Question:  Is there an easy way to set a favorite in Internet Explorer?

Answer: If you want to add your favorite on the main menu, just hold Ctrl and tap the D key.

Question: What screen resolution should I use overall?

Answer: At his point in time, most web sites and programs are setup for 800x600. Those numbers are pixels. For most people that doesn't really mean anything in relation to inches. For web designers though, its very important. Not long ago most people used 640x480. If you look at an old web page made for 640x480, everything is moved over to the left side of the screen. If you change your screen resolution to 640x480 the first thing you'll notice is your desktop icons are bigger. If you get on the net and start browsing, everything is larger but you will also now have a scroll bar on the bottom which you will have to move to see the right side of the page. The newer computers, with larger screens, use higher resolutions, since the larger screen has more real estate. Also, the flat panel monitors look much sharper in higher resolution.

Question: What is the AutoComplete feature in Internet Explorer?

Answer: AutoComplete is a nice feature when you're typing in web addresses and filling out forms or inputting data for searches. Any repetitive words are filled in as you start typing, then you just use the text it put in. Sometimes this feature can also be irritating but, for the most part, you'll probably find it useful. To setup IE to use autocomplete, go to Tools, Internet Options, then click on the AutoComplete button and select the desired options.

Question: My "soul mate's" sound and color settings drive me nuts, what can I do?

Answer: Set up Windows for two different users with each having their own desktop settings. First, go to Control Panel, click on User Accounts, then setup a new account.  Now, go to the Start button, click on Log Off and when Windows comes back to the Log On screen, put your name in and click OK. You can put in a password in if you want to but that doesn't stop anyone from starting the computer up and it gets frustrating having to put it in every time you start Windows. When you setup you colors, sounds, icons, etc. they will only be there when you log in. Everyone else's settings will be unchanged.

Question: What do the different web site name extensions like .com mean?

Answer: In an attempt to keep things organized, they have assigned the extension relative to the type of business the domain is registered to. Since most of the names are being used up, they are adding new extensions as we speak. The main extensions at this time are: .com - Company or business sites. .edu - educational institutions. .gov - government sites .mil - military sites. .org - private organizations like non-profits. .net - network gateway or host company. A new one just coming out is .ws which is more for a personal web site.

Question: What's a URL?

Answer: URL stands for Universal Resource Locator. Just think of it as the address to a site.

Question: I want to get a new modem, what kind should I get?

Answer: There aren't a lot of differences any more. Make sure the modem you get is also setup for sending faxes. To save yourself a trip back to the store, make sure the modem, or hardware device you get is compatible with your computer and also make sure it is the right kind of board. The older computers had ISA (Industry Standard Architecture) sockets on the motherboard and the newer computers have PCI (Peripheral Component Interface) sockets. For a short period of time some of the computers had both types of board connectors. If your computer is less than a couple of years old, get a PCI device. Consult your computer documentation to be sure of what to get.

Question: Why does the computer beep when I turn it on?

Answer: This is how the computer does it's own diagnostics when it starts up. There is an extensive list of beep codes correlating to what is happening with the computer. As a general rule, although there are a few computer which are different, you should hear one short beep when the computer starts. If, all of a sudden, you hear more beeps and the computer stops or gives visual errors, there is probably a problem with the computer or one of the hardware components.

Question: Why am I having problems using my new printer or modem with a DOS program?

Answer: As we migrate further away from the DOS environment, many of the newer hardware items such as printers and modems will only work through commands generated from within the Windows environment. This means these devices will not work from DOS programs. If the device is called a Windows printer or Windows modem, chances are it will not work from a DOS program so if you need one of these devices to be DOS compatible, be sure to check out the specifications before you buy it and take it home.

Question: How can I make a bootable system disk in Windows ME?

Answer: When Microsoft introduced Windows ME, in an attempt to further distance Windows from the DOS world, they eliminated the sys command in DOS which allowed you to put system files onto other drives. In ME you need to go to Control Panel and Add/Remove Programs and make a Windows startup disk. This disk will be bootable and you can then delete files you don't want from the disk.

Question: Why can't I save my password to log onto the Internet?

Answer: First of all, make sure you are logged into your Windows session. Go to the Start button and look at the top and make sure there is a name. If you turn on the computer and it asks for a password, if you hit Esc you will start up Windows but won't be logged in and passwords will not be available. There are several other things which can also cause this problem but they are too involved to go into here.

Question: Why does my computer start acting up after I use it for 10 minutes or so?

Answer: You might want to remove the computer cover and look for the processor. It is probably about 3 or 4 inches square and probably has a little fan on it. More than likely, the fan is not turning. This problem is quite common here due to the amount of dirt and humidity in the air. It usually takes about 10 to 15 minutes before the processor will get hot enough to act up and then the computer may start doing some really strange things.