PC Hints and Tips

Colouring Windows

Will — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 13:00:49 +0000

If you want to change the colours of windows, borders, buttons, text and so in XP, you can right-click the Desktop and select Properties. Click the Advanced button on the Appearance tab and then you can select window and button objects and select new colours. While I was exploring the Registry, I found these values are stored at HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Colors. There are actually more items listed in the Registry, so you have more control over the colour schemes. To change something, like the menu text, you just double-click the MenuText value and enter three numbers between zero and 255 (for example, 128 87 214). These are the RGB - red, green and blue - values that, when mixed together, make up the colour.

Online conversion

Will — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 12:46:39 +0000

Media Converter (www.mediaconverter.org) lets you download online videos such as YouTube, DailyMotion and Metacafe onto your hard disk. You first have to enter the web address of the video you want to convert, then choose the file format you want to save it in (such as WMV).

The website then asks you if you wish to set any video or audio codecs (this is optional). Then it goes ahead and downloads your file. You can save the audio track of the video by selecting an audio file type such as MP3 and converting the video. The site also lets you upload videos from your computer for conversion too.

Secure your files

Will — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 12:41:41 +0000

I have two computers at home, one for me and another for the children to use. Each computer can access the other’s Shared Documents folder, but a useful tip is to let others (for example, your kids) access files, but not delete or edit them in any way. This keeps them safe and secure, and prevents them from being tampered with or accidentally deleted. To secure them, click Start, My Computer and then right-click Shared Documents. Click Properties and then the Sharing tab. Clear the tick next to ‘Allow network users to change my files’.

Solve router problems

Will — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 12:40:02 +0000

The simple act of turning a router off for a few seconds and then turning it back again might be enough to get it working properly. You can also try ‘pinging’ the router to check the connectivity. Go to Start, Run and type cmd into the box. Type ‘ping’ (without the quotes) and the router’s internal IP address (this should be listed in the manual). The common addresses are: 192.168.0.1 (Netgear and D-Link models), 192.168.1.1 (Linksys and 3Com) and 192.168.2.1 (USRobotics). If you get a reply, then the connection to the router is working.

Beware dodgy downloads

Will — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:30:51 +0000

Make sure you only download programs from websites that are well-known or recommended and read all user agreements carefully. Free software programs that promise wonderful treats often contain viruses that infect your computer files or connect you to the Internet via premium rate telephone numbers.

Speed up your downloads

Will — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:28:18 +0000

Orbit Downloader (www.orbitdownloader.com) promises up to 500 per cent faster downloads. It works by splitting the target file into sections and downloading each piece simultaneously. It also lets you download streaming videos and music from sites such as YouTube, MySpace and RapidShare.

Declutter your Taskbar

Will — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:07:22 +0000

When you have three or more files opened in the same application, WIndows saves space by combining them in a single Taskbar button. To prevent this from happening, right-click the Start button and select Properties. Click the Taskbar tab and deselect the option ‘Group similar taskbar buttons’.

Jog your memory

Will — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:04:33 +0000

If you can’t remember the exact wording of a phrase, you can replace any missing words with an asterisk symbol. For example, “An apple a say keeps the * away”.

My CD won’t eject from the drive. How can I get it out?

Will — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 09:09:44 +0000

If pushing the button does nothing, try right-cliking the DVD/CD Drive icon in My Computer and selecting Eject/ If that doesn’t work, shut down your PC down, check the cables are correctly attached and nothing has come loose, then restart it and try again. If it still won’t open, try re-installing the drivers. You can also force the drawer to open (to retrieve a trapped disc) by straightening a paperclip and pushing it into the tiny hole on the front of the drive. If none of these options works it could be time to buy a new drive.

Stop USB pop-up

Will — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 10:19:35 +0000

When you plug a USB flahs memory drive into a PC, Windows scans it and presents you with a menu, prompting you to choose whether to transfer photos, view pictures, open a folder to view the files and so on. I find it a bit irratating if I don’t actually want to do any of these tasks straightaway and I have to click the Cancel button to dismiss the window. You can stop this from happening by holding down the Shift key as you insert the USB flash memory drive. It’s made ready for use, but you don’t get the annoying pop-up dialogue box.