Quick-Tips: The idea behind the tips is this: I thought I'd put
a tip on the front-page that would take a person a second to read and
maybe help computer users save a little time. Simple.
04/03/00 - I just started the Quick Tips idea. Hopefully I'll build a
whole section for you to grab little ideas from that will save you time
Use a CPU idle utility if you run Win95,
98 or ME
02/15/02
Solve computer problems fast: use Google.
You'd be suprised how many computer questions I get asked that I answer
by simply typing them in Google. Try it: it works!
Seriously, someone will email me with a question like: "I get this
error message" or "how do I change this" - I type the error
message in Google, hit search, sort through the results for a minute or
two, and I can usually find a solution to try.
Use a CPU idle utility if you run Win95,
98 or ME
11/01/01
Microsoft's Win9x series of OS'es run your cpu at 100%, all
the time. A cpu idle utility can reduce your cpu's temperature and perhaps
prolong its life.
I've heard that CPUCool
is the only program that works correctly with Athlon systems, but I don't
know enough to say either way.
btw - if you run a real OS like Linux, Windows NT, 2000 or XP, those OS'es
incorporate cpu idling, but you still may benefit from some of the cpu
or memory optimizations that programs like CPUCool have.
If they don't, you must not be using enough of them!
Get all the keyboard shortcuts you can ever use at the Tweak
Central Keyboard shortcuts page! There's even a printable version
thanks to Thomas Bering!
Keep up-to-date on patches
01/30/01
Reduce your computer's
security risk by installing the latest security patches and antivirus
updates.
This stuff isn't absolutely necessary, but you should check on this stuff
from time-to-time.
I just thought of this today because a friend sent me an email telling
me she thought her computer was infected with the KaKWorm
"virus" - and when I received the email, my security settings
popped up an ActiveX window (like below). Had I not disabled ActiveX,
I would have gotten the KaKWorm (I don't know if simply running Windows
2000 would have prevented it). In any case, it just reminded me to get
some security updates.
Use utilities like NagBlast
to close unwanted windows automatically
12/28/00
If you are sick of certain windows popping up repeatedly, software
like NagBlast
can automate the task of getting rid of them. Not just in your browser...
Because of my high security settings, Internet Explorer constantly pops
up these irritating-ass windows:
So just becuase some jackass thinks ActiveX is the way to go™ I have
to click OK past half-a-dozen windows.
Enter NagBlast.
NagBlast was the only program I could find that works on these ActiveX
windows. It also works on a variety of other windows. Definitely check
it out.
Related
links: (*Note: I couldn't get either of the programs below to close
the ActiveX windows) Pow! from AnalogX (there's a
bunch of cool stuff there...)
This
one's very easy: To stop a web-page from loading press the STOP
button or the ESCAPE-key.
This may seem trivial, but it can come in handy with some pesky web-pages
that keep trying to refresh themselves.
As an added bonus, the STOP button (ESC key) will stop most animated gifs:
You know, those annoying flashing, contrasting-color ads that can make
it distracting to read the text on the page. (See this
tip below if you want to stop animated gifs for good)
Start saving ya' pennies
11/21/00
The movie GLADIATOR
was released on DVD / VHS on Nov. 21 (Tues).
DVD's (especially pr0n) make great stocking-stuffers! If someone got me
GLADIATOR even if I already had it, I would give them (minimum) a reach-around!
Dude, stop wasting time entering http://www.
in the address box!
11/01/00
Whenever I see someone typing in an address, I see them waste about 30
seconds trying to correctly type http://www.
Dude, just type "whatever.com" - any modern web-server will
understand what you mean. The http:// was never necessary and the
www. went out about two years ago!
Sort files by attribute in details view
10/16/00
By simply clicking on the column heading, you can sort by that attribute.
You can sort by any of the attributes, Name, Size, Date... etc. Clicking
once sorts in ascending order, clicking again sorts in descending order.
You can get to details view by clicking the little "view" button
and selecting details:
I could see this being especially handy in Napster. One could concievably
quickly find the files with the highest bitrate or just make sure that
the song is the corrrect length. As the church-lady used to say, "How
convenient!"
Change your security policies in Win2k:
10/10/00
Just go to
Programs | Administrative Tools | Domain Security
Policy.
From the console that pops up, choose Security Options.
(see left).
From the window that pops up on the right, you can change various settings
like being able to shut down without logging on, and the message to display
when users log-on.
All this stuff is available in the registry, but this little console makes
editing that much easier.
It's "viruses" (click
here to see why). A trailing apostrophe indicates the possessive.
(like your crazy ex-boyfriend).
And for pete's sake, get a human domain name.
Change personalized favorites menu settings
in IE5
08/09/00
This one is simple. I installed Win2k and quickly grew tired of the "personalized
favorites menu" - it's a feature that MS started using in Office2000.
Basically it rearranges the items in your menus so the ones you use most
often are at the top. It also hides the ones you don't use as often in
a little bar at the bottom of the menu. You can turn this feature on or
off by going to Tools | Internet options | Advanced
tab and checking or unchecking the "Enable
personalized favorites menu" box.
Quickie screen-capture
07/24/00
You probably already know this one, but to do a quick screen-capture,
just press the "Print Scrn" key
(Mac users may not have this key). That stores an image of the current
screen in the clipboard.
Then load up your favorite paint program and Edit
| Paste (or hit CTRL-V) and you're
good-to-go!
Stop annoying animated GIFs once and for
all
06/28/00
Stop annoying animated GIFs once and for all! (internet explorer
only)
07/24: update - I just realized that there
is a setting in the menu: Tools | Internet Options
| Advancd Tab under Multimedia:
Simply uncheck the Play animations box!
In regedit, go to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\Main
Modify the key "Play_Animations"
from the default "yes" to "no".
If you ever decide you can't live without those annoying-ass "punch
the monkey to win $20" - that don't pay you, you can just as easily
turn them back on.
Quick undo
06/23/00
Quick Undo
Ever do something you wish you could just undo? Ever Cut or move some
big junk of text when you didn't mean to?
Just hit: CTRL-Z. In most cases, whatever application you're running
will undo the most recent action performed.
Change your cursor (pointer)
06/13/00
Change your cursor (pointer)
Go get a cursor (pointer) from anywhere on the web, or a software
archive like SoftSeek.
Go to Control Panel | Mouse
and hit the pointers tab. Choose the cursor
you want to replace and hit Browse. Find
the cursor you downloaded and click OK.
I chose a simple blue arrow but feel free to get creative. There are also
many aps out there that will let you create your own pointers.
Change the program you OPEN a file with
05/20/00
Change the program you OPEN a file with by first selecting the
file (left-click), holding down the
shift-key and right-clicking
(or pressing the menu-key). Then select Open
with... from the menu.
This opens a small window from which you can choose the application you
would like to use to open the file. If the application you wish to use
doesn't appear in the list, press browse to find it yourself.
If you want this application to open all files of this type, check the
"Always use this program to open this type
of file" box (this changes the association of the file
extension).
Minimize all your open windows
05/06/00
Minimize all your open windows by pressing (Windows
key) + M . You can minimize individual windows by pressing Alt-Space-N.
To the guy who emailed me that one a few years back - Thanks!
This is great for hiding a bunch of open pr0n windows when your Mom (or
boss) walks by... YEAH BABY!
Get to internet explorer's address-bar in a
hurry
04/03/00
04/13: An easier way: Just press "Alt-D" - (Thank you
Abdullah Siddiqui).
There's got to me a ton of these "Alt-key" combinations - I'll
see if I can't find some more.
To get to Internet Explorer's address bar in a hurry, just press
CTRL-TAB.
You can just start typing the next address you want to go to. Ctrl-Tab
actually jumps you between frames, so on a frame page, you may have to
hit Ctrl-Tab a few times.
Home
information
Best tweak sites
Microsoft
Windows Update download
This
one's very easy: To stop a web-page from loading press the STOP
button or the ESCAPE-key.
By simply clicking on the column heading, you can sort by that attribute.
You can sort by any of the attributes, Name, Size, Date... etc. Clicking
once sorts in ascending order, clicking again sorts in descending order.
Just go to 
Programs | Administrative Tools | Domain Security
Policy.
You can just start typing the next address you want to go to. Ctrl-Tab
actually jumps you between frames, so on a frame page, you may have to
hit Ctrl-Tab a few times.
