Sheffgens
Family
& Social History
Tips
for changing preferences and options on your
PC to make it work the way you
want it to.
These hints & tips are directed mainly at those who are new to using computers for family history but others who have used computers for a while may still find some hints & tips that are of help to them.
If
you have a query or problem contact the Webmaster
An answer to all queries (providing I know it or can find it) will be
added to this page for you to view as soon as possible.
The tips will vary from "easy to do" to "easier to do". The methods shown are not necessarily the quickest methods (remember there are always other methods), but for those fairly new to using computers they are basic methods for you to follow until you learn other ways for yourselves. In some circumstances it may be necessary to close the program and re open it for the changes to take effect. These Hints & Tips work using Ooerating Systems Win 98 & Win XP although there will be slight differences in Win XP.
If you have any tips re programs used in family history research which would be of use for others to know about then please send me the instructions to carry out the task and I will be happy to add them to these pages.
Additional Hints & Tips will be added as and when time permits.
Its not my intention to mislead anyone by the following hints and tips advice, I would therefore appreciate being contacted at Webmaster with any corrections.
How
do I ..........................
Deal
with virus related mail / queries
Create folders for specific
mail
Get to see the message size or see attachments
Open files using the correct program
Print
an inventory of your PC
Reveal the full file names
Search for an Email
Send messages in
plain text
Stop messages from opening automatically
Stop attachments from opening
View the
Headers and Full Headers of the message (also view the message
content without opening the message)
Create folders for specific mail
From the tool bar at the top of your screen
click on TOOLS select MESSAGE RULES select MAIL click the New button. Follow the instructions for setting the conditions, actions etc.
Get to see the
message size or see attachments
From
the tool bar at the top of your screen
On the View menu,
Click Columns
OR right click over the "From Bar" at the top of your message window
and select COLUMNS. A small menu pops up - all you need to do is scroll down the
menu and click in the box next to SIZE (a tick appears) click on OK. The attachment
size column appears at the end. You can resize the colums to fit the screen by
clicking and dragging the little lines between them. There are several other options
that can be added for viewing besides attachments. Follow the same instructions
for all additional options that you require.
To remove a column, clear the
check box next to the column name by clicking in the box (the tick disappears),
or select the column name and click Hide.
To change the view order in which
columns appear, select a column name, and then click Move Up or Move Down .
Open files using the correct program
When you double click on a file to edit it and Windows doesnt know which program to use it automatically presents you with the "Open With" dialogue box (a list of possible programs to use with the file). Scroll down the list until you find a suitable program, select it by clicking on it then click OK. Be sure to always clear the box (below left) where it says "Always use this program to open this file" until you know its the correct program you chose. The next time you try to edit the file the same routine will occur. If you chose correctly and the file opened then put the tick in the box and all future files with the same extension will open using that correct program.
Print an inventory of your PC
An inventry of your PC is handy to have especially when a problem occurs. Its especially useful for an engineer to know what components are inside and how they had been set up when Windows was working properly.
Right
click the My Computer icon on your desk top and select PROPERTIES, click on the
DEVICE MANAGER tab then the PRINT button. In the Print box click "All devices
and system summary". Click OK.
Reveal full file names (the extension)
In the programme group of your START button is "Wndows Explorer", a file manager for copying, moving, deleting and renaming files. Make use of it by clicking VIEW on the menu bar and selecting Folder Options. Click on the tab labled VIEW and remove the tick against "Hide file extensions for known file types". Click OK. Explorer will now reveal the hidden identification tag or extension that is assosiated with each file. (The part after the "." (dot) in the file name).
Search for an Email
Do you have lots of mail in your folders ? make a search easier by using the "Find"
At
the end of the main bar of icons just above your message window, click on the
FIND button. A "Find Message" box appears. Type in the name of the sender
or subject or (any word you know to be in it) in the appropriate place. The message/s
or a smaller list of your messages pertaining to what you typed will appear making
your search much easier.
To send messages in plain text
From the tool bar at the
top of your screen
Select TOOLS then OPTIONS
Select the SEND tab to open
it
In the Mail Sending Format section, click inside the circle (to insert
a black dot) to the right of where it says Plain Text
Click OK
To stop messages opening automatically In OE (Outlook Express)
From the tool bar at the top of your screen
Select TOOLS then OPTIONS
Select the tab - READ
Remove the tick (by clicking once in the box) on the
first preference - "Mark Messages Read After Displaying" ...........
Click
OK
Stop attachments from opening in OE
Choose TOOLS then OPTIONS - Select the SECURITY tab. Click in the box (a tick or (check mark) will appear) where it says "Do not allow attachments to be saved or opened that could potentially be a virus" (This specifies that you do not want Outlook Express to open or save attachments if they could potentially contain a virus). Click OK
It has to be said that in some cases even though these options are preferenced, some viruses are programmed to bypass OE preferences and will still do the dirt deed.
View the Headers & Full Headers (also view the message content without opening the message)
Right click on any message in the message window (opened or unopened)
Select
- PROPERTIES
Select the - DETAILS tab at the top
A box will appear with
the headers for the message.
Click on the button at the lower right which
says MESSAGE SOURCE to view the Full Headers for the message
The BOLD TYPE
is the Full Headers. (The type following after the bold type is the actual content
of the message)