Many people do not know how to do this,
so here are the instructions in simple language which I think will work on any server.
1 Using the Mouse.
The Mouse has a pointer which often turns into a cursor. You place your mouse pointer
on the far left edge of words you want to copy and while holding down the left botton
on the mouse, drag the cursor across all the words you want to "highlight"
they should turn dark--that is dark background, light text or words. This can be
tricky. If you let go of the left mouse button before you have covered all the words
you want, you will only get part of them. When you click the left mouse button again,
all the words you have just "highlighted" will go back to normal looking
words and so you have un-done the highlighting. It is easier to hold down the left
mouse button, drag the mouse across the first line of typing and when you are on
the right side of the page, drag the mouse down...this will get all the words covered.
Right now you are not "copying" anything you are just "highlighting"
it so the computer will know what words to copy.
2 You don't have to use the Mouse to highlight.
If you want to "highlight" something (and you must "highlight"
before you can copy) you can click once, anywhere, among the words you want to copy,
You won't see anything happen, but that one click has told the computer where to
look for the words you want to "highlight". Either way will work fine to
"highlight" and you should use whichever one works better for you. If you
have trouble dragging the mouse while holding down the left button...then follow
the method in # 3 below.
3
Okay, we have clicked the mouse pointer once, anywhere among the words you want to
"highlight" and now the computer knows where to look when you give it the
next command. And, you are the commander. At the top of your screen (on almost all
servers) you will see a list across the top of the page. Mine reads: File Edit
View Insert Format Tools Table Window Help--these are all commands. With the
mouse pointer, click on the Edit command. A list of options should open up and you
can choose what to to. Some may still be in greyish color and that just means that
you don't have that option yet, but you will soon.
Click on the words "select all" -- you are telling the computer to "highlight"
all the words. The background should turn dark and the words lighter. When this happens
you have just "highlighted" everything you want to "copy" but
you haven't copied it yet. That is the next step.
Now, don't click anywhere except back up in the Edit command or you will lose your
highlighting. Click on the Edit command again, and when the options open up, then
click on "copy". You have just told the computer to "copy" everything
that was highlighted.
If you don't want to go back to the edit command again you can also use the "Control"
key. Mine is CTRL and is lower left on my keyboard. While holding down the "Control"
key, you press the "c" key and that tells the computer the same thing.
Control and c = copy.
You don't see anything happen. Folks this is a trust issue. The computer has just
copied everything that was highlighted and placed it on an invisible clipboard. It
will stay on that clipboard until you tell the computer what to do with it.
For right now, let's assume that you have typed a passenger list and you typed it
in the place where you usually type letters to your friends, or recipes or whatever...but
you are not on-line. You have that list open so that you can read it. You have clicked
once, anywhere, in the words that are before you. You have opened the Edit command
and told the computer to "select all" and then when everything became "highlighted"
you went back to the Edit command and told the computer to "copy" all the
words which were highlighted. Now go up to the File command and click once on it.
Another list of options should open up for you. One of them should be "new"
and that is the one I want you to click on. A new page, no text, no writing should
open up for you. It may already have a cursor flashing in it. The cursor flashing
tells you where you should start writing, but in this case it is going to tell the
computer where to "paste" everything that you have just copied. Take the
mouse pointer and go back up to the Edit command, when the options open up for you,
click on "paste". The computer will "paste" everything into that
new file, new page. Now, you have two copies and you can see that it really does
work.
You can also save the new page you have just made if you want to. For now, let's
not save it, just close it and when the computer asks you if you want to save it,
just say no. The page should go away, you don't need it anymore.
If the page you see next, is the page you just "highlighted" and "copied"
that is the way it should be. It may still be "highlighted" and it may
still be "copied" depending on your system. If it is still "highlighted"
you want to be sure that it is still "copied" so go again to the Edit command
and click on "copy" again to be sure.
That page will stay copied while you log on to your server. Just go through your
normal procedure to get on-line. You can still use your mouse to do anything online
that you would normally do. The computer will not "paste" your information
until you tell it to.
So, go start an e-mail to Mary Beth Arthur. Put in her address (Mary Beth Arthur),
in the subject area type in the name of the ship, such as SS Rough Waters, and then
instead of typing "Hi Mary Beth", make sure the cursor is flashing where you
would type and go back to the Edit command, when the options open for you, click
on "paste" and it should paste the passenger list right there. Send it
to her and give yourself a big pat on the back.
There is also another way to "paste" just like there is another way to
copy. If you have used the control and "c" keys to copy, you can use the
control and "v" keys to paste. Use one method, either use the command boxes
to copy and paste, or use the control and "c", and the control and "v"
keys but it doesn't always work when you combine them. If you "copy" from
the Edit command, you might not be able to "paste" using the control and
"v" key method. If this sounds confusing, forget all about the control
keys for now.
I hate to even mention this put I have to. If the computer does not "paste"
that can only mean one of the previous steps was not done correctly. This does take
a little practice, don't get discouraged.
Once you get good at dragging the mouse, you can do wonders. If you are reading a
letter on-line and someone mentions a good website, you can "highlight"
it right there, "copy" it right there and go look at it without closing
your letter or writing it down. Once it is copied, just go to the space where you
would type in a URL and click in that space so you have a cursor flashing, then "paste"
the website address there and click on "GO" or whatever word your server
uses to get you there. You can look at it, close it, and go right back to reading
your letter or digest.
I hope this helps all of you who have been having difficulty. With a little practice
you will get very good at this. My apologies for typing this so simply for those
who already know how to do it. I didn't want to get too technical since it is not
easy to write this down...not as hard as writing down how to tie a shoe, but close.
Let me know if this helps or not. Patty
Before you can "copy" anything, you must first "highlight" it.
This can be done with the mouse by placing the mouse pointer at the beginning of
the words you want to copy and while holding the left mouse button down...drag the
mouse and it will "highlight" the words you want to copy. The mouse pointer
is sometimes an arrow, sometimes a cursor. When you place the mouse pointer on the
far left of the text it usually becomes a cursor (flashing thingy). Sometimes you
can drag that cursor while holding down the left mouse button. If you want to copy
all of the text you are looking at, click the mouse pointer anywhere in that text.
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