IT Tips - September 2014

IT Tips – September 2014

 

Fall is coming. Do you know what that means?? Pumpkin beer!

Not at work, of course… 

 

 What’s Inside:

Tech Section

·         Internet Explorer Favorites Bar

·         Setting your default printer

Kudos

·         Thank you Jaime!

 

 

Internet Explorer Favorites Bar (add IT Tips!)

The latest version of Internet Explorer (Internet Explorer 11 or IE11) has a new minimalistic interface design. This simple interface design has left many wondering, “Where the heck are my favorites?” To which I respond, “They are but a click away!”

There are two ways to access your favorites in IE11.

First, you can view all of your favorites by clicking the star on the top-right of the IE11 window.

From here you can view your favorites or add the current page to your favorites by clicking the “Add to Favorites” button.

 

You may be more accustomed to the “favorites bar”. That brings us to the second way to view/organize favorites in IE11.

The Favorites Bar can be enabled by right-clicking the top portion of the IE window and selecting “Favorites Bar”.

Once enabled, you can add websites to the favorites bar by dragging the icon next to the web address into the bar. Like this:

It is, of course, a brilliant idea add the IT Tips blog to your favorites bar like I did in the image above!

You can also remove a favorite from the favorites bar by right clicking it and choosing “Delete”.

 

Setting your Default Printer

Are you tired of manually choosing your printer every time you print? Do you ever stare off into the starry night sky wondering if anyone is looking back? What does the second question have to do with this IT Tip? Absolutely nothing!

What… Um, can we please go back to printers?

Ok, fine.

Windows allows you to choose one printer which will be automatically selected when you click print. This is known as the “default printer”. It’s a little feature that goes a long way.

You might ask, “How does it go a long way?”

I’ll admit that it only takes about two seconds to choose your printer manually. However, after 60 prints you will have saved yourself two whole minutes. Then figure you print about 200 times a week; that’s about 6.67 minutes per week. After a couple of months you will have saved about one hour. You could then go to the spa and pamper yourself for an hour. All thanks to this IT Tip (and subsequently, me). You’re welcome.

 

That was… less weird. How do I set the default printer?

It’s easy!

The process varies a little between Windows 7 and Windows 8, so I will show you on both operating systems.

 

Windows 7:

Click the Start button and choose “Devices and Printers”.

Now right click on your favorite printer and choose “Set as default printer”.

You’re all done!!

 

Windows 8:

Go to the Start screen (click the flag on the bottom left of the screen or press the flag key on your keyboard).

Type devices and printers and click the “Devices and Printers” icon that appears. Note: you may notice that Windows 8 found what you were looking for after only typing the letters ‘devi’. Pretty neat, isn’t it?

Now right click on your favorite printer and choose “Set as default printer”.

You’re done too!!

 

 

Kudos

I would like to thank Jaime Kemp for suggesting the favorites bar tip! Sorry it took so long, Jaime!

 

Have a great month, everyone!

-Keith

Please don’t hesitate to shoot me an email if you have a something that you think will make a good tip. You’ll get credit on the blog for your contribution and I might give you a high-five