J.D.'s Handy WebTV Tips

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WEBTV HANDY TIPS PAGE 2:

Even More Tips.......

1) When on a link, use the 'Tab' key to go directly down to the very next link on that page. Use 'Tab & Shift', to go up the page to the previous link on that page.

2) Hold CMD and R together for 6-20 seconds for super-reload. This often works when regular reload or multiple regular reloads will not........Especially good for those 'grey' or blank pages that don't work with one or more of the regular reloads.........WebTV refresh has a hard time on pages using Javascript code, so super-reload works best.

3) Use 'send' to save a post to e-mail rather than using 'save' to favorites. The post will disappear from your favorites when it expires from the board, even though it may appear to still be there.

4) save a folder within a folder to make your own F-key saver. One or more folders hold all your original favorite sites, and another folder holds up to 32 other folders which each then can be assigned their own F-key shortcut. (click on any folder, and when it opens showing you the list of favorites, press 'save', and put it in another folder). That means you can have folders within folders, within folders........all on one or more F-keys.....You must keep the original folder you had, with all of its' favorites for this to work. For more information on this Click:
F-key Saver Using Folder Within Folder

5) If WebTV unit freezes, (no buttons or keys work), try pushing on 'find', 'info', and 'goto' buttons in very rapid succession continuosly for about 5-10 seconds. Do this before resorting to the manual 'reset' of unit which always works for most glitches etc. (unplug unit, wait 60 seconds, plug back in, and power up again). Be sure to check your settings area if you use the unplug method. Sometimes these settings will fall back to the default settings.

6) 'alt' key and 'space' bar together will add spaces in places where the regular space bar will not.........

7) The WebTV customer service toll-free number has letters and numbers in 1-800-go-webtv. The correct number is 1-800-469-3288. If you mistake the O for 0, you will get a porno company.

8) No need to usually click on a separate button when you have a box showing a URL, (if you have a keyboard). Just click on the URL itself. For instance; in the goto box, type in a URL, and press 'return', rather than on the 'go to page' button........The 'GO' button on the remote will not work for this; it just brings up your onscreen keyboard.

9) TV fanatic? If you use a Plus, then GoTo 'TV home' by pressing 'view' if you are on the Web. Pressing 'view' again, will take you right back to where you were on the Web. While viewing the 1/2 size center TV, (or after clicking on the PIP which brings up full screen), at 'TV Home', press 'recent'. You will see six of the TV stations that you have been to, each with their own PIPs, and can move from one to the other at will. Whichever PIP you move the cursor to will be the active one. Moving from one to another is like a fast scan of channels. Press 'recent' again, and all six PIP screens will be updated.

10) The little 'red' dot or little red rectangle at the bottom of the screen in the title/status bar, means you have the 'caps lock' key depressed or on........

11) ALWAYS unplug the WebTV unit power cord first before making any connections or disconnections to the unit. (including just fiddling with the wires or cords). And NEVER have power or signals running through the cords or cables that you attach to the WebTV unit. (in other words, be sure your WebTV is unplugged, and that all of the things being attached, are powered off). WebTV chips are sooooooo very sensitive to stray voltages and static electricity, that they often burn out when making connections while the power is plugged into the WebTV unit......Many people know this by having to replace their units after not adhering to this warning.......

12) Be sure to have your TV adjusted correctly to avoid screen burn-in. This usually means lowering your 'contrast', 'picture', and 'brightness' settings. The problem with burn-in is caused by the brightly contrasted and non-moving images on the screen for long periods of time as in exceeding 10 minutes. You can GoTo my VORTEX page and click on the TV adjustment area link for further info:
Link VORTEX™

13) Getting cut off while writing long e-mails? This is WebTV's timeout feature. About every 7-9 minutes, just be sure to press 'goto' and hit return, and then click on 'continue'......

14) When you click on a link to a midi, and while most midis' are playing, you may push 'options', and you will see a control panel that lets you 'pause', 'stop', 'rewind/start' the midi. As long as this panel is showing, you can continue to play the midi, even though it has not been 'looped' and 'autostarted'.

15) Use 'GoTo' and click on 'show current', to get the URL of the page you are on. This allows you C/C/P the URL. You can also get most shorter URLs by using the 'info' key. Or even use my URL Retriever and HTML Grabber:
J.D.'s URL Retriever & HTML Grabber

16) Have a Plus? Want to connect directly to the Web rather than first seeing the TV Home? GoTo 'TV Home', click on 'settings', then click on 'dialing', then click on 'Power' button, and then check the box, and click on 'done'.

17) Whenever in need of help on a subject concerning WebTV things, go to the area in question, and click on 'help' in the left sidebar........

18) When using C/C/P , once text or a page is highlighted, pressing 'return' is the same as CMD & Delete. (deletes all of the highlighted text).

19) The 'find' function is NOT case sensitive. Use either lower case or upper case letters, Either work fine. ie; using 'McGraw' or 'mcgraw' will be the same.

20) While in a 'mail' area, click on 'cleanup' and you will see the 'size' and space that each e-mail takes up; based as a percentage of the available 4MB. Any e-mails with photos or video captures, or sounds, will take up an inordinate amount of space.

21) Need help with different areas? There is usually a 'help' icon on every WebTV network page that will help you with whatever subject you are at the time. Want to know how to set up F-keys? On the page of favorites that list the 'shortcuts', (Click On: 'favorites'-choose a folder-'organize'-'shortcuts'-'help'), click on 'help' and learn all about it.

22) On Web 'Home', click on 'help', and find links listing all kinds of needful things.

23) To correct problems remedies: a) If having 'slow' problems, or things just don't work quite right, press 'options', and click on 'hang up'. Then hit 'return' or hit the middle 'go' button on the remote. CMD & powerbutton do the same thing. b) Try changing users, then back again. c) Try powering off, wait 60 seconds, and power on again. d) Use super-reload (hold CMD & R together for 6-20 seconds). If all else fails; e) Unplug unit, wait 60 seconds, plug back in, power up, GoTo settings and recheck all of your settings like dialing etc. If even this does not work, then perhaps the problem is either in the unit itself, or WebTV is having hic-ups again.......

24) Want to 'cancel' that mistaken 'back' button? Be quick and hit the 'options' key, or the 'recent' key on the keyboard. Hit the same key again and you should have stopped the action of the 'back' button. Just don't hit the 'back' button again instead. Actually, any of the 'action' keys with pop-up screens will work, but the 'options' or 'recent' keys are the easiest to hit quickly without making the same mistake twice in a row.

25) Want to search through a newsgroup to find your posts? Start on the first page of posts; press 'find' and type in the name you have that shows up after your email addy; hit 'return'. (just be sure that the page of posts has fully loaded first, by watching the green heartbeat line.) If you had a post on this page, the first instance of it will now be highlighted; otherwise it will have a 'no find' pop-up. If you get the pop-up, hit 'back', and click on the + to go to the next set of posts. Do the same thing with each page of posts. Note: be sure to use the 'find' feature more than once on a page if it does find a post for you. Each time you use the 'find', it will go to the very next instance of whatever is in the 'find' box. See the tip 't)' on the previous page about using CMD & G and CMD & B. Use these anytime you have something in the 'find' box.

26) Want to 'quote' someone? This is commonly called 'smallify'. There are two basic ways:
        a) starting at the bottom line of the text to be quoted; put the cursor at beginning of the last line, press delete, press return. Work your way up all of the lines of text in the same way, up to and including the top line of the text. At the beginning of the first line, put a > , if the line wraps (jumps down one line), do not put a > at the beginning of the new part of the wrapped line. Work your way down and put a > at the beginning of all original lines. DONE
        b) Start at the first line and put a >, then press CMD and right arrow together, then press return. Put a > at beginning of all lines working your way down, even before the new wrapped ones, and use the CMD and right arrow together on each line. DONE
Be sure to try it out on yourself, by sending or forwarding one of your e-mails to yourself. For another opinion, try here:
Paul Erickson's C/C/P    Click on 'smallify'.

27) Need some additional help with WebTV? Then try here:

Paul Erickson's Page #1 Access
Paul Erickson's Page #2 Access       or,
WebTV's Help Center

28) Sometimes using the 'back' button or key will work when you have a seemingly 'stuck' connection try, or the loading of a site. Just hit 'back' then start the GoTo, or click on the link again. This seems to speed up the connections at times.

29) Before replacing that color printer cartridge, be sure to use up the black ink in the color cartridge first. Just be sure you don't choose 'black cartridge' for text. This tip is to use after you have used up the colors of the color cartridge. Use the 'black cartridge' for normal text printing. For more help on all kinds of printing, GoTo the printer newsgroup which can be found on my NewsGroups List:
NewsGroups

30) Occasionaly check out your 'WebTV Privacy Settings', as described on
Saverio's page:

31) Can't figure out how to make forward and backward quotation marks? The one key on the keyboard for quotation marks, is used for both forward and backward marks. Disregard how it looks. They will be automatically used the correct way, depending on where you use them. HTML and URLs will look different on some pages, but be assured that using just the one key will do it correctly. Brackets, slashes, and others have their own separate keys.....

32) For beginners wanting to learn HTML; how to have music and sound in e-mail, or images displayed and so much more, use
Draac's Site

33) If you can NOT seem to get your remote or keyboard to work by programming or reprogramming your remote or keyboard, (even with new batteries), then: remove the batteries, and press each and every button. Then put the new batteries in, and program the remote using the remote codes, (not the keyboard separate codes), and program the keyboard using the keyboard codes, (not the remote codes). There often gets to be a glitch (due to static electricity), from dropping or shocking the remote or keyboard. Clearing the code area by the above procedure is the only way to erase the glitch. Also; be sure that each of the batteries are new, and each facing the correct direction, and that the battery clips are snug. Do NOT mix different types of batteries like one regular and one alkaline. All alkaline batteries are best.

34) To indent already 'smallified' text, use two >'s in front of the line to indent an extra time. Use three >'s in front of any lines you want indented even more.

35) Find that you have to replace keyboard batteries often? Then be sure that you do NOT leave your keyboard upside down, or something on top of it. Any key being depressed will send a signal thus using up the batteries. Riding the clutch will also use up the batteries readily.

36) Having trouble with a sound or gif showing up in your e-mail even though it worked before? Be aware that some sites no longer allow linking to some of their things. You can still 'goto' them, but you may not link to them. Just transload them to your own site, or find links that will work. Also, be aware that they may seem to work once, but not later. This is due to having had the item stored in the cache when you first accessed the item. Then when you 'seemingly' use the link, it 'appears' to work, because you are actually only accessing the cache. Once you change users or power off, the cache is cleared, and so the link now is gone. Again, just be sure you have a true and usable link.

37) Need a page to be magnified so you can read it? Then try the   Page Text Magnifier
http://www2.crecon.com/agent33/alter.page?main

The magnifier will only magnify the text of a page of a site, and will not work on WebTV Network pages such as your e-mail.

GoTo the 'Magnifier', and click on the 'options' icon on that page, and scroll down to the F-key info to set up the magnifier for one key use. When setup correctly on a F-key, you can hit the F-key whenever on a page needing magnification, and it will automatically magnify the text of that page.

Or, you can use the following address, adding your URL to directly goto and magnify the page wanted:
http://www2.crecon.com/agent33/alter.page?&URL=http://the addy here you want magnified.

If you want to magnify an e-mail text, or some other text that you C/C/P, then go here:
http://mimes.com/m/

38) WebTV no longer supports Javascript being used in your WebTV signature or your E-mail. Embeding a page in your sig or e-mail (that uses javascript), will not run the javascript. If you want something in javascript to work on your sig or e-mail, then just make a link to a webpage of yours that contains the javascript.

Too many tips? Or in need of more? Please click on my guestbook to send me your tips, or if you have questions concerning these listed.

You can also post more if I have forgotten some and don't care to sign my guestbook, but I can't assure you that they would be included. (I do not always read the newsgroups nor read all the posts if I do.)

Want to print out the complete list? Then go here to get the best version for you to print,
(includes both sections of tips):

Print Tips List size='3' (approx. 11 pages)
Print Tips List size='1' (approx. 7 pages)

I would like to credit the following people for helping me compile these handy tips:

Yours Truly....,
SecretAdmirer,
Marcus Hollman,
Oscarve,
and others from: news:webtv.users

More Tips Pages

Be Good, Be Safe, Be Prepared...........

And Web On.......

the Keeper

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