Desktop Publishing with Microsoft Word - 6/5/2002 No, the world's favorite word processor doesn't have all the features of a deluxe desktop publishing program, but it has more and finer formatting controls than you're using now. Here's how to take advantage of text boxes, line spacing, and other tools for surprisingly stylish newsletters or flyers.
T 'n' T: What's the Password? - 6/3/2002 Whether you're leaving your PC switched off for the weekend while you're in the country, or idle for 10 minutes while you're down the hall, password protection is a smart, simple way to fend off nosy colleagues or careless kids. This week's tips 'n' tricks strike a balance, helping make your PC more secure without making your routine impossibly complicated.
T 'n' T: How'd They Do That? - 5/27/2002 Tips 'n' Tricks columnist Gregg Keizer isn't shy about asking for recipes -- when he sees a neat shortcut or special effect on someone else's PC, he finds out how they did it and shares the scoop with you. This week, Gregg reveals the secrets to shrinking Windows XP's title-bar buttons, replacing your PC vendor's Control Panel branding, and more.
When Excel Has One Too Many What-If's - 5/22/2002 The trouble with what-if questions is that they rarely come one at a time. Not to worry: Excel's Scenario Manager is the key to keeping track of a stack of changing variables and outcomes for any business contingency. Office ace Helen Bradley provides the best possible tutorial.
T 'n' T: Save Our Screens - 5/20/2002 Today's monitors don't need them the way '80s displays did, but most of us still like to use Windows screensavers. This week's tips 'n' tricks offer both plain and fancy ways to make your own screensavers, disable or delete unwanted ones, and save energy by letting your CRT catch a few ZZZ's.
Smart Photoshop Selections - 5/15/2002 Selecting, copying, or masking part (or parts) of an image is one of the most fundamental Adobe Photoshop skills, but grabbing with the lasso and finding you've missed or lopped off desired areas is one of the most frustrating Photoshop experiences. Instead of selecting by trial and error, try these expert tips for constraining, editing, and moving selections on the fly.
T 'n' T: Sound Off, Sound On - 5/13/2002 Customizing your Windows startup and shutdown sounds is fun, but dealing with the operating system's other audio feedback can be an earache. Here are five tips for spiking Internet Explorer 6.0's annoying sound effects, muting and restoring Windows' sounds with a single click, optimizing CD audio quality, and more.
T 'n' T: Five Desktop Favorites - 5/6/2002 Ready for some desktop spring cleaning? This week's tips 'n' tricks help you tidy your Windows workspace -- by getting rid of unused shortcuts, unwanted labels, and sending applications to the system tray instead of the taskbar -- so you'll have space to add handy sticky-note reminders. As a bonus, Gregg's got a secret for high-speed printing of your frequently used documents.
T 'n' T: Stupid Mouse Tricks - 4/22/2002 Push it around, point, click -- you use your mouse a thousand times a day, but are you using it for more than the basics? This week's tips 'n' tricks concern good mousekeeping: saving clicks and keystrokes, reading Internet Explorer pages without eyestrain, finding wayward pointers, and reducing the risk of painful carpal tunnel syndrome.
Elegant Excel Formatting - 4/18/2002 Got financial news that's sure to please the boss? Don't bury it in a bland, black-and-white grid of hard-to-read numbers. Office expert Helen Bradley shows you how to outdo Excel's built-in formatting with intelligently colored rows or columns and cells that show data in more intuitive, eye-catching ways.
T 'n' T: Hello, Family Help Desk Speaking - 4/15/2002 The only bad thing about reading WinPlanet's Tips 'n' Tricks column is that it increases the odds of friends and family hitting you up for Windows help. So this week, Gregg shares his favorite tools and tactics for quickly diagnosing and fixing colleagues' PC problems -- and for hinting how they can help themselves next time.
When Word Documents Disappear - 4/11/2002 It's happened to all of us: The word processing file that was fine only yesterday is suddenly missing in action or, worse, turned to garbled garbage. Try these tips to attempt a safe recovery, or at least enlist some of Microsoft Word's little-known features to reduce the risk of document loss in the future.
T 'n' T: Rock the Taskbar - 4/8/2002 Don't look down -- that strip at the bottom of your screen isn't pulling its weight. Windows' taskbar is a handy indicator of the programs and documents you're working with, but these five tips 'n' tricks can make it do more -- including hiding or moving the taskbar or controlling it with your keyboard instead of your mouse.
Automating Outlook - 4/3/2002 Microsoft Office expert Helen Bradley has a confession to make: When it comes to sorting incoming e-mail, deleting spam, and answering routine inquiries, she's lazy. You can be, too, thanks to Outlook's automatic rules, customizable message notification, and e-mail templates. Here's how to make Outlook work more so you can work less.
T 'n' T: On Your Mark, Get Set, Tweak! - 4/1/2002 The Start menu and Control Panel hide a handful of ways to configure, customize, or add convenience to Windows, but you haven't really used the operating system until you've tweaked it. In this week's Tips 'n' Tricks, Gregg Keizer presents five versatile tweaking toolkits for Win 98, Me, 2000, and XP, from Microsoft's legendary TweakUI to freeware and shareware favorites.
T 'n' T: Take Control of the Control Panel - 3/25/2002 You probably visit Windows' Control Panel at least every few days to tweak a setting or change a default. But have you tweaked the Control Panel itself? This week's tips 'n' tricks help you do everything from removing unwanted modules or applets to remodeling the Control Panel as a toolbar or pop-up menu for faster access.
Work Wonders with Word Images - 3/20/2002 Pasting a square photo or clip-art image into your document? Boring! Take advantage of Word's creative controls by putting images into artistically shaped frames or cutouts, changing that clip-art character's blue shirt to a red one, or even adding artwork to envelopes.
T 'n' T: Top Five Turn-Offs - 3/18/2002 Gregg Keizer's Tips 'n' Tricks column usually explores various helpful features within Windows -- but this week, he's out to shut down some not-so-helpful ones. Check out these five quick fixes for some of the operating system's more annoying intrusions.
Ready, Set, Present - 3/14/2002 Microsoft PowerPoint gives you plenty of tools for making eye-catching, entertaining slide shows or multimedia demos -- but when your creative work's done, it's time to consider your most effective delivery method. Office expert Helen Bradley shares half a dozen ways to make sure even your unattended presentations proceed without a hitch.
T 'n' T: It's My Search Party, and I'll Cry If I Want To - 3/11/2002 Windows XP features the most sophisticated search tools of any Microsoft operating system to date, but you may find its defaults -- from summoning the MSN.com search engine to accompanying searches with a cute animated hound -- less than lovable. Tips 'n' tricks king Gregg Keizer shows you how to make sure nothing comes between you and your data.
Fun and Functional Excel Charts - 3/6/2002 For making numeric data readable, there's nothing like a chart -- but chances are, your coworkers or clients are sick of seeing the same old bars, columns, and pies. Whether changing columns to cones or adding stylish backdrops and pictographs, here's how to create Excel charts that stand out.
T 'n' T: Up With Downloads - 3/4/2002 Windows is a great operating system, but it gets even better when you think outside the box -- the shrink-wrapped box, that is, with regular visits to Microsoft's download library. The company's newest online offerings do everything from plugging security holes and ironing out mouse-driver incompatibilities to letting you install Windows XP even if your PC can't boot from a CD.
T 'n' T: Sync Smart - 2/26/2002 There's Windows' built-in, bare-bones Briefcase, and there are some powerful, pricey third-party utilities -- but isn't there anything in between for users trying to keep much-used documents up to date on both a desktop and laptop? WinPlanet tips 'n' trickster Gregg Keizer helps two-PC commuters stay sane and synchronized with five time-, file-, and battery-saving solutions.
T 'n' T: Be a Windows Explorer Explorer - 2/20/2002 Let's face it -- Windows got a lot wimpier when the fundamental task of file management turned into My Computer and My Documents. In this week's tips 'n' tricks, Gregg Keizer helps you unleash the more powerful and flexible Windows Explorer -- whether you're restoring handy defaults from the DOS days, or taking advantage of a nifty new option in the Windows XP version.
Make the Most of Word's Menus - 2/15/2002 You've used Word long enough to feel comfortable with the Tools/Customize command, tweaking a toolbar here and a menu there? Office expert Helen Bradley says you're only scratching the surface -- and shows you how to get instant access to frames, font samples, favorite documents, and symbols normally hidden or unavailable.
T 'n' T: The Way We Were - 2/11/2002 Microsoft says Windows XP's visual makeover makes the OS smarter and simpler to use. Apple fans say it bears an uncanny resemblance to Mac OS X. And many XP users say they appreciate the extra performance and stability, but can do without the jumbo buttons and self-arranging Start menu. For them, this week's tips 'n' tricks help you undo Redmond's redesigns of everything from the desktop to Control Panel.
Using Excel's Array Formulas - 2/6/2002 Sure, Microsoft's spreadsheet provides plenty of built-in functions -- but none for performing multiple conditional tests for manipulating just a subset of your data. Instead of breaking down these custom calculations into multiple steps, learn about Excel's array formulas and do sophisticated data analysis with no sweat.
T 'n' T: Exasperations 'n' Irritations - 2/4/2002 How does Gregg spell relief? In this week's Windows tips 'n' tricks, you'll find soothing medication for five irksome quirks that vex Explorer and taskbar users -- from getting rid of on-screen icons to making room for more, or keeping program windows from playing hide-and-seek.
T 'n' T: Make a Date With Windows Update - 1/28/2002 When it comes to security fixes and performance improvements, Windows is a work in progress. Microsoft's online updates-and-patches delivery has grown smoother and more sophisticated, but Gregg Keizer's tips can give you truly optimal optimization -- whether you're running Windows XP or an earlier version.
T 'n' T: May the Power Source Be With You - 1/23/2002 Want your desktop PC to start faster, or your notebook to last longer? The trick is in Windows' power management settings: Gregg Keizer's tips this week help you squeeze the most battery life from your laptop without risking sudden data loss, tell your desktop to turn off by itself or start up with your favorite applications and files ready for work, and more.
Smart Printing and Updating with Word Field Codes - 1/17/2002 How often do you use Microsoft Word's Insert/Field command? Maybe not often enough -- besides printing mail-merge letters, Word's field codes help you track sequential documents and add stylish printing effects. Word processing wizard Helen Bradley shares seven savvy secrets.
T 'n' T: Displaying Around - 1/14/2002 See here -- Gregg Keizer wants you to use Windows without eyestrain, change display settings on the fly, and even view Web pages without any Internet Explorer toolbars or menus to get in the way. In other words, this week's Windows Tips 'n' Tricks help you master your monitor.
Getting What's Missing in Excel 2002 - 1/9/2002 Clippy the satanic paper clip isn't the only thing Microsoft removed when remodeling Office 2000 into Office XP: According to Windows applications ace Helen Bradley, several of the best Excel add-ins and tools went AWOL. Here's how you can get them back, with links to both downloads and tutorials.
T 'n' T: Five Ways To Fix Windows Messenger - 1/7/2002 Want to make Windows work better? In the first installment of WinPlanet's weekly tips-'n'-tricks resource for power users, OS expert and veteran computer author Gregg Keizer shows how to improve Microsoft's instant messaging client.
Whatever Happened To PIMs? - 1/2/2002 Remember personal information managers? The ultra-dominance of Microsoft Office and Outlook has quashed this once-popular category, but there are still good reasons to demand more than mere addresses, appointments, and e-mail -- from shareware bargains and self-help guides to an amazingly simple, incredibly powerful needle-in-a-haystack finder.
Windows XP: 10 Things To Do First - 12/10/2001 You've just installed Microsoft's new operating system? Great, but don't start work yet -- before you install your applications or do anything else, check out these tips to conserve hard disk space, put your personal stamp on your system, and make Windows XP look better and run more smoothly.
