Internet Tips and Tricks from BCPL.NET

1. In Windows, you can quickly get back to the desktop by holding down the windows key and pressing M.
   
   
2. Is your computer acting strangely? Before calling the Help Desk, turn your computer off and back on and try again.
   
   
3. Lost the address bar in your web browser? Try clicking File then Open for an alternate way to navigate to a specific web site.
   
   
4. Looking for the Baltimore County Public Library website? Try http://www.bcpl.info
   
   
5. Having trouble closing a popup window? You can use the keyboard combination ALT-F4 to close the top-most window on the screen.
   
   
6. If your computer freezes, there is a chance that it can recover if you use the keyboard combination CTRL-ALT-DEL and then close any programs that are Not Responding.
   
   
7. Having trouble sending e-mail attachments? Try disabling your outgoing anti-virus scanner, as it may be causing the problem.
   
   
8. Most web browsers have a shortcut for typing in websites following the www.somesitename.com format. For example, try typing cnn in the address bar and then pressing CTRL-ENTER. The "www." and ".com" will be added automatically, sending you to "www.cnn.com".
   
   
9. Receive a suspicious link without a .com, .org, or .net domain? Check this site at www.computeruser.com to find a description for the ending of the web address (also known as a domain suffix). For example: .edu is for educational sites, .gov is for US government sites, and .mil is for US Military sites.
   
   
10. Dial-up connections are limited to 53kbps by the FCC. A true 56kbps connection speed is never obtainable.
    
    
11. If you decide to use your BCPL web space and want friends to view your webpage, the web address is www.bcpl.net/~yourusername. Go to the Web Page Help part of our Technical Support site for more information on setting up webpages.
    
    
12. Keep food and drink away from your computer. Crumbs and dust can cause issues with a keyboard and mouse, and moisture is not good for any electronic devices, especially computers.
    
    
13. You can have the computer on while on the phone. The computer will only tie up the phone line when connected to the Internet.
    
    
14. Some web pages rely on pop-up windows, such as games and pages that require a log in. To temporarily disable most pop-up blockers for a one time use, hold down the CTRL key while clicking on the link.
    
    
15. Keep your web browser up-to-date. Updates for Internet Explorer can be found at www.microsoft.com/ie/, Netscape at www.netscape.com, and Firefox at www.mozilla.org.
    
    
16. The shortcut keys for copy, paste, and cut are CTRL+c for copy, CTRL+v for paste, and CTRL+x for cut. Cutting not only deletes the item from its current location, but copies it to the "clipboard" and with CTRL+v, can be pasted elsewhere.
    
    
17. Having trouble opening an e-mail attachment? First, confirm with the sender (by e-mail, phone, etc) that it is a safe and legitimate attachment. If necessary, also confirm with the sender that you have the proper program installed on your computer to open the file you have been sent. A list of file extensions, what they stand for, and what is required to open them can be found here, and in various other places around the web.
    
    
18. In general, a left click is used to activate or execute an item or icon, and a right click is used to open a menu of other things you can do with the icon or item. In most cases you will use a left click unless specifically directed to use a right click.