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Tips & Tricks

Sergeant April's Secret Files Part II

By April Miller Cripliver

Last month we printed the first installment of Boot Camp columnist April Miller's collection of tips and shortcuts to brighten up 'and shorten' the hours you spend in front of your PC. Here's the second. Make a copy for your own secret file, and make room for more to come over the summer.

Creating a Shortcut

Remember the easiest way to create a shortcut is to find the 'thing' that you are looking for (folder, exe file, drive icon), right-click on it and drag it to the desktop (or whereever you want the shortcut to go).

Shortcuts from Shortcuts

Say you want to create a shortcut to Solitaire on your desktop. You don't know where the executable file is stored or even its name.You can use the FIND command and type out the full name, SOLITAIRE. (This will actually find the Start menu shortcut to Solitaire).You can right-mouseclick and drag the shortcut from the FIND dialogue box right onto the desktop. It will create a shortcut on your desktop. (Same holds true if you drag onto the START button). Executable files will drag the same way. It's just nice to know that you can make a shortcut from a shortcut in case you don't know thepath or the name of the EXE file.

Line Up Icons

To have your icons line up (align horizontally and vertically according to the desktop's internal spacing grid), right-mouseclick on the desktop and choose Line Up Icons.

Cancel a Print Job

If you are printing a long document and you need to stop the print job, double-click on the PRINTER ICON on the TASKBAR and the Print Manager will pop up. Select the print job you want to stop. Choose DOCUMENT from the pull-down menu choice. Select CANCEL PRINTING to stop the job.

You Know Where to Send It

When you right-click on most objects, you'll usually see a SENDTO option. This offers you a number of locations where you can send the item you've selected. The default locations are useful, but why not throw your own favorites in there? Here are two ways to do this:

1) Open MY COMPUTER / C: / WINDOWS / SENDTO folder. Drag any shortcut into the
SENDTO folder.

2) Click on START / RUN and type SENDTO. Anything you put in the SENDTO folder
(preferably shortcuts) will then appear on the SEND TO menu.

Organize Your SendTo Folder

If you've put lots of destinations into your SENDTO folder, you may want to organize them into cascading menus. Open MY COMPUTER / C: / WINDOWS / SENDTO. Select NEW/FOLDER and type in a name. Drag or Copy your shortcuts into the new folders.

Control Menu Please

To get to the Control Menu, press ALT- SPACEBAR. The control menu is the little picture on the title bar. You can use it to close down an application.

Drag And Drop ??? Before You Lift A Finger

When you drag and drop a file, it's moved, copied, or given a shortcut, depending on where you're dragging it from and dropping it to. The easiest and safest way to tell what it's going to do is
to look in the lower-right corner of the icon you're dragging before you let goof the mouse button. A plus sign (+) means the file will be copied, an arrow means you'll create a shortcut. If you see nothing, the file will be moved.

Left Drag ? Right Drag ???? Left-dragging objects from one directory to another on the SAME drive results in a MOVE. Holding down the SHIFT key while using the left-drag forces a MOVE. Left-dragging objects from one directory to another on a DIFFERENT drive results in a COPY. Holding down the CTRL key while using the LEFT-DRAG forces a copy regardless of the source or destination. Left-Dragging executable files to a new directory results in a shortcut to that file. Right-dragging any object from one directory to another, then selecting CREATE SHORTCUT here option, will result in a shortcut to that object.

Copy / Cut. CTRL C copies the currently selected file, folder, text, or picture to the clipboard. CTRL X cuts the currently selected file. CTRL V pastes the current clipboard.

Shift Key And Right-Click Are Related

Hold down the SHIFT key when you drag and drop something with the left mouse button. You will get the same results as if you dragged and dropped with the right mouse button.

Quick Setup On Your Desktop

If you install lots and lots of games and programs that are not Windows 95 specific, you are probable issuing the START / RUN / A:SETUP command often. Instead, create a shortcut on your desktop to A:\setup.exe and a:\install.exe. Put a disk in drive A: that contains the SETUP or INSTALL command. Open up MY COMPUTER and then Drive A: Right-mouseclick on the SETUP or INSTALL file, and drag to the desktop. Choose CREATE SHORTCUT HERE. You may want to rename the shorcut INSTALL (or SETUP) from a floppy.

Tips & Tricks

Sergeant April's Secret Files Part II

*By April Miller Cripliver*
Last month we printed the first installment of Boot Camp columnist April Miller's collection of tips and shortcuts to brighten up 'and shorten' the hours you spend in front of your PC. Here's the second. Make a copy for your own secret file, and make room for more to come over the summer. Creating a Shortcut Remember the easiest way to create a shortcut is to find the 'thing' that you are looking for (folder, exe file, drive icon), right-click on it and drag it to the desktop (or whereever you want the shortcut to go). Shortcuts from Shortcuts Say you want to create a shortcut to Solitaire on your desktop. You don't know where the executable file is stored or even its name.You can use the FIND command and type out the full name, SOLITAIRE. (This will actually find the Start menu shortcut to Solitaire).You can right-mouseclick and drag the shortcut from the FIND dialogue box right onto the desktop. It will create a shortcut on your desktop. (Same holds true if you drag onto the START button). Executable files will drag the same way. It's just nice to know that you can make a shortcut from a shortcut in case you don't know thepath or the name of the EXE file. Line Up Icons To have your icons line up (align horizontally and vertically according to the desktop's internal spacing grid), right-mouseclick on the desktop and choose Line Up Icons. Cancel a Print Job If you are printing a long document and you need to stop the print job, double-click on the PRINTER ICON on the TASKBAR and the Print Manager will pop up. Select the print job you want to stop. Choose DOCUMENT from the pull-down menu choice. Select CANCEL PRINTING to stop the job. You Know Where to Send It When you right-click on most objects, you'll usually see a SENDTO option. This offers you a number of locations where you can send the item you've selected. The default locations are useful, but why not throw your own favorites in there? Here are two ways to do this: 1) Open MY COMPUTER / C: / WINDOWS / SENDTO folder. Drag any shortcut into the SENDTO folder. 2) Click on START / RUN and type SENDTO. Anything you put in the SENDTO folder (preferably shortcuts) will then appear on the SEND TO menu. Organize Your SendTo Folder If you've put lots of destinations into your SENDTO folder, you may want to organize them into cascading menus. Open MY COMPUTER / C: / WINDOWS / SENDTO. Select NEW/FOLDER and type in a name. Drag or Copy your shortcuts into the new folders. Control Menu Please To get to the Control Menu, press ALT- SPACEBAR. The control menu is the little picture on the title bar. You can use it to close down an application. Drag And Drop ??? Before You Lift A Finger When you drag and drop a file, it's moved, copied, or given a shortcut, depending on where you're dragging it from and dropping it to. The easiest and safest way to tell what it's going to do is to look in the lower-right corner of the icon you're dragging before you let goof the mouse button. A plus sign (+) means the file will be copied, an arrow means you'll create a shortcut. If you see nothing, the file will be moved. Left Drag ? Right Drag ???? Left-dragging objects from one directory to another on the SAME drive results in a MOVE. Holding down the SHIFT key while using the left-drag forces a MOVE. Left-dragging objects from one directory to another on a DIFFERENT drive results in a COPY. Holding down the CTRL key while using the LEFT-DRAG forces a copy regardless of the source or destination. Left-Dragging executable files to a new directory results in a shortcut to that file. Right-dragging any object from one directory to another, then selecting CREATE SHORTCUT here option, will result in a shortcut to that object. Copy / Cut. CTRL C copies the currently selected file, folder, text, or picture to the clipboard. CTRL X cuts the currently selected file. CTRL V pastes the current clipboard. Shift Key And Right-Click Are Related Hold down the SHIFT key when you drag and drop something with the left mouse button. You will get the same results as if you dragged and dropped with the right mouse button. Quick Setup On Your Desktop If you install lots and lots of games and programs that are not Windows 95 specific, you are probable issuing the START / RUN / A:SETUP command often. Instead, create a shortcut on your desktop to A:\setup.exe and a:\install.exe. Put a disk in drive A: that contains the SETUP or INSTALL command. Open up MY COMPUTER and then Drive A: Right-mouseclick on the SETUP or INSTALL file, and drag to the desktop. Choose CREATE SHORTCUT HERE. You may want to rename the shorcut INSTALL (or SETUP) from a floppy.

April Miller Cripliver, a regular contributor and creator of our Boot Camp columns, is Director of PC Applications at Computer Education Institute in Chesterton, Indiana. Contact April at userfriendly@bigfoot.com.