Windows Tip: Maximize Software Windows at Launch

By Leo Laporte June 26, 2001

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Related Articles · How to Get Tweak UI There's a quick and easy way to make your software fill up the whole screen when you launch it. The trick is to make a shortcut for the program.

To make a shortcut:

Right-click on the application.

Select Create Shortcut. A clone icon will appear, with the name "Shortcut to [name of source]".

Drag and drop the Shortcut wherever you want to keep it (for example, the Desktop or Start menu).

Once you've done that, you can now set the application so that it opens full screen. Here's how to do it:

Right-click on the icon, and choose Properties from the pop-up menu.

You'll see at the bottom of the property dialog box an entry called Run. Select from Normal (the default choice), Maximized (full-screen), and Minimized (small window).

This will work with "well-behaved" programs, but the choice you make is a recommendation, not a command, so some programs may ignore your selection.

The exceptions

If you're adventurous, you may have noticed this little trick doesn't work with special programs like Internet Explorer, My Computer, or the Recycle Bin. All you have to do is create a shortcut for those programs, and follow the instructions for it instead.

You'll end up with duplicate icons on your desktop, but that is easily fixable. TweakUI will allow you to hide the special programs, then you use the shortcuts in their place.

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2001

Answers

SHOW notes from Leo at Tech-tv.com

Show notes for July 4, 2001 (repeat of June 26, 2001)

Leo's Boot Camp Basic training for the personal confuser. Leo's Tip of the Day: How to protect yourself from viruses. There are more viruses than ever before. You can do a few things to protect yourself. Don't have to be paranoid, just prudent.

1. Innoculate your computer: Install antivirus program. You can buy a commercial product from Norton, McAfee, and other companies, and HouseCall antivirus detection is free at http://www.housecall.antivirus.com/. Andy from Massachusetts wrote in about another free antivirus program, AVG Anti-Virus System at http://www.grisoft.com/.

2. Don't open email attachments. It's the number one way to spread viruses.

3. You can also spread viruses if you're emailing attachments. Find alternative ways of delivering files, such as embedding images within the email, or use an online storage service to transfer large files.

4. Limit physical access to your computer. The fewer people you have using the computer, the fewer things you have to track.

5. Use an antivirus program to scan anything you download from the Internet.

Francisco from Buffalo, New York, wants to know how to download an address book from Yahoo. Yahoo allows you to save an address book online. Here's how to do it.

1. In Yahoo Address Book, click on the Options link at the top right of the page.

2. Look for the Import/Export link and click on it.

3. In the area, select the format you want (Outlook, Palm, Netscape, or Yahoo), and click the appropriate Export Now button. If you plan to export on a regular basis, you should use Intellisync synchronizer. You can reach Intellisync by clicking on the Synchronize link in the Options page. It's free, so give it a try.

**Heat problems

Henry from Derry, New Hampshire, has a problem with heat and his computer. When the temperature gets to 85 degrees in his house, the computer spontaneously reboots. He's using an AMD KIII processor. He installed a new fan a while ago.

Check to see that it is installed properly. Go into your BIOS and check a couple of things:

1.Operating temperature. Anything at 120 degrees or lower should be OK. If it's too hot, you need to cool it off.

2. Check the Alarm setting. It may be set to go off at a certain temperature, which causes the reboot. If it's set too low, turn the setting up, or turn it off.

**Virtual memory

A viewer wants to know more about virtual memory. What is virtual memory? You computer reserves a certain amount of space on your hard drive. The computer then uses that hard drive space as memory when you run out of RAM. When it comes to your virtual memory settings in Windows, you want to leave the default, which lets Windows manage your virtual memory. You normally don't have to specify your settings.

Never turn off virtual memory. Windows and the Mac work best with VM on.

**Linux and USB

Ryan from Whittier, California, wants to get USB to work on Linux so he can use a USB modem. First, you need to get the latest distribution of Linux. The latest version will have USB support. Then you need to find a USB driver for your devices. To find a driver, visit http://www.linux-usb.org, which has a lot of information about drivers and USB support.

**Mobo and AGP

Phil from Lawrence, Kentucky, has a Gateway system with an old 1x AGP bus and video card. He wants to upgrade the mobo, but wants to know if he can still use his old card. You should be able to do it. When you install the new mobo, you might need to go into the BIOS and set the AGP port to 1x. But since you have a second generation 1x AGP card, you won't have to worry about it. You can just install the card, and it should work.

**End of show emails

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2001