Tami

Dear Tami,

Here is how you make the background of your icon text transparent:

1. Click on “Start”, then click on Control Panel. 2. Click on the System icon. (You might need to click on “Performance and Maintenance” first) 3. Click on the “Advanced” tab. 4. Click on “Settings” 5. Under the Visual Effects” tab, click to remove the check mark from “Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop” 6. Click OK twice to save your settings and close the windows.

Elizabeth

Milton

Dear Milton,

Based on your description, you are using either Windows Xp or Vista. (Windows 7 has a much easier way to handle the icons in the notification area)

You can choose to have all the icons constantly displayed, or only certain ones displayed. Here is how:

Windows Vista

1. Right click on a blank spot on the taskbar.
2. In the context menu that appears, click on “Properties”
3. In the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box, click on the “Notification Area” tab.
4. If you want all the icons to show all of the time, just click to remove the check mark in front of, “Hide inactive icons”.
5. If you want to specify which icons will be visible, click on the “Customize” button.
6. You will see a list of icons that are in the notification area. To the right of each icon, you can click and select either “Hide when inactive”, “Hide” or “Show”.
7. When you are finished, click the “OK” button on both dialog boxes to save your changes and close them.

If you are using Windows XP, the directions are a little bit different:

1. Right click on a blank spot on the taskbar.
2. In the context menu that appears, click on “Properties”
3. In the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box, click on the “Taskbar” tab.
4. If you want all the icons to show all of the time, just click to remove the check mark in front of, “Hide inactive icons”.
5. If you want to specify which icons will be visible, click on the “Customize” button.
6. You will see a list of icons that are in the notification area. To the right of each icon, you can click and select either “Hide when inactive”, “Always Hide” or “Always Show”.
7. When you are finished, click the “OK” button on both dialog boxes to save your changes and close them.

Elizabeth
Top 100 Games – For Your PC

Dear Computer Lady,

I just had my computer cleaned up and now all the print and icons are so much smaller.  How do I enlarge the items on my screens so that everything is larger as it once was.

Thank you! Julie

Dear Julie,

It sounds like the person who cleaned up your computer thought they were doing you a favor by changing the resolution. Fortunately, it is easy for you to change it back. Since you didn’t say what version of Windows you were using, I will give directions for both Windows XP and Vista.

When you change the resolution, you are changing the number of pixels or small dots your screen displays. The higher the resolution, (the more dots displayed) the more detail you can fit on the screen and the smaller the images will be.

Since you want to make your images on the screen larger, you will need to lower the resolution.

To change the resolution in XP:

1. Right click on a blank spot on your desktop and then click “Properties”. This will bring up the “Display Properties” window.

2. In the “Display Properties” window, click on the “Settings” tab all the way to the right of the window.

3. On the “Settings” page, look at the lower left section of the screen entitled “Screen Resolution”. It will have a slider that you can move with your mouse.

4. Slide the slider to the left to make your resolution lower (and the images on your screen larger) and click “OK” when you are finished.

Here is how to change the resolution in Vista:

1. Right Click on a blank spot on the desktop.

2. Click “Personalize” in the context menu that appears.

3. Click on “Display Settings”.

4. Move the slider under “Resolution:” to the left to make your resolution lower (and the images on your screen larger).

5. Click “OK” when you are finished to save your changes.

Elizabeth

Dear Computer Lady,

The longer I use my computer, the more icons there are cluttering up my desktop. What can I do to make it neat and clean again?

Beth 

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Dear Beth,

To have a neater desktop, you want to go through and delete the icons that you don’t use. Many programs put advertisements for their website on your desktop, or a link to get free AOL. These shortcuts, you can just drag to the recycle bin, or right click on them and then click “Delete”.

Once you have gotten rid of the junk, try to group the similar icons. For example, I made a folder on my desktop named “Palm” and moved all the shortcuts for my palm pilot into that folder.

Now when I want to add something to a program on my Palm, I just open that folder and chose the program I want to use.

You can do the same thing with website shortcuts you might have on your desktop, or games.

To create a folder on your desktop, just right click on the desktop, point to “New” and then click on “Folder”. Type a name for your new folder and you are all set to use it.

Elizabeth 

Dear Computer Lady,

I am having problems with my desktop.  The icons, for a reason I cannot explain, have all bunched up on the left side of the screen and when I try to move one, it moves all right, but then it flips right back to where it was. I have tried everything I can think of, but to no avail. 

John

Dear John,

Your icons are being controlled by a setting called “Auto Arrange”

To turn off the auto arrange setting in Windows XP, right click on a blank spot on your desktop.

On the menu that appears, point to “Arrange icons by” and a sub-list will drop down.

On the sub-list, click to remove the check mark from “Auto Arrange”.

Now, you should be able to place your icons wherever you want.

To turn off the auto arrange settings in Windows Vista, follow these directions:

1. right click on a blank spot on your desktop.

2. In the context menu that appears, point to “View”.

3. In the sub-list under view, click to remove the check mark from, “Auto Arrange”.

Elizabeth

Dear Computer Lady,

I enjoy reading your newsletter. 

I have a quick question – how do I get rid of some of the icons on my desktop that I’m not using on a regular basis? 

I don’t want to get rid of the program itself, but I don’t need all those icons on my desktop. 

Thank you, Janet 

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Dear Janet,

You can get rid of most icons on your desktop by right-clicking on the icon and click on “Delete” on the shortcut menu that drops down.

This will delete the shortcut on your desktop, but not the program that it points to. 

You will still be able to access the programs using the start menu.

If you want to remove a program and not just its shortcut, you need to go to the Control Panel and open “Add/Remove Programs” un-install programs from there.

Elizabeth 

Dear Computer Lady,

I am new at computer stuff and love reading your news letters. You have helped to so much.  Well I have a problem and I hope you can help me. 

I have Windows XP home edition and in my random clicking to explore my computer I have somehow clicked on something that has removed all the icons from my desk top. I can get to my desk top by first going to the “start” and then to “my documents” and on the left is a column called other places that has desk top. I can open it there and I have tried to just click on them and drag them to my desk top but a box come up that says ” Cannot move (any icon I choose). Destination folder is the same as the source folder.” I don’t understand the comment. 

Can you help me get my icons back on my desk top?

Thank you very much,

Rosemary

Dear Rosemary,

Yes, I can help you get your icons back on your desktop! First, let me explain, that they are actually on your desktop (or in the desktop folder, which is the same thing). That is why when you try to drag them from the desktop folder, to your desktop, it says you can’t move them to your desktop because they are already there.

You have, however, hidden your desktop icons. Here is how you can un-hide them, and hide them again if you want to.

1. Right click on a blank spot on your desktop.

2. In the menu that appears, point to “Arrange Icons By” and a sub-menu will appear.

3. In that sub-menu, find the item that says “Show Desktop Icons” (in your case, there will not be a check mark in front of “Show Desktop Icons” because it has been turned off) and click on it to turn it back on.

It was that simple!

Elizabeth 

Dear Computer Lady,

I love your newsletter! I am a relatively new user and the computer sometimes boggles me.

You recently answered a question about removing icons from the desktop.  I have another question relating to that.  

I was lazy clicking on a game from the start menu, and accidentally dragged it onto the desktop.  It is no longer in the start menu.  If I just remove it from the desktop, I will lose the program.  

How do I get it back into the start menu, and get it off my desktop?

Thanks, Diane

Dear Diane,

It is very easy to drag an icon from your start menu to your desktop, but a little bit harder to get it back where it belongs. 

When you follow these directions, don’t give up if it doesn’t work the first time, just try again.  You are going to be holding down your mouse button during this process until the very end, so don’t forget to keep holding down the mouse button until you are directed to release it.

1. Point to the icon on your desktop, and holding down the left mouse button, drag the icon to your start button. Hold the icon over the start button until the start menu pops up.

2. Still holding down the left mouse button, drag the icon up to the “Programs” or “All Programs” button and again, wait for the programs menu to pop up.

3. Still holding down the left mouse button, drag the icon to the folder it belongs in, and then, you can release the mouse button. The icon should move to the folder you placed it in.

Elizabeth

Dear Computer Lady 

Sure hope you can help me with this problem, I can no longer click on to the icons on my desk top and move them .When I do they zip right back to where they were.

For some reason they have all moved to the left side of my desk top and cant be moved. Can you help me with this. 

Thank you so much. Marifay 

Dear Marifay,

You can no longer arrange your icons the way you want to, because Auto Arrange has been turned on.

Here is how to fix it:

1. Right click on your desktop. A small menu will appear.
2. Point to “Arrange Icons” or “Arrange Icons By” and a sub-menu will appear.
3. In the sub-menu, one of the options will say “Auto Arrange”. If there is a check mark in front of Auto Arrange, it is turned on, no check mark means it is turned off.

Since your icons are not staying where you want to put them, there will be a check mark in front of “Auto Arrange”. Just click on it to remove the check mark and turn off Auto Arrange.

Elizabeth