Mr. Modem: How to save part of a document to a drive
I would like to know if I can save one or two paragraphs from a document to a thumb drive without saving the whole document?
To save text to another drive — and it doesn’t matter if it’s a thumb drive or any other type of drive — you first have to save the excerpted text as a file, then copy the file to the drive. To do that, first select (highlight) the text you would like to save, right-click and select Copy.
Go to your word-processing program, or you can use WordPad (under Programs > Accessories > WordPad). Click once to place your cursor in the new document, right-click and select Paste. The text you copied will pop right onto the page. Click File > Save As, and save this excerpted text as a file. You will be prompted to give the file a name and you can save it anywhere you wish, including to your Desktop.
Once it is saved, copy it to your thumb drive. To do this, right-click the file you just saved, select Copy, then go to your thumb drive by opening My Computer, right-click the thumb drive’s icon and select Paste. The file containing your document excerpt will be copied to your thumb drive.
I had a problem with my printer and you recommended checking the HP website for updated drivers. That fixed the problem, so thank you for that. Is there any schedule that I should follow as far as checking for updated drivers? Is that something I should do on a regular basis?
A driver is a small program that controls a device. Every device (printers, disk drives, keyboards) have drivers, though in some cases — keyboard drivers, for example — they are generally bundled with Windows.
When it comes to drivers, I’m a big believer in the adage “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” While updating drivers can be beneficial, doing so can also cause problems. For that reason I would not recommend updating a driver unless a device stops working or some other problem arises that cannot otherwise be resolved.
Also, if you’re installing an older device on a new system, visit the device’s website and check for new drivers. If you change operating systems, and a device that previously worked fine suddenly has problems, that’s a good reason to check for updated drivers.
In addition, if you install a new device and it is not working properly, I would check with the manufacturer’s website and install the latest drivers. It can happen that a new device will have outdated drivers right out of the box (or download).
As a matter of routine, periodic maintenance, however, I do not recommend updating drivers.
Mr. Modem publishes “Ask Mr. Modem!” each week, featuring PC tips, tricks and plain-English answers to your questions by email. For more information, visit www.MrModem.com.
Mr. Modem’s sites of the week
Totally Absurd Inventions
http://totallyabsurd.com/absurd.htm
Dozens of patented items, including the Wig Flipper, the Meditation Bag and the can’t-live-without-it Bulletproof Buttocks. No edible wine corks, though. Darn it.
Test your geography knowledge
http://lizardpoint.com/geography
If you were shown a picture of South America, would you be able to point out where Uruguay is? Or how about Eritrea on a map of the Middle East? Put your geography knowledge to the test with these quizzes that cover every part of the world. Click “Try this quiz now,” then prepare to be humbled.
Women in Film
This is a fascinating YouTube video that employs “morphing” technology to showcase 77 female movie stars, beginning with celebrities of the “Silent Screen” era such as Mary Pickford, Lillian Gish and Gloria Swanson, and morphing through and including Charlize Theron, Reese Witherspoon and Halle Berry.
This story was originally published November 5, 2015 at 12:45 PM with the headline "Mr. Modem: How to save part of a document to a drive."