May 22, 2006

Dear Sassy: Is there an easy way to search a website for a certain word or phrase? And could I also search a Word document?
~ Control less at LSU

Dear Control less: Excellent questions! There is in fact an easy way to search a website for a certain word or phrase. You will want to use the shortcut key of “Find” (Ctrl F) to search. Hold down the “Ctrl” key and press the letter “F” on the keyboard. This should bring up a search box in which you can enter you word or phrase. If you are using Internet Explorer the box should appear in the middle of the screen.


However, if you are using Mozilla Firefox the search box will appear at the bottom of the page. Nonetheless a search box will appear using the shortcut key of Ctrl F. This shortcut key will work in your Word and WordPerfect documents, and other programs as well.

You might be thinking – thanks Sassy, but how am I ever going to remember Ctrl F for searching? Well… If you select the Edit option from your toolbar you will see “Find” with “Ctrl+F” beside it. You will also see other options with their shortcuts listed out beside them. For example: Select All = Ctrl+A, Copy = Ctrl+C, Paste = Ctrl+V, Save = Ctrl+S, and so on. Even if you happen to forget the shortcut keys, you can always refer to your toolbar for assistance.


Dear Sassy: I have noticed that my computer is set to automatically update Windows. Do I need to update my Microsoft Office (Word, Outlook, PowerPoint) software as well?
~ Update or not to update? in the library

Dear Update: Glad to know that your computer is updating Windows on a regular basis! But what impresses Sassy the most is that you are aware that it is updating – great job! You do want to keep your Microsoft Office software up to date – this will increase the stability and security of your machine. (And we all like to be stable and secure!)

In order to run these updates you will need to open an Internet browser window. Once that is open click on “Tools” on your toolbar and then “Windows update.” Once the new window opens you should have “Office Family” as one of the tabs at the top of the page. Click on “Office Family.” On the top left of the screen you should see “Office Update” and under that “Check for Updates.” Click on “Check for Updates.” If updates are listed, go ahead and click on “Agree and Install.” Occasionally a screen will pop up asking if you have the Office CD – go ahead and say “Yes” normally it does not require the CD for installation but if it does, I have a copy in my office.

You will need to run the Microsoft Office update every few weeks. Office does not put out as many updates as Windows does so it does not need to be run as frequently. If you would like a reminder set up on your machine, please let me know and I can assist you with that or with running your updates.