My question is about the Microsoft Word software that came with my computer. Whenever I use my word processor, it capitalizes my beginning sentence even when I don’t want it to. Is there a way to turn off this feature?
A. The auto-capitalization tool is disabled with a single check box in the Word software, but a lot of folks find they miss it when it’s gone. After all, the great majority of us start more sentences with a capital letter than with a lower- case one.
To shut down the automatic capitalization, click on Tools in the Word display and look for an item called Auto Correct Options. The on/off box comes up in the Auto Correct tab of a menu that appears.
A way to keep the convenient automatic caps feature and still start sentences with small letters when desired is to use a keystroke of Control + Z after the first word is assigned its unwanted cap. This undo command cancels the last operation and can be used in many programs to do such things as recover accidentally deleted stuff.
Q. After months of satisfactory operation, I suddenly cannot download stock prices using my Quicken software. When I start that function, I get a Norton note that Quicken is trying to reach the Internet. It suggests I allow it to do so. I hit OK.
Quicken locks up. (The Norton note had not appeared before when everything worked.) I have to restart the computer to do anything.
When I questioned Quicken via the Internet (through DSL), the response I got was to check with the firewall supplier. When I went to Norton, I could not get to anyone directly. From their list of answers, it appears that I would have to reduce my level of security. By the way, if I turn off Norton for five minutes, I can then download as I used to.
I am reluctant to turn off Norton even for five minutes, and I don’t like the idea of reducing the security level.
Any suggestions for what I should do?
A. You have a problem that is clearly the fault of Symantec Corp., the maker of Norton products, including the firewall. But Norton won’t talk to you because this company, which creates a great number of the problems I get from readers, charges money to talk to its own customers.
With Norton running the firewall module, look for the “permissions” area. There it is possible for users to list programs that can send stuff through their firewalls. Add Quicken. That should work unless the freeze-up problem is caused by Norton’s complex software.
Another fix is to rely on the firewall built in to Microsoft Windows and drop Norton’s firewall. You’ll still have Norton’s antivirus software, and the built- in Windows firewall is a powerful tool.
Contact Jim Coates at The Chicago Tribune, Room 400, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611 or jcoates@tribune.com.
