50 Windows XP tips

50 Windows XP tips
We show you 50 ways to make using Windows a breeze

Computers are supposed to make life easier but all too often you find yourself waiting for Windows to complete a simple task or getting frustrated because things aren't working as they should. Wouldn't it be better if the home PC danced to your tune? Well, the good news is that you can.
There are lots of settings in Windows XP that can be tweaked and altered to improve the way the operating system works, speed up the computer and generally make it easier to use. And the best news of all is that we are going to share 50 of these tips with you now, with step-by-step explanations to make things ever clearer.
The tips cover the general use of Windows, the internet and email and the PC's hardware settings. All the tweaks and tips included here will help to make your PC work smarter so you don't have to work harder.
Some of the tips we'll look at refer to specific control panels. These can all be accessed through the Windows Control Panel which, in turn, can be accessed by clicking on the Start button at the bottom-left of the screen and clicking Control Panel. Then simply double-click on the icon of the settings you want to tinker with.
To make things easier, we suggest you switch to Classic View mode. You can do this in the main Control Panel window. Just look for the Switch to Classic View option in the left-hand panel. If you can't see it, the computer is already operating in Classic View mode.
Appearance
1. Say goodbye to the paperclip and animated guides The animated helpers in Microsoft Office can be useful but they can also annoy. To remove them, go to the Control Panel and double-click on Add or Remove Programs. Click on Microsoft Office in the list and click on Change, then Add or Remove Features and OK. Tick the box marked Choose advanced customisation or applications, then click on Next. Check the box next to Office Shared Features, then click on the disk icon next to Office Assistant and select Not Available from the drop-down menu. Then click on Update and follow the prompts.
2. Change the way icons are displayed within folders In any Windows Explorer window, click the View menu and select an option from the second section. The Icons option is the standard view, List shows smaller icons, Display shows file properties and Thumbnails can be used in picture and video folders to preview files.
3. Resize icons Make icons bigger if they are hard to see by opening the Display Control Panel and clicking on the Appearance tab. Click on the Effects button. In the dialogue box check the 'Use large icons' box, click on OK and OK again, then close the Control Panel.
4. Change Desktop wallpaper To smarten up the Desktop, open the Display Control Panel in the main Control Panel window and click on the Desktop tab. Choose from the list of wallpapers displayed in the menu here by clicking on one, or click on Browse to select your own digital photograph from the computer's hard disk. For a small performance boost, opt for no wallpaper at all by selecting None from the top of the list. Then click on Apply and OK to confirm your selection.
5. Desktop clean-up wizard Remove useless short cuts with a wizard by opening the Display Control Panel and clicking on the Desktop tab, then clicking on Customize Desktop. Click on Clean Desktop Now and follow the prompts.
6. Lock the Taskbar You can fix the Taskbar (the bar at the bottom of the Windows Desktop) in place by right-clicking it and selecting Lock Taskbar. This stops it from being moved accidentally.
7. Lose the fonts Many programs have their own fonts but these often aren't that useful. To prune the fonts stored on a PC open the Fonts Control Panel. Double-click on any font icon in the folder to see what it looks like, or right-click once and select Delete to get rid of any you don't need. Be sure to only delete fonts that aren't being used and do not delete any that look like they contain odd symbols or shapes as they are probably being used by Windows itself.
8. Pointers Having fancy mouse pointers can be fun but can slow sluggish PCs down further. To change the pointer style, open the Mouse Control Panel and click on the Pointers tab. Choose a scheme from the drop-down list and click on Apply and OK. Select None to revert to the standard style.
9. Quick launch For fast access to favourite programs, drag their icons to the Quick Launch toolbar, to the right of the Start button on the Taskbar. If you can't see it, right-click the background of the Taskbar, click Toolbars and make sure Quick Launch is ticked. You can then drag any short-cut icon here and launch the program in future with a single click.
10. Group taskbar buttons Running many programs at once can lead to the Taskbar becoming cluttered. To simplify things, group all the Word documents or instant messaging windows you have open together by right-clicking the Taskbar and selecting Properties. Then tick 'Group similar taskbar buttons' and click on OK.