
Windows 3.1 Tips #12



*1. CUSTOM DESKTOP DESIGNS--PART 2 OF 2          
          
July 27th, 1999          
          
In our last tip, we showed you how to paste one of Windows' ready-made
 wallpapers on your desktop. (In the Control Panel, double-click Desktop,
 take your pick of wallpapers in the drop-down list, select Tile, and
 click OK.) But what do you do if none of the ready-made wallpaper designs
 suits your style? You make your own wallpaper! You can take any bitmapped
 image--such as one you draw yourself in Paintbrush--and paste it on
 your desktop. Follow these steps: 

1. Open up Paintbrush (in Program Manager's Accessories group), draw any
 picture you want, and then save it as a *.BMP file in the
 Windows\System folder. (You see all the other ready-made wallpapers
 there, such as Arcade.bmp.) 
2. When you're ready to wallpaper, double-click the Control Panel and then
 double-click Desktop. 
3. In the Wallpaper drop-down list, select the bitmapped file you created. 
4. Choose Center and click OK. 

Now go take a look at your gorgeous new desktop!


*2. THE BIG LINE-UP          
          
July 28th, 1999          
          
Have you been fiddling around with icon arrangements in Program Manager?
 If you want your icons back in nice, neat rows, choose Windows + Arrange
 Icons. The icons in the active window jump right back into line. 

For the neatniks in the group, you can keep your icons in neat rows at all
 times, no matter how you rearrange their order. Just choose
 Options + Auto Arrange.


*3. GET A LITTLE CLOSER          
          
July 29th, 1999          
          
In our last tip, we told you about two ways to line up your Program
 Manager icons: Choose Windows + Arrange Icons for a one-time lineup of
 the active window's icons; to keep all of Program Manager's icons lined
 up, no matter how you rearrange them, choose Options + Auto Arrange.
 If you don't like the way Windows spaces icons when you choose either
 of these options, take matters into your own hands and space the
 icons however you want: 

1. In the Main group, double-click Control Panel and then double-click
 Desktop. 
2. Under Icon Spacing, use the up or down arrow to adjust the distance
 between two icons. (The default is 75 pixels.) The smaller the number,
 the closer together the icons are. 
3. Click OK and check out your handiwork. (Some of the titles may overlap,
 but that's the tradeoff.) The new icon spacing is set until you change
 it by using the same dialog box.


*4. TOOL TIME          
          
July 30th, 1999          
          
If you want instant access to the Control Panel or File Manager or whatever
 utility you use most, create a shortcut to it: 

1. Inside Program Manager, select the icon that represents your favorite
 utility. 
2. Choose File + Properties and then click in the Shortcut line to place
 your cursor after the word "None." 
3. Type the letter (such as "C"--without the quotes--for Control Panel)
 that you want to use in combination with Ctrl + Alt to open that utility.
 Windows fills in the rest. 
4. Click OK. 

-From now on, you can open that utility from anywhere in Program Manager
 by pressing the keyboard combo. 

Tip-in-a-tip: This technique isn't just for utilities. Use it to set up
 shortcuts to application icons, too.


*5. QUICK ALT + ESC-APES          
          
August 2nd, 1999          
          
We've told you that you can use Alt + Tab to switch among open windows and
 applications. An alternative is Alt + Esc. Hold down Alt and press Esc.
 Each time you press Esc, you automatically switch to the next open
 window or application. If you have several programs open but minimized
 at the bottom of your desktop, this technique cycles through these icons,
 highlighting one at a time. When the application icon you want lights up,
 let go of both buttons and press Enter. Windows takes you to the
 application.


*6. CAUSE I'M THE TASK MAN . . .          
          
August 3rd, 1999          
          
Did an application just lock up on you? Rather than rebooting your whole
 system, try closing just that one application. That may solve the problem. 

1. Press Ctrl + Esc on your keyboard to bring up the Task List, which is a
 list of all running applications. 
2. Select the application giving you grief. 
3. Click End Task. Windows does its best to shut down only that program. 

(In many cases, this technique can save you. But if it doesn't, you have
 to resort to Ctrl + Alt + Del to reboot. Sorry. Them's the breaks.)


*7. OF COURSE I'M SURE!          
          
August 4th, 1999          
          
Tired of getting that Confirm File Delete dialog box every time you try
 to delete a file in File Manager? Turn it off: 

1. Choose Options + Confirmation. 
2. In the dialog box that appears, deselect File Delete. (While you're at it,
 deselect any other confirmation options you find annoying.) 
3. Click OK. 

-From now on, File Manager doesn't second-guess your deletions. Of course,
 this means you really need to be on your toes.


*8. OO-EY, GOO-EY, RICH AND CHEWY INSIDE. . .          
          
August 5th, 1999          
          
Remember the Fig Newton song? Good, then you know how to say GUI
 (pronounced goo-ey). GUI stands for Graphical User Interface, and it's
 often used to describe Windows. If you want to use it in a sentence,
 say, "Windows is a GUI." 

A user interface is the way a person interacts with something. So a
 graphical user interface allows you to interact with the computer by
 using pictures. That describes Windows pretty well, wouldn't you say?
 You use graphical (as opposed to text) elements such as windows, menus,
 your mouse pointer, icons, and so on, to communicate with your computer.
 Now, the next time you hear someone say "GUI," you'll know they aren't
 talking about cookies fresh from the oven.


*9. PUT THAT WINDOW IN ITS PLACE          
          
August 6th, 1999          
          
Looking to move an active window but don't feel like using that pip-squeak
 mouse? Then move the window with your keyboard: 

1. Hold down the Alt key and press the spacebar. 
2. Choose Move (by pressing M). A four-pointed arrow appears in the title
 bar of the active window. 
3. Use your arrow keys to move the window outline left, right, up, or down.
 To move the window diagonally, press two arrows simultaneously
 (a right or left arrow with an up or down arrow). 
4. When the window outline is where you want the window, press Enter.
 (Tip-in-a-tip: To back out of a move, press Esc before you press Enter.) 

Who needs ya, mouse?


*10. SIDEOUT          
          
August 9th, 1999          
          
In our last tip, we showed you how to move an active window around without
 the mouse. Did you know a similar, mouse-free technique for sizing
 a window is also available? 

1. Press Alt + spacebar. 
2. Press S to choose Size. A four-pointed arrow appears in the middle of
 the active window. 
3. Press the arrow key that points to the side of the window you want to
 size. (For example, press the left arrow to resize the window from the
 left side, press the up arrow to resize the window from the top, and
 so on.) A double-pointed arrow appears on that edge. 
4. Use your arrow keys to adjust the size. 
5. Press Enter when the window is the size you want. The arrow disappears. 

You can also set up the arrow to size the window in both directions.
 After performing Steps 1 and 2, do the following: 

1. One at a time, press the arrow keys that correspond to the two sides you
 want to adjust. (A diagonal arrow will appear in the corner of the window.) 
2. Use these arrow keys to adjust the size. Use the up and down keys to
 adjust the horizontal edge, and the right and left keys for the
 vertical edge. 
3. When the adjustment looks right, press Enter. (To back out of a sizing
 operation, press Esc before pressing Enter.)
