Create (and Share) your Calendar Online!

We are all busy with day to day appointments, meetings, and places to be. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to check on a friend or colleague's schedule before trying to hook up with them? Well, today there are several ways to create a calendar online, that you can share (if you want). The advantage of having an online calendar is that a) its available for those you want to see it, and b) you can update it from anywhere you can access the internet via a computer.
AOL, Yahoo, Microsoft, Hotmail, and most major email providers now have versions of online calendars that you can use, and they're free. Simply sign in to your email (or register for a new email account at the site), and you are ready to go!
The system I have found very convenient is provided by Google. I will show how to set up a Google Calendar since I use theirs, but the above mentioned sites all work in a similar fashion.
All set? Here goes...

The 1st thing to do is go to www.google.com/Calendar. Once there, you can click on the "Take a tour of Google Calendar", or get right at it, setting up your calendar. If you already have a GMail account, just long in with it to get started. If you do not, click on the "Create an Account" button.

Creating an Account:

• Enter your email address in the 1st boxFill in remaining information
• Hit enter.
• Check your email account, and look for a Verification email from GCalendar.
  
• Once you click on the verification link you are now a proud owner of a Google Calendar (or GCalendar as us "tekkies" refer to it!) :-)

Setting up an Appointment:

• Click on the calendar day you want to put the apointment on (calendar at left).
• The window will change to that day. Note, if you have a multi-day event, drag your mouse across the days you want in the calendar at the left, and those days will show in the window for you to select.
• Let's say you have a 3 day vacation planned for Labor Day, so Click on Aug. 30th, and drag across to Sept. 1st, and those 3 days appear
• Next, drag your mouse across the 3 boxes at the top (just onder the dates (Sat 8/30, Sun 8/31, and Mon 9/01)
• You'll see a little window pop up. Click on "edit event details". This will open a window where you can put in all the details of your 3 day event (Event Name, Whether it repeats, Location, Description (here you can list itinerary, contact numbers, etc.), Options (want a reminder sent to you? Want to be shown as "busy" during this time?)and sharing (Want this to be shared, or kept private?)
  
• Hit Save, and that's it!

So now you have your own personal calendar, where you can go to and check, add, delete appointments at any time you can access a the internet.

OK, so what about "sharing your calendar? As you saw, the options allow you to determine what can be shared, and what will remain private. Let's say you wanted your spouse, or say, your investment club to be able to see your calendar. Here's how you do that.

Sharing a Calendar:

On the LH side of your calendar, you'll see "My calendars". Your name should be there. Click on the "Settings" link just below it. Here you will now be able to determine who can see the calendar. Simply do the following to provide them access:

• Enter the person's email address
• Determine the level of access you want them to have (click on "down" arrow in the white box underneath PERMISSION SETTINGS)
• Click on "Add Person" button
  

Once you complete this, the person you added will get an email with instructions on how to view and add their own calendar.

Other "Tweaks"
There are some other cool things you can do. If your friends also have GCalendars, you can add them to yours so you can see their schedules right next to yours. Simply do the following:

• Click on the "Add" link underneather the "Other Calendars" box on the left
• Select the option you want (choose a person's email address), and hit "Add"
• This sends them a request to add their calendar to your calendar. If they are not a GCalendar user, it will ask them if they want to create one.
  
• If they do add theirs to your list, it will show up in your list of "My Calendars" on the Left. It will be a different color, and their events will now show in that color on your calendar.
  
• You have the option to turn their calendar "on" or "off" any time (use "settings" under "Other Calendars".
  

There you have it! Now you can be in the know on your schedule any time, any place, and share with anyone!

Create PDF Files for anything!

How many times have you sent an attachment in an email only to find the recipient doesn't have the program to open it? This is a common problem when you send a word processing file or spreadsheet to someone, and they don't have the MS Works, or Word Perfect, or in MS Word program it was made in.
Well, you can solve that problem by making a PDF file from the document you created, and send that. Virtually every computer has a PDF viewer installed (PDFs are used alot on the internet), and if not, there is a free download from Adobe which will allow oyu to look at any PDF file.
So how do you make a PDF file out of something you created? Let's get started.

1. Click on CutePDF (don't worry, its free) to download the software.
2. Click on "Free Download" on the LH side of the page.
   
3. Follow instructions to install program.
4. Once that is done, go back to CutePDF web page, & also download the "Free Converter".
5. Follow the instructions to install the program.
   
6. Once that is done, you can now create a PDF file of anything you want.
   

Let's give it a try....

1. Open up a word processing document, a spreadsheet, a photo... any thing you want to send to someone.
2. Once its open, you'll want to "Print" the document, so find your "Print" command (typically under the "File" option at the top of the application you are printing in), and select "Cute PDF Writer" as your printer. This is found where it shows your printer name - just click on the little arrow on the RH side of the printer name, and find "Cute PDF Write".
3. Once you have selected "Cute PDF Write" hit OK.
4. After a few seconds, a window will pop up asking you what you want to name the PDF file, and where you want to save it. After you do that hit OK (or ENTER) and that's it! You have made a PDF file!
5. To view this PDF file, go to the folder you saved it in, and find the file name, and double click on it to open it.

Try it out next time you want to send an attachment by email. You send this the same as any attachment - write your email, and then select "Add Attachment", and then go to the location you saved the PDF file, and select it. Hit "OK" and then "Send" in your email, and its on its way!

Internet Browsing Tip - Access Favorite Sites Quicker/Easier

If you are like me, you have some web sites you check daily, and even multiple times each day, you'd like a quick way to get to it without having to type in the web site address. Here's a way to do that!
Today's web browsers (Internet Explorer (IE) and Mozilla's Firefox) have a toolbar that you can have display up near the top of the browser window which you can put the sites you want to look at frequently. Here's how you set them up.

For Internet Explorer (IE) users:








To set up Browser with "Links" showing at the top:

• Go to "Tools" at the top of the IE Browser window and select "Toolbars"
• Select "Links"
• This will add a line at the top of your Browser window (it will say "Links" on the LH side)

To use "Links" to list your favorite sites:

• Open up the site you want to add in your Browser
• Go to the little icon to the left of the web site address listed in the address bar at the top of the Browser (move your mouse pointer over the icon)
• Hold down your LEFT mouse button, and "drag" the icon down to the "Links" line and release the LEFT mouse button (you will see a little "folder with an arrow" as you drag it
• You should now see the name of the web site showing in the "Links" line

Now, every time you open your browser, this link will appear in the "Links" line. To access that site, just "click" on that icon/web site name in "Links" line.
Do this with as many sites as you want.. they will line up across the top of the Browser in the "Links" line, and you can click on any one of them at any time to open them.

For Mozilla Firefox users:
To set up Browser with "Bookmarks" showing at the top:

• Go to "View" at the top of the Firefox Browser window and select "Toolbars"
• Select "Bookmarks"
• This will add a line at the top of your Browser window.
  

To use "Bookmarks" to list your favorite sites:

• Open up the site you want to add in your Browser
• Go to the little icon to the left of the web site address listed in the address bar at the top of the Browser (move your mouse pointer over the icon)
• Hold down your LEFT mouse button, and "drag" the icon down to the "Bookmarks" line & release the LEFT mouse button (you will see a little "folder" as you drag it
• You should now see the name of the web site showing in the "Links" line

Now, every time you open your browser, this link will appear in the "Links" line, and to access that site, just "click" on that icon/web site name in "Links" line
Do this with as many sites as you want.. they will line up across the top of the Browser in the "Links" line, and you can click on any one of them at any time to open them.

Special Tip: You can change the name of these links at the top of the browser ("Links" or "Bookmarks") so they are shorter (allows you to see more of your favorites). Do the following to rename:

• Move your mouse cursor over the name, and click on your RIGHT mouse button
• In the window that opens up, select "Rename" (for IE Browsers) or "Properties" (for Mozilla Firefox)
• In the window that opens, type in the name you want to show, and hit "OK"

Now you have your favorites showing all the time, and can go to them by simply clicking on the one you want to go to - no typing of web site address, no going to bookmarks section in your Browser!

A New Source for your Computing Help!

Welcome to the 1st edition of Rick's Computing Tips. I know there are literally hundred's of sites like this out there, but hopefully this one will provide you help to the everyday problems and questions you might have using your PC. I will be focusing on Windows XP & Vista sytems, Microsoft Office applications, basic home networks (wired and wireless), and the ever popular "peripherals"... aka printers, scanners, monitors, etc.

To make this blog useful, I want to make sure I provide tips on things you may struggle with, So if you have ideas on topics or specific problems you are having, send an E-mail to me (RicksComputingTips@gmail.com). So its now time for your 1st tip!

Speeding up your Computer Startup
I thought I'd start this new blog off with something almost everyone faces, especially after having a computer for quite awhile - slow booting of your computer. There are several things that can affect your start up time - type of Windows operating system, amount of RAM memory,age of computer, and my personal favorite - Startup Programs. All of you have something like this....
This is your Notification Area on your Windows display (lower RH corner). Each of those icons represent something that is active on your computer. Your clock, your sound, your anti-virus, etc. So when you install programs, that are set to open when you start your computer, typically, something will be added to this area.
Now some programs have a way of "adding themselves" to the startup without asking you if its ok. A couple infamous programs are Quicktime (video viewing app), and Adobe products (PDF as an example). Over time, all these take time to open, and also, they use up your RAM memory (memory that computer uses to run the programs you have open). And limited RAM makes everything slower.
So, its good occasionally to remove those that you don't need running all the time. Miscrosoft has a built in program you can run that allows you to select which ones you want and don't want. Its called MSConfig.exe. Its pretty straight forward to use. Here's how you start it up:

• Click on your "Start" icon, and select "Programs", then select "Accessories"
  
• Within "Accessories", look for "Run", and select it
• A box will open up where you will type MSConfig, and hit "OK"
• A window will open that looks like this -

• Click on the tab "Startup", and this window will appear -
  

Each one of the lines is something that is started when you booted (started) your computer. Most have descriptions of what they are for. To see the complete name, grab that little verticle line to the right of "Startup Item" (move your mouse over it), hold down your Left Mouse button, and drag it to the right.. you should now see more of the "Item" name. Note - If you are not sure what the line is, leave it checked.
Look thru the list. uncheck items you rarely use. Most programs do NOT need to start up when the computer does... its a "convenience thing". So by unchecking, you are NOT removing it from your computer. It just means that if you want to run that program, you will have to go to the programs listing, and select it to run it when you actually want it to run.
So now you can reduce the time the computer takes to start by unchecking items not needed. Quicktime, ITunes, Adobe listings, items listed as "Real...", and if you have AOL on your computer, anything with AOL, are all ones you can uncheck.

• Once you have finished unchecking, click the "Apply" button, and then the "OK" button
• Next time you start your computer, up a small window will appear stating your startup settings have changed. Click on the little box in the lower LH corner to stop that window from appearing on future startups.

Give it a try, and see if you notice any difference. For us "lazy" people, we just go buy more RAM memory, and install it on the computer. It still takes a bit longer to load all these, but with more RAM the computer can process more things at once, and make it happen faster!

- Enjoy Your Computing! - Rick