Q A family member is losing his sight. Because many of the Web pages he reads rely on extra small print, I've been copying each page to my hard drive and then using Notepad to alter the HTML by adding the "BIG" tags. Unfortunately, if a Web page's coding is extra long, Notepad can't load it. Do you know of settings (preferably ones that can be switched on and off quickly) that I can use to enlarge every Web page's text? Or can a software package do this? (I'm already using the "Windows Standard - Extra Large" cursor set.)

A Several solutions are available for those of us who find ourselves squinting harder at the screen with each passing year. Here's a quick rundown:

Try a tool. First, check out the Accessibility Settings Wizard from Start-Programs-Accessories-Accessibility. This wizard lets you select from numerous settings for easier-to-read displays. Another option is to choose Windows 98's Magnifier from the Accessibility menu. It lets you enlarge any portion of the screen: set a level from 1 to 9, drag to move or resize the magnification level, and click OK. The Magnifier window shows a blown-up version of whatever is under your pointer. When you're done, right-click the magnified area to go back to the non-magnified setting, or choose Exit.

After exiting Magnifier, you may need to rearrange any desktop icons it displaced. To avoid displacement, resize Magnifier to a floating window rather than letting it snap to a screen edge. (To do this, position the pointer inside the Magnifier window and drag to the middle of your screen.) If you're using another Windows version, you can obtain similar features and more customisation from Lens, a $US5 shareware utility available on this month's cover CD. Also, check out Microsoft's Accessibility site (www.microsoft.com/enable).

Resize system fonts, part 1. If your visual needs stretch beyond surfing the Web, the fastest way to make Windows (its icons, menus, address bar, and so on) more readable is to right-click the desktop, choose Properties, and click the Appearance tab. From the Scheme drop-down list, choose Windows Standard (large) or Windows Standard (extra large). Adjust the other colour and font settings as desired, and choose Save As to save the scheme to a custom name. Naming the scheme enables you to apply those settings quickly in the future. Click OK. This technique won't help you read most Web pages, but it's significant in the big picture.

Resize system fonts, part 2. To enlarge system fonts ù such as those used by most Web pages ù open the Desktop Properties sheet as before, and click the Settings tab. Look for a drop-down list labelled Font Size; you may need to click the Advanced button, depending on your video driver and Windows version. Choose Large Fonts to increase the font size to 125 per cent of normal. Or choose Other or click Custom, and type in a percentage. Though this should improve readability overall, it could mess up the appearance of some programs. And you'll have to follow the prompts to restart your PC each time you change these settings.

The resolution solution. A lower screen resolution will make everything (not just fonts) on your screen bigger and more legible. The easiest way to change resolutions without restarting your computer is to use the free QuickRes utility that comes with Microsoft's PowerToys (see our cover CD). QuickRes inserts a new icon into your taskbar's "tray" area (near the clock). Right-click the icon and choose from available resolutions on the menu. The only downside is that as desktop real estate shrinks, desktop icons may become squashed together. Though PowerToys and QuickRes work with most Windows 98 systems, Microsoft warns users that it designed the applets specifically to run under Windows 95 OSR2.

Online fixes. Most browsers let you change font size on the fly. In Internet Explorer 3.x or 4.x, choose a size from the View-Fonts menu. In IE 5, use the View-Text Size menu. Other browsers offer more flexibility: In Netscape Navigator 4.x, press <Ctrl>-] as many times as needed to enlarge the font to the desired size (press <Ctrl>-[ similarly to reduce it).

Caption: In IE 5, the View-Text size menu allows you to change font sizes on the fly

Adjust apps. Some apps offer their own ways for zooming in. Word for Windows, for example, lets you put a zoom control on its customisable toolbar. And most applications from Adobe Systems (such as PageMaker or Photoshop) have a Navigator palette that lets you zoom in and out as well as pan around your page.