System Tools

Most of the programs included in this folder are utilities designed to keep your PC in good health. They include Backup (Chapter 18); Disk Cleanup, Disk Defragmenter, and System Information (Chapter 19); and Scheduled Tasks (Chapter 8). That leaves only Getting Started (the brief Windows 2000 tour that greeted you the first time you turned on your Windows 2000 computer) and Character Map, described next.

Character Map

In addition to the standard letters, numbers, and punctuation marks, your PC can create hundreds of different typographical symbols, such as the currency symbols for the Yen and British pound, diacritical markings for French, Spanish, and other languages, various scientific symbols, and trademark and copyright signs. Obviously, these symbols don't appear on your keyboard; instead, they're hidden behind the keys you do see.

Character Map reveals their locations. Use the upper-left drop-down menu to specify the font you want to use (every font contains a different set of symbols). Now you see every single symbol provided by the font. As you hold your mouse down on each symbol, you see a magnified version of it to help you distinguish them. See Figure 9-17 for details on transferring a particular symbol into your document.

When you find the character you want, double-click it to transfer it into the "Characters to copy" box, as shown here. (You can double-click several in a row to capture a sequence of symbols.) Click Copy, then Close. Return to your document, where you can choose EditPaste to insert the symbols.

Figure 9-17. When you find the character you want, double-click it to transfer it into the "Characters to copy" box, as shown here. (You can double-click several in a row to capture a sequence of symbols.) Click Copy, then Close. Return to your document, where you can choose EditPaste to insert the symbols.

Tip

In general, Internet email can't handle the fancy kinds of symbols revealed by Character Map. Don't be surprised if your copyright symbol turns into a gibberish character when received by your correspondent.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION : When Alt+0169 is Faster

When I click the copyright symbol in Character Map, the lower-right corner of the window says "Keystroke: Alt+0169." But when I try to enter that key sequence into my word processor, I don't get the copyright symbol!

That's absolutely right. You're leaving out two critical steps: First, you can't type those Alt+number codes unless you're in NumLock mode. If the NumLock light (usually at the top of your keyboard) isn't ill uminated, press the NumLock key first.

Once you're in NumLock mode, then you can use the Alt-key combinations suggested by Character Map—if you type the numbers using the numeric keypad at the right side of your keyboard (not the numbers on the top row; if you're on a laptop without a numeric keypad, God help you). You have to keep the Alt key pressed continuously as you type the number sequence. When you release the Alt key, the symbol appears in your document.

..................Content has been hidden....................

You can't read the all page of ebook, please click here login for view all page.
Reset