Single Click Instead of Double Click
(Works with all Windows versions)
Some users would rather launch applications from icons by single clicking instead of double clicking. Here's how to do it:
1. First, load up Windows Explorer by pressing WINDOWS KEY + E, or by clicking Computer on your start menu.
2. Next, click Organize > Folder and Search Options.
3. After the folder options window appears, simply select "Single click to open an item" and then click OK.
That's it! Now you only need to click an icon once to open any application.
Set Folder Options
(Works with all Windows versions)
One of the first things knowledgeable Windows users do when they get a new computer is change the Folder View options to a preferred setting. Here's how you can customize your folders:
1. Open the Control Panel and click on the Folder Options icon.
2. Click on the View tab.
3. Check or uncheck your folder preferences. Play around with them and customize your computer to the way you want it.
A few suggestions for you:
a. Check "Show hidden files and folders" - there's a lot of files and folders you can't see until you check this.
b. Uncheck "Hide extensions for known file types" - If this is checked, you're not seeing the extensions of most files (examples: jpg, gif, doc, txt).
c. Uncheck "Hide protected operating system files" - More files that Windows keeps hidden from you until you uncheck this.
Turn off Windows Hibernation
(Works with all Windows versions)
Windows hibernation is another background service that can use up a lot of system resources. If you're not using the Hibernate feature regularly (like me), you might want to disable it to give Windows a performance boost. Without further ado, here's how you disable hiberation.
Windows Vista/Windows 7:
1. Select the Control Panel then Power Options
2. Click Change Plan Settings
3. Click on Change Advanced Power Settings
4. Expand the Sleep selection
5. Expand the Hibernate After selection
6. Crank the selector down to zero and click Apply
All Other Windows Versions:
1. Select the Control Panel then Power Options
2. Click the Hiberate tab
3. Uncheck Enable Hiberation
Vista users: If you don't have Hibernate option in Vista and want it, here is how to enable it:
1. Go to the Start Menu search box and type "cmd" (without quotes) and hit Ctrl+Shift+Enter to use administrative mode.
2. In the command prompt, type the following command: powercfg /hibernate on and hit Enter.
3. Reboot the system and you should now have the Hibernate option.
Use Your Photos as a Screensaver
(Works with all Windows versions)
If you like using a screen saver and have digital photos on your computer, you can easily make your own screen saver using the pictures that you have stored on your PC. You can set up your screen saver in Microsoft Windows to display a slide show of some or all of your pictures when you're not using your computer.
To set up a My Pictures slide show:
Windows Vista/Windows 7:
1. Right-click on the desktop, and then click Personalize.
2. Click Screen Saver.
3. In the Screen Saver drop-down box, select Photos.
Windows XP:
1. Move your mouse pointer to your Windows desktop and right-click the mouse button, and then click Properties.
2. In the Display Properties dialog box, click the Screen Saver tab. Then, click the Screen saver list, and click My Pictures Slideshow.
3. Click OK
The next time your screen saver starts, you'll see a slide show of all the pictures in your My Pictures folder.
Add a Picture to a Folder
(Works with all Windows versions)
Microsoft Windows usually shows icons for folders like My Music and My Pictures. If a folder contains pictures, Windows XP displays random thumbnails from within the folder. You can replace these icons with custom pictures to make browsing your files more fun, and to make it easier for children to find and open files.
Note: Your picture is visible only when you're browsing folders with the Thumbnails view. To access the Thumbnails view, click Thumbnails on the View menu.
To add a picture to a folder:
1. In Windows Explorer (the program that appears when you open folders such as My Computer, My Documents, My Pictures, or My Music), right-click the folder you want to add a picture to, and then click Properties.
2. In the Properties dialog box, click the Customize tab. If there is no Customize tab, you cannot add a picture to that folder. You can add pictures to other folders, however.
3. On the Customize tab, click Choose Picture or Choose File.
4. In the Browse dialog box, click the picture you want to use, and then click Open.
5. Click OK.
When you view the folder using Thumbnails view, Windows displays a thumbnail of the picture you selected.
Unlock Toolbars to Work With Them
(Works with all Windows versions)
A toolbar is a collection of buttons or icons--usually displayed across the top of the screen--that represents the different tasks you can do within a program. For example, in Microsoft Internet Explorer, there is a toolbar for the standard Internet Explorer command buttons, one for entering an Internet address, and one for quick links you can set up.
When you open a toolbar, it will appear in a particular spot on the screen. If you want to change the location of the toolbar you can move it by dragging it to the new location. You can also resize the toolbar by dragging its edge. If you find a toolbar that cannot be moved or resized, the toolbar may be locked.
How to Unlock a Toolbar:
1. Make sure you have only one window open for the program. (You can look at the taskbar at the bottom of your screen to verify this.) Then, right-click the toolbar.
2. If "Lock the Toolbars" appears on the shortcut menu and is selected (a check mark appears to the left of it), click Lock the Toolbars to unlock the toolbar. If you see Lock the Toolbars, but no check mark appears to the left of it, the toolbar is already unlocked.
Note: If "Lock the Toolbars" does not appear on the shortcut menu, you may not be able to move or resize the toolbar.
If you are able move the toolbar, once you've moved the toolbar to the location where you want it, select Lock the Toolbars so that it isn't inadvertently moved. To make sure the change is permanent, lock the toolbar, exit the program, and then reopen it. The toolbar should be locked.
How to Adjust the Windows Taskbar
(Works with all Windows versions)
The Windows taskbar is the bar that normally appears at the bottom of your screen that shows the programs you have loaded. Then suddenly one day you do something and the taskbar is now showing on the side of your screen and you can't get it back to where it was, or it's twice as thick as it normally should be. Or maybe you'd rather change things up and move your taskbar to the side and make it bigger to fit all your programs.
Moving the Taskbar:
1. Right-click on a blank area in the taskbar and deselect "Lock the Toolbar" by left-clicking on it. If there's not a checkmark next to it, it's already unlocked.
2. A divider line should now be showing next to the Start button. Left-click the area between the Start button and your divider (if you're using Vista, you can left-click in any blank area of the taskbar).
3. While keeping the left mouse button pressed, drag the taskbar to the new location (top, bottom, left or right). The taskbar will jump to the new position.
4. Release your mouse and right-click any blank area and Lock the Toolbar.
Resizing the Taskbar:
1. Move your cursor to the top edge of the taskbar and when you see it change to a double up/down arrow, left-click and then drag it up or down to make it bigger or smaller.
2. Release your mouse and right-click any blank area and Lock the Toolbar.
Have fun customizing!
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