15th October 1997

Hey, when was the last time you cleaned your screen? If your answer involves the word "year", I'd suggest you clean it post haste. But instead of using a glass cleaner or water, walk down to your local optical center (where you buy glasses) and ask for a bottle of 'lens cleaner'. It works NICELY. Some centers might give you a cleaning cloth, too... as paper towels can leave dust behind. NOTE: regular household glass cleaners can damage protective screen coatings if you're not careful.

To Maximize a window in NT40 hit Shift+WinKey+M.

If you decide to use Outlook Express, hit CTRL-F2 to view the source-code for HTML formatted messages.

As much as I dislike the speed of the new Start Menu (with the shell integration part of IE40 turned on), I've discovered yet another little 'trick'. You can hover a shortcut over the Start Button... but DON'T LET GO. Wait a few seconds and the menu will cascade out... move your mouse up to the Programs folder (still not letting go) and IT will cascade out, as will any/every folder you have in the Start Menu. You can then place the shortcut anywhere in the Start Menu without having to open up an Explorer Window. You can also dynamically move any item in the Programs section of the Start Menu... right click on any one of those icons! Makes for a pretty configurable Start Menu.

Lockergnome reader Tasha Maple found a great way to utilize Microsoft NetShow (which comes with IE40). Just check out the LIVE Shark Cam on the Sea World animal page below: http://www.bev.net/education/SeaWorld/SharkCam/sharkcam.html If the server times out, keep trying during Sea World operational hours!

Suggestion: In your Start Menu, categorize your Program Folders into more general sections (Fun, Productivity, Multimedia, Optimization, Accessories, etc.)... if you have more than 10 Program Groups in your Start Menu, I'd strongly suggest that you cut those down even further... the smaller the Start Menu, the broader the categories, the easier it could be to get to the programs you're wanting to run.

For the Internet Explorer 4.0 Easter Egg:
1. Open MSIE 4.0 Final.
2. On the Menu, go to Help | About.
3. Hold CTRL and drag the e Logo onto the world icon.
4. Let up on the CTRL key and then press it down again.
5. Move the e over the Internet Explorer 4.0 text.
6. The text should slide aside revealing an 'unlock' button.
7. Hold down CTRL again and move the e Logo back over the world.
8. Sit back and Watch the show!