Computer Tips for slow learners.

[Ships_Cat]

Hi John

Is not the NUM LOCK that I want to change the default on but the Function Lock which I think is outside BIOS - the Office Keyboard does not have dedicated function keys, each function key has another action as well (as is also found on some notebooks) and on start up it defaults to those other actions. Maybe I should throw the keyboard at the wall /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif.

Thanks for trying though.

John

 

[ShipsWoofy]

This might help

 

[Steve Clayton]

Graham,

you've hit upon the mechanism by which you can display and use a range of different characters. These are defined in the ASCII code http://www.lookuptables.com/ so alt followed by the ASCII code number generated the character.

Some of these codes were used in the days of teletype terminals and serial printing as control characters to manage how these things worked - showing my age now!!!!

Before the days of reasonable PC security (oh, how I remember DOS 3.1) then it was also possible to use ASCII characters (eg the backspace or any other code character) as part of your usename or password.

 

[kingfisher]

F4 repeats the last set of actions. So if you highlighted a text, changed the fontsize, color and other make-up items; and you want to apply the same to the next chapter title, just select it and push F4.

 

[Ships_Cat]

Thanks Woofy one. I made up a .reg file using the data on the link and ran it and seemed to add it to the registry ok but from what I could make out it gave the same non Function Key action to the keys whether the lock was on or off ie F1 - F12 did not seem to work reliably.

Getting late here and hopefully off to the boat tomorrow so will double check that my cut and paste of the hex data from the link you gave was correct when I get back. Just in case something went wrong.

Thanks anyway, and if nothing else has given me a lead to follow up on the internet. Also nice to see on the link that others find the Function Lock behaviour annoying.

Regards

John

 

[Ships_Cat]

After being inspired by Woofy to do some more looking on the internet I came across a program called Scankeys at http://www.randyrants.com/2004/03/sharpkeys_11_of.html which others might be interested in if they want to disable some keys or change the action of some keys on the keyboard.

I will not be trying it until I get home again in a few weeks so cannot comment on its reliability. Supposedly fixes my issue as long as the scancodes go to Windows.

John

 

[celandine]

As a bit of light relief from all this steep learning curve stuff, here are some supposedly genuine exchanges with a computer help-desk.


Computer Helpdesk Questions
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Helpdesk: What kind of computer do you have?
Female customer: A white one...

******

Customer: Hi, this is Celine. I can't get my diskette out.
Helpdesk: Have you tried pushing the button?
Customer: Yes, sure, it's really stuck.
Helpdesk: That doesn't sound good; I'll make a note ...
Customer: No ... wait a minute.. I hadn't inserted it yet... it's still on my desk... Sorry....

******

Helpdesk: Click on the 'my computer' icon on to the left of the screen.
Customer: Your left or my left?

******
Helpdesk: Good day. How may I help you?
Male customer: Hello... I can't print.
Helpdesk: Would you click on start for me and...
Customer: Listen pal; don't start getting technical on me! I'm not Bill
Gates!

******
Customer: Hi, good afternoon, this is Martha, I can't print. Every time I
try, it says 'Can't find printer'. I've even lifted the printer and placed it in front of the monitor,
but the computer still says it can't find it....

******
Customer: I have problems printing in red...
Helpdesk: Do you have a color printer?
Customer: Aaaah....................Thank you.

******

Helpdesk: What's on your monitor now ma'am?
Customer: A teddy bear my boyfriend bought for me in the supermarket.

******
Customer: My keyboard is not working anymore.
Helpdesk: Are you sure it's plugged into the computer?
Customer: No. I can't get behind the computer.
Helpdesk: Pick up your keyboard and walk 10 paces back.
Customer: Okay.
Helpdesk: Did the keyboard come with you?
Customer: Yes.
Helpdesk: That means the keyboard is not plugged in. Is there another
keyboard?
Customer: Yes, there's another one here. Ah...that one does work!
******
Helpdesk: Your password is the small letter a as in apple, a capital letter
V as in Victor, and the number 7.
Customer: Is that 7 in capital letters?

******
A customer couldn't get on the Internet.
Helpdesk: Are you sure you used the right password?
Customer: Yes I'm sure. I saw my colleague do it.
Helpdesk: Can you tell me what the password was?
Customer: Five stars.

******
Helpdesk: What anti-virus program do you use?
Customer: Netscape.
Helpdesk: That's not an anti-virus program
Customer: Oh, sorry...Internet Explorer.

******
Customer: I have a huge problem. A friend has put a screensaver on my
computer, but every time I move the mouse, it disappears!

******
Helpdesk: How may I help you?
Customer: I'm writing my first e-mail.
Helpdesk: OK, and, what seems to be the problem?
Customer: Well, I have the letter 'a' in the address, but how do I get the
circle around it?

 

[Guest]

Re: Winkey?

My IBM Thinkpad has no WINkey ....... still F4 does a reasonable job instead !!

 

[LadyInBed]

An undocumented feature in MS Word (may be documented now) is that if you place the mouse pointer anywhere in a document, hold down the [alt] key then left click and use the mouse to select an area of text.
This area can be cut / copied / pasted else where.
Useful if you want to move around columns of text.