|
FAQS!
FACTS! FAX! 169 (08/07/99)
EXCEL-ENT
IDEA?
I have a small but slightly irritating problem with Microsoft Excel 97. Every
time I try to enter a lower case 'i' in a cell (with no other text in the cell)
it immediately changes to upper case when I press enter. This happens with all
font types. I realise that this is hardly an earth-shattering problem but now
that I've noticed it, I wondered why it does it and how I can stop it. Is this
a deliberate bug put in as a joke by the people who compiled Excel to see how
long it would take to be noticed?
Tony Miller
A
Changing
lower case i to uppercase is a supposedly helpful 'AutoCorrect' action. It can
be disabled by clicking on AutoCorrect on the Tools menu. Scroll down the list,
highlight the ' Replace 'i' with… entry and click Delete. Alternatively uncheck
the box marked 'Replace text as you type' to switch off AutoCorrect altogether.
SUPER
SOLUTIONS
There's a much easier way to type subscript characters in Word 97 than the
method described in F!F!F! 24th June. Hold down CTRL and SHIFT then press the
'=' key to toggle superscript on or off. CTRL+ CAPS LOCK + '=' does the same
for subscript. As for a degree sign, Alt + 248 is a better one than Alt + 167.
Reluctant exiles from WordPerfect can find the Alt numbers by referring to the
ASCII Conversion Chart in the WordPerfect Reference book.
Gerald Burton
A
With
regard to recent correspondence about the use of superscript and subscript in
documents, the simplest method is to set up buttons on the tool bar. In Word 97
right click on the tool bar area and, on the menu that opens, click
'Customise'. In the 'Commands' section highlight 'Format' and find, in turn,
'Superscript' and 'Subscript' in the list on the right of the window. Left
click on each and drag the icon onto the tool bar. These buttons can then be
used in the same way as the 'Italics' or 'bold' buttons.
Bill Watson
It
seems to me that we are getting close to symbolic semantics. This subject seems
to have started something of a competition. Perhaps, F!F!F! can publish a full
list?
Bruce Adams
It's true, over the past few weeks we must have explored every nook and cranny
of Word's ability to create foreign characters and scientific symbols, thanks
to everyone who contributed.
ASSISTANT
– THE LAST WORD…
With
reference to F!F!F! June 24th, the simple way to get rid of Office Assistant in
Word 97 permanently is to open Windows Explorer/Program Files/Microsoft
Office/Office, then right click on the folder named Actors and rename it
Dead_Actors. I was given this tip some months ago and have had no return of
Office Assistant or any side effects.
Robert Davies
A
Hopefully
we have now banished Mr Paper Clip for good, let us speak of him no more…
CAPITAL
PUNISHMENT
Excellent!
Thanks to F!F!F! I've now done away with both automatic date insertion and that
darned Office Assistant who kept popping up to annoy me in Word. Now all I want
to do is find out how to stop capital letters appearing at the beginning of a
line.
Debbie
Morris, Sutton, Surrey
A
Go
to AutoCorrect on the Tools menu and on the AutoCorrect tab uncheck 'Capitalize
first letter of sentences'.
PREGNANT
PAUSE
Is
it dangerous for a pregnant woman to sit at a computer screen with other screen
in close proximity? Can this cause a miscarriage or damage a foetus?
H.
English, St Margarets, Twickenham
A
According
to a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) spokesman the most recent research
indicates that there is no link between miscarriages or birth defects and using
a VDU during pregnancy. However, he did go on to suggest that stress and worry
– prompted by media reports and scare stories about the safety of VDUs – could
have been a factor in some cases. Modern PC monitors are subject to strict
regulations and the levels of ionising radiation they emit is now at a very low
level, below that of most televisions. Emissions from monitors can be reduced
still further with specially designed shields or by using LCD type monitors. It
is impossible to say categorically there are no risks, if you are concerned you
should discuss the matter with your employer or whoever in your company is
responsible for health and safety matters. The HSE has prepared a useful
pamphlet on the subject, it can be viewed on the internet at: http://www.open.gov.uk/hse/pubns/indg36.htm,
or you can obtain a copy from the HSE by phoning (01787) 881165 and requesting
document INDG36, 'Working with VDUs'.
MYSTERIOUS
MOUSE
I
have a new PII 350 PC with 128Mb Ram and large hard disc. I have been having
intermittent trouble with my Primax mouse. The fault is that every so often the
cursor freezes up on the screen, sets itself on in the centre of the screen and
will only move horizontally. My PC supplier has been very helpful; he suggested
reinstalling Mouse driver and has even exchanged the mouse but all to no avail.
Today when I booted up the PC the mouse cursor was set in the middle of the
screen. In frustration I moved the mouse off the mouse pad to a nearby surface
and miraculously it started to work properly. The difference was not the
surface but the fact that the mouse was no longer in direct sunlight. I shaded
the mouse mat from the light and tried again. The result was that the mouse
functioned fully, when I removed the shading with my other hand and the cursor
froze again.
Michael Sprince
A
This
is a known problem with a lot of mice. It is due to the fact that the mouse
uses a pair of optical sensors to determine its position. If you turn the mouse
upside down, remove the ball cover, take out the ball and look inside you
should see two rollers, set at right angles to one another, which come into
contact with the ball. On the end of each roller is a small perforated disc; on
one side is a light-emitting diode, on the other an optical pickup device. As
the disc rotates it generates a series of pluses that the mouse driver software
interprets as movement. A bright light shining on the mouse can interfere with
the optical pickup and cause the pointer to freeze, or behave erratically. The
solution is to remove the top cover of the mouse – be careful as the bits
inside may drop out – and carefully coat the inside of the top cover with black
paint, or some electricians black insulating tape.
| 
