Q.  How can I print several documents at one time using Microsoft Word? I’ve been printing one, then opening the next one, printing that, and so on. There must be a faster way to do this.

A.  If you have a number of Word documents to print, rather than opening each file and printing it individually, you can, indeed, print them in one swell foop. Start by opening the folder that contains the Word documents to be printed.   

Hold down the CTRL key and select the files you want to print. (Bonus Tip: If the files are contiguous -- Mr. Modem’s Big Word of the Day -- press the SHIFT key, click to select the first file in the list, then click to select the last file in the list. All files between the first and the last file will be selected.)

Right-click the highlighted files and select Print from the menu that appears. Enter any print options required, which will be applied to all documents you’re about to print, then click OK. Word will print the files in the order they appear in the folder.

Q.  I do a lot of work with Excel spreadsheets, but when I need to type a fraction, like 1/4, it automatically is converted to “Jan. 4.”  How can I include a numerical fraction?  By the way, I love your weekly newsletter. It’s the best five bucks I ever spent. Keep up the good work! 

A.  Thanks very much. Turning to your Excel-lent question, you're absolutely right: If you try to enter a fraction such as 1/4, Excel transforms it into Jan. 4. To obtain a real number, the way the fraction gods intended numbers to be displayed, type a zero and a space first, such as “0 1/4” (without the quotes). Excel will drop the zero and leave the fraction. In calculations, it will appear as the decimal .25. You can also use a whole number with the fraction. For example, enter “2 1/4” and Excel will correctly consider it the equivalent of 2.25. 

Q.  How can I disable the Desktop Cleanup Wizard in my Windows XP? It periodically pops up unexpectedly and is very annoying.

A.  Depending how a system is configured, Windows XP users may periodically be A) asked; B) encouraged; C) pestered to run the Desktop Cleanup Wizard, which will move seldom-used Desktop icons to a folder. Anything not visible on the Desktop I tend to forget about completely, thus honoring my long-standing family philosophy of “Out of sight, out of mind.” For that reason, I keep the Desktop Cleanup “feature” disabled. If you prefer not to be bothered by these well-intentioned tidy-up prompts, you can also disable the Wizard by right-clicking an empty area of your Desktop, then clicking Properties > Desktop tab > Customize Desktop button > General tab. Remove the check mark beside “Run Desktop Cleanup Wizard every 60 Days,” followed by OK > Apply > OK.

Mr. Modem's Sites of the Week:

Archive of Folk Remedies
UCLA created this online archive of more than 200,000 folk remedies, searchable by keyword. Search results are presented in a table, with the complaint on one side and remedies, contributed by more than 80 kinds of healers, on the other. Beliefs address more than an ailment; many concern the supernatural, the occult, luck, and some downright weird suggestions. Please keep in mind that these are folk remedies and all information should be taken with a grain of salt—but only by individuals on a restricted-sodium diet.
www.folkmed.ucla.edu

Letter Lasso
Think of it as a Jumble on steroids. You’ll be assigned the word you need to find, then with the graphical clock running, the challenge is to find the word within a square containing 100 letters. When you locate it, use your mouse to ‘lasso’ the word, then go on to the next one. It’s fun and just a wee bit addicting.
http://tinyurl.com/38j8kk

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