Technology Q&A

by Stanley Zarowin

Stop toolbar changes from disappearing…Replicating Format Painter on the keyboard…Make your own turn-off button—and more…Migrate Bookmarks and Favorites…Share files, printer on an office network…Shortcuts

STOP TOOLBAR CHANGES FROM DISAPPEARING
The other day I spent considerable time customizing my toolbars in Word—adding functions that I use frequently and removing those I hardly ever use. But when I came back the next day, all those changes had vanished: My toolbars went back to their original configurations. What can I do to save the changes?

The problem may be with your Normal.dot template file. That file not only stores your default document formats, it also remembers your toolbar design. Word’s default is to automatically remember any changes in Normal.dot, but in your case it somehow apparently was changed and you’re probably getting this message every time you close Word:

If you failed to click on Yes in that message, that would explain the disappearance of your toolbar changes. To reset the default so Normal.dot returns to automatic save, click on Tools, Options, the Save tab and remove the check next to Prompt to save Normal template.

The other possibility is that you’re working on a network and your Normal.dot resides somewhere out of your control. If so, check with your network administrator.

REPLICATING FORMAT PAINTER ON THE KEYBOARD
I love the Format Painter—the little paintbrush icon —and I use it frequently to speed format changes in Word documents. I know a double-click converts it from a one-time painter to a repeatable device—formatting everything I highlight. But since I work faster on the keyboard than on a mouse, is there some way to accomplish the same task with keystrokes?

Yes, there is. It’s another one of those undocumented Word features. The keystrokes are related to keystrokes for copy (Ctrl+C) and paste (Ctrl+V) keystrokes—only for the Format Painter you add the Shift key. If you want to load a format, highlight the formatted text and press Ctrl+Shift+C to copy just the format—not the text. Then, to transfer that format, highlight the target text and press Ctrl+Shift+V. To make it repeatable, highlight the new text and press Ctrl+Shift+V a second time.

Details: If you select part of a paragraph, you’ll be transferring such characteristics as bold, point size and font. If you highlight a whole paragraph, you’ll also be transferring such formats as line spacing, alignment and indents.

MAKE YOUR OWN TURN-OFF BUTTON—AND MORE
It’s so silly that I have to click on Start to get to the command to end my session on my computer. As if that’s not enough, I then have to select from a menu to either Stand By, Turn Off or Restart. Why isn’t there a simple turn-off button?

If all you want is a turn-off button, that’s easy. I can give you more.

Not only will I give you a turn-off switch, I’ll raise you two: I’ll show you how to create three buttons—a one-step turn off, a one-step quick restart and an emergency button to abort those commands if you suddenly change your mind after clicking on one of them.

Let’s begin with the one-step turn-off or shutdown command. Right-click on your desktop and then click on New, Shortcut (see screenshot).

When the screen wizard asks you to Type the location of the item, type shutdown –s –t 0. Be sure to include the spaces as shown; the last digit is a zero and there is no period at the end.

Then click on Next, and when you’re asked to Type a name for this shortcut, give it something unambiguous, like Shutdown, so you don’t click on it by accident. Then click Finish.

I suggest you also give it an unambiguous icon, so you can find it easily on your desktop. To do that, right-click on the new shortcut and choose Properties and then click on Change Icon. That will trigger a large collection of icons. Click on any one and then on OK and OK again. Here’s what mine looks like:

To create the quick restart, follow the same steps only the command line is shutdown –r –t 0.

If you find the commands occur too quickly—and you want more time so you can reconsider your action—you can slow it down by adjusting the –t 0 at the end of the command line. For example, if you change the command to –t 10, it will initiate within 10 seconds. If you remove the –t switch entirely, it will quit in 30 seconds.

And finally, to create the abort switch, use this formula: shutdown –a. But, of course, you have to hit that switch before the –t switch kicks in.

MIGRATE BOOKMARKS AND FAVORITES
I have a new computer, and I want to save all the bookmarks from my old computer and install them in my new one. How do I do that?

Internet Explorer (IE) and Firefox both have utilities that can help you do the job.

If you use IE, open it on your old computer and click on File, Import and Export, which opens a wizard. Click on Next, Export Favorites and then Next again.

Now select the Favorites you wish to copy and click Next, Finish. You can then copy them to a thumb drive or even e-mail them to yourself at the new computer.

On the new com­puter follow the same procedure and this time click on Import Favorites.

In Firefox it’s slightly different. Again starting with your old computer, click on Bookmarks, Manage Bookmarks and click on File, Export, then save them to a thumb drive. To import, follow the same steps and this time click on Import. Select the file from the thumb drive and click Next and Open.

SHARE FILES, PRINTER ON AN OFFICE NETWORKS
We have a three-person office, with two CPAs and an office assistant. It’s been networked so we can share Internet access. Is there some easy way we also can share files and printers?

Since you already have a network, adding file- and printer-sharing is a snap. Let’s start with file-sharing.

Open Explorer and select a folder you want to be able to share with the two other computers and right-click on it. Select Properties and the Sharing tab. Then, under Network sharing and security, place a check next to Share this folder on the network and give it a unique name to identify the folder for the network (see screenshot).

You now have two choices: If you check Allow network users to change my files, you give your colleagues full editing rights to files in that folder. If you don’t check it, they can only view the files. When done, click on OK.

Now for the printer. Let’s assume you want the others to be able to use your printer. Open the Control Panel, click on Printers and Faxes and right-click on your printer’s icon and select Properties. Select the Sharing tab and click on the button for Share this printer (see screenshot) and enter a name for the printer.

If all your printers operate on the same Windows version, just click on OK. Otherwise you need to install software drivers to operate those printers. You’ll find them on the printer’s installation disk or on the printer manufacturer’s Web site.

Finally, on one of the other computers, open the Control Panel and click on Printers and Faxes. Double-click on Add Printer, which triggers the Add Printer wizard. Under Local or Network Printer, select A network printer, or a printer attached to another computer and click on Next (see screenshot).

Under Specify a Printer, select Browse for a printer and click on Next. Under Shared printers, you’ll see your computer listed. Double-click on it, and it will show the shared printer. Click on the printer’s icon, then Next and you will be prompted to set the printer as your default.

Select Yes and Next, and finally click on Finish.

SHORTCUTS
Excel: Ctrl+Page Up to switch to another worksheet.

Word: Double-click on a word to select it.

Word: Triple-click inside a paragraph to select the whole paragraph.

Word: Hold down the Ctrl key and click within a sentence to select the whole sentence. Word often gets confused if the sentence contains a courtesy title such as Mr. or Mrs. (the period is the culprit). In that case, hold down the Ctrl key as you move the mouse past the abbreviation.

Windows: Shift+Delete erases the selected item immediately without moving it to the Recycle Bin.

Stanley Zarowin is a contributing editor to the JofA. His e-mail address is stanley.joatech@gmail.com.