727 lines
41 KiB
Plaintext
727 lines
41 KiB
Plaintext
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----------------------------------------------------------------
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COMPUTING TIPS, TRICKS AND TRAPS
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PLUS COMMENTS REGARDING ENVIRONMENTALLY SAFE COMPUTING
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----------------------------------------------------------------
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Sometimes it takes months or years to stumble onto the ESSENTIAL
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tips, tricks and traps with which every PC user should
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become acquainted. Let's discuss a few of the more important
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items which never seem to be covered adequately in the
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instruction book which arrives with the computer. Many of these
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tips apply to both laptops and desktop computers. If you are an
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advanced user, glance at all of the tips - this tutorial
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contains a sprinkling of basic, intermediate and advanced tips.
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A little something for everyone! Let's begin....
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Don't experiment with ORIGINAL copies of your files! If you want
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to tinker with a word processing file or slice and dice your
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accounting data FIRST make a floppy or hard disk copy of the
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file and then work on the COPY in case something goes wrong.
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That way you will have the original to fall back on in case you
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need it.
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Don't buy floppy disks when the price is too good to believe. If
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your data is worth anything at all, a few pennies more can make
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the difference between having that important business letter
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obtainable or a dreaded error message on the screen that your
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file format is unreadable just when you needed that file at 3
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AM.
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Make backup copies of important files. If the data is REALLY
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important, keep yet a second or third copy in a safe deposit box
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in case your home or office burns down! Sounds a little severe,
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but just wait until you discover the joy of doing your income
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tax return on your PC (fantastic compared to the old pen and
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pencil way) and then discover somehow the ONLY copy of the file
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is no good when the IRS decides to perform a routine audit!
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For backup you might want to switch from the COPY command to the
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sensational DOS XCOPY command (available in DOS versions 3.2 and
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later) which also allows file copying and backup using
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additional parameter switches which you can read about in your
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DOS manual. For example the /S switch used with XCOPY will copy
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all files from your subdirectories to the new target disk.
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Adding /P to XCOPY will cause a pause at each step to ask
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whether you want each file copied. Using the /D switch followed
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by a date will allow you to copy only those files created or
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modified on that date or later. All three of these switches can
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be used in tandem.
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Here's a standard tip which is so simple most people overlook
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it. Whenever you buy a box of new diskettes, FORMAT them
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immediately. Why? Reason one: you will find out if any disks are
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bad and be able to return to the store rather than be down to
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your last (surprise: defective!) disk when you need it. Reason
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two: usually you are right in the middle of a long word
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processed document and need to save the file, but OOPS, your
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current disk is full. No problem. Just reach into the desk
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drawer and grab an empty floppy disk. SURPRISE! The floppy disk
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is NOT FORMATTED which forces you to exit your word processor,
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lose the data permanently from RAM memory, and format the disk
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just as you should have in the first place. Beginners luck, I
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guess. . .
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Here's an extremely important tip most beginners should
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consider: AT class computers and those containing a 80286 CPU
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chip also contain a special battery to maintain the "setup
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configuration." This battery will eventually die and thus
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cause you to lose your important setup data. The first sign
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that your battery is going are mysterious losses of time and
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dates. Other "strange" data losses may start to occur.
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Eventually your computer will even refuse to start! Preventative
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maintenance suggests that you dig around on your DOS disk(s) and
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locate the SETUP program. Run setup and when you see the
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configuration report screen (lots of funny numbers and
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settings), hit the SHIFT-PRTSC (Shift key and Print Screen key
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pressed at the same time). This will force a printout of the
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valuable setup data to paper. You can also obtain shareware and
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commercial software programs that will store this data to disk.
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Most experienced users deal with the situation by making a
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copy of this setup data onto a "safety disk." If your battery
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dies, you will be able to quickly reconstruct the setup data
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from your paper sheet or safety disk after replacing the battery
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and running the setup program (or safety disk backup program.)
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A better method, of course, is to realize that the battery
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contained inside the computer lasts for about 2 to 4 years
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and simply keep a record (much like oil changes on your car)
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and manually replace it well before the deadline. Of course
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when you replace it, run the setup program and record the
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setup data on paper, since once you remove the battery the
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data will be lost from memory. You might investigate newer
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battery systems which automatically recharge themselves from the
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power source of the computer and thus never need replacement.
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IBM originally designed this feature, by the way, to supplant
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the older "dip switch system" on the first PC's. In older
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computers of the XT design, a user had to remove the PC cover and
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carefully set tiny switches deep inside the computer whenever a
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different circuit board or monitor system was used. This was
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tedious, so the software equivalent of the tiny switches were
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created in memory with settings stored by battery (when the
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computer was shut down). This allowed users to change the setup
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from the keyboard using the DOS setup program from the DOS disk
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rather than removing the cover and fiddling with switches. The
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downside is that now we must replace the battery periodically
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and of course record the setup data on paper or disk. Technology
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marches on!
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Here's an "insider's" tip power users are familiar with. When
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working with long text or document files such as instructions
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for shareware packages, business letters and other text files it
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is frequently useful to extract small portions to a separate
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file or print for future reference. Power users frequently use
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the shareware program LIST which browses or displays these
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documents and can "clip" screens using the frequently overlooked
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ALT-O key (press and hold ALT then hit O). Assuming LIST is
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currently browsing your document, it will ask for the name of a
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file to create which you may supply (e.g., custom.doc). List
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will extract that single screen of data to the file. As you
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continue browsing the document, hitting ALT-O will append or add
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any additional screens to the special target file! When finished
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you have a compact file of extracted text data which you can save,
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print or edit with your word processor rather than wading
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through endless screens of the lengthy master document! LIST
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is available from all shareware vendors, many computer clubs and
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individual users. Several shareware vendors are listed in the
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tutorial on software.
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Want the ultimate simple database? Combine LIST with any simple
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word processor or text editor. Using your word processor type in
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any list of ideas, phone numbers, addresses, parts inventory
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which needs to be tracked. Save the information on disk as an
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ASCII (plain text) file. Load the file into LIST using the
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appropriate command (e.g., LIST INFO.DOC) and use the high speed
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search feature by pressing the F key (F for find) and enter a
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search phrase to locate (e.g., Denver). List will locate that
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phrase and the information near it very rapidly. Pressing the F3
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key will take you to the NEXT occurrence of the same search
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phrase. When finished, hit the HOME key to return to the top of
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the document to begin a new search. Technically you could use
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your word processor's search feature to locate information also,
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but LIST is quicker and more flexible. To update your simple
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database, periodically edit the master document with your word
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processor to change, delete or update entries.
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When you turn on your computer each morning does DOS greet you
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with several prompts instead of one? Do you see:
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C>
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C>
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C>
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This is easy to fix since most beginners are unaware that
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someone has probably tinkered with the AUTOEXEC.BAT file and
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inadvertantly added a few extra carriage returns to the end of
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the file by pressing the return key several times when the file
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was orginally created and saved on disk. Simply load AUTOEXEC.BAT
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back into your word processor and remove all (usually invisible)
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lines and spaces and carriage returns at the end of the file
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(use the delete key). Resave the file as ASCII text with the same
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name and your problem should disappear.
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Beginners also need to know about the alternate keyboard.
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Sometimes you need a special symbol like the cents sign, the
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British currency (pounds sterling) symbol, or the one half
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fraction sign. IBM compatable computers contain an "alternate
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keyboard" system which allows access to special math, foreign
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language and graphics symbols. The source is a special ASCII
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chart printed in the appendix of your DOS manual as well as most
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computer reference books. It's easy to use this system: while
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you are in your word processor, DOS or other program, press AND
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CONTINUOUSLY HOLD DOWN the Alt key and then USING ONLY THE
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NUMBER KEYS ON THE NUMERIC KEYPAD (to the right of the keyboard,
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not the normal number keys above the keyboard) hit the three
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digit DECIMAL number code of the special character you need.
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For example, from the ASCII table in the back of my DOS manual I
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note that the symbol for the British currency Pound is decimal
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code 156. I hold down the Alt key, press in sequence the three
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numbers 156 on the numeric keypad and finally release the ALT
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key to get the proper symbol on my screen.
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There are many useful symbols for foreign languages, math,
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fractions, foreign currency, symbols to draw boxes, lines and
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useful graphics symbols. Note that these ASCII symbols will
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usually display properly on your screen but MIGHT NOT print
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properly on your printer since some are used for special control
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codes and other activities. Many will, however, display on both
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your screen and printer.
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Jot down the codes for the most interesting ASCII symbols to
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keep near your keyboard! By the way, PC-Magazine published a
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shareware utility called ASC.COM several years ago (available
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from many computer clubs and BBS systems) which can "pop up"
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over many of your programs and display the full ASCII code table
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for quick reference and handy use if you don't want to go
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searching for the ASCII index in the back of your DOS manual.
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Before leaving the discussion about the alternate keyboard, note
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that crucial control of your printer - setting various typefaces
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and features - can be provided via a combination of batch files
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and use of the alternate keyboard. See the printer discussion at
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the end of the batch file tutorial elsewhere on this disk.
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Absolutely lethal trick: If you get the message ABORT, RETRY
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IGNORE? from DOS while you are attempting to copy files from
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one drive or disk to another DO NOT EVER switch disks in the
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target drive (i.e., the drive to which files will be sent) then
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answer RETRY.
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If you do, you will end up with a hopelessly scrambled mess on
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the target disk if it already has important files in place. This
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can occur, for example, when you try to copy files to a disk
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which has a write protect tab in place. Your temptation might be
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to insert another different disk and retry. However, when DOS
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copies files, it first reads the directory of the target disk
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and stores it in memory. If you switch disks, the in-memory copy
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of the directory of the OLD disk will overwrite the directory of
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the new disk. Best situation in this case is to answer abort and
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rekey the operation again (shortcut with DOS is hit F3 to
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automatically reissue the last command) then try another disk,
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if necessary. There are other ways this dangerous situation might
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arise besides a write protect tab, so be careful.
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Don't install or change add-in circuit boards or cards within
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your computer with the power on. And be extremely careful about
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static electricity. Try to briefly touch a metal ground such as
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a lamp or metal window frame to discharge stray static
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electricity before you touch your fingers inside the PC. Static
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electricity discharges can blow out one or several integrated
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circuit chips and leave you with a repair bill of $300 or more!
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If you ever see the message: ARE YOU SURE (Y/N)? always
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answer no unless you really know what is going to happen next!
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This message usually precedes disaster as DOS prepares to delete
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all of the files on a floppy disk or format your hard drive and
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wipe out all data.
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Don't invite dumb power problems. You are typing the last draft
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of a valuable client contract and your 30 foot long power cord
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dangles in front of both family cats on its meandering way
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across the middle of the living room carpet to the wall socket.
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It is plugged into a rat's nest of four way plug adapters along
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with high-current drawing air conditioners and toaster ovens.
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This is a great way to send your data to toaster heaven while we
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are on the subject.
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Treat your hard drive with EXTREME tender loving care while it
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is spinning. No bumps, jolts, slams or ramma-lamma-ding-dongs!
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One little bump will send the read/write heads plowing into the
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spinning disk surface. Kind of like a 747 jet crash into the
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library of congress. Translation: large data catastrophe!
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If your data is sensitive and you lock the keyboard with that
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cute little key which slips into the front panel of your
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machine, DON'T forget to remove the mouse or other input
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devices. Since a mouse is an alternate input device, a savvy
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user can easily direct the computer to spill forth its
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information even while the keyboard is locked.
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Use the DOS command DISKCOPY in ONLY two cases: to make a backup
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copy of new commercial software OR when you have somehow damaged
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a disk and want to work on it with the Norton utilities or some
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other recovery program. For all other copies you are safer to use
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the COPY or XCOPY command. Reason? DISKCOPY does not remove file
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fragmentation which COPY does. Second reason? DISKCOPY can
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attempt to copy good information onto a target disk sector which
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has formatted bad or is otherwise unavailable to DOS. Use COPY
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*.* to copy all files on a disk and you will simultaneously copy
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everything and unfragment the files. Two operations for the
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price of one!
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Thunderstorm coming? Shut down the computer and unplug it from
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the wall INCLUDING the modem or telephone line! LIghtning hits
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to the power or phone line send very high voltages hurtling down
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the wire. If you prefer you can leave the computer plugged in
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and chose as to whether you wish your PC scrambled, sunnyside up
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or just deep fried!
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Never switch or remove disks in the middle of an aborted program
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operation. If for some reason you get an error message in the
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middle of a file copying session or disk writing operation,
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don't swap in another disk! DOS may think the old disk is still
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there and continue to write the remainder of the data over
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something valuable on the new disk! Better to stop what you are
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doing and issue a non-writing command such as VER or DIR or even
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shut down the computer in extreme situations rather than mangle
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two disks with misinformation.
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Be careful using the DOS commands ASSIGN, FORMAT and RECOVER.
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Especially if you are being a little too clever and change disk
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drive letters with the DOS commands ASSIGN, JOIN and SUBST. What
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happens is that you might temporarily rename your hard drive the
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B: drive and then absent-mindedly try to format B: or recover B:
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which will lead to a lot of deleted data on your hard drive.
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Generally the RECOVER command is best removed from your DOS
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subdirectory and never used. It is just too dangerous!
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If you delete some files by accident, Norton Utilities, PC Tools
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and several other utility programs can bring them back if you
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are quick to use them and haven't created or changed any files
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since the accident. Best to go out and get a copy of Norton, PC
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Tools or a shareware unerase utility (e.g., Bakers Dozen) before
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the need arises. Then practice using them on a dummy disk for
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the likely day you need them.
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Be careful when using the powerful DOS redirection and piping
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commands discussed in our earlier DOS tutorial.
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(example) a>sort < this.doc (sorts contents of this.doc on
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column one and displays contents
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on the monitor - a nice idea!)
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(example) a>sort > this.doc (trashes any existing this.doc
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and gives it a file length of
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zero! Bad news!)
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The same advice also applies to using the MORE command with
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redirection arrows < > since you can likewise wipe out data
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files. Watch the direction of those cute little redirection
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arrows! Same thing applies to using the redirection arrows when
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you write batch files. Look at the sample line from a batch file
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listing below:
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(example) ECHO -------->This message is important!
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In the above example, DOS will erroneously think the little >
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redirection symbol is telling it to create a file named THIS and
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use ECHO to redirect text from that line of the batch file into
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the file. A goofy, dangerous result! Another good boner is the
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following batch file example:
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(example) ECHO Now use the c>prompt to return to DOS
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The above perfectly innocent batch file line creates a file
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called PROMPT because DOS spots the > symbol and does what you
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told it to do!
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Instructions mean business! If program documentation says MUST
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BE USED ON A COLOR MONITOR don't try to run it on your hercules
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or monochrome system. Software can indeed destroy a monitor and
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it only takes a second! Know what your monitor and display card
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can handle and be SURE that the intended software matches
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hardware capabilities.
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If you suspect a business or individual may be illegally using a
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commercial software package, for example buying one copy and then
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installing MANY copies on various machines, you should report
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the violation to the Software Publishers Association. Call
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tollfree: 800/388-7478. SPA use of Federal and State law
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enforcement methods is sudden and highly visible. The SPA is
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quite aggressive on this point. The majority of calls received
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by the SPA are from "whistleblowing" employees within a business
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which is illegally using software.
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If you use a RAMDISK to hold data be sure to stop every half
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hour and copy the information into a more permanent floppy or
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hard disk area in case of power failures. In fact every half
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hour, check to see that your data from ANY program is
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transferred to magnetic disk. No exceptions!
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For those using the newer disks having 1.44 Meg and 720 K sizes
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- those little plastic diskettes - don't swap and mix formats
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willy nilly. Label the diskettes clearly and know the format
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density (1.44M or 720K) with which you are working.
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If data is sensitive and you want it GONE from snooping eyes,
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use a utility like Norton's WIPEFILE to truly delete it from the
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disk so an office curiosity seeker can't bring it back with an
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unerase utility!
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Likewise, some word processors create backup files having the
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extension BAK. You may think you have deleted that sensitive
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client proposal when a second document CLIENT.BAK also exists!
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DOS manuals make reference to the VERIFY command. You can add
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the /V switch to the COPY command to supposedly verify the
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accuracy of the second file copy. Likewise you can turn VERIFY
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ON and VERIFY OFF from within your AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
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Unfortunately, the VERIFY command does a rudimentary CRC check
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which can test only gross errors in file transfers. To be sure
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the second copy is good, use the COMP command which, although
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slow, is deadly reliable when you "gotta be sure." The FC
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command found in MSDOS versions is even better and DOS manuals
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discuss its use. Likewise use the DISKCOMP command whenever you
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use DISKCOPY if you absolutely have to be certain that the
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second diskette is PERFECTLY identical to the first.
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Our next tip concerns computing devices and services to
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assist the disabled:
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AbleData, Adaptive Equipment Dept, Newington Children's
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Hospital, 181 E Cedar St, Newington, CT 06111 800/344-5405
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Accent on Information, POB 700, Bloomington, IL 61702
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309/378-2961.
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Apple Computer, Office of Special Educ. and Rehab., 20525
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Mariani Ave. MS 43F, Cupertino, CA 95014 408/996-1010
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Closing the Gap, POB 68, Henderson, MN 56044 612/248-3294
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Direct Link of the Disabled, POB 1036, Solvang, CA 93463
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805/688-1603
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Easter Seals Systems Office, 5120 S. Hyde Park Blvd, Chicago, IL
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60615 312/667-8626
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IBM National Support Center for People with disabilities,
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POB 2150, Atlanta, GA 30055 800/426-2133
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Proceedings of Johns Hopkins National Search for Computing
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Applications to Assist Persons with Disabilities. IEEE Computer
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Society Press, 10662 Los Vaqueros Circle, POB 3014, Los
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Alamitos, CA 90720-1264
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American Foundation for the Blind, 15 W. 16th St, NY, NY 10011
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212/620-2000
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Trace Research and Devmpmnt, Univ of Wisconson, Madison Room S-
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151, Waisman Ctr, 1500 Highland Ave., Madison WI 53705
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608/262-6966
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National ALS Association, 21021 Ventura Blvd, Ste 321, Woodland
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Hills, CA 91364 818/340-7500
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----------------------------------------------------------------
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ENVIRONMENTALLY SAFE COMPUTING
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----------------------------------------------------------------
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Computing has impacts on the earth and I would like to share a
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few constructive suggestions and tips about saving resources and
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protecting the environment.
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Computing uses paper. Keep two wastebaskets by your desk and
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recycle. Same for cardboard packing boxes and packing materials
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which arrive with computing equipment.
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But let's go a little deeper with the paper issue: Do you really
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need to print on multiple part carbonless forms and heavyweight
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computer paper? I use a lightweight 18# paper in my little dot
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matrix printer. How about carbonless and two part forms? The
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chemicals used in the manufacture of carbonless paper are toxic.
|
||
Do you really need a two part form (or 6 part form in the case of
|
||
some corporations which go wild with multipart forms?) Why not
|
||
see if a single part form can be made with a tear off stub or
|
||
perhaps a file saving feature in the software that traps the data
|
||
and saves it to disk for "your copy" of the form? Just like
|
||
banks: ask the customer if they want their checks back: meaning
|
||
does your customer need seven copies of a form or will your monthly
|
||
invoice statement cover the bill?
|
||
|
||
Environmentally responsible computing also means ONLY upgrading
|
||
machines when you really need to or buying a used computer. Here's
|
||
why: the manufacture of integrated circuits used in computers uses
|
||
large amounts of concentrated acids, gasses and caustic chemicals.
|
||
These are stored, recycled or (hopefully) dumped into approved waste
|
||
sites in normal practice, but the point is do you really need
|
||
the latest machine and its impact on our planet given the toxic
|
||
nature of computer manufacturing processes? This package was
|
||
written on an XT class machine. I don't need anything better,
|
||
and when I do, I hope to find a USED "recycled" computer of
|
||
higher quality rather than buying a new one. Same with printers,
|
||
modems and so forth! Here in Seattle, several computer brokers
|
||
specialize in reselling used computers on consignment. Head that
|
||
direction for your next purchase! It's less expensive and helps
|
||
the planet!
|
||
|
||
As a commercial photographer by training, I use a Seattle film
|
||
lab for some of my photo processing. The lab uses an 8 1/2 by
|
||
11 inch TWO part carbonless form to log in each order, they
|
||
later mail me a THREE part carbonless invoice for EACH order
|
||
within a few days by mail, then a final billing statement at
|
||
the end of the month AND they have 4 computer terminals in the
|
||
order processing customer counter area of the lab! I am sure
|
||
their accounting is extraordinarily well documented, but there
|
||
may not be enough trees on this earth to support this kind of
|
||
"information flow" if every business operated this way. I could
|
||
do with a small claim stub when I drop off my film, a little
|
||
itemization printed on the paper envelope which contains the
|
||
finished order and perhaps a monthly statement printed on
|
||
recycled paper to summarize the account activity. The ironic
|
||
footnote is that the same lab has a sign prominently posted in
|
||
the lobby as to willingness to accept cardboard and plastic
|
||
(from things like film containers) for the benefit of the
|
||
environment! Clearly the right hand doesn't know what the left
|
||
hand is doing and sadly computers are pushing the waste factor
|
||
in this real life example.
|
||
|
||
If you suspect I am beating the environmental drum too loudly,
|
||
back up and consider the financial COST to an operation like the
|
||
film lab mentioned above. Unwise from the financial end and
|
||
equally unwise from the environmental end.
|
||
|
||
Computing uses electricity. If you are just stepping out of the
|
||
office for a half hour or so, it is probably best for the machine
|
||
to leave it on and the hard drive spinning to prevent the wear and
|
||
tear of machine startup which eventually wears out a hard drive.
|
||
|
||
However, turn off the monitor if you are away for even short
|
||
periods using its own separate power switch (leaving the PC on)
|
||
even if you use screen blanker software since the monitor is
|
||
still drawing power! When should you turn off the machine
|
||
completely? Use the two hour rule: if you are away from the PC
|
||
NO MORE than two hours, leave the machine on. If away MORE than
|
||
two hours, shut it off. Also factor in the dust argument which
|
||
follows:
|
||
|
||
Don't leave a PC on all night or LONG periods of time. The dust
|
||
sucked through your machine by constant fan use will more than
|
||
offset the savings in wear and tear you may gain by leaving the
|
||
hard drive spinning! The dust impacts the power supply which is
|
||
the heart of the system. If the power supply goes bad due to
|
||
overheating (because of a thick blanket of internal dust) it
|
||
can destroy your entire PC! For the curious or mechanically adept,
|
||
open the power supply WITH ALL APPROPRIATE PRECAUTIONS IN AN
|
||
UNPLUGGED AND COMPLETELY DISCHARGED MACHINE. You will be stunned
|
||
by the dust you see! I regularly take my pc and power supply cover
|
||
off and give the internals a LIGHT blast of compressed air (not
|
||
ozone-destroying freon) to free the dust and help the machine run
|
||
cooler. I do this every six months.
|
||
|
||
Do a calculation for your office on your PC: how much wattage
|
||
does an average PC in your office draw per hour? How many PC's
|
||
in your office? What is the TOTAL economic cost leaving them ALL
|
||
on during the night (12 hours?) versus turning them off? Now how
|
||
much a month, then how much a year. Finally, multiply by the cost
|
||
per killowatt hour for cost per year. This doesn't even consider
|
||
maintenance savings or waste - just electricity!
|
||
|
||
Plastics and computing are everywhere. Talk to a recycler and
|
||
see if they can accept polyethelene packing bags, stryrofoam
|
||
packing, printer cartridges and so forth.
|
||
|
||
If you are involved in large corporate purchases, ask the
|
||
vendor to supply a one page sheet describing how they use
|
||
LESS in an environmentally safe way in providing your computing
|
||
equipment needs (e.g., do they use popcorn from a growing
|
||
plant (which is now common) rather than styrofoam chips for
|
||
packing, do they recycle paper in their organization, etc.)?
|
||
Vendors just might take notice if large organizations asked
|
||
for a one page "computing impact statement" from each
|
||
computing supplies vendor. If your vendor doesn't know what
|
||
you mean by a "computing impact statement," send THIS
|
||
printout as an example and ask them again for their statement.
|
||
|
||
Try to recharge printer ink cartridges if possible. Same with
|
||
laser printers. A nutty but workable method of recharging
|
||
a FABRIC printer cartridge is to take it outside, lay it
|
||
on a piece of newspaper, pry off the plastic cartridge lid
|
||
and lightly spray the ribbon with the lubricant WD-40. Replace
|
||
the lid of the printer cartridge and allow a few hours for the
|
||
WD-40 oil to redistribute ink from the edges of the ribbon
|
||
(where the printhead does NOT strike the ribbon) to the center
|
||
strip of the ribbon. Recharged cartridges at the cost of a few
|
||
pennies of WD-40! This method works best with cloth fabric
|
||
ribbons not mylar ribbons, but I am told a few people have even
|
||
tried this with the mylar ribbons too. Professional ink and
|
||
ribbon recharge companies exist, investigate this option!
|
||
|
||
Consider using shareware rather than commercial software. How
|
||
does this positively affect the environment? Simple. Shareware
|
||
uses simple packaging or NONE AT ALL since it frequently
|
||
travels electronically by BBS/modem methods, isn't returned to
|
||
the wholesaler to be sent to the garbage dump if too many
|
||
packages are manufactured, supports a small software programmer
|
||
who has less impact on the earth as a single human being rather
|
||
than a large corporation and provides you with high quality at
|
||
a fair price which goes well with the environmental features.
|
||
This isn't just a sales pitch, shareware DOES have less negative
|
||
impact on the environment than commercial software!
|
||
|
||
Speaking of laser printers, the environmental cost and economic
|
||
cost is NOT favorable. Toner, paper, electricity, everything
|
||
about lasers is less favorable to the earth. Use a humble dot
|
||
matrix printer unless you are ready for the final draft. Lasers
|
||
need more maintenance, too. Finally people are forever buying
|
||
MORE plastic font cartridges and upgrades for lasers.
|
||
|
||
In this respect, a good compromise if you need laser quality and
|
||
sharpness in printing, is to consider using BUBBLEJET printers
|
||
which produce crisp "near laser" quality, but use far less ink,
|
||
plastic cartridge material and electricity than a conventional
|
||
laser printer. Most software packages now support bubblejet
|
||
printers.
|
||
|
||
Back to the paper issue. Do you really need to send a memo or
|
||
submit a rough draft on paper? Can you get the boss to accept
|
||
the memo on disk and teach the boss how to use a simple file
|
||
browser to read the file? Pick up the phone and call with the
|
||
information, it is a faster, more human in scale and saves
|
||
resources.
|
||
|
||
Let's talk about envelopes: if your office uses window style
|
||
envelopes for billings or mailings, try to design or use
|
||
window envelopes WITH EMPTY WINDOW OPENINGS RATHER THAN
|
||
CLEAR PLASTIC WINDOW OPENINGS. The billing address peeks out the
|
||
front just the same and becomes recyclable! Plastic containing
|
||
envelopes cannot be recycled. Otherwise try to pre-print the
|
||
address on the return envelope - anything but plastic windows.
|
||
|
||
FAX processes are wonderful. Investigate FAXing onto disk (using
|
||
a FAX board installed in your computer) rather than paper
|
||
printouts of FAXES. This produces an electronic FAX file which
|
||
is saved on disk rather than printing on paper.
|
||
|
||
Do you program or sell software? Why not recycle disks? Simply
|
||
slap your new label over that old disk no longer needed and add
|
||
a line that "this is a recycled disk" on the bottom of your disk
|
||
label or jacket. Most folks approve of greeting cards printed on
|
||
recycled paper. Do you really need to use a fresh new disk to
|
||
impress your client when a recycled one with a new label will do?
|
||
|
||
Keep your keyboard, computer and printer clean. Once in a while
|
||
vacuum or dust out the power supply which collects loads of dust.
|
||
Reason: you prevent breakdowns which require repairs or scrapping
|
||
of the computer. End result: more earth resources used which
|
||
could have been prevented in the first place with a little
|
||
preventative maintenance.
|
||
|
||
Look at your software and documentation shelf. Stacks of old
|
||
computer magazines and documentation pile up! Have a once a
|
||
month PC recycling party where you rip out pages from
|
||
documentation and magazines you really need and recycle the
|
||
remains. Same goes for old disks, binders, the works.
|
||
|
||
Donations. If computers help you make money, and they do, set
|
||
aside a small contribution to the non-profit group of your choice
|
||
which is involved in conservation and recycling.
|
||
|
||
Submit suggestions for this little part of the tutorial on "how
|
||
your office saves the earth using computers WISELY." I'll try to
|
||
insert it if valuable and of course, it will float all over the
|
||
world on BBS systems and shareware distribution points so your
|
||
small or large suggestion WILL possibly make a difference to
|
||
somebody in Brazil or China. This is a shareware package
|
||
which lives electronically on the Compuserve network which is
|
||
accessed by people all over the world! If possible, send your
|
||
suggestion on disk in ASCII using your word processor so I can
|
||
electronically merge it.
|
||
|
||
Don't compute when you don't need to! Sometimes it is too easy to
|
||
turn on the machine and bang out a spreadsheet or draft a memo.
|
||
Can you solve the problem with your BRAIN or grab your rolodex to
|
||
find that phone number? Our brains our much more capable than
|
||
the most modern computer. What can you do better by leaving the
|
||
machine OFF and not using electricity, paper, plastic, ink and
|
||
toner? Finally, turning off the computer means we spend a few
|
||
minutes with each other, rather than our (let's face it)
|
||
addictive computers. You just may come up with a solution to
|
||
that budget problem by visiting with a colleague at the next desk
|
||
rather than recalculating that monster spreadsheet for the millionth
|
||
time trying to find an optimum budget solution for the office.
|
||
The vast majority of business problems are solved by CREATIVITY
|
||
which organic brains do best!
|
||
|
||
Print (on paper, unfortunately) this little section of the
|
||
computer tutorial and place it on the company bulletin board.
|
||
This is a win/win situation: your co-workers will start to think
|
||
about earth conscious computing and if more beginners will use
|
||
PC-LEARN they will learn how to use a computer more efficiently
|
||
SOONER and thus WASTE LESS paper, electricity and natural
|
||
resources, does that make sense? Computer beginners can waste a
|
||
lot of paper, money, time and electricity learning how to use a
|
||
computer. If PC-LEARN helps them learn faster, then they should
|
||
waste less and become proficient more quickly!
|
||
|
||
Consider renting computer equipment for short term and special
|
||
projects. Obviously you can save money in most cases, but the
|
||
larger issue is that you don't impact the environment by using
|
||
resources for something you can share that computer equipment with
|
||
many other people via a rental arrangement.
|
||
|
||
When you print lengthy documents from a disk to paper,
|
||
investigate clever software products (many of them shareware)
|
||
which allow you to print FOUR pages in tiny but readable
|
||
typeface and on BOTH SIDES of the paper.
|
||
|
||
Add your suggestion here or mail it to me. You do not need to be
|
||
a registered user to submit a suggestion to this section!
|
||
|
||
Suggestion from Mr. Bo Stiff, Charmichael, California . . .
|
||
|
||
(Letter has been slightly edited and shortened)
|
||
|
||
"A company I used to work for had a mainframe computer in
|
||
Connecticut with office hubs in Houston and LA. Approximately 40
|
||
reports were printed from a spooler set up to do this routine in
|
||
over 200 offices in the U.S. EVERY NIGHT! The company had a
|
||
guilty feeling about the environment so asked each office to
|
||
submit ideas."
|
||
|
||
"I suggested that they take the reports off line. Make them
|
||
available on demand only, put them on a screen with a 48 hour
|
||
hold on daily reports. 10 day old on weekly reports and 40 day
|
||
hold on monthly reports. Also suggested that when reports were
|
||
printed, NOT to send a blank page to set line space or formfeed.
|
||
This could be performed by the local office if needed. Obviously
|
||
the computers in the company were turned over to the controllers
|
||
who decided who got to see which reports and screens."
|
||
|
||
"Our initial calculations were staggering, then we found out
|
||
that we were one of the frugal offices! By our accountant's
|
||
calculations we cut back over 4000 cases of paper nationwide per
|
||
MONTH! Latest calculation is closer to 5000 cases."
|
||
|
||
Tutorial finished. Be sure to order your FOUR BONUS DISKS which
|
||
expand this software package with vital tools, updates and
|
||
additional tutorial material for laptop users! Send $20.00 to
|
||
Seattle Scientific Photography, Department LAP, PO Box 1506,
|
||
Mercer Island, WA 98040. Bonus disks shipped promptly! Some
|
||
portions of this software package use sections from the larger
|
||
PC-Learn tutorial system which you will also receive with your
|
||
order. Modifications, custom program versions, site and LAN
|
||
licenses of this package for business or corporate use are
|
||
possible, contact the author. This software is shareware - an
|
||
honor system which means TRY BEFORE YOU BUY. Press escape key to
|
||
return to menu.
|
||
|
||
|