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At the Rufty Holmes Senior Center we've begun to create a database of simple step-by-step instructions for the most common computer tasks. You'll find those instructions on this page, and we hope they'll be of help. Of particular interest has been the internet/email instructions, but please note, these instructions pertain to Internet Explorer and Outlook Express, as well as Windows 98. If you use other browsers and email services, or have a different version of Windows, the process will likely be similar though not exactly the same.

Additionally, these instructions, and more, are posted on a web-based e-mail site at MyWay.com for access by students from both the Senior Center and the RCCC campus, and others. To enter the site, click here and you can log on as rccclab using thumbsup as the password. Once logged on, click the Inbox on the left, and you may then alphabetize the list by subject. Simply click the text link Subject at the top of that column. Then open any email by clicking it's subject link. If you want to print it, click Print View at the top right, and it will open in a new window sans the peripheral stuff, then just click the print button. Enjoy!

If you have other needs, make them known to us by clicking the Email button above and sending us a request and we'll respond, and/or do our best to incorporate them into the page. Enjoy, and as one dear friend says, "Happy mails to you, . . . .till we "e" again!"


Basic Computing Internet/Email





Basic Computing How-To's

Changing the printer's default to economy mode
Checking available disk space on your computer
Rebooting your computer; what to do when it locks up
Making a copy of a diskette
Finding files and folders
Printing in economy mode
Copying a game or file from diskette to the hard drive
Copying a game or file from the hard drive to diskette
Cut, copy and paste
Creating a subfolder in My Documents
Moving desktop icons
Enlarging the monitor's display
Changing the keyboard response
Formatting a floppy diskette
Copying a floppy diskette
Deleting temporary files
Filing within My Documents
Copying a window or screen contents
Creating, deleting, restoring, and relocating desktop icons





CHANGING PRINTER DEFAULT TO ECONOMY MODE
  1. Click the Start button on the taskbar
  2. Click Settings in the popup menu
  3. Click Printers
  4. Right-click the printer icon
  5. Click Properties in the shortcut menu
  6. Click the Setup tab
  7. Click Econo radio button or Media Choice drop-down arrow and select Draft (depending on your printer's software ~ you are looking for a draft or economy selection)
  8. Click OK

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MAKING A COPY OF A DISKETTE
  1. Open My Computer
  2. Right-click 3-1/2 Floppy A
  3. Click Copy Disk (shortcut menu)
  4. Put source disk in A
  5. Click Start and follow on-screen instructions*
*(On-screen instructions will tell you to remove the source disk and put the new blank destination disk in when prompted, then click OK, and click Close when you see "Copy was completed successfully")

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COPYING A GAME OR FILE FROM DISKETTE TO THE HARD DRIVE
To install on your hard drive:
  1. Place diskette in Floppy A drive
  2. Double-click My Computer (on desktop)
  3. Double-click 3-1/2 Floppy A
  4. Right-click game or document icon
  5. Click Send to in shortcut menu
  6. Click My Documents in pop-out menu Click the X in top right corner of each screen to close it
To play newly installed game:
  1. Double-click My Documents on desktop
  2. Double-click game icon

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CREATING A SUBFOLDER IN MY DOCUMENTS
  1. Open My Documents (desktop)
  2. Click File (menu bar)
  3. Click New (drop-down menu)
  4. Click Folder (pop-out menu)
  5. Type folder name (it will be inserted below New Folder icon)
  6. Strike the enter key
  7. Drag desired documents to newly created folder

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CUT, COPY AND PASTE
  1. Before executing the cut or copy function you must select (highlight) your text:

    • To select a portion of text, you may click, hold and drag across the portion you want, then release the mouse button.
    • To select an entire document, you may just place your cursor anywhere in the document and click Edit (menu bar) and Select All (drop down menu)

  2. Once text is selected, you can cut (remove) or copy the text in a couple of different ways:

    • By clicking Edit (menu bar) and Cut (to remove) or Copy (drop-down menu) as desired
    • By clicking the Cut or Copy button on the toolbar (if provided)
    • By right-clicking anywhere in the selected area and clicking Cut or Copy in the shortcut menu

  3. To paste text into a new location, you must place your flashing cursor where you want to paste, then do one of the following:

    • Click Edit (menu bar) and Paste (drop-down menu)
    • Click the Paste button on the toolbar (if provided)
    • Right-clicking on the flashing cursor and click Paste in the shortcut menu

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CREATING, DELETING, RESTORING AND RELOCATING DESKTOP ICONS
Note: To create a desktop icon (shortcut to a program, game, document, etc.) you must first locate the program or document through the start menu (if possible) or open Windows Explorer and locate it, or even locate it through the "Find Files or Folders" feature on the Start menu. In this example, we will create, delete and restore an icon for the Solitaire game ~

Creating a desktop icon:
  1. Click Start (task bar)
  2. Click Programs (pop-up menu)
  3. Click Accessories (pop-out menu)
  4. Click Games (pop-out menu)
  5. Right-click Solitaire (pop-out menu)
  6. Click Send To (shortcut menu)
  7. Click Desktop (shortcut pop-out menu)
  8. Strike the Escape key on your keyboard until all pop-out menus are gone and you've returned to your desktop, and you should see a Solitaire icon.
*****

Should you no longer need the icon and want to clean up your desktop, here's what to do ~

Deleting a desktop icon:
  1. One way is to click/hold/drag the icon to the recycle bin on the desktop, and click Yes when prompted whether you really want to send it to the recycle bin.
  2. Another way is to right-click on the icon, then click Delete in the shortcut menu, and click Yes when prompted whether you really want to send it to the recycle bin.
*****

If you accidentally or prematurely deleted a desktop icon and want to put it back from the recycle bin, here's how ~

Restoring a desktop icon:
  1. If you realize immediately you deleted the wrong icon or deleted one you didn't want to, right-click the desktop and click Undo delete in the shortcut menu.
  2. If you realize later that you want to restore an icon you've inadvertently or too hastily deleted, double-click the Recycle Bin icon, right-click the desired icon and click Restore in the shortcut menu.
*****

Should you not need access to an icon as often as previously, but still want it easily accessible, you can move it from the desktop to the Start menu ~

Relocating an icon from the desktop to the Start menu:
  1. Click/hold/drag the icon to the Start button
  2. When the start menu pops up, release the mouse button
The program icon will appear in your pop-up menu from Start, and you can then delete the icon from the desktop by dragging it to the Recycle Bin. (To delete an icon from your Start menu, right-click it and click Delete in the shortcut menu.)

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ENLARGING THE MONITOR'S DISPLAY (icons, etc.)
To make your computer's monitor display larger icons, words, etc., do the following:
  1. Double-click My Computer on the desktop
  2. Double-click Control Panel
  3. Double-click Display
  4. Click the Appearance tab
  5. Select Windows Large or Extra Large from the Scheme drop-down menu
  6. Click Apply button in the dialog box
  7. Click OK
  8. Close the Display Properties dialog box

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CHECKING AVAILABLE DISK SPACE
To check the available disk space on your hard drive (recommended periodically, and especially before downloading or installing new programs):
  1. Double-Click My Computer on the desktop
  2. Right-Click Drive C icon
  3. Click Properties in the shortcut menu
  4. A graphic depiction of available and used space, as well as your computer's capacity, will be displayed on your screen.

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FINDING FILES AND FOLDERS

In this example, we will search for the Spider Solitaire game to see if you have it on your computer. These instructions assume you have Windows 98:
  1. Right-click the Start button on the task bar
  2. Click Find in the shortcut menu
  3. Type the name of what you are searching for (i.e., Spider Solitaire)
  4. Click the drop down arrow next to the Look In text box
  5. Select Drive C (not C:\WINDOWS\Start Menu)
  6. Click the Find Now button on the right (maximize, if necessary)
  7. Double-click the file you are looking for, if it is displayed, to open it

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COPYING A GAME OR FILE FROM THE HARD DRIVE TO DISKETTE

 Note: These instructions assume your document or file is in My Documents on the computer.
  1. Double-click My Documents on the desktop
  2. Right-click the document or file you want to copy (may need to scroll)
  3. Click Send To in the shortcut menu
  4. Click 3-1/2 Floppy A in the pop-out menu
You should then see a copying dialog box with papers flying across it from one folder to another (unless the file is very small, then you may not). Your document should be on your diskette.

To check whether it is on your diskette, return to your desktop, double-click My Computer, then double-click 3-1/2 Floppy A and you should see it on your screen.

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MOVING DESKTOP ICONS
  1. R/C background
  2. Click Arrange Icons (shortcut menu)
  3. Click Auto Arrange (to remove check (turn off) if necessary)
  4. Drag icons as desired
  5. Turn Auto Arrange back on (follow steps 1-3 putting checkmark back in)

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PRINTING IN ECONOMY MODE
When printing email or a document that does not have to be extra-high quality, save printer ink this way:
  1. Click Print (tool bar)
  2. Click Properties (button)
  3. Click the Econo radio button or Media Choice drop down arrow and select Draft (look for economy, “draft” or “fast,” depending on your printer's software)
  4. Click OK (may have to click it a second time, depending on your printer's software)

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REBOOTING YOUR COMPUTER, AND WHAT TO DO WHEN IT LOCKS UP
If your machine begins to run sluggishly you may need to "reboot" your system, which turns it off momentarily and then right back on. To do this:
  1. Close any open programs and get to your desktop
  2. Click Start button (taskbar)
  3. Click Shut Down (pop-up menu)
  4. Click the Restart option (radio button) if not already selected
  5. Click OK
Your system will automatically shut down and restart, bringing you back to your desktop.

* * *

Should your system "lock up" or "freeze" (neither the mouse nor keyboard will respond) the first option is to reboot in the following fashion:

Hold down the Control and Alternate keys on the left side of the keyboard simultaneously, then strike the Delete key. You may have to do this two or three times for it to engage.

If this fails to reboot your system, your only alternative is to press the restart button on your tower (if there is one), or shut it off with the power button, wait two or three minutes, then turn it back on.

Any of these options will necessarily engage the diagnostic feature of your computer, so simply wait until it completes and returns to the desktop.

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CHANGING THE KEYBOARD RESPONSE
First, open the Keyboard Properties dialog box:
  • Click Start
  • Point to Settings
  • Click Control Panel
  • Double-click Keyboard (the Keyboard Properties dialog box opens)
Next:
  • To adjust how much time elapses before characters repeat when you hold down a key, drag the Repeat delay slider.
  • To adjust how quickly characters repeat when you hold down a key, drag the Repeat rate slider.
  • Click OK after desired response is set

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FORMATTING A FLOPPY DISKETTE
  1. Insert the diskette in the Floppy A drive
  2. Double-click My Computer on the desktop
  3. Right-click the 3-1/2 floppy A icon
  4. Point to Send To in the shortcut menu
  5. Click Format in the pop-out menu
  6. Click Start in the Format dialog box
  7. Click Close in the Format Results dialog box when completed
  8. Click Close in the Format dialog box (or repeat 1, 5 and 6 to do another)
Note: Formatting a disk removes all information from the disk

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COPYING A FLOPPY DISKETTE
  1. Insert the source diskette (disk you want to copy) in Floppy A Drive
  2. Double-click My Computer on the desktop
  3. Right-click the 3-1/2 floppy A icon
  4. Click Copy Disk
  5. Click Start in the Copy Disk dialog box
  6. At prompt, replace source diskette with destination (blank) diskette
  7. Click OK in the dialog box
  8. Click Close in the Copy Disk dialog box (or repeat 1 and 4-7 to do another)
Note: Any existing data on the destination diskette will be deleted

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DELETING TEMPORARY FILES
I don't believe temporary files are important, as tech support has always had me delete them and free up the space. To do that:
  • Right-click the start button
  • Click Find in the pop-up menu
  • Type *.tmp in the "Named" text box
  • Click the drop-down arrow of the "Look-In" text box and click Drive C (not C:\Windows\Start Menu)
  • Click "Find Now" (the computer will begin searching)
  • Click on one of the files listed below when the hourglass stops rotating to highlight it
  • Click Edit on the menu bar
  • Click Select All in the drop-down menu
  • Press the delete key when all files are highlighted
  • Click Yes in the dialog box
That should get rid of them. Good luck!

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FILING WITHIN MY DOCUMENTS
To create a folder in My Documents and place your documents (files) or programs (i.e. games) in it:
  1. Click File (menu bar)
  2. Click New (drop-down menu)
  3. Click Folder (pop-out menu)
  4. Type the name of your new folder
  5. Strike the Enter key
  6. Drag the desired documents or programs into your new folder
Note: You create subfolders within your new folder the same way

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COPYING A WINDOW OR SCREEN CONTENTS
  • To copy an image of the window that is currently active, press Alt + Print Screen
  • To copy an image of the entire screen, press Print Screen
To paste the image into a document (such as Microsoft Word) for printing:
  • Click Edit on the menu bar
  • Click Paste

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