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Computer self help club.
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Message 1.Â
Posted by stew black (U3146970) on Monday, 26th November 2007
As suggested in another thread, this is a club or meeting place for people like me who experience the occasional, ahem, problem with their computer, whether mac or pc.
We are not the super geeks, but we have some knowledge, and sometimes you don't want to advertise the fact that you only just discovered clicking on the wheel instead of the mouse button opens a link in a new tab.
Well come on in there's no need to be shy or ashamed. Let's swap discoveries and tips let's speak in a language we understand and try to help each other out.
There are of course some fantastic people in the Bull who often help out people like us and maybe as a group we could beg a visit when we hit a problem we can't fix.
So, I'm off to work in a minute but will get the ball rolling.
Did you know that when using windows if you right click in the thin scrolly column over there on the right , a window pops open offering you the option, amongst other things, of going straight to the top or the bottom of the page you're on? I only found that out recently, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. -
Message 2
Posted by jane_berry (U3025755) on Monday, 26th November 2007
Good one Stew! Had to get my eye rolling "mom's an idiot" 15 year old yesterday to help because I'd done something that made my e-mail be so far on the right of the screen that I could not read it. I am a total numpty when it comes to my computer - my OH makes sure it is working OK (when he is away and it goes wrong it is a nightmare because I am lost without my access). I can obviously get my e-mails and internet access but certinly can't fix things like he can
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Message 3
Posted by Iva Nedake (U4264966) on Monday, 26th November 2007
Good idea, stewblack.
One thing I discovered, after spending 30 minutes on Broadband Help, that there is a re-set button on the broadband hub; had I known this, I could have spent an extra 30 minutes in The Bull instead.
I don't know why the guy on the phone didn't direct me straight to the reset button instead of having me try all sorts of things like "open in safe mode" etc. -
Message 4
Posted by kk forever in the cyber atlantis of mustardland (U4670994) on Monday, 26th November 2007
Mon, 26 Nov 2007 13:32 GMT, in reply to stewblack in message 1
... and sometimes you don't want to advertise the fact that you only just discovered clicking on the wheel instead of the mouse button opens a link in a new tab.Â
How would I have discovered that without you? Ta, everso
(detained by flea, committing this to post-0-matic courtesy of the Script) -
Message 5
Posted by stew black (U3146970) on Monday, 26th November 2007
A lot of the time it's confidence and clear instruction. The problem I think a lot of people who have a great knowledge of computers face with the likes of me is that they are communicating with someone on such a lower level it's all too easy to forget the basics.
An analogy, if you will, imagine someone needs to buy a sticking plaster. "There's a chemist over the road" you might say, "go and get some." But now imagine what that person actually needed to hear was "Lift your left foot up taking your weight on your right. Put the left foot forward and down. Now lift the right foot .." and so on.
Once I've been shown or told how to do those basic things I generally don't need much reminding. -
Message 6
Posted by Syd Rumpo (U1483538) on Monday, 26th November 2007
Blimey! That's brilliant! Thanks Stew.
Syd -
Message 7
Posted by aloysia (U8252408) on Monday, 26th November 2007
Did you know that when using windows if you right click in the thin scrolly column over there on the right , a window pops open offering you the option, amongst other things, of going straight to the top or the bottom of the page you're on?Â
No I didn't - ta!!
Does everybody know how to look at more discussions on a page, either in the menu or in a thread. Loot told me this one.
Get yourself to the page that you are interested in and then go up to the address bar - where it says http......
At the end of the address type in '&show=200'
Then press 'refresh.'
You can actually type in any number that you want, but 200 is the maximum.
Flytie -
Message 8
Posted by stew black (U3146970) on Monday, 26th November 2007
I'll leave you all to it, got to go and do my first aid at work test, so wish me luck. Or is it break a leg?
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Message 9
Posted by Reggie Trentham (U2746099) on Monday, 26th November 2007
Just posting to bookmark this so I can look in from time to time. I'm unlikely to be able to contribute as I'm the techno numpty to end all techno numpties.
Hello Stew, how's the job going? -
Message 10
Posted by Westsussexbird or Birdy aka Westie (U6316532) on Monday, 26th November 2007
Thanks Stew
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Message 11
Posted by Elnora Cornstalk (U5646495) on Monday, 26th November 2007
Thanks, Stew and Flytie - This is a good idea, and you moved with incredible speed to get it going.
My question (PC) - I've inadvertently introduced 'sections' into a very long Word doc, and I can't get rid of them. I'm sure I had an answer once before when I did this, but have no idea when it was, so before I scroll through thousands of threads in The Bull.. I thought I'd try here.
PC WORD - Tip in exchange. Clicks in the left hand margin: one to highlight the word you're on; two for the paragraph; three for the whole document.
Elnora x -
Message 12
Posted by kk forever in the cyber atlantis of mustardland (U4670994) on Monday, 26th November 2007
Mon, 26 Nov 2007 14:08 GMT, in reply to stewblack in message 1
Did you know that when using windows if you right click in the thin scrolly column over there on the right , a window pops open offering you the option, amongst other things, of going straight to the top or the bottom of the page you're on?Â
I've just tried this and found that it doesn't work in Firefox ... tested left and right mouse on the scroll bar and its' slider, also the message bar, nada. -
Message 13
Posted by San Fairy Anneâ„¢ (U2230890) on Monday, 26th November 2007
Mon, 26 Nov 2007 14:14 GMT, in reply to Elnora Cornstalk in message 11
Mac question. If 'alt-shift-2' produces â„¢ , what produces 'the-symbol-which-looks-like-natural in music' or 'hach'? Don't have a serendipity tip in return, sorry. SFAnneâ„¢ -
Message 14
Posted by aloysia (U8252408) on Monday, 26th November 2007
There are questions in messages 11 (Word) and 13 (MAC).
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Message 15
Posted by stew black (U3146970) on Monday, 26th November 2007
Hello RT - job is fine - great not to be working for money! Will ask around for answers to todays questions. If anyone uses matsui 2gb mp3 player I have a handy tip BTW>
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Message 16
Posted by stew black (U3146970) on Monday, 26th November 2007
Elnora is this even remotely connected to the problem?
I'm new to Word so not sure what you mean by sections. This page gets quite weird when the geezer starts talking about code but the early section made a lot of sense.
If this is the right area I can definitely ask around. -
Message 17
Posted by stew black (U3146970) on Monday, 26th November 2007
Or Elnora - try this
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Message 18
Posted by stew black (U3146970) on Monday, 26th November 2007
I'm on a roll here
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Message 19
Posted by countrypug (U9227943) on Monday, 26th November 2007
Just bookmarking this - great idea and great tips already - not able to contribute much in exchange yet - too much of a numpty on it!
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Message 20
Posted by witz-end (U3901846) on Monday, 26th November 2007
Elnora
The way I'd go about deleting (manual) page breaks in a long Word document would be to
Bring up 'Search & Replace' (ctrl + F)
At the bottom of the menu thingy you'll see a little box marked 'Special'. Clicking on it will bring up a list of formatting whatsits that you can search for - including manual page breaks
Click on manual page breaks
After making sure you're at the top of your document, click on Next, and this should take you to the first page break. Click on it and delete it. Click Next again, and so on
Sounds complicated but isn't. The Search & Replace facility is brilliant once you get used to it
Having said that, this is probably not the proper way of doing it - and someone else might come up with a quicker solution! But I've found I have to devise my own way round problems as the Help facility never seems to address the particular difficulties I experience
Good luck - hope this helps
witz x
PS: Stewblack - this thread is a brilliant idea - thanks! -
Message 21
Posted by witz-end (U3901846) on Monday, 26th November 2007
EEk, Elnora, just thought of something.
Presumably the section breaks were put in your document because each section required different formatting?
I'd strongly advise creating a copy of the original document before you start deleting section breaks - just in case you end up with formatting you didn't want!
good luck! -
Message 22
Posted by Curly Cake (U3057900) on Monday, 26th November 2007
Great thread, thanks, and very timely. My computer has become slower and slower over the past week or so at just starting up and allowing me to open anythng. Yesterday it crashed while I was checking my e-mail and refused to start properly again so I just pulled the plug and left it. Today I left it starting up while I cooked dinner and eventually it was OK, and seems to be fine now. Any ideas why it might have been doing this and how I can fix it? I wondered if it might need the disk defragmenting or one of those things I've vaguely heard of.
Thanks in advance ofr any help (assuming it works long enough for me to see any replies). Will try to think of a tip in return ...
AC* -
Message 23
Posted by Elnora Cornstalk (U5646495) on Monday, 26th November 2007
Stew and witz- thanks for concern, and suggestions. I've just come back in, and have decided these are the sort of actions I need to take while properly alert and unfrazzled! I shall put the whole thing on a disk first - good advice. The section breaks came in because I was trying to change 'continuous' endnotes to ones that began again with '1' at the start of each numbered part of my long document. This seemed to work fine within the endnote area, but when I went back into the document, each new '1' had a line to itself, with a double 'section break' over it. Aaarrgh.
angelcakestar. Defrag is a good start. It can take quite a while, so just let it do its thang. -
Message 24
Posted by Auntie Clockwise (U8040384) on Monday, 26th November 2007
Another bookmarker - more likely to be a helpee than a helper.
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Message 25
Posted by stew black (U3146970) on Monday, 26th November 2007
This has exceeded my wildest expectations! So many members already. It may be that none of us can solve complex stuff - that may still be for the experts but I'll wager we can all contribute something. It's amazing how much we actually know when we use a computer, we just don't realise it.
If you're using a laptop Ctrl at the same time as one of the arrow keys flips the display on the monitor either through 90 or 180 degrees depending which arrow. I found that out when the cat jumped on the laptop and managed to press the exact combination. Bonkers! why on earth would you want to? But of course the answer is you do it to some unsuspecting soul as they are momentarily distracted then chuckle at their confusion.
I'll have to compile a glossary of top tips each month. this could be fun. -
Message 26
Posted by Kate McLaren etc (U2202067) on Monday, 26th November 2007
OOH!!!!!!
I have a problem re broadband. No-one has been able to solve it yet.
I am staying with a friend. Her house has wifi and so far everyone has been able to connect to it. For some reason, I can't. The problem just MIGHT be that my laptop is too new. WHen you try to connect to their network my pooter asks for a password that is WEP 40/128-bit hex. While on the bit of paper that tells you the password, they say it is WEP 60-bit hex. Is that the problem or could there be another one or what?
It is a Mac household, so that's not the trouble.
Over and out, since I have borrowed friend's laptop which does not hold the charge as well as mine, and the charger is not accessible just now. See you tomorrow sometime I hope! -
Message 27
Posted by Word-Lover - Ö÷²¥´óÐã MBs are dead - long live ML (U1160777) on Monday, 26th November 2007
Mon 26 Nov 2007 10:37:54 pm GMT, in reply to stewblack in message 1
Thank you for starting this thread.
I'm on WinXP. How can I arrange the taskbar so that the clock on it is in the top left-hand corner of the screen? -
Message 28
Posted by mouse_michael (U2243488) on Monday, 26th November 2007
Mon, 26 Nov 2007 23:51 GMT, in reply to Word-Lover in message 27
hi again w/l - just seen this before being off to bed - it doesn't do exactly what you ask:
make sure the taskbar is 'unlocked' (ie right click on it & see the drop down menu)
then you can 'drag & drop ' the whole thing to either side or top of the screen.
I tried it on the lhs but the clock stayed @ the bottom of the taskbar
Speaking for meself, I have the taskbar locked, & set to 'autohide' which means I don't have it cluttering the screen, but have it double-depth for ease of reading, by nudging the bottom edge of the screen.
HTH, mouse -
Message 29
Posted by studioj (U1600165) on Tuesday, 27th November 2007
Tue, 27 Nov 2007 01:21 GMT, in reply to KentishKelt in message 4
Weeeell.. you coulda picked it up from the dozen or so times I've said it to people on the boards. But hey
You can also middle-click to close a tab.
So long as your browser allows - and is set to - open the new tabs in "the background" (ie: it doesn't automatically switch straight to the new tab) then middle-clicking is very useful when doing any googling.. or when viewing a thumbnail selection of picture links.
You can scan the current page of results (google search, for example) or pick out which pics look interesting, middle-click on each likely target as you see it.. keep scanning the current page and clicking more while the ones you've clicked are being loaded in the new tabs.
Same is true, of course, for a thread-list (eg: the bull) or your discussion list.
Also handy when replying to a post.. middle-click the [reply].. always useful to have your compose page open in a separate tab from the thread.. allows you to quickly review what others may have said in the thread while you are composing.
Good luck to the club.
My only advice on this is I would say that if you are asking a technical question then it really helps if you give as much information as possible, not all applications and computers are the same. It's useful to state the application name (eg: Word, Firefox, IE) and the version of that app unless you're sure it's not relevant. Also useful to state what platform you are using (eg: Windows XP, Vista, Mac OS X). Not always necessary but it will often not only speed up useful replies but also reduce the number of confusing and inappropriate answers.
Ditto for sharing a tip - what works on one platform may not work on another. And saying, say, "press control-z" (or whatever) might not be appropriate for a Mac and could confuse a newbie.
But, again, good luck.
jont {;¬· >···{ -
Message 30
Posted by stew black (U3146970) on Tuesday, 27th November 2007
Hey thanks Jont - it is of course ultimately to people like you that we will turn when we just can't sort it (and it might even have been from you the wheel tip came)and I hope that would be ok. This group was just to bring it all together - there must be loads of us who've accidentally pressed 'insert' and now don't know why the space bar seems to be deleting text. We just need a place to go where we won't feel embarrassed to say so.
Mouse Michael - thanks for the taskbar tip - didn't know about the locking task bar tick thingy so i have moved mine around by accident before and it's flippin annoying. -
Message 31
Posted by stew black (U3146970) on Tuesday, 27th November 2007
(childish titter) Just put the taskbar right at the top of the screen - that'll confuse everyone!
BTW word lover that puts the clock top right which is a bit nearer your aim. -
Message 32
Posted by Word-Lover - Ö÷²¥´óÐã MBs are dead - long live ML (U1160777) on Tuesday, 27th November 2007
Tue 27 Nov 2007 12:56:51 pm GMT, in reply to stewblack in message 31
Thanks michael and stewblack, but that's exactly what doesn't help. At the mo, I have the clock at bottom right, which means that, in order for it to stay visible, I must make each window stop short either just to the left of the clock or just above it. If I had to do this in the top left corner instead, it wouldn't be so bad, because it's useful having windows' top left corners in different places. It means that you can see little bits of windows other than the one in front, and click on them to bring them to the front. That's not so easy with a bottom corner because the window's title is at the top, and it's not so easy with the top right-hand corner because its X button is there.
Ah well, if it can't be done, it can't be done... -
Message 33
Posted by mouse_michael (U2243488) on Tuesday, 27th November 2007
Tue, 27 Nov 2007 13:05 GMT, in reply to Word-Lover in message 32
Er.... don't know if this might help. Would it be useful to use 'autohide' the taskbar (in whatever position you prefer), which leaves your whole screen for your cascading windows etc, but then nudging the appropriate screen edge with the cursor up (down, or out) pops the taskbar with the time on it?
If you wish to try this, in case you've not found it, right-click on the taskbar then choose 'properties' and tick the autohide box.
HTH, mouse -
Message 34
Posted by mouse_michael (U2243488) on Tuesday, 27th November 2007
Tue, 27 Nov 2007 13:11 GMT, in reply to Word-Lover in message 32
whimsical mode [ON[
or........ you could blu-tack a watch to the top rh corner of your monitor.........
whimsical mode [OFF] -
Message 35
Posted by stew black (U3146970) on Wednesday, 28th November 2007
Nothing whimsical about blue tack. Very cheap digital camera blue tacked on top of our monitor stopped the kids asking me to buy a web cam.
By the way I've sorted my wireless router problems. Don't know if you recall but that's what started all this. The problem it transpires was interference from a transmitter. We'd bought these things to send the digibox signal up the stairs so OH can watch "I'm a celebrity house moving fashion makeover animals being funny" from the bed as well as the sofa and the signal they send out and the signal the router sent out had just decided to fight each other.
So lesson learned, anything else sending magic wireless signals around the house might not get on witn your wireless router.
ps in an earlier post I said Ctrl and the arrow keys played with the display on a laptop. Sorry it's AltGr and the arrow keys. -
Message 36
Posted by aloysia (U8252408) on Wednesday, 28th November 2007
Stew, so it *was* interference, glad you've discovered what it was but does that mean that you and OH have to argue about TV vs pooter?
How did the test go?
Flytie -
Message 37
Posted by stew black (U3146970) on Wednesday, 28th November 2007
Hi AF - passed test with flying(ish) colours so if you want to pass out do it in front of me!
you and OH have to argue about TV vs pooter?Â
Oh excuse me while I wipe my eyes. Oh that's a good one, imagine me having a say in that sort of decision. -
Message 38
Posted by aloysia (U8252408) on Wednesday, 28th November 2007
He he.
Well done on the test!! Not one for fainting but if I ever chop off a finger I'll know where to come!!
Flytie -
Message 39
Posted by stew black (U3146970) on Wednesday, 28th November 2007
Yep I'll bag it up and write your name on it, then make sure it goes with you in the ambulance.
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Message 40
Posted by aloysia (U8252408) on Wednesday, 28th November 2007
Wot, no ice??
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Message 41
Posted by stew black (U3146970) on Wednesday, 28th November 2007
Not often any about - speed is of the essence!
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Message 42
Posted by aloysia (U8252408) on Wednesday, 28th November 2007
:oD
Back on topic, this is a handy dictionary for computer terms.
Flytie -
Message 43
Posted by Alejandrita (U2222432) on Wednesday, 28th November 2007
Wed, 28 Nov 2007 17:47 GMT, in reply to stewblack in message 1
Excellent idea!!!
Just signing up to this thread so I can follow it as (luckily - touching wood and everything crossed) I haven't had any techie wobbles recently...but when I do they tend to be major!!!! -
Message 44
Posted by clint the fish with no name (U6574485) on Thursday, 29th November 2007
er.. . . . this is probably a bit basic for this place, never let it be said that i'm afraid to show my ignorance. . what does it mean when the security thing on my computer tells me such and such a program wants to act as a server??
><("> -
Message 45
Posted by stew black (U3146970) on Thursday, 29th November 2007
Far from it sparky! Not too basic for me as I don't know.
But I'll look into it. -
Message 46
Posted by planetzig (U7531074) on Thursday, 29th November 2007
Oh my goodness,
I'm just off to bed and I have only just spotted this thread so
Bump
Bump
Bump
Bump
Bump.
Hope I can find the on switch to retrieve it in the morning.
Bumpers unite! -
Message 47
Posted by Westsussexbird or Birdy aka Westie (U6316532) on Saturday, 1st December 2007
I'm reading this thread avidly, so here's another
BUMP to keep it at the top of the mayo.
Westie :0) -
Message 48
Posted by E Yore (U1479700) on Saturday, 1st December 2007
Sat, 01 Dec 2007 17:51 GMT, in reply to the spark of the... in message 44
It means you should say no. No average programme on your computer *needs* to be a server, afaik. If it won't function without, you'll find out easily because the programme won't work properly without it and you can always go into the security settings of your firewall and allow it.
Not one of the programmes on my pooter have server status, barring backweb (windows programme I think) for the trusted zone. Certainly none for the internet. -
Message 49
Posted by planetzig (U7531074) on Wednesday, 5th December 2007
Bump
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Message 50
Posted by Auntie Clockwise (U8040384) on Wednesday, 5th December 2007
This is a stupid question, I know. My son is considering moving into a flat which is wired for telephones but there is not an existing telephone account. He will need to set up a broadband account so he can use his laptop. Does he have to first get a telephone account, or can he just get broadband without having a telephone?
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