Mr. Modem: Explore Gmail settings with second account

I would like to explore Gmail’s settings, but I don’t want to mess up what I have now. Is there any place I can see demonstrations of what the various Gmail features and options do?

Any changes you make to Gmail through its user settings are reversible by returning to the setting and changing it back to the way it was.

But if you really want to experiment without having to change anything back, Gmail is free, so create a test email account for yourself and then tap, press, click and try options to your heart’s content. If you experiment using a test account and find something you particularly like, you can then apply it to your primary account.

How can I format my Excel 2010 dates so they appear the same every time? If I enter 5/1/2015 it may appear as 5.1.15.

By default, the “short date” display format for Windows (and thus Excel) is “M/d/yyyy.” For example, May 1, 2015, would be displayed as 5/1/2015.

For various reasons, you may want to zero-fill your dates and have May 1, 2015, appear as 05/01/2015. Doing this actually involves a Windows setting, not an Excel setting, so changing a format will affect how dates appear throughout Windows.

I would suggest jotting down any changes you decide to make in case you don’t like the result, so you can then backtrack to what you had originally.

To change the default date format in Windows, go to your Control Panel and select “Regional Settings” or “Region and Language.” In the Short Date format list, select whatever format you prefer, then click OK when you’re done. Unless the dates in Excel were formatted using Excel’s Format menu for a given spreadsheet, they will display as you have defined them.

I put a brand-new CD into my computer and it asked for a product key. What is a product key and where do I find it?

A product key is a combination of letters and numbers that is used to unlock or open software. The product key may be located inside the program’s box or jewel case, or printed or applied as a sticker to the front or back of the envelope the disc came in (also known as a sleeve). For downloaded software, the product key is typically emailed to you after purchase.

Do not throw away any of the packaging that comes with a program until you locate your product key or try the program out to make sure it doesn’t require one.

If a product key is required, after entering it, put it in a safe place just in case you ever have to reinstall the program.

This story was originally published May 4, 2015 at 1:39 PM with the headline "Mr. Modem: Explore Gmail settings with second account."