How do I run Symantec Virus Scan?

1. Double click on the Symantec Icon (gold shield) usually located in the lower right-hand corner of the desktop (or go to Start, Programs, Symantec Client Security, Symantec AntiVirus.) A dialog box should appear that looks like this:
   
2. Click on the Live Update button to receive the latest virus updates for your computer.
3. Click on Scan Computer and choose the drives that you want to scan from the list of drives on the right, usually the (C:) drive. Click on scan.
   

Once the virus scan has finished it will give you a message regarding what virus/suspicious files were found and what actions, if any, were taken.  If the virus scan does not run, you first need to re-boot your system completely, log back in, and try it again.  If the scan still won't run, please call the help desk so someone can check your system and take care of the problem.

Always show full menus in Microsoft.

Set your default to always show full menus instead of a shortened menus. 

Open Microsoft Word 2003, click on the “Tools” menu and select “Customize.” Select the “Options” tab and place a check mark in the box beside, “Always show full menus” then press “Close.”

Turning AutoCorrect On and Off

Having trouble with Word 2003 auto-correct? Here's how to turn AutoCorrect ON or OFF:   

1. On the “Tools” menu, click “AutoCorrect Options.”
2. To select the options, do one or more of the following:
• To show or hide the AutoCorrect Options buttons, select or clear the “Show AutoCorrect Options buttons” check box.
• To set the capitalization options, select or clear the next five check boxes in the dialog box.
• To turn on or off the AutoCorrect entries, select or clear the “Replace text as you type" check box.
• To turn on or off the spelling checker corrections, select the “Replace text as you type" check box, and then select or clear the “Automatically use suggestions from the spelling checker” check box.

Note: To select the “Automatically use suggestions from the spelling checker” check box, you must first turn on automatic spell checking (on the “Tools” menu, click “Options ,” and on the “Spelling & Grammar tab,” select the “Check spelling as you type" check box.)

Prevent Reading Layout view from opening automatically

1. Open Microsoft Office Word 2003.
2. On the “Tools” menu, select “Options,” and then click the “General” tab. Clear the “Allow starting in Reading Layout” check box  (upper right column area.) 
3. Click on “OK” and then close by clicking the “X” at upper right corner.

Preview/Print multiple pages on one sheet of paper

In Microsoft Word you can preview your large Word 2003 documents on paper without wasting too much paper.   

If you regularly print large documents or send printed copies of them through the mail, you can save on both paper and postage by using Microsoft Word's Zoom feature. By using Zoom you can print as many as 16 pages on a single sheet of paper. Printing multiple pages on one sheet also makes it easier to check your document's page layout, such as odd and even page headers and footers in a document.

To print four pages to a sheet, follow these steps:

1. Go to “File” then “Print.”
2. In the “Zoom” section, select “4 pages” from the “Pages Per Sheet” drop-down list.
3. Make any other print selections, and click “OK.”

Zoom automatically reduces the scale to fit four pages on each sheet. Zoom reduces the size of your printout without changing the document's format or page layout settings.

How can I re-map my drive?

How can I re-map my H: drive?

Open the “My Computer” icon, click “Tools,” and then click “Map Network Drive.”
Select "H" for the Drive and type “\\data\username” in the folder box, click “Finish.” 

 *Your username is the first initial for your first name and then your last name. Example: cmorgan.

How can I re-map my L: drive?" (common drive)

Open the “My Computer” icon, click “Tools,” and then click “Map Network Drive.”
Select L for the Drive and type “\\data\common” in the folder box, click “Finish.” 

General Windows Keyboard Shortcuts

These are keys provide shortcuts for performing certain functions that work universally in most of Windows Suite software programs and can sometimes make your work easier.  A lot of the time using these key combinations once turns a feature ON and then using it a second time turns the feature off.

Example: If I am working in Windows and I accidentally hit CTRL+SHIFT at the same time, it would activate "Highlighting text," this feature would stay activated until I hit CTRL+SHIFT again to turn that feature OFF.

• CTRL+C (Copy)  
• CTRL+X (Cut)
• CTRL+V (Paste)
• CTRL+Z (Undo)
• DELETE (Delete)
• SHIFT+DELETE (Delete the selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin)
• CTRL while dragging an item (Copy the selected item)
• CTRL+SHIFT while dragging an item (Create a shortcut to the selected item)
• CTRL+RIGHT ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word)
• CTRL+LEFT ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word)
• CTRL+DOWN ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph)
• CTRL+UP ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph)
• CTRL+SHIFT with any of the arrow keys (Highlight a block of text)
• SHIFT with any of the arrow keys (Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text in a document)
• CTRL+A (Select all)
• F3 key (Search for a file or a folder)
• ALT+ENTER (View the properties for the selected item or object)
• ALT+F4 (Close the active item, or quit the active program)
• ALT+SPACEBAR (Open the shortcut menu for the active window)
• ALT+TAB (Switch between open programs or documents)
• ALT+ESC (Cycle through programs and documents in the order that they had been opened)
• SHIFT+F10 (Display the shortcut menu for the selected item)   
• CTRL+ESC (Display the Start menu)
• ALT+Underlined letter in a menu name (Display the corresponding menu)  
• ESC (Cancel the current task)

Keyboard shortcut information compliments of the Windows Support site at  http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;301583

Find a file on your computer quickly and easily

Use the Windows+F button combination to quickly run a search.

Simply press and hold at the same time the Windows key (found between the Ctrl and Alt keys) and the letter F key, which will bring up the Search dialog box. In the left pane of the dialog box, you will be asked to define what you want to search for, for instance, if you want to search for a Word document choose Documents. Then follow the question prompts and answer as specifically as you can regarding the file you are searching for. You can set simple or advanced options to search by. Choose the location you want to search, like C: and click Search to begin the search. Once the search is complete, the results will be displayed in the right hand side of the dialog box. If you don't find anything the first time, you can change the search parameters to be more or less specific or search a different drive.

Change the default font in Word 2003

How can I change my default font in Word 2003?

1. If your document already contains text formatted with the properties you want to use, select that text.
2. On the Format menu, click Font.
3. Select the options you want to apply to the default font. If you selected text in step 1, the properties you want will appear in the dialog box.
4. Click Default.

Any new document you open will use the font settings you selected.

Note   The default font applies to new documents based on the active template (template: A file or files that contain the structure and tools for shaping such elements as the style and page layout of finished files. For example, Word templates can shape a single document, and FrontPage templates can shape an entire Web site.) Different templates might use different default font settings.

How is memory measured?

Measuring Memory

A bit is the smallest unit that a computer recognizes and it consists of a one or a zero. In takes eight bits or one byte (a combination of ones and/or zeros) to represent one character of the alphabet.

Measuring Bytes

Guidelines to protect yourself from loss of data

Need some basic guidelines on how to protect yourself from loss of data?

First and foremost, keep a backup copy somewhere other than your hard drive. Where is the best place to keep that copy?

Because of the quality and quantity of electronic data today, files are larger, and data varies in format, such as text documents and graphics. It is important to use the correct medium (i.e. floppy, CD-ROM) to fit your data.

Floppies are almost history!!! Floppies can store up to 1.44 Mb of data which is ok for carrying around a few files, but it makes them poor candidates for extensive backups especially since they are easily damaged.

CD's are good for storing small sets of files that don't change often (CD's can store about 600Mb of data up to about 800 Mb each.)

DVD's are suitable for storing large sets of files. (DVD's can store from 4.7Gb of data up to over 16Gb of data each.)

USB drives are the best choice for keeping your important files easily available. (USB drives range in capacity from 64Mb up to 4Gb.)

A local area network (LAN) drive (like your H: drive here at MCC) is a good place for storing your work documents and data files.

Facts about MCC's drives and their uses

Here is a few interesting facts about some of the most common MCC drives and their proper uses:

Network Services backs up these college network drives daily and maintains about a one week history of backups.

How to Keep your Microsoft Office 2003 up-to-date

Microsoft provides updates, such as security pathches, fixes and problem issue corrections, for all of their licensed software at no additional cost. It is however, the owner's responsibility to go to their website to download and install those updates as they become available. It is a good idea to do this on a regular basis, once or twice a month. In addition to updates, there is a wealth of information about MS Office programs on this site.

***Please note that an update is not the same as a software upgrade. Updates simply fix problems and security issues, where an upgrade actually installs a new version of a software package that provides additional new features in the software and usually must be purchased.

1. Go to the following Microsoft Web site: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdate/default.aspx
2. Click on the Office Update - "Check for Updates" link. (See below example)
   
3. A process will run to check for the necessary updates of your MS Office products, and once completed, you will see a report that will describe updates you need or tell you that no updates are needed.
4. If there are updates needed for your Office products, click on "Agree and Install" button as directed and the updates will run. Once the updates have completed, you may be asked to restart your computer so that the updates become effective. (Be sure to follow these instructions to finalize your updates.)

Spyware: What is it and what can I do about it?

Spyware is malicious software that threatens the security and privacy of computer users.

Through deceit and trickery, spyware and other potentially unwanted software and installed on a computer without a person's knowledge or consent. This type of software ranges from unwanted pop-up adds to programs that can record keystrokes or take over a computer. Spyware and other potentially unwanted software can slow computer performance, can change a computer's configuration, and can reveal passwords and personal information.

What are some of the symptoms?

• Frequent Pop-Up Advertisements, especially when you are not on the Internet.
• Settings that change that you are not able to change back to the way they were.
• Web browser containing additional components that you don't remember downloading (like toolbar add-ons.)
• Computer seems sluggish or slow.

Here are some suggestions to help guard against spyware:

• Use a firewall
• Update your software regularly
• Adjust Internet Explorer security settings to a higher setting
• Download and install antispyware protection
• Surf and download more safely and selectively

To remove spyware, install an AntiSpyware or Spyware removal program such as Ad Aware and run it regularly.