Q.   I know you’ve addressed this before, but I can’t remember how to change the Web page that appears when I open my browser. Can you go over that again, please? I look forward to your newsletter every Friday.

A.  You didn’t mention which browser you’re using, so I’ll run through this for Internet Explorer and Firefox. The process is similar for all browsers.

In Internet Explorer, click Tools > Internet Options > General tab -- which my exhaustive research reveals was named after General Horatio Tab, a little-known Civil War officer.  In the Home Page section, you’ll see three buttons below the Address field: Use Current, Use Default, and Use Blank. Navigate to a Web site that you want to use as your Start page. When it appears on screen, click the Use Current button and the site’s address will pop into the Address field. Click Apply > OK to save and exit. 

The Use Default button will typically make a Microsoft page or a page designated by your computer manufacturer, browser, or ISP the Start page. The Use Blank button will speed up your browser’s launch by preventing any Web page from loading, resulting in a blank, white screen. 

My favorite browser is Firefox, so if you’re using Firefox,  click Tools > Options > Main. Under Startup you’ll see your Start page options as well as the Use Current Pages, Use Bookmark and Restore to Default buttons.

Bonus Tip:  If you would like to experience the joy of multiple Start pages, with each page appearing in its own tab, Firefox is happy to accommodate. To perform this digital slight-of-hand, click Tools > Options > Main. In the Home Page: field, separate Web site addresses with a vertical line (|) (called a pipe mark), which you can create on most keyboards by pressing SHIFT + \ (the Shift key plus the Back-Slash key). For example, if you want Firefox to open with Google and my Web site (and who wouldn’t?), type in http://www.google.com|http://www.MrModem.com, then press OK.

You can return to your Start page at any time by clicking the Home button located on your browser’s toolbar.

Q.  Help! I put a CD in my computer and now it won’t come out. I keep pressing the button to eject it, but nothing happens. How can I remove it?

A.  If you’ve encountered a stubborn CD or DVD that refuses to vacate its temporary residence in your CD/DVD drive, a simple paper clip can save the day. Even a complex paper clip will work. First, using brute strength alone, straighten out a paper clip, then look at the front of your CD/DVD drive and locate the tiny hole. It’s so small, about the only thing that will fit into it is -- oh, I don’t know, perhaps the end of a paper clip?  When you locate the hole, gently insert the paper clip and press until the drive tray pops out and your CD is free once again. Not all drives have this emergency release capability, but take a close look and you may be in luck.

Mr. Modem's Sites of the Week:

Kitchen Contraptions
If you spend a lot of time cooking at home, of course you'll want to be fully equipped with all the latest kitchen gear. This online cooking blog will keep you informed about the newest kitchen gadgets to hit the market, including corn strippers, dual-zone fryers, herb seed kits with growing lights (hello?), and more. In addition to gadget reviews, there are products for sale and extensive archives, should you want to search for a long-lost favorite appliance.
www.kitchencontraptions.com

Search for Classes
Greeting visitors to this site is the motto: “Bringing Education to People Like You!” I’m not sure what the implication of that statement is, but this is a search engine apparently created to assist those of us clearly in need of additional education. Courses are organized between virtual (online) and campus-based schools. Select the type of program and degree you’re interested in and the site will present a variety of options. People like us can also search schools alphabetically or by geographic location.   
www.searchforclasses.com

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