PC help

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  • elf
    opinionated crone
    • Sep 2006
    • 19258

    PC help

    OK. Now. Is there a keyboard command to minimize?

    Is there a keyboard command to make IE go back to the previous page? To reload the page?

    Is there a keyboard command to put the computer to sleep, or dim the screen to black?
    A society predicated on the assumption that everyone in it should want to get rich is not well situated to become either ethical or imaginative.

    Photographer of sailing and sailboats
    And other things, too.

    http://www.landsedgephoto.photodeck.com
  • Uncle Duke
    Just this guy...
    • Jun 2005
    • 4690

    #2
    OK. Now. Is there a keyboard command to minimize?
    'Alt', then 'Space bar', then 'N'

    s there a keyboard command to make IE go back to the previous page? To reload the page?
    Back = the 'Backspace key.
    Reload (refresh, I presume) = I have no idea.

    Is there a keyboard command to put the computer to sleep, or dim the screen to black
    You can hit 'Ctrl+Alt+Delete', then select "Lock Computer". It will go to black whenever you've set the screen settings to have it do that. If "Lock Computer" is the default selection (usually is), you can just do 'Ctrl+Alt+del', then hit 'Enter'
    Sometimes you've gotta leave the kibble out where the slow dogs can get some....
    ... Roy Blount, Jr.

    Comment

    • Bruce Hooke
      Senior Member
      • Mar 2000
      • 14297

      #3
      In IE7 alt+left arrow takes you back to the previous page and F5 calls a refresh...

      Comment

      • ljb5
        Senior Member
        • Jan 2004
        • 18136

        #4
        Originally posted by elf
        OK. Now. Is there a keyboard command to minimize?
        Alt+Space+n


        Is there a keyboard command to make IE go back to the previous page?
        Alt+left arrow

        To reload the page?
        F5


        Is there a keyboard command to put the computer to sleep, or dim the screen to black?
        Depends on the computer.
        ”If you look at it from a contextual standpoint, I think it's accurate. If you contextualize in concrete numbers fashion, it's not accurate."

        Comment

        • Bruce Hooke
          Senior Member
          • Mar 2000
          • 14297

          #5
          Originally posted by Uncle Duke
          You can hit 'Ctrl+Alt+Delete', then select "Lock Computer". It will go to black whenever you've set the screen settings to have it do that. If "Lock Computer" is the default selection (usually is), you can just do 'Ctrl+Alt+del', then hit 'Enter'
          I can't remember which operating system the above applies to, but I can tell you that Ctrl+Alt+Delete does not bring up anything terribly useful (for this purpose) on my copy of XP Home...

          Comment

          • Uncle Duke
            Just this guy...
            • Jun 2005
            • 4690

            #6
            Bruce notes:
            I can't remember which operating system the above applies to, but I can tell you that Ctrl+Alt+Delete does not bring up anything terribly useful (for this purpose) on my copy of XP Home...
            Odd. I'm on XP Home (Service Pack 2) and it gives me a nifty dialog with 6 options (Lock, Task Manager, etc).Upon research, though, I found a faster way (assuming that you have a keyboard with a 'Windows' key):
            Windows XP includes a new Microsoft Natural Keyboard shortcut to lock your computer. Any other compatible keyboard that includes the Windows logo key and the Application key can also perform this task.
            To use this shortcut, press the Windows logo key+L
            Sometimes you've gotta leave the kibble out where the slow dogs can get some....
            ... Roy Blount, Jr.

            Comment

            • elf
              opinionated crone
              • Sep 2006
              • 19258

              #7
              I thought Ctr/alt/del was the three finger salute - i.e. reboot after a crash! It used to be under DOS 3.1, the last time I used a PC.

              This PC is an emachine and running Windoze XP Home. I'm using IE, but don't know which version. This PC hasn't had any security upgrades, or other such in 8 or 10 months, since I sold its owner a Mac. It's been on dialup a bit of the time. I got the ethernet up and running with help from my ISP a little while ago.

              Thanks for the keyboard command info. I like keyboard commands, i use them all the time on my Mac. With the minimize command do I hold all three keys down at once?

              Also, how do I get those little tiny icons into that space down at the bottom right? Can I use that as a launcher, or do I have to scatter shortcuts all over my screen?
              A society predicated on the assumption that everyone in it should want to get rich is not well situated to become either ethical or imaginative.

              Photographer of sailing and sailboats
              And other things, too.

              http://www.landsedgephoto.photodeck.com

              Comment

              • Uncle Duke
                Just this guy...
                • Jun 2005
                • 4690

                #8
                First things first: those keys are 'one at a time' (Alt, then Space bar, then 'N').
                Sometimes you've gotta leave the kibble out where the slow dogs can get some....
                ... Roy Blount, Jr.

                Comment

                • Uncle Duke
                  Just this guy...
                  • Jun 2005
                  • 4690

                  #9
                  Now - setting up program icons on the taskbar:
                  First - 'right click' on some empty area of the taskbar. You will see a pop-up context menu. One of the items there is "Lock Taskbar". If that is selected - then unselect it (i.e. "unlock the taskbar") by clicking on it.
                  Now - grab any program shortcut from your desktop (or elsewhere) and drag it down onto the taskbar.
                  Drag a dozen - whatever you need. Bingo - you're done. Except that you should remember to right-click on the taskbar again afterwords, and "Lock" it.
                  Items on the taskbar start up with a single click, not a double - easy enough, right?
                  Sometimes you've gotta leave the kibble out where the slow dogs can get some....
                  ... Roy Blount, Jr.

                  Comment

                  • elf
                    opinionated crone
                    • Sep 2006
                    • 19258

                    #10
                    Thanks, Uncle Duke.

                    OK. Now is there a way to put it on standby from a keyboard command, or must I pull up the start menu and choose shut down and then choose standby?

                    Also, does standby make the screen go black?

                    Also, can one set up a screen saver of pix that can be activated by placing the cursor in a hot corner?
                    A society predicated on the assumption that everyone in it should want to get rich is not well situated to become either ethical or imaginative.

                    Photographer of sailing and sailboats
                    And other things, too.

                    http://www.landsedgephoto.photodeck.com

                    Comment

                    • Uncle Duke
                      Just this guy...
                      • Jun 2005
                      • 4690

                      #11
                      I don't know a fast way to force standby. I just do a quick 'lock' and let it enter standby itself.
                      You can set the 'how fast to go into standby', of course, in Power Options from Control Panel. Minimum is 1 minute. I'm at 15 when plugged in and 5 when running on batteries.
                      If/when you find a faster way, let me know!
                      Sometimes you've gotta leave the kibble out where the slow dogs can get some....
                      ... Roy Blount, Jr.

                      Comment

                      • elf
                        opinionated crone
                        • Sep 2006
                        • 19258

                        #12
                        Originally posted by Uncle Duke
                        Now - setting up program icons on the taskbar:
                        First - 'right click' on some empty area of the taskbar. You will see a pop-up context menu. One of the items there is "Lock Taskbar". If that is selected - then unselect it (i.e. "unlock the taskbar") by clicking on it.
                        Did that.
                        Originally posted by uncle duke
                        Now - grab any program shortcut from your desktop (or elsewhere) and drag it down onto the taskbar.
                        Won't do it.

                        How do I set up a new admin?
                        A society predicated on the assumption that everyone in it should want to get rich is not well situated to become either ethical or imaginative.

                        Photographer of sailing and sailboats
                        And other things, too.

                        http://www.landsedgephoto.photodeck.com

                        Comment

                        • elf
                          opinionated crone
                          • Sep 2006
                          • 19258

                          #13
                          OK. I installed some of the plenitude of security updates. Then I got a message from the updater saying that I needed to install Service Pack 2. I clicked on install and the updater vanished and I got a cursor on the screen.

                          I waited a while and then shut the computer down and it didn't complain or tell me I was in the middle of downloading anything, so I don't know what to make of that.

                          But now, basically, I want to know which browser is best for this PC running XP? Should I use Firefox? Is that the safest one now? Or Opera?

                          Recommendations.
                          A society predicated on the assumption that everyone in it should want to get rich is not well situated to become either ethical or imaginative.

                          Photographer of sailing and sailboats
                          And other things, too.

                          http://www.landsedgephoto.photodeck.com

                          Comment

                          • Bruce Hooke
                            Senior Member
                            • Mar 2000
                            • 14297

                            #14
                            A lot of people (myself included) like Firefox. I can't say for sure whether it is safer than other browsers, but it has a good reputation. Another advantage is that at this point it is the most widely used browser for Windows other than Internet Explorer, so you've got a pretty good shot at having websites look right in it.

                            The quickest way to get to the stand by mode may be to hit the Windows key, if you have one, and then hit the up arrow, then hit enter and then use the arrow keys followed by enter to select which mode you want to go into. It seems to me that there are good reason to make it a little hard to go into standby mode -- it would be kind of annoying to have it go into standby when you are in the middle of something.

                            Ctrl+Alt+Delete does not do quite what it did in the old days of Windows 95 and others OS's of that vintage. It now brings up the Windows Task Manager, which has various useful stuff. You can get to standby mode from the Shut Down menu there, but it takes more keystrokes than really makes sense to me.

                            I do not know of a way to add stuff to the "system tray" in the lower right corner of your screen (well, I do if I am writing software (or I did know once), but that is another matter). This is not really designed as a "finder" -- the items show in that area are actually running in the background, just as the items show on the main part of the taskbar are running in the "foreground." However, if you right click on a blank part of the task bar and select toolbars and then Quick Launch this will provide an area next to the Start button that you can add programs to by dragging and dropping them from the desktop.

                            It should prompt you again to download Service Pack 2 if it is not already underway. It may have been downloading in the background, but if it was it will just resume where it left off next to you are connected to the Internet. When it prompts you for this sort of stuff depends on the settings in the automatic updates control panel.

                            Comment

                            • elf
                              opinionated crone
                              • Sep 2006
                              • 19258

                              #15
                              Uncanny resemblance to Safari, there, in Firefox. Thanks for the suggestion.

                              Now how do I determine whether Service Pack 2 is actually being downloaded? And what happened to the downloads icon in the little icons on the far right side of the tool bar?

                              And why can't I get shortcuts into the toolbar even though it's unlocked?

                              Any ideas?

                              TIA
                              A society predicated on the assumption that everyone in it should want to get rich is not well situated to become either ethical or imaginative.

                              Photographer of sailing and sailboats
                              And other things, too.

                              http://www.landsedgephoto.photodeck.com

                              Comment

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