Customize your computer settings
When you log in to a Windows computer in an ITS Student Lab with you access name, you are logging on an Microsoft Windows XP operating system with your own profile and with your own file space on a server to store your documents. Among other items, your User Profile contains your customized desktop settings.
For an overview of settings you can customize and how to change them:
- Press start then the Help and Support menu item
- Then select Customize your computer link on the left side of the page
- Only User Settings will be allowed and remembered.
Select from the following topics:
- ClearType -- smooth edges of screen fonts
- Desktop Shortcuts -- adding shortcuts to your desktop
- Quick Launch Toolbar -- provides single click launching of programs
- Start Menu Order -- set in alphabetical order
- Set Resolution -- set your default screen resolution permanently
- Default Web Browser and Email Client -- choose your favorite client
- Microsoft Customize your Computer -- web page from Microsoft
ClearType
ClearType technology greatly improves font display resolution and screen readability in Windows XP. The first time you logon a LABS computer, ClearType is enabled automatically. To set this property can be set manually:
- Right click on your desktop and select Properties from the drop down menu
- Click the Appearance tab and then press the Effects button
- Choose selection from Use the following method to smooth edges of screen fonts
See the Microsoft ClearType Information for additional information and execute Control Panel ClearType Tuning to adjust your settings.
Desktop Shortcuts
Remember the items you place on your desktop are stored in your roaming profile. For this reason don't store files on your desktop. To add a shortcut to your desktop so that you can easily launch it:
- Navigate the Start | All Programs menu to the shortcut your wish to place on your desktop
- Right click this shortcut and select Copy from the drop down menu
- Right click on your desktop and select Paste Shortcut from the drop down menu
Quick Launch Toolbar
The Quick Launch toolbars sits in your taskbar and provides single click launching of programs. By default, Windows XP does not display the Quick Launch toolbar. To enable it:
- Right click on an open area of the toolbar and select Toolbars from the drop down menu
- Select Quick Launch
To add items to your Quick Launch toolbar:
- Navigate the Start | All Programs menu to the shortcut your wish to place on your toolbar
- Hold down the Ctrl key and hold the left mouse button
- Drag it to the Quick Launch portion of the taskbar.
Start Menu Order
When you view the Start menu and the Favorites menu, the shortcuts and folders may not be in alphabetical order and new shortcuts that you create may be added to the bottom of the menu. This behavior can occur when you manually rearrange the shortcuts and folders on the Start menu or on the Favorites menu, or when you install a new program.
To arrange a menu in alphabetical order:
- Navigate the Start | All Programs menu to the folder you wish to reorder
- Right click this menu folder and select Sort by Name from the drop down menu
To reset all of your shortcut links in order:
- Start | All Programs | Utilities | PSU Tools | Sort Start & Favorite Menu
- Logoff and Logon
You can manually rearrange the shortcuts in these menus:
- Navigate the Start | All Programs menu to the folder you wish to reorder
- Hold down with the right mouse button the menu item you wish to rearrange and move it to the desired position
Set Your Default Screen Resolution
You can set the screen resolution permanently to one of the default resolution:
- Start | All Programs | Utilities | PSU Tools | Set Default Resolution
To remove this setting:
- Start | All Programs | Utilities | PSU Tools | Remove User Default Resolution
Default Web Browser and Email Client
You can set your default Web Browser and Email client to appear on the Start Menu, load when opening an internet shortcut or html file, and send mail. After you logon the next time, these settings will be remembered.
To set your favorite Web Browser or Email Client as your default:
- Right-click the Start button and then select the Properties option
- A dialog box titled Taskbar and Start Menu Properties appears. Make sure the Start Menu option is selected, then click on the Customize button
- In the Customize Start Menu dialog box, select a Web Browser or Email client from the Show on Start menu dropdown list.
This site maintained by the Classroom and Lab Computing group of Information Technology Services.
Suggestions and comments about this web site: CLC Webmasters; Other contacts here.
This page was last modified: 8/28/2008 11:03:53 AM.