Tips and Tricks, October, 2003

This month’s column is a mix of tips on Internet Explorer and Windows XP.

Internet Explorer

To find a page you visited some weeks age, click the History button on the toolbar. A list will open on the left side of your screen, grouped by time periods, such as Monday, 2 weeks ago or three weeks ago. The sites you visited are listed (see picture). You can search the list or organize it in a different way, for example, by site or by times visited.

To save typing time, especially if you’re going to a site that has the same name as a company, you can type a word in the address box, then press Ctrl and Enter at the same time. Internet Explorer will put the http:// www and .com around the word automatically.

To edit a url, use Ctrl and the left and right arrows to navigate through the url to make any corrections you need.

To open any page in a new window, hold down the shift key as you click on the link and voila—a new window. Handy when you don’t want to lose track of where you are.

To open a new window, type Ctrl-N. It will duplicate the current site in a new window so you can safely explore other places on the site or go to a completely different site.

Add pages to your Favorites list by typing Ctrl-D. This one saves at least three strokes.

Is your Internet Explorer broken? Have you ever tried (unsuccessfully) to re-install it? This is a feature of Windows XP—you can’t re-install it. Actually you can reinstall it, but the instruction for doing it is very long You start by going to the Start Menu, Run. Then type the following: rundll32.exe setupapi,InstallHinfSection DefaultInstall 132 %windir%\Inf\ie.inf Have your Windows XP CD available.

An alternate method is available from Microsoft at http:/ /support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;ENUS; q318378. It involves modifying the registry, so be sure to back up the registry before you do any modification or set a System Restore point.

(This tip-and many more tips— come from Doug’s Windows Tweaks & Tips, http://www.dougknox.com/ )

Is the text on a web page too small for you to view? The font sizes on some pages can be increased (or decreased). You can use the View option on the toolbar. If you have a mouse with a scrolling wheel, you can increase fonts by holding down the Ctrl key as you move the wheel. If you move the wheel away from you, the fonts decrease, toward you and they increase. (This also works with Mozilla’s Firebird, and Opera, but does not work with Netscape.

System Settings

To get to your system settings without having to open the control panel, hold down the Windows key and the break key at the same time. The system properties screen will pop up. Once again keyboard shortcuts can be faster than using the mouse, which will take at least 4 mouse clicks.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Pressing the Windows key gets you the start menu and saves one keystroke. Use the cursor keys to move around on menus, then hit the enter key to select the highlighted item. Saves at least one keystroke. Alt and F4 will close the current application. That’s all for this month.