Tame a Wild Mouse

Ask Mr. Modem!

Q. My mouse goes crazy when I move it, as if it is possessed. Is there anything I can do about that?

A. Short of calling in an exorcist, you will find that most mouse behaviors are controlled within the Mouse Properties dialog box. In this case use the Pointer Speed slider bar to make adjustments. Depending on the version of Windows youre using, go to your Control Panel > Mouse or click Start and in the Search field type in mouse and select Change the mouse pointer display or speed. The wording may vary.

You may have to look around to find the correct setting, but check the Pointer Options tab, if you have one, and under Motion, move the slider thingie to the left to slow down your cursor, or for those afflicted with SMS (Sluggish Mouse Syndrome), you can speed it up by moving the slider bar to the right.

While you're mousing around in the settings, take a look at all the other options you have when it comes to customizing mouse performance. For the fun of it, try any settings that look interesting. You cant hurt anything -- famous last words -- so be sure to note any existing settings before making any changes, in case things take an ugly turn.

Q. When I insert a CD of photos that Ive taken with my digital camera, if I select the Thumbnails view, I can see all the pictures on that CD. Is there some way to print all the thumbnails so I can use it like a contact sheet for selecting photos in the future?

A. There are several ways to accomplish that: With the thumbnails displayed on screen, press the PrtScrn (Print Screen) key. Though it will appear as if nothing is happening, you will be saving what you see on screen to the Windows Clipboard. Next, open a graphics program such as Windows Paint (Start > Programs > Accessories > Paint), or another excellent program is the free Irfanview (www.irfanview.com) graphics viewer.

Paste (right-click and select Paste) what was saved to the Clipboard into the graphics program screen. You can then click File > Save and save the file to your computer or File > Print and print it.

If you use Irfanview, click File > Thumbnails on the menu bar. In the new Thumbnails window you will see a list of files and folders on the left and a preview area on the right. Navigate to the folder where your photos are located and click Open. Select (highlight) all the photos by pressing CTRL + A, or right-click anywhere within the photos and click Select All. Next, click File > Create Contact Sheet. Irfanview will generate a contact sheet in a new window, which you can then print or save.

Mr. Modem's Sites of the Week

Red Square
The object of this tortuous exercise is to move the red square without getting hit by the bombarding blue blocks and without touching the black walls. Your goal is to survive longer than 18 seconds. My best time was 11.531 seconds, which is nothing to write home about. The longer you survive, the more aggressively the blue blocks attack. Warning: Red Square is addicting. Very addicting.
http://tinyurl.com/78ep5

Vaudeville!
Vaudeville represents the true beginning of American popular entertainment. And lest you believe the vicious rumors that vaudeville is dead, it can still entertain you today on the virtual stage, thanks to this tribute site. Here you can read about the amazing acts, savvy showmen, bold entrepreneurs, and the entire history of the vaudeville movement. If you prefer, sit back, relax, and listen to recordings of sketches and songs, or watch videos of vintage acts.
http://tinyurl.com/3xd74y

For plain-English answers to your questions by email, plus helpful PC tips, subscribe to Mr. Modems Weekly Newsletter. For information, visit MrModem.com.

Categories: