PC Hints and Tips

If you’re struggling to find programs in the Start menu, you can reorder it alphabetically Just right-click any program in the menu and select ‘Sort by name’.

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.

For easy access to websites, right-click a blank area of the Taskbar and select Toolbars then Address. Type a web address into the box and click Go (or press Enter on your keyboard). Your browser will then load that website. You may need to resize the Address toolbar so you can see the box properly, and should make sure you unlock the Taskbar first.

Toolbars can be placed anywhere on your screen. To move one to your Desktop, unlock the Taskbar and position your cursor over a toolbar’s handle (the dotted lines on the left). Click it and drag the toolbar onto your Desktop.

To move the Windows taskbar to the top or right- or left-hand side of the screen, right-click a blank area of the Taskbar and clear the ‘Lock the Taskbar’ option (assuming it’s locked in the first place). Now click on the Taskbar and drag it to its new location.

You can turn any of your folders into a toolbar. Right-click a blank area of the Taskar, go to Toolbars and choose New Toolbar. Select the folder you want to use and it will appear as a toolbar on the Taskbar.

The Control Panel can be displayed as a fly-out menu. Click Start, right-click a blank area of the Start menu and select Properties. Click the Customize button followed by the Advanced tab. In the Control Panel section of the Start menu items list, select ‘Display as a menu’.

Launch the Start menu and then click on the graphic that Windows has automatically assigned to your account. When the User Accounts window opens, select the ‘Browse for more pictures’ option to find and add your own photo to the menu.