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Free Computer and Technology Help ... over 3,820 Tips to help you Save Time and Get More Enjoyment out of Computers, Digital Cameras, and Technology.
Windows 7 : See Which Services Are Related to a Process
If a svchost.exe image is using a lot of memory or CPU time, view its related services to help diagnose problems.
March 29, 2010, at 11:30 A.M. EDT
The Windows 7 Task Manager is useful to manage processes and services, check the CPU and networking usage, and shut down stuck programs that don't want to end. While using this tool, you may have noted many svchost.exe processes that act as Host Process for Windows Services. Curious about which services are related to which processes, especially if one is running amok, taking a lot of memory and/or CPU time?
1. In the "Processes" tab of the "Windows Task Manager", right-click a svchost.exe process....
Microsoft Outlook 2007 : Request Receipts on Every EMail
Tired of recipients claiming they don't receive your e-mail? Force all e-mail to come with a delivery and/or read receipt request.
March 25, 2010, at 3:54 P.M. EDT
If you're concerned that your e-mail sent with Microsoft Outlook 2007 is not reaching its destination, you can configure the software to request read and/or delivery receipts on every e-mail sent.
Note that delivery and read receipts will only be sent by software programs that support them, such as Outlook and Outlook Express. Also note that some people may have receipts disabled in Outlook, so you won't receive confirmations from them....
Docks - Program Launchers : Access Programs and Folders from the System Tray
Microsys Launcher adds a customizable pop-up menu of apps and folders from the System Tray or via a keyboard shortcut.
March 24, 2010, at 5:03 P.M. EDT
Microsys Launcher allows you to make selected files and folders easily accessible from the System Tray area of the Windows taskbar via a pop-up menu. Or, you can bring up the menu from anywhere with the Ctrl + L keyboard shortcut (customizable).
Adding items is as simple as clicking the System Tray icon, selecting "Launcher Menu", then "Manage Items". From there you manually can add files, folders, menu separators, or menu folders. Or, drag-and-drop items from the Start Menu or Explorer....
Bing Search Engine : Show Search Results Page and Links in Separate Windows or Tabs
This tweak forces Bing to open all search engine result links in a new window or tab so you don't have to use the web browser's Back button.
March 24, 2010, at 2:01 P.M. EDT
While performing web searches with Bing, your time may be spent doing the following:
1. You perform a search....
Microsoft Publisher 2007 : Change the Ruler to Show Pixels When Designing for the Screen
If your Publisher documents are meant for the screen, configure the software to use pixel measurement units.
March 23, 2010, at 3:57 P.M. EDT
Depending on your configuration, Microsoft Publisher 2007's ruler may be set to inches or centimeters as the software is mainly meant for use in designing documents to be printed. However, if you are using Publisher to create web publications, PDFs, or other documents meant for the computer screen, then a ruler set to pixel units may be more convenient for you.
1. Select "Tools" - "Options"....
File Extensions : PNG File Format
A beginner's guide to the PNG image file format, often used as an alternative to lossy-compressed .JPG images
March 23, 2010, at 2:24 P.M. EDT
The .PNG file extension refers to images formatted as PNGs (Portable Network Graphics). This format allows for images to be stored in a compressed manner so they take up less space than, for example, .BMP graphics.
However, unlike "lossy" compressed formats such as JPEGs, PNG images are lossless compressed, meaning that no information/image quality is lost between a source image and the resulting PNG. This usually results in a larger file than if the image was saved as a JPEG. However, since JPEGs are recompressed on each save, re-editing and re-saving JPEGs will introduce more artifacts in the image; this does not happen in a lossless format such as PNG....
[MODIFIED] Digital Photo Processing : Adjust Sliders, Try All Options in New Photo Editing Software / Plugins
Experiment with your digital photo editing software and plugins. Move sliders to the max and enable advanced options.
March 22, 2010, at 4:05 P.M. EDT
A great way to learn how to use digital photo editing software and plugins is through experimentation. When modifying your digital photos with such software, you're bound to come across slider controls, whether you are modifying brightness, contrast, color balance, color saturation, etc. Sliders are also popular with filters. These controls let you fine-tune adjustments so that you can either change your photos a little or a lot.
When using sliders to adjust image features, especially if the sliders are linked to an auto-preview feature so you can see the results of your changes before actually applying them, consider going 'all out' and moving the sliders all the way to one side. Instead of merely modifying your photos with a 5% increase of contrast, 5% color shift from red to blue, etc., view dramatic changes to your photos. This may make it easier to see the effects of the color or filter, and then you can move the slider back to get the results you really want....
Microsoft Outlook 2007 : Display Week Numbers
Display every week's number of the year in Outlook 2007's Monthly Calendar, useful when scheduling certain types of appointments.
March 22, 2010, at 2:46 P.M. EDT
When scheduling appointments in Microsoft Outlook 2007, it might prove useful to display each week's number (perhaps you need to schedule an appointment every 3 weeks or whatever). Making this change to the calendar view in the Month view, as well as the Date Navigator in the To-Do Bar, is easy.
1. Select "Tools" - "Options"....
Digital Camera Memory : Accidentally Washed a Memory Card?
What to do if a digital camera memory card accidentally made its way through the washer.
March 19, 2010, at 5:03 P.M. EDT
You know that you should do whatever you can to keep digital camera memory from water. However, what if you placed a card in your pocket, then accidentally ran it inside some clothes through the washer? Is the card worthless, and are all the photos unrecoverable?
First off, don't panic! You may be able to recover the photos, but do not insert the memory into your camera. If the media is damaged, trying to insert it into the camera may damage the pins, preventing the camera from ever reading any media. Plus, if the media is wet, water could seep into the camera, completely damaging the internals....
Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 : Equalize Text Height for a Cartoonish Effect
Need another way for text to stand out in a PowerPoint 2007 slide show?
March 19, 2010, at 1:59 P.M. EDT
Picture this scenario - you need to perform a quick calculation in Windows but your Desktop is full and you don't want to open a new window. Plus, you can't find a calculator anywhere next to your computer desk / table. What do you do?
Desktop Calculator, an older application, may be what you need. This program adds a simple calculator directly on the Windows Taskbar that can perform basic math functions. It also handles percentages, square roots, inverses, flipping between negative and positive numbers, and can perform decimal to hexadecimal conversion....
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