I’ll post various time-saving tricks and also some tips as I can.

Shortcuts

Most Windows programs follow the same format for control codes as short cuts.

Common tasks done in a Microsoft Word document
CTRL+SHIFT+SPACEBAR	Create a nonbreaking space
CTRL+HYPHEN	Create a nonbreaking hyphen
CTRL+B	Make letters bold
CTRL+I	Make letters italic
CTRL+U	Make letters underline
CTRL+SHIFT+<	Decrease font size
CTRL+SHIFT+>	Increase font size
CTRL+SPACEBAR	Remove paragraph or character formatting
CTRL+C	Copy the selected text or object
CTRL+X	Cut the selected text or object
CTRL+V	Paste text or an object
CTRL+Z	Undo the last action
CTRL+Y	Redo the last action
CTRL+F	Find text, formatting, and special items
ALT+CTRL+Y	Repeat find (after closing Find and Replace window)
CTRL+H	Replace text, specific formatting, and special items
CTRL+G	Go to a page, bookmark, footnote, table, comment, graphic, or other location
ALT+CTRL+Z	Go back to a page, bookmark, footnote, table, comment, graphic, or other location
ALT+CTRL+HOME	Browse through a document
ESC	Cancel an action
CTRL+Z	Undo an action
CTRL+Y	Redo or repeat an action

Beep Codes

When first starting up a computer will beep. There should only be a single beep if all is well. If more than one or no beep this is trouble!

No beep usually means a problem with your RAM.

Other beep sequences mean different things to according to the BIOS. There are 2 main brands – AMI or Phoenix.

AMI BIOS BEEP CODES
none	You're supposed to hear at least one beep. If you truly don't hear anything, either your computer's power supply, motherboard, or PC speaker is no good.
1 short	System RAM Refresh failure. Your programmable interrupt timer on your motherboard has failed. It could also be your interrupt controller, but either way, your motherboard will need to be replaced to fix it.
2 short	Your computer has memory problems. First, check video. If video is working, you'll see an error message. If not, you have a parity error in your first 64K of memory. Check your SIMMs. Reseat them and reboot. If this doesn't do it, the memory chips may be bad. You can try switching the first and second bank memory chips. First banks are the memory banks in which your CPU finds its first 64K of base memory. You'll need to consult your manual to see which bank is first. If all of your memory tests good, you probably need to buy another motherboard.
3 short	Same as 2 beeps; follow diagnosis above.
4 short	Your problem could be a bad timer. The system timer failed to work properly. It will require motherboard replacement.
5 short	CPU Failure. Replace the CPU or possibly the motherboard.
6 short	The chip on your motherboard that controls your keyboard isn't working. First, try another keyboard. If that doesn't help, reseat the chip that controls the keyboard, if it isn't soldered in. If it still beeps, replace the chip if possible. The chip is erroring in the gate A20 switch that allows the system to run in virtual mode. Replace the motherboard if the chip is soldered in.
7 short	Your CPU has generated an exception error. This could be a fault of the CPU or a combination of problems with the motherboard. Try replacing the motherboard.
8 short	Your video card isn't working. Make sure it is seated well in the bus. If it still beeps, either the whole card is bad or the memory on it is. Your best bet is to install another video card.
9 short	ROM checksum error. This means that the checksum error checking value does not match the content of the BIOS ROM. This means the BIOS ROM is probably bad, and needs to be replaced.
10 short	Your problem lies deep inside the CMOS. All chips associated with the CMOS will likely have to be replaced. Your best bet is to get a new motherboard.
11 short	Your L2 cache memory is bad and your computer disabled it for you. You could reactivate it by pressing -Ctrl- -Alt- -Shift- -+- , but you probably shouldn't. Instead, replace your L2 cache memory. Obviously, this could lead to outright motherboard replacement.
1 long, 3 short	Memory test failure. An error has been detected in the memory over the first 64K. Try replacing the memory, and if that doesn't do it, the motherboard.
1 long, 8 short	Display test failure. Your video card is either missing or defective. Replace it. If its part of your motherboard, you'll need to replace it or bypass it.

PHOENIX BEEP CODES
1-1-3	Your computer can't read the configuration information stored in the CMOS. Replace the motherboard.
1-1-4	Your BIOS needs to be replaced.
1-2-1	You have a bad timer chip on the motherboard; you need a new motherboard.
1-2-2	The motherboard is bad.
1-2-3	The motherboard is bad.
1-3-1	The motherboard is bad.
1-3-3	Same as AMI BIOS 2 beeps. Replace the motherboard.
1-3-4	The motherboard is bad.
1-4-1	The motherboard is bad.
1-4-2	Some of your memory is bad.
2-_-_	Any combination of beeps after two means that some of your memory is bad, and unless you want to get real technical, you should probably have the guys in the lab coats test the memory for you. Take your computer to the shop.
3-1-_	One of the chips on your motherboard is broken. You'll likely need to get another board.
3-2-4	Same as AMI BIOS 6 beeps: keyboard controller failure.
3-3-4	Your computer can't find the video card. Is it there? If so, try swapping it with another one and see if it works.
3-4-_	Your video card isn't working. You'll need to replace it.
4-2-1	There's a bad chip on the motherboard. You need to buy another board.
4-2-2	First, check the keyboard for problems. If there are none, you have a bad motherboard.
4-2-3	See 4-2-2.
4-2-4	One of the cards is bad. Try taking out the cards one by one to isolate the culprit. Replace the bad one. The last possibility is to buy another motherboard.
4-3-1	Replace the motherboard.
4-3-2	See 4-3-1
4-3-3	See 4-3-1
4-3-4	Time of day clock failure. Try running the setup program that comes with the computer, and check the date and time. If that doesn't work, replace the battery. If that doesn't work, replace the power supply. You may have to replace the motherboard, but that is rare.
4-4-1	Your serial ports are acting up. Reseat or replace the I/O card. If the I/O is on the motherboard itself, disable it with a jumper (consult your manual to know which one) and then add an I/O card.
4-4-2	See 4-4-1
4-4-3	Your math coprocessor is malfunctioning. Run a test program to double-check it. If it is indeed bad, disable or replace it. Disabling is fine, because you probably don't need it anyway.

Backing up

Rose Vines (Ninemsn Technology)

What price do you put on your data — reports, financial records, inventories, email, contacts and addresses, love letters, photos, audio downloads, video projects, coursework? Whatever you have stored on your computer, that data represents many things, including family history, your business status, your passions, and a sizeable investment of your time. If your hard drive failed this instant, how painful would the loss of that data be?

If the question sends the shivers down your spine, you need to back up your system without delay. And once you’ve done that, you need to set up a regular backup routine so you are prepared if a data disaster strikes — and it will.

What do I back up?

Backing up an 80G hard drive seems like a daunting task. Even if you have a DVD burner, 80G of data consumes about 16 discs and takes an awfully long time to burn. However, when you think about it, you won’t need to back up anything like 80G, even if your hard drive is jam-packed. That’s because much of that space is filled with items that don’t need backing up: Windows itself, applications, easily replaced media files, data you have already backed up. Unless you’re heavily into audio or video editing (both tasks that produce huge data files) it’s likely you can back up everything that matters to a single DVD or a handful of CDs. If you do have huge files to back up, the first time you perform a backup, it could be a long haul. But after that first time, you only need to back up files that have changed since your last backup — a far more manageable task.

The important thing is to make sure you include everything that matters. Not just Word documents or the contents of My Pictures, but also email, contacts, browser bookmarks, account files for programs such as Quicken or Money, and other data that may be scattered around your system. Before you back up, take a mental inventory of your system and figure out exactly what you want to preserve.

Where do I store it?

You can back up to CDs, DVDs, external hard drives, flash drives, a drive on a network, tape, even a floppy disk. Which media you choose depends on how much data you need to back up and its importance to you.

If you run a business, make nightly, weekly and quarterly backups, storing nightly backups on site and the others at another, safe location. If you have a lot of data, tape backup or a set of external USB hard drives is the way to go.

Most home users can get away with a far less onerous routine. Consider doing a full backup of your system every few months, then back up only those files that have changed on a weekly or even monthly schedule. Writable DVDs or CDs are good backup options if you don’t have a lot of data. However, it’s hard to schedule automated backups, because of the need to insert a new blank disc when prompted. If your budget will stretch to it or if you have a lot of data to back up, consider buying an external USB hard drive or two. These drives make backing up a breeze, allow you to schedule unattended backups, and frequently come with their own one-step backup software pre-installed. You’ll pay about $100 to $200 per 100G of storage space for such a drive. And that’s cheap, when you consider the value of your data and the amount of time such a solution saves you.

How do I back it up?

Microsoft failed to include its backup utility in Windows XP Home. It’s a daft omission, but it isn’t particularly good software and you’re better off looking elsewhere for backup solutions.

One simple solution, which works well if your data is stored within My Documents, is to copy your files onto a backup disc. If you have an external USB hard drive, you can plug in the drive, open an Explorer window to view its contents, and then drag the My Documents folder into the drive window. It’s not the most efficient method, but it’s a ‘cheap and dirty’ solution. If you have a smaller amount of data, you can do the same thing using a DVD or CD disc — drag the My Documents folder into the DVD/CD burning window.

Another option is to use third-party backup software. A Google search will uncover many such utilities. One of the easiest to use is Second Copy 7. It lets you copy to a variety of media, and it uses a simple step-by-step wizard to walk you through the process. We’ve included the trial version on this month’s cover disc.

Windows Update

Windows are constantly creating updates which circumvent the efforts of those bored individuals who seem to have too much time (and money) and spend their spare time figuring how to get in through a “back door” or the like. Everyone should ckeck for these Windows Updates periodically, every week or 2.

Here are instructions on how to check for, and install these updates.

Start up Internet Explorer.

Tools > Windows Update

You can choose either:

Express (Only the High Priority updates) or

Custom ( you can choose which updates to install)

You’ll notice on the right hand side under “Automatic Updates Turned On” a hyperlink to “Pick a time to install updates”. If you have Windows XP you can set your computer up to check for updates and either tell you about them, download them and ask when to install or download and install them automatically.