Are you looking for a simple way to remove long recipient lists from messages that have been forwarded many times over or have been cc: to dozens of people by a single sender? Follow these easy steps:

1. Highlight the text of the original e-mail and then right-click and copy the text.
2. Click on "Mail" and then "New Message". Paste the original copied text in to the new message window.
3. Send the message to those whom you'd like to share this "cleaned-up message" by placing their e-mail addresses into the "Bcc:" field of the e-mail header. Your recipients will then not need to do "clean-up" on the message before sending it on to another set of friends.

We've had inquiries asking how to clean-up/remove the number of sites listed below users' http (address) bars. These URL addresses appear as a list when Internet users begin to key in a Web address into their browser's address bar.

The addresses in the Address Bar Drop Down Menu are known as "auto-complete entries." The auto-complete feature saves previous entries you've made for web page addresses, forms and passwords. The benefit of this feature is saved time in not having to type the entire web address for previously visited websites. The browser remembers and completes the web address for you.

To delete entries listed within the Address Bar Drop Down Menu, you must clear your "History" folder. You can not clear individual entries from the list.

To clear your "History" Folder when using Internet Explorer, do the following:

1. Click on "Tools" in the menu bar, and select "Internet Options."
2. When the "Internet Options" window opens, click on the General tab.
3. Under "History," click "Clear History."
4. Click "Yes" when asked if you're sure you want to delete your history.
5. Click "OK" to close the Internet Options window.

To clear your "History" Folder when using Netscape Navigator 4.75, do the following:

1. Click on "Edit" in the menu bar. Drop down to and select "Preferences."
2. Select "Navigator" and look for the History portion of the window. You should see a "Clear History" button.
3. Click "OK" when asked if you're sure you want to clear your history.
4. Click "OK" again to close your preferences window.

Have you ever wanted to print the information found in your Address Book but weren't sure how to do it? Follow the steps below to print off a hard copy of your entire Address Book.

Address Book Using Outlook Express And Windows 98:

1. Open your Address Book.
2. Select "View" from the menu bar located at the top of the Address Book window and select "Sort By" from the resulting drop down menu. A sub-menu will appear with choices that allow you to choose whether you want the list sorted by name, e-mail address, phone number, and so on.
3. Go to "Edit" on the menu located at the top of the Address Book window and click (left click) on "Select all" from the drop down menu. This will print all entries in your Address Book. By holding down the "shift" key while clicking, you can select multiple entries for printing.
4. When you are ready to print, press the "Print" button on your keyboard, hit the Control + "P" keys or use the File menu located at the top of your tool bar. At the bottom of the print screen, you will see additional printing options such as a business card, memo or just a phone list. Experiment with some of these styles to see which suits your needs best.

Address Book Using Netscape 7.0 For Windows 98 And Mac OS 9:

1. Start Netscape 7.0.
2. To open your Address Book, go to the Window menu located at the top of the Netscape 7.0 menu bar. Select "Address Book" from the resulting drop down menu.
3. From the File menu located at the top-left of your Netscape tool bar, select "Print Address Book" from the drop down menu.
4. When the print dialog screen appears, click on the "OK" or "Print" button.

So you got an e-mail from a friend a couple of months ago regarding directions to an upcoming concert, but now the e-mail is buried under a couple of months worth of other e-mail messages. To save you from having to scroll down through lots of previous e-mails looking for the message, modern e-mail client programs provide shortcuts to finding what you are looking for. Each provides "Advanced Find" methods so you can search by subject, by the name or e-mail address of the sender, by folder (i.e. deleted, sent, etc.), or even by date. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to find this feature. Here's where to go to find previously sent or received e-mail messages using a variety of popular e-mail client software and platform configurations.

Outlook Express 5 - Windows:

◊ Under "Edit" on the Outlook Express menu bar, drop down to "Find" and select "Message in this Folder" from the resulting submenu.

Outlook Express 5.02 - Macintosh:

◊ Under the "Edit" menu, drop down to "Advanced Find."

Netscape 7.0 for Windows and Macintosh:

◊  Under "Tools" on the Messenger menu bar, drop down to "Search." Pick "Search Messages" from the resulting submenu.

Netscape 4.75 for Windows and Macintosh:

◊ Under "Edit" on the Messenger menu bar, drop down to and select "Search Messages."

Eudora 5.1.1 for Windows:

◊ Under "Edit" on the Eudora menu bar, drop down to "Find" and select "Find Messages" from the resulting submenu.

Eudora 5.1.1 for Macintosh OS 9 and OS X:

◊ Under the "Special" menu, drop down to "Find" and select "Search" from the resulting submenu.

Apple's Mail program for Macintosh OS X:

◊ Under the "Edit" menu, drop down to "Find" and select "Find Messages" from the resulting submenu.

Do you get e-mail messages from friends that you want to "mark" so you can easily go back and find the messages at a later date? Both Outlook Express and Netscape Communicator provide an easy method for accomplishing this goal. By following the steps below, you'll be able to place a little flag icon next to messages within your inbox to assist you in locating them at a later date.

Outlook Express/Mac and Windows PC Users:

1. Open Outlook Express.
2. Select a message to flag by clicking your cursor arrow on it.
3. Go to "Message" on the Outlook Express menu bar and drop down to "Flag Message." ("Flag" on a Macintosh.)
4. A flag icon will appear to the left of the selected message.

Netscape Communicator 4.x and 7.0/Mac and Windows PC Users:

1. Open Netscape and go to Messenger in 4.x or Mail in 7.0.
2. Select a message to flag by clicking your cursor arrow on it.
3. Go to "Message" on the Messenger/Mail menu bar and drop down to "Mark."
4. Select "Flag" from the resulting submenu.
5. A flag icon will appear to the left of the selected message.

Eudora 5.1/Mac and Windows PC Users:
Eudora uses labels to mark messages instead of flags.

1. Open Eudora.
2. Select the message you want to mark with a label by clicking your cursor arrow on it.
3. Go to "Message" on the menu bar and drop down to "Change."
4. Go to "Label" from the resulting submenu.
5. Select one of the seven labels from the resulting submenu. You can actually change what the labels say in your settings.
6. The selected message will take on the label's color and in the label column, the label's name.

Macintosh OS X "Mail.app":

1. Open "Mail" application.
2. Select the message you want to flag by clicking your cursor arrow on it.
3. Go to "Message" on the menu bar. Drop down and select "Mark as Flagged."
4. A flag icon will appear to the left of the selected message.

Do you find yourself sending messages to the same group of people all of the time? Do you get tired of going through your address book each time to select the individual e-mail addresses of your associates within this group to add to the "To:" field?

Both Outlook Express and Netscape Communicator provide a method of putting e-mail addresses into a "group." You can then select the name of the group and everyone in the group will receive the message without having to type in each individual e-mail address. It's a great shortcut! Here's how to do it:

Using Microsoft Outlook Express 5.0 Client Software via Windows 98

1. Open Outlook Express.
2. Click on the "Address Book" button on the Outlook Express tool bar or select "Address Book" from the Tools Drop Down Menu. The Address Book Window should appear listing your contacts in the lower pane of the window.
3. Click on the "New" button on the Address Book Toolbar and select "New Group" from the drop down menu. The New Group Form should appear.
4. Type a name for your new group in the Group Name field. Work, Family or Friends are good examples. Don't use a name like "Bozos I Work With" because the name that you use for the group is the name that will show up in the "To" field of the message.
5. Click your cursor arrow on the "Select Members" button on the right side of the window. A double paned window will appear.
6. Highlight a name from the listed contacts in the left hand frame and click the "Select" button at the top between the two panes. This will move the highlighted contact into the Group Pane. Repeat until you have all the contacts in your group that you want. Click "OK" when you've finished.
7. To prevent spammers from harvesting your contacts' e-mail addresses, put the group in the "BCC" field instead of in the "To" field of any new e-mail you wish to send to the group.

Using Netscape Communicator 4.7.x via Windows 98

1. Open Communicator.
2. Got to "Communicator" on the Netscape menu bar and drop down to "Address Book." The Address Book Window will open.
3. Click on the "New List" button and a "Mailing List" window will open.
4. Click in the "List Name" field and give the mailing list a name. Be careful to use a name that won't embarrass you or your contacts. The name will show up in the "To" field of the e-mail you send them.
5. Type in the addresses of the contacts you want to include in this mailing list or drag them over to the mailing list from the list of contacts in the Address Book.
6. When you have the contacts in the list that you desire, click "OK."
7. To prevent spammers from harvesting your contacts' email addresses, put the group in the "BCC" field instead of in the "To" field of any new e-mail you wish to send to the group.

These basic principles will work for most email client software (although the exact steps will vary) for both Windows and Macintosh.

Both Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator provide so many keystroke shortcuts that you may never need to use your mouse again -- well, almost never. Here are a few of the more commonly used shortcuts:

◊ Organize your browser's favorites/bookmarks. Internet Explorer and Netscape Communicator for Windows: Click on the "ctrl" key and the "B" key. Netscape Communicator for Macintosh: Click on the "command" key and the "B" key. On Internet Explorer for the Macintosh, use the "command" and "B" keys to collapse or expand Toolbars.

◊ Bookmark the web page you currently have open. Internet Explorer and Netscape Communicator for Windows: Click on the "ctrl" key and the "D" key. Internet Explorer and Netscape Communicator for Macintosh: Click on the "command" key and the "D" key.

◊ Open the search frame (This works for Windows Internet Explorer users only.) Click on the "ctrl" key and the "E" key. On a Macintosh, use the "command" and "E" keys to view the HTML Source.
 

◊ Open a "Find" box. This allows you to find words located on the web page you currently have open. Internet Explorer and Netscape Communicator for Windows: Click on the "ctrl" key and the "F" key. Internet Explorer and Netscape Communicator for Macintosh: Click on the "command" key and the "F" key.

◊ Display web pages located in the "History" folder (recently visited websites) of your browser. Internet Explorer and Netscape Communicator for Windows: Click on the "ctrl" key and the "H" key. Internet Explorer and Netscape Communicator for Macintosh: Click on the "command" key and the "H" key.

◊ Open your Favorites folder. (This works for Windows Internet Explorer users only.) Click on the "ctrl" key and the "I" key.

◊ Read information about the web page you currently have open. (This works for Netscape Navigator users only.) In Windows, click on the "ctrl" key and the "I" key. On a Macintosh, click on the "command" key and the "I" key.

◊ Open an e-mail window. (This works for Netscape Navigator users only.) In Windows, click on the "ctrl" key and the "M" key. On a Macintosh, click on the "command" key and the "M" key.

◊ Open a new window on your browser. Internet Explorer and Netscape Communicator for Windows: Click on the "ctrl" key and the "N" key. Internet Explorer and Netscape Communicator for Macintosh: Click on the "command" key and the "N" key.

◊ Refresh/Reload the current window. Internet Explorer for Windows: Click on the "F5" key. Internet Explorer and Netscape Communicator for Macintosh: Click on the "command" key and the "R" key. Netscape Communicator for Windows: Click on the "ctrl" key and the "R" key.

Do you want e-mail from specific people to stand out more when they arrive in your inbox? You can use the Outlook Express "Messages Rules" feature to cause incoming e-mail from specific senders to show up in color. You choose the sender(s) and the corresponding color(s). You can also do this for groups of people, i.e. designate all incoming e-mail from family to show up in your inbox in the color green, designate all incoming e-mail from co-workers to be blue, etc. Here's how to set up your message rules:

Using Microsoft Outlook Express 5.5 Client Software via Windows 98

1. Open Outlook Express
2. Click your cursor arrow on the "Tools" menu and drop down to "Message Rules." Then click on "Mail" from the resulting submenu.
3. Click on the "New" button and the "New Mail Rule" window will appear. It contains four sections which will need your input. The first is the area in which you select the conditions for your rule. The second area is where you choose the actions that will occur in your rule. The third matches the specific condition with the specific action's result. The last allows you to name the rule.
4. Select the condition for your new rule by clicking on its check box. In this case, there is only one condition that applies, "Where the From line contains people." Move down to the third section where it says "Rule Description" and click "contains people." Type in an e-mail address, click "Add" and then click "OK."
5. Now, move to the "Select the actions for your rule" area and select the "Highlight it with color" check box. Move to "Rule Description" and click "color." Select your color and click "OK."
6. Back in the "New Mail Rule" window, click "OK." Now click "OK" to exit the "Message Rules" window and save your settings.

Any mail from the specified sender will appear in the color that you selected.

Sometimes the size of the text can be pretty small and difficult to read on e-mails that you receive. Both Outlook Express and Netscape Communicator provide an easy method of enlarging (or decreasing) the font size of an e-mail message you've received. Here's how to do it:

Outlook Express 5 or 6 Using a Windows PC

1. Open the e-mail message in which you want to adjust the text's size.
2. Click your cursor arrow on "View" located on the menu bar found at the top of your computer screen.
3. Move your cursor arrow down to "Text Size." You can now choose a larger (or smaller) font size from the resulting submenu.

Netscape Communicator 7 Using a Windows PC or Mac OS X

1. Open the e-mail message in which you want to adjust the text's size.
2. Click your cursor arrow on "View" located on the menu bar found at the top of your computer screen.
3. Move your cursor arrow down and select "Text Zoom." You can choose "Increase," "Decrease" or a percentage of increase or decrease.

Netscape Communicator 4.7x Using a Windows PC or Mac OS 9

1. In Messenger, open the e-mail message in which you want to adjust the text's size.
2. Click your cursor arrow on "View" located on the menu bar found at the top of your computer screen.
3. Move your cursor arrow down and select "Increase font." This will automatically increase the font size. If the resulting size of font is still too small, repeat the procedure again to further increase the text size. You can also decrease the font size by utilizing the same procedure.

Outlook Express 5 Using a Macintosh 0S 9

1. Open the e-mail message in which you want to adjust the text's size.
2. Click your cursor arrow on the "Edit" menu located at the top of the screen.
3. Move your cursor arrow down and select "Increase Font Size." Repeat the procedure until the size is comfortable for reading. You can decrease the font size using the same technique.
   

An easy way to send photos to friends and family is to attach them to an e-mail message. These may be photos that you’ve scanned in to your computer or downloaded from your digital camera. Although the following tutorial is based on Outlook Express for Windows, the process is basically the same for Netscape, Eudora and Macintosh users. Just keep an eye out for that paperclip icon on the toolbar. Here's how to attach a photo in Outlook Express:

1. Open Outlook Express.
2. Create a new message and prepare it for sending by addressing it, giving it a title (i.e. "Graduation Photos") and composing a message.
3. Click on the "Attach" button on the Message Toolbar. This button usually has some sort of paperclip icon as part of its design. (It is located on the Application Toolbar in some programs.) The "Insert Attachment" dialog box will appear.
4. Type the name of the file containing the photo into the "File Name" field or simply browse to the desired file and click on it to select it. Note: You can attach more than one picture to an e-mail but remember that the more files you select to send as attachments to one e-mail message, the longer it will take you to send it and for the recipient to receive his/her mail. If you have several photos to send, consider sending them separately attached to several e-mail messages.
5. Click the "Attach" button and then send your message.

Most of the newer versions of Outlook Express and many other email programs include a bonus spell-checking feature. To spell check your messages before sending them, follow these steps. Note the special differences for particular programs:

1. The directions for Outlook Express and Netscape Messenger are nearly identical. After completing the composition of an e-mail message, click your cursor arrow on the "Tools" menu of the new message and then drop down to "Spelling." You can also use the "Spelling" button on the new message's button bar. Eudora users go to the "Edit" menu and drop down to "Check Spelling." The "Spelling" dialog box will appear.
2. The spell checker will highlight and display the misspelled word along with a suggested correction. It will flag words that aren't in its dictionary. This will include some words that are actually spelled correctly and some names. (See note at the end of this section.)
3. Choose the correct spelling and then click "Change" or select "ignore" or "skip" to go to the next word the spell checker program does not recognize. If the correct spelling doesn't appear in the list of suggestions, then type the correct spelling for the word in the "Change To" box and click "Change." If the word is spelled correctly, you can add it to the spell checker's dictionary by clicking the "Add" button. Be sure the word is actually spelled correctly before you do this.
4. Repeat step 3 until the spell checker stops giving you suggestions for incorrectly spelled words. When you see the message "The spelling check is complete," click the OK button. You are now ready to send the message.

Mac OS 9 users: Outlook Express for Macintosh's spell check feature is disabled unless you purchase and install Microsoft Office 2001 for Mac.

Note: Do not check the spelling of another person's e-mail message, as this is bad netiquette. Also, remember that spell checkers won't catch words that are wrong but are spelled correctly. For instance if you mean to type the number "two" but instead you type "too," the spell checker won't catch it, as both words are correct. For this reason, it's still a good idea to proofread your message before you send it.

Outlook Express and other e-mail client software can pick up your incoming e-mail while you are surfing the Web. It can even notify you when you have new mail. To set this up, follow these steps:

Outlook Express Users

1. Open Outlook Express and, using your cursor arrow, click on the "Tools" heading located on the menu bar at the top of your computer screen. Select "Options" from the drop-down menu.
2. From the "General" tab, locate "Send and Receive Messages."
3. In the settings "Check For Messages Every ?? Minutes," enter the time interval you'd like Outlook Express to check for incoming e-mail while you are online.
4. Check the box next to "Play sound when new messages arrive" for notification when e-mail comes in.

Eudora Users

1. Open Eudora. On the menu bar, click on "Tools" then select "Options" from the drop-down menu.
2. Select "Checking Mail" from the categories on the right side of the Options window.
3. Enter a number of minutes where it says, "Check for mail every ?? minute(s)."
4. Click OK

Netscape 7 Users

1. Open Netscape and click on the Mail icon on the Button Bar.
2. Click on the "Edit" menu and select "Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings" from the drop-down menu.
3. Select "Server Settings" from the list pane on the left hand side of the "Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings" window.
4. Check the box where it says, "Check for new messages every ?? minutes" and type in the number of minutes.
5. Click "OK."

Mac Users:

The procedures for using Eudora and Netscape on a Macintosh for setting an interval for checking mail are similar to the procedures for Eudora and Netscape on Windows. In Outlook Express on a Mac, however, you will need to go to the "Tools" menu, drop down to "Run Schedule" then select "Edit Schedules" from the resulting submenu. From there you can create a flexible schedule that picks up the mail on certain days and times of your choosing. Very cool.

To add an attachment to an e-mail message, most people click on the paperclip icon of the e-mail message to be sent and then search for the file to be attached via the "Insert Attachment" or "Choose Attachment" Dialog Box. There's an even easier and usually faster method to attach pictures or other documents to an e-mail message. It's called the drag-and-drop method. This method works whether you use Outlook Express, Messenger or Eudora on either Windows or Macintosh operating systems.

If you've already located the file you want to send as an attachment, you simply do the following:

1. Create a new message in your e-mail client software (i.e. Outlook Express).
2. Click your cursor arrow on the file you wish to attach to this new message with the left mouse button.
3. Keeping the mouse button pressed, drag the file over to the message window.
4. Drop the file when you have it positioned anywhere over the body of the message and release the mouse button.
5. Your client software will automatically add the file to the message as an attachment.

Give it a try sometime!

If you've been surfing the Internet awhile, you've no doubt saved lots of your favorite websites on your browser using the "Favorites" feature of your Internet Explorer browser. (These are called "Bookmarks" when using a Netscape browser.) After time, however, many of these sites are no longer of interest to you and you may want to remove some of them from your list of bookmarked sites. To do so, follow the steps below.

Windows Operating System and Internet Explorer Browser:

1. Click your cursor arrow on the "Favorites" menu on the menu bar.
2. Select "Organize Favorites" from the drop-down menu. The "Organize Favorites" window will appear.
3. On the left side are four buttons, one of which enables you to delete favorites. To delete a bookmarked web page, select it by clicking on its name.
4. Click your cursor arrow on the "Delete" button. A dialog box will appear asking if you are sure you want to send the link to the Recycle bin.
5. Click "yes."

Macintosh (OSX) Operating System and Internet Explorer 5.2 Browser:

1. Click your cursor arrow on "Favorites" on the menu bar.
2. Drop down to "Organize Favorites" from the resulting drop-down menu. The Favorites list window will appear.
3. Select a favorite you want to delete by clicking your cursor arrow on it.
4. Press the "Delete" key on your keyboard to remove the web page from the Favorites list.
5. Repeat this procedure for as many favorites as you wish to delete and then click "Close" to get back to your original browser window.

If you are using a Netscape browser with Windows or Mac OS9, follow this procedure:

1. Click your cursor arrow on "Bookmarks" in the Communicator menu.
2. Drop down to "Edit Bookmarks" from the drop-down menu. The "Bookmarks" window will appear.
3. Select a bookmark that you want to delete by clicking your cursor arrow on it.
4. Press the "Delete" key on your keyboard to remove the web page from the Bookmarks list.

Have you ever typed in a password on a website and then chose the option to save the password so that you wouldn't have to remember and retype it each time? This is a convenient shortcut but it can be a frustration if you accidentally typed in the wrong password when you initially saved the information. Now every time you start typing the password in, the field is automatically completed with the incorrect password.

Internet Explorer has a function called "Forms Autocomplete" that stores basic information that you frequently type into forms on websites. It stores information such as your name, address and even site passwords. It can save you time when filling out online forms.

If you've accidentally typed and saved a password incorrectly when first filling out an online form, you can go into the Autocomplete settings and revise the password. (See the instructions below.) However, be certain you want to remove/change this password because by clearing the incorrect password when using a Windows operating system, you actually clear ALL the passwords saved via the Autocomplete function.

To change your Autocomplete settings when using a Windows operating system and utilizing an Internet Explorer browser, follow these steps.

◊ Click your cursor arrow on "Tools" in the Internet Explorer menu bar.

◊ Drop down to "Internet Options" from the resulting drop-down menu. The "Internet Options" window will appear.

◊ Click on the "Content" Tab.

◊ In the Personal Information area click on the "Autocomplete" button.

◊ Click on the "Clear Passwords" button. This will get rid of your incorrect password but it will also clear all of your passwords so be sure that's what you want to do.

If you are a Macintosh user, you also have the ability to change Autocomplete settings; however, you can delete or modify individual site passwords without it affecting the settings for other sites. To change your Autocomplete settings on a Macintosh when using Internet Explorer, follow the steps below.

◊ Click your cursor arrow on the "Edit" menu (if using OS 9) or the "Explorer" menu (if using OS X).

◊ Drop down to and select "Preferences."

◊ Scroll down the Preference Pane on the left side of the Internet Explorer Preferences window past the Forms Autofill heading until you see the heading "Network."

◊ Click on the arrow to the left of the word "Network" and you will see the bullet point "Site Passwords."

◊ Click on "Site Passwords." You will see a list of all of your passwords in the Password Setting pane.

◊ Select a password on the list and you can change or delete it by using the buttons at the bottom of the window.

Sending Christmas greetings via e-mail is an easy (and inexpensive) method of spreading holiday cheer to family and friends. Attaching a family photo to the e-mail is a great idea; however, some recipients may be hesitant about opening e-mail attachments, even from friends, because of the viruses and worms floating around the Web. What to do? Why not create your own e-mail Christmas card by pasting images (family vacation photos, for instance) into the actual message pane of your e-mail message rather than as an attachment? It's easy to do but try to use pictures with a small file size as using large picture files will result in slow download times for dial-up connections. When using Outlook Express on a Windows operating system, follow the steps below:

1. Open Outlook Express.
2. Create a new message and prepare it for sending by addressing it, giving it a title (subject) and composing a message.
3. Click your cursor arrow at the location where you'd like to place the photo within your message. Click on "Insert" which is located on the Message Menu Bar. Select "Picture" from the resulting drop-down menu.
4. When the Picture Dialog Box appears, click the "Browse" button to locate the picture you want to send.
5. Click on the picture's location to select it. Click "Open" to return to the Picture Dialog Box.
6. Select from various options to alter the attributes on your photo, i.e. layout, alignment, border thickness, etc. You do not need to select them all.
7. Describe the picture by typing text into the "Alternative Text" field. This will allow the e-mail recipient to at least see a description of the photograph if he/she has a "text only" e-mail program.
8. Click "OK" once you've completed your settings.
9. Complete your message and click "Send."

For Netscape 4.8 on Windows...

1. Open Netscape Navigator 4.8.
2. Create a new message and prepare it for sending by addressing it, giving it a title (subject) and composing a message.
3. Click your cursor arrow at the location where you'd like to place the photo within your message. Click on "Insert" which is located on the Message Menu Bar. Select "Image" from the resulting drop-down menu.
4. When the Image Properties dialog box appears, click the Image tab. Click on the "Choose Image" button. The Choose Image File dialog box will appear.
5. Click your cursor arrow on the small triangle in the "Look in" field and browse until you find your picture. When you've found the picture you want to send, click on the picture's icon to select it. Click "Open" to return to the Image Properties dialog box.
6. Select from various options to alter the attributes on your photo. Options include text alignment and wrapping, spacing around the picture, etc. You do not need to select any or all of them.
7. If you want to describe the picture for "text only" e-mail programs, click on the "Alt.Text/Low Res" button. The Alternative Image Properties dialog box will appear. Type your description of the picture in the field provided and click "OK."
8. Click "OK" once you've completed your settings.
9. Complete your message and click "Send."

Usually when you update to a newer version of a Web browser, the browser overrides the web page you previously had set up as your start page. (Your start page is the first web page that appears each time you go online.) Most users want to utilize their Internet Service Provider's homepage as their start page so they can keep posted on any scheduled maintenance periods for service upgrades, important virus or hoax bulletins, etc. If your start page has been switched from your previous default start page, here's how to get your start page back to showing our homepage as your start page:

When Using Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 Browser Software and Windows XP:

1. Open Internet Explorer.
2. Click your cursor on "Tools" in the menu bar. Drop down to "Internet Options."
3. When the "Internet Options" window opens, make sure the "General" tab is selected. You will know that it is selected because it will appear in front of the others.
4. From the General Tab under "Home Page," hit the delete key on your keyboard to erase the URL (web address) that is already there, and then type in the web address of our homepage.
5. Click your cursor arrow on "Apply" then click "OK."
6. To test, click your cursor arrow on the "Home" button of your browser's toolbar. This should load your new start page.

When Using Netscape 7.1 Browser Software and Windows XP:

1. Open Netscape.
2. Click your cursor arrow on "Edit" in the menu bar. Drop down to and select "Preferences."
3. After the "Preferences" window opens, select "Navigator" from the Category section on the left side of the window.
4. On the right side of the "Preferences" window look for the field titled "Home Page." Select the current URL (web address) and delete it. Now type in the web address of our homepage.
5. Click your cursor arrow on the "OK" button.
6. To test, click your cursor arrow on the "Home" button of your browser's toolbar. This should now load your new start page listing.

When Using Apple's Safari Web Browser Software and OS X 10.3.2:

1. Open Safari.
2. Click your cursor arrow on "Safari" in the menu bar. Drop down to and select "Preferences."
3. When the "Preferences" window opens, select the "General" icon at the top.
4. Look for the "Home page" field. Select the current URL (web address) and delete it, and then type in the web address of our homepage.
5. Click on the red circle in the upper left corner of the window to close it.
6. Click your cursor arrow on the "Home" button on the Safari toolbar. It should take you to our homepage.

A vast majority of websites place one or more cookies on your hard drive when you first visit their sites. A "cookie" is a piece of information stored in a file on your computer that is placed there by a website when you visit it. Its job is to keep track of your preferences when you revisit the site in the future. Actually, these cookies can be quite helpful to you when visiting or making purchases at shopping sites.

The default setting for both the Internet Explorer and Netscape browsers is to automatically accept any and all cookies whenever a request is made by a website. If you are concerned about websites placing cookies on your browser as you surf the Web, newer web browsers provide settings that can be adjusted to block the acceptance of all cookies from being added to your computer. Alternatively, you can set your browser to advise you each time a website attempts to add a cookie to your computer. In the latter scenario, you can then accept or decline the cookies at your discretion on a case-by-case basis.

To adjust your browser's cookie settings when using Internet Explorer (6.0 +):

1. Click your cursor arrow on the Tools menu and select "Internet Options." The Internet Options dialog box will appear.
2. Next, select the Privacy tab and click your cursor arrow on the "Advanced" button. The Advanced Privacy Settings dialog box will appear.
3. You'll see a check box giving you the option to "Override automatic cookie handling." Overriding automatic cookie handling gives you the option to "Accept" cookies, "Block" cookies, or request a "Prompt" before accepting cookies. These options are available for first party cookies (cookies from sites you visit) and for third party cookies (cookies that are left by advertisers located on visited sites). Additionally, you can check the box "Always allow session cookies." Session cookies only last as long as you keep Internet Explorer open. After you quit Internet Explorer, the cookies are deleted.
4. Once you have adjusted your settings, click "OK" to close the Advanced Privacy Settings dialog box and click "OK" again to close Internet Options.

To adjust your browser's cookie settings when using Netscape 7.1:

1. Go to the Edit menu and click your cursor arrow on "Preferences."
2. On the resulting screen, click your cursor arrow on the small triangle next to "Privacy & Security" to expand the listing for that category.
3. Click your cursor arrow on "Cookies" to view the current settings.
4. You'll find options to a) disable cookies, b) enable cookies for the originating website only, c) enable cookies based on privacy settings, and d) enable all cookies.
5. You can further fine tune your cookie settings by selecting one or all of the following options.  

   ◊ You can disable cookies in Mail and/or Newsgroups as well as websites.

   ◊ You can have Netscape ask before saving a cookie on your computer.

   ◊ You can limit the maximum lifetime of cookies to either the current session (the session ends when you quit Netscape) or to a specific number of days. (If you don't limit cookies, the website decides how long their cookies will stay active on your computer -- which could be years.)

6. Once you've made your choices, click "OK" to resume browsing.

To adjust your Safari browser's cookie settings on a Macintosh:

1. Click on the Safari menu. Drop down to and select "Preferences."
2. Click on the Security icon. (It looks like a padlock.)
3. The cookie settings are right below the "Block pop-up windows" check box. (Yes, you can block pop-ups with a single click.)
4. You can choose to "Always" accept cookies, "Never" accept cookies, or accept cookies "Only from sites you navigate to." The latter option would prevent advertisers on websites that you visit from leaving cookies on your computer.
5. Once you've made your choices, click on the red circle in the upper left corner of the dialog box to close it.

Using the "Favorites" (on Internet Explorer) or "Bookmarks" (on Netscape and Safari) feature on your browser is a great tool for storing links to the fun and useful Web pages that you frequent. The contents of your current Favorites list can be found in a variety of places, depending somewhat on the browser that you are using. The most obvious place is the Favorites or Bookmarks menu at the top of your browser window. Internet Explorer also has a Favorites side bar on the PC and a tab in its sidebar on a Macintosh. In Netscape, you can see your Bookmarks in the Netscape menu and on the Netscape tool bar.

When clicking your cursor arrow on bookmarked favorites at any of the locations listed above, your bookmarked sites will appear. (If you have yet to place a Web page into your browser's favorites list, most browsers have a few already placed there to get you started.) The Favorites feature allows you to add Web pages to your list, delete Web pages from your list, as well as categorize sites into folders by subject within your Favorites list. For short/easy tutorials on each of these functions, click your cursor arrow on your browser's Help menu located at the top of your computer screen.

Shortcuts For Managing Favorite Pages With Internet Explorer Via Windows:

To add the current Web page to your Favorites list	CTRL+D
To open the Organize Favorites dialog box	CTRL+B
To move selected item up in the Favorites list in the Organize Favorites dialog box	ALT+UP ARROW
To move selected item down in the Favorites list in the Organize Favorites dialog box	ALT+DOWN ARROW

Shortcuts For Managing Favorite Pages With Internet Explorer Via Macintosh:

To add the current Web page to your Favorites list	CMD+D
To add a Web page to your Favorites list by entering the page's address	CMD+K
To update subscriptions	CMD+U
To open the Favorites window	CMD+J or CMD+2
To expand the selected folder in the Favorites window	CMD+RIGHT ARROW
To collapse the selected folder in the Favorites window	CMD+LEFT ARROW

Shortcuts For Managing Bookmarks With Netscape Via Windows and Macintosh:

Command	Windows	Macintosh
To open and manage the Bookmarks window	CTRL+B	CMD+B
To add the current Web page to your Bookmarks list	CTRL+D	CMD+D
To file a Bookmark (to customize and file a page you are bookmarking)	CTRL+SHIFT+D	CMD+SHIFT+D
Bookmark Properties (for a selected bookmark in Manage Bookmarks window)	CTRL+I	CMD+I

Shortcuts For Managing Bookmarks With Safari Via Macintosh:
 

To add a bookmark to the Bookmarks menu	CMD+SHIFT+D
To add a bookmark to the Bookmarks bar	Drag the page icon from the address box to the bar.
To move a bookmark on the Bookmarks bar	Drag the bookmark left or right.
To remove a bookmark from the Bookmarks bar	Drag the bookmark off the top of the Bookmarks bar.
To change the name or address of a bookmark in the Bookmarks Library.	Click to select the bookmark and type your changes
To select the next bookmark name when editing bookmarks in the Bookmarks Library	Press the TAB key
When finished editing the text of a bookmark in the Bookmarks Library	Press the RETURN key
To delete a bookmark in the Bookmarks Library	Click on it to select it and press DELETE
To open in tabs all bookmarks in a folder in the Bookmarks bar	CMD + click the folder in the bookmarks bar.

Most Internet users keep a portion of their incoming e-mail messages after they've read them in case the messages are needed for documentation or follow-up down the road. Some of these saved messages are especially important and need to be specifically earmarked for follow-up.

A couple of simple tricks for earmarking these messages in your inbox when using Outlook Express are to: 1) turn the important, previously read messages back into messages that appear to be unread (back to a "bold" print), and 2) "flag" these messages to indicate that you have already read them but that you are saving the messages for future use. These two tips aren't exactly rocket science, but they are simple and work quite well.

To make a previously read message bold (again) within your inbox using Outlook Express 6, move your cursor arrow to the "Edit" menu and select "Mark as Unread" from the resulting drop-down menu. Reverse the procedure by either clicking on the message again, or by going back to the "Edit" menu and selecting "Mark as Read."

To place a small red flag next to an e-mail message found in your inbox to indicate its importance when using Outlook Express, select the message you want to flag by clicking on it and then click your cursor arrow in the "Flag" column next to the envelope icon for the selected message. Click on the flag itself to un-flag it.

To mark a read message as unread when using Netscape 7.x on a Mac or a PC, just go to "Mail" and select the message you want to mark and hit the "M" key. Pressing the "M" key again will mark the message as read again. If you like, you can also go to the "Message" menu and drop down to "Mark" and select "as Read." This will mark the message as read and place a check mark in front of the menu item. Reverse the process to remove the check from the "as Read" menu item and mark the message as "unread."

The easiest way to flag a message is to select the message you want to flag and click in the flag column. Click on the flag again to remove it. You can also use the Message menu and drop down to "Mark." Select "Flag" from the submenu to flag the message. Repeat the process to remove the flag.

In OS X for the Macintosh, the most popular e-mail client software is Apple's own Mail.app. When using Mail.app, you can also flag and remark messages as read or unread. Look for the commands under the "Message" menu.

Are you looking for a simple way to remove long recipient lists from messages you want to forward to others? These are the e-mails that have been forwarded many times over or have been carbon copied to dozens of people by a single sender. There's a simple method for "cleaning-up" messages like these –– and it's good Internet etiquette to do so.

In Outlook Express, follow these simple steps:

1. Highlight the text of the e-mail message (not including the list of all of the carbon copied e-mail addresses) you'd like to send to your friends and then copy it. This can be done by using the keyboard command CTRL + "C". (You can also use a handy right-click short cut to copy. Just right-click on the selected text and choose "Copy" from the drop-down menu.)
2. To create a new e-mail message, click your cursor arrow on the "Create Mail" button. Paste the original copied text in to the new message window by using the keyboard command CTRL + "V" or by right clicking and choosing "Paste" from the drop-down menu.
3. To send the "cleaned-up" to others, place your own e-mail address in the "To:" field and place the e-mail addresses of your friends in the "Bcc:" (blind carbon copy) field of the e-mail header. Click your cursor arrow on the "Send" button located in the e-mail header to send the message. Delete the message when it comes to you. When your e-mail arrives at its destinations, your friends' e-mail addresses will not appear within the e-mail header nor within the message itself if the e-mail is then forwarded to others. Only your e-mail address will appear as the original sender. Hopefully, your friends will follow proper Internet etiquette by "cleaning-up" (removing) your e-mail address from his/her message before forwarding your e-mail message to others.

If a "Bcc:" option does not show up on your e-mail header when using Outlook Express, click your cursor arrow on "View" in the menu bar located at the top of your screen. Next, select "All Headers" from the drop-down menu. The "Bcc:" field will be visible below the "Cc:" field. The "Bcc:" field will now appear as an option each time you create a new message from scratch or when forwarding or responding to e-mail messages.

For those using Netscape, go to "Mail" and click on the "Compose" button. The "To" field will have a flashing insertion bar. The "To" label is actually a button. Click your cursor arrow on it and a drop-down menu will appear with several options. Select "Bcc" and begin entering e-mail addresses.

For those of you using Apple's Mail.app, click on the "New" button to create a new message and type your addresses in the "Bcc" field directly below the "Subject" field. Remember when copying text to use the Command + "C" keys. Use the Command + "V" to paste. You can also "Control" + click (right-click if you have a two button mouse) on the selected text and select "Copy" or "Paste" from the resulting drop-down menu.

NOTE: With most email client software like Outlook Express, Netscape, or Mail.app you don't have to put anything in the "To" field to send to the addresses you list in the "Bcc" field. However, many spam filters will flag or block messages to Undisclosed Recipients because it's a common spammers' trick to load hundreds of addresses in the Bcc field with nothing in the "To" field. Putting your email address in the "To" field will keep the phrase "Undisclosed Recipients" out of your message.

The default setting on most e-mail software programs is to show e-mail messages in HTML format. In this format, text within the message may appear in various colors; it can be underlined, italicized, or in bold print; and it can be changed to various sizes and fonts. When multiple users amend a forwarded e-mail message, each with their own "style" of font, type size, colors, etc., the results can be quite dysfunctional.

A simple method of cleaning up a messy message like this prior to forwarding it to others is to switch the e-mail software's settings to a text-based e-mail rather than an html-based e-mail. This converts all of the text within the message to a single uniform text standard. Here's how:

Outlook Express for Windows

1. Select the message from your list of messages that needs simplifying by clicking on it with your cursor arrow.
2. Click on the "Forward" button. This will allow you to modify the message.
3. Go to the message's "Format" menu and click your cursor arrow on it.
4. When the drop-down menu appears, you will see two items about two thirds of the way down. One says "Rich Text (HTML)," and the other menu item says "Plain Text." The current setting will have a bullet in front of it. You can see the current setting is "Rich Text (HTML)." Select "Plain Text" by clicking your cursor arrow on it.
5. When a warning dialog box appears warning you about changing the formatting, select the "OK" button.
6. Send the message.
    

Outlook Express for Mac OS 9 and Entourage for Mac OS X

1. Select the message from your list of messages that needs simplifying by clicking on it with your cursor arrow.
2. Click on the "Forward" button on the button bar. This will allow you to modify the message.
3. On the left hand side of the message's formatting bar is the HTML button. Click on it and the message will switch to "text" format. (If you get a warning dialog box telling you that you're going to discard any text formatting, click "OK.")
4. Send the message.

Netscape 7x for Windows

1. Select the message from your list of messages that needs simplifying by clicking on it with your cursor arrow.
2. Click on the Netscape Mail "View" menu and go down to "Message Body As" from the resulting drop-down menu. A submenu will appear to its right.
3. Select "Plain Text" from the submenu.
4. Click on the "Forward" button and then send the message.

Eudora 6.1 for Windows or Mac

1. Select the message from your list of messages that needs simplifying by clicking on it with your cursor arrow.
2. Click on the "Forward" button. This will allow you to modify the message.
3. Select the message body contents by clicking your cursor arrow within the message body field itself and typing CTRL + "A". The entire message body will change color to indicate that it is selected.
4. Click on the "Edit" menu and go to "Text" on the resulting drop-down menu. A submenu will appear next to the word "Text."
5. Click on "Clear Formatting."
6. Click on the body of the message again to de-select it for ease of reading.
7. Send the message.

  If you use Windows XP and plan to install Microsoft Corp.'s free Windows XP Service Pack (SP2), it would be wise to create a "restore point" on your computer BEFORE you download SP2. Similar to backing up your system, creating a restore point lets you roll back your computer to where it was prior to the download of SP2. (Just in case something goes wrong during the SP download or software applications don't work properly afterwards, it's better to be safe than sorry.) It's easy. Here's how to do it:

1. Click your cursor arrow on the "Start" menu.
2. Go to "All Programs" on the pop-up list.
3. Go to "Accessories" on the sub-menu.
4. Go to the "System Tools" sub-menu.
5. Select "System Restore" from the sub-menu by clicking on it.
6. The "Welcome to System Restore" window will open. Click your cursor arrow on "Create a Restore Point." Then click on the "Next >" button.
7. When the "Create a Restore Point" dialog box opens, give your restore point a name by typing it in the "Restore point description" field. Click on the "Create" button.
8. The "Restore Point Created" window will open giving you the name of the restore point along with the date and time it was created.
9. Click on the "Close" button.

If you actually needed to restore your system to its pre-SP2 download state, follow these steps:

1. Click your cursor arrow on the "Start" menu.
2. Go to "All Programs" on the pop-up list.
3. Go to "Accessories" on the sub-menu.
4. Go to the "System Tools" sub-menu.
5. Select "System Restore" from the sub-menu by clicking on it.
6. The "Welcome to System Restore" window will open. Click your cursor arrow on "Restore my computer to an earlier time." Then click on the "Next >" button.
7. When the "Select a Restore Point" window opens, select the pre-SP2 download date within the calendar frame you chose as your restore point. Then, on the list, click on the name you called your restore point. Click "Next >."
8. Read the warnings on the "Confirm Restore Point Selection" window, and if you are satisfied that you selected the correct restore point, click the "Next >" button.
9. The system will log you off, shutdown, and then do "system restore." When it is completed, Windows will restart.

 The holidays are fast approaching and it may be useful to have a hard copy of the information found in your e-mail client's Address Book. Follow the steps below to print a copy of your entire Address Book.

To print out your Address Book using Outlook Express 6 for Windows XP:

1. Open your Address Book by clicking on its toolbar icon.
2. Select "View" from the menu bar located at the top of the Address Book window and select "Sort By" from the resulting drop-down menu. A submenu will appear with choices that allow you to choose whether you want the list sorted by name, e-mail address, phone number, and so on.
3. Go to "Edit" on the menu located at the top of the Address Book window and click on "Select all" from the drop-down menu. This will select all entries in your Address Book for printing. You can also pick out certain addresses for printing by holding down the "Ctrl" key while clicking.
4. When you are ready to print, press the "Print" button on your keyboard, or press the "Ctrl" + "P" keys on your keyboard, or use the File menu located at the top of your tool bar.
5. At the bottom of the print screen, you will see additional printing options such as a business card, memo, or just a phone list. Experiment with some of these styles to see which suits your needs best.

To print out your Address Book using Netscape 7.1 for Windows XP and Mac OS X:

1. To open your Address Book, go to the "Window" menu located at the top of the Netscape 7.1 menu bar. Select "Address Book" from the resulting drop-down menu.
2. From the "File" menu located toward the top left of your Address Book tool bar, select "Print Address Book" from the drop-down menu.
3. When the print dialog screen appears, click on the "OK" or "Print" button.

  The Outlook Express, Entourage, Netscape 7.1, and Eudora e-mail programs all utilize the "Preview Pane" feature as a default setting. The Preview Pane setting allows recipients to easily view the contents of new e-mail messages without having to click on the message to open it up. This saves time and is great when getting e-mail messages from friends and family.

The problem with the activated Preview Pane feature of these software programs, of course, occurs when spam e-mail is sent to a user's inbox. The recipient is almost forced into viewing the contents of spam e-mail messages prior to deleting them. Sometimes the images can be pretty distasteful.

A user can easily "turn off" the Preview Pane feature of their e-mail program. By doing this, the user only views messages he/she actually wants to open. Here's how to do it:

Outlook Express for Windows

1. Click your cursor arrow on the Outlook Express "View" menu.
2. From the resulting drop-down menu, select "Layout."
3. When the "Layout" window opens, look for "Preview Pane" about half way down.
4. Uncheck the check box next to "Show Preview Pane."
5. Click on the "Apply" button and then click "OK" to close the window.

Entourage for Macintosh

1. Click your cursor arrow on the "View" menu.
2. From the resulting drop-down menu, uncheck "Preview Pane" by clicking on it.

Netscape 7.1 Mail

1. Click your cursor arrow on the "View" menu.
2. From the resulting drop-down menu, select "Show/Hide."
3. From the resulting submenu, uncheck "Message Pane" by clicking on it.

Eudora 6.1

1. Click your cursor arrow on the "View" menu.
2. From the resulting drop-down menu, select "Options."
3. When the "Options" window opens, look for the "Category" pane on the left hand side. Scroll down until you find the "Viewing Mail" icon and click on it.
4. In the "Preview Pane" section, uncheck the check box next to "Show message in preview pane."
5. Click "OK" to close the window.

Periodically backing up the contact information located in your e-mail client software's address book can be a prudent move. You'll be glad you did if you ever have a major problem with your computer. Also, if you decide to switch to a different e-mail program that has better features, you can easily import your contacts into the new program.

To back up your Outlook Express address book, follow these steps:

1. Start Outlook Express and open your address book by clicking on its icon on the Outlook Express toolbar. Or, from the Outlook Express "Tools" menu, drop down to "Address Book."
2. After your address book opens, go to its "File" menu, then to "Export" from the resulting drop-down menu, and select "Other Address Book" from the submenu. The "Address Book Export Tool" window will appear.
3. Select "Text File (Comma Separated Values)" as the format and click your cursor arrow on "Export."
4. Give your exported address book a name.
5. Select the location where you want to export your address book using the "Browse" button. When the "Save As" dialog box appears, choose a location, and click "Save."
6. You will come back to the "Address Book Export Tool" window. Click the "Next" button.
7. Select the fields you want to include in your copy. If in doubt, select them all.
8. Click "Finish" and then "OK."
9. Click the "Close" button on the "Address Book Export Tool" window to finish up.

Now you can burn this file onto a CD or copy it over to another computer. Either way, it's great to have the peace of mind that a back up copy of your address book can give you.

Most people find that both their personal and business e-mail messages create a kind of journal. In the same way that people keep shoeboxes of special letters sent from friends or file cabinet drawers containing letters and documents from business associates, many users today use their e-mail software as an archive resource.

A hard disk failure or corrupted e-mail files caused by a computer virus could cause the loss of a user's archived e-mail correspondence. To help safeguard against such an occurrence, users can create a backup of their e-mail messages. As the tutorials below detail, a user can copy all of his/her e-mail files, save them to a secure location, and then restore the files if needed at a later date.

To backup e-mail messages in Outlook Express 6.0 and Windows XP, follow these steps:

1. With Outlook Express open, click your cursor arrow on the "Tools" menu and then click "Options" from the drop-down menu.

2. In the "Options" window, click on the "Maintenance" tab.

3. In the "Maintenance" menu, click the "Store Folder" button. The "Store Location" window will open.

4. Click and drag to highlight the path listed under "Your personal message store is located ..." Next, press the CTRL+C keys on your keyboard to copy the path.

5. Click "OK" to close the "Store Location" window. Click "OK" again to close the "Options" window.

6. Click the "Start" button on the lower left corner of your screen and click "Run" under the pop-up menu.

7. Click on the "Open" field in the "Run" window and press the CTRL+V keys on your keyboard to paste the path to where your "Store Folder" is located. Then click the "OK" button.

8. Click on "Edit" in the menu bar and then click "Select All" in the drop-down menu.

9. Click on "Edit" again in the menu bar and then click "Copy" in the drop-down menu.

10. Open the folder (or make a new folder) where you want to store your backup e-mail files. Then click on "Edit" in the menu bar and "Paste" from the drop-down menu. If you have a CD or DVD writer, it's also wise to make a copy of these files on a disc.

To restore e-mail messages from a backup in Outlook Express 6.0 and Windows XP, follow these steps:

1. With Outlook Express open, click on "File" in the menu bar and then select "Import" and "Messages" from the drop-down menu.

2. In the "Outlook Express Import" window, highlight the program from which your backup e-mail copies originated. For this example, let's assume that we used Microsoft Outlook Express 6 to create the backup copy, so we'll select "Microsoft Outlook Express 6." Then click the "Next" button.

3. The "Import From OE6" window will open. Select the button next to "Import mail from an OE6 store directory."

4. Click the "Browse" button and locate the folder where your backup e-mail copies are located.

5. Click on the folder that contains your backup e-mail files to highlight it and then click the "OK" button.

6. Click the "Next" button.

7. Select either "All folders" to import all mail or select "Selected folders" and highlight the specific mail folders you wish to import. Then click the "Next" button.

8. You'll be presented with a message that lets you know your import is complete. Click the "Finish" button to close the window and return to Outlook Express.

To backup e-mail messages when using Macintosh's Entourage e-mail client:
Macintosh users can protect their e-mail messages and settings by creating a backup of their Documents folder and saving it to a secure location. Each of the relevant Microsoft identity files for Entourage is contained within the Documents folder. It's a matter of simply dragging a copy of the folder to a disc.

Most e-mail programs allow you to ask for Read Receipts when sending e-mail messages. However, two popular Macintosh programs, Mail.app by Apple and Microsoft's Entourage, make no provision for sending or responding to Read Receipt requests. For information on popular e-mail software programs that do have Read Receipt capabilities, see the details below.

Outlook Express for Windows
Outlook Express for Windows can both request Read Receipts and respond to them. To set-up Outlook Express to request Read Receipts, follow the steps below.

1. Open Outlook Express. Place your cursor arrow over the word "Tools" on your Outlook Express menu bar and select "Options" from the resulting drop-down menu by clicking on it.

2. When the "Options" window opens, click on the "Receipts" tab.

3. The first option list is "Requesting Read Receipts." Click on the check box next to "Request a read receipt for all sent messages" and then click "OK" to close the window.

Eudora 6.2 For Windows and Macintosh
Eudora 6.2 does not have a setting which allows you to request a Read Receipt every time a message is sent. The user must request these on a per e-mail basis. Eudora 6.2 does allow you to respond to receipt requests. To request Read Receipts in Eudora 6.2, follow the steps below.

1. Open Eudora 6.2 and then create a new e-mail message.

2. The message will have its own small tool bar with icons across the top. In the Windows version, if you pause over the buttons, they will tell you their functions. When you find the one labeled "Read Receipt," click on it. On the Macintosh version, the button is plainly labeled "RR."

3. Send the message.

Mozilla's Thunderbird For Windows and Macintosh
Mozilla's Thunderbird is a close cousin to the popular Firefox Web browser. Thunderbird allows you to request Read Receipts; however, a known bug prevents anyone from responding to one. To request Read Receipts for an e-mail account when using Thunderbird, follow the steps below.

1. Open Thuderbird. Place your cursor arrow over the word "Tools" on your Thunderbird menu bar and select "Account Settings" from the resulting drop-down menu by clicking on it.

2. When the "Account Settings" window opens, look in the pane on the left for the name of the account from which you want to request receipts. Click on the plus sign next to the name to expand its settings list if necessary.

3. Click on "Return Receipts" and then click on the "Customize return receipts for this account" radio button.

4. Click on the check box next to "When sending messages, always request a return receipt" and then click "OK" to close the window.

Netscape 7.2 For Windows and Macintosh
Netscape 7.2's mail feature for both Windows and Macintosh is another Mozilla-based browser/e-mail client which supports Read Receipts. Its interface is similar to Thunderbird's but it allows you to also acknowledge a Return Receipt request. To set-up Netscape 7.2 to request Read Receipts, follow the steps below.

1. Open Netscape 7.2. Click on the word "Window" in the Netscape menu and select "Mail & Newsgroups" from the drop-down list.

2. Place your cursor arrow over the word "Edit" on your Netscape mail menu bar and select "Account Settings" from the resulting drop-down menu by clicking on it.

3. When the "Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings" window opens, look in the pane on the left for the name of the account from which you want to request receipts. Double click on the name to expand its settings list if necessary.

4. Click on "Return Receipts" and then click on the "Customize return receipts for this account" radio button.

5. Click on the check box next to "When sending messages, always request a return receipt" and then click "OK" to close the window.

Your browser may have a button on its toolbar called "AutoComplete." (It's called "AutoFill" on a Macintosh.) AutoComplete is a useful yet underutilized feature which is available on most browsers. Its purpose is to save you time when filling out online forms when placing orders with online merchants. Rather than filling out an order form each time you make an online purchase, browsers provide a place to store this information to then use as needed when placing an order. Here's how to set up AutoComplete on your browser:

Utilizing AutoComplete When Using Internet Explorer Browser

1. Open Internet Explorer.

2. Click on "Tools" on your browser's menu bar and select "Internet Options."

3. Click on the "Content" tab and select "AutoComplete."

4. Check the box next to "Forms" and click "OK."

5. Click the "My Profile" button.

6. If you have placed contact information about yourself within your Address Book, AutoComplete can use it for your profile. Select the second option ("Select an existing entry from your Address Book to represent your profile") and then choose an Address Book entry by clicking on it. Click "OK" and this will be your profile.

7. If you do not have the contact information about yourself within your Address Book, select the first option ("Create a new entry in the Address Book to represent your profile"), fill in the information on the form, and click "OK." The next time you go to make a purchase online or fill out a form, AutoComplete will take your profile information and automatically fill out the form for you once you key in the first few letters.

8. To make changes to your profile information, click on the "My Profile" button under the "Content" tab of the "Internet Options" window and fill in the blanks in your profile. You can also simply go to your Address Book in Outlook Express and make your revisions there.

Utilizing AutoFill When Using Macintosh's Safari Browser
 

1. Open Safari.

2. Click your cursor arrow on "Safari" on your browser's menu bar and drop down to "Preferences."

3. Click on the "AutoFill" icon.

4. Make sure there is a check in the box next to "Using info from my Address Book card."

5. Click on the "Edit" button to enter or update your information.
    

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