Caps Off to You
Q: Caps really bug me. It seems that I never know when I have the Caps Lock turned on. I think it changes by itself! Is there an app for Windows that easily alerts (by sound would be nice) that the Caps Lock is on? Is there an EASY WAY TO CONVERT (whoops, didn’t know it was on) from caps to lowercase in Word, and also when I am in “reply” mode to an e-mail without HAVING TO RETYPE?
A: Most keyboards provide a light that lets you know when Caps Lock is turned on; if yours does not, you might consider upgrading your keyboard. To hear a sound when Caps Lock is turned on in Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7, launch the Toggle Keys dialog box by holding down the Num Lock button for five seconds, and clicking Yes. Thereafter, a loud beep will sound through your computer’s speakers whenever Caps Lock is turned on or off. (To turn Toggle Keys off, once again hold down your Num Lock button for five seconds.)
If you accidentally use the wrong case when typing, you can change the case by highlighting the affected words and repeatedly pressing Shift+F3 to toggle between proper, uppercase and lowercase characters. This works on single words, sentences, paragraphs and even across multiple pages. As for the spooky Caps Lock changing by itself, it is most likely that you are pressing the Caps Lock key by accident. Using Toggle Keys may help you isolate the cause of this problem.
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