STAYING WITH XP? KEEP IT IN TIPTOP SHAPE
I’ve decided to forgo the move to Vista and stick with XP. My plan is to wait patiently until Microsoft comes out with the next operating system update. Do you have any advice for keeping my aging XP in tiptop shape?

You’re not alone in deciding to stay with XP. Because we don’t know how long it will take before Windows 7 (Microsoft’s code name for the anticipated next version) will appear, you’re wise in seeking ways to keep your XP from developing geriatric aches and pains. Here are several things you can do to keep it in prime condition:

Unlike much in technology, the latest iteration of a software product is not always the best, and when it comes to operating systems (OS), there is a further complication: Older systems were designed to work with older applications that use older device drivers. So if you start loading new apps and drivers to your XP, there’s a risk that it is going to start developing indigestion and, worse, crashing. My advice is to avoid updating those apps. In short, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

   What if you must update a printer or even buy a new one that’s designed for Vista (because there is no longer an XP-compatible model available) and problems develop? I suggest you contact the manufacturer and explain that you’re using XP and you need compatible drivers. Vendors are becoming aware of this need and in most cases will help you. You can also do a Google search, identifying the target product; it will either take you directly to the appropriate vendor’s site or many Web sites that stock a wide variety of drivers and allow you to download them for free.

Antivirus and spyware software are the exception to the above rule. Keep them up to date.

When adding new hardware (memory, processor) confirm with the vendor that the product is compatible with XP. Again, vendors are aware that many customers are sticking with XP, and they are making adjustments.

Think lean. Old systems tend to accumulate clutter—especially those programs that want to start up with Windows. Each one grabs some memory, putting a drag on your system. For a graphical spotlight on those auto-start apps, check the icons to the left of your clock. And if you want to see more, click on the left-facing arrow and a bunch will probably pop into view (see screenshot below).

There are many ways to locate and disable apps you don’t really need. Microsoft offers a free tool, AutoRuns for Windows, that does an excellent job. You can download it at http:// technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx. It not only identifies each auto-start app, it also gives you the option to disable it—at least until you may need it later.

Don’t be intimidated by the huge number of apps listed by AutoRuns for Windows (see screenshot at the top of the next page), and don’t worry that you can’t identify many of them. Start with the ones you know you don’t need, reboot, and see how well the computer runs. If it’s OK, disable the ones you suspect are unnecessary and repeat the process. If you’ve disabled one that you subsequently discover you need, just go back and enable it by adding a check next to it. It’s not rocket science—but it takes patience.

XP’s Hibernation feature, as good as it is for saving power, has a major downside: It’s a RAM gobbler, and certainly you can live without it. You can disable it by clicking Start, Run, typing powercfg.cpl, clicking the Hibernate tab, unchecking Enable hibernation and clicking OK.

Another source of clutter are Windows junk files. For a thorough sweep, run the Windows Disk Cleanup tool. To access it, click on Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Cleanup. If you can’t find it there (some older XP operating systems are set up slightly differently), go to C:\Windows\system32\cleanmgr. To access it easily in the future (you should run it at least once a week), make a shortcut and drag the icon to your desktop.

   Disk Cleanup also can remove outdated restore points created by System Restore. To do that, click the More Options tab, and under System Restore click Clean up and confirm that you want to delete all but the current restore point (see screenshot below).

And to keep the data on your hard drive stored most efficiently, be sure to defragment at least weekly. To access the Windows defrag tool, go to Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Defragmenter. You might want to put that tool on your desktop for easy access, too.

BLOCK EDITING A MEMO'S TEXT SO ONLY TRACK CHANGES COMMENTS CAN BE ADDED
In the August column, in “Put a ‘lock’ on Track Changes” (page 94), you described how to block anyone from erasing someone else’s comments in Word’s Track Changes. However, I want to block people from messing around with the text of my memos. If they have a comment or suggested change, I want them to use Track Changes—and keep their hands off the text of my memo. How can I do that?

Follow the same steps listed in August’s item—only this time, in the dropdown list under Editing Restrictions, select Comments (see screenshot at right) and you’ve created an effective barrier.

©2008 AICPA

STOP OUTLOOK FROM "DISAPPEARING" WHEN SWITCHING TO THE DESKTOP
I usually keep Outlook open all the time. That assures I’ll get all my e-mails promptly. But the other day I realized that every time I clicked on the Show Desktop icon in my taskbar, Outlook closed the moment the desktop appeared. I don’t think I did anything to make that happen, but it sure is annoying. Can you help?

Actually, Outlook was not closed when the desktop appeared; it was only minimized. If you look on the right side of your taskbar, next to the

time, you’ll see several icons, and one of them will surely be Outlook (see screenshot above).

To solve the problem, right-click on that icon, and this menu will appear:

Just remove the check next to Hide When Minimized, and Outlook will not minimize when you click on Desktop.

I would guess you accidentally clicked on that item when you were making some adjustments in your taskbar

Bonus tip: Whether it’s minimized or not, how would you like to get a discrete notice whenever you’ve got new mail? With a simple setup adjustment in Outlook, such a notice, which includes
the name of the sender and the subject, will appear on your screen no matter what you’re doing on the computer. To set it up in Outlook, go to Tools, Options, Preferences, E-mail Options, Advanced E-mail Options, Desktop Alert Settings, which will bring up the screenshot at left.

Notice you can control how long the alert remains on your screen and the message’s opacity; making it slightly transparent (see screenshot below) allows you to read any data covered by the alert screen.

HIDING CELLS IN EXCEL—JUST ONE OR TWO OR EVEN 100 AT A TIME
I often deal with very large worksheets with a massive ocean of data-filled cells. In an effort to make the worksheet easier to view, I try to hide cells that are not essential. While it’s easy to hide whole columns and rows—and even a whole page—I can’t figure out how to hide just a few or maybe even some that are not contiguous in a row or column. Mind you, although I want them visually out of the way, I want the data in the hidden cells to continue to calculate as if they were not hidden. Any suggestions?

You’re right, Excel does not excel when it comes to hiding individual cells, and Excel 2007 is no better than 2003. While there are several ways to do it, all require multiple steps and are not flexible. The major tool to use is Format. It’s good at hiding whole columns and/or rows—and, yes, even a whole page—but when you want to hide individual cells or groups of cells, you have to go through some gymnastics.

Here, for example, are your limited choices when you evoke Format in Excel 2003…

…and this in Excel 2007 (Format is in the Home ribbon).

Here is how to get around that whole-column or whole-row obstacle in both Excel 2003 and 2007: Highlight the cells you want to hide; to highlight noncontiguous cells, hold down the Ctrl key as you highlight them in sequence. When finished, press Ctrl+1 to evoke the Format Cells screen, click on the Number tab, go down to Custom and in the Type box select three semicolons (;;;) and then OK and, presto, the cells are hidden (see screenshot below).

As you can see in the screenshots below, even when I hide two cells (56.99 and 2,233.00), the Total remains the same.

A bonus: If you’re seeking a hiding-cells shortcut, here’s an unpublished tip for quickly hiding whole rows and columns without taking your fingers off the keyboard (except to select the cells).

The sequence: For rows, highlight the cell (or cells) in the row (rows) you want to hide, and press Ctrl+9. To reverse the process, press Ctrl+Shift+(. You’ll notice that the open parenthesis and the number 9 share a key, so holding down Shift evokes the open parenthesis. For columns, it’s the same process, only use the 0 (zero) key and the close parenthesis.

A BETTER IDEA
An article in the June column suggested a fast way to create an e-mail distribution list in Outlook from a column of addresses in a spreadsheet. Bryan Caston, an Exchange engineer with AT&T who reads the technology section of his CPA wife’s copy of the JofA, suggests a way to accomplish the task without transposing the Excel list or inserting semicolons between the e-mail addresses

Copy a column of e-mail addresses from your spreadsheet and paste it into Outlook’s To, Cc or Bcc. Although Outlook will automatically format the addresses after a short delay, you can speed the process by changing a default: Go to Tools, Options, Preferences, E-mail Options, Advanced E-mail Options and be sure a check is next to Allow comma as address separator and Automatic name checking (see screenshot below).

You also can trigger the action immediately by pressing Ctrl+K, or, in some copies of Outlook before 2007, there is a Check Names function under the Tools menu (see screenshot at left).

And in Vista you can find a Check Names icon in the Message ribbon.