Minimizing mystery/quick launch

Tweakui is a simple tool/interface that allows you to modify your Windows interface but turning on/off (by checking or unchecking) the various options it presents.

1. As an example, let's address the issue of stealing focus. Click on General in the tree in the left window pane to expand it. Then click on Focus

• You'll see its options along with radio buttons, check boxes, etc. so you may customize the options to your choosing
• Usually, (as for this case) you'll also see a description of the option also appear below the option list (but not always).

For Focus you should see a Description which says Check "Prevent applications from stealing focus" to prevent applications from stealing focus from the window you are working in. Instead, their taskbar icon will flash to indicate that the application is trying to get your attention. This is a per-user setting.

Check the box to Prevent applications from stealing focus.

2. Next, suggest you try going through the options in the tree (you might just skip to clicking on Desktop, Internet Explorer and other things that sound familiar in the tree on the left) Click to change options that appear on the right. You can skip over it if you don't understand it. Or if change something and later change your mind you can always go back to tweakui to change it back

I'm sorry, I think I was unclear again. I don't know where the program is or it's location.

ty
sc

no problem. in fact, i sometimes forget where it installs itself (it's a pretty fundamental program. Obviously, with the most basic of interfaces!)

I believe the root directory for XP MC is Windows (as it is for Pro and Home edition). Use Windows Explorer to get to C:\WINDOWS\system32\tweakui.exe. Then double click on it to run it.

If you simply highlight it and right-click you can select Create Shortcut. It'll create a shortcut to tweakui.exe (probably will appear at the bottom of the file list until you refresh to re-alphabatize the window). You can then just move the shortcut that's created to somewhere like your desktop to make it easier to get to it again in the future.

And! I just noticed one of your posts i missed and didn't read before.

I'm not certain of all the options offered in tweakui but i do know one easy way to increase the font size is clicking

=> Control Panel -> Display
=> Click Appearance tab
=> You'll see a pull down menu where you can change Font size. It defaults to Normal but there is also a choice for Large and Extra Large fonts.

I finallyy got it going, created my shortcut. I'll mess with it tomorrow since it's pretty late.

About what I mention, changing the appearance only goes so far. I'm looking for a third-party software, which would allow me to chane color and font size of a background (like Word, Outlook, Excel), pretty much anything with a white background. I have slight double vision, and the longer I'm looking at white and small fonts (11pt or less), the worse it get's. I've tried out Stardock.com Windowblinds and MyColors, but that only allowes customizing color/fonts of skins. It's not a big problem in IE, since I can change and increase. In display it doesn;t allow that to much, unless I'm doing it wrong.

Thanks

SC

Just wanted to say, thanks all of you for your suggestions. I believe it worked, nothing out of the ordinary happened.

TY

SC

Stu I might have missed it- but IF you're on a laptop, look for the Fn key. Holding that key down with the up or down arrow will adjust the lighting on the monitor.

I'm on a Dell laptop and the Fn key is lower left, up and down arrows are lower right.

No I'm on a desktop, but ty.

Thanks,
SC

Don't know which version of Office you are running but here are a few things I know to adjust your settings in Word and Excel.

1. In Word you can set the default document to display in a blue background with white text
Tools -> Options. Click General tab. Check the box Blue background, white text

2. In Excel, you can change the standard font size. Tools -> Options. Click General tab. You can change both the standard font and font size in there

3. In both Word and Excel, you should have a zoom level in the Standard toolbar so you can also just change the "magnification". It's probably at 100% (or are you not getting a zoom level in the toolbar?)

4. In Excel you can easily change the background color by clicking in the white square in upper left corner (Above Row #1 and left column A). This will select the entire worksheet. Then you can select a different fill color by clicking on the "paint bucket" icon you should see in the Formatting toolbar.

Office 2007 I got awhile back and couldn't find anything like that. I used 2003 and I remember doing exactly what you said. Now the GUI is not disabled/vision impaired friendly.

Thank you
SC

Windows XP has some Accessibility options that might be of help:

All Programs> Accessories> Accessibility> > you will find the following features:
Magnifier
Narrator
On Screen Keyboard
Utility Manager
Accessibility Wizard

You will find a description of each here: Windows XP Accessibility Resources:
http://www.microsoft.com/enable/products/windowsxp/default.aspx

Check them out and see if any will assist in making you computer experience more enjoyable. One will help in adjusting the contrast on the screen for easier viewing.

I guess I knew about those options, but I surely think I should. I know I can change the screen resolution to enlarge objects, I was told I should use the best resolution my monitor is capable of, in my case 1680X1050. Is that infact true?

Thank you for that info, especially the link that explains each option

SC