Tinys World of Technology BS

One of the drawbacks about being a computer hobbyist is that family and friends think of you as tech support.  Over the years, I’ve been asked lots of questions about technology.  This month, I thought I’d share some of them with you.

The most asked question I get about Android phones is “Why does my screen go dark so quick?”  The answer is because the default ‘Screen Timeout’ is 15 seconds.  If you don’t touch the screen within that period, it goes to sleep.  This is done simply to conserve battery power.  To change, open Settings, do a search for timeout and change it to whatever you like.  Some phones have other features to stop the timeout.

I often get asked why Microsoft makes it so hard to keep track of the where the cursor is.  It is even harder to find if you use more than one monitor.  There are two things you can do to help with this.  Open Mouse Settings and then click Advance Settings.  Look for the check box to enable “Show location of pointer when I press the CTRL key”.  Enabling will allow the mouse location to be highlighted whenever you touch the Ctrl key.  In Advanced Options, you can also adjust the size of the cursor.  Most mouse manufacturers have settings where you can select mouse colors.  I like the setting where the cursor color changes to contrast with the screen background.

People often complain to me that their Windows machine starts really slow.  I always suggest that it is because they have a lot of programs that load on a Windows boot.  This is usually why it seems slow.  The easiest way to solve the problem is to open the Windows Task Manager.  Click on the Startup Tab and then disable programs that don’t need to be running all the time.

I forgot my password is a problem that is often unsolvable.  There are several programs you can buy to “crack” your missing password.  The problem is that they often do not work.  Nir Sofer is a software developer who has created hundreds of free utilities.  More than twenty of these are password recovery utilities.   If it is a website, there are usually options for recovering a password.  In most cases, you are out of luck.

I’m always asked, “What is the best web browser, password manager, graphics program, anti‑virus, word processor, etc.”  I usually respond by asking what is the best car to drive or where is the best place to buy a cheeseburger.  The real answer is that I don’t know.  Whats best for me isn’t necessarily best for anyone else.  I can only tell what I use and why.  My recommendation is to try the various programs until you find one you like.

Another frequently asked question is “Why do they call you Tiny?”  Unfortunately, I’m running out of column space and can’t answer it here.

Thanks for reading.

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

This month I’d like to share a few tips that I’ve learned over the years.  They’re little items that I’ve found helped make my computing faster and easier.  These tips are on random subjects.  I’ve found that all of them make my computing experience a little easier than before.  Most tips work with all Windows versions, but I don’t guarantee it.  I do know you can try them all for free.

You’ve probably heard of some of these tips and already use them all the time.  I’m willing to bet you’ll find one or two things you can use to make your computing experience easier or faster.

If your computer has more than one processor, you can make it boot a little faster.  Open System Configuration App (msconfig).  Click the boot section and then click advanced options.  Next, check the number of processors block.  In the pulldown menu, select the largest number of processors and click OK.  Now your computer will boot a little faster because it is using more processing power.

While configuration is open, you can also stop the Windows Boot Logo from slowing your startup time.  Click the BOOT tab and check the No GUI Boot.  Doing so removes the graphical moving bar.  The downside is that if your system freezes during startup, you won’t know it.

In the same tab, you will see a “Timeout:” block set to the default of 30 seconds.  When you first start your PC, a boot menu appears, giving you the option to start your computer in special modes.  Decreasing the timeout will let you boot faster.

Do you sometimes lose sight of your mouse arrow?  Some web pages snap it to somewhere else on the screen and sometimes it gets lost in the background.  My clumsy finger often cause my cursor to move when I’m using my laptop touchpad.  Open mouse properties in your control panel.  Under pointer options, check “show location of pointer when I press the CTRL key”.  Apply the settings and you will always find your cursor with a simple press of the CTRL key.

Speaking of the CTRL key, there is another key that is usually near it on most computer keyboards.  You can save a lot of time by using the window key in combination with other keys.  One of my favorite personal favorites is using Window Key-E to open Windows Explorer.  With every upgrade to Windows, the Window Key seems to get more functions than ever before.  If you do a web search for your operating system and Windows Key (or keyboard shortcuts), you will find several websites with lists of all the key functions you can use.  Although a little harder to use, Microsoft has files of Keyboard shortcuts in Windows.  There you will find complete lists for all supported operating systems and software.  It won’t be long before you will find that the Windows Key will be a force of habit.  This will make it easier for you to use your computer.

Why not take a minute, run the Services App (services.msc on older systems) and make your computer run a little faster.  This will open a window with detailed information about the services (with detailed descriptions) that are running on your computer.  You will find many that you do not need.  To disable a service, double‑click on it and change the startup type.  Remember that you can always change it back later if you find you need the service after all.  If you need more information on a particular service, type the name into your favorite internet search engine.  You’ll find out all that you need to know.  Services are important, but every one that your computer doesn’t have to check up on will help it to run a little faster.

Why not print a little faster and save some money at the same time?  Detailed prints take longer to produce.  If you reduce the quality a little, you can print faster and save some ink.  Open print properties in any program to change the settings.  Look for draft mode or something similar.

Thanks for reading and keep on clicking.