Articles

Articles found: 210

– Welcome to Windows 11Windows 11 was released in October 2021, and it’s slowly being rolled out as a free upgrade to eligible PC users. It was an unexpected arrival, and there’s a lot about it that’s peculiar – not least, that Microsoft seems to have limited it to a comparatively small number of users. In this article, I’ll …

Categories:
Operating Systems: 11
Reference: W

– Windows: The Forgotten Password DilemmaYou’ve probably taken the sensible precaution of protecting your PC with a password, which you’re prompted to enter each time you start your PC and/or sign into your Windows account. This password ensures no-one can get at your personal files without your knowledge and permission. But what can you do if you haven’t used this …

Categories: Optimisation & System, PC Basics, Security, Troubleshooting
Operating Systems: 7, 8, 10
Reference: W

– Windows 10 Mail AppFor the first time in years, Windows comes with a practical built-in email program. It’s a fairly simple affair, as its simple name – Mail – suggests, but sometimes ‘simple’ is best! It handles all the basics of sending and receiving messages, reading and writing them, and organising them into folders. Best of all, Windows …

Categories: Basics, Installation & Setup
Operating Systems: 10
Reference: W

– Windows Sign In: PIN or Picture PasswordsYou probably sign into Windows 10 using your Microsoft account. That account should have a strong password – something long and complex – so typing it can be a bit of a palaver, especially if you’re using a tablet with its on-screen keyboard. In this article, I’ll show you two alternatives: a PIN number or …

Categories: Basics, Installation & Setup, Optimisation
Operating Systems: 7, 8, 10, 11
Reference: W

– Word: Tips to Cure Frequent AnnoyancesMicrosoft Word tries its best to be helpful, bless it. The trouble is, we’re all different, and we don’t necessarily appreciate those efforts. The result is that, at least some of the time, we just find Word annoying! In this article, I’ll run through the most frequent complaints about Word and show you how to …

Categories: Office & Software Programs
Operating Systems: 7, 8, 10, 11
Reference: W

– Word: Borders, Symbols and Text EffectsLike any word processor, Microsoft Word is designed for writing text documents. But who said a text document had to look dull? With a little know-how you can quickly insert page borders, horizontal separator lines and colourful text effects to add a touch of style to any document. Everything you need is built right into …

Categories: Office & Software Programs
Operating Systems: 7, 8, 10
Reference: W

– Word: Data Made Easy with TablesWhether it’s a summary of your expenses, a list of telephone numbers or birthdays, or a record of your insurance policies and their renewal details, a table in Word helps you lay out the information in a clear and readable way. In this article, I’ll explain how to create a table of the right size, …

Categories: Office Programs, Optimisation
Operating Systems: 7, 8, 10
Reference: W

– Word: Deleting Photo BackgroundsYou’ve picked the ideal photo to use in your Word document, but there’s a problem: the subject of the photo is lost in an expanse of unnecessary background. Should you put up with it or choose a different photo? Neither! As long as you’re using Microsoft Word 2010 or later, there are two useful techniques …

Categories: Multimedia, Office & Software Programs
Operating Systems: 7, 8, 10
Reference: W

– Word: Inserting Text and ImagesWould you like to use a picture from the Internet to decorate a greeting card? How can you copy that recipe from a web page to a Word document? How can you include a map along with the driving directions in your document? When you know the tricks, it’s surprisingly easy to copy text and …

Categories: Multimedia, Office & Software Programs
Operating Systems: 8, 10
Reference: W

– Word: Quick Formatting Using StylesWhen you’re writing a long document in Microsoft Word, you want it to look good, but you don’t want to spend hours fiddling with the font, size, colour, alignment and spacing of every paragraph and heading. And why should you? Just take advantage of Word’s built-in Styles instead! If those aren’t quite what you had …

Categories: Office & Software Programs
Operating Systems: 7, 8, 10, 11
Reference: W

– Word: Safe SavingYou’ve put the finishing touches to your document, tweaking the text, restyling the headings, improving the layout, and then… there’s a sudden power cut and it’s gone! Does that mean you’ve lost all your work and you’ll have to start again? Thankfully not! There are various features you can use in Word to ensure you …

Categories: Office Programs, PC Basics, Tips & Tricks
Operating Systems: 7, 8, 10, 11
Reference: W

– Working with Excel and WordWhen you need to keep track of a set of figures, a spreadsheet is the perfect tool for the job. Your household bills (water, gas and electricity consumption); your finances (bank accounts, investments, insurance policies); your motoring expenses (petrol, servicing and repairs) – all are perfect candidates for a spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel. But what …

Categories: Multimedia, Office & Software Programs
Operating Systems: 7, 8, 10, 11
Reference: W

– Working with Pictures in WordAlmost any word processor allows you to include pictures in the documents you write, and to choose their size and position. In most programs, the options don’t go much further than that, but Microsoft Word provides an amazing collection of picture styles and formatting options that can turn even the dullest of images into an …

Categories: Multimedia, Office & Software Programs
Operating Systems: 7, 8, 10, 11
Reference: W

– Windows Controls: Programs, Apps, Dialogs and MoreWhat on earth are ‘spin buttons’ and ‘radio buttons’? What’s the difference between a ‘list box’ and a ‘drop-down list’, or between a ‘menu bar’ and a ‘context menu’? How can you tell whether a checkbox is switched on or off – and why does it sometimes seem to be neither? No more head scratching: …

Categories:
Operating Systems: 7, 8, 10, 11
Reference: W

– Windows 10: Backups and File HistoryDo you keep backups – safety copies – of your files? If you’re anything like the vast majority of computer users, you don’t, and that means your irreplaceable files are at risk. The trouble is, backing up your files is a chore, and one you have to repeat fairly frequently. If you use Windows 10, …

Categories: Internet & Security
Operating Systems: 10
Reference: W

– Windows 11: Common Problems SolvedIf you’ve just upgraded to Windows 11, or you’ve bought a new PC that comes with the latest version, there’s plenty about it to like. However, I’m sure there’s the odd thing you’d change about it if you could! In this article, I’ll run through the adjustments you’re most likely to want to make and …

Categories: Updates
Operating Systems: 11
Reference: W

– Windows 11: Your Favourite Free AppsOne of the great advantages of Windows 11 is the inclusion of the Microsoft Store app. Using this app you can browse through thousands of items of software for your PC – many of them free – and install anything you fancy quickly and safely. Not everything at the Store is worth having, of course, …

Categories: Internet & Security, Multimedia
Operating Systems: 11
Reference: W

– Windows Sound Effects GuideAlmost everything that happens in Windows comes with its own sound effect – or it can do. When you minimise a window, click a menu item, empty the Recycle Bin, encounter an error or plug in a device, it can be accompanied by a sound effect. Would you like more of these sound effects, or …

Categories: Basics
Operating Systems: 8, 10, 11
Reference: W

Wallpaper Slideshow: Liven Up Your Desktop!Are you tired of seeing the same old wallpaper picture on your desktop every day? You can change it, of course, and do that as often as you like, but there’s an even better option available: set Windows to pick different wallpapers for you automatically and change them on a regular schedule. It’s known as …

Categories: Multimedia
Operating Systems: 7, 8, 10
Reference: W030

Windows 2013: Expand Windows for FreeSave the Time and Cost of Upgrading to Windows 8 Since a New Windows Version is Just Around the Corner Just as Windows 8 is starting to become more widespread, the next generation of Windows operating systems is already nearly finished: Windows 8.1 (codename Windows Blue). According to Microsoft, Windows 8.1 will be released in …

Categories: Installation & Setup, Optimisation
Operating Systems: XP, Vista, 7, 8
Reference: W070