Hints & Tips
Here are a few shortcuts to save some time - plus some regular "housekeeping" tasks that I recommend you do to keep your system working well.
Updating to Internet Explorer V7
Microsoft may have already downloaded the new version of Internet Explorer under the "automatic updates" so it may be too late! My suggestion is NOT to download it as there are a large number of "issues" at present with compatibility (nearly 2 million pages on Google for "IE7 problem"). If you have just done it you can uninstall it via the Control Panel's "Add or Remove Programs".
To avoid it being installed, check your updating settings under the Control Panel's "Automatic Updates" and change the setting to "Notify me, but don't download or install them". When you get a message about updating (or a shield icon on the toolbar) check which updates are about to be installed (choose custom install) and de-select IE7 from the list. You will then be asked whether MS should ask you again and you select YES. However MS will slip it in again in a few days and try to get you to install it!!!
Messages that appear on your taskbar
Remove Unused Icons?
This message appears from time to time if you have some shortcuts on your desktop that you have not used recently (within the last 60 days). If you allow Windows to delete them you are sure to need them later. Recommendation: Don't select Yes.
Updates are ready for your computer
Always look at the list of updates Windows is suggesting and decide whether you want them all. If in doubt don't (remember what your mother always told you)! In particular Internet Explorer V7 can be de-selected as it seems to cause more problems than it solves. Stick to V6. Watch out for unwanted programs or updates on every occasion - Microsoft will keep trying to get you to upgrade programs that are still working perfectly. Many of them are very large and take a long time to download. You should select "Custom" instead of "Express" and choose which updates to install.
Confirm your email address
Windows Messenger continually wants you to accept direct messages. If you are don't need the Messenger facility (which has security issues) it can be disabled. Contact me for details.
ACCESS DATABASE
Refreshing a list
If you have a field with a drop-down look-up - giving you a choice of selections - usually from another table - you sometimes find that a recently added record is not visible in the look-up list. Whilst this field is selected (the insertion point or cursor is in this field), press the <F9> key and the list will be refreshed and any new records will be displayed.
Repeating entries
If you are adding new records and want to repeat the contents of a field that you previously entered on the last record - press the <Ctrl> and apostrophe (') key together and the previous text will be inserted.
MS Windows (File) Explorer
Refreshing a list of files
If you exchange a floppy disk in the drive, the display of Drive A still shows the previous disk's contents. Press <F5> to refresh the display to see the current disk's contents.
Capturing the screen image
If you wish to capture (grab) something displayed on the screen, press the "PrtScn" (Print Screen) key and the image is copied to the Windows Clipboard (memory), then open the Windows Paint Program (usually on the Start/Accessories menu), select Edit and Paste and the image is displayed.
Select File/Save As and select JPG as the file type, to get a file suitable for e-mailing. You can also use the editing controls to cut out a portion of the image if you do not want the complete image.
Is your computer running slowly?
(or have you installed Vista?)
1.Remove Temporary Internet Files
As you browse the Internet a copy of the images and links to the pages are stored on your hard disk. This is supposed to make re-loading the pages faster if you re-visit, but as the number of files gets to thousands, it actually slows down your PC.
A utility called CLEANUP DISK is supplied under All Programs/ Accessories/ System Tools/ and this shows you how much space will be saved if you run this tool.
2. Google offer a number of free programs including their "Google Desktop" which indexes your hard-disk and enables you to find files fast. Haveyou downloaded this? Unfortunately this can also slow your computer to a crawl! Be warned!
3. Is AVG checking for viruses?
Look on the toolbar at the bottom of the desktop to see if there is an additional
AVG icon 
with a triangle
in the centre. This indicates that a scheduled test is in progress. If you
wish to pause or cancel the test (to speed up the computer) right-click on
this icon and select your choice from the pop-up menu.
4. Defragment Files
As you work on your computer temporary files are saved on your local PC. They are stored in fragments in any available space, often in multiple locations. To speed-up your PC you need to run another utility found under All Programs/ Accessories/ System Tools/ - DEFRAGMENT DISK. If your disk has lots of fragmented files this utility will inform you and then move them around on your disk until they are in contiguous blocks. Clever ah?
This will take some time - so run the program overnight.