(Approx. 663 words)

Broadsides
Written by Ron Broadhurst, Space Coast PC Users Group, FL
www.scpcug.com
shiron (at) cfl.rr.com

This article has been obtained from APCUG with the author’s permission for publication by APCUG member groups; all other uses require the permission of the author (see e-mail address above).

Dear friends,
These ideas are compiled from years of accumulations from various magazines, books, on-line sites, and my own personal experience. I claim neither originality nor ownership to any of its contents. My only intent is to share the various “tips, “tricks”, & “hints” in hopes of helping & maybe enhancing your computing experiences. They are all intended for anyone who uses a PC. It is for beginners as well as advanced users. Enjoy and use as you will.

Ron Broadhurst

HOW TO HAVE WINDOWS REMIND YOU ABOUT PENDING UPDATES

• Click Remind Me Later in the Automatic Updates dialog box before you download or install the update.
• In the Reminder dialog box, you can specify the amount of time Windows should wait before reminding you.
• If the reminder is for downloading, Windows reminds you only when you are connected to the Internet.

If the reminder is for installing, Windows reminds you according to the schedule that you specify.

AND HOW TO DOWNLOAD AVAILABLE UPDATES

If you configured automatic updating to notify you before downloading any updates, an icon is displayed in the notification area each time new updates are found.

• Double-click the icon in the notification area.
• Do either of the following steps:

If you want Windows to download an update, make sure that the check box beside it is
selected.
-or-
If you do not want Windows to download an update, click to clear the check box beside it. Your selected updates are downloaded in the background; this behavior allows you to continue working uninterrupted. Downloading does not interfere with or slow down other network activity, such as Internet browsing.

When downloading is finished, the icon is displayed in the notification area to notify you that updates are ready to be installed.

CUSTOMIZE THE START MENU

The Start menu gets more real estate in XP than in previous versions, and it’s more customizable. To make the Start menu display only the applications you want, rather than the default determined by Microsoft:

• Right-click in an empty section of the Start menu’s left column.
• Select Properties > Start Menu > Customize. Here you’ll find a list of your most frequently used programs. (XP keeps track of what you use and what you don’t, then updates this list dynamically).

Don’t want your boss to know that Pinball, Solitaire and Quake all make your list?
Go to the General tab, click Clear List, and set the counter to zero.

HOW TO PERFORM DISK ERROR CHECKING IN WINDOWS XP

This describes how to check the integrity of the hard disk drive in Windows XP. After you install Windows XP, the Scandisk command is not available.

• Double-click My Computer and then right-click the hard disk drive that you want to check.
• Click Properties and then click Tools.
• Under Error-checking click Check Now.
• Click Start.

ADD FAMILIAR ICONS BACK TO YOUR DESKTOP

It’s the case of the missing icons. Many of you may be wondering where all the icons from your desktop are in Windows XP? You can place at least My Computer, My 
Network Places and My Documents on the desktop.

• Right-click on the desktop and then click Properties.
• Click the Desktop tab and then click on Customize Desktop.

Put a check mark in the box next to My Document, My Computer, My Network Places or Internet Explorer, to add those familiar icons to your desktop.

HOW TO FIND YOUR IP ADDRESS IN WINDOWS XP

Start and click Run
Type “cmd” (without quotes) and hit enter
Once the box opens type “ipconfig /all” (without quotes) and hit enter.