How much space CDs and DVDs have on them?
Have you ever wondered how much space CDs and DVDs have on them? I mean, if you do a lot of CD or DVD burning, you need to know how much room you'll have, right? It's pretty much the most important piece of information you need to know before you start any burning projects. Well, I'm here today to give you all the scoop, so listen up!
I'm going to start with CDs, because I'm guessing more of you use CDs on a regular basis over DVDs. There are several different sizes of blank CDs that you can buy, including 21, 74, 80, 90 and 99 minutes long. The most popular though, as far as I know, is the 80 minute CD. This translates to approximately 700 MB of open space. If you were making a music CD (you know, throwing a bunch of your favorite songs all onto one CD), you could fit around 20 songs (give or take a few) on one 80 minute CD, depending on how long the songs are. Cool, huh?!
Now, on to DVDs. Most blank DVDs can hold up to 4.4 GB of data. Most of the package labels will say 4.7 GB, but that's pretty much just a marketing ploy. If you're burning a movie, pictures, etc. onto the DVD, by the time everything is actually said and done, you can only fit 4.4 GB of material on one single DVD. That's nothing to be upset about though. That sure adds up to a lot of information on one tiny little disk. So, now that you know how much space you have when you're working with CDs and DVDs, you can plan ahead to get the most out of your work!
I was looking around in my Add/Remove Programs area in the Control Panel and I found something on the side that said "Set Program Access and Defaults." What does this mean and should I even mess with it?
this feature can only be found in Windows XP and you need to have Service Pack 1 or higher. If you're using anything lower than that, this will not work for you. Again, what we're talking about is called "Set Program Access and Defaults." You can use this feature to change the default programs you use for certain activities you do while on your computer. For example, such activities as simply surfing the Web, sending e-mails, playing CDs or using instant messaging programs.
Now, before I go into any more detail, I need to tell you that you must have Administrator rights to use this feature. Otherwise, you won't be able to change any of your default programs and that will just defeat the whole purpose of this tip. If you're not sure how to get Administrator rights, you can read this article for some help. Also, if you use a Windows XP Professional computer that is part of a network, you must be logged in as the Administrator or as a member of the Administrators group to be able to do this. The same goes for those of you who use Windows XP Professional or Home Edition computers that are not part of a network. You still need to be signed in as the computer's Administrator in order to change the default program settings.
Okay, once you're all set with that, go to Start, All Programs and then find the choice that says "Set Program Access and Defaults." (You can also get there by going to Start, Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs. On the left hand side, you'll see the choice for "Set Program Access and Defaults"). Once you're there, you have four options to choose from. They are:
1.) You can restore your program settings to what they were when established by the manufacturer of your computer. If you want to do that, click on the Computer Manufacturer choice. Now, this option is only available if the actual manufacturer put Service Pack 1 on your computer and set allowances for those settings. (If you're not sure on that, you may want to contact your manufacturer or look for some information about it in your computer's manual).
2.) If you want to set your program defaults to fit the needs of the activities you do on your computer (like the ones I mentioned above), click on the Microsoft Windows choice. With this option, you will be able to access both Microsoft and non-Microsoft programs from your Start menu, your desktop or any other location you may choose on your computer.
3.) Now, if you want to use non-Microsoft programs as your defaults, click the Non-Microsoft choice. You can then just select the options that you want. Now, keep in mind: This configuration does remove your available access to other specified Windows programs.
4.) The last choice is to combine the non-Microsoft and Microsoft Windows options. This one is under the name of Custom, so if you'd like to do this, click it. You can then select the options you want to set for your computer. By doing a custom setting, you can pretty much do a combination of all the above choices. That includes being able to access your programs from your Start menu, your desktop and any other location you choose.
Once you have all your settings in place, click the OK button and everything will be ready. In case you were wondering, my computer is set to Custom, because with that, I have the most control over the way my programs act on my computer. You can (and should) choose for yourself, but that's my opinion. Alright, now that you know what this feature is, go and get your programs to do what you want them to do, all in a few easy clicks!
Bye, Bye Paste Options
Well, it seems that not everyone is pleased with all of the new "gadgets" that come in the newer versions of the MS Office Suite.
A reader wrote in not too long ago looking to get rid of the Paste Options button:
While some people love it, others just find it annoying and want it gone.
Is there a way?
Of course! You just have to know where to look.
If you're set firmly in the "get rid of it" camp, you'll need the Tools menu, Options choice.
In the Options window, you're looking for the Edit tab.
At this point, we need the "Show Paste Options button" choice. The location of it on the tab will depend upon the program you're using.
Uncheck this choice.
Click OK.
Lens Magnifying Glass
I thought I'd go a little lighter today and feature a download that's a little more on the fun side. Check it out!
Have you ever run into a Web site or a document that was really small and hard to view? My dad has this problem a little more often than I do and I catch him using the magnifier that comes with Windows from time to time. The magnifier feature works pretty good for blowing up images, but as with a lot of built in Windows features, it's not the best program for the job. If you find yourself putting nose marks on your monitor when you're trying to get some information off your PC, then read on and check out this week's download!
This week, I decided to go with a program called Lens Magnifying Glass (LMG). If you're familiar with the Windows version of the magnifier, you're probably also familiar with its awkwardness. Well, the LMG makes things a lot easier. It doesn't take up half of your desktop; that is, unless you want it to. The LMG also allows you to use different skins, which gives you the option of getting different shapes and sizes of the viewing area. There are interactive buttons right on the interface, so there's no searching for a Tools button to change settings or zoom levels either. You can also minimize the application to the taskbar and then easily pull it up whenever you need it.
It downloads and installs quickly and works in Windows 95/98/Me/NT4/2000/XP.
You can download the Lens Magnifying Glass for yourself right here. I hope you enjoy it!
nce you have your Address Book up and running, it's probably safe to say that every once in awhile, you have to go in and update an entry. You know, maybe one of your contacts got a new e-mail address or maybe someone moved to a different home address, etc. Whatever the case may be, you have to go in and change the information around. So, what's the quickest way to do that?
Well, is a double click fast enough for you? Try it with me. Open Outlook Express and go to Tools, Address Book. Find an entry that you need to update and just double click it. Once you do that, the Properties window will pop right up and you can go through the different tabs and change the information as needed. Now, with the old way, you had to open up your Address Book, right click on an entry, choose Properties, etc., etc. But now, there's no more extra clicking for you. This is, hands down, the easiest way to update your Address Book. Check it out, my friends!
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