Copy & Paste

The Copy and Paste feature is the unsung hero of Windows. Not only does it offer great aid and comfort to us non-typists, but it eliminates typos, that render a web page or email address useless. Copy & Paste is available in nearly every program and feature of Windows.

The following example illustrates the use of Copy & Paste for capturing a web page address (URL) and passing it along to someone via email. By first surfing to the actual web page you want to send to someone, you can insure the address is correct as well as confirming the web site is still up and running. There is nothing quite as frustrating as receiving a URL from someone only to find it's not accessible.

In this example we will be copying from the web browser to an email, but this same technique can be applied to copy text, pictures, graphics or just about anything else from one program to another.

First surf to a web page that you want to send to someone, by either typing its address into the address field of your browser, clicking on a “Favorite” or clicking an active link on another web page. 1 Then move your mouse pointer into the address field, and click once. (This will highlight the entire address)

While keeping your pointer, (now an “I-Beam”) in the address field, RIGHT-click once. This will cause a menu box to open. 2 Move your pointer to the Copy selection and click once. Set your browser's size so you can see some of your browser while having room to open your email program at the same time. Now open your E-Mail program.

3 Address the email. 4 Include some text in the subject line that will help the recipient understand, at a glance, what you are sending. 5 Move your pointer into the body of the message, where you want the previously copied web page address to appear, and click once, then RIGHT-click once to open a menu box. 6 Move your pointer to the selection Paste and click once. The web address will appear in the body of your email.

7 Your cursor, (I-Beam) will be blinking just to the right of the web address. Press your space bar once, to insure no typed text is attached to the address, then press the Enter key once or twice to move your typing point down below the URL.

8 Type some text to explain what the address is all about.

Before you send the mail, you can go back to your browser and surf to another site and repeat the above steps to add more addresses to the email you are preparing.

Once you have completed adding all the addresses you want, click your send button to zap the mail off on its journey.