KA Data Group -Technology Solutions (Entries tagged as tips)

Auto log on to Windows XP on startup

blog@kadatagroup.com (admin) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:39:00 -0500

Would you rather not have to log on after your computer starts? If youre the only person who uses your computer, you can make life a little easier by skipping the Welcome screen completely and having Microsoft Windows XP take you straight to your desktop.

This article, from Microsoft's Tips & Tricks site can tell you how.

To automatically log on to Windows XP upon startup

1.	Click Start, and then click Run. Note: Remember your user name at the top of the Start menu, because youll need it later.
2.	In the Open box, type control userpasswords2 and click OK.
3.	Clear the Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer check box. Click OK.
4.	Click the User name box, type the user name that was displayed on the Start menu in step 1. If you normally type a password to log on, type your password in both the Password and Confirm Password boxes. Otherwise, leave these boxes blank. Click OK.

Auto logon now allows anyone to start and use your computer without typing a password.

Note: Keep in mind that you should not enable auto logon if you need privacy for any files on your computer. If you need to maintain privacy, create separate user accounts for everyone in your home, and protect your account with a password.

Instant Screen Saver Activation

blog@kadatagroup.com (admin) — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 14:47:00 -0500

Screen savers were originally intended to prevent monitor burn-in, which could occur if a single image was displayed most of the time. Over time, that image would essentially become etched into the display, making the monitor harder to use. Monitor technology has improved over the years, and screen savers have become more a form of entertainment than a way to avoid burn-in.

Read more to find out how to turn on a screen saver immediately, whenever you want...

Screen savers can be used to display your favorite photos or other images you'd like to see. Sometimes you might want to immediately start your screen saver like you would any other program, without waiting several minutes for it to start automatically.

To add a shortcut to your desktop that you can double-click to instantly start your screen saver

1.	Click the Start button, and then click Search.
2.	In the Search Results window, click All files and folders.
3.	In the All or part of the file name box, type .scr. Then, click Search*.
4.	You will see a list of screen savers in the search results. Pick the screen saver you want. You can preview it by double-clicking it. To add a shortcut to your desktop, right-click the file, click Send To, and then click Desktop.

Now you can instantly start your screen saver by double-clicking the icon on your desktop.

(Reprinted from Microsoft's Web Site)

Surfing Tip - 'Go' Places

blog@kadatagroup.com (admin) — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 19:54:00 -0500

Many common Internet searches can be performed quickly using the "go" shortcut. For example, if you open Search in Internet Explorer and type go yellow pages, the page will jump to a form where you can lookup a business phone number. Likewise, typing go email automatically brings up a form for searching for a person's email.

You can even type go yellow pages Acme Corp to automatically search for the phone number of a company called Acme Corp. And you can type go amzn to look up the value of a stock quote (in this case Amazon's).

Tip source: Softpile.com

Type & Time Saving Tip

blog@kadatagroup.com (admin) — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 20:13:00 -0500

With Internet Explorer 6 in Windows XP, typing Web addresses can be a breeze. Here are some tips to make it even easier.

Type the domain of an address, such as Microsoft, and then press CTRL+ENTER. Internet Explorer automatically wraps & what you typed.
Not sure if the site uses a .com extension? Just type the domain of the address, and then press ENTER. Internet Explorer tries to find the site by using the various extensions.
If you need to edit an address, you can use CTRL+LEFT ARROW and CTRL+RIGHT ARROW to easily move between different parts of the address separated by periods.

Tip source: Microsoft Corp.

Laser Printer Tips

blog@kadatagroup.com (admin) — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 21:19:00 -0500

Laser printers are likely the best printers that you regularly use. They are also complicated and often misunderstood by end users when problems begin to arise. Follow these simple tips and you will eliminate many problems and reduce frustration levels...

1. It's probably the toner cartridge. If you are having problems with print quality, replace the toner cartridge. Many times, this is the cause of streaks, light spots, ghosting, and other problems.

2. Don't blow canned air inside a dirty printer! Loose toner can find its way onto laser lenses causing worse problems.

3. Use quality supplies. This includes Maintenance Kits, Paper, and Toner Cartridges. Third party products and "refurbs" often fail faster than manufacturers original parts.

4. Be careful printing on anything other than normal paper. Envelopes, labels, or transparencies can instantly ruin a fuser by melting and contaminating the fuser roller.

5. Check your connections. A loose printer cable can present confusing symptoms. Some printers (like HPs) will display a printer error, leading you to believe the problem is in the printer!

-And ALWAYS unplug a laser printer while working with it. There are high voltage wires and very hot surfaces inside that can cause injury.