Windows 95 For Dummies #3



*1. USE YOUR CALCULATION          
          
May 13th, 1999          
          
You've just performed a calculation using the Windows 95 Calculator
accessory. Now you want to know whether you can quickly get the result
of the calculation into another Windows application, such as your word
processor or spreadsheet. 

Does a bear, er, sleep all winter? 

1. With the Calculator active, press Ctrl + C (or choose Edit + Copy). 
2. Switch to the application into which you want to copy the
	calculated result. 
3. Press Ctrl + V (or choose Edit + Paste). 

Now, how easy is that?


*2. EVEN BETTER EJECTOR SET          
          
May 21st, 1999          
          
Last time, we showed you how to eject a CD-ROM from the desktop. 
Today, we show you how to set up your desktop to make the procedure 
even easier. 

First create a shortcut on your desktop: 

1. Double-click the My Computer icon. 
2. Using the right mouse button, drag the CD-ROM icon--usually 
(D:)--to the desktop. 
3. From the shortcut menu that appears, choose Create Shortcut Here. 

Now, when you want to eject a CD-ROM from the CD-ROM drive: 

1. Right-click the CD-ROM shortcut on your desktop. 
2. Choose Eject from the shortcut menu. 

The shortcut also tells you, at a glance, which CD-ROM is currently in 
the drive. Pretty handy.


*3. CLUTTER UP THE DESK          
          
May 24th, 1999          
          
In general, we share all kinds of ideas on how to NEATEN your desktop.
Today, we want to tell you how to mess it up--but in a way that makes
your life easier. If you're working on a file that you just KNOW you'll
want to use a lot, why not make that file easier to get to by saving it
to your desktop? 

1. In your application, choose File + Save. 
2. Type a name for your file. 
3. In the Save In drop-down list, find and select Desktop. 
4. Click Save. 

An icon for the file appears on your desktop; double-click that icon any
time you want to open the file. 

If you've already named your file and saved it in another folder: 
1. Move your mouse over the Start button and right-click; Choose
	Explorer, to open up the Explorer window. 
2. Navigate to your file in its original folder and simply drag the file
	over to Desktop.


*4. QUICK SIZING          
          
May 25th, 1999          
          
Since the very first version of Windows, you could maximize and restore a
window the same way: by using the buttons on the right-hand end of the
title bar. But Windows 95 introduces a new way to maximize and restore
your window. 

* To maximize a window, double-click the title bar. 
* To restore a maximized window to its previous size, double-click the
title bar. 

In other words, double-clicking the title bar toggles you between
maximizing and restoring a window. (We just wanted to make that
clear--and to use the word "toggle.")


*5. PICK A MENU, ANY MENU          
          
May 26th, 1999          
          
Of course, we try to be careful about making broad-reaching, universal
claims. But here's one we have no trouble making: You can run ANY Windows
95 application menu from your keyboard--without touching your
mouse--as follows: 

1. Hold down the Alt key. 
2. Press the underlined letter in the name of the menu you want
	to display. 
3. Press the underlined letter of the menu command you want to execute
	(OR release the Alt key, use the up- or down-arrow key to select
	the command you want to execute, and press Enter to execute
	that command). 

This trick works with every program. Trust us.


*6. LOOK INTO THE FUTURE          
          
May 26th, 1999          
          
Quick--what day of the week will September 30, 2056, be? Don't bother
checking your desk calendar for this tidbit of information; nobody prints
a calendar that far in advance. No, for the answer to this all-important
question, you'd best turn to Windows 95's built-in calendar: 

1. On the taskbar, double-click the date display. 
2. Under Date, use the month drop-down list and the year box to specify
	the month and year in question. 
3. Check out the calendar to find the day of the week of any date
	that month. 
4. IMPORTANT: Click Cancel to close the calendar. DO NOT click Apply or
	OK; otherwise, you'll reset your computer's calendar to the date
	you checked. (You have to be careful when you look into
	the future.)


*7. MADE YA BLINK          
          
May 28th, 1999          
          
Ah, the blinking of your word processor's cursor. On, off, on, off . . 
. . It's almost relaxing, nay, hypnotic. But have you ever felt that the
blinking was not in synch with your own natural rhythm? Maybe you want
the blink faster or slower, depending on your mood. 

Feelings like these, while indicative of a life free from important
concerns, needn't be ignored. You can easily change the rate at which
your cursor blinks: 

1. Click Start. 
2. Choose Settings + Control Panel. 
3. In the Control Panel window, double-click the Keyboard icon. 
4. Under Cursor Blink Rate, slide the slider left to decrease the blink
	rate; slide it to the right to increase the blink rate. 
5. Click OK.


*8. DISPOSE OF APPLICATIONS PROPERLY          
          
June 1st, 1999          
          
In the old days, before Windows 95 (and they are starting to seem like
the "old days," aren't they?), you deleted an application by selecting
the application files and pressing Delete--and enduring any number of
consequences. In an attempt to eliminate (or minimize) such consequences,
Windows 95 has added a little program that helps you delete applications
safely and CORRECTLY. So when you want to delete an application, follow
these steps: 

1. Click Start. 
2. Choose Settings + Control Panel. 
3. In the Control Panel window, double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon. 
4. Under "The following software can be automatically removed by
	Windows..." select the application you want to remove. 
5. Click Add/Remove and follow the instructions to remove the
	application. It will show you dialog boxes to assist you
	in the process.


*9. I KNOW IT'S JUST A FOLDER, BUT I WANT TO EXPLORE          
          
June 2nd, 1999          
          
Recently (back in March, we think), we told you how to quickly move from
an open folder window to an Explorer window for the same folder (hold
down Shift and then double-click the icon at the left end of the
folder's title bar). Well, suppose that the folder isn't open yet, and
you'd prefer to open it as an Explorer window. What do you do then? 

This: 

1. Right-click the folder. 
2. Choose Explore from the shortcut menu. 

Explorer opens, focused on that folder. Which means you don't have to
clean up a folder window you don't want to use.


*10. MORE MINIMALISM          
          
June 7th, 1999          
          
Last time, we told you how to minimize a window to the taskbar by using
the keyboard. Today, we tell you how to minimize a document WITHIN an
application window, again using only the keyboard: 

1. Press Alt + - (the hyphen). Doing so displays your document window's
	Control menu. 
2. Press N to minimize the document window to the bottom of your
	application window. 

A minimalist "so long until next time!"
