What do you do when your PC is misbehaving? 

Below are some tips to help stop your PC from freezing:

1. Ctrl – Alt – Delete – pressing these buttons will help you end task on a freezing application.
2. Restart – when in doubt, restart your computer to refresh the system.
3. Install Windows updates by going to Internet Explorer -> Tools -> Windows Update.  This will update faulty drivers and slow Office applications
4. Remove dormant software by going to Start -> Control Panel -> Add/Remove Programs.  This will quicken your computer’s overall performance and make space.
5. Remove all peripherals (i.e. mouse, keyboard, handheld, printer) and attach them one by one to see if one is failing.

Do your eyes feel strained due to looking at the computer all day?

There is a way to soften the monitor’s glare and brightness.  You may follow the below steps to give your eyes immediate relief: 

Changing to the Classic Start Menu
1. Right click over the Start button and choose Properties.
2. Under the Start Menu tab, select the Classic Start menu option.
3. Click OK.

Changing Appearance of Windows XP to Windows Classic
1. Find an empty space on your Desktop (not on the shortcuts) and right click and choose Properties.
2. In the Display Properties window, go to the Themes tab and choose Windows Classic from the theme list.
Next, go to the Appearance tab and click the Advanced button.
3. In the Advance Appearance window, click on the text of Active Window.
-Active Title Bar: Size - change to 21
-Color 1 and Color 2: Choose the colors that shade your eyes, preventing glare.
-Font type: Select Tahoma (it’s easy to read). Size - select 12 (if it’s still small for you, just enlarge it and vice versa). Color - choose black.

Then, click on the text of Normal.
-Menu: Size - change to 21. Color 1 - choose gray.
-Font type: Select Arial (it’s easy to be read too). Size - select 12. Color - choose black.

Next, click on the text of Message Text.
-Change the size of the menu to 21.
-Font: Arial. Size - 12.

Finally, click on the text of Windows Text.
-Color 1: Click Other. For background color, I prefer the light yellow to shade my eyes, but choose what is best for you.  Click OK.

Once you’re done, return to the Themes tab, click the Save As button and then click the Save button.  Lastly, Click Apply and OK.

Your eyes will now encounter a softer viewing experience.  

When copying over your digital pics to your computer, you might notice some unrecognizable file name, such as DG01, DG02, DG03, and so on.  It would be tedious to rename every one of them. 

There is an automatic way in Windows XP to apply a meaningful naming sequence.  So, you may name your first baby photos as Baby_1.jpg, Baby_2.jpg, Baby_3.jpg and so on.

Here is how to automate a naming scheme for your pics:
1.  First, open the folder and select View > Thumbnails.
2.  Click the last picture in the folder you want to rename, hold down the Shift key, and click the first picture; this will select them all.
3.  Right-click the first photo, and select Rename from the drop-down menu.

Windows XP will highlight the filename for the first photo, enabling you to give it a descriptive name. After you type in the name, click the white space outside of the photo and watch as Windows applies the name with a sequential number to each picture in the folder.

Windows Vista, the new Microsoft operating system, is slated for early 2007.  Does your current computer have what it takes to run Vista?  Below are the necessary requirements:

A Windows Vista Capable PC includes at least:

• A modern processor (at least 800MHz).
• 512 MB of system memory.
• A graphics processor that is DirectX 9 capable.

Windows Vista Premium Ready PCs
Features available in specific premium editions of Windows Vista, such as the ability to watch and record live TV.

A Windows Vista Premium Ready PC includes at least:

• 1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor.
• 1 GB of system memory.
• Support for DirectX 9 graphics with a WDDM driver, 128 MB of graphics memory (minimum) Pixel Shader 2.0 and 32 bits per pixel.
• 40 GB of hard drive capacity with 15 GB free space.
• DVD-ROM Drive.
• Audio output capability.
• Internet access capability.