Weekend ProjectSubscribe toWeb User atsubscribe.webuser.co.uk 29 May - 11 June 2019 61NEXT ISSUE How To...Tidyyour PC’s messycablesOn sale
Wednesday
12 Junecomputer via a USB dongle, try moving it
toa different port. If itconnects via
Bluetooth, checktosee if there’s an
updatefor the Bluetooth driver.
Finally,you could adjust the mouse
settings.Typemouse settingsinto the
search box and press Enter when it’s
highlighted. Click‘Additional mouse
options’ and, in the window that opens,
tweak the double-click speed and change
the pointer speed under thePointer
Options tab.
Customise yourkeyboard layout
Typekeyboardinto theWindowssearch
box and press Enter, andyou’ll be ableto
adjust the speed of characterrepeat and
the cursor blinkratein theKeyboard
Properties box.You canremapkeys –
or disable anyyou don’t use – using
KeyTweak (bit.ly/keyt476). It’s a bit long
in thetooth butstillworkswell, and the
software includes aTeach Mode that lets
you map onekeytoanotherbypressing
them when prompted.
Alternatively,you could try SharpKeys
(bit.ly/s hpk4 76 ). This is a simplertool but
is updated regularly. Gostraighttothe
download pageatbit.ly/s hpkdl4 76.
Clean the dirty three – monitor,
keyboard, mouse
You can buy cleaning supplies that are
specially designedfor computers, but
there’sreally no need.Tocleanyour
monitor and the outside ofyour
computer case, just use a damp and
slightly soapycotton cloth. Unplugyour
PC beforeyou start and make sure the
cloth isn’ttoo wet. Ifyou do use a spray
cleaner, be suretospraythe cloth and
notyour equipment.
Tocleanyourkeyboard, turn it upside
down and tap the backtodislodge any
detritus. Ifyou havea can ofcompressed
air or a desktop vacuum cleaner,you can
use thistofree andremovemore debris
from between the gaps, but putting an
old sockover the nozzle of avacuum
cleanertoact as a filter will help ensure
you don’t lose anything large, such asa
loosekey. Next, goover thekeys with
your damp cloth.You can use some
cotton buds on hard-to-clean areas, and
dipping them in rubbing alcohol
(isopropyl alcohol) willremovethe muck
even more thoroughly. Use atoothpickto
scrapeawayany thick grime.
You canremovethekeys from some
keyboardsbyprising them free and then
cleaning them individually but this maybe a tadover thetop.Another option is
touse a product such asCyber Clean
(cyberclean.net), which is an antibacterial
compound (a cross between putty and
slime) thatyou press down ontoyour
keyboard. Dust, hairs and dirt between
thekeys sticktothe goop andcome
awaywhenyou peel it off. It doesn’t do
as good a job as actually wiping the
keyboard properly but it’s finefor a quick
clean betweenkeys.
Cleaning a mouse isstraightforward.
Use the damp cloth and atoothpick or
fingernailtoscrapeawayany solid muck
on the sides or the buttons. Ifyou still
havean old ball mouse, turn it upside
down,removethe ball and carefully
scrapeawayany filth on therollers inside
(or betteryet, chuck it in the bin and buy
yourself a modern optical mouse).The Mouse Properties window can adjust the speed
at which the pointer moves around the screen
SharpKeys maps onekey to another soyou can better postitionyour most
frequently used functionsKeyTweak letsyou remap somekeys and disable anyyou don’t use