone the latest download, a birthday present idea, or a link to your fave site. It works with Google Mail, Yahoo Mail and standalone email software such as Outlook Express and Thunderbird.
As the three colour schemes supplied with Windows XP (silver, green and blue) have little scope for customisation, it’s easy to tire of them. To tie in with its Zune portable media player (still, frustratingly, yet to be launched in the UK), Microsoft has created a special Zune theme for Windows XP, which you can use to breathe new life into a dull Desktop.
As this is an official theme, there’s no need to mess around with third-party customisation software or to edit any system files. The download comes with an installer that makes the entire customisation process as simple as possible. Display Properties box will open automatically - just make sure that Zune is selected from the drop-down ‘Color scheme’ menu and click OK. The black-and-orange scheme used by the theme gives Windows a moody but stylish look. The supplied Desktop image may not be to all tastes, but can easily be changed.
http://www.download.com/Microsoft-Zune-Theme/3000-2420_4-10818187.html
