Administrative Office of the Courts PC Tips and Tricks

Using your AOC computer more efficiently and effectively.

Backup your Work

Always make a backup copy of important documents or folders you do not want to lose.
This 2nd copy should be on a different drive or “save location” from the 1st copy.
The following are AOC drives or “save locations” that you can use.

C drive – “My Documents” folder for Windows 2000 OR “Personal” folder for Windows NT.
** Documents saved on your AOC PC should ONLY be saved into these folder locations above **

A drive – 3 ½ inch floppy disk that you can carry with you.

To use the following two drives, your office must have a server and you must have a LAN Account.
F drive – personal/private LAN drive accessible only when using your LAN account ID.
G drive – your office’s common LAN drive where you can save documents that other AOC staff
in your office who have LAN account Ids can also view and use.
 Administrative Office of the Courts PC Tips and Tricks

1. the screen you see when you first logon to your computer that displays the
! "
“Start Button”, “Taskbar”, “Microsoft Office Shortcut Bar” and other “Desktop Icons”.
2. # ! $! % " an icon with a BLACK ARROW on its bottom left corner. These icons are not “the
folder” or “the document” but enable you to get to your destination with one double-click. If you delete
a shortcut, you do not affect the original document/folder/program.
To create a Shortcut:
1. Right click, hold and drag a CLOSED folder or document to the shortcut location (e.g. desktop)
2. Release the mouse button and Left click “Create Shortcut(s) Here” from the drop down menu.
&' " displays everything on your computer in hierarchical/filing manner.
Tip: In Windows 2000, when exploring folders in any way, users can click the Folders button in the
Standard Toolbar to display or hide the Folders panel on the left. If you cannot see your Folders button,
then click View/Toolbars/Standard.
In Windows NT, to see the Folders panel, Explorer must be entered using one of the methods below.)
Different Methods to access Windows Explorer:
a. Left click or double click the icon that has a picture of a folder with a magnifying glass over it, OR
b. Right click on the Start button or a Folder on your desktop and left click Explore.

( ")" " computer storage devices for programs and information (e.g. documents etc.)
C drive - your local computer’s hard disk space (the computer you are working on at that moment)
A drive – slot/device on PC in which you insert a 3 ½ inch floppy disk on which to save information
D or E drive – CD ROM disk (Most current AOC PCs have Read Only CDs ROMS. Newer PCs will
have CD ROMs with read and save capabilities and no A/floppy drive.)
G drive – your office’s COMMON LAN (Local Area Network) drive. It is your office’s SHARED
STORAGE SPACE accessed only when using a LAN/Novell Username and Password.
F drive – your personal and PRIVATE drive/file folder on your office’s LAN accessed
ONLY when YOUR LAN/”Novell” Username and Password is being used.
* " icon storage tool that holds documents, programs and other folders etc. You can create, name
and move your own folders for organized storage. While sometimes referred to as a “file folder” the
term “file” (e.g. computer file) can also be used to refer to a documents, forms, programs etc.
+ " – software on computers that perform a particular function (e.g. Microsoft Word creates
documents, Internet Explorer allows access to Internet; TAO/GUI allows access to State E-mail; Excel
creates spreadsheets; ACIS allows access to the Criminal System)
$ ! ", * ", # ! " files created, saved and used by programs such as
MS Word (documents), FormFlow (forms), Adobe Reader (forms), MS Excel (spreadsheets).
& '! " the 3 letters that follow a “dot”/period after the name of a document/form.
Extensions designate with what program a file is associated.
Extension examples: MS Word = .doc ; FormFlow = .frl ; Adobe Reader = .pdf
Name examples: indictment.doc ; lg100.frl ; subpoena.pdf
”.exe” means it is an executable program e.g. winword.exe is the Microsoft Word program
Note: Your PC may have a setting that does not allow you to view extensions. You then must rely on
the picture/icon of the program to interpret with which program the file is associated.
!#" the computer address of a file, folder or document etc. used to describe its location
e.g. C:\Forms\AOCForms\General\lg100.frl
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 Administrative Office of the Courts PC Tips and Tricks

- +#!

! * LEFT/Regular Click RIGHT Click

Steps: (index finger) (middle finger)

1. Using Windows Explorer, click to WHERE you want your new folder to reside.
Tip: Click into the “My Documents” folder for Windows 2000, OR the “Personal” folder Windows NT.
You are able to create folders anywhere on your PC, even on your Desktop, HOWEVER, on AOC PCs you should
only create new folders and/or save data into these folders stated above.
2. Ensure that your chosen folder contents are displayed either full screen, OR if you can see the “Folders Panel” on
the left, then your chosen folder icon should be OPENED on the left with your contents displayed on the right.

3. In blank space where the contents of your chosen folder are displayed, Right click in blank to display a menu

4. In the menu, Left click “New”; Left click “Folder” and immediately type in a name beside the folder icon

5. Click in blank space OR Hit the Enter keyboard key.

, $!, ., ! # ! $! , - / ! 01
& & * , $ ! !# * 0
Tip: These Right Click tools can be used in Backing Up Your Work
Two Methods that do the same tasks:
a. Right Click, Hold, Drag, Release and Regular/Left Click Menu Selection:
Right Click on the UNOPENED folder or document and while holding the mouse button, drag the folder/document
to your new location folder. Release the mouse button to receive a menu.
Left click Move Here, Copy Here, or Create Shortcut Here OR

b. Right Click, Release and Regular/Left Click Menu Selection:

* ! Right click on the UNOPENED folder or document and Left click your selected task from the menu
- To Rename – after you left click Rename, immediately type in the new name and hit the Enter key.
Tip: If you rename an unopened file this way and you can see an extension on the file name (.doc, .xls etc.),
then the new name you type in must also include the extension.
- To Create a Shortcut – after you left click Create a Shortcut, a Shortcut is created in your current location.
You can then use Method “a” to move or Method “b” to cut and paste the Shortcut to you selected location.
- To Cut or Copy – after you left click your chosen Cut or Copy, click through Windows Explorer to where you
want the folder/document/shortcut to reside. Right click on or in the destination folder and left click “Paste”.

Tip: Highlight multiple folders/documents simultaneously to “click and drag”, “copy” OR “cut”:
a. Ctrl Key: Hold the Ctrl key while clicking selected items. You are able to select or deselect any item
OR
b. Shift Key: Click first item of adjacent items to be selected, then Hold the Shift key and click the last
item in the adjacent list and release the Shift key. This method selects only adjacent items within a list.
With multiple items selected use Methods above to perform tasks as you would for one selected item.

2 $ 3 !# 4 * + * ,* $ ! $ ! $! !#
a. Click Start button – Search (or Find) – For Files or Folders, OR
b. Right click on a File Folder that you want to search within and then Click Search (or Find), OR
c. Double Click My Computer (Just another way to click through computer files).

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 Administrative Office of the Courts PC Tips and Tricks

! ! # 5 ! +

Most of us know how to minimize programs to the Taskbar, and how to click the program buttons on the
Taskbar to maximize the program to use . . . but here are a few tricks.
Open several programs to run at the same time on the PC.
For example: ACIS, Word, TAO/GUI email

Trick # 1 - Alt-Esc
Keyboard strokes that will allow you to quickly switch between open programs that are currently running
full screen. Hold the Alt key and hit the Esc key to toggle through the open full screen programs. Release
the Alt key when you see the program you want to use.

Trick # 2 - Alt-Tab
Keyboard strokes that will allow you to quickly switch between open programs while the programs are
minimized or not. This is also different than Alt-Esc because when you hit the Tab key a dialogue window
is displayed with icons representing all open programs. As you Hold the Alt key and hit the Tab key, a blue
box will move from one opened program icon to another displaying the program name below. Release the
Alt key when the program name you want to use is displayed and has a blue box around its icon.

Trick # 3 - “Show Desktop” button (located on the Taskbar in Quick Launch bar)
Click this button to immediately minimize all full screen programs to the Taskbar allowing you to quickly
return to the desktop. Click this button again to return open windows/programs back to their previous
positions.
If this button is not displayed, then Right click on your Taskbar, Click “Toolbars”, Click “Quick Launch”

! 3 ( 6$ . # $+# 3 $ !# $! !# 3 $
Trick # 1 - Ctrl-Esc (or Keyboard Key with an “MS Windows” picture on it, )
Keyboard keys/strokes that will access your Start button menu.

Trick # 2 - Underlined Letters

When searching though menus, when there is a word with an underlined letter, you can usually hit this letter
on the keyboard to select the menu item.
However, when beginning a search through menus in a MS office program (e.g. Word, Excel etc.), you must
select the main menu item (File, Edit etc.) by holding the “Alt” Key while hitting the “Underlined Letter”.

Trick # 3 - Arrow keys

When searching through menus, use the arrow keyboard keys to navigate.

Trick # 4 - Enter key

When a menu is displayed and your next selection is highlighted, hit the Enter key to select.

Trick # 5 - Esc key

Use the Esc key to escape a current menu either to a previous menu or out of menus.

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 Administrative Office of the Courts PC Tips and Tricks

$ ! ( +
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Save often while editing documents to avoid loosing your current edits in case your computer
freezes or you have a power outage.

7 The FIRST TIME you save a newly created document by CLICKING . . .

a) File/Save As. . . OR b)File/Save OR c) the “save” icon in your tool bar,
you will ALWAYS
arrive at the
OR SAVE AS . . . Window
as seen below.

In the Save As . . . Window you must pay

attention to and confirm or change the
information in the following fields.
The Save in: text field allows you to use the
drop down arrow to click within Windows
Explorer to the location where you want the
document to be saved. Contents of this folder
are displayed below.
The File Name: text field allows you to
confirm or enter the name that you want the
document to have.
The Save as Type: field will default to the
program type you are currently using.
You will probably never edit this field unless
you are saving a word document as “Text
Only” or “Rich Text Format” so it can be
read by a program other than MS Word.

8 After a document has been saved one time, if you want to save and choose to use File/Save or
click the “save” icon in the toolbar you will bypass the Save As . . . window. The computer
assumes you want to overwrite and save your current document with your new edits.

Rescue Tip: The “Undo” and “Redo” buttons in the Standard Toolbar in Windows programs
can be your best friends when editing files/documents.
Use these buttons when you make editing errors in a document that you are currently editing.
“Undo” and/or “Redo” restores you one edit at a time backwards or forwards with each button click.
These buttons ONLY work since your last document saving process.

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 Administrative Office of the Courts PC Tips and Tricks

$! ! ) . !
%
This Process can be used for TEXT within or between documents/programs
AND
for UNOPENED FILES (folders, documents etc.)

4 Step Process Methods

Right Click Speed Menus Buttons Keys
1st Select/Highlight Text or File
(see Tips # 1 or 2 below)

2nd Copy selected file or text, Right Click on selected text and click Copy Ctrl – C
OR OR OR OR
Cut selected file or text Right Click on selected text and click Cut Ctrl - X

3rd For Text: Place Curser,

(see Tip # 3) or
For File: Click in Distination

4th Paste text Right Click and click Paste Ctrl - V

Tip # 1 To Select Text in a Document: Click at the left of the first letter to select, Hold and Drag to last
letter and Release to highlight all wanted text.

Tip # 2 To Select an Unopened File (folder, word document): Right or Left Click the file ONE time.

Tip # 3 To “Place Curser” for Pasting Text: Move mouse pointer to where you want to insert the copied or
cut text and click into place when pointer becomes an “I” beam.

Tip # 4 You can copy/cut and paste between different programs. For example, you can copy a
Case/File Number or Defendant’s Name from an ACIS/ICA Inquiry screen or IF formatted
correctly from a Word document, and paste the name or number into the appropriate ACIS Main
Menu field to search by hitting F1 (File Number) or F2 (Name).
Tip # 5 Steps 3 & 4 above can be combined if you are really good with the mouse. At step 3, simply Right
click to place your curser where you want your pasted text to appear. After you Right click, the
dropdown menu will be displayed. Click “Paste” from the dropdown menu as you do in Step 4.)

% ! ! * ! ! - 5
1. When you choose “Cut” you are removing the selected text/file from its current location.
When you choose “Copy’ you make a copy but leave the original text/file in its current location.
2. When your computer is shutdown, all clipboard items are lost, THEREFORE NEVER USE CUT AS A
SAVING METHOD, ONLY AS AN IMMEDIATE TRANSFER TOOL.

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 Administrative Office of the Courts PC Tips and Tricks

)9 % & : !! # !
1. Envelope/e-mail icons with paperclips on them are e-mails with attachments inside.
2. Double click on the envelope/e-mail icon to open the E-mail.
3. After you open the e-mail, the attachment is displayed at the top right of your screen beneath the
word “Enclosures”.
4a. To Read without a need for saving or editing: simply double click to open
4b. To Save an attachment to your PC for reading and/or editing:
1) Right click on the UNOPENED attachment icon (do NOT open the attachment)
2) In the menu, regular/Left click on “Save Target As” (or Save As…)
3) Click through the “Save in:” text field to display where you want it saved within your computer
4) Edit the “File Name:” text field to a unique name you will recognize
(Remember: if you edit the File Name, include the same 3 digit extension/e.g. .doc, .xls, htm)
5) Click the “Save” button
NOW the attachment is saved to your PC. You can open, read, edit and save it on your PC.

*
1. There are two AOC Form formats: a) FormFlow (.frl) b) Adobe Reader (.pdf)
2. FormFlow Forms are usually located on AOC PCs in:
C: \FormFlow\aocforms OR C:\Forms\aocforms

3. Forms that have been updated since December 2002 are located in two places.
A. In TAO/GUI – forms are in FormFlow (.frl) format
1) Open TAO/GUI, Click the Conferences folder (on the left), Click AOC_Forms_Memos folder
2) Click to open the appropriate Form folder: Admin, Criminal, Civil, Other Admin etc.
Note: that there are separate e-mails containing either Memos or Forms
3) Double Click to open the email that that displays the Form # in the Subject column
4) A. To open the form/attachment, double click on the icon beneath the word enclosures.
B. To save the form/attachment to your PC, do not open the form/attachment, but follow the
instructions above in “TAO/GUI E-mail Attachment Tips” # 5
B. At the www.nccourts.org website – forms are in Adobe Reader (.pdf) format
1) Open the nccourts.org website
2) Click “Forms” at the top
3) Enter the Form Number or Title information Search Criteria & click the Search button below
4) A. To open the form from the website: click on the blue underlined link of your form
B. To save the form to your PC do not open the form, but follow the steps above in
“TAO/GUI E-mail Attachment Tips” # 5 (the form behaves as an attachment)

! # ! $! ! % ! ! 5 +
When you are at an Internet web page and you want to create a desktop shortcut to take you there easily . . .
1) Make sure you can see your desktop (you may need to make your window smaller)
2) In the browser “Address field” there should be a small icon to the left of the address
3) Left click, Hold, Drag the icon to your desktop and Release, OR
Right click, Hold and Drag the icon to the desktop, then Release and click “Create Shortcut(s)
Here”.
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 Administrative Office of the Courts PC Tips and Tricks

$5 # ! +
Tip # 1: Use Ctrl/Alt/Delete keyboard key commands to close a frozen PC Program.
1) Hit and Hold the Ctrl/Alt/Delete keyboard keys in that order at the same time AND Release them
2) Click the Task List Button to access the Windows Task Manager Window
3) Click the Application Tab (if it isn’t opened already)
4) Highlight the Task row that displays “not responding” in the Status column.
(this Task row should be the program that is frozen)
5) Click the End Task button, Wait … and click a second End Task button.

Note: a) You will loose any unsaved data in the program you are closing.
b) If your mouse works when the program is frozen you can Right click on your
Task Bar and click Task Manager to directly access the Task Manager Window.

Tip # 2: If all else fails to solve your problem, completely Shutdown the computer and Reboot.
The Reboot (restarting) process resolves many computer problems. (See Procedures below)

Tip # 3: Use Ctrl/Alt/Delete …Shut Down to Shut Down a PC that is completely frozen.
1) Hit and Hold the Ctrl/Alt/Delete keyboard keys in that order at the same time AND Release them
2) Click Shutdown button
3) Click Radio button you choose to do (Shutdown, Shutdown and Restart, or Shutdown and Power Off)
4) Click Ok.

Tip # 4: Completely Shut Down your PC for at least one night per week.
A time to cool off and the Reboot procedure is an amazing “healing” process for the PC.

Tip # 5: If your computer is a laptop, at least once a month use your laptop WITHOUT the power supply
connected.
Letting the battery discharge (until it reminds you to shutdown or connect power) while you are using the
computer will actually prevent future battery problems.

#$! $
1) Click Start
2) Click Shut down
3) Confirm that Shut down is displayed in the text box (use the drop down list if needed)
4) Click Ok

Tip – You can Log off your PC to secure it while avoiding the complete reboot/restart process:
At step 3 above - use the drop down list to choose Log off “username” instead of Shut Down.

*
If you cannot logon to your PC and/or LAN using your User Ids and Passwords
or have other computer problems you cannot resolve call the Help Desk.
; /< < 1 = 8 8 :> 7 ? @
The AOC Help Desk staff can reset both PC Passwords and LAN Passwords.

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