Customizing Windows XP

Contributed by Jay Schroyer

The Windows operating system that you use on your computer has seen its share of evolution. It began as an idea to create an interactive user system that would allow users to multitask everyday functions using their computers. In late 1985, version 1.0 went on sale for computer users and helped set the pace for computer interface systems. It was followed by 2.0 through 4.0, 95, 98, NT, 2000, Me, and finally today’s version, XP which was released in late 2001. The beauty of XP was that it brought the most powerful version of Windows to personal computers and was still compatible with older Windows programs.

But, as with anything that changes people’s lifestyles or routines, users can grow to hate upgraded software versions. What seemed like a great idea to an engineer in the redesign department becomes a daily nuisance for users. Windows XP is wrought with new options and features and to comprehensively explain them you would have to write quite a tome. Below are just a handful of common items that users mention when listing their complaints or criticism of Windows XP and how you can quickly remedy them to make your computing experience a daily enjoyment. Should you feel the need or want to learn more, just search the Web for Window XP help tips.

Zooming Without a Menu
Should you run into type so small on a web site that you have to smash your nose into the screen to read it, try this easy trick to enlarge or zoom without fishing around in the overhead menus. If you have a mouse with a scroll wheel, simply hold down the “Control” key and slide the scroll wheel up to enlarge and down to shrink. This feature also works in other Microsoft Office applications like Word. You should be able to view documents at percentages as small as 10 and as large as 500.

Where are My Glasses?
Does the type ever look kind of fuzzy to you, like you wish you could sharpen it to avoid any squinting at the monitor? There is a feature in Windows XP that allows you to “clear” the type by increasing the horizontal definition. Simply hit the “Start” button to activate your menu bar, choose “My Computer,” and then “Control Panel.” Under “Display,” choose the “Appearance” tab and then click on the “Effects” button. A small dialog box will appear and to switch from “Standard” to “Clear Type” use the second scroll down menu. After you have applied this setting to your computer, you will notice that your type will be a lot sharper. If you decide that you don’t like this feature, simply follow the same instructions and change the last scroll down menu back to “Standard.”

Snail Menu
One common complaint about Windows XP is the speed at which menus open to your command. Many like to point to this fact the because it is so graphically oriented and filled with animations like the fade feature, that it slows down accessibility by using a large percentage of the computer’s resources.

There are two items you can alter to help speed the start menu bar up ranging from simple to more involved. The first is to enter the same dialog box you used to change to “Clear Type.” In that same dialog box you will see a box that can be checked or unchecked that reads “Show Shadows Under Menus.” With this box unchecked, it should help speed up the menu bar slightly as it does not have to use any resources to create a shadow behind the shape.

Fast Web Addresses
As long as you haven’t cleared out your history or disabled any of the history items in Internet Explorer, you can save yourself a lot of time when accessing web sites. Instead of typing in full web addresses of sites that have been previously accessed, many people simply scroll through their history and choose the site they are looking for. An even easier method is to type in a part of the address, for example try “yahoo,” and press the “Control” button and “Enter.” The full web address should appear in the Explorer window and you will be sent to that site. The catch is that it only seems to work on .com addresses.

Bursting Installation Balloons
Sometimes the smallest things can annoy us. If you don’t like the little bubble that comes up on the bottom right of the screen when a new program is installed, it’s only a matter of a few clicks to inactivate this feature in Windows XP. Begin at the “Start” button, choose “My Computer,” click on “change a setting,” and then “Taskbar and Start Menu.” From here click on the “Start Menu” tab and select “Start Menu” and “Customize.” Click on the “Advanced” tab and under the heading of “Start Menu Settings,” you will see boxes that can be checked or unchecked. Uncheck the “Highlight Newly Installed Programs” box and it’s no more bubbles for you.

To reiterate, this is only a fraction of the features available in Windows XP. For comprehensive lists and instructions, try looking on the Web for sites that offer free help for Windows XP or pull out your owner’s manual. One of the most powerful and useful features of Windows is that you can customize it to your specifications making it a truly personal computer operating system.

Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

About the Author:
Jay Schroyer has worked in the client and customer service end of business for over five years in retail, advertising, and printing. He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in English writing and communication.

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