8 December 2023

Learning How To Make The Computer Yours

Sometimes we complain about things that can be easily changed. I used “we” there because I’m including myself. I’ve been known to mutter about the way an operating system or application works for months, only to discover later that I could have taken a minute to apply a tweak and solve the problem.

Granted, sometimes it takes a while to find the solution, five minutes or five hours, but the implementation rarely takes more than a minute or two. But sometimes it’s better to avoid knee-jerk reactions. The developers may fix the problem or the solution may already exist, requiring only that you RTFM (read the “fine” manual). I have examples for both of those:

Developers Resolve The Problem

Windows Explorer, for example, continues to improve. I’m not yet ready to drop Q-Dir in favor of the built-in file explorer, but adding tabs to the interface helps. Although I didn’t like what Microsoft did with the context menu in Windows 10, I like the improvements that are present in the just-released version 23H2.

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Icons have been added at the (1) top to cut, copy, rename, share, or delete the object. What I didn’t care for in the previous version, the (2) Show more options button is less of a problem because the initial context menu is much more suited to the type of file selected. Options for a (3) JP(e)G file include opening with the default handler, opening with another program, rotating the image or resizing it, setting it as the Desktop background, and copying the path. If the selected file is a (4) Photoshop document (PSD) some of the actions that aren’t appropriate are gone. The third example is a (5) text file that doesn’t have an extension. The file explorer recognizes it as a text file and offers appropriate options.

Q-Dir is similar, except that it has no Show more options buttons. Everything appears in one long list that varies depending on the file type, (1) PDF, (2) PNG, and (3) MP3 are shown.

If you don’t like the new system, it’s possible to restore the previous functionality with a Registry edit. See Rick’s Daily Tips .

The Solution Already Exists (RTFM)

Fences, a utility I’ll tell you about soon, has become one of my new favorite utilities along with several others from Stardock. Fences has two primary purposes: It allows the user to organize Desktop icons into groups inside rectangles and it maintains the positions of the icons even if Windows moves them.

That’s a cool idea, I thought, but ultimately it’s not very useful because I can’t get to the Desktop without minimizing all of the applications that are on screen. That can be done with a single click, but then I would need to restore all of the applications.

There’s a help file, though, and it solved the problem once I took the time to read it. There’s a function called “Peek” triggered by pressing the Windows key and the Spacebar. That’s the default, but there are several others if you or some other application has already defined Windows-Spacebar. That’s the magic keystroke that places the Desktop icons controlled by Fences on top of everything on the screen. Double-click an icon to launch an application or open a file and Fences returns to the background.

Many Windows behaviors that are considered annoyances can be eliminated or at least reduced by utilities such as Microsoft’s PowerToys or some of the dozens of built-in keyboard shortcuts that are part of Windows. The primary problem is that it’s hard to remember the keyboard shortcuts you need because so many exist. I’ve found it useful to take an hour or two occasionally just to review what’s available.

There’s an old saying by workers and crafts people “Time spent sharpening the scythe is not time wasted!” Replace “scythe” with any tool of your choosing, and that tool might be Windows, Photoshop, or Microsoft Word. Learning how to use a tool properly does take time, but it will save time and eliminate frustration. You can never know too much about the tools you use.

My Challenge

I’m going to be bold here and give you an assignment. Carry it out or don’t as you prefer. There are several steps and I sincerely believe that performing even some of these activities will make your time in front of the computer more rewarding.

• Install Microsoft PowerToys. When I prepared this report (18 Nov 2023) PowerToys included 23 components. I have enabled most of them on my computers. Take five minutes to review what each function does. Enable the ones you think will be most useful and leave the others for later. That’s nearly two hours, but you’ll save time and frustration.
• Revisit PowerToys once a week until you’ve had time to enable and experiment with each of the functions. By then there may be more than 23 components. Updates and additions are frequent.
• Look at every application you’ve installed. First, took at preferences or options or settings in the menu. Maybe you’ll have to look for it, but nearly every application has settings of some sort. Consider changes you could make that would force the application to work the way you want it to, not force you to work the way the developers thought you should work. Developers are right a lot of the time, but not always. Make changes. See if your settings are better than the defaults.
• Many applications accept plug-ins or extensions. Browser extensions are common. Most Adobe applications have extensions. Some email programs allow add-ons. This concept isn’t new. It dates back to the 1990s. Identify extensions that provide functions you wish the application had, install them, and see if they work for you. I’ve added MailMerge, SendLater, Unicodify, and Manually Sort Folders to Thunderbird. MailMerge lets me send email messages with user-specific attachments. SendLater delays message transmission for two minutes so that I can add something I forgot, Unicodify replaces straight quotes with typographic quotes, and Manually Sort Folders makes is possible for me to arrange folders the way I prefer.
• Examine a list of shortcut keys that are enabled by default in Windows. TheWindowsClub has a good list. There are probably more than you can remember. Certainly there are more than I can remember. But look through the list. Think about which shortcut keys will perform an action you need frequently. Write it down. Stick a note on the monitor. Use it until muscle memory makes it yours.

The time you spend mastering the tool is never wasted.

Short Circuits

One Quick Change To Make The Recycle Bin More Useful

Some Windows users empty the Recycle Bin almost immediately after deleting a file. That’s not a good idea because it eliminates the ability to recover an accidentally deleted file. Others never empty the Recycle Bin and that’s also not a good idea because junk piles up.

There’s a better way. For far too long, I’ve emptied the Recycle Bin too soon and I’ve had to use another means to recover an accidentally deleted file. Ideally, the Recycle Bin would keep everything you send there for a week and then quietly and automatically delete it. This is almost achievable.

I would prefer a one week period because most people will figure out almost immediately that they’ve accidentally deleted a file they wanted to keep. At most, it will be obvious in a day or so when you try to re-open the file. That’s why my previous process of automatically emptying the Recycle Bin isn’t wise.

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To fix the problem, open Setting, choose the System tab on the left, and then open the Storage panel and activate (1) Storage sense if it’s not already enabled. Then click the right arrow and click the (2) box to clean up temporary files. Activate (3) Automatic user content clean up and choose a time period. My preference it to have this run once a month.

Set the period to (5) delete files that are in the Recycle Bin to what you feel is most logical for you. I would prefer 7 days, but that isn’t an option and I chose 14 days. The other options are 30 or 60 days, which seems too long; one day, which seems too brief; and never, which would simply continue to problem we’re trying to solve.

If you routinely move downloaded files where they can be safely stored, (6) consider having Windows delete them from the default Downloads directory. I don’t use the Downloads directory, but some temporary downloads are stored there. I have these files deleted two weeks after they’ve been downloaded. The safer option would be to retain the default setting, never.

You can also have (7) online files deleted if you haven’t opened them for a while. Local copies of files would still be retained if you created them, but I have so few online file in Microsoft OneDrive that I don’t bother.

Once you’ve made the changes, the Recycle Bin will be self cleaning. Because I have decades of muscle memory that causes me to empty the Recycle Bin whenever it contains files, I moved it to the far edge of the third screen so it’s not in my line of sight.

Using Codes To Find Entertainment On Netflix

With Christmas just around the corner, maybe you’d like to watch some British Christmas specials, or some from Canada or Europe. Or maybe you’d prefer a political comedy, a crime drama, or a Korean television show.

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Locating film types is easy. Just open Netflix, choose Search and type “British Christmas Movies”. You’ll get a few hits. OK, so maybe it’s not quite that simple. But what if you type “1527064” into the search box? Now you’ll get a much larger list. Why is that?

I have no clue. Netflix assigns British Christmas programs to category 1527064, so all you need is the number. Netflix, of course, provides a list of its category numbers to make searching easier for customers. Doesn’t it? Well, no. Netflix does not provide such a list.

For that, you need to visit Netflix-Codes. Why Netflix doesn’t provide a list of these codes is a mystery, but Netflix-Codes has main categories such as Action & Adventure, Anime, and Christmas or Thrillers, TV Shows, and Sports Movies. Each main category has a range of sub-categories.

Twenty Years Ago

Cellular Number Portability At Last!

If you had a mobile phone before 2003 and got fed up with the carrier’s shenanigans, moving to a new carrier was a pain because you couldn’t take the number with you. That changed in November 2003 and I wrote about it:

On November 24, the FCC’s “number portability” rule kicked in and users of cellular phones finally started being allowed to change carriers and take their numbers with them—at least in the 100 largest metro areas. Those who live elsewhere will have to wait a bit, but it’s coming. Some of the cellular service providers have fought against number portability—the ones that generally feel they have the most to lose from the arrangement. But nobody knows what effect the change will have. There’s already a lot of “churn” as users switch from one carrier to another. Number portability is likely to increase that. There’s also some evidence that growing numbers of people will drop wired telephone service in favor of wireless service now that they can keep their numbers. A friend of mine and his wife, who recently moved to California, opted not to have wired phones installed; instead, they each carry cellular phones.

Some of the companies will probably win new customers. Others will lose. It would be nice to think that the winners will be the ones with better service plans and better customer service, but (at least in the short term) it might be the ones with the better advertising agencies. Eventually, though, things will sort themselves out and the companies that do the best jobs for their customers will have the most customers.

If you’re thinking about changing plans and you want to avoid surprises (large termination fees and the like), take a moment to look over the following suggestions from Sprint:

1. Determine your obligations. Check with your current carrier on contract termination fees and invoice balances under your current contract. If you’re making the move to another carrier, early termination fees may apply. Check with your current carrier if you are uncertain when your contract ends.
2. If you do switch, remember: you’ll likely need a new phone. Yes, you can take your number with you. But in all likelihood, your old phone won’t be compatible with your new wireless provider. That’s because mobile phones from one carrier do not typically operate on competitors’ networks. On the plus side: this may be the excuse you need to get one of those cool camera phones.
3. Get the most from your mobile phone. Consider this: what, beyond voice service, do you plan to use? Many carriers now offer a variety of exciting and useful data services, such as messaging, games, music, special ringers and screensavers and the sending and sharing of photos. If these services are important to you, ask in advance about data rate plans, coverage and transmission speeds.
4. Consider the “bundled” services approach. To lower overall costs for telecommunications, put your calling into a bundled package that combines local phone service with long distance and wireless. For consumers in many states, Sprint Complete Sense offers bundled solutions with plans starting at $39.99 per month plus a discount on monthly wireless charges.
5. Put your new phone to the test. Many carriers offer trial periods for new customers, giving you the chance to see how well your phone works - and where. Take the phone for a “test spin” to make sure you’re satisfied that the device performs reliably for your needs in your local coverage area and elsewhere. If you’re not satisfied, you should return your phone during the trial period and get your money back. Note that you may still owe fees for activation and minutes used.
6. Be prepared to experience some possible delays as you make the switch. LNP is an inter-carrier process requiring the cooperation of your previous service provider, and new activations involving a ported number will take longer than traditional wireless service activation. If the transfer process goes smoothly you can expect to be active on your new wireless service provider’s network in just a few hours. However, you should be prepared to experience delays as you make the switch - especially during the first few months of LNP. Customers new to Sprint can stay fully informed during the transfer process and can check the status of their port by dialing *2 from their new handset or by logging on to sprintpcs.com.
7. Keep in mind: not all numbers may be transferable. Not all numbers can be transferred in all markets and by all providers. Initially, LNP may only be available in larger markets. Also, remember that transferring your wireless phone number will only work if you are within the same geographic area. In other words, you cannot transfer a New York number to Dallas and activate it as a local number at this time.
8. If you do decide to switch carriers and want to keep your number, here are a few additional tips to keep in mind. Continue to use your current phone until your new phone is fully functional. Service to your old phone will be automatically disconnected once the number has been transferred. It’s also helpful to have a copy of a bill from your current service provider on hand. When processing your port request, it’s important that your new service provider correctly enter information from your account-like name (“Don” or “Donald”), address, account number, and phone number. If the information doesn’t match, the request to transfer your number may be delayed.

While these tips are from Sprint, they generally apply to other service providers.