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Learn how to adjust the sound so you'll feel less like a dolt when things go wrong.
  technofile
Al Fasoldt's reviews and commentaries, continuously available online since 1983

Set up that new PC right! Here are 7 things to look for


Dec. 19, 1999

By Al Fasoldt
Copyright ©1999, Al Fasoldt
Copyright ©1999, The Syracuse Newspapers

   Are you setting up a new PC that you received -- or that you are giving -- as a holiday present?
   Do the recipient a favor. Set it up right.
   PCs never come set up properly. I'm not exaggerating. They always need to be adjusted in one way or another. Sometimes you need to do a lot to get it right, so set aside a few hours this week before the big day.
   Here's my list of the seven most important tweaks for new Windows PCs:
   1. Adjust the keyboard rate. It's too slow -- much too slow -- the way Microsoft designed it. Open the Control Panel in Windows and then open the Keyboard "applet." Move the two top sliders all the way to the right, then click OK and close the window.
   2. Get rid of the ugly black border on the screen. Unless the PC has a flat LCD screen, the monitor that came with it has a big black border all the way around it. That's dumb. Look at the bottom front panel of the monitor for some controls -- they can be any type, from knobs to push buttons -- that let you adjust the display. Try them out until you find how to make the picture wider and higher. Make it big enough so that it goes all the way to the edge of the picture tube.
   3. Set the mouse speed so it's not too fast or too slow. Newcomers to PCs often have a hard time getting the mouse to do anything right because it moves too fast. Anyone who's used a PC for a while probably wants the mouse to move quickly. My advice: Too slow is better than too fast. Open the Control Panel and open the Mouse applet. You'll probably have to click the "Basics" tab. Adjust the slider until the mouse moves across most of the screen with a single flick of the wrist. (That's all that counts, after all.) Then click OK and close the window.
   4. Set the color depth to 16-bit color. Most PCs come with this setting, but check it yourself. Open the "Display" applet in the Control Panel and click the "Settings" tab. At the left you'll see a "Colors" chooser. Make sure it reads "High Color (16 bit)." Change it by clicking on that line.
   5. Set the resolution high enough for the monitor. If the PC has a 15-inch or larger monitor, the default setting for resolution is nearly always too low. The setting is in (where else?) the Control Panel. Open the Control Panel and then open the "Display" applet. Click the "Settings" tab.
   You'll see a slider at the lower right called "Screen Area." Slide it to 800 by 600 for 15-inch monitors, 1024 by 768 for 17-inch monitors or 1200 by 1024 for monitors larger than 17-inches. (I have my 21-inch monitor set to 1600 by 1200, but the two other 21-inchers in our household are set to lower numbers. Be prepared to reset this if things look too small.) Next, click "Advanced" and click "Apply the new color settings without restarting." Click "OK' and then click "OK" again.
   6. Set the background and Window colors to something that's easy on the eyes. We can argue about which colors are best, but nobody's ever going to convince me that bright white makes a good background color on the computer screen. PC users need a restful, muted color. Pale gray is good, as is pale beige and very pale green. Open the Control Panel and open the "Display" applet. Click "Appearance." Don't fuss with adjusting the colors; just click open the dropdown list and choose "Marine (High Color)." Click "OK" and close the window.'
   7. Learn how to adjust the sound so you'll feel less like a dolt when things go wrong. There's a speaker icon at the right end of the bar that runs across the bottom of the screen. Click the left mouse button on that speaker icon and hold the button down for a second or so and a small volume slider will pop open. Double click that speaker icon and the entire set of volume controls (confusingly called the "mixer") will open.