Subscriber Helen wrote about a software problem:
Terry, while my computer was being worked on I was told I had word pad but needed the code to be able to open it. Can you help me open it in order that I might be able to use it. I do not like [...]

I recently made some boot changes to a notebook computer that resulted in a remarkable increase in the boot speed. The notebook was running Windows XP Home.
It was a small, light Sony — one of the 12-inch monitor models.
Tech Humor
With notebooks, you can get small, light, fast and cheap.
Pick any two…
In this particular case, the [...]

Microsoft built a lot of automatic capabilities into Microsoft Word. By default, it checks your spelling as you type and marks misspellings as it finds them. You can even set Word to auto-correct your spelling for specific typing errors you normally have.
Word also will automatically create bulleted lists. All you have to do is hit [...]

Creating Your New Documents in Word
Deleting Emails versus Really Deleting Emails
Disadvantages of Windows XP’s NTBackup Program

Microsoft created all sorts of buttons on the toolbars of Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and Microsoft PowerPoint — but they missed one that I use almost every time!

I’m talking about the SaveAs button. I often load a Word file, but I want to edit it and save it with a new name. I [...]

Recently, my HOWTO article was “Adding a SaveAs Button to Work/Excel/Powerpoint.
This week, we’ll add another button that I find very useful — the Print To button.
Why do I want to add a “Print To” button to Word (or Excel or Powerpoint?
In part, it is because I have three printers that I use routinely. But, the [...]

OpenOffice.org is a free software office suite, available from the website of the same name. Most people just shorten the name to “OpenOffice,” but the “.org” is really part of the software’s name.
But, a lot of people like to drop the “.org” and refer to the free suite as OpenOffice.
Why is that part of the [...]