Excel - how to display the column a

One of the major features of Microsoft Excel is that we can hide individual columns, column groups, and even several groups of columns. Similarly, we can hide the lines.

For example, to hide the columns e and F, just click and drag the e header on the e column in the header of column (f) f. Then, right-click in the selected E - F header and select hide from the popup menu.

When we want to see again the hidden columns, the show command is used.

Continuing the same example, click on the header D (or any header before the hidden columns) and drag on the hidden columns in the column to the right (in this case G). Click the headers of D - G selected, and then select Show.

This is nothing to hide and show columns.

But what happens if you have hidden A column? There is no column on the left that you select and drag. How we can display A column?

This is a non-obvious feature of Excel comes into play.

The box at the intersection of the letters of the column and line numbers is the key. If you click on this box, you select all the rows and columns.

Once they are selected, simply click on one of the letters of the displayed column. Which will display the popup Menu. Select view from the menu, and you are done.

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What is the IP address?

Subscriber Joseph Murphy has written request:

I wonder how an IP address is determined and whether it can be modified and how?

Thank you, j. P. Murphy.

It is a good question, Joseph. The response can be simple or it can be used to educate.

If you access your home network or your provider network Service Internet access as a method to get to the Internet, the basic answer is that the IP address that you use to access a network is assigned by the network administrator or the DHCP (Dynamic Host Control Protocol) server.

You can get assigned a static IP address, in which case you're told to set your computer or your router to use the specific IP address assigned to you. You are also provided with the netmask to use and, perhaps, the specific use computer name.

Your ISP may also require the Media Access Control (MAC) address of the piece of equipment that connects to their system. In this case, they are usually control access to their network address MAC address, or the combination of IP address and MAC address.

Most often, you will get your IP address assigned by DHCP, in which case you're told to set the connection to the network from your computer (or router) If you have to obtain its IP address in the network via DHCP ISP, then it will be automatically assigned.

At first blush, DHCP may seem to be a way to get different IP addresses. After all, the really "leases" DHCP server the IP address to a specific MAC address for a specified period, often 24 hours. However, at the end of this period, the computer (or router) with the IP address will be apply for a renewal of its IP address. If this address is not currently in use, the DHCP server will assign it for a new period of rental.

In the same way, the DHCP protocol often give the same specific (or router) computer IP over and over - simply because the license has expired and this computer was the first to say "I want to renew my permit to address IP XXX."YYY.ZZZ.AAA, or give me a new if this one is used. "Although of course, the computer (or router) really does not mean all that it simply sends the signal saying that he wished to renew its lease.

Then, how you get a different IP address?

First of all, if you have a static IP address, you can contact your ISP and ask a different. They you probably want to know why. They may or may not be interested in giving you a different IP address.

If you have a dynamic IP address, I believe that the best way to do that may be for a different network card (if you are not using a router - and you should use a router for security purposes), so it will have a different MAC address (they are unique to each piece to individual network equipment).

If you use a router, most routers will allow you to specify the MAC address which is presented on the side of the Internet of the router (rather than the side home network). Which was intended to allow the user to modify the hardware without having to go through efforts of reconnecting with the cable or DSL Internet service provider.

What happens if you have a combination Modem DSL + router? In this case, you may not be unable to change the MAC address of the router. Since the router gets the IP address of the Internet, or what IP address is assigned by the ISP, you are stuck with what they will do you for you.

This seems confusing, which is why most ISPs use DHCP for the allocation of IP addresses - so that they will not have to debug as often for their clients.

Related articles:

• IP addresses explained
• Networking and IP addresses
• IP addresses and security

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Migration of files when moving from a Vista computer to a Windows 7 computer

After the article of last week mentioning the backup program to use Acronis True Image home 2011, I received a Keith Vigon subscriber email with a question on the subject to use in its process of upgrading its operating system:

HI Terry.

Usually when I turn to computers, I have the same problem (very) Basic, namely moving my contact email, contacts, old messages etc. to the new computer, the same applies to the bookmarks in different search engines, as well the files, photos, etc..

Almost everything I could want from the old computer to be available on the other and a Neanderthal like... hmmmm... me, to be able to do so. The program that you described in this last missive would work, or is there a best suitable for this.

The problem, I think that I can encouner is now I am using Vista and a new computer will have Windows 7 - which will be a problem?

Thanks as always

Keith

I wrote back to Keith to remind him that Acronis True Image home 2011 is a backup program - it is not a migration program to automatically move all your files and settings to a new computer.

If you restore the image of a system of Vista on a Windows 7 computer, it would overwrite everything on the Win7 computer with Vista backup - including the rewriting of Windows 7 itself with the backed up files of Vista. However, the system probably not be bootable, since the equipment would be different.

The problem is that your different drivers (video, ethernet, etc.) would not meet the new hardware. Another part is a Microsoft anti-piracy, Windows is no longer installs all the chipset drivers on the Windows installation DVD, so if the new computer has a chipset northbridge and southbridge different that the original computer, the operating system restoration will miss some critical files needed to start successfully.

While the "Plus Pack" ATIH2011 includes the possibility of creating a backup to restore "different material", if you perform a restore of the image, it is the operating system and all. -When you start the first time, it will ask your Windows license code to license the OS on the new hardware.

The actual value of an image of ATIH backup in this situation, it is that it would be available for you to copy of individual files and folders on the new computer. ATIH will "mount" the image as if it were a hard disk - and you use Windows Explorer to copy files and folders of this pseudo-drive to the computer. In this way, you could get your data - then or later.

Your programs have to be reinstalled as the programs often store information in the Windows registry. You do not want to copy the files from the Windows registry of the computer in Vista on the new computer, even if you could (when you run Windows on the new computer, it locks the registry files, so that you could not have replaced their).

There are some programs designed to migrate the settings of new computers, but I haven't tried them. Use one for a customer that Dell sold with their computers about 5 year; Unfortunately, it is very basic common programs (settings windows, IE, Outlook Express settings, settings of Microsoft Office) and ignored most of his tricks.

Microsoft has their own free program for you help to migrate to Windows 7. He called Windows easy transfer and can be downloaded from the Microsoft web site.

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I want a real backup program

Subscriber Mike Gallagher recently wrote about his computer backup:

HI Terry,.

I am confused about "backup" on your computer. I see all kinds of advertising and articles on the computer backup. What I see, all is not a real backup. What I mean as a "real backup" is that if a hard disk crashes - even one with the operating system on it, full recovery can be done. This is true even if the disk crashed with its smell and Visual effects included - a resulting head crash is loud nasty, short films circuit with sparks and nasty stinking smoke. O.K. get you my point.

If I have a real backup, I replace the hard disk, load the backup CD or DVD, boot and start all the required files on the new hard disk loading, delete the backup media, reboot and am right where I was running, just before the excitement.

Such a procedure really exist, or is just a backup of "backup" application, but not all install them and programs run info? It seems that this is what are backup programs.

I'm looking for a backup program, or any term that you want to use, which allows me create a CD / DVD or a set of them that I can retrieve as described above, without having to go find my original install disks for operating system and applications as well.

I am running windows 7, 64 bit, home premium.

Thank you

Mike G.

Mike the asking - and I am already using, as a number of readers of computer advice of Terry. The solution is a backup image program called Acronis True Image home 2011.

You can make your own recovery from the DVD if you want, or save the image in a large file on an external drive, on a computer across your home network, or even on a second physical hard disk in your computer.

While you could save your image backup and subsequent incremental backups on a separate partition on the same hard disk, which would put all your eggs in one basket.

Be sure to create the CD bootable ("Create Bootable"), since you need (to start so that you can run recovery on the CD) If you actually replace the drive or restore your C: drive.

You can schedule backups to occur when you want to that they occur and the backup that you want to save.

I used Acronis True Image home for a few years - version 7, v9, v10, v11, v2009, ISU and now v2011. It retains everything improves.

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