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computer iconJune 2005 Tidbits

How to safely remove hardware

There are so many devices these days that we connect through our computer's USB ports: digital cameras, media players, flash drives, external hard drives, etc. Even though these devices are treated like Plug & Play hardware (they work right away and don't have to be "installed"), you should be sure to properly remove them when you're done using them.

Computer Tips Weekly reports: "A USB port has current running through it, so the power jolt caused by unplugging a 'hot' connection can corrupt data on a storage device, camera, or mp3 player."

To prevent possible problems, use the "Safely Remove Hardware" icon in your system tray located by the system clock. It looks like this: remove hardware icon

Once you click on the icon, it will list all of the devices connected to your computer. Select the one you want to remove and click on STOP. Windows will tell you when it is safe to remove the device.

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Center your data on the page (MS Excel)

So ya wanna be able to center your spreadsheet on a printed page instead of it coming out lined up on the top and left side? Don't mess around with adding extra empty columns and rows or play with individual page margins to accomplish it. Here's the easy way:

  1. Choose FILE > PAGE SETUP.
  2. Select the MARGINS tab.
  3. Use the check boxes in the CENTER ON PAGE section to control how your page will print. (You can choose to center horizontally, vertically or both.)

Your page will be lined up in relation to the margins defined, not the actual size of the page you're printing on.

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Un-did? Oops! Redo (just about anywhere)

Anyone who has taken Dreamweaver training with me should know the ever magical CONTROL+Z shortcut to undo an action you just applied to a page when you decide it just doesn't look right. This magical shortcut works in just about any other Windows application, too, so it can really come in handy.

But what happens if you undo something you decide you want back? Rather than having to redo the action the hard way, you can simply use another ever magical shortcut, CONTROL+Y.

Ahhh, keyboard shortcuts. Every geek's dream...

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Adieu

Farewell until next time from the library system where all the computers are fast, all the books are worth reading, and all the librarians are above average!

This issue of Tidbits was written by Beth Carpenter, Web Services Manager for the Outagamie Waupaca Library System. Please send any comments or questions about this issue to Beth.

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