May 2005 Tidbits
- Automatically clear your cache (Internet Explorer)
- Send a message - quick!
- Grow and shrink your fonts (MS Word)
- Adieu
Automatically clear your cache (Internet Explorer)
Each time you visit a web page a temporary copy of that page is stored in your Temporary Internet Files cache for your browser. Depending on the size your cache is set to be and how often you empty it out, this folder can take up a lot of space on your computer. If you clear your cache out regularly, you will likely find that your Internet browsing will speed up.
The easiest way to clear your cache regularly without having to think about it is to set Internet Explorer to clear it out each time you close the browser. Here's how:
- In Internet Explorer, select TOOLS > INTERNET OPTIONS.
- Click on the ADVANCED tab.
- Scroll down to the SECURITY section.
- Select the "Empty Temporary Internet Files Folder When Browser Is Closed" check box.
- Click OK.
There! Now you don't even have to think about it. How much better can life get?
Send a message - quick!
We all have one or two people we end up emailing every day, right? Well, why not make it even easier (and faster) to pop off those messages and save ourselves a little time. Try creating a desktop shortcut that will automatically open your default mail program with the TO box already filled in!
- On your desktop, right-click and select NEW > SHORTCUT.
- Type mailto: in the location box. (This will look familiar to webmeisters, as mailto: is how an email link is created in HTML.)
- Click on the NEXT button.
- Enter a name for your shortcut. Example: Email Rick
- Click on the FINISH button.
Find the new shortcut on your desktop and double-click it to make sure it opens a blank email in your defaul mail program. (This will not work in web-based email programs, like Yahoo! mail, AOL, or Hotmail.) If a blank email opened, then all we have left is to tell the email where to go. Close the blank email window and continue.
- Right-click the shortcut you created on your desktop and select PROPERTIES.
- In the URL box, you will see the "mailto:" you entered before. Now simply add the email address for the person you want this shortcut to contact after the "mailto:" already in the box.
- While you're there, you can change the icon for your shortcut or create a keyboard shortcut.
- When you're finished, click the OK button.
To make this even handier, drag the shortcut icon down to your Quick Launch toolbar. Now you can pop off a message to your favorite person with a single click! Cool beans.
Grow and shrink your fonts (MS Word)
You know how much I love keyboard shortcuts... Well, here's a handy dandy one for you Word users.
Do you ever have trouble deciding what point size would be best for your headings or text or something you added to the page? Here's a quick way to experiment without have to select a point size over and over until you find the right one. Highlight the text you want to affect, then:
- press CTRL + SHIFT + > to grow the font size (make it larger)
- OR
- press CTRL + SHIFT + < to shrink the font size (make it smaller)
It's fun. It's quick. It's easy!
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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