FAQS! FACTS! FAX! 171 (22/07/99)

LEFT RIGHT

Having to go to the Control Panel every time you want to swap the mouse buttons ('Leftist Tendency, F!F!F! July 1st) seemed a little excessive to me, so I have written a program which allows you to swap the mouse buttons over just by clicking on a picture of a left or right hand. It's very simple, and easy for young children to understand. It can be found on my website in the download area:
http://www.bigfoot.com/~Russell.Smith

Russell Smith

A

Brilliant! We tried it and it works very many thanks for that.

GREY START
For some reason, I have lost the facility to access the Open and Explore features by right clicking on the Start button in Windows 95. Both of these options now appear greyed out, and I therefore have to run Explorer in the normal way to find my files. Do you know why this has happened, and how I can rectify the problem?
R. E. Poole, Bitterne, Southampton

A

This can happen if you are using Tweak UI and have configured it to 'hide' one or more of your drives. If that is the case simply open Tweak UI, select the My Computer tab, reselect any cleared check boxes by clicking them, click Apply and close.

TINY TIMER

As an alternative to Internet Timer 4 (Boot Camp 8) may I recommend Incounter downloadable from www.tucows.com. This is about the
size of a postage stamp, offers equivalent facilities, occupies no more than half a megabyte and is 'postcardware' - users need send the Russian author only a picture postcard!
Don Clarke

A

Thanks for that

MISCALCULATION
My problem is, that after reading your reply to Mark Kaplan (F!F!F! July 8th.) in respect of downloading calculators from the Internet I took a look at this site and picked out three (all freeware) which I downloaded to a floppy disc with other items that I found. However, when I attempted to retrieve them from the disc in each case, except one, I get the message "The File Does Not Exist". This has happened on previous occasions, so please where am I going wrong?
Fred Lidstone

A

There's no good reason why you can't save a downloaded file to floppy disc, assuming of course that there's enough room. The only point to be aware of it that it may take a little longer than saving it to your hard disc. If you're concerned about viruses saving a downloaded file to a floppy won't help since the virus can still infect your machine once it has been activated. The correct strategy is to 'quarantine' the downloaded file in its own newly created folder then check it with a virus scanner before running or decompressing it.  

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS

I use Windows 95, and find myself spending ages closing open windows from searches into the depths of my hard drive, so I was wondering if you knew of a way to close multiple windows in one go. With Macs, if you hold down the alt key while closing one window all the other open windows close.
Les Johnson

A

As usual with Windows there are several ways of doing things. If you want to minimise all open Windows the quickest method is to use the keyboard shortcut Winkey + M (Winkey-shift + M opens them again). If your keyboard doesn't have a Windows key there's a slightly long-winded alternative: Ctrl + Esc, Esc, Tab, Shift + F10, M. If you want to close all Windows prior to shutting down your PC simply go straight to the Shut Down option on the Start menu. Windows will prompt you to save any open files before an application is closed. You can close open programs quickly one at a time using two other shortcuts: Alt + F4 or Alt + Spacebar, C

TEXT TRICK

I have extreme difficulty in using templates, and cannot find assistance in the online help facility in Word 97. As an old WordPerfect user I found it very easy to make and attach a macro for 'Yours faithfully - name & address etc' and automatic date insertion. Macros in 'Word 97 seem to have a completely different function which I cannot fathom, and although I have found out about 'templates', I cannot find out how to attach one to my letter. Every time I try to follow what instructions I get the template on a new document and not on my letter.
Ray Jackson

A

A template is basically a 'blank' sheet of paper on which to write your letters, your address the date, opening line and salutation are inserted automatically. To create your own custom template use the Letter Wizard (File > New > Letters & Faxes tab), then follow the instructions. When you want to send a letter call it up just key in the text, or copy and paste it from another file. You can insert lines or blocks of text such as your address etc., into an ordinary blank document, with the AutoText facility. Create the text block, highlight it and press Alt + F3, you will then be asked to assign a keyboard shortcut. Alternatively there are various options on the Insert menu to put in date, time, greetings and salutations. If you like you can assign a frequently used text insertion to a toolbar button using a simple macro. For example, to insert 'Yours Truly' go to the Tools menu, click Macro then Record New Macro. Click the Toolbar icon then click, hold and drag the triangular icon onto the Toolbar. Right click on it, select Change Icon, choose a design and click OK. Now go to the Insert menu, click AutoText then Closing and select Yours Truly. To finish off click on the Stop Recording dialogue box.

BOARD OF ENQUIRY

I am not a particularly fast typist, but I do know more or less where to put my fingers on the keyboard. I appreciate that the positions of some symbols may differ among manufacturers. I can cope with these variations, but I sometimes use an electronic typewriter with a conventional keyboard, as well as two different types of computer.

What upsets me most is the position of the Shift and Control keys. My little finger searches for Shift, but on my Mitsumi 105 keyboard they land on the Ctrl key. Is there such a thing as a 'traditional' typewriter keyboard for the PC, preferably with Shift Lock on and off both sides?

Peter Baldwin

A

Despite a fairly lengthy trawl on the Internet and after consulting several specialist keyboard manufacturers it would seem not. Needless to say if any F!F!F! readers have any suggestions we'll pass them on.