Pc Annoyances

by Bass, Steve

• ISBN13: 9780596008826
• ISBN10: 0596008821
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-05-05
• Publisher: Oreilly & Associates Inc

Summary

In every home PC user's life, there's a point when desperate measures must be taken. Some are tempted to push their PC off a pier, chuck it into a landfill, or turn it into a planter box. But there's a better way to deal with common PC annoyances. This easy to read book from PC World expert Steve Bass covers the waterfront of PC gripes and gremlins, with fixes for everything from Windows glitches to browsers that won't browse. These tips and tricks are served up in bite-sized portions for quick reading and even quicker fixing. PC Annoyances shows readers of all levels how to deal with different flavors of Windows, conquer email problems, master Microsoft Office, wrassle with hardware, and untie impossible Internet knots.

Author Biography

Steve Bass is a longtime popular staff writer at PC World magazine and founded the Pasadena IBM Users Group.

Table of Contents

Introduction	xv
Email Annoyances	2	(217)
General Email Annoyances	2	(10)
Hide the Recipients List	2	(1)
Display Email Headers	2	(1)
Stop Your Mailbox from Filling Up	2	(1)
Endless Loop Vacations	3	(1)
Spam Zappers Extraordinaire	4	(1)
Alternative Medicine for PC Viruses	5	(1)
Clean Up Forwarded Email	5	(2)
Share Big Files Without the Attachments	7	(1)
Return to Sender, Address Unknown	7	(1)
Undecipherable Attachments	8	(1)
Turn Off Return Receipt	9	(1)
IMHO You'll Be Rotflol	9	(1)
Check Yahoo! Mail from Your Email Program	10	(1)
Embed Images in Email	10	(1)
Fix Those Broken Links	10	(1)
Stop Including Messages in Replies	11	(1)
Pre-Address Your Email	11	(1)
Keep a Copy	12	(1)
Sending Shorter URLs	12	(1)
Outlook and Outlook Express 5 and 6	12	(7)
Disable the Preview Pane	12	(1)
Give Outlook Express a Makeover	13	(1)
Choose Your Message View	13	(1)
Use Folders	14	(1)
Multiple Email Accounts on One Computer	15	(1)
One Email Account on Multiple Computers	16	(1)
Save Keystrokes via Signatures	16	(1)
Back Up Email	16	(1)
Back Up Your Address Book	17	(1)
Where Did That Attachment Go?	17	(1)
Create File Attachments	18	(1)
Automatic Zip Attachments in Outlook	19	(1)
AOL Annoyances	19	(3)
Muzzle AOL	19	(1)
Giving AOL's Companion the Boot	19	(1)
Hold On to Your AOL Mail	20	(1)
AOL's Hidden Toll-Free Support	20	(1)
Dump AOL's Email	20	(1)
Leaving AOL--and Taking Your Favorites	20	(1)
Keep Images Sharp in AOL	21	(1)
Eudora Annoyances	22	(5)
Managing Eudora's Alphabetical Mailboxes	22	(1)
Slimming Down Eudora's Headers	22	(1)
Find Mail Faster with Filters	23	(1)
Filter Out Viruses and Worms	23	(1)
Smart Sorting	24	(1)
Filtering Spam	24	(1)
Eudora's Toolbar: Dumb as Dirt	25	(1)
Sharper Toolbar Buttons	26	(1)
Hotmail Annoyances	27	(4)
Bookmark Your Hotmail Inbox	27	(1)
Use Outlook Express to Excise Hotmail Spam	27	(2)
Hide Hotmail's Spam	29	(1)
Make Hotmail Your Default Email Program	30	(1)
Import Your Address Book via Outlook Express	30	(1)
Gmail Annoyances	31	(5)
Get Gmail	31	(1)
Import Address Books	31	(1)
Gmail Says: ``You've Got Mail''	31	(1)
Gmail Nixes EXEs and ZIPs	32	(1)
Breaking the 10 MB Limit	32	(4)
Windows Annoyances
General Windows Annoyances	36	(32)
Windows XP Is the Cure for Me (and 98, and 95)	36	(1)
Help That's Actually Helpful	37	(1)
A Most Annoying Annoyance: Windows Product Activation	38	(1)
Speed Up Menus by Skipping Transitions	39	(1)
Screen Resolution: I Can See Clearly Now	39	(1)
Old DOS Games Make It to the Big Screen	40	(1)
Take Charge of Your Start Menu and System Tray	40	(1)
Program Filenames That Make Sense	41	(1)
Keep Your Folder Names Short and Sweet	41	(1)
One-Click XP Shutowns	41	(2)
All Hail the Windows Key!	43	(1)
Open Closed Startup Programs Without Restarting	44	(1)
Laptop Network Switches Made Easy	44	(1)
Set the Windows Clock	44	(1)
A Cure for Cock-Eyed Calendars	45	(1)
A Quick Fix for Missing Quick Launch Toolbars	46	(1)
Restore MIA Quick Launch Shortcuts	46	(1)
Prevent Accidental File Deletions	47	(1)
Phone Reboots	47	(1)
Printing Faxes, No Wizard Required	47	(1)
Faster Access to Your Control Panel	48	(1)
The Case of the Missing Icons	49	(1)
Crush Intrusive Desktop Web Items	50	(1)
Pump Up Your Icons	51	(1)
Internet Explorer Has Shrunken Menus	51	(1)
Big Icons in the Quick Launch	52	(1)
Button Up Your Overcrowded Taskbar	52	(1)
Eudora Defaults to Taskbar	53	(1)
Rearrange the Taskbar	53	(1)
Taskbar, System Tray, and Quick Launch Woes	53	(1)
Save Disk Space by Ditching Old Restore Points	54	(1)
Don't Restore That Virus!	55	(1)
System Restore on Your Desktop	56	(1)
Quick Access to Device Manager	56	(1)
Faster Disk Cleanups	56	(2)
Defragus Interruptus	58	(1)
Use NTFS for a Boost	58	(1)
Work Around Scheduled Tasks' Limitations	59	(1)
Windows Updates You Can Share	59	(1)
Add Service Packs to Your Windows CD	60	(1)
Remedial Acrobat Reader	61	(1)
Protect Your System from Dumb Installations	61	(1)
Customize Windows Update	62	(1)
Save Disk Space by Tossing Old Uninstall Files	62	(1)
I Can't Install Anything	63	(1)
I Can't Install Anything, Part 2	63	(1)
I Can't Install Anything Easily	63	(1)
Lock Numbers Out, Arrow Keys In	64	(1)
Bring Back Your Task Pane	64	(2)
Dialog Boxes That Work Your Way	66	(1)
Where's Task Manager's Toolbar?	67	(1)
Stop Annoying Crash Reports	67	(1)
Stop Quick Launch Pop-ups	67	(1)
Ban Annoying Boot Logos	68	(1)
Service Pack 2 Annoyances	68	(8)
The Annoying Upgrade You Really Need	68	(1)
Interrupted SP2 Downloads	69	(1)
Bothersome Upgrade Alert	70	(1)
SP2's Alerts Are So, So Annoying	70	(1)
Automatic Update Dumbness	70	(1)
Automatic Update Errors	71	(1)
Blocked Images in Outlook Express	71	(1)
Distressed About Attachments in Outlook Express	71	(1)
SP2 Blocks Skype	72	(4)
Internet Annoyances
Browsing Annoyances	76	(20)
Go Flashless to Save Tired Eyes	76	(1)
Make Your PC an Ad-Free Zone	76	(1)
Counterespionage for Sneaky Spyware	77	(2)
Open New Browser Windows Your Way	79	(1)
Outsmart Outlook's Browser Choice	80	(1)
Pictureless Pages Predicament	80	(1)
A Shorter Path to Microsoft's Knowledge	81	(1)
All Your Favorites, All the Time	82	(1)
Clear Dead Links from Your Favorites Menu	82	(1)
Get the Big Picture the First Time	83	(1)
Boot Boring IE Icons	84	(1)
Disable IE's Image Toolbar	84	(1)
What You See Is Not What You Get	85	(1)
Quick Fix for Multipage Articles	86	(1)
Get Rid of IE's Automatic ``Your files are attached''	86	(1)
Revive IE's Disabled Back Button	87	(1)
Force IE to Refresh the Page	87	(1)
The Case of the Disappearing Status Bar	88	(1)
Make Netscape Block Those Pop-ups!	89	(1)
Netscape Can Google, Too	89	(1)
Give Me Back Internet Explorer	90	(1)
Pull the Plug on Net2Phone	90	(1)
Vexing AOL Connections	91	(1)
Vanishing Form Data	92	(1)
Skip the Registration	92	(1)
Buying Online? Play it Safe	93	(1)
Zap Microsoft's Passport	94	(1)
Boost Internet Speed	94	(1)
Download More Than Two Files	95	(1)
The Password Behind the Asterisks	95	(1)
Fix Your Browser's Font Size	95	(1)
Open Acrobat Reader Separately	96	(1)
Google Annoyances	96	(3)
Get Back Where You Started with Google	96	(1)
Track Down Search Terms in Google	97	(1)
Get Better Results with the Google Directory	97	(1)
Go Monolingual with Your Google Searches	98	(1)
Google News Your Way	98	(1)
Instant Messaging Annoyances	99	(7)
Make AOL Instant Messenger an Ad-Free Zone	99	(1)
Block Instant Messaging Chat Invitations	100	(1)
When AIM Overstays Its Welcome	101	(1)
Remove Unwanted Entries from Your Screen-Name List	101	(1)
Yahoo! Messenger Comes with Unwanted Extras	101	(2)
Dump Windows Messenger	103	(3)
Microsoft Office Annoyances
Word Annoyances	106	(23)
A Favorites Menu for Word	106	(1)
When Word's Find Feature Can't Spell	107	(1)
Take Control of Your Formatting	108	(1)
Remove Weird Lines in Word	108	(1)
Paste Email Text, Not Whitespace	109	(1)
Spellcheck One Word at a Time (and Turn Off the Red Squiggles)	109	(1)
Back Up Your AutoCorrections	110	(1)
Outfox Word's AutoCorrect	111	(2)
Get There Sooner With Bookmarks	113	(1)
Remembering Word Shortcuts	114	(1)
Fast Jumps to Favorite Folders in Office	114	(1)
Open Word Files--All in a Row	115	(1)
Revealing Codes	116	(1)
Paste the Text, Not the Formatting	117	(1)
Find Faster Without the Dialog Box	118	(1)
Turn Off Automatic Hyperlinks	118	(2)
Avoid Inadvertent Browsing	120	(1)
Smarter Printing with Macros	120	(1)
See All Your Menu Options	120	(1)
Set Preferred View Once and for All	121	(1)
Zoom in Word and Excel	122	(1)
Make Office Docs Private	123	(1)
Something Abnormal About Normal.dot	123	(1)
A Better View of Your Print Layout	124	(1)
When AutoCorrect Gets Carried Away	125	(1)
Delete Text Without the Confirmation	126	(1)
A Fix For Word's Wacky List Numbering	126	(1)
Three Ways to Give Tables the Boot	127	(1)
Give Clippy His Walking Papers (Really)	128	(1)
Excel Annoyances	129	(8)
Tables Paste Better in Excel	129	(1)
Automate Tedious Data Entry	129	(2)
Let Me Count the Days	131	(1)
Protect Formulas from Accidental Deletion	131	(1)
Protect Yourself from Yourself	132	(1)
The Fast Way to Figure Partial Sums	133	(2)
Columns and Rows Do a Flip-Flop	135	(1)
Excel Hyperlink Hell	135	(1)
Type a List in Excel	136	(1)
Excel's Enter Alternatives	136	(1)
The Worksheet Conservation Society	136	(1)
PowerPoint Annoyances	137	(3)
Looking Good in Black and White	137	(1)
When AutoFormatting Mucks Things Up	137	(1)
Put Your Presentations on a Diet	138	(1)
Pay Attention to PowerPoint	138	(1)
Fix PowerPoint's Open Dialog Box	139	(1)
View PowerPoint Files Without PowerPoint	139	(1)
Precise Image Movements in PowerPoint	140	(1)
Outlook and Outlook Express Annoyances	140	(28)
Make Outlook a Word-Free Zone	140	(1)
Outlook Express's Hidden One-Click Encryption Option	141	(1)
Reattach Your Detached Attachments	141	(1)
Two Email Clients, One Contact List	142	(1)
Email Is for Email	143	(1)
A Nifty Outlook Organizer	143	(1)
Outlook's Add-in Won't Leave	144	(1)
Outlook Autocomplete Puzzler	145	(1)
Lickety-Split Outlook Searches	145	(1)
Remind Me to Set a Reminder	146	(1)
I Like My Dates Bold	146	(1)
A Better Home for Your Documents	147	(3)
Windows Explorer Annoyances
Search Animations Begone	150	(1)
A Shortcut to More Recent Documents	150	(1)
Quick Access to My Computer	150	(1)
One Folder, Many Places	151	(1)
When One Explorer Shortcut Is Not Enough	151	(1)
Disconnect Your Saved Web Pages	152	(3)
A Better Way to Navigate	155	(1)
When You Can't Delete a File	155	(2)
Make Explorer Crash-Proof	157	(1)
Look What I Found! But Don't Touch...	157	(1)
Copying File Paths	157	(1)
Broaden Windows' Search Horizons	157	(1)
Search Faster by Excluding Zipped Files	158	(1)
Manage Zipped Files	159	(1)
Beyond WinZip Self-Extractor	160	(1)
Rename Multiple Files	161	(1)
Gimme Back My File Associations	161	(1)
Right-Click for Quick Prints	162	(1)
Quick Notes in Windows	163	(1)
Encrypt Files for Security	163	(2)
Share Big Files the Easy Way	165	(1)
A Thumbnail View for File Attachments	165	(1)
All Thumbs.db	166	(2)
Music, Video, and CD Annoyances
Music and Video Annoyances	168	(10)
Keep All Your Music the Same Volume	168	(1)
Play Sound Files Quickly and Easily	168	(1)
iPod the PC	168	(1)
Turn Off RealOne's Message Center Ad	168	(1)
Good Riddance to RealPlayer	169	(1)
RealOne's Icons Are a Real Pain	169	(2)
Stop RealPlayer From Auto-Starting	171	(1)
Take Your Music Anywhere	171	(1)
Make Winamp Jumbo Size	172	(1)
The Missing Volume Icon	172	(1)
Too Much/Not Enough Volume	172	(2)
Automatically Fix MP3 Tags	174	(1)
Stream MP3s to Your Stereo Wirelessly	175	(1)
Record Audio from Any Source	175	(1)
Capture and Save Video Streams	176	(1)
Split 'em and Join 'em	177	(1)
Capture and Save Video Streams, Part II	177	(1)
iTunes Annoyances	178	(2)
iTunes Bankruptcy	178	(1)
Move iTunes Collection to a New PC	178	(1)
Back Up Your iTunes!	179	(1)
Stop iTunes from Popping and Clicking	179	(1)
Can't Share Music Between Computers with iTunes	180	(1)
Scrambled iTunes Song Titles	180	(1)
Windows Media Player Annoyances	180	(3)
Windows Media Player Won't Copy Music to MP3 Player	180	(1)
Windows Media Player's Vanishing Toolbars	180	(1)
Why Doesn't My Video Play?	181	(1)
Play Videos Without the Web Browser	181	(1)
Add Ripping to Windows Media Player	182	(1)
Start Your Player Where You Left Off	182	(1)
Bring Your Player's Menu Out in the Open	182	(1)
An Old Look for a New Player	183	(1)
QuickTime Annoyances	183	(2)
Kill the QuickTime Icon	183	(1)
Nonstop QuickTime Error Message	184	(1)
QuickTime Won't Play Nice with Browser	184	(1)
QuickTime, Stop Nagging!	184	(1)
Music Sounds Like an Old 78	185	(1)
Play QuickTime Movies Without QuickTime	185	(1)
CD and DVD Annoyances	185	(34)
Remove CDs When the Power's Off	185	(1)
Use 74-Minute CDs When Sharing Discs	185	(1)
Burn CDs, but Hold the Labels	186	(1)
CD Burner Runs Hot and Cold	187	(1)
CD Content Without the CD	188	(1)
Check That Disc Before You Burn	188	(1)
Read and Write Read-Only Files	189	(1)
Quick Audio File Conversions	190	(1)
Create Quick MP3 Lists	190	(1)
Preserve Long Filenames	190	(1)
Burn Usable CDs from ISO Files	191	(1)
Peek Inside ISO Files	192	(1)
Find Invisible .BIN Files	192	(1)
AutoPlay, Go Away (or Come Back)	193	(1)
No, I Don't Want to Burn the CD Right Now...	193	(1)
DVD+R Versus DVD-R?	194	(1)
Organizing DVDs and Music CDs	194	(1)
Is PC Friendly Necessary?	195	(3)
Hardware Annoyances
The Wonders of a Modem Reset	198	(1)
Bring the Zing Back to DSL	199	(1)
Uninterruptible Power to the PC	199	(1)
Manage Multiple Bulky AC Adapters	200	(1)
Lighten Your Power Load	201	(1)
Clear and Sharp LCD Fonts	201	(1)
Tune Up Your Monitor	202	(1)
Hush...Hush, Sweet Monitor	203	(1)
Straighten Up and Display Right	203	(1)
Simple Ways to Reduce PC Noise	204	(1)
Lost Screw, Big Problems	204	(1)
Extra Power for Digital Cameras	205	(1)
Windows Setting Blocks DVD Upgrade	205	(1)
Check for Loose Cables	206	(1)
5 Cables in 1	206	(1)
Safely Remove a USB Flash Drive	206	(1)
Lock Down Your USB Flash Drive	207	(1)
USB-to-PS/2 Mouse Adapter	207	(1)
Give Your Laser Printer a Memory Boost	207	(1)
Save Big With Low-Resolution Prints	208	(1)
Paper-Saving Print Utility	208	(2)
Keep the Paper Flowing	210	(1)
Move Your Sound Connectors to the Front	211	(1)
Dock Your Notebook	211	(1)
Use Your Notebook at Home	212	(1)
Connect Your Flash Memory Drive with a USB Cable	212	(1)
No-Fuss Network Backups	213	(1)
Big Hard Drive Corruption	213	(1)
Unwire Your Printer	213	(1)
Go Wireless with a Wall Socket	214	(1)
Stifle Ambitious WiFi Pop-ups	214	(1)
Emergency Power for Palms	214	(1)
Pocket PC File and Battery Woes	215	(1)
Boost Your Cell's Battery	215	(1)
Red Skies and Blue Roses	215	(1)
Framed Digital Photos	215	(1)
Curling Pictures	216	(1)
Remove Shadows from the Other Side	216	(1)
Grinding, Not Scanning	217	(1)
Skewed Scans	217	(1)
Make Scanners Read Better	217	(1)
Transfer Phone Numbers to Your Digital Phone	217	(2)
Index	219