Laptop Operation Tips and “How To” Articles
All of the “How To” links shown below were accessed from www.ehow.com
This is a great reference site for basic questions regarding your PC or Mac.
If you move your cursor over the “addresses, links, URLs” provided and click, you will be redirected to that page of
information. Example – move your cursor over the link below and click - you will get the page shown in the picture below
http://www.ehow.com/topic_134_computers.html
You need only type in the name of the topic in the “Search” box to find relevant information about that topic (assuming it
is contained on this site) I typed “PC” and got the page shown above.
How to Create a Folder
Creating folders, also called directories, helps you organize your files. For example, you might want to make a folder
called “Job Search” to store your resume, cover letters, references and other documents. These instructions should work
for both Windows and the Mac.
http://www.ehow.com/how_5550_create-folder.html
How to Create Shortcuts
Creating shortcuts can save you a lot of time when navigating the maze that is your computer’s hard drive. With a few,
simple methods, you can create a shortcut to any file or folder on your computer.
http://www.ehow.com/how_4448935_create-shortcuts.html
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How to Transfer Information to a Flash Drive
Saving information from a computer to a USB flash drive is a straightforward process. Thanks to the ubiquity of such
drives, this process allows users to quickly and simply back up important data.
http://www.ehow.com/how_5928644_transfer-information-flash-drive.html
How to Save Files on a USB Flash Drive
Have files on your computer that you need to save on a removable disk? If that’s the case, follow these simple steps to
learn how to save your data on a removable USB flash drive, take your files on the go.
http://www.ehow.com/how_4776283_save-files-usb-flash-drive.html
READ “How to Safely Remove a USB Flash Drive from the Computer” BEFORE you remove the USB Flash Drive
How to Safely Remove a USB Flash Drive from the Computer
It is always a safe practice to safely remove your USB flash drive before unplugging it from your computer. This prevents
data loss and extends the life of your external storage device. Removing flash drive from your computer is very easy and
doesn’t take a long time to do. Follow these simple steps
http://www.ehow.com/how_4784537_remove-usb-flash-drive-computer.html
How to View Microsoft Word Documents without having Microsoft WORD
installed on your system
In 1983, the first version of Microsoft Word was born. Originally named Multi-Tool Word, Microsoft Word is a savvy and
versatile word processing software application. If you do not have access to Word, but you need to view or print a Word
document, there is still a way to access these files. Microsoft has provided a free software program to open and view
Microsoft Word documents.
http://www.ehow.com/how_6848977_microsoft-word-documents.html
How to View PPT Files without having Microsoft PowerPoint installed on
your system
PowerPoint is the component of Microsoft Office suite used to create interactive slide show presentations. Most of the
time, users open Power Point files (PPT files) and presentations from within the application itself. However, even if you do
not have Microsoft Office or Power Point installed on your computer, you can still view the presentation files with a free
utility from Microsoft.
http://www.ehow.com/how_6937086_ppt-files.html
How to Open an Excel Spreadsheet Without Installing Software
Microsoft Excel spreadsheets are a tool for creating and managing data. Excel files have the file extension .xlsx (for Excel
2007 and Excel 2010) or .xls (Excel 2003 and earlier). Unfortunately, these file types can only be opened on a computer
that has Excel software installed (either the full product or the viewer). You can view Excel files if they are in a .csv (comma
separated values) format. All Excel versions are capable of saving as .csv files and the result is a file that can be viewed on
any computer’s text editor without the need to install software.
http://www.ehow.com/how_6600997_open-excel-spreadsheet-installing-software.html
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How to Clear Hard Drive Space; “Disk Cleanup”
Over a period of time your PC’s hard drive can become cluttered with unnecessary files and programs. Some programs
are installed but never used, or daily usage can cause fragmented files to take up hard drive space on your PC. Window
has a utility that allows you to clear up hard drive space on your PC by removing unwanted files or Windows components.
Clearing up space can help your PC operate more efficiently
http://www.ehow.com/how_4913692_clear-hard-drive-space.html
How to Defrag a Laptop
(“Disk Defragmenter” - Defrag means to rearrange data on your hard drive so it operates most efficiently)
If a laptop computer is running slowly, then you might want to defrag (defragment) the laptop to see if this makes the
laptop run faster. Running a defrag on a laptop is easy to do, and the software to defrag a laptop comes included on any
laptop with Windows already installed. If you are familiar with the process for defragging a desktop computer, then you
will have no trouble with defragging a laptop, because the process is the same. It only takes a couple of minutes to begin
the defrag process, and then the laptop takes care of the defragging automatically. Here is how to defrag a laptop.
http://www.ehow.com/how_4474150_defrag-laptop.html
How to Clean a Virus-Infected Computer
Computer viruses are insidious, sneaky and--like their biological counterparts--constantly mutating. If you think your
computer has been infected, the only safe course of action is to use a good anti-virus program.
http://www.ehow.com/how_113706_clean-virus-infected.html
About Antivirus Software
Antivirus software is used to protect computers, databases and all their electronically stored information from malicious
logic programs. Antivirus software not only prevents infection, but it can also clean viruses and other malicious logic from
an infected system. Due to the constant changes in malicious logic programs, however, definition files must be frequently
updated.
http://www.ehow.com/about_5047499_antivirus-software.html
How to Delete Programs Properly
There comes a time in every computer user’s life when programs must be deleted from the system. Remove programs
the wrong way and you risk leaving portions of programs behind, which gums up remaining programs. You can also
remove too many program files and leave remaining programs without needed files. Removing programs correctly only
takes a few minutes and is worth the effort to preserve your computer’s health.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2062607_delete-programs-properly.html
How to Find Lost Computer Files
Have you saved a file to your computer and now getting frustrated because you can’t seem to remember where you
saved it? Don’t worry, Windows has you covered. Within a few clicks you’ll be happily reunited with your file once again.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2275693_lost-computer-files.html
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How to Enable the Stand By Mode on a Computer
(depending on your laptop, Hibernate, Sleep or Standby will be used – see article below)
Standby mode is a lower power-consumption mode that’s designed to reduce energy usage when your computer is
not in use. In addition to saving electricity, this feature can increase battery life if you’re using a laptop. You can enable
standby mode manually, or you can set up your system to automatically enter standby mode after a period of inactivity.
Standby mode is referred to as “Sleep Mode” in Windows Vista and Windows 7.
http://www.ehow.com/how_6324168_enable-stand-mode-computer.html
How to Fix Computer Freezes
this doesn’t typically “fix” them but it tells you how to recover and proceed.)
ALERT -----DO NOT START TAPPING ON THE KEYBOARD (Enter, ESC, space, etc.) WHEN USING THE eAPP JUST BECAUSE IT
IS TAKING TIME TO RECALCULATE; IF YOU DO, YOU CAN CAUSE THE FREEZE. The application is performing a significant
amount of updates from your inputs, calculations and “safe store” functions. Let it “do its thing,” relax and interact with the
client(s) while the application does what it does.
A computer freezes up or stop running for many reasons. Take a few deep breaths and take in this information. These
ideas will assist you when your computer freezes, assuming it is a relatively minor problem and not a major repair.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2196062_fix-computer-that-has-frozen.html
How to Find Out How Much Memory Your PC Has
Your computer uses RAM (random-access memory) for quick, short-term storage. Programs store their instructions in
RAM when they run, so RAM determines how many programs you can open at once, the size of the files you can open in
programs, and, to some extent, how fast a program executes its instructions. It’s a snap to figure out how much RAM you
have in your computer.
http://www.ehow.com/how_3054_find-much-memory.html
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