Information management and technology assurance

Q: In your June 2010 column you talked about a tool that can add small check boxes next to files in Windows Explorer and shortcut icons so you can easily select several widely scattered items for copying, moving or deleting without the need to hold down the Ctrl button while

Would you believe that nearly half of the computer users who come upon an e-mail that they know or suspect is spam will intentionally open it? The three main reasons given for clicking on the spam e-mail are curiosity, interest in the product the e-mail offers or a belief they

Since I often preach about the value—no, the necessity—of backing up data, I get loads of e-mails from readers asking for backup software recommendations. I hesitate suggesting a commercial product. Instead, I suggest readers do a Google search, relying on expert reviewers. But I just came across a new backup

Q: I use Firefox as my default Internet browser instead of Windows’ default browser, Internet Explorer. Can I remove Explorer from my computer without creating a problem? A: Yes, many people prefer Firefox as their browser. It’s easy to remove Internet Explorer, and it won’t create a problem. However, unless

Q: I insert hyperlinks in some cells of Excel reports that I eventually distribute to clients. However, those hyperlinks are for my information only: I don’t want them to appear in the reports. Is there some way I can hide the hyperlinks so they don’t show in the printed report?

Q: I frequently paste explanatory text into my Excel spreadsheets. But when I paste text that includes more than one paragraph, each paragraph gets popped into separate cells. How can I get them to stay in one cell? A: You’ve touched on a little-known peculiarity of Excel. If you copy

Q: For years I’ve been looking for an application that would place on my screen a spreadsheet table or an app like the Calculator, and it would remain there as I maneuvered from one worksheet to another or from one file to another. That way I could always instantly reference

Q: Back in the old days—that is, when I was still using XP—I downloaded a neat freeware utility from Microsoft that let me tweak my computer’s settings in multiple ways. Is there anything like that for Windows 7? A: Yes, it’s called the Ultimate Windows Tweaker, and it works in

Q: Did Microsoft hide the compressed-weekend option in Outlook 2007, where Saturday and Sunday share one box in the calendar? A: No, it’s not hidden, it has been removed. However, there are some things you can do to partially compensate for the loss. For example, you can adjust your calendar

Consider this scenario: You’ve got six applications open, and to apply a program’s upgrade or to shut down your computer for the night, you’ve got to close each of those open apps—one at a time. This means you first have to save any files that need saving and then click

Excel: A quick way to copy the number in a cell that is immediately above the cell you’re in: Press Ctrl+” (that’s Ctrl plus the quote mark, which means you have to hold down the Shift key as well). That also copies the number’s formatting. Word: To format (bold, underline,