A. If your computer runs on the XP operating system, you can evoke what Microsoft calls ClearType—a technology for sharpening the slightly fuzzy edges of letters and graphics by improving the screen’s pixel appearance. Pixels are the tiny, illuminated spots that make up an image. I can’t say I understand how the sharpening is done, but I don’t really care because I like the result, it’s a cinch to implement and understanding the technology won’t improve the outcome. To be fair, I should add that not everyone agrees the technique improves text sharpness, especially on laptops. I’ve also heard some desktop users claim that after a day of viewing ClearType-adjusted screens they have a headache. But since it’s easy to install and ever easier to uninstall, it’s worth a try.

To set it up, go to http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/howto/customize/cleartype/tuner/default.asp (just typing in that address alone should give you a headache) and follow the instructions for selecting whichever of the six text appearances looks the sharpest; clicking on an image triggers your XP operating system to evoke that specific ClearType adjustment.

Be aware there’s sleight of hand at work here. Those choices of type you see on the screen are not “real” text generated by your computer. They’re actually pictures (icons) that trigger a specific adjustment process. But no matter; select the one that is the sharpest for you and click on it. Those images look different on different screens. That’s all there is to it.

If you later find you don’t like the one you chose, right-click anywhere on your desktop and then click on Properties , Appearance and Effects , producing this screen.

Then click on the arrow under Use the following method to smooth edges of screen fonts .

After you click on OK , you should see the difference on the screen. If you’re not satisfied, go back to the Effects screen and click on the arrow next to ClearType until you see Standard and click on OK .

A. No, he’s correct, but he didn’t tell you the whole story. It’s not the broadband connection that increases your risk, it’s because you’ve extended the time you’re online, and a hacker has more opportunity to get into your system, where he or she can access personal information stored on your computer and even steal your identity.

Does that mean you should limit how long you remain online? No, but you should be aware of the dangers and install a firewall, which is software designed to block the uninvited from entering your computer through your Internet connection.

Understand, however, there are no foolproof security measures; hackers have cracked some of the most secure Web sites—the U.S. Defense Department’s and the FBI’s, for example. Most people don’t need the most effective firewalls—which are expensive and hard to install and operate—because expert hackers generally target only sites where they can steal very valuable data or money or cause mayhem as a political statement.

As a practical matter, you want to guard against the less-than-expert hacker (the one after your credit card numbers), and inexpensive and easy-to-use protection with a low-cost firewall works well. I’ve used Zone Alarm for some time; a free version can be downloaded from www.zonelabs.com , or you can buy a more sophisticated version of the software for a modest price.

There are many firewalls on the market. To find them, go to a search engine such as Google ( www.google.com ) and type in firewall.

When it comes to virus protection (hackers can send viruses to you), you should avoid bargain-basement products. The major virus protection software products are McAfee ( www.mcafee.com ), Norton ( www.symantec.com ) and Kaspersky ( www.kaspersky.com ). But again, there are many others, and you can find them via a search engine.

Caveat: Don’t delude yourself into thinking once you buy a virus protection program you’re safe. New viruses are created daily, and unless you subscribe for regular updates, you’re vulnerable to infection.

A. There are several ways. Let’s start with the simplest and work our way up to the more complex. But before we start, be sure to turn on Word’s AutoComplete feature, or else some of these methods won’t work. To turn on the feature, go to the toolbar and click on Insert , AutoText and AutoText again and put a check next to Show AutoComplete suggestions .

If you start to type a month—say June —this is what appears:

If you follow the label’s instructions and press Enter, the full current date will appear:

June 9, 2003.

But if you just start to type any month other than the current one ( Sept , for example), Word will complete the name of the month when you press Enter.

Another way to insert the date is to go to the toolbar and click on Insert , Date and Time , evoking this screen:

Notice all the available date and time formats you can choose from. You can set a default format by clicking on the Default button. And if you check Update automatically , Word will insert the current date every time you print the document.

If you want Word to insert the current month whenever you print your document, follow these steps: Put your cursor where you want the month inserted and press Ctrl+F9 to insert a set of field braces: { }

Between the braces, type date \@MMMM and press F9 to update the field.

A. It does, only, unlike WordPerfect, it’s not a default condition. However, it’s easy to set that default. In the toolbar, click on Tools , Options and the Save tab.

Then place a check in the box next to Always create backup copy and click on OK .

Word saves the backup files with a WBK filename extension. Older versions of Word used a BAK extension.

A. Indeed, I do. I also don’t like Outlook’s signature feature for the same reason. While you can establish many different signatures, changing the default signature takes several steps: You have to click on Tools , Options , the Mail Format tab and then choose your options at Signature for new messages or at Signature for replies and forwards .

A much better way, because it’s fast and easy—is to use the AutoCorrect Options . After writing an e-mail message, I type a coded abbreviation ( zz for example) and the signature appears.

Stanley Zarowin
Journal of Accountancy

To set up an AutoCorrect code, type the signature you want; if you want it in a special font, format it accordingly. Then highlight the signature and go to the toolbar and click on Tools , AutoCorrect Options . In the box under Replace , type a code—in this case I typed zz —and in the box under With , your highlighted signature (or anything else you highlight) will appear.

Be sure to check the box labeled Replace text as you type and then click on OK .

Now, any time you type zz and hit Enter, your custom signature will appear instead. Obviously, you can use the AutoCorrect Options anywhere you use Word—for signatures or boilerplate text.

Explorer: To go to your home page quickly, press F6 to highlight the Address Bar and then type two periods (..) there. Hitting the Enter key then takes you home.

Excel: To delete a cell—not just the contents of a cell—highlight the doomed cell and press Ctrl+- (that’s Ctrl and a minus sign). The selected cell will disappear and the adjacent cells will shift to fill the empty space.