Computer How To

Desktop Text  Msconfig   Prodikeys   Change drive letter

Enroll Students in BBoard

Restart Order

Turn off:

  1. Wireless router and unplug

  2. DSL and unplug

  3. Computer and wait 30 seconds

Turn on:

  1. Plug in DSL and turn on (wait for it to recycle)

  2. Plug in Wireless

  3. Computer

Prodikeys

To use the Prodikeys keyboard with a 3rd party MIDI software, simply select "Creative Prodikeys" as the MIDI Input device in the settings for MIDI devices.

 (Make sure you have also selected the right MIDI Output device). And you are ready to use the Prodikeys with any of your favorite MIDI software.

Adding color behind desktop icons:

 

Click on Start > Control Panel > Look for an icon called System, **if it is not on this screen click the Performance and Maintenance icon, then find the System Icon from there.

After you’ve opened the system icon select the “Advanced” tab.

Now under where it says Performance click the Settings button, this will bring up the Performance Options window.

On the visual effects tab you should see a scroll bar, scroll to the bottom and look for a checked box with the caption “Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop”  uncheck this box and hit “OK” to apply this.

 

To change the icon color go to the desktop and right click, then go to properties. Select the desktop tab, you should see a “Color” option near the bottom right, set this to whatever color you want.

 

How to use MSCONFIG

Here is how to use MSCONFIG in Windows XP to disable some of the unnecessary programs that automatically load on start-up. Disabling these programs will help your computer boot faster and crash less. [For step-by-step instructions on how to use MSCONFIG in other versions of Windows, please visit my main How to Use MSCONFIG page.]

1. In Windows XP, go to Start > Run
Start > Run in Windows XP

2. Type MSCONFIG in the "Open:" box and then either press enter on your keyboard or click on the OK button.
Open: MSCONFIG

3. This launches Microsoft's System Configuration Utility. Click on the Startup tab (the tab at the far right).
System Configuration Utility in Windows XP

4. This takes you to a page with a list of "startup items." Startup items are programs that are automatically loaded every time you turn on your computer. Some startup programs are absolutely necessary, others are simply a waste of RAM.
System Configuration Utilities, Startup Tab, in Windows XP

In Windows XP, all of Windows' essential programs are loaded through something called "Windows Services." This means that most of the startup items you see in XP are completely optional and can be turned off. However, a good rule of thumb is to disable only those programs that you recognize and don't need to have running all the time. When in doubt, leave it on. Or, better still, check out Paul "PacMan" Collins' huge "Startup Applications" list at http://www.sysinfo.org/startuplist.php. This list of over 13,000 startup items you may encounter in MSCONFIG tells you which items are absolutely necessary, which items are optional, and which items you should definitely uncheck.

Here's a good example. On my computer I have a mess of MP3s and I listen to those MP3s with a program called WinAmp. For some reason or other, WinAmp decided that it should always be running on my computer even when I am not using the program. That's silly. To prevent WinAmp from automatically starting every time I boot my computer, I ran MSCONFIG and unchecked "WinampAgent." That's it.

Remember, disable only those programs that you recognize and don't need to have running all the time. When in doubt, leave it on.

5. Click on the OK button.

6. A message will pop up telling you that you must restart your computer before these changes will take effect. Click on "Yes" and your computer will automatically reboot.
XP restart dialog box

7. That's it! Your computer should now boot faster and crash less.

And if you ever want to turn on any of the startup items you disabled with MSCONFIG, just run MSCONFIG again.

PowerPoint Page Turn Transition

 

  1. First produce your slides! Then save the presentation but choose the option to save as "jpeg file interchange format" (You'll need to scroll down in the save as type box).

  2. Now on slide 2 add from draw > autoshapes > basic shapes a "page curl" shape. You might want to make the curl more obvious with the yellow handle.

  3. Right click and > format autoshape. In fill > color choose "fill effects > picture" and insert the saved jpeg of slide 1 (note the slide before!). Change line to "no line". Slide 2 should now look pretty much the same as slide 1!

  4. Now give the page curl an exit animation of collapse > to left > medium speed and "with previous". Also add a with previous emphasis > grow 150% > medium speed.

  5. Test this out.

  6. If all is well copy and paste the page curl on to the next slide and use format autoshape to change the picture to the jpeg of slide 2. Continue!

 

Capturing YouTube

  1. Download a free .flv (flash movie player) such as VLC Media Player from://www.videolan.org/vlc/

  2. Find the YouTube video and copy its URL

  3. Navigate to www.dlyoutube.com or http://www.techcrunch.comget-youtube-movie/  and paste the URL there.

  4. The program will download the file.  It will send it to your computer to save it as a file called "get video" which is worthless until you . . .

  5. Rename the file and add the extension .flv   Example:  SusyBanjo.flv

  6. You can also purchase a program that will further convert the .flv to a .wmv file which Media Player (and others)  Replay Converter is about $30

 

 

Enroll Students in Blackboard

  1. Click on the 'Teach' tab

  2. 'Gradebook'

  3. 'Enroll Members'

  4. Select 'Student' role

  5. Enter student's UID #, click 'Enroll' and then 'Save'

  6. To unenroll, click on 'Teach' tab, check all students and unselect yourself and the demo-student, and click on 'unenroll' at the bottom right

Change Drive Letter

1.     Right click "My Computer".

2.     Drag down to "Manage" and click "Manage".

3.     In the "Computer Management" sidebar click "Disk Management".

4.     Right click on the drive letter you want to change.

5.     Drag down to "Change Drive Letter and Paths..." click "Change Drive Letter and Paths...".

6.     In the "Change Drive Letter and Paths for (drive letter:)" window, click "Change..."

7.     In the "Change Drive Letter or Path" window click the dragdown selection box with the drive letter in it and click the letter you want the drive to be.