Your Favorite Web Site Can Be Just Like Home

Question: I frequently open the same Web page to track my stock portfolio. Is there a faster way to get to that Web site without having to go to the Internet and then use Favorites to go to that particular site?

--Anthony S., Los Angeles

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Answer: You have two choices here. You can make that Web page your “home” page (the page your browser software opens every time you go on the Internet).

If you use MS Internet Explorer, click on Tools and then on Internet Options. In the Home page section type in the URL (Uniform Resource Locater--the Web address). Click OK.

If you use Netscape Navigator, click on Edit and then on Preferences. Type the name of your new home page in the Home page section. Now, whenever you open your browser, it will open with the new home page.

You also can go directly to any Web page by creating a shortcut to that page. Right-click anywhere on the Desktop. Select New and then select Shortcut. Type the Web page address in the Command Line: box. Click OK and type the name of the Web page in the open box. Click Finish. Now you can go directly to your favorite Web page right from the Desktop by double-clicking the icon for that shortcut.

To use that shortcut without having to go back to your Desktop, right-click on the shortcut and then select Properties. In the Shortcut key box, click on the word None. Press a function key: F12, for example. Click OK. Now you can go directly to that Web page by pressing the F12 key. If you aren’t connected to the Web when you press the F12 key, Windows will connect you.

ABCs of Organizing Items on Start Menu

Q: Is it possible to sort the items on my Start menu? I’d like to sort things in alphabetical order.

--Brian S., Encino

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A: You can move items on the Start menu by clicking on an item and dragging it to the desired location. If you use Internet Explorer 5.0 or newer, you can alphabetize the items in any folder on the Start menu. Just right-click on any item in the folder and then select Sort by Name.

Taskbar Can Be Moved or Tucked Out of Sight

Q: Can the Taskbar be moved to different locations on my screen or be hidden until I need to use it?

--Joan A., W. Covina

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A: You can move the Taskbar to the top or either side of your screen. Place the cursor on any blank spot in the Taskbar, click and hold down the left mouse button, and drag the Taskbar to its new location. Release the mouse button and the Taskbar stays in place.

The Taskbar also can be hidden when not in use, which gives you more viewable screen space. Right-click on any blank space on the Taskbar and select Properties. Click in the small box to the left of Auto hide. Click on Apply and then on OK. Click anywhere on the Desktop and the Taskbar shrinks out of sight. To retrieve the hidden Taskbar, just hold your mouse pointer over the edge of the screen where the Taskbar is hidden (you’ll be able to see its edge), and the Taskbar returns to where it should be.

Label Identifies Disk’s Creation Date, Content

Q: I notice that when I format a floppy disk, I can place a label on that disk. What is the purpose of putting labels on disks?

--Fred E., Malibu

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A: Both DOS and Windows allow you to place Volume Labels on hard and floppy disks. You don’t need to use labels, but you can use them to identify any disk in terms of when it was created or the information it contains.

To add or change a disk label, double-click on My Computer and then click on the disk. Click on File and then on Properties. Type the new label name (up to 11 characters) in the Label box. Click OK. Now, every time you look at that disk through My Computer, Explorer or DOS, you’ll see the Volume Label you created.

To label a disk from a DOS prompt, type Label and press Enter. DOS will display the current disk volume label, if any, and prompt you to enter a new volume label using up to 11 characters, including blank spaces.

Explorer’s Alexa Aids Search for Web Sites

Q: Is there a way to find related links to Web pages that have the kind of content I’m interested in?

--Armando G., San Gabriel

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A: If you use Internet Explorer 5 or newer, you can take advantage of a huge database called Alexa. A free service that finds and ranks Web sites, Alexa can lead to better search results than you might get using regular search engines. To use Alexa, just open any Web page in Internet Explorer and click on Tools and then on Show Related Links.

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Jeff Levy hosts the “On Computers” radio talk show from 9 a.m. to noon Sundays on KFI-AM (640). He can be reached at jefflevykfi@hotmail.com.