How to start Windows in safe mode

Safe mode is very useful if you think you may have an infection on your computer, or if there is some other problem with Windows. Safe mode is a way to start Windows with the minimum of applications and facilities running. Consequently, viruses and the like are not invited to the 'safe mode' party.To...

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Jargon Busting: Anatomy of a window (Part 2)

A number of weeks ago I posted an article naming the various elements that you will find in in Windows programs. This is the second part of that series. Unfortunately, whereas in the last post the displayed elements were interactive, in this post they will only be images.Scroll BarA control for shifting...

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Jargon Busting: Anatomy of a window (Part 1)

All the various controls on a Windows program have names that are not always intuitive. In this post I will identify the most common controls and list the various names that they are known by. I will not bother with buttons or menus as everyone should know what they are. All the controls on this post are interactive, rather than just being images.Text box, Text field, Text Entry, Input BoxA control...

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Windows Folder Options Explained (Part 4)

Continued from part 3...File TypesThis tab contains a list of all the file types that Windows knows about and which programs are configured to open them if you double-click on their icons.As the image shows, if a .doc document is double-clicked on it will open in MS Word. You can change the program...

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Windows Folder Options Explained (Part 3)

Continued from part 2...View Settings continuedHide protected operating system files (Recommended)This option is selected by default, to protect users from themselves, as is explained in the warning message that appears if you try to switch it off.If you click 'Yes' on this dialog box you will be able...

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Windows Folder Options Explained (Part 2)

Continued from part 1....View SettingsThe 'View' tab has two sections. In the first section, 'Folder Views' you can either set Explorer to show all folders according to the current settings using the 'Apply to All Folders' button; or, by clicking the 'Reset All Folders' button, Explorer can be set to...

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Windows Folder Options Explained (Part 1)

In the 'Tools' menu of any Explorer window there is a 'Folder Options' item. This opens a dialog box that enables us to change the behaviour and the look of Explorer windows. This series of articles explore these various settings. The first part will deal with the 'General' tab.Note: This article refers...

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Windows Task Manager Explained: Part 2

Continuation from part 1Networking TabThe 'Networking' tab provides a visual representation of the amount of data that your network connections are transmitting and receiving over time. Note that the percentages quoted are of the maximum possible capacity under ideal circumstances, and do not take other...

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Windows Task Manager Explained: Part 1

Starting the Task ManagerThere are a couple of ways to show the Windows Task Manager: hold down the Ctrl and Alt keys and press the Delete key - Task Manager will then open some versions of Windows, in others you will be presented with a small dialog box that has a button you can click to open the Task...

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The Windows Taskbar explained

The Windows Taskbar is usually to be found at the bottom of the screen, although it can be moved to any edge. It includes the 'Start menu' button, toolbars, a button for each application you are running, icons for other programs that are running at the time.I will gloss over the 'Start menu' button...

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