ABC Computer Notes

Some “ABC” Computer Notes

From Don Crowley

click here to view Don's new page "Some ABC's of Win XP

click here to view Don's "Intro to Windows Vista" page

ABC Computer Notes

A. What is Desktop Indexing? Why do I need it?

Google (MSN, Yahoo and others) offers a Desktop indexing program to allow a thorough search of information on your hard drive. It provides full text search over your email, computer files, chats, and history of the web pages you’ve viewed.

The information contained on your hard drive is not sent back to Google. It remains on your hard drive. Google Desktop Search is how our brains would work if we had a photographic memory

By making your computer searchable, Google Desktop Search puts your information easily within your reach and frees you from having to manually organize your files, emails, and bookmarks. [“For lazy computer users”]

After downloading Google Desktop Search, you can search your personal items as easily as you search the Internet using Google “Web” search.

Unlike traditional computer search software that updates once a day, Google Desktop Search updates continually for most file types, so that when you receive and open a new email in Outlook Express, for example, you can search for it within seconds.

Learn more and download Google Desktop at http://desktop.google.com

B. Internet Addresses Related to Security

1. Ask Uncle Sam to help fight SPAM

To help ward off SPAM, go to Federal Trade Commission at the following address:

Tip: You can go to the gateway to 25,000,000 government Web pages at:

http://www.firstgov.gov. While there – click the “A-Z” link in left side menu and browse through the index – for utter amazement!

2. Go to DataDoctors Web site for a list of “Tested and
Approved” software and a much longer list of software
to avoid.

www.datadoctors.com. Click link “DataDoctors Seal of Approval.”

3. To receive weekly memos from Data Doctors go to:

www.datadoctors.com/help/quikreg.cfm

4. T o request Kim Komando’s daily memos go to:

http://www.komando.com/newsletter.asp

C. Some Windows “Media Player 10” practical tasks.

1. To copy music from a disc into a Windows Media Player 10 Library:

a. Open Windows Media Player from Start Menu or Taskbar Icon.

b. Click Rip tab located below Menu bar; insert Disc. (It takes a little time to appear on screen.)

c. Select each tune you want to rip (copy).

d. Click Rip Music located on Toolbar.

2. To make a Playlist of your new music:

a. Open Windows Media Player from Start Menu or Taskbar Icon; click Library tab (below Menu bar.)

b. Click Now Playing List (far right); scroll to New List and click
Playlist.

c. Select songs you want in New Playlist; now drag selected songs to right Now Playing List.

d. Click on New Playlist and scroll to and click Save Playlist As.

e. Type name of Playlist and click Save.

3a. To Burn (copy) music from your computer to a disc:

a. Open Windows Media Player from Start Menu or Taskbar Icon.

b. Click Burn tab; click Burn List (upper left) to locate files to burn from All
Music or individual Play Lists.

c. Place checkmark in box to select files to burn to disc.

               [Note: Click Edit Playlist and click an item from the library if you want to add
               to the Play List you have selected to burn. Click “View library by” if you want
               to change how items are sorted in the library list.]

d. Insert a blank disc into burner drive; click Start Burn.

OR another way -

3b. To Burn (copy) music from your computer to a disc:

a. Open Windows Media Player from Start Menu or Taskbar Icon.
b. Click Library tab; scroll to and click tunes from All Music or Playlist.
(Note: Your can create a search to locate a tune if not available in Playlist).

c. Click Now Playing List to bring up a menu; scroll to and click Burn List.

d. Drag each tune from All Music or Playlist to Burn List.

e. Insert a blank disc into the burner drive.

f. Click Start Burn icon on lower right corner of screen (to convert music to .wav
file format.)

[Note: You can see progress of conversions by clicking Burn tab, instead of
clicking Start Burn icon.]

g. Click Burn List to bring up menu and scroll to and click Clear List.

4. Create a CD label using Windows Media Player 10

a. Open Windows Media Player from Start Menu or Taskbar Icon.

b. Click on Library tab; insert disc.

c. Click File menu; Click Print label.

d. A CD label maker wizard comes up listing steps to follow; click Next.

e. Step 1) Choose you CD or Playlist and click Next.

f. Step 2) Choose the Template for your label or insert; click Next.

g. Step 3) Design the layout of your or insert; click Next.

h. Step 4) Click Print.

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