Better Search Results Browsing
Times read: 203
04/14/08
This week's tech tip is a simple one to help you navigate the Internet better. If you are like me, you find it cumbersome to peruse Internet search results because every time you click a search result link the webpage reloads and you lose access to your original results page. Then, after you are finished reading the linked site you have to click the back button and wait for the screen to rebuild which takes time. Also, occasionally you come across a webpage in which the back button does not work and you become trapped. You must then resort to some browser trickery to get back to the results page.
In Google, the dominate search engine, there is a preference for launching all links into a new browser window or tab depending on which browser you are using. Using this preference, you can peruse the search result sites without losing access to the results page and you can view multiple search result sites at once.
To access this preference click the Preferences link which is to the right of the Google search box.
Example Image Next scroll down the Preference page until you find the checkbox for Results Window. Check the box beside
Open search results in a new browser window.Example Image That's all there is to it. No more having to constantly click the back button after each site visit. Also, as a corollary, in any web page whether it be a search result page or any other webpage, if you hold down the Shift key when you click a link the link will launch into a new window. If you hold down the Ctrl key while clicking a link, the browser will launch the link into a new tab.
Happy teching,
Ryan Williams
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Save Time with Pre-addressed Emails
Times read: 281
03/27/08
Do you find yourself emailing the same people over and over? Here is a way to create pre-addressed emails and launch them with a single mouse click and no typing (because clicking and typing are entirely too much work).
First of all, to get the most out of this tech tip you'll need to read and configure your desktop using my Ultimate Desktop Layout tech tip (click here to read the tech tip). If you choose not to arrange your desktop as mentioned in the earlier tech tip, this tip will still work, it just will not have the same punch.
Step By Step
1. Find an MS Outlook shortcut on your Quick Launch bar OR on your Start Menu OR on your desktop and with your "right" mouse button drag and drop the icon somewhere on your desktop. When you release your right mouse button a context menu will appear asking if you want to copy or move the icon. Select copy. You should now have another MS Outlook shortcut on your desktop.
Click here to view an example image.
2. Right click on the new MS Outlook shortcut and click Properties on the context menu.
Click here to view an example image.
3. On the Properties window add the following characters to the end of the Target path which ends in "…outlook.exe". The characters are { /c ipm.note /m "your email addresses here" } WITHOUT the brackets {}. Where I have "your email addresses here" you can put the email addresses for which you want to pre-address this email shortcut. For multiple email addresses, you can separate each with a semicolon. You can also put a group name there after creating an email group in your address book if you choose to do it that way. Also, for an explanation of what the "ipm.note" is all about, read my previous tech tip on Time Saving Outlook Shortcuts by clicking here.
Click here to view an example image.
4. On the Properties window click on the Change Icon button to select a new meaningful icon for your new pre-addressed email shortcut. Once you have done this, click OK on the Change Icon window.
Click here to view an example image.
5. Click on the General tab of the shortcut Properties window and change the name of the shortcut to something more meaningful. I named mine "New Email to Friends".
Click here to view an example image.
6. Click the OK button on the shortcut Properties window. Now you should have a shortcut that resembles something like this on your Windows desktop.
Click here to view an example image.
When you click this shortcut you should get a new pre-addressed email like mine in the image below.
Click here to view an example image.
Now to get the greatest benefit from this tip you'll need to drag the shortcut down to your Quick Launch bar so that it is never more than one click away. With this single tip we have eliminated several mouse clicks and who knows how much typing. With all this extra time you're saving, you'll have more time for golf.
Happy teching,
Ryan Williams
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FREE Time Tracking Application and the Windows Task Scheduler
Times read: 357
03/19/08
If you have ever wanted to keep better track of how you spend your time, this tech tip is for you. For just about everyone who provides a professional service, keeping track of billable time is a necessary evil. It is also A LOT harder than it sounds. Many professionals wait until the end of each week and try to document how they spent their time for the previous 5 days. As you can imagine, this is probably not the most accurate way of tracking time. Even trying to recall how a morning was spent at the end of a single day is often less accurate than you might think.
To combat this problem and make time tracking as easy as possible, I developed a very simple time tracking application which I am giving away for free to anyone who wants it. In order to utilize the time tracking application, you'll also need to become familiar with the Windows Task Scheduler. Therefore, we will cover both applications in this Tech Tip.
The way the time tracking application works is by asking you what you are doing every 10 minutes (you determine how often). The application remembers your responses from one prompt to the next so if you are doing the same thing several prompts in a row, all you have to do is press the enter key to make the prompt go away and log an entry.
First, you can download the time tracking application using the link below. After downloading the zip file, I suggest creating a folder on the C drive named "TimePrompt" (C:\TimePrompt). Then, extract the TimePrompt.exe executable into this folder. You can put the executable anywhere you choose, this is just my suggestion.
Click here to download TimePrompt.
You'll also need to download and install the Microsoft .Net Framework 2.0 if it is not already installed on your computer.
Click here to download the Framework.
Double click on the TimePrompt.exe executable to see what it looks like. As I said earlier, it is a pretty simple application. There are two big textboxes, one for reminders and one for keeping track of how you are spending your time. The application will remember the text in each field each time the application is launched. The first time the application runs it will create three text files, one to store your reminders, one to store your last time entry and one which is a log of all your time entries with dates and times. You can test this now if you choose.
The engine that makes the TimePrompt application do its thing is the Windows Task Scheduler. The Microsoft Windows Task Scheduler looks quite different depending of whether you are running Windows Vista or Windows XP. Therefore, I have provided step by step instructions for both operating systems. Choose whichever instructions apply to you.
Windows Vista Task Scheduler Instructions
1. Click on the Open Task Scheduler button on the Time Prompt screen.
Click here for an example image.
2. Click on the Action menu and then Create Task.
Click here for an example image.
3. On the Create Task window enter a description for the scheduled task and make sure it is set to run only when you are logged in.
Click here for an example image.
4. On the Triggers tab click on the New button to create a new trigger.
Click here for an example image.
5. Fill out the New Trigger window as I have in this example picture.
Click here for an example image.
6. Next click on the Action tab and then click on the New button to create a new action.
Click here for an example image.
7. On the New Action windows enter the path to wherever you saved TimePrompt.exe when you extracted the zip file. Then click the OK button.
Click here for an example image.
8. Click on the Conditions tab and complete the form as I have in this example image.
Click here for an example image.
9. Click on the Settings tab and complete the screen as I have in this example image.
Click here for an example image.
10. Now click OK on the Create Task window. Your time prompt is now scheduled to prompt you to capture your time every few minutes.
Windows XP Task Scheduler Instructions
1. Click on the Open Task Scheduler button on the Time Prompt screen.
Click here for an example image.
2. In the Tasks window click on Add Scheduled Task. This will open the Scheduled Task Wizard. Click the Next button.
Click here for an example image.
3. On the next screen click the Browse button.
Click here for an example image.
4. In the Select Program to Schedule window browse to the directory to which you saved TimePrompt.exe. My suggested location was c:\timeprompt\. Click Open after you find and select TimePrompt.exe.
Click here for an example image.
5. You should now be looking at a window where you select how frequently to run TimePrompt.exe. Select daily and click Next.
Click here for an example image.
6. The next screen is for selecting the start time of the scheduled task. Select 12:00 AM every day and click Next.
Click here for an example image.
7. The next screen asks for a username. Just leave everything the way it is and click Next.
Click here for an example image.
8. The next screen is the final screen of the Scheduled Task Wizard. Be sure to check the checkbox to open advanced properties and click finish. If you get a warning message, just click OK.
Click here for an example image.
9. You should now be looking at the TimePrompt scheduled task properties window. Check the box beside Run only if logged on.
Click here for an example image.
10. Next click on the Schedule tab and click the Advanced button.
Click here for an example image.
11. On the Advanced Schedule Options, check the checkbox beside Repeat task and configure the rest of the screen as I have in this example image. Click OK when finished.
Click here for an example image.
12. Next click on the Settings tab. Uncheck every box as I have in this example image. Then click OK. Your time prompt is now scheduled.
Click here for an example image.
Now, the time prompt application will prompt you every 10 minutes to ask what you are doing. Each time you enter your comments they will be saved with the current date and time in the timelog.txt file. You can refer to this file at any time to see a log of how you have been spending your time.
Another handy feature of the TimePrompt application is the reminder box. Instead of writing reminders on sticky notes, try entering them in the reminders box. Every 10 minutes you will be reminded of what you should be working on and it should help you stay on track.
Now, not only can you keep better track of how you are spending your time, but you have also been exposed to the Windows Task Scheduler. In later tech tips I will provide additional examples of how you can utilize the Windows Task Scheduler and also some other beneficial uses for the TimePrompt application. I hope you find this application useful. Until next time…
Happy Teching,
Ryan Williams
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Reader Questions: Cell Phone Wi-Fi and the Vista Admin Account
Times read: 301
03/03/08
In this tech tip I am going to address two questions that were submitted recently. Sorry I cannot get to them all.
QUESTION #1: The first question comes from a reader in Texas. The question is “Can cell phones with built in Wi-Fi use the Wi-Fi to connect to the internet?” The answer is definitely yes. However, phones with built in wireless still have to be configured just the same as a laptop with wireless. If the place where you are trying to access the internet has wireless security enabled, you will still need to configure your phone’s wireless settings to match. The process is slightly different on every phone so I cannot provide step by step instructions, however, having Wi-Fi on your phone is really handy, and it is definitely worth paying for when you are shopping for cell phones. Most cell phones now days allow for surfing the internet, however, the data connection is often slow and you often have to pay extra for internet usage. Having built-in Wi-Fi on your phone avoids having to pay your cell phone service provider for internet access. It is also especially nice for surfing the internet in your living room while the rest of your family is watching the Food Network.
QUESTION #2: Another reader says she accidentally removed the administrator privileges from her Windows Vista account. Now, she cannot install new software nor do other things that require administrator privileges. This person wants to know if there is another option besides formatting and reloading the entire computer to reestablish an account that has administrator privileges. The answer is thankfully yes. There is another option.
In Windows Vista there is a hidden administrator account that is disabled by default. The following steps will enable this hidden administrator account and allow you to reestablish your personal account with administrator privileges. I suggest that you disable this hidden administrator account after you fix your existing personal account.
Here are the steps for enabling the hidden Windows Vista administrator account.
1. Click on the start menu and type “command” in the search bar. This will pull up the Command Prompt program in the search results above.
Click here for an example image.
2. Right-click on the Command Prompt program and select Run as Administrator.
Click here for an example image.
3. Next, type in the following command at the command prompt and press enter.
net users administrator /active:yes
This will activate the hidden administrator account.
Click here for an example image.
4. Now, log off or restart your computer. You should have the option to log in as the administrator. By default the administrator login does not have a password. I suggest that you disable the administrator login after using it. To do so, use this command at the same command prompt as in step 3 above.
net users administrator /active:no
This will deactivate the hidden administrator account.
That’s all there is to it.
If you would like to ask me a tech question, please click on the link below. I look forward to hearing from you.
Happy Teching,
Ryan Williams
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Time Saving Outlook Shortcuts
Times read: 488
02/25/08
In last week's tech tip we covered how to layout the Windows taskbar to make better use of the quick launch bar. (
Click here to read last week's post.) This week we will begin discussing some cool things we can do with the new found space we created for the quick launch bar.
Quick note: For those of you who are submitting questions for me to address in future tech tips, I am receiving the questions and will try to address some next week.
In this week's tech tip we are going to cover Outlook shortcuts. Now I know many of you are thinking, "I already have an Outlook shortcut." You may well indeed but these are no ordinary shortcuts I am referring to. The Outlook shortcuts I am referring to will reduce dreaded mouse clicks! Let's get started.
If you read last week's tech tip, you probably noticed some of the shortcuts that I have on my quick launch bar and wondered what they were for. OK, maybe not, but none-the-less I am going to show you what three of my quick launch icons do. Three of the shortcuts on my quick launch bar link directly to functionality within Outlook. In other words, instead of launching Outlook the program, they launch components within Outlook like a new email, task or calendar entry for instance.
Click here for an example image.The easiest way to create these shortcuts is to find a preexisting shortcut to MS Outlook on your desktop, then right click on it and select copy.
Click here for an example image.
Then right click on the desktop and select paste from the context menu.
Click here for an example image.
This should create a duplicate Outlook shortcut that we can modify without affecting the original.
Click here for an example image.
Now, right click on the duplicate shortcut and select properties.
Click here for an example image.
Now comes the fun part. (Try to contain yourselves.) We can add what is called a "switch" to the end of the command line and get some pretty cool functionality. The valid switches are:
/c ipm.activity to create a journal entry
/c ipm.appointment to create an appointment
/c ipm.contact to create a contact
/c ipm.note to create an e-mail message
/c ipm.stickynote to create a note
/c ipm.task to create a task
NOTE: There IS a space between the /c and the ipm.
Click here for an example image. and another Click here for an example image.
Using this method you can create several shortcuts to launch each of the Outlook components directly without having to first launch Outlook.
Now we need to change the icon for the shortcut so we can visually see which shortcut to click in order to launch the respective Outlook components. To do this, click on the change icon button on the shortcut properties window and select an appropriate icon.
Click here for an example image.
Next, right click on the icons and click Rename. Rename the shortcuts to represent what each will do. When you are finished you should have something that looks like this, depending on which shortcuts you created.
Click here for an example image.
Double click on each of the shortcuts to make sure they launch the intended Outlook component.
Click here for an example image.
Lastly, you can click, drag and drop these new Outlook shortcuts to your newly expanded quick launch bar. With these new icons on your quick launch bar you will be teching like a pro and saving up to 4 clicks each time you want to create a new email, task, appointment, etc.
Click here for an example image.
Happy Teching,
Ryan Williams
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The Ultimate Desktop Layout Tip #1
Times read: 497
02/15/08
The ultimate in efficiency (or laziness depending on how you look at it) is finding ways to reduce mouse clicks when working on your computer. I don't like clicking my mouse button any more than absolutely necessary. Clicking is simply too much effort, my finger gets tired. I want everything just one click away. Fortunately, we can reduce quite a few mouse clicks with this simple modification to the Windows desktop. Over the next few tech tips I am going to focus on optimizing your Windows desktop to reduce mouse clicks. Below is tip number one. "Expanding the quick launch bar."
The quick launch bar usually appears crammed to the right of the Windows Start menu and to the left of your open task buttons on the taskbar. The quick launch bar contains shortcuts to frequently used programs. However, most of the time only a very few of these icons are visible.
Click here for an example image.
My suggestion is to expand the quick launch bar so you can utilize it more prevalently. The first step in doing this is to enlarge your taskbar. It used to be that screen real estate was at a premium. Now days, however, with dual monitors and ever increasing monitor resolution, we can spare a little extra room for the taskbar, especially considering the time savings it will produce.
To expand the task bar, right click on the taskbar where there are no icons. This will pull up a context menu. If there is a check beside "Lock the Taskbar," then remove the check by clicking on "Lock the Taskbar." Otherwise, leave the "Lock the Taskbar" option unchecked.
Click here for an example image.
This will free up the taskbar to be moved around. The next thing you want to do is hover your mouse over the edge of the taskbar until the icon changes to indicate that you can move the taskbar.
Click here for an example image.
Once you see mouse pointer change, click and hold your left mouse button and drag the taskbar up one notch so that you now have two rows for your task bar.
Click here for an example image.
The next thing we want to do is move the quick launch bar so that it is on its own row and our open task buttons are on their own row. To do this, hover your mouse over the dividing line to the left of the quick launch bar until the mouse pointer changes. (Note that this dividing line only appears if the taskbar is unlocked which we accomplished above.)
Click here for an example image.
Once your mouse pointer changes, click and hold your left mouse button and drag the quick launch bar to the lower taskbar row.
Click here for an example image.
Now you have two rows on your taskbar, one for running tasks and one for the quick launch bar. Now right click on the taskbar again where there are no icons and open the context menu again. This time click "Lock the Taskbar" to relock the taskbar so you don't move things around anymore accidentally.
Click here for an example image.
As you can see, this modification gives you an entire row of shortcuts at your disposal on your taskbar where you can place any number of shortcuts. The beauty of this modification is since your taskbar is always visible, you only have to click once to launch any program of your choosing. Also, an added benefit is we can now see the entire date on the right side of the taskbar without having to click at all.
Click here for an example image.
Over the next few tech tips I will cover some really cool things we can do now that we have a dedicated row for our quick launch shortcuts. Each of which will save time, effort and most importantly, clicks!
Happy Teching,
Ryan Williams
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How To Determine Why Your Computer Is Running Slow
Times read: 546
02/11/08
This question was submitted by a reader in New Jersey. The reader wants to know how to determine why her computer is running slowly. Thank you for the question. This is a relatively easy thing to do and should help a lot of people.
NOTE: This tech tips uses Windows Vista as an example, however the process is nearly the same in Windows XP.
To check which programs are currently running on your computer, right click on your task bar where no icons or tasks are located.
Example: http://www.techbetter.com/ttimage.aspx?image=runningtasks01.gif
On the context menu that appears after you right-click, select 'Task Manager'.
Example: http://www.techbetter.com/ttimage.aspx?image=runningtasks02.gif
The Task Manager window that appears next will show you every program running on your computer. You can sort these programs by name, by CPU utilization and by memory usage by clicking on the corresponding column headers. I usually sort by CPU utilization percentage when I am troubleshooting why a computer is running slow. The higher the percentage the more CPU the program is hogging to itself. Be sure to click the column header twice to sort the column from highest to lowest so that the programs taking the most resources appear at the top of the list.
Example: http://www.techbetter.com/ttimage.aspx?image=runningtasks03.gif
This is useful because often times when your computer is running slow it is because one or more programs are stealing all of your CPU and starving the rest of the programs on your computer. Examples of when this can occur include when an antivirus program is running a full system scan or when an automated backup routine is backing up your files.
Viewing your tasks in Task Manager will show you which programs are hoarding your computer resources, but what if you don't know what the running programs are for or if they are actually necessary? This is where the website ProcessLibrary.com comes in handy. You can enter the file name of the running program on your computer and ProcessLibrary will tell you if the file is safe and what the program is actually used for. In the following example, I looked up the program dwm.exe which is running on my computer. The website tells me that the program was developed by Microsoft and that the program is safe. If the program was spyware or something similar the site would alert me to remove the file.
Example: http://www.techbetter.com/ttimage.aspx?image=runningtasks04.gif
Using this method it is easy to determine which programs are causing your computer to run slow AND if those programs are legitimate or need to be removed.
I hope you find this Tech Tip useful. If you have a questions you would like me to address, please let me know by clicking the "ask me" link below.
Happy Teching,
Ryan Williams
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How To Increase Your Screensaver Timeout
Times read: 442
02/01/08
This tech tip is not going to be very profound, however, it is a common question, and it was submitted by a loyal reader so I am going to address it. The reader wants to know how to increase the screensaver timeout on her computer so she does not have to relogin to Windows quite so often. As a general rule of thumb, it is a bad idea to extend your screensaver timeout past 20 minutes. Any longer than this and you begin to defeat the purpose of having a screensaver password which is to prevent someone from coming behind you and accessing your computer after you leave it. So, if it is important that you have a password on your computer, as in a business or public setting, then I suggest not increasing your timeout past 20 minutes (I actually suggest 10 minutes). However, for a home computer, strangers sitting down at your computer and attempting to access your files is less of an issue (if strangers sitting at your home computer is an issue, stop reading this tech tip and call 911). Therefore, increasing the screensaver timeout and/or removing the screensaver password from a home computer is more acceptable.
Step By Step
1. Right click on the computer desktop where there are no icons. This will pull up a context menu. On the context menu click the ‘Personalize’ option.
Corresponding Image: http://www.techbetter.com/ttimage.aspx?image=screensavertimeout1.gif
2. On the next window that opens, click on the ‘Screen Saver’ option.
Corresponding Image: http://www.techbetter.com/ttimage.aspx?image=screensavertimeout2.gif
3. This will open the ‘Screen Saver Settings’ windows. On this window you will see the location to increase the timeout for the screen saver. Mine is currently set to 10 minutes.
Corresponding Image: http://www.techbetter.com/ttimage.aspx?image=screensavertimeout3.gif
4. If you would like to completely remove the screen saver from requiring a password when you return to your computer, then uncheck the ‘On resume, display logon screen’. If this box is not checked, then you will not be prompted for a password again.
Corresponding Image: http://www.techbetter.com/ttimage.aspx?image=screensavertimeout4.gif
Happy Teching,
Ryan Williams
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Scheduling Tasks In Outlook
Times read: 543
01/25/08
If you are like me, you have a lot of tasks on your “to do” list (I don’t count them because it depresses me). Many of the tasks tend to remain “in progress” longer than they should because they are constantly being trumped by the fires of the day. One trick I have employed to help combat this trend is to schedule tasks on my calendar just as I would an appointment. Scheduling tasks on your calendar marks the time as busy and prevents against being overtaken by meetings.
Microsoft Outlook makes it very easy to reserve time on your calendar for tasks. Simply open the Outlook tasks view and drag a task over the calendar folder. This will automagically create a new calendar entry with the task in the subject line and the task notes in the notes of the calendar entry. In my opinion, if you get into the habit of dragging tasks to your calendar and scheduling time to complete them, you will see your task list begin to systematically diminish over time.
Happy Teching,
Ryan Williams
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A Simple Useful Modification to MS Outlook's Deleted Items Folder
Times read: 609
01/17/08
This is my inaugural post to AccountingWeb and I am happy to be on board. In this blog I will focus on simple ways to improve communications, organization and productivity. I hope you find this blog to be full of useful information. In this post we will focus on a simple modification to Microsoft Outlook’s deleted folder.
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This is a simple modification to MS Outlook’s deleted items folder that saved me a lot of time. It seems that I was constantly deleting emails by mistake. Being a “happy clicker” is what we call it (clicking the mouse button out of habit instead of with a purpose). Anyway, after realizing that I deleted a good email by mistake I would venture into the wasteland that is the deleted emails folder in search of the deleted email so I could restore it. However, the emails in the deleted folder are, by default, sorted by received date. If I had deleted an email that was two weeks old, the email would be buried under 100’s of junk mail and finding the email took more time than it should.
The simple modification was to add and sort by the column “Last Modified” (the time of the deletion is the last modified date of the email). Now when I delete an email by mistake, the email is always at the top of the deleted items view. No more having to search for deleted emails. Simple modification, big time savings. Instructions for making this modification are below.
1. Navigate to your deleted email items folder.
2. Right click on one of the column headers (i.e. Received Date)
3. Click “Field Chooser” on the context pop-up menu.
4. In the drop down box at the top of the “Field Chooser” window select “Date/Time Fields”
5. Drag “Modified” to the column position where you want it to appear.
6. Now click on the Modified column header to sort by that column.
Simple time saving modifications like this seem trivial but each incremental improvement adds up and the cumulative effect can be substantial. More time saving tips to come.
Happy Teching,
Ryan Williams
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