Windows Tips

Seniors, Families and Friends

Windows Tips

Microsoft Windows 7 - Microsoft Corp. said Tuesday, June 2, 2009 that Windows 7, the next version of its computer operating software, will go on sale Oct. 22, 2009.
Link: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/

Microsoft Accessibility Resources Home Page: http://www.microsoft.com/enable/
Find Information for: Visual Impairments, Hearing Impairments, Mobility Impairments, Cognitive Impairments and much more.

Step By Step Tutorials Introduce You To Some Of The Most Commonly Used Accessibility Features. http://www.microsoft.com/enable/training/default.aspx The instructions show you how to use the mouse or keyboard to navigate, select options, and change settings. This information is presented in a side by side format so that you can see at a glance how to use the mouse, the keyboard, or a combination of both.

Free Newsletter http://www.microsoft.com/enable/news/subscribe/
The Accessibility Update is a free e-mail newsletter sent to subscribers on the first Thursday of each month by Microsoft.

Using Microsoft Resources Magnifier
In the Accessibility folder located at the very top of the Accessories menu is a utility, Microsoft Magnifier, which makes the screen more readable for the visually impaired. The magnifier creates a separate window that displays a magnified image of a portion of your screen. When you open the utility, the dialog box enables you to determine the necessary degree of magnification; you also use the dialog box to turn the feature on and off.

ACCESSIBILITY (ease of access) OPTIONS

Double Click "My Computer"
Double Click "Control Panel"
Double Click "Accessibility Options"
The dialog box is fairly easy to understand.

MAKE THE MOUSE POINTER LARGER (or smaller)
You can adjust size, double click speed, adjust for left or right hand. Lots of other choices.

Double Click "My Computer"
Double Click "Control Panel"
Double Click "Mouse"
Select "Pointers"
Under Scheme Select "Types of Pointers"
Choose the size pointer you want.

SCROLLING A WEB PAGE WITHOUT THE MOUSE
(Works with most browsers)

Use the "Page Down" and "Page Up".

Use the "Spacebar to "scroll" down a page.

IE will also let you page up by pressing Shift + Spacebar.

SPEED UP YOUR PROGRAMS
The improved Disk Defragmenter in Windows gathers the program files that you use most often and moves them to faster parts of the hard disk.
To run Disk Defragmenter:

Click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Disk Defragmenter.

Click Settings, and make sure that the Rearrange program files so my programs start faster option is selected.

Click OK two times to start the process.

INSTALLING NEW PROGRAMS
Whenever you are installing new programs be sure to close ALL other programs which are running first especially Antivirus programs.