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BOOT CAMP 138
TOP TIPS PART 2
INTERNET AND EMAIL
SPEED CHECK
If you place the mouse pointer over the small double monitor
icon in the System Tray when you are on-line you will see a summary of bytes
sent and received and modem connection speed. Click on the icon and the
Disconnect dialogue box appears, with the same information displayed. However,
unless the modem has been properly configured the connection speed may appear
impossibly high, at 115,200 bits/sec. This is the speed at which the PC is
communicating with the modem, rather than the speed of data flowing down the
telephone line. To remedy that you need to program your modem with an ‘AT’
command (see Jargon Filter). Open Control Panel, double click on the Modem icon,
make sure your modem is highlighted on the General tab, select Properties, then
the Connection tab and click the Advanced Button. In Extra Settings type ‘W2’
(for modems with Rockwell chipsets), ‘AT&F1’ (3COM and USR models) or ‘MR=2’
(later Rockwell models and PCI cards). If you still see 115,200 bits/sec consult
your modem’s manual or visit the manufacturer's web site and look for the Report
DCE speed (Data Communication Equipment) command line.
FASTER DIALLING
Save several seconds a week by increasing your PCs dialling
speed (it may not work on some modems but it's worth trying). Go to Control
Panel click on the Modem icon, then Properties, select the Connection tab and
click on Advanced. In the Extra Settings field enter S11=50 (no spaces) then
click OK. (You can have multiple AT commands in Extra Settings – see previous
tip -- just make sure they’re separated by a space). S11determines the duration
of each tone pulse, in milliseconds, the second number specifies the gap between
each tone, thus reducing the number to 45 say, makes it dial even faster,
increasing the number slows it down. If the connection fails or becomes
unreliable simply clear the Extra Settings field to return to the default
values.
FASTER DOWNLOADS
There's an easy way to speed up page access on the Internet,
by just loading text. Instead of all the pictures, graphics, advertising banners
and sounds you will see icons. If you want to see or hear an item just
right-click on the icon and you will get the option to load it. In Internet
Explorer 5 the procedure is Tools > Internet Options > Advanced tab,
scroll down to Multimedia and uncheck the Show Picture box. (Internet Options is
on the View menu in IE4) Netscape Navigator has a similar facility called Auto
Load Images; you’ll find it listed under Options or Preferences, depending on
the version.
KEYBOARD TIMESAVERS
There are probably at least one or two Internet web sites
that you visit frequently -- search engines or a particular home page etc.
Rather than waste time opening your browser, manually selecting the address from
the Favourites list and making the connection, just create a simple keyboard
shortcut, it's easy! Pressing the keys will take you straight to your chosen web
site from within any application.
On the Start menu click Favourites, right-click the site you
are interested in then select Properties and the Internet Shortcut tab. In the
Shortcut Key box you will see 'None', click in a cursor and type a single letter
-- choose one that relates to the site and you can easily remember, such as 'Y'
for Yahoo, etc. -- the field will now display the assigned shortcut, i.e. 'Ctrl
+ Alt + Y'. Click OK and try it out. Internet Explorer opens automatically and
takes you straight to the web site. (If IE is not your chosen browser you will
have to open it and manually add the web site address to the Favourites
list).
On Internet Explorer 4 and 5 you can open a second smaller
browser window by holding down the shift button before clicking on a link. Here
are some more IE4/5 keyboard shortcuts worth remembering. Ctrl + D adds the
current web page to your Favourite list. Ctrl + H opens the History folder, Ctrl
+ N opens a new browser window, Ctrl + W closes the active browser window and
Ctrl + R reloads the page you are viewing.
WORD WISE
If you compose your E-mails using MS Word (97 or 2000), or
write articles then copy and paste the document into Outlook Express you might
like to know there's an easier way. Go to the File menu on Word, select Send To
then Mail Recipient. This will open the Outlook E-mail window, with your
document already attached, all you have to do is select the address and click
Send. You may have to make a couple of adjustments to Outlook Express first,
however. On the Tools menu choose Options and on the General tab ensure 'Make Outlook Express my default e-mail program'
is checked, then put a tick next to 'Make Outlook Express My Default Simple MAPI
Client'. (MAPI stands for messaging application programming interface).
Restart the PC and it's done.
EMPTY THE BIN
When you delete mail messages in Outlook Express they are
sent to the program's own Recycle Bin, and there they will stay until you get
around to emptying it. In other words deleting a message doesn't free up any
hard disc space, nor does it prevent others from reading your discarded mail as
messages can be recovered at any time. If you are sure that you really want to
get rid of deleted messages once and for all then you should instruct Outlook
Express to automatically empty the bin every time you exit the program. Click on
the Tools menu, select Options and the General tab and put a tick in the
checkbox next to: 'Empty messages from the deleted items folder on exit'.
COMPACT AND BACKUP
If you want to keep your messages get into the habit of
regularly 'compacting' the files in your Inbox, this can also make them small
enough to backup to a floppy disc. Click and highlight the selected Inbox or
Outbox folder icon then go to the File menu, select Folder and Compact Folder.
If you want to backup your email you will find it in C:/program files/Outlook
Express/Default User. Inbox and Outbox files come in pairs with '.idx' (index)
and '.mbx' (mailbox) extensions, and must be copied or saved together.
ACCESSIBLE ADDRESSES
Here's a way to turn your Internet Explorer/Outlook Express
email Address Book into a text file that can be read by a word processor, or
imported into other email programs. Open Address Book and on the File menu
select Export, then Address Book. In the dialogue box that appears select 'Text
File (comma separated values)' and click the Export button. Type in the path
(where you want the file to be stored) and give the file a name, for example:
C:\my documents\adbook.txt. Select Next, check the items you wish to export and
click Finish.
Next week – Top Word Tips
JARGON FILTER
AT
ATtention – the prefix to a modem command, to tell the modem
to expect an instruction
KEYBOARD SHORTCUT
A simply remembered two or three key sequence to carry out a
frequently used command or instruction
PCI
Peripheral Component Interconnect – high-speed connector and
control system, used on most recent PCs, also used for internal modems, sound
and video, adaptor cards etc.
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