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5 essential makeover tips for your Windows desktop

5 essential makeover tips for your Windows desktop

by ben patterson | Mar 31, 2014 | desktops, how-tos, laptops

Is your cluttered Windows desktop getting you down? Want an easy way to organize all your icons, a revamped desktop theme, or even a new look for your mouse pointer? Read on for five ways to tidy up—and spruce up—your old Windows desktop, starting with… 1....
Windows tip: Right-click a taskbar button for a time-saving “jump list”

Windows tip: Right-click a taskbar button for a time-saving “jump list”

by ben patterson | Mar 18, 2014 | desktops, how-tos, laptops

So, you may already know that “pinning” a Windows program to the desktop taskbar lets you launch your favorite apps with a single click. What you may not know, however, is that you can save even more time by right-clicking (rather than left-clicking) the...
Windows tip: On-screen text too tiny? Zoom the entire display

Windows tip: On-screen text too tiny? Zoom the entire display

by ben patterson | Mar 6, 2014 | desktops, how-tos, laptops

The bigger the screen, the tinier the words look. So it goes with the latest and greatest PC monitors, which boast ultra-sharp images but itty-bitty text. The good news, though, is that Windows makes it relatively easy to zoom your display—either just a portion or the...
Windows 8 tip: Miss the Start menu? Here’s the next best thing

Windows 8 tip: Miss the Start menu? Here’s the next best thing

by ben patterson | Feb 26, 2014 | desktops, how-tos, laptops

Windows 8 has been with us for more than 15 months now, yet I still find myself pining for the missing Start menu. And while I welcomed the return of the Start button in last year’s Windows 8.1 update, well … it isn’t quite the same, now, is it?...
Windows tip: Make your PC “beep” when you press the Caps Lock key

Windows tip: Make your PC “beep” when you press the Caps Lock key

by ben patterson | Feb 13, 2014 | desktops, how-tos, laptops

Lilyan writes: Read your tip about disabling the Cap Lock on a Mac. Is there a way to do it on a non-Mac computer? Thanks. Hi Lilyan! Unfortunately, because there are so many makes and models of Windows PCs, there’s no easy, one-size-fits-all way to disable the Caps...
Windows tip: Take a quick “Peek” at your bare desktop

Windows tip: Take a quick “Peek” at your bare desktop

by ben patterson | Feb 10, 2014 | desktops, laptops

Want to take a quick look at the files, folders and icons sitting on your Windows desktop, all without having to minimize all your open windows? If so, here’s a neat trick. Try this: just slide your mouse pointer to the very end of the Windows taskbar (for most...
Windows tip: 3 ways to take charge of your mouse buttons

Windows tip: 3 ways to take charge of your mouse buttons

by ben patterson | Jan 16, 2014 | desktops, how-tos, laptops

Ever wish you could right-click with the left mouse button, double-click a bit more slowly, or highlight some text without straining your finger tendons? Do a little digging into your Windows system settings and you’ll find a trio of settings that could make...
Mac tip: How to share a DVD drive over Wi-Fi with Remote Disc

Mac tip: How to share a DVD drive over Wi-Fi with Remote Disc

by ben patterson | Dec 10, 2013 | desktops, how-tos, laptops

Caitlin writes: I love, love love my new MacBook Air, but it only just dawned on me that it doesn’t have a DVD drive. Do I need to buy another piece of hardware to play/open a DVD? Hi Caitlin! Apple does, indeed, sell a so-called “SuperDrive” ($80)...
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