Important things to note:
Do not turn off your computer with the on and off button unless that is the last resort. Click the start button and then click shut down. Select the appropriate option from the dialogue window.
Run desktop clean up at least once in a month. Run the ‘disk defragmenter’ utility on your PC drive also at least once in a month (if you use your computer on a daily basis). The more often you run these two programs, the better the chances of your computer running at its best (or as smooth as new). Note: Avoid compressing your hard drive if possible. When running the disk clean up utility, leave the ‘compress old files’ unchecked. Compressing files on your hard drive may make your computer applications run slower.
Always keep your equipment documentations and software in a place readily available to you when you need them. Keep all objects away from children.
Always have an Anti-virus program that is up to date, running on your PC. If you are running Windows XP with Service Pack 2 installed, take advantage of the firewall utility embedded in the Operating System. Be careful of what you download from the Internet and avoid installing ‘Active X controls’ unless it is necessary and you trust the website from which you are prompted.
The information provided on this page is for guidiance purposes only and may not apply to all computer problems due to diversification and manufacturer differences. D.D. Akins Comptronics will not be responsible for damages resulting from misappropriation of information contained in this site by users. Please consult your equipment manual for the concise troubleshooting methods as recommended by the manufacturer of your product. Please note that the methods described herein is subject to change without notice from us due to updates that may be made by the third party regarding their applications.
Maintaining your computer
Wipe down your computer with clean cloth and Windex or similar solution once in a while. DO NOT use chemical solutions or strong detergents. When cleaning your keyboard, use slightly damp cloth to avoid liquid sipping into the boards on the keyboard. For mouse cleaning, open the ring around the ball to remove the ball. Remove any dirt on the axis (dirt in this area causes mouse pointers to freeze – people have replaced mice often times when all they needed to do was just clean them). Clean the monitor screen with cloth dampened with water only. Avoid holding or bringing magnets or magnetic objects in from of the monitor screen to avoid electric shock to you or severe damage to your monitor. Run disk clean up and derangement applications on your computer once in a while to ensure optimum CPU performance. Adding more the RAM memory (not exceeding motherboard capacity) on your PC, will allow you to run multiple applications OR applications requiring large RAM usage during operation to run much better without slowing down your computer operation. Avoid installing programs you may never use, and in the same vain,remove programs that are of no more use to you.
Using GUI (Graphics User Interface) applications (Help function)
Most GUI applications have an help menu available – usually the last menu to the right of the screen. You can also pull up the help menu by pressing the ‘F1’ key on your keyboard. Basic troubleshooting, and ‘how to’ guides are available for reference.
Keyboard shortcuts for windows from Microsoft website
Windows system key combinations
• F1: Help
• CTRL+ESC: Open Start menu
• ALT+TAB: Switch between open programs
• ALT+F4: Quit program
• SHIFT+DELETE: Delete item permanently
Windows program key combinations
• CTRL+C: Copy
• CTRL+X: Cut
• CTRL+V: Paste
• CTRL+Z: Undo
• CTRL+B: Bold
• CTRL+U: Underline
• CTRL+I: Italic
Mouse click/keyboard modifier combinations for shell objects
• SHIFT+right click: Displays a shortcut menu containing alternative commands
• SHIFT+double click: Runs the alternate default command (the second item on the menu)
• ALT+double click: Displays properties
• SHIFT+DELETE: Deletes an item immediately without placing it in the Recycle Bin
General keyboard-only commands
• F1: Starts Windows Help
• F10: Activates menu bar options
• SHIFT+F10 Opens a shortcut menu for the selected item (this is the same as right-clicking an object
• CTRL+ESC: Opens the Start menu (use the ARROW keys to select an item)
• CTRL+ESC or ESC: Selects the Start button (press TAB to select the taskbar, or press SHIFT+F10 for a context menu)
• ALT+DOWN ARROW: Opens a drop-down list box
• ALT+TAB: Switch to another running program (hold down the ALT key and then press the TAB key to view the task-switching window)
• SHIFT: Press and hold down the SHIFT key while you insert a CD-ROM to bypass the automatic-run feature
• ALT+SPACE: Displays the main window’s System menu (from the System menu, you can restore, move, resize, minimize, maximize, or close the window)
• ALT+- (ALT+hyphen): Displays the Multiple Document Interface (MDI) child window’s System menu (from the MDI child window’s System menu, you can restore, move, resize, minimize, maximize, or close the child window)
• CTRL+TAB: Switch to the next child window of a Multiple Document Interface (MDI) program
• ALT+underlined letter in menu: Opens the menu
• ALT+F4: Closes the current window
• CTRL+F4: Closes the current Multiple Document Interface (MDI) window
• ALT+F6: Switch between multiple windows in the same program (for example, when the Notepad Find dialog box is displayed,
• ALT+F6 switches between the Find dialog box and the main Notepad window)
Shell objects and general folder/Windows Explorer shortcuts
For a selected object: • F2: Rename object
• F3: Find all files
• CTRL+X: Cut
• CTRL+C: Copy
• CTRL+V: Paste
• SHIFT+DELETE: Delete selection immediately, without moving the item to the Recycle Bin
• ALT+ENTER: Open the properties for the selected object
To copy a file (keyboard + mouse)
Press and hold down the CTRL key while you drag the file to another folder.
To create a shortcut
Press and hold down CTRL+SHIFT while you drag a file to the desktop or a folder.
General folder/shortcut control
• F4: Selects the Go To A Different Folder box and moves down the entries in the box (if the toolbar is active in Windows Explorer)
• F5: Refreshes the current window.
• F6: Moves among panes in Windows Explorer
• CTRL+G: Opens the Go To Folder tool (in Windows 95 Windows Explorer only)
• CTRL+Z: Undo the last command
• CTRL+A: Select all the items in the current window
• BACKSPACE: Switch to the parent folder
• SHIFT+click+Close button: For folders, close the current folder plus all parent folders
Windows Explorer tree control
• Numeric Keypad *: Expands everything under the current selection
• Numeric Keypad +: Expands the current selection
• Numeric Keypad -: Collapses the current selection.
• RIGHT ARROW: Expands the current selection if it is not expanded, otherwise goes to the first child
• LEFT ARROW: Collapses the current selection if it is expanded, otherwise goes to the parent
Properties control
• CTRL+TAB/CTRL+SHIFT+TAB: Move through the property tabs
Accessibility shortcuts
• Press SHIFT five times: Toggles StickyKeys on and off
• Press down and hold the right SHIFT key for eight seconds: Toggles FilterKeys on and off
• Press down and hold the NUM LOCK key for five seconds: Toggles ToggleKeys on and off
• Left ALT+left SHIFT+NUM LOCK: Toggles MouseKeys on and off
• Left ALT+left SHIFT+PRINT SCREEN: Toggles high contrast on and off
Microsoft Natural Keyboard keys
• Windows Logo: Start menu
• Windows Logo+R: Run dialog box
• Windows Logo+M: Minimize all
• SHIFT+Windows Logo+M: Undo minimize all
• Windows Logo+F1: Help
• Windows Logo+E: Windows Explorer
• Windows Logo+F: Find files or folders
• Windows Logo+D: Minimizes all open windows and displays the desktop
• CTRL+Windows Logo+F: Find computer
• CTRL+Windows Logo+TAB: Moves focus from Start, to the Quick Launch toolbar, to the system tray (use RIGHT ARROW or LEFT
ARROW to move focus to items on the Quick Launch toolbar and the system tray)
• Windows Logo+TAB: Cycle through taskbar buttons
• Windows Logo+Break: System Properties dialog box
• Application key: Displays a shortcut menu for the selected item
Microsoft Natural Keyboard with IntelliType software installed
• Windows Logo+L: Log off Windows
• Windows Logo+P: Starts Print Manager
• Windows Logo+C: Opens Control Panel
• Windows Logo+V: Starts Clipboard
• Windows Logo+K: Opens Keyboard Properties dialog box
• Windows Logo+I: Opens Mouse Properties dialog box
• Windows Logo+A: Starts Accessibility Options (if installed)
• Windows Logo+SPACEBAR: Displays the list of Microsoft IntelliType shortcut keys
• Windows Logo+S: Toggles CAPS LOCK on and off
Dialog box keyboard commands
• TAB: Move to the next control in the dialog box
• SHIFT+TAB: Move to the previous control in the dialog box
• SPACEBAR: If the current control is a button, this clicks the button. If the current control is a check box, this toggles the check box.
If the current control is an option, this selects the option.
• ENTER: Equivalent to clicking the selected button (the button with the outline)
• ESC: Equivalent to clicking the Cancel button
• ALT+underlined letter in dialog box item: Move to the corresponding item
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THESE SHORTCUTS APPLY TO
• Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition
• Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition
• Microsoft Windows 98 Standard Edition
• Microsoft Windows 95
Sending and receiving fax from PC
You have these conditions met to be able to perform this function.
- A fax modem installed on your PC (Make sure your modem has a fax capability, if not purchase and install one)
- A phone cable connected to the modem (no additional cable required if you have a dial up Internet service currently in use)
- Install the fax program included in the disk contained in the modem package you purchased.
- Configure your fax utility following the manufacturer installation instructions provided
To send a fax, print the file(s) you intend to send to the fax installed.
NOTE: Windows XP already has a fax utility embedded. Go through Start, All Programs, Accessories, Communications, Fax, Fax
Console. Follow the screen prompts.
Avoiding junk emails and spam.
– http://www.obviously.com/junkmail/
– http://www.junkmailstopper.com
Have you ever wondered why you get junk emails or why you have not been able to stop them? This piece of information will help you. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to stop junk email completely.
– Be aware that most email addresses expecially if they are FREE are listed in a public directory: The company that provides you that ‘free’ service still has to make money and one of the ways is to sell your email address to advertizers. That is fair enough. NOTE:
Nothing is absolutely free!!!
– Email strings are solely for the purpose of generating email addresses which are then sold or used for junk emails. Solicitation is against the law, but emails generated from strings are not considered as solicitation – YOU PROVIDED THE EMAILS – IT IS THEREFORE A REFERRAL! Most forwarded emails contain invisible links or notifications which are used for email address compilation
Things to watch out for.
– When signing up on the internet for any purpose that your email address is required, request email privacy “if possible”. This prohibits the site owner from publishing your email address without your consent.
– Avoid forwarding emails as much as possible. If you find something that you would like to share, use copy and paste method instead.
– The best practice is to set your email filter as high as possible. The highest level will be to limit reception only to email addresses you have stored in your contact log – this will mean that you cannot receive emails from addresses that are not on your contact list. Use this feature sparingly if you will.
Remote Desktop Connection
1. Microsoft Windows XP Professional required on the host computer
2. Windows 95 or later with Remote Desktop Connection client software installed on the client computer.
3. Both computers must be within the same network or connected through a VPN connection over the internet.
4. Connect using DNS name or IP address and password
Remote Desktop setup
1. Sign in as the administrator.
2. Right click on My computer and go to properties, or go to control panel and click on system.
3. Click the Remote tab, select the Allow users to connect remotely to this computer check box, and then click OK.
Next, make sure you have Windows Firewall set up to allow exceptions.
1. In the Control Panel, click Security Center.
2. Under Manage security settings for, click Windows Firewall.
3. Make sure the Don’t allow exceptions check box is not selected.
4. Click the Exceptions tab, and verify that the Remote Desktop check box is selected.
5. Click OK, and then close the Windows Security Center window.
To shutdown remote computer from RDC, press CTRL+ALT+INS and select shutdown or type ‘shutdown’ from command prompt. Visit https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc770416(v=ws.11).aspx for more info.
File Sharing
For permission settings and security tap to be available under file properties, run secpol and change ‘Network Access: Sharing and security model for local accounts:’ to ‘Classic-Local users authenticate as themselves’