|
Ask
Ask Mr. Modem! – June 2010
www.MrModem.com
Regain Cursor Control
Q. My mouse cursor used to automatically land
in the correct spot when I had to click OK or CANCEL or make some other
selection, but it doesn’t do that anymore. How can I get that feature working
again? It was very handy and saved a lot of mouse maneuvering.
A.
What you're describing is a mouse pointer setting, so go to the Control Panel >
Mouse > Pointer Options tab and place a check mark beside “Automatically move
pointer to the default button in a dialog box,” followed by Apply > OK. (Windows
7 users, go to Start > Search and type in “Change mouse settings” then click the
Pointer Options tab.)
It doesn't work in every instance because there
isn't always a default button, but by configuring it in this manner, it will
automatically move to the OK (or other) button in many situations.
Q. I want to single-space the title page of a Word document, then
double-space and line number the rest of document. How can I accomplish that?
A. Word uses single-spacing by default, so there is nothing you have to do
other than type your title page as you normally would. To double-space other
text, highlight the data, then click Format > Paragraph and under Spacing, click
Double > OK. To add line numbering, click File > Page Setup > Layout tab > Line
Numbers button. You'll see the line-numbering options there.
Q.
The time on my computer appears as 24-hour military time. How can I change this
to the normal 12-hour display?
A. You didn't mention what version of
Windows you're using, but you should be able to go to the Control Panel and
double click the Regional and Language Options icon. On the Regional Options
tab, click the Customize button, then the Time tab, followed by the down arrow
next to the Time Format box. Select h:mm.ss and click OK twice to save and exit.
If you want “AM” or “PM” to appear with the time, use h:mm:ss:tt. (Windows 7
users, click Clock, Language and Region in the Control Panel, then Change the
Date, Time or Number Format.)
Q. I am trying to copy photos from
a folder on my hard drive to something called an SD card to use in a digital
picture frame. Every time I try, I get an error message that says, “Cannot copy
file. The disk is write protected. Remove the write protection or use another
disk.” I've used two different SD cards with the same result. What am I doing
wrong, Mr. M?
A. An SD card is a Secure Digital card, which is a
flash-memory device widely used in digital cameras, handheld computers, PDAs
(personal digital assistants), cell phones, GPS receivers, among other devices.
The problem you describe is a fairly common one, and the fix is about as
low-tech as you can get: Place a small piece of tape (Scotch tape will do
nicely) over the tiny switch on the SD card, then insert it again. It will work
fine.
Mr. Modem’s DME (Don’t Miss ‘Em)
Sites of the Month
Cooking Light Your online guide to eating
smart, being fit and living well. No, seriously. Here you can search, browse,
and review thousands of healthy recipes. The Healthy Life section includes tips
on fitness, beauty, travel, nutrition, and maintaining a positive attitude in
the absence of sugar. The Community section provides access to topical bulletin
boards where you can post your tips and questions or read what other
participants have to say.
www.cookinglight.com
How Old is Your Brain? Don't be alarmed that this site appears in
Japanese; consider it part of its charm. Click Start, then wait for the 3, 2, 1
countdown. The objective is to memorize the number positions as they appear on
screen, then click the circles in the same positions, moving from the smallest
number to the largest number. After ten sequences have been completed, it will
reveal how old your brain is. (Pray for double-digits.)
http://tinyurl.com/yvq36y
Airline Seating If flying today makes you long for the comfort that
canned sardines enjoy, the SeatGuru can help. Here you'll find seating diagrams
for most aircraft so you can select the best seat possible, along with reviews
and rankings of the best and worst seats on most major airlines. Trivia Alert:
According to the airline industry, most "air rage" incidents occur when a
thoughtless lout slams his or her seat back to a quasi-reclining position. Keep
that in mind the next time you're inclined to recline.
www.seatguru.com
U.S. Hospital Finder Type in your address, city and state, or just your ZIP
code, then click Search. The hospitals closest to you will be displayed on a
map. Click a hospital for details such as address, phone number, URL, number of
beds and services it provides. Information is included on more than 6,000 U.S.
hospitals. No registration is required -- for the Web site, not the hospitals.
www.ushospitalfinder.com
For plain-English answers to your
questions by email, plus great computing tips, subscribe to Mr.
Modem’s award-winning WEEKLY newsletter. Subscribe using Promo Code 4022
and receive TWO free months (eight weekly issues!) with your 12-month
subscription. To view a sample issue or subscribe, visit
www.MrModem.com.
|