Favorite Settings

Here are some of my favorite settings for Windows XP, Internet Explorer, Word, and FrontPage:

Windows XP Settings

*To stop the Desktop Cleanup Wizard (the one that has the annoying reminder that you have unused icons on your Desktop): right-click the Desktop and click Properties; click the Desktop tab, and click the Customize Desktop button; clear the Run Desktop Cleanup Wizard every 60 days check box.

*To use the power button to shut down Windows and then the computer in one step: After a fresh reboot of the computer, in Control Panel click Power Options, Advanced tab; Power Buttons section, under When I press the power button on my computer, select Shutdown, Apply. (If this is not visible on your Advanced tab, then your computer does not have the hardware capability to do this job correctly, or the capability is disabled in CMOS.) This sets your computer so that when you press the hardware power button it will first do a proper shutdown of Windows, and then power off the computer.

*To set screen resolution: Right-click the Desktop; Properties, Settings tab, Screen resolution, drag to 1024 x 768 pixels.

*To set Taskbar and Start Menu features: Start, Settings, Taskbar and Start Menu, Taskbar tab or Start Menu tab. Make selections as shown below for the Taskbar; under Start Menu tab, click Classic Start Menu:

*To set Windows style: Right-click the Desktop; Properties, Appearance tab, Windows and buttons, Windows XP style or Windows Classic style.

*To set Recycle Bin to save deleted files: Right-click Recycle Bin on desktop, Properties; uncheck Do not move files to the Recycle Bin. Remove files immediately when deleted., OK.

*To make Windows Media Player the default media player for sound clips: Start Programs, Windows Media Player; Tools, Options, File Types tab; Select All, OK. Windows Media Player will attempt to be the default player for the selected file types.

*To display the QuickLaunch toolbar: right-click the taskbar, Toolbars, check Quick Launch. See the desktop screen shots for each profile to set up the icons on the QuickLaunch toolbar.

*To arrange desktop icons: right-click the Desktop, Arrange icons by, uncheck Auto Arrange; check Align to Grid. See the desktop screen shots for each profile to set up the icons on the Desktop.

*To disable "personalized menus": Right-click the Start button, and then click Properties. On the Start Menu tab, click Classic Start menu, and then click Customize. Under Advanced Start menu options, uncheck the Use personalized\menus check box.

*To Hide Language Bar: Just close it if it appears or do this: Control Panel, Regional and Language Options, Languages tab; under Text services and input languages, click Details; under Preferences, click Language Bar; uncheck Show the Language bar on the desktop as desired.

*To display the Volume icon in the taskbar so you can adjust the volume: Start, Settings, Control Panel, Sounds and Audio Devices, Volume tab, check Place Volume icon in the taskbar; uncheck Mute.

To turn off the screen saver: Right-click on the Desktop, Properties; Screen Saver tab, Screen Saver—None, Power button, Power Schemes tab, Turn off monitor—Never.

To schedule scandisk and defrag: Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Defragmenter or ScanDisk.

To find or change icons: Right-click the desktop item and click Properties, Customize, Change Icon button or right-click the shortcut and click Properties, Shortcut tab, Change Icon button; browse to Shell32.dll or Pifmgr.dll, usually in the C:\Windows\System32 folder.

To display a Web page on the Desktop: right-click the Desktop, Properties, Desktop tab, Customize Desktop, Web tab, New; Location box—http://DesiredPage.htm; OK, OK, OK, Apply, OK. When the window appears on the Desktop, carefully place the mouse pointer over the top of the window to make the Title bar appear; drag on the Title bar to position the window in the lower right hand corner, and drag on the edges until it is sized as desired.

To lock the Web Page settings: right-click the Desktop, Properties, Desktop tab, Customize Desktop, Web tab, check Lock desktop items, OK, Apply, OK. When desktop is unlocked, you hold the mouse over the top of the Web window to display the Title bar. You can then click on the List arrow on the left to Synchronize, etc.

To synchronize the Web page on the Desktop: Unlock the Desktop—right-click the Desktop, Properties, Desktop tab, Customize Desktop, Web tab, clear Lock desktop items, OK, Apply, OK. Hold the mouse over the top of the Web window to display the Title bar. Click on the List arrow on the left side of the title bar to display the drop-down list, and click Synchronize. If changes have been made on the source Web page, you will see them right after synchronizing.

To set a restore point: Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, System Restore, and follow the prompts there. Use a restore point when you want to "undo" some setting or software installation.

*Windows Explorer Settings

*To globally customize the folder views in Windows Explorer, display extensions, etc: Open Windows Explorer and open any directory with files in it; click View, Details; drag the column headings into this order as follows—Name, Date Modified, Size, Type. Next, go click Tools, Folder Option, View tab; click Apply to All Folders, OK. In the Advanced Settings box, check Display the full path in the address bar; check Display the full path in the title bar; select Show hidden files and folders; uncheck Hide file extensions for known file types; uncheck Remember each folder's view settings;

*Internet Explorer Settings

*To make Internet Explorer the default browser: Tools, Internet Options, Programs tab, check Internet Explorer should check to see whether it is the default browser.

*To set the home page for Internet Explorer: Go to the desired home page and click Tools, Internet Options, General tab, under Home page, click Use current, OK. For the 112 Profile, set the home page to http://caot.lacc.cc.ca.u2.112.

*To open a new browser window when any shortcut is clicked: Tools, Internet Options, Advanced tab; under the Browsing header, uncheck Reuse windows for launching shortcuts.

To clear drop-down menus for privacy: Tools, Internet Options, Content tab, AutoComplete, Clear Forms, OK, OK.

To go to Netscape: http://wp.netscape.com/browsers/6/su_setup6.html

*Word Settings

*To make all Word menus visible at all times without a delay: Tools, Customize, Options tab; uncheck Show full menus after a short delay; check Always show full menus, Close.

*To hide Startup Task Pane: To hide the Startup Task Pane: Go to Tools, Options, View tab; under Show, uncheck Startup Task Pane.

*To remove Drawing Canvas: To remove Drawing Canvas as a default when drawing an object or text box: Go to Tools, Options, General tab, uncheck Automatically create drawing canvas when inserting AutoShapes.

*To increase the recently used file list to 9: Tools, Options, General tab; go to increase Recently used file list and increase it to 9 entries.

*To stop Word menus from unfolding: Go to View, Toolbars, Customize, Options tab; under the Menu animations box, choose (System default); Close.

Word tells you a file is already in use: If Word crashes, sometimes when you reopen it, you are told the file you want to open is already in use. Close Word, press Ctrl-Alt-Del, select winword, and choose End Task. Reopen Word. You should be able to open your file now without a problem.

To change the default layout for inserted pictures: Tools, Options, Edit tab, Insert/Paste pictures as, select desired choice—voila!!