Technology Q&A

Add a sound to any file…A fast way to edit headers and footers…
Protect your computer from cats that prance on keyboards…
The right way to delete hyperlinks…You can insert a graphic in
a header and footer…Fast ways to move around in Word.

Q. I understand that it’s possible to insert a sound—even my own voice—in either a Word or Excel file. That would be very handy. I could make a comment about some information and the person I send it to could hear my explanation. However, I can’t figure out how to do it. Can you help?

A. You’re correct—you can add sound to any file as long as your computer has a sound card, and most of today’s systems do. And if your system has a microphone attached, you can even add a personal comment by recording it. Here’s how to add sound to any file.

Say you have a collection of sound files already stored in your computer and you want to add one—applause, say—to complement a particularly good sales figure in a spreadsheet. While you’re in the file, position your cursor where you want the sound to be available. Then go to the toolbar and click Insert, Object, which brings up the Object screen and click on Create from File tab and scroll down to Wave Sound (exhibit 1).

Exhibit 1

If you don’t know where the sound file is situated, click on Browse.

If you don’t know the location of the sound wave file, click on Browse. Once you find it, highlight it and click OK.

If, on the other hand, you want to create your own sound wave, using your microphone, click on Create New and a Sound Object screen will appear (exhibit 2).

Exhibit 2

Then record and name your message and follow the steps above for Create from File, inserting it into the document. Be sure to check the Link to file and Display as icon boxes. Also, notice the other options in the menu. You also can insert a video clip, a Paintbrush picture and a QuickTime movie, among others.

Once installed, the sound wave icon will appear in the document. To evoke the sound, click on it.

Q. I know how to create headers and footers in Word, but is there an easy way to edit them? It’s such a pain having to go to the toolbar, clicking on View, Header and Footer. Why can’t we just go directly into the header or footer to make changes?

A. You can. But first you must be in the Print Layout View (the third button in the lower left corner of the screen). All you have to do is put your cursor in the header section, double-click and the special taskbar appears.

Exhibit 3

Q. I know this sounds like a silly question, but it’s a real issue for me and I need an answer. I work mostly from my home and I have two cats. Whenever I get up from the computer they just love to stroll over the keys, and you can guess the chaos that causes. Short of placing a cover over the keyboard, is there some way to protect my files?

A. You’re not alone, and you may be surprised to learn that there is a nifty software program that addresses the problem. It’s called PawSense. It works like this: When a cat walks on the keyboard, the paws produce fairly predictable keystroke patterns, which the software immediately detects, automatically blocking further keyboard action. It also produces a harmonica sound that’s supposed to be unpleasant to cats, thereby training the cat to keep off. Typing the password “human” unlocks the keyboard. Check it out at www.pawsense.com.

The other thing you can do is set up a screen saver that is evoked and subsequently freed with a password, but, of course, you will have to remember to set the screen saver whenever you leave the keyboard.

Exhibit 4

Q. After reading your wonderful technology columns, I took your advice and added some hyperlinks in an Excel file. One hyperlink connected me to a Web site and the other linked a cell to another cell in a different Excel file. They worked fine—except for one small problem: Now I can’t get rid of them. I tried to erase them but got no place. Help.

A. I’m sorry, I should have warned you about what you discovered the hard way: You can’t just erase a hyperlink by pressing the Delete key; that just removes the information in the cell, but not the hyperlink. If you type something in the cell again, it will be underlined, indicating that it’s still a hyperlink.

To erase a link, follow these steps: Put your cursor in the cell that contains the hyperlink and right-click on it. That produces a menu with a Remove Hyperlink option.

Q. I would like to paste a graphic in a document header. Is that possible?

A. Yes, and it’s very easy to do in Word. Follow these steps: Click on View, Header and Footer. When the dotted box appears, return to the toolbar and click Insert, Picture. I assume that you already have the graphic stored, so choose From File, locate the clip and click on it. Then click Close in the Header and Footer toolbar.

Exhibit 5

Q. It takes me forever to move my cursor around a Word document. I know Ctrl + Home takes me to the beginning of a document and Ctrl + End takes me to the end. But I suspect there are other shortcuts for moving around a document.

A. Right you are. Here they are:

• Ctrl + left arrow jumps you a whole word to the left.

• Ctrl + right arrow jumps you a whole word to the right.

• Ctrl + up arrow takes you to the start of the paragraph you’re in.

• Ctrl + down arrow takes you to the start of the next paragraph.

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