Ask Mr. Modem! - March
2006
www.MrModem.com
Q. When I want to send an email to someone out of my Outlook
Express address book, I have to copy and paste it into the "To:"
field. Is there an easier way to get addresses into that field? Thanks,
Mr. M.
A. When you want to address a new email in Outlook Express, if you look
closely at the "New Message" window, the word "To:" to the
left of the address field is actually a button that you can click. Who
knew? When you click the "To:" button, you'll see the contents
of your address book in the "Select Recipients" dialog box. Simply
double-click a name and it will pop into the "To:" field, or you can
click once on a name, then click the "To:" or "CC:" or
"BCC:" button on the right.
You can also configure OE to automatically complete email addresses when
composing a new message. Using this feature, when you type the first few
letters into the To: field, OE will display a list of
matches. To enable this feature (or disable it, if you find it annoying),
click Tools > Options > Send tab, and place (or remove) the check mark
beside "Automatically complete email addresses when composing."
While you're at it, you might want to review the other Send options to
determine if any of them might be of interest. For more information about
each option, click the question mark (?) in the upper right-hand corner, then
click again on the item of interest.
Q. I've been using CDs to back up data, which has been working
well until now. When it came time to use one of the CDs to restore some
data, the CD had warped and now it won't play. Is there a recommended method
for flattening a CD?
A. Of the tens of thousands of questions received through the years, I've
never had one about a warped CD, so congratulations! I had to turn to a
couple of CD manufacturers to ferret out the correct answer to your
question. The first manufacturer replied by explaining how warping can
destroy CDs and how important it was not to let them warp, but never provided
an answer to the specific question. Thanks for nothing.
The second manufacturer cautioned that any "technique" applied to a
disk runs the risk of ruining it, but when all else fails, try soaking a warped
CD in hot (not boiling) water. Soaking will not hurt any saved data, but will
soften up the thin plastic cover layer. Soak it for two or three minutes,
then dry it with a soft, lint-free cloth, place it on a flat, solid,
non-abrasive surface (such as a piece of glass or smooth tabletop), and place
several heavy books on it. Let it remain under pressure, cooling overnight,
then try the CD in the morning. It should be good as new.
Mr. Modem's DME (Don't Miss 'Em) Sites of the
Month - March 2006
www.MrModem.com
Behind the Name
Learn the history behind thousands of first names. Search the diverse database
of English, German, Spanish, Arabic, Mythological, Biblical, and African
names. You'll find a vast amount of information on related topics, such
as instructions how to change your name, the correct pronunciation of your name
in foreign languages, even a list of the Most Popular names in the world. I
haven't located "Mr. Modem" yet, but it's probably included in the
Biblical-names section.
www.behindthename.com
DisAbility Spin
A tip of the Mr. Modem fedora to the University of
Missouri-Columbia for creating a site designed to make life easier for
wheelchair users and individuals with other disabilities. Through the use
of high-tech maps, visitors to DisAbility Spin can
determine if a restaurant has wheelchair-accessible bathrooms or if there's any
construction in front that might make access difficult. The site's
primary focus is
www.dspin.org
The Oxymoron List
The biggest little list of awfully good oxymorons. And the Number 1 oxymoron?
That's right, it's "Microsoft Works."
www.oxymoronlist.com/
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plus easy-to-understand computer tips, tricks and great Web sites delivered to
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