Outlook.

Q. I use the signature feature in Outlook to sign my emails, and while it's OK, it's not the most convenient system when I want to use a less formal signature at the end of a message. Do you have any suggestions?

A. Indeed, I do. I also don't like Outlook's signature feature for the same reason. While you can establish many different signatures, changing the default signature takes several steps: You have to click on Tools, Options, the Mail Format tab and then choose your options at Signature for new messages of at Signature for replies and forwards.

A much better way, because it's fast and easy--is to use the AutoCorrect Options. After writing an e-mail message, I type a coded abbreviation (zz for example) and the signature appears.

Stanley Zarowin Journal of Accountancy

To set up an AutoCorrect code, type the signature you want; if you want it in a special font, format it accordingly. Then highlight the signature and go to the toolbar and click on Tools, AutoCorrect Options. In the box under Replace, type a code--in this case I typed zz--and in the box under With, your highlighted signature (or anything else you highlight) will appear.

Be sure to check the box labeled Replace text as you type and then click on OK.

Now, any time you type zz and hit Enter, your custom signature will appear instead. Obviously, you can use the AutoCorrect Options anywhere you use Word--for signatures or boilerplate text.

Key to Instructions

To help readers follow the instructions in this article, we use two different typefaces.

Boldface type identifies the names of icons, agendas, URLs and application commands.

Sans serif type indicates instructions and commands that users should type and file names.

Shortcuts 

* Explorer: To go to your home page quickly, press F6 to highlight the Address Bar and then type two periods (..) there. Hitting the Enter key then takes you home.

* Excel: To delete a cell--not just the contents of a cell--highlight the doomed cell and press Ctrl+- (that's Ctrl and a minus sign). The selected cell will disappear and the adjacent cells will shift to fill the empty space.

Do you have technology questions for this column? Or, after reading an answer, do you have a better solution? Send them to contributing editor Stanley Zarowin via e-mail at [e-mail].

Because of the volume of mail, we regret we cannot individually answer submitted questions. However, if a reader's question has broad interest, we will answer it in a forthcoming Technology Q&A column.

On occasion you may find you cannot implement a function I describe in this column. More often than not it's because not all functions work in every operating system or application. I try to test everything in the 2000 and XP editions of Windows and Office. It's virtually impossible to test them in all editions and it's equally difficult to find out which editions are incompatible with a function. I apologize for the inconvenience.