Windows 98

Windows 98

PROTOCOLS: LOAD THEM ALL?
	When users purchase "office-ready" PCs, the default configuration of Control Panel's Network applet is often installed with the shotgun approach to connectivity--load 'em all and something will connect. In practice, this might work in a very small environment, but sooner or later it will cause some confusion over what's actually at fault when computers stop talking to each other, or worse, when intermittent problems start appearing. It's important to find out which protocols and services should be installed to make your PCs connect to the services on the network and then remove the rest. Not to mention, you can also cut down some of the broadcast traffic on your network. First, take stock of the protocols installed on your server computers, print servers, PCs that share folders on an ad hoc basis, and mail and fax servers. Once you have this list, then you'll know which protocols the PCs need to reach them. In the next few tips, we'll be taking a look at typical uses of the more common protocols you might find cluttering your PCs to help you decide which ones are really necessary.
PRINTING BUG IN WINDOWS 98 DEVICE MANAGER In Windows 98's Device Manager, if you choose to print an All Devices And System Summary, the device detection code may cause problems for MS-DOS-based programs. Your computer manifests the problem by reporting that it is out of memory when you try to run an MS-DOS-based program. When this problem occurs, restart Windows 98 to correct the problem. WINDOWS 98 PROBLEM WITH MICRONICS MOTHERBOARDS Before you install Windows 98 on a system with a Micronics motherboard that has a flash BIOS, make sure you've set the BIOS read/write jumper to the read-only position. If you try to install Windows 98 with this jumper in the read/write position, it may cause BIOS corruption. For more information, contact your computer manufacturer. THE QUESTION: TechRepublic reader Computers-Pets-More.com needed information on connecting an intranet of several Windows 98 PCs, only one of which has a modem, to the Internet. Copy and paste this URL into your browser: www.techrepublic.com/trbbs/message_detail.jhtml?thread_id=2525&thread_title= Internet+access+from+remote++pc&ooc=open THE ANSWER: Reader dmcmasters@hou-metro.harris.tx.us suggested configuring the PCs not equipped with modems to use a default gateway--the IP address of the PC that has a modem. THE QUESTION: TechRepublic reader kinkehee@yahoo.com was having problems shutting down Windows 98 after having installed Norton AntiVirus and Netscape 4.7 with RealPlayer G2 and was searching for patches to resolve the problem. Copy and paste this URL into your browser: www.techrepublic.com/trbbs/message_detail.jhtml?thread_id=4074&thread_title= Windows+98+Shutdown+problem&ooc=open THE ANSWER: User joemis@askarray.com recommended going to Microsoft's Web site and searching for the latest Windows 98 Shutdown supplement, as well as checking the site's Knowledge Base articles for shutdown problems. Joe also noted that it might be wise to remove the RealPlayer icon from the system tray because it's been known to cause shutdown problems. http://www.microsoft.com/ DELETE ALL ENTRIES FROM ADDRESS TOOLBAR Reader L. Lea writes, "I put the Address toolbar on the taskbar, as suggested in a previous tip. Works great. However, I've tried everything I know to delete the Web sites I've already typed from the list." As with the Run command list (select Start, Run), you can delete addresses from the Address toolbar list by editing the Registry. Actually, you go to the same location in the Registry to do it. (Note: As always, back up your Registry files--System.dat and User.dat, hidden files in your Windows folder--before proceeding.) Open the Registry Editor by selecting Start, Run, typing regedit and clicking OK. Then navigate your way to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ CurrentVersion\Explorer\RunMRU. In the right pane, you'll see all the URLs you're trying to delete from the Address list. Select them all--"url1," "url2," and so on--right-click the selection, select Delete, then click Yes to confirm. Close the Registry Editor. To make your changes stick, close and re-open the Address toolbar: Right-click a blank area of the taskbar and select Toolbars, Address; then follow these same steps to make it reappear. If you want to delete individual entries, it's a bit trickier. More on that in the next tip.... DITCH WELCOME TO WINDOWS DIALOG BOX Reader J. writes, "When I installed Windows 98, I accidentally typed a password in the Welcome To Windows dialog box. How do I delete the password so this dialog box doesn't show up and I don't have to log in anymore?" We can't begin to tell you how many requests we get for this tip: Start Windows and log in using your user name and password. Open the Control Panel, double-click Passwords, and on the Change Passwords tab, click the Change Windows Password button. On the Old Password line, type your password. Press Tab to move down to the New Password line, then press Enter (to enter no password). A dialog box will appear to tell you your password has been successfully changed. Click OK, click Close, and that Welcome To Windows dialog box won't bother you again. ADDRESS TOOLBAR NOT WORKING Reader R. Surrow writes, "In a previous tip, you suggested adding an Address toolbar to the taskbar for instant access to Web pages. Great idea, but when I type an address and press Enter, nothing happens. Any suggestions?" Microsoft confirms this quirky little Internet Explorer 5 "bug" in its Knowledge Base. It seems you must have another toolbar enabled on the taskbar in order for the Address toolbar to work. Right-click the taskbar, select Toolbars, and select Quick Launch, Links, or Desktop. The Address toolbar should now work as expected. INFRARED PORTS Many of the latest desktop and notebook PCs have infrared (IR) ports, which can wirelessly transmit data from PC to PC or from PC to device (such as a printer) using the same technology as TV remote controls. Unfortunately, software that makes use of this technology has been fairly limited in the PC arena. One new software package that can take advantage of IR ports is the next release of the Windows operating system. Windows 98 will include a Direct Cable Connection feature that will allow you to transfer files between two PCs via a serial cable or a parallel port cable, or between two IR ports. If you plan to use Direct Cable Connection, check your PC's documentation to learn how to activate your IR port. WINDOWS 98 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS With the impending release of Windows 98, many people will be considering an operating system upgrade. The memory and hard disk requirements of Windows 98 have not yet been finalized, but beta testing clearly shows that most users will want a minimum of 16MB of RAM and at least 200MB of free hard disk space to load and run Windows 98 efficiently. During the installation process, Windows 98 asks you if you want to keep Windows 95 on your system so that--should you run into trouble--you can uninstall Windows 98 and go back to your original setup. In order to use this safety option, you'll need an additional 50MB of free space for Windows to store your configuration information and system files. QUICK LAUNCH ADD-ONS In our last tip, we showed you how to blast an item off your Quick Launch toolbar: Right-mouse-click the icon and select Delete. Just as simply, you can add any file, folder, or application shortcut to this toolbar. Locate the item you'd like to add--on the desktop, in the Start menu, wherever. Right-mouse-click and drag the item to your desired location on the Quick Launch toolbar, to the left or right of an existing icon (a black, vertical line will appear to let you know where the icon will be placed, if dropped), let go, and you've got yourself a new Quick Launch icon! THE DAY THE LIGHTS WENT OUT IN WINDOWS 98--PART 1 OF 2 So, you just installed Windows 98. You play around with it a little, walk away to grab yourself a snack, return to play around a little more and--hey, who turned out the lights? Your screen is black--no screen saver, nothing, just a blank screen. Don't panic. That blank screen means your "power scheme" is working properly. In the spirit of energy conservation, Windows 98 powers off the monitor of your desktop or portable PC after 15 minutes of inactivity. Press a key or move your mouse, and in a matter of seconds (quite a few seconds, actually, compared to a screen saver), your monitor powers up again, so you can get back to work--er, we mean, play. If you find this holdup aggravating, you have two choices: You can increase the delay before your monitor powers off, or you can turn this power-saving feature off altogether. Right-mouse-click the desktop, select Properties, and click the Screen Saver tab of the Display Properties dialog box. Under Energy Saving Features of this Monitor, click the Settings button to open the Power Management Properties dialog box. To adjust the delay before Windows 98 powers off your monitor, click the down arrow next to Turn Off Monitor and select a new time. To turn this feature off altogether, click the down arrow under Power schemes and select Always On. Either way, click OK twice to keep the new settings. THE DAY THE LIGHTS WENT OUT IN WINDOWS 98--PART 2 OF 2 In our last tip, we showed you how to adjust (or disable) the delay before Windows 98 powers off your monitor: Right-mouse-click the desktop, select Properties, click the Screen Saver tab, select Settings (under Energy Saving Features of this Monitor), and adjust the settings in the resulting dialog box. If you find that your powering-off needs change frequently--for example, if you turn your power scheme on and off on a regular basis--you can set up instant access to these settings. Follow the steps above, but after clicking Settings, select the Advanced tab. Click the box next to Show Power Meter On Taskbar, then click OK. You'll now see an icon that looks like a power cord in the tray of your Taskbar. Double-click this icon to jump directly to the Power Management Properties dialog box. Or, click the icon once to see a pop-up list of power schemes. Just select the one you're after--Home/Office Desk, Portable/Laptop, or Always On--and the change is complete. QUICK LAUNCH BLASTOFFS Don't have a use for one of the icons Windows 98 placed in your Quick Launch toolbar on your Taskbar? Wait a minute--let's back up. See the four icons just to the right of your Start button (assuming your Taskbar is at the bottom of the screen)? Those icons make up your Quick Launch toolbar. Click an icon to open that item. Now where were we? Ah, yes--would you like to blast one of your Quick Launch icons right off that toolbar? Right-mouse-click it and select Delete. It's as simple as that. (Tip in a tip: To ditch the entire Quick Launch toolbar, right-mouse-click the bar on its left edge, select Close, then click Yes to confirm. Or, right-mouse-click a blank area of the Taskbar, select Toolbars, and deselect Quick Launch. To get it back, follow these last steps, but SELECT Quick Launch.) THE CASE OF THE DISAPPEARING PROPERTIES BOX Does this sound familiar? You're working in a Properties dialog box--for example, Display Properties--and you switch to another window. Then you attempt to get back to the Properties dialog box by clicking the Show Desktop icon (on the Taskbar), but the box is nowhere to be found. While it may seem that Windows 98 has closed this dialog box, it hasn't. The box is still open; it's just hiding. (You did say Show Desktop, so Windows had no choice but to clear everything off the screen.) To find your Properties dialog box, use the Alt-Tab keyboard combo. Hold down Alt as you press Tab, and you'll see a box of all open windows on your system. Still holding down Alt, continue pressing Tab until the icon representing your Properties box is highlighted. (If you aren't sure which one it is, just watch the names at the bottom of the box.) Let go, and the box returns to your screen. (Tip in a tip: To avoid "losing" the Properties dialog box in the first place, if the box is buried by windows, minimize all windows--right-mouse-click the Taskbar and select Minimize All Windows--rather than clicking the Show Desktop icon.) MULTIPLE MODEMS IN WINDOWS 98 Windows' Dial-Up Networking component has been enhanced under Windows 98 (scheduled for release next month). In Windows 98, you can install several modems in one PC and have them all cooperate to achieve faster Internet access (provided each modem has its own phone line). This feature is called PPP Multilink protocol. DO THE START MENU SHUFFLE Need to rearrange one of your Start menu items? For example, perhaps you'd like to move an entire folder out of the Programs menu onto the main Start menu (so you don't have to go through as many menus to get to it). In Windows 95, you needed to do this type of rearranging in the Start menu window; now all it takes is a simple click and drag. Select Start and navigate your way to the folder or item you want to move. Right-mouse-click the item, then hold down the right-mouse button as you navigate your way back or forward through the Start menu to this item's new home. (Just hold the mouse pointer over any menu you'd like to expand, as usual.) When you see a black, horizontal line in this space, let go and select Move Here from the pop-up menu. (Tip: Don't let go of the mouse pointer while a menu item is highlighted, or you'll open that item's context menu and have to start over.) CLICK-AND-DRAG SHORTCUTS Is there a Start menu item you'd like to place on your desktop, for even quicker access? A major improvement over Windows 95's clunky Start menu management rules, a simple click and drag completes this task. Click the Start button and navigate your way to the item you want to place on the desktop. Right-mouse-click the item, drag it out to a blank area on your desktop, and let go. In the menu that pops up, select Create Shortcut(s) Here, and there's your new shortcut. A CHANNEL WHAT? PART 1 OF 3 Wondering what that Channel Bar is doing on your desktop (assuming you have the Active Desktop turned on)? This bar, a component of Internet Explorer, allows you to jump directly to one of its "channels" by simply clicking that item in the bar, or by selecting a channel category--the items with the blue circle on the right side--and clicking a channel inside. (For a description of a channel, hold your mouse pointer over it and a box of text appears.) At first glance, channels appear to be nothing more than links to Web sites. But there's more to them than meets the eye. Channels are "designed to deliver content from the Internet to your computer." In other words, assuming you subscribe to the channel, the most recent information from that site will be delivered to your system at the intervals you specify. (Even if you don't subscribe to a channel, you can view its content any time by clicking it in the Channel Bar). Or if you prefer, you can choose simply to be notified of channel updates. When you find a channel you'd like to preview, click it (or select a category, then select a channel inside), then click the Add Active Channel link. If you aren't already online, you'll need to complete steps now to do so. Once you're online, you'll see a dialog box asking if you'd like to subscribe to the channel. For now, select No, just keep it in the Channel Bar; then click OK. Happy channel browsing! In the next few tips, we'll discuss subscribing to a channel. A CHANNEL WHAT? PART 2 OF 3 In our last tip, we introduced the Channel Bar, a list of channels that appears on your desktop if you have the Active Desktop turned on. To open a channel--a Web site "designed to deliver content from the Internet to your computer"--select it in the Channel Bar, or select a category, then select a channel inside. In the resulting window, click the Add Active Channel link, and you'll see a dialog box asking if you'd like to subscribe to the channel. In our last tip, we suggested you click No, but now let's assume you want to subscribe to this channel. (Tip: You can also access this dialog box by right-mouse-clicking the channel on the Channel Bar and selecting Subscribe.) If you simply want to be notified when a channel is updated, select the second option in the Modify Channel Usage dialog box: Yes, But Only Tell Me When Updates Occur. Click the Customize button, indicate whether you'd like to be notified of updates via e-mail or not, then click Finish. Click OK, and the subscription's a done deal. (To confirm that you've actually subscribed to this channel, select Favorites, Manage Subscriptions, and you'll see the channel in the resulting window.) From now on, Internet Explorer will check the channel for you (according to the specified schedule) and let you know when updates have occurred. Then, you can refresh the channel with the updated information by right-mouse-clicking the channel in the Channel Bar and selecting Refresh. In our next tip, we'll discuss a more complete channel subscription. GLOBAL VIEWING Would you like to use the same View options, such as Details and Arrange Icons by Date, for all open folder windows? The inability to set these options globally was one of the shortcomings of Windows 95; but in Windows 98, you can set your system's default viewing options from any open folder window. Open any folder window (such as My Computer) and use the View menu to set the viewing options you'd like for every folder. (Note: Toolbar settings don't apply.) Next, select View, Folder Options, and in the resulting dialog box, click the View tab. Click the Like Current Folder button, click Yes to confirm, then click OK. From now on, every folder window will open with these same View options already set. OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE USEFUL--PART 2 OF 2 If you followed our last tip, you've cleaned up your Active Desktop's Channel Bar by deleting all those channels you'll never use. (Right-mouse-click a channel and select Delete, or select a Channel category, then right-mouse-click a channel inside and select Delete.) Now you have room to add some more interesting channels. To add a channel to the Channel Bar, select its top item, Channel Guide (or click the Channel button in an Explorer toolbar, or click the View Channels item on the Quick Launch toolbar). When Microsoft's Active Channel guide appears, select one of the five headings to view the channels in that category. (And by the way, these go way beyond the channels you get when you select a category on your Channel Bar. For example, the Lifestyle & Travel heading alone offers 184 different channels!) Select a channel to see a preview and, assuming you want to add the channel to your Channel Bar, click the Add Active Channel link. Select a subscription option, click OK, and that channel now officially makes the list--er, we mean bar. WE CAN REBUILD IT In our last tip, we showed you how to delete a subscription to a channel on your Active Desktop's Channel Bar: In an open Explorer window, select Favorites, Manage Subscriptions; right-mouse-click the subscription you want to delete; select Delete; then click Yes to confirm. If you aren't happy with a subscription's update schedule (or any other setting related to it), you could follow these steps to delete the subscription and then recreate it, but it's much easier to change the settings of the existing subscription. In an open Explorer window, select Favorites, Manage Subscriptions. In the Subscriptions window, right-mouse-click the subscription you want to change and select Properties. Select the Receiving tab to change the subscription type and e-mail notification options. Select the Schedule tab to change the update schedule. Complete any changes, click OK, and the new settings take effect immediately. (If only it were this easy to make changes to your newspaper and magazine subscriptions!) NO CANCELLATION NOTICE NECESSARY Just subscribe to a channel on your Active Desktop's Channel Bar (right-mouse-click the channel, select Subscribe, choose a subscription option, and click OK), but now you're having second thoughts? Don't worry--you can delete any subscription with the click of a button. In any open Explorer window, select Favorites, Manage Subscriptions. In the Subscriptions window, right-mouse-click the subscription you want to delete and select Delete. Click Yes to confirm, and that subscription is history. In our next tip, we'll explain how to modify a subscription. OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE USEFUL--PART 1 OF 2 Are there channels on your Active Desktop's Channel Bar (the bar on your desktop that provides access to '"channels" of Web content) that you have absolutely no interest in, and never will? Then ditch them. It's as easy as deleting shortcuts from your desktop. Just right-mouse-click the channel you want to remove, select Delete, and click Yes to confirm (if the Confirm Folder Delete dialog box appears). You can also remove a channel that's hiding inside a channel category. Select the category; in the resulting window, right-mouse-click the channel you want to delete; then select Delete. Now you have room for channels that you may actually use someday! Stay tuned for our next tip on adding channels to your Channel Bar. A CHANNEL WHAT? PART 3 OF 3 In a previous tip, we introduced the Active Desktop Channel Bar, a list of channels that appears on your desktop if you have the Active Desktop turned on. To view a channel--a Web site "designed to deliver content from the Internet to your computer"--select it in the Channel Bar, or select a category, then select a channel inside. In the resulting window, click the Add Active Channel link, and you'll see a dialog box asking if you'd like to subscribe to the channel. (Tip: You can also access this dialog box by right-mouse-clicking the channel on the Channel Bar and selecting Subscribe.) If you'd like Internet Explorer to notify you of channel updates AND download channel content on a regular basis (so you can view it offline), select the third option: Yes, Notify Me Of Updates And Download the Channel for Offline Viewing. Click the Customize button, complete the options in the resulting dialog boxes--how much of the channel you'd like to download, whether you want to be notified of updates via e-mail, and the subscription update schedule--clicking Next after each; then click Finish. Click OK, and your subscription is a done deal. DELETE INDIVIDUAL ENTRIES FROM ADDRESS TOOLBAR In our last tip, we showed you how to delete all entries from the Address toolbar on your taskbar. (To create this toolbar, right-click a blank area of the taskbar and select Toolbars, Address.) Here's a quick review: After backing up your Registry files--System.dat and User.dat, hidden files in your Windows folder--open the Registry Editor and navigate your way to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows \CurrentVersion\Explorer\RunMRU. In the right pane, select "url1," "url2," and so on; right-click the selection; select Delete; click Yes to confirm; then close the Registry Editor. Deleting individual entries is a bit trickier, because all of the URLs are numbered. If you delete a single entry, all entries following it in the sequence won't appear in the Address list (even though they appear in the Registry). An easy workaround is this: After deleting an entry, rename the last entry in the sequence using the number of the URL you just got rid of. So, for example, if you have eight entries, and you delete "url3," right-click "url8," select Rename, and rename it "url3." To make your changes stick, close and re-open the Address toolbar: Right-click a blank area of the taskbar and select Toolbars, Address; then follow these same steps to make it reappear. ICONS ACTING FUNNY? Are your Control Panel or desktop icons acting funny (as a number of readers have experienced)--they're displayed incorrectly or they're just plain black? Don't panic. It just means your ShellIconCache file is damaged (not as bad as it sounds). The quickest solution? Delete this file. First, start Windows in Safe mode--turn on your computer, hold down the Ctrl key until the Startup menu appears, select Safe Mode, and press Enter. Next, make sure that you can see hidden files--open any Explorer window, select View, Folder Options, click the View tab, and under Advanced Settings, select Show All Files. Now open the Windows folder and locate the ShellIconCache file. Right-click this file, select Delete, and if necessary, click Yes to confirm. Restart Windows 98 (ShellIconCache will be re-created automatically), and your icons should be back to their old selves. REGISTRY TWEAK TO KEEP YOUR ICONS FROM ACTING FUNNY Reader H. Weitzel writes, "I recently read somewhere about a Registry tweak that will cure the problem of erratic icon behavior on the Quick Launch toolbar. Can you shed any light?" Apparently, if the icon cache (ShellIconCache) is "not properly updated," icons in the Quick Launch toolbar (or in My Computer, in Windows Explorer, or on the desktop) may randomly change. The tweak to which you're referring is one of a number of solutions offered by Microsoft at http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q132/6/68.asp (Note: As always, back up your Registry files--System.dat and User.dat, hidden files in your Windows folder--before proceeding.) Open the Registry Editor by selecting Start, Run, typing regedit and clicking OK. Next, navigate your way to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer. Right-click a blank area inside the right pane and select New, String Value. Type the name Max Cached Icons then press Enter. Right-click the new value and select Modify. In the Value Data field, type 2048 then click OK. Restart Windows, and your icons should behave normally. (Another possible solution is to re-create the ShellIconCache file, as described in our last tip: Restart Windows 98 in Safe mode, delete ShellIconCache--a hidden file in the Windows folder--then restart Windows.) SET PROPERTIES FOR QUICK LAUNCH ICONS Did you know that every icon in the Quick Launch toolbar is nothing but a shortcut? (The Quick Launch toolbar is the row of icons to the right of the Start button, by default.) That means you can set the properties for each, just as you would any other shortcut. For example, suppose you want Internet Explorer to open maximized every time. Right-click the Internet Explorer icon (on the Quick Launch toolbar) and select Properties. On the Shortcut tab, next to Run, click the down arrow and select Maximized. Click OK, and the next time you click that icon, Internet Explorer will take over the entire screen. (Tip: Follow these steps to make any application shortcut open the target program in a normal, maximized, or minimized window.) AN EASTER EGG IN NOVEMBER? Here's an Easter Egg you might want to check out: Right-click the desktop, select Properties, and click the Screen Saver tab. Under Screen Saver, select 3D Text, then click the Settings button. Type volcano on the Text line and click OK. Watch the preview screen (on the Screen Saver tab) or click Preview, and you'll see the names of famous volcanos! AVOID CONNECT TO BOX DURING DUN CONNECTION In our last tip, we showed you how to turn on dial-up networking's Redial option, so that if a connection cannot be made the first time, DUN will keep trying for you: Open My Computer; double-click Dial-Up Networking; select Connections, Settings; select Redial; set the corresponding options (number of retries, and so on); then click OK. While you're there, check out the settings at the top of this dialog box. Tired of seeing the Connect To dialog box every time you establish a connection manually (by double-clicking the connection inside the Dial-Up Networking dialog box)? Assuming you always want to connect using the username and password from the last successful connection, deselect Prompt For Information Before Dialing and click OK. The next time you establish a connection manually, that Connect To dialog box will stay out of sight. MAKE DUN CONNECT AUTOMATICALLY A number of readers have had problems with dial-up networking (DUN) suddenly NOT establishing a connection automatically whenever their browser starts; when that happens, you have to establish the connection manually. (A big pain in the hard drive, we agree--it happened to us.) Apparently, this trouble can start after certain third-party products are installed. One solution involves some Registry-editing. (Note: As always, back up your Registry files--System.dat and User.dat, hidden files on the root of your hard drive--before proceeding.) For details, point your Web browser at http://www.windows-help.net/windows98/troub-28.shtml TURN DUN'S REDIAL OPTION ON Ever try to establish a DUN (dial-up networking) connection, only to wind up with a message telling you the line is busy? Frustrating, to say the least, but what's even more frustrating is that you have to keep trying the connection manually. By default, DUN's Redial option is turned off. If you want DUN to keep dialing the number for you, in the event that a connection cannot be made, open My Computer, double-click Dial-Up Networking, and select Connections, Settings. On the General tab of the resulting dialog box, select Redial and set the corresponding options (number of retries, and so on). Click OK, and say good-bye to all that unnecessary redialing. WHY IS THE DUN FOLDER I MADE ON THE START MENU EMPTY? Reader T. Manning writes, "I remember a Windows 95 tip for creating a cascading DUN folder in my Start menu. I tried it in Windows 98, but the only thing that shows in the Start menu is '(Empty).' Is there something else I have to do?" First, let's review the technique. To create a cascading DUN (dial-up networking) folder, right-click the Start button, select Open, and in the resulting Start Menu window, select File, New, Folder. Type exactly DUN.{992CFFA0-F557-101A-88EC-00DD010CCC48} (to name the folder), then press Enter. (Tip: There's no space between the period and the opening bracket.) The result? An empty folder. The trick is, you need to add items manually by dragging them over from the original folder and dropping them inside the new one on the Start menu. A little bit of extra work, but the end result is worth it. PCI SYSTEMS AND WINDOWS 98 If the BIOS configures the video device to use an IRQ and you use the secondary PCI IDE controller in your computer, your video will work only in VGA mode. To load the accelerated Windows 98 driver for your video, disable the secondary PCI IDE controller in the BIOS and the Device Manager (double-click System in Control Panel). An alternative (if the BIOS supports it) is to disable the video device's IRQ. RESTART WITH ONE CLICK In our last tip, we showed you how to create a desktop shortcut that allows you to shut down with one click: Right-click the desktop; select New, Shortcut; in the Command Line text box, type rundll.exe user.exe,exitwindows and click Next; name the shortcut Shut Down, then click Finish. You can use a similar technique to create a Restart shortcut. Just follow the steps above, but in the Command Line text box, type rundll.exe user.exe,exitwindowsexec And of course, you'll want to name the shortcut Restart. SHUT THAT SYSTEM DOWN WITH ONE CLICK Wish you could shut down Windows with one click instead of four (select Start, Shut Down, select Shut Down, click OK)? Then make a Shut Down shortcut. Right-click the desktop and select New, Shortcut. In the Command Line text box, type rundll.exe user.exe,exitwindows Click Next, name the shortcut something appropriate, such as Shut Down (or Later, Alligator), then click Finish. When you're ready to shut down, just click your new shortcut (or double-click it, as the case may be). In our next tip, one-click restarts.... BACKING UP THE REGISTRY IN WINDOWS 98 Before making any registry changes to your Win9x PCs, you should always back up the registry. Most administrators know how to export a registry branch, or even the whole registry, using the Registry Editor (REGEDIT.EXE). However, Windows 98 also includes the ScanReg program, which comes in two flavors--the Windows SCANREGW.EXE and the DOS SCANREG.EXE. By default, ScanReg runs every time you start the system and backs up the registry once a day into a .cab file in the c:\windows\sybckup directory. If you can start your system in MS-DOS mode, you can run ScanReg with the /restore switch to restore your entire registry. That's useful to know, but you can also start SCANREGW.EXE manually at any time before a system change. It may tell you that the backup has already taken place that day, but it also gives you the option to back up again, providing a quick and easy complete registry backup. HIDE INDIVIDUAL DESKTOP ICONS WITH TWEAK UI Reader T. Moriarty writes, "Is there a way to get rid of the desktop icons for My Computer, Briefcase, Network Neighborhood, My Documents, etc.? I make extensive use of the MS Office Toolbar and place these icons there to be more efficient in my desktop real estate." The easiest way to hide individual desktop icons is to use the Tweak UI PowerToy. (Quick review: The Tweak UI PowerToy is on your Windows 98 installation CD, in the tools\reskit\powertoy folder. To install it, right-click tweakui.inf and select Install. To open Tweak UI, double-click its icon inside the Control Panel.) Later editions of Windows 98 did not include the utility. If you don't have it, you can download Tweak UI-98 from File World at http://www.pcworld.com/r/tw/1%2C2061%2Ctw-w981129a%2C00.html Open Tweak UI and click the Desktop tab. Deselect the icon(s) you want to remove from the desktop, click OK, and the icons disappear. Of course, if you ever want them back, just follow these same steps and reselect the icons. (Tip-in-a-tip: As you may remember from a previous tip, you can remove all icons from your desktop in one fell swoop--that is, assuming your desktop is viewed as a Web page: Right-click the desktop and select Properties, click the Effects tab, select Hide Icons When Desktop Is Viewed As A Web Page, then click OK.) HOW TO OPEN THE SYSTEM CONFIGURATION UTILITY Reader M. Fasano writes, "I once read that there is a Win 98 utility accessible via the Run command that shows you what programs are running, and gives you the ability to enable or disable them. I tried it once and it worked great. Do you know the command to punch into the Run dialog box?" We suspect that you're referring to the System Configuration Utility. To open it, select Start, Run, type msconfig and click OK. From there, you can select the Startup tab and disable or enable any programs that start when Windows 98 starts. MAKE THE WELCOME TO WINDOWS BOX APPEAR Reader D. Pham writes, "I have a question about the Windows password. I just installed Windows 98. However, there is no prompt to enter a user name and password at startup. How can I make this option reappear?" Basically, you just change your Windows password from nothing to something. (Just the reverse of last month's tip, where we showed you how to make the password prompt disappear by changing your password to nothing.) Open the Control Panel--select Start, Settings, Control Panel--double-click Passwords, and click the Change Windows Password button. Inside the Change Windows Password dialog box, press Tab once to move to the New Password field (doing so tells Windows that your old password was nothing), then type the desired password twice. Click OK, restart Windows 98, and you'll be presented with the Welcome To Windows dialog box, complete with a password prompt. PRESS F3 TO ACCESS FIND WINDOW Looking for a quick way to access a Find window? From the desktop or any Explorer window, press F3. It's the same as selecting Start, Find, Files or Folders. (Note: When you press F3, Find will open with its focus on your current location. For example, if you're on the desktop, the Look In line will point to the Desktop folder.) REMOVE LOG OFF... COMMAND FROM START MENU Don't need that Log Off... command taking up valuable Start menu real estate (for example, if you're the only one who uses the system)? You can get rid of it using Tweak UI. (Quick review: The Tweak UI PowerToy is on your Windows 98 installation CD, in the tools\reskit\powertoy folder. To install it, right-click tweakui.inf and select Install. To open Tweak UI, double-click its icon inside the Control Panel.) Open Tweak UI and select the IE4 tab. Deselect Allow Logoff, then click OK. Restart Windows, click Start, and voila! No more Log Off... command. RIGHT-CLICK TO FIND In our last tip, we told you that you can press F3 from the desktop or any Explorer window to open Find (focused on that folder). If you're more of a mouse person, another way to open Find is to right-click the folder or drive you want to search and select Find. Again, Find will open with the focus on that folder. NETWORKS: GROUP POLICY SUPPORT Policies are often used in Windows 9x networks as a method of enforcing standards, but they can be problematic. Particularly, group policies sometimes appear as if they are not being enforced. There are several possible causes for such troubles. For example, you may need to ensure the group priority is set correctly in the Policy Editor for the users experiencing the problems, or you may find that a user policy is not overwriting the effects of a group policy. You must also ensure that the client Win9x systems are configured to take the policies onboard. You will need to make sure that group policy support has been added to your systems by checking the \windows\system directory for the GROUPPOL.DLL file. You also need to check the registry for the following entries: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Network\Logon Value name (STRING): PolicyHandler Value data: GROUPPOL.DLL,ProcessPolicies HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSNP32\NetworkProvider Value name (STRING): GroupFcn Value data: GROUPPOL.DLL,NTGetUserGroups HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\NWNP32\NetworkProvider Value name (STRING): GroupFcn Value data: GROUPPOL.DLL,NWGetUserGroups Double-clicking the GROUPPOL.DLL file will set the registry keys for you. If you have to make the changes to the registry manually, take all the usual care, and remember to back up your system! NETWORKS: AUTOMATIC IP ADDRESSING IP Autoconfiguration Addressing allows administrators to set the Obtain An IP Address Automatically option on Win98 clients without configuring a DHCP server. When booted, the PC will: 1. Check for a DHCP server; 2. Fail; 3. Check whether another PC has claimed an address in the 169.254.x.x Class B address range; 4. Assign itself that address. This behavior is useful only in small nonrouted networks where all the hosts reside on the same subnet. However, it does save the small network administrator the task of issuing static addresses to each PC. If a DHCP server is later introduced to the network, the Win98 PCs will recognize the addition and lease an address without further configuration. IP Autoconfiguration Addressing is enabled by default on Win98 PCs, but it can be disabled by right-clicking the IPAC_OFF.INF file in the \tools\mtsutil directory of the Win98 CD and selecting Install. GETTING A LITTLE MORE FROM CONVERT Last time, we introduced you to Windows NT's CONVERT command, which lets you convert a FAT partition to NTFS without losing any data. Typically, this process runs invisibly at the next reboot of your system. However, if you want to see all the conversion information, you can run the utility in verbose mode and receive a full report. To evoke the CONVERT command's verbose mode, launch a command prompt and add the /V switch to the standard CONVERT syntax, like so: CONVERT C: /FS:NTFS /V If the drive has trouble converting, check the NT Event Log for details. However, the probable cause of the trouble is unusual filenames on the target drive. To solve this problem, you can instruct CONVERT to build a name table to assist with the conversion. At the command prompt, use the following syntax: CONVERT C: /FS:NTFS /NAMETABLE filename CONVERTING FAT PARTITIONS TO NTFS Many administrators install Windows NT with a FAT partition to ensure its accessibility with a DOS boot disk. However, this approach limits the functionality of the partition because you can't employ auditing or permission assignments. And simply reformatting a FAT partition will destroy all the data it contains. Fortunately, Windows NT's CONVERT command can convert a FAT partition to NTFS without damaging data. Note, however, that once the partition is converted it cannot be changed back to FAT. To convert a partition, open a command prompt and issue the CONVERT command with the following syntax: CONVERT [drive:]/FS:NTFS For example, to convert the C drive you would type: CONVERT C: /FS:NTFS If the drive cannot be locked, Windows NT will display a prompt asking if the drive should be converted at the next reboot. Just type y to convert the partition the next time you restart the system. CHANGING THE COMMAND PROMPT'S LOOK Administrators often find themselves at the command prompt for long periods of time. To make the command prompt environment a bit more comfortable, you can customize its appearance. For example, under the Options tab, you can set the size of the cursor to anywhere from just an underline to a solid, character-sized block. On the Options tab, you can dictate whether the command prompt appears in full-screen mode or a windowed environment. On the Font tab, you can select the font, font size, and bold (if available) font style. AUTO ARRANGE OPTION We can't tell you how many people ask how to keep their desktop icons from jumping back into neat little rows every time they try to move them into a unique formation. Annoying, isn't it? By default, Microsoft made the Auto Arrange option the default. If you want free-flowing icons, you'll need to turn this option off. Right-click the desktop and select Arrange Icons. In the resulting menu, you'll see a check mark next to Auto Arrange. Select this option (to deselect it). Back on the desktop, try to relocate an icon. Much better. CREATE WORDPAD TEMPLATE If you frequently use WordPad to do your word processing, you're probably getting tired of formatting every document (changing the font, typing the same heading, and so on). Does this thing come with templates or what? The answer is no, but that doesn't mean you can't make one. Just take a few minutes to do the formatting once, and you'll have an instant time-saver. Open WordPad and make all the formatting changes you'd like to include in your template--for example, you might change the font and point size of the text. (Tip: Type at least one character and then assign these settings to it.) When you're finished, save the file in a convenient location using a name such as "template.tpl." Now instruct Windows to open any file with a .tpl extension in WordPad. Open any Explorer window and select View, Folder Options. On the File Types tab, click the New Type button. Next to Description Of Type, enter a description, such as "WordPad Template." Next to Associated Extension, type tpl Click New, and in the Action box of the New Action dialog box, type Open Under Application Used To Perform Action, type WordPad's path, such as C:\Program Files\Accessories\Wordpad.exe Finally, click OK three times to close all open dialog boxes. Ready to try it out? Double-click template.tpl and it opens in WordPad, complete with all your formatting. (Tip: Be sure to save it under a new name before creating a new document from the template.) INTRODUCTION TO TASK SCHEDULER Ever wonder what that little red, white, and blue icon in the tray of your Taskbar does (the one that looks like a window with a red clock on it)? It means that the Task Scheduler, a utility that runs maintenance routines such as ScanDisk, is currently active. To view the routines currently scheduled to run, double-click this icon. Don't see the Task Scheduler icon? You can open Scheduled Tasks by selecting Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Scheduled Tasks. If you wish to make this utility run whenever Windows 98 starts, select Advanced, Start Using Scheduled Tasks (inside the Scheduled Tasks window). LINE UP YOUR ICONS In our last tip, we showed you how to turn off the Auto Arrange feature so you can relocate desktop icons without them jumping back to the left side of the screen: Right-click the desktop and select Arrange Icons, Auto Arrange. Of course, placing your icons in a unique formation doesn't mean you want to be messy about it. Once you've moved them to their approximate locations, right-click the desktop and select Line Up Icons. Presto--they'll all fall into neat little rows (right where they are). RIGHT-CLICK TO FIND In our last tip, we told you that you can press F3 from the desktop or any Explorer window to open Find (focused on that folder). If you're more of a mouse person, another way to open Find is to right-click the folder or drive you want to search and select Find. Again, Find will open with the focus on that folder. WINDOWS 98 HARDWARE INFORMATION REPORT One way to get a diagnostic report of your hardware is to type hwinfo /ui at the MS-DOS prompt or the Run dialog box. This starts the Hardware Info Utility for Windows, which displays the hardware classes straight from the registry of the local machine in a more readable format than they appear in the Registry Editor. It also cross-references the values in the registry keys to the driver files and displays version information about these files, presenting all the information in one place so you don't have to hunt for them in Explorer. This information can then be saved or printed. TASK SCHEDULER: ADDING AND DELETING TASKS In our last tip, we introduced the Task Scheduler, a utility that runs maintenance routines, such as ScanDisk and Disk Defragmenter, according to a specified schedule. To open the Scheduled Tasks window, double-click the Task Scheduler icon in the tray of your Taskbar; if you don't see the icon, select Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Scheduled Tasks, and then select Advanced, Start Using Scheduled Tasks. Want to customize the task list? To add a new routine to the list, click the Add Scheduled Task item, click Next, and wait as the wizard compiles a list of options. Select an application, such as Disk Defragmenter, click Next again, and follow along to set up a schedule for the task. Click Finish, and the new task appears in the Scheduled Tasks window. Repeat these steps for each task you'd like to add to the list. To delete a task from the list, right-click it and select Delete. When you're finished adding and deleting tasks, close the Scheduled Tasks window. Then, as long as Windows and the Task Scheduler are running at the time for which tasks are scheduled, this little helper will run them for you. TASK SCHEDULER: CHANGING TASKS In the first tip in this series, we introduced the Task Scheduler, a utility that runs maintenance routines, such as ScanDisk and Disk Defragmenter, according to a specified schedule. (To open the Scheduled Tasks window, double-click the Task Scheduler icon in the tray of your Taskbar; if you don't see the icon, select Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Scheduled Tasks, and then select Advanced, Start Using Scheduled Tasks.) In our last tip, we showed you how to add or delete tasks. (To add a task, click the Add Scheduled Task item and follow along with the wizard; to delete a task, right-click it and select Delete.) You can also modify the settings for any task in the list. Right-click the task you'd like to change and select Properties. In the resulting dialog box, use the settings on the Schedule And Settings tab to adjust the task's behavior, then click OK. Repeat these steps for each task you'd like to modify, then close the Scheduled Tasks window. CHANGING THE DEFAULT PRINTER If you need to change the default printer on your system regularly, you may find the DefPtr.exe utility from the Windows 98 Resource Kit a useful addition to your standard setup. DefPtr.exe is a GUI utility that performs just one task--it lists all the local system's printers and lets you select one as the Default Printer. Once minimized, or the default printer changed, DefPtr.exe sits out of the way in the System Tray. To keep it in the System Tray to be run each time you start Windows, create a shortcut to DefPtr.exe in the Startup folder, open the shortcut's Properties tab, and change Run: Normal to Run: Minimized. ADJUST SYSTEM CLOCK Just realize your system clock isn't set quite right? (No wonder you're always late!) Changing this setting is a snap. Simply double-click the time on your Taskbar and make your changes in the resulting dialog box. Select the portion of the time you need to adjust (probably minutes), type the correct number, and click OK. CLEAR FIND LIST USING REGISTRY In our last tip, we showed you how to clean out Find's list of stored searches using Tweak UI: Open the Control Panel, double-click Tweak UI, select the Paranoia tab, select Clear Find Files History At Logon, click Clear Selected Items Now, then click OK. (If you don't have Tweak UI on your system, check out the quick review near the end of this tip.) If you'd prefer, you can remove individual items from the list using the Registry Editor. (Note: As always, back up your Registry files--System.dat and User.dat, hidden files in your Windows folder--before proceeding.) Open the Registry Editor by selecting Start, Run, typing regedit and clicking OK. Navigate your way to HCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Doc Find Spec MRU. In the right pane, right-click any entry you'd like to remove from the Find dialog box, select Remove, then click Yes to confirm. Close the Registry Editor. Quick review: The Tweak UI PowerToy is on your Windows 98 installation CD, in the tools\reskit\powertoy folder. To install it, right-click tweakui.inf and select Install. To open Tweak UI, double-click its icon inside the Control Panel. Later editions of Windows 98 did not include the utility. If you don't have it, you can download Tweak UI-98 from File World at http://www.pcworld.com/r/tw/1%2C2061%2Ctw-w981129a%2C00.html CLEAR FIND LIST USING TWEAK UI Want to clear the Find list of stored searches from Find? (To view the list we're talking about, select Start, Find, Files Or Folders, then click the down arrow next to Named.) Start with a clean slate using the Tweak UI PowerToy. (You'll find a quick review on how to install Tweak UI below.) Open the Control Panel, double-click Tweak UI, and select the Paranoia tab. Select Clear Find Files History At Logon, click Clear Selected Items Now, then click OK. The next time you open Find and pull down the Named list, you'll find just what you'd expect--absolutely nothing. Quick review: The Tweak UI PowerToy is on your Windows 98 installation CD, in the tools\reskit\powertoy folder. To install it, right-click tweakui.inf and select Install. To open Tweak UI, double-click its icon inside the Control Panel. Later editions of Windows 98 did not include the utility. If you don't have it, you can download Tweak UI-98 from File World at http://www.pcworld.com/r/tw/1%2C2061%2Ctw-w981129a%2C00.html CONTROL WINDOWS FROM THE KEYBOARD Tired of dragging the mouse all the way up to the right corner of an open window to minimize, maximize, or close it? If you'd prefer to forget about those teeny-tiny caption buttons altogether, try these keyboard shortcuts instead: Press Alt-Spacebar and then press: N to minimize the active window X to maximize it R to restore it (from maximized view) C to close it (Tip-in-a-tip: As you may remember from a previous tip, you can also press Alt-F4 to close the active window.) DELETE DOWNLOADED DESKTOP ELEMENTS YOU WON'T USE In recent tips, we've discussed how to find and use holiday-related desktop elements such as screen savers, desktop themes, and clipart. For example, you can search under a keyword like "Christmas" at http://www.pcworld.com/fileworld/0,1392,,00.html Without a doubt, you'll download and install some items that you'll later decide you don't like. And so, we'd like to offer one quick suggestion: Delete as you go. If you try something you don't like, ditch the .zip (or .exe) file it rode in on and any extracted files. Better still, use the uninstall program, if any, that came with the download. If you don't, you'll end up with lots of garbage on your system. And don't kid yourself--you'll never go back and search it out later. DISABLE TASK SCHEDULER ENTIRELY Reader F. Watters writes, "I am running Windows 98 and want to get rid of the Task Scheduler in my System Tray. I have disabled everything and still it sits there doing nothing. How do I get rid of it?" Double-click the Task Scheduler icon, and in the resulting window, select Advanced, Stop Using Task Scheduler. Close the Scheduled Tasks window, and this utility will no longer run at startup. GET YOUR DESKTOP IN THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT Can't seem to get in the holiday spirit? There are loads of holiday-related screen savers, desktop themes, clipart, and so on, available for download off the Internet. For example, point your Web browser at http://www.pcworld.com/fileworld/0,1392,,00.html and search under the keyword "Christmas." There must be something there to get you ho-ho-ho-ing! Other sites you may wish to try: http://www.winfiles.com/apps/98/ http://www.softseek.com/Desktop_Enhancements/ http://www.rad.kumc.edu/win95/themes.htm (for desktop themes only) MAKE CAPTION BUTTONS BIGGER In our last tip, we showed you the keyboard equivalents for caption buttons (the three buttons in the upper-right corner of an open window), for those of you who find them a bit small to grab on to: Press Alt-Spacebar and then press: N to minimize the active window X to maximize it R to restore it (from maximized view) C to close it Sticking by that mouse? Well then, make those caption buttons a bit more tolerable. Make them bigger. Right-click the desktop, select Properties, and click the Appearance tab. In the dropdown list under Item, scroll up and select Caption Buttons. Now just click the up arrow next to Size, watching the preview to see the change. (Two or three numbers up should do the trick.) Click OK to apply the change to your desktop. (Note: The Taskbar grows along with the caption buttons.) TASK SCHEDULER: DISABLING TASKS In the first tip in this series, we introduced the Task Scheduler, a utility that runs maintenance routines, such as ScanDisk and Disk Defragmenter, according to a specified schedule. (To open the Scheduled Tasks window, double-click the Task Scheduler icon in the tray of your Taskbar; if you don't see the icon, select Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Scheduled Tasks, and then select Advanced, Start Using Scheduled Tasks.) Is there a task in the list you'd like to disable without deleting it entirely--so you don't have to re-create it if you decide to use it again? Inside the Scheduled Tasks window, right-click the task and select Properties. On the Task tab, deselect Enabled and click OK. Back in the Scheduled Tasks list, you'll see the word Disabled in the Schedule and Next Run Time columns for that task. (To enable the task again, go back and select the Enabled option.) Want to disable every task in one fell swoop? Right-click the Taskbar's Task Scheduler icon and select Pause Task Scheduler. (To turn it back on, right-click the icon and select Continue Task Scheduler.) In our next tip, turning the Task Scheduler off altogether... TWEAK UI REBUILDS ICONS In our last tip, we showed you where to download Tweak UI if you don't have a Windows 98 installation CD--for example, if you have Windows 98 SE or if Windows 98 was preloaded on your system. Point your Web browser at http://www.pcworld.com/r/tw/1%2C2061%2Ctw-w981129a%2C00.html and download tui98.zip. (Note: If you do have the CD, Tweak UI is in the tools\reskit\powertoy folder. To install it, right-click tweakui.inf and select Install. To open Tweak UI, double-click its icon inside the Control Panel.) Now that everyone has access to this neat utility, let's discuss some of the things it can do. In a previous tip, we showed you how to rebuild your desktop icons (or Quick Launch icons) if they don't look like they're supposed to. Well wouldn't you know, Tweak UI has a Rebuild Icons feature that might solve the problem in one easy step. (You'll have to try it and see.) Open Tweak UI and select the Repair tab. With Rebuild Icons selected, click Repair Now, then wait as Tweak UI does its thing. With any luck, those icons will be back to their old selves. TWEAK UI: SET CUSTOM SEARCH ENGINE AS DEFAULT FOR IE In a previous tip, we showed you where to download Tweak UI if you don't have a Windows 98 installation CD--for example, if you have Windows 98 SE or if Windows 98 was preloaded on your system. Point your Web browser at http://www.pcworld.com/r/tw/1%2C2061%2Ctw-w981129a%2C00.html and download tui98.zip. (Note: If you do have the CD, Tweak UI is in the tools\reskit\powertoy folder. To install it, right-click tweakui.inf and select Install. To open Tweak UI, double-click its icon inside the Control Panel.) Now that everyone has access to this handy utility, we'll discuss some of the things it can do. In our last tip, we showed you how to use Tweak UI to set Internet Explorer's default search engine, so that typing ? keyword on the address bar invokes your favorite search engine: Open Tweak UI, select the General tab, select an option in the dropdown list next to Search Engine, then click OK. Don't see your search engine of choice? Not a problem. Just select Custom. Then, in the Internet Explorer Search Engine dialog box, type the appropriate URL. Sounds simple enough, but you'll need to do a little research first. Perform a search using your favorite search engine, then look at the address bar. For example, if you use Google to search for "Barbie," IE's address bar reads: http://www.google.com/search?q=barbie&num=10&sa=Google+Search The text you type in the Internet Explorer Search Engine dialog box is everything up to (but not including) your keyword, plus "%s." So to set Google as the default, you'd type http://www.google.com/search?q=%s Once you've entered the appropriate URL, click OK, then click OK again to close Tweak UI. TWEAK UI: SET DEFAULT SEARCH ENGINE FOR IE In a previous tip, we showed you where to download Tweak UI if you don't have a Windows 98 installation CD--for example, if you have Windows 98 SE or if Windows 98 was preloaded on your system. Point your Web browser at http://www.pcworld.com/r/tw/1%2C2061%2Ctw-w981129a%2C00.html and download tui98.zip, not tweakui.exe. (Note: If you do have the CD, Tweak UI is in the tools\reskit\powertoy folder. To install it, right-click tweakui.inf and select Install. To open Tweak UI, double-click its icon inside the Control Panel.) Now that everyone has access to this handy utility, we'll discuss some of the things it can do. First of all, did you know that you can type ? keyword in the address bar of any Internet Explorer window to search under that keyword? If you didn't, then this is two tips in one. In any event, Tweak UI can help you customize this feature so that your favorite search engine does the searching. Inside Tweak UI, select the General tab. Next to Search Engine, click the down arrow, take your pick, then click OK. Don't see your favorite search engine? In our next tip, we'll show you how to use it anyway... WHAT TO DO WITH DOWNLOADED STARTUP SCREENS AND DESKTOP THEMES In a recent tip, we pointed you to some Web sites for downloading holiday-related desktop elements such as screen savers, desktop themes, and clipart. One way to find these files is to search for the keyword "Christmas" at http://www.pcworld.com/fileworld/0,1392,,00.html Once you've downloaded what you want, you'll need to know what to do with it. Assuming you end up with a .zip file (and you will, in most cases), use an unzipping utility to open the resulting ZIP file. If it's an .exe file, double-click it to extract its files. Then follow these steps: For startup/shutdown screens: Extract or move the files inside to the appropriate directory: Logo.sys belongs in the root directory; logos.sys and logow.sys belong in the Windows folder. (Tip: Rename the originals first, so you don't overwrite them.) For desktop themes: Extract or move the contents to the Program Files\Plus!\Themes folder. From now on, you can select the theme from the Desktop Themes dialog box: Open the Control Panel (select Settings, Control Panel from the Start menu), double-click Desktop Themes, and select the new theme in the Theme list. Assuming you like the preview that appears, click OK to apply it to your desktop. (Note: The above instructions apply to the majority of downloads; however, there will be exceptions. For example, some downloads include a setup program to install the item for you. When in doubt, look for a readme.txt file.) WHAT TO DO WITH DOWNLOADED WALLPAPER AND SCREEN SAVERS In our last tip, we pointed you to some Web sites for downloading holiday-related desktop elements such as screen savers, desktop themes, and clipart. One way to find these files is to search for the keyword "Christmas" at http://www.pcworld.com/fileworld/0,1392,,00.html Once you've downloaded what you want, you'll need to know what to do with it. Assuming you end up with a .zip file (and you will, in most cases), use an unzipping utility to open the resulting ZIP file. If it's an .exe file, double-click it to extract its files. Then follow these steps: For wallpaper: Extract or move any .bmp files to your Windows folder. >From now on, you can apply any of the new wallpapers using the Display Properties dialog box: Right-click the desktop, select Properties, select a wallpaper on the Background tab, and click OK. For screen savers: Extract or move the .scr file(s) inside your Windows folder. From now on, you can apply the screen saver(s) using the Display Properties dialog box: Right-click the desktop, select Properties, and click the Screen Saver tab. Select the screen saver you'd like to use (and adjust the delay, if necessary), then click OK. (Note: The above instructions apply to the majority of downloads; however, there will be exceptions. For example, some downloads include a setup program to install the item for you. When in doubt, look for a readme.txt file.) In our next tip, we'll show you the techniques for using files for startup/shutdown screens and desktop themes. BRINGING WINDOWS APPLICATIONS INTO BATCH FILES If you use batch files to start applications for your users in order to maintain a common environment, you may find the Start.exe command a useful addition to your scripts. Using the Start command to run your applications gives you a way to ensure that applications are always started maximized or minimized when called from a batch file. Use the syntax: start /max application.exe or start /m application.exe to start the application maximized or minimized, respectively. If you remember the tip that explained how to use the explorer . and explorer .. commands to open up an explorer window of the current or parent folder, you may not be too surprised to learn that start . and start .. do exactly the same things (though of course you can also use the /m and /max switches). SUBST REVISITED In a previous tip, we introduced the Subst command as a way to provide easy access to a given folder (subst X: C:\my documents\reports\clients\acmeco). Subst can also be used to work around some problems that can arise in the Windows environment where the length of environment variables causes problems; even the DOS Path statement can eventually run "Out of Environment Space." For example, X:\data is much shorter than C:\program files\dosapps\livedata\1999\data. As the Subst command can be run from a command prompt, it can be included in batch files, it survives MS-DOS prompt sessions, and it shows up as a drive in Explorer. Finally, you can't remove a subst'ed drive (e.g., Z) if you're actually in Z at the time, because that would just leave you nowhere! CREATE A TASKBAR TOOLBAR FOLDER If you found our previous tip for displaying a folder's contents on the taskbar useful, but would like to be able to change the items in the new toolbar without copying files from one folder to another, then try the following. 1. Create an easily accessible folder on your system (e.g., C:\My Documents\Toolbar). 2. Create shortcuts to the files you require in the folder (again, keep the numbers down and delete the Shortcut To prefix to keep the labels small). 3. Right-click a free space on the taskbar. 4. Select Toolbars from the Context menu. 5. Select New Toolbar. 6. From the browse window select the new folder you created (in this case, C:\My Documents\Toolbar). The shortcuts you created should now appear on the taskbar. If you want to change an item on the taskbar, just replace its shortcut in the folder you created. CUT AND PASTE FROM THE COMMAND PROMPT If you've come to Windows 98 from Windows 3.x and even DOS, you probably remember how to create a snapshot of the results of a command line program by redirecting its output to a file. Lost already? Type dir . >dir.txt and you create a file in the current folder named dir.txt, which contains the list of files from the dir command as it would have appeared on the screen. This has been the way of passing on this type of output to others for many a year, but it can be done more easily. Open a command prompt window and make sure you have the toolbar open. If the toolbar isn't displayed, click the MS-DOS icon for the Control menu at the top left of the window, and click the Toolbar icon. Click the Mark icon and then drag the mouse over the text contents of the window to highlight it. Now click Copy. The selection is copied to the standard Windows clipboard, ready to be pasted into any Windows application. This method has to be easier than redirecting to a file first. Similarly, when you're viewing a text document in Notepad or Word, you can paste into the command prompt any commands that appear in the text, saving yourself the trouble of typing them. FILE COMPRESSION We all know how useful WinZip is--its name is synonymous with file compression and archiving. However, if you have the Windows 98 Resource Kit, you should never be stuck for means of quickly compressing a file to e-mail or reclaiming some disk space. The command-line utilities Compress.exe and Expand.exe do exactly what their names suggest. There aren't many command-line options for these utilities. However, if you use the -r option when compressing a file, the compressed file's extension is automatically changed to a .??_ extension (e.g., document.do_). The advantage of this approach is that if you then use WinZip to expand the file, WinZip automatically makes its best guess at the extension (dependent on the extension associations on the extracting PC) and extracts the file as such. If you use the command line to specify an extension for which WinZip cannot determine an association, you'll be prompted to name the file before you extract it. SCREEN SHOTS If you're forever writing system documentation and instructions, it's useful to be able to drop screen shots into your documents. Screen capture programs like SnagIt are well worth looking at for the flexibility they offer, but Windows also gives you some help here. Press [Alt][PrintScrn] to copy the active window to the Clipboard. To copy Windows' entire current display to the Clipboard, press [PrintScrn] only. Back in your document file, press [Ctrl]V to paste in the screen shot. Depending on the application, you may also be able to edit the shot. KEEP CONTROL OF THE TASKBAR If you've followed our previous tip on placing new toolbars on the Windows 98 taskbar, we hope you've heeded our warnings to keep the number of items you place on those new toolbars low. If you like this method's functionality of launching files and navigating between them, then bear in mind these two simple pointers to keep yourself on top of your taskbar. 1) The taskbar can be moved to each side of the screen by dragging it there from a free space on the bar. As you move to a side of the screen, the bar will snap into position. It can also be widened by dragging the inside edge of the bar toward the center of the screen. 2) If you widen the taskbar as described above, you'll reduce the portion of the screen available to open applications. In this case, you may wish to turn on the Taskbar Auto Hide feature by checking the Auto Hide tick box on the General tab of Start \| Settings \| Taskbar & Start Menu. MORE MILEAGE OUT OF THE TASKBAR The Windows 98 taskbar can be put to more use than simply holding the System tray, Start button and Active Applications icons. Try the following tip to use it to gain fast access to the contents of the folder you're working in. For best results, use this with a folder with a small number of contents or the taskbar will soon get crowded. 1. Right-click on a free space on the taskbar. 2. Select Toolbars from the Context menu. 3. Select New Toolbar. 4. From the Browse window select the folder to work with (e.g., C:\My Documents\this_week). The contents of the folder are now displayed on the taskbar. This allows you to open the documents, spreadsheets, or whatever else right from the taskbar and allows you to easily switch between them. KEEP THE TYPING ERRORS DOWN When writing command scripts that involve calling up applications from a complex file system, you can cut down on your typing and minimize mistakes at the command prompt by following this simple tip. Open a command prompt window and an Explorer window, making sure you can see the application you require in the latter window. Now drag the application file into the command prompt window. The complete path will appear at the current command prompt. This trick even works with the COPY CON method of creating batch files at the command prompt. Once you've started a new line, the dragged file will appear as the next command, complete with its path--and no spelling mistakes! MAPPING DRIVES Perhaps the most common way to map a drive letter to a network drive is to use Explorer to map the drive letter. It is possible, however, to connect these mapped drives from the Windows 98 MS-DOS prompt using the Net.exe command. This method is used for Windows NT logon scripts, but it can also be useful if you need to complete a specific task during the day (or night) requiring a remote file share. For instance, say you need to map a drive (G) to the \\server1\work share, you could use the command Net use g: \\server1\work However, if there is already a G mapped on the PC, this will only return an error. To work around this, it's common practice to run the command Net use g: /delete before the command that maps the drive. This deletes the current mapping of G, allowing the new mapping to complete successfully. If you do not necessarily need to specify the letter to be used in the drive mapping, you can use the wildcard symbol [] instead. For example, Net use : \\server1\work will map the first available drive letter (after the letters assigned to fixed disks and removable media) to the network share. MORE DRIVE LETTERS You or your users may find it easier to get to frequently accessed parts of your Windows system by typing a drive letter rather than a long directory path. For example, x: instead of c:\my documents\reports\clients\acmeco This is possible without needing virtual drives in extended partitions, thanks to a utility from the days of DOS named Subst.exe, still installed as part of Windows. The command line is simply: To map a drive to a directory subst n: pathname To remove the mapping subst n: /d For example: subst x: c:\my documents\reports\clients\acmeco subst x: /d This is a useful way to point users to a given folder easily, and can aid navigation problems around otherwise complex folder trees. MORE ON STARTING APPLICATIONS FROM THE COMMAND LINE By using the Start.exe command with the /w option, you force the batch command that has started the called application to wait until that application closes before processing the next command. For instance, the command start /w f:\customapp.exe would start the application customapp and then halt until the customapp program had finished before carrying on with the next command in the batch file. The /w option gives you a very basic method of directing users through a series of steps--for instance, directing them to run a particular application once a week in their logon scripts. RECYCLE BIN PROPERTIES By default, the Windows 98 Recycle Bin is configured as one big bin for the whole system. However, you can gain some flexibility with a few setting modifications. Right-click the Recycle Bin icon and select Properties. You'll notice that it's possible to configure Recycle Bins independently for each of your drives, rather than having one setting for your whole system. Configuring the Recycle Bin this way allows you to set the Delete For Good And Bypass The Recycle Bin option for each drive. It also lets you set a limit on the maximum size of the Recycle Bin for each drive, rather than using a single setting for the whole system. This option may be useful when disk space is at a premium. SCANREG EDITOR Scanreg.exe and the GUI Scanregw.exe can be used to manually back up the registry at any time. By default, these utilities only back up the registry, but they can also be used to back up other system files. You could directly edit the scanreg.ini file to add other files, but if you have the Windows 98 Resource Kit, its Scanreg Information File Editor (Sredit.exe) lets you back up the config.sys, autoexec.bat, protocol.ini, msdos.sys, telephon.ini, and control.ini files along with the registry. These files are backed up by default as a .cab file in the C:\Windows\Sysbckup directory, although the Sredit.exe utility can be used to change this too, along with the designated number of backups to keep. SEND TO A NETWORK FOLDER Make the task of posting documents to a shared network folder easier by using the Send To feature. 1. In the Run dialog box, type Send To and click OK to open the Send To folder. 2. Create a shortcut to the network folder that you wish to copy items to and give the shortcut a descriptive name. 3. Close the Send To folder. Now find the files or folders to be copied to the shared folder, ensuring you are logged on to the network, and right-click the selection. Expand the Send To option and the new shortcut will appear. Select the new shortcut you created, and the selected objects will be copied to the new location. START MENU ITEMS If you or your users frequently start programs by adding them to the Start menu, you may find this shortcut handy. 1. Right-click Start and select Explore. 2. Create a shortcut and select its associated application. 3. When you reach the shortcut name field, prefix the name with a number (e.g., 1 Notepad). 4. Close the Exploring - Start Menu window. 5. Now to start the application, simply press the Windows key or [Ctrl][Esc] followed by 1 (for this example), and the application (in this case Notepad) will start. STARTING DOCUMENTS FROM THE COMMAND LINE In the past few tips, we've looked at ways to use the command line utility Start.exe. In addition to its other uses, Start will look up document extensions, such as .doc for Word or WordPad and .xls for Excel. For example, Start /max f:\docs\staffmovements.doc will start the staffmovements.doc document, maximized, using the application that is registered to start .doc files. In addition, batch files can easily accept document names as variables. For example, Start /max /w f:\docs\%1 provides a good method of calling a document open from a regularly run batch file. Simply add the document name as a variable after the name of the batch file. MPREXE ERROR After installing Windows 98 Second Edition, you may receive the error message, "Mprexe caused an invalid page fault in module kernel32.dll at..." The reason, according to Microsoft, is that the system has less than the recommended minimum amount of RAM (24 MB) installed. If you do have less than 24 MB installed, your system may run but it might be susceptible to invalid page faults and severe performance problems. You can either add more memory or uninstall Windows 98 Second Edition. For more information, see MS Knowledge Base articles Q238454 and Q234782. http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q238/4/54.asp http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q234/7/82.asp FORCE A BOOT INTO THE COMMAND PROMPT The msdos.sys file in the root of your Windows 98 installation is a text file, so you can edit it with Notepad to take advantage of some useful options. We recently had to quickly make a PC pre-installed with Windows 98 behave like an elderly 386 for a user who was accustomed to having the PC boot directly to a DOS labeling program. We added the labeling program to the end of the autoexec.bat file and changed the following line in the msdos.sys file from BootGUI=1 to BootGUI=0 The task completed within a couple of minutes. Meanwhile, the Windows installation remains intact. WINDOWS 9x AS AN ADMIN STATION? If you're using a Windows 9x PC as an administration workstation, you've no doubt come across some limitations (like the limited number of Server Admin tools you can run compared to those on a Windows NT workstation). To add to your woes (and your list of justifications for an upgrade), here's another: If you administer a mixed Novell and Microsoft NT network, you may well have the Microsoft Client for NetWare Networks installed. In this instance, you won't be able to install the Microsoft RPC Print Provider service that allows Win 9x PCs to give the detailed information about NT print jobs that NT workstations can. WINDOWS ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES, PART 1 If you're new to writing batch files, sooner or later you'll require the use of variables to make your batch files more useful and reusable. There are many good sources of information on writing batch files, and you should start by searching TechRepublic.com! Bear in mind that if you use the SET command to assign variables in batch files, the variable survives only the current command processor (an instance of command.com) and further instances of the command processor created from that one (that is, running the command "command" from an MS-DOS prompt). This means that a variable created in a batch file in the morning is lost when you come to run another, completely separate batch file later in the day. Watch for the next tip on how to resolve this dilemma. http://www.techrepublic.com/ WINDOWS ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES, PART 2 In our last tip, we explained the limitation of the SET command, which only carries variables from the current MS-DOS prompt session (command processor) to further instances of the command processor created from that one. The way to work around this is to use the Winset.exe utility from the Windows 98 Resource Kit. This lets you assign a variable that's set globally for the OS until the system is restarted. Try this to see the effect: 1. Open a MS-DOS prompt window and type set testvar=c:\windows. 2. Type set. The variables will be listed, including testvar. Leave that window open and start another MS-DOS prompt window. 3. Type set, and within the displayed list of variables, you'll no longer see testvar. If you repeat this exercise typing winset testvar2=c:\windows, you'll see the opposite happen. The testvar2 variable will not appear in the first MS-DOS prompt but will appear if you open a second MS-DOS prompt. If you want to set a variable for both the current MS-DOS prompt session and globally, remember then to use both statements: set testvar=c:\windows winset testvar=c:\windows WINS SERVER ADDRESSES NOT RETAINED If your Windows PCs are connected to a TCP/IP-based Windows NT network, there's a strong chance that WINS servers are used to resolve NetBIOS names (such as computer names and NT domain names) to IP addresses. Configuring your Windows PCs to use these servers is simple. If DHCP is used, either your administrator configures them for you with DHCP options, or you set your PCs manually to look for a Primary and Secondary server in the WINS tab of the Network applet in Control Panel. You may, however, find that when you reboot a PC after manually setting only a Primary WINS server in Control Panel, the setting is not retained. Try the following solution: Enter both a Primary and a Secondary WINS server IP address, even if they are the same. Now reboot the PC and check that the settings are retained. INTRO TO MICROSOFT BACKUP We frequently receive requests for tips on backing up data files--you know, all those files that took hours to create and that you'd be devastated to lose? (Two words: Disasters happen.) Back by popular demand, and in the spirit of the New Year (what better time to start good backup habits?), here's our multipart series on Microsoft Backup. Microsoft Backup has been improved significantly since the less-than-perfect version that was part of Windows 95. First, it's a Seagate Software product; second, it has a wizard to walk you through standard backup procedures; and third, it supports SCSI tape drives. (The old one didn't.) Watch how easy this utility is to use: Suppose you want to back up your data files (which, of course, are all neatly filed in a main Data Files folder, divided into subfolders). Select Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Backup. Choose Create A New Backup Job and click OK. Select Backup Selected Files..., then click Next. In the left pane, click to place check marks in the boxes next to the folder(s) and/or drive(s) you want to back up--in this case, the C:\Data Files folder--then click Next. Leave All Selected Files selected, then click Next and set a destination for the backup (such as your tape backup). Click Next two more times, name the backup job, and click Start. When Microsoft Backup finishes doing its thing, you'll see a message telling you the operation is complete. Click OK twice. (Note: To bypass the wizard, open Microsoft Backup, click Close, and you'll find all of the options included in the wizard right on the Backup tab.) In our next tip, updating an existing backup job... MICROSOFT BACKUP: INVOKING WIZARDS In the first tip in this series, we introduced Microsoft Backup, a utility that allows you to create backups of important files, such as data files. To create a backup job, select Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Backup; then follow along as the wizard walks you through the creation process (select Create A New Backup Job, click OK, and so on). If you find yourself inside the Microsoft Backup window wishing you could use the wizard to create a new backup job or restore files, don't waste time exiting Backup and reopening this utility to make the wizard appear. You can invoke the wizard at any time. Inside Microsoft Backup, pull down the Tools menu and select Backup Wizard or Restore Wizard; or click the Backup Wizard or Restore Wizard icon. MICROSOFT BACKUP: PASSWORD PROTECTION In the first tip in this series, we introduced Microsoft Backup, a utility that allows you to create backups of important files, such as data files. To create a backup job, select Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Backup; then follow along as the wizard walks you through the creation process (select Create A New Backup Job, click OK, and so on). If a number of people use your system (and Microsoft Backup), you'll probably want to protect your important backup jobs from unwanted changes. On the Backup tab, select the job you want to protect, then click the Options button in the lower-right corner of the window. Click the Password tab, select Protect This Backup With A Password, and type a case-sensitive password of up to eight characters. Press Tab, type the password again, then click OK. One more thing: Don't forget to write the password down somewhere. Now no one can back up files to, or restore files from, this job without the password. MICROSOFT BACKUP: RESTORING FILES In the first tip in this series, we introduced Microsoft Backup, a utility that allows you to create backups of important files, such as data files. To create a backup job, select Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Backup; then follow along as the wizard walks you through the creation process (select Create A New Backup Job, click OK, and so on). Now that you've got this backup file (.qic), how can it help you? Scary thought, but let's suppose your system just crashed and you lost all your data files. Once--or should we say, if--you get the system up and running again, select Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Backup. Select Restore Backed Up Files, click OK, then select the location of the .qic file you want to restore (for example, a tape or zip drive). Click Next, and the wizard will walk you through the rest of the restoration process. Now imagine if you hadn't backed up those files... MICROSOFT BACKUP: RUNNING TOTAL OF BACKUP JOB In the first tip in this series, we introduced Microsoft Backup, a utility that allows you to create backups of important files, such as data files. To create a backup job, select Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Backup; then follow along as the wizard walks you through the creation process (select Create A New Backup Job, click OK, and so on). As you're selecting files, folders, and drives for a particular backup job, you may wish to see a running total (size-wise) of the items you've selected so far. Select View, Selection Information, and watch the resulting dialog box for file and byte estimates. (Note: This option is not available from within the Backup Wizard. To bypass the wizard and create a backup job manually, open Microsoft Backup, click Close, and use the options on the Backup tab.) MICROSOFT BACKUP: UPDATING BACKUP JOB In our last tip, we introduced Microsoft Backup, a utility that allows you to create backups of important files, such as data files. To create a backup job, select Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Backup; then follow along as the wizard walks you through the creation process (select Create A New Backup Job, click OK, and so on). Assuming you've followed the above steps to create a backup job, you now have a backup job in the form of a *.qic file--we'll call it MyBackup.qic. As your data files change, or as you create new files, you'll want to update this backup to reflect these changes. (Creating a new job every time is too time consuming.) Select Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Backup; select Open An Existing Backup Job; and click OK. Choose the backup you want to update and click Open. Next to What To Backup, select New And Changed Files, then click Start. Microsoft Backup will now do exactly what you've asked--back up only new or changed information. In our next tip, restoring files from a backup job... OPEN ALL FOLDERS IN TWO-PANED EXPLORER VIEW Reader J. Kolberg writes, "I read with interest your recent tip on applying view options globally [open any folder window and set the desired viewing options; select View, Folder Options; select the View tab; click the Like Current Folder button; click Yes to confirm; then click OK]. However, what I'd like to do is make every folder open with a double-paned window. Is there a way to do this?" Actually, doing what you've asked involves a bit more work. Open any Explorer window and select View, Folder Options. Click the File Types tab, and under Registered File Types, select Folder (NOT File Folder). Click the Edit button, and in the Actions box, you'll notice that "open" appears in bold. In this same box, select Explore, then click the Set Default button. Click Close twice, and the next time you double-click a folder, it will open in a two-paned Explorer view. And of course, you can still open a folder in a single-paned window by right-clicking it and selecting Open. (Note: If you think you might want to revert to the default single-paned view, be sure to read the next tip before following the above technique. It'll take some Registry editing to get things back to normal.) TEMPORARILY DISABLE AUTOPLAY These days, most systems with a CD-ROM drive offer AutoPlay, so that when you insert a CD-ROM into the drive, it plays automatically (or opens in a window, as in the case of the Windows 98 installation CD). However, sometimes you may not want AutoPlay to do its thing--for example, if you insert an audio CD you don't want to play until later. To prevent AutoPlay from kicking in, simply hold down the Shift key after inserting the CD. (Tip: Hold Shift for as long as it normally takes for the CD to start playing.) Later, to play the CD, open any Explorer window, right-click your CD-ROM drive, and select Play. PERMANENTLY DISABLE AUTOPLAY In our last tip, we showed you how to disable your CD-ROM drive's AutoPlay feature temporarily: After inserting a CD, hold down Shift for as long as it normally takes the CD to start playing. Never liked AutoPlay anyway? Well then, disable it. Right-click My Computer and select Properties to open the System Properties dialog box. On the Device Manager tab, click the plus sign next to CDROM and select your CD-ROM drive. Click the Properties button, select the Settings tab, and deselect Auto Insert Notification. Click OK, then click Close and restart Windows 98. The next time you insert a CD in that drive--nothing. REVERTING TO SINGLE-PANED EXPLORER VIEW In our last tip, we showed you how to make all folders open in a double-paned Explorer view by default: Open any Explorer window; select View, Folder Options; click the File Types tab; under Registered File Types, select Folder (NOT File Folder); click the Edit button; in the Actions box, select Explore (you'll notice that Open is currently the default); click the Set Default button; and click Close twice. Want to switch back to the default single-paned view? If you follow the steps above to make the Open (rather than Explore) action the default again, everything will appear to be functioning normally--EXCEPT double-clicking a folder in the right pane of a two-paned Explorer window now displays its contents in a separate window. To undo this behavior, you'll need to edit the Registry. (Note: As always, back up your Registry files--System.dat and User.dat, hidden files in your Windows folder--before proceeding.) Open the Registry Editor by selecting Start, Run, typing regedit and clicking OK. Navigate your way to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell. In the right pane, right-click '(Default)' and select Modify. On the Value Data line, delete the word "Open" and click OK. Close the Registry Editor. Double-clicking a folder in the right pane of an Explorer window will now display the contents inside that pane. SHRINK THE START MENU If you add a lot of shortcuts and folders--say, more than seven--to your Start menu, an arrow appears at the top so you can scroll up to the entries that don't fit on screen. To avoid all that cumbersome scrolling, make your entire Start menu smaller. Right-click a blank area of the Taskbar, select Properties, select Show Small Icons On Start Menu, then click OK. TWEAK UI: REMOVE ITEMS FROM INSTALL/UNINSTALL LIST In a previous tip, we showed you where to download Tweak UI if you don't have a Windows 98 installation CD--for example, if you have Windows 98 SE or if Windows 98 was preloaded on your system. Point your Web browser at http://www.pcworld.com/r/tw/1%2C2061%2Ctw-w981129a%2C00.html and download tui98.zip. (Note: If you do have the CD, Tweak UI is in the tools\reskit\powertoy folder. To install it, right-click tweakui.inf and select Install. To open Tweak UI, double-click its icon inside the Control Panel.) Now that everyone has access to this handy utility, we'll discuss some of the things it can do. If you open the Control Panel, double-click Add/Remove Programs, and check out the list of programs on the Install/Uninstall tab, you'll probably see some applications you've already removed from your system. Use Tweak UI to delete them from this list. (The alternative is to edit the Registry.) Inside Tweak UI, select the Add/Remove tab. One at a time, select an item you'd like to remove from the list, click Remove, then click Yes to confirm. TWEAK UI: RESTRICT CONTROL PANEL ACCESS In a previous tip, we showed you where to download Tweak UI if you don't have a Windows 98 installation CD--for example, if you have Windows 98 SE or if Windows 98 was preloaded on your system. Point your Web browser at http://www.pcworld.com/r/tw/1%2C2061%2Ctw-w981129a%2C00.html and download tui98.zip. (Note: If you do have the CD, Tweak UI is in the tools\reskit\powertoy folder. To install it, right-click tweakui.inf and select Install. To open Tweak UI, double-click its icon inside the Control Panel.) Now that everyone has access to this handy utility, we'll discuss some of the things it can do. We frequently receive requests for security-related tips--for example, how do I keep people from messing with my Control Panel settings? Tweak UI lets you restrict access to your Control Panel by simply removing individual controls. Inside Tweak UI, select the Control Panel tab and deselect the controls you'd like to hide. Click OK. When you open the Control Panel, those controls are out of sight. TWEAK UI: XMOUSE In a previous tip, we showed you where to download Tweak UI if you don't have a Windows 98 installation CD--for example, if you have Windows 98 SE or if Windows 98 was preloaded on your system. Point your Web browser at http://www.pcworld.com/r/tw/1%2C2061%2Ctw-w981129a%2C00.html and download tui98.zip. (Note: If you do have the CD, Tweak UI is in the tools\reskit\powertoy folder. To install it, right-click tweakui.inf and select Install. To open Tweak UI, double-click its icon inside the Control Panel.) Now that everyone has access to this handy utility, we'll discuss some of the things it can do. Do you wish that Windows' focus would follow your mouse pointer so that, for example, moving your mouse over a window automatically placed the focus on that window? Open Tweak UI and, on the Mouse tab, select Activation Follows Mouse (X-Mouse). Click Apply or OK, then move your mouse pointer around the screen. Cool, eh? (Tip: If you want your mouse pointer to select the window it's over AND move it to the top of the open window pile, select Tweak UI's General tab and select Auto-Raise under Effects.) DEVICE MANAGER ONLY SHOWS A COMPUTER ENTRY Here's another quick solution to an otherwise time-consuming Windows problem. You open the Device Manager on a Windows 95, 98, or 98 SE computer, and you only see a Computer entry. This is caused by an incorrect version of the Setupx.dll file in the Windows installation. To solve the problem, use the Find utility (or the dir /s command) to find all copies of the Setupx.dll file on the computer. Rename these files with .bak extensions to move them aside and extract a new copy of the Setupx.dll file from the original installation media for your version of Windows. Restart your computer and you should find a full Device Manager again. For more information, check out Microsoft Knowledge Base article Q244166. http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q244/1/66.asp BROWSE YOUR HARD DRIVE FROM INTERNET EXPLORER You're browsing the Web in an Internet Explorer window, and suddenly you want to look at something on your hard drive. Do you go back to the desktop and navigate your way there? Sure, if you like to take the long way around. For the most efficient route, try this: Select Go, My Computer (or press Alt-G, C), and there are your local drives. Now you can navigate your way to the folder you need, as you would inside any other Explorer window. (Tip: To jump directly to a folder other than My Computer, type the folder's path on Internet Explorer's Address bar, then press Enter.) CREATE A CUSTOM COLOR SCHEME In our last tip, we showed you how to change the color scheme of your Windows 98 desktop: Right-click the desktop, select Properties, click the Appearance tab, select a scheme in the dropdown list under Scheme, then click OK. Can't find a color scheme you like? Not a problem. Windows provides all the tools you need to make your own. Open the Display Properties dialog box and click the Appearance tab. One at a time, select an element under Item or click it in the preview box, then adjust its options--size, color, and so on. (The options you can adjust will vary depending on the desktop item you select.) Keep going until the preview displays the look you're after. To save the scheme for future use, click Save As, type a name for the scheme, and click OK. Otherwise, simply click OK to apply the scheme to your desktop. DELETE MSN DESKTOP ICON Remember how, back in Windows 95, the MSN icon was stuck to the desktop like glue (unless you edited the Registry)? Not so in Windows 98. To delete the Set Up The Microsoft Network icon from your desktop, right-click it, select Delete, then click Yes to confirm. (Note: You can always set up MSN by selecting Start, Programs, Online Services, The Microsoft Network.) MEET DR. WATSON Experiencing system faults? Don't call a Windows 98 support technician--yet. First, call Dr. Watson. This troubleshooting utility takes system snapshots--a "comprehensive picture of the present software environment"--that may be able to solve your problem. Select Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, System Information. In the System Information window, select Tools, Dr. Watson. Click the Dr. Watson icon that appears in the tray of your Taskbar, select Dr. Watson, and wait as this utility generates a system snapshot--with any luck, resulting in a diagnosis of the problem. Name and save the log file. Now go ahead and call that support technician. You've got a great resource to help him or her solve the problem. LOAD DR. WATSON AT STARTUP In our last tip, we introduced Dr. Watson, a Windows 98 troubleshooting utility that takes snapshots of your system to help diagnose any problems you're having. Wouldn't it be nice if Dr. Watson would take a snapshot automatically when a system fault occurred? It will, as long as it's running. If you want to be sure that Dr. Watson is running all the time, place a shortcut to Drwatson.exe (located in your Windows folder) in your Startup folder. Then, it'll start whenever Windows 98 starts. PICK A COLOR SCHEME Tired of that plain-Jane, blue-and-gray look of your Windows 98 world? Not to mention that sea-green desktop! For a quick burst of pizzazz, try out some of Windows 98's ready-made color schemes. Right-click the desktop and select Properties. Click the Appearance tab, then click the down arrow under Scheme and take your pick. (Selecting any scheme displays its preview at the top of the dialog box.) Continue selecting schemes until you find one that you like, then click OK to apply it to your desktop. (Note: To switch back to the default color scheme, select Windows Standard in the Scheme list.) RIGHT-CLICK TO MINIMIZE WINDOW In the past, we've mentioned that you can minimize any open window by pressing Alt-Spacebar-N. But now let's suppose you're a mouse person (or your hand is already on the mouse). Right-click the Taskbar item of the window you want to minimize and select Minimize. It's a lot less strenuous than reaching up to that caption button (in the top-right corner of that window). CREATE A SHORTCUT FOR REPETITIVE E-MAILS With its shortcuts, the Windows 98 desktop puts some useful features at your fingertips to make life easier. For instance, if you have an e- mail client installed on your PC, such as Outlook or Outlook Express, and you frequently send mail to the same person, try this tip to speed up the process of sending messages. Create a new shortcut on your Windows desktop, and in the Shortcut Target field, type: mailto:mailbox@yourdomain.domain where mailbox@yourdomain.domain is the address you want to send mail to. Finish creating the shortcut by adding the recipient's name as the shortcut name. Now double-click the desktop shortcut, and you'll have a pre-addressed mail form ready to be filled in and sent from your e-mail application. A BETTER E-MAIL SHORTCUT Last time, we looked at how to create a useful Windows 98 desktop shortcut to make a preaddressed mail form by creating a shortcut to: mailto:mailbox@yourdomain.domain Now, say you send out a regular e-mail to someone as a bulletin or a notice with the same Subject line each time. You can add this information automatically by adding the Subject parameter after the address, like below. mailto:mailbox@yourdomain.domain?subject=put_your_subject_here (i.e., mailto:david@yourdomain.com?subject=Weekly_Bulletin) To add this extra parameter, right-click the shortcut, and select the Program tab. Add the extra text, and click OK. Now, just double-click the shortcut on your desktop, and you'll have a preaddressed mail form to be filled in and sent with a prepared Subject line. NOVELL'S CLIENT32 Last time we mentioned the IPX protocol and its primary use--to connect to Novell NetWare servers. If Novell's Client32 software is installed on your computers and you ever need to remove it, please note: Do not try to remove it using the Windows Control Panel. This will not remove the software cleanly and can leave you with a host of error messages to clean up. An uninstall program is available from Novell (unc32.exe) that will complete this task cleanly. PROTOCOLS: NETBEUI We're continuing our look at some of the common protocols often found on generic or historic installations of Win9x computers to help you decide which ones deserve a place on your network. NetBEUI (NetBIOS Enhanced User Interface) is a protocol that's only suited to small networks containing a small number of computers. If you have a large network, it's highly unlikely that NetBEUI is your primary means of communication. It's nonroutable, so a large network using routers is not able to use NetBEUI. Unless you need NetBEUI for a specific service on your network, it's unlikely that it is required. PROTOCOLS: DLC Because it's important to be aware of the protocols often found on generic or historic installations of Win9x computers, we're examining these common protocols to give you a better sense of what you do and don't need on your network. You can find various flavors of the DLC (Data Link Control) protocol on Win9x computers, and they have fairly specific uses. So if they're present, then they're probably there for a reason. The first reason a DLC protocol might be installed is for mainframe host connectivity. If your network includes a mainframe or mini host, then the DLC protocol may be the primary means of communication with that computer. A DLC protocol might also be installed on smaller networks to connect to some print servers (notably Hewlett-Packard print servers). This protocol might also be coupled with some HP printing utility on the PC. PROTOCOLS: TCP/IP Wrapping up our short series of examining common protocols often found on generic or historic installations of Win9x computers, let's take a quick look at the popular TCP/IP protocol. TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) is a collection of protocols that has grown to become the selection of choice for Microsoft networks of all sizes. From automatic IP addressing to allocated IP addressing via DHCP, through NetBIOS name resolution (to facilitate browsing) and host name resolution (to make Internet addressing function), TCP/IP has the tools to make all network sizes function with a complete set of services. And Windows 2000 will actually require it. If you're using TCP/IP, then your computers will have unique network addresses. A quick method to determine this is to run the Winipcfg.exe utility from the Start \| Run field. You should see a drop-down box listing the network cards and dial-up adapters installed on the computer and the IP address assigned (if any) to each one. WINPOPUP, PART 1 Sometimes the simplest utilities are the most effective. If a particular requirement of your internal communications entails sending a simple message to a particular Win9x user, you might wish to consider WinPopup.exe as a no cost, no frills method of getting the message across. Type winpopup at the command prompt, and you have the simplest messaging tool possible. It can be just the thing for workgroup, non- critical messages, but it shouldn't be relied on for anything complex or critical. One useful feature is the Send Message To Workgroup option, which allows a broadcast to users in that workgroup, providing they have WinPopup running on their PCs. WINPOPUP, PART 2 The WinPopup utility is often used as an equivalent to the Messenger service in Windows NT by applications that need to send warnings out to users. One example might be an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) monitoring application that warns users when the unit is running on battery. For Win9x users to receive this message, they must have Winpopup.exe running on their PC. But just having WinPopup running from the Startup folder is not enough if you need to be warned of an event. From the Messages menu of WinPopup, select Options. Select the Play Sound When New Message Arrives check box and the Pop Up Dialog On Message Receipt check box. Now you'll be warned when the UPS kicks in. CONFIRMING NETWORK CARD CONFIGURATION We've been looking at the different protocols you may find installed on your Win9x computers. These protocols are "bound" to network interface cards (NICs) by using the Network applet in Control Panel. If a protocol is not bound to a card (or dial-up adapter), it won't run on that transport. If you're having problems connecting one of your Windows PCs to your network, you should check to make sure that the protocol you want to run on your network card is bound to it. Open the Network applet in Control Panel, and double-click an NIC to query. Select the Bindings tab. You'll see the list of protocols installed on the computer, each with a corresponding check box. Selecting the check box enables ("binds") the protocol on that transport, and clearing the check box disables it.
Owner of a Broken Heart
	Coming from the "Owner of a Broken Heart" department, the Lockergnomaster known only as "CptSiskoX" has stacked the deck in your favor. We've discussed how solitaire has lost its digital charm; Windows 98 comes with MS Hearts. Don't ya love it? Would you like to love it more? For the voyeurs in the crowd, here's a registry hack which will allow you to see your opponents' hands. Fire up REGEDIT.EXE and navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Applets \ Hearts. In the right-hand pane, create a new String Value. Immediately rename it to "ZB" (without the quotes); give it a value of "42" (again, sans quotes). The next time you're in a game of Hearts, press CTRL + SHIFT + ALT + F12. There's no way you can lose now.
ACCESS MY DOCUMENTS FROM START MENU
	Did you just select Start, Documents only to discover that the file you wanted has been bumped from the list? Don't worry, you can access all of your files from the Documents list (assuming you store your documents in My Documents). Inside the Documents list, select the top dog, My Documents. There you have it--instant access to all your data files.
ADD QUICK VIEW TO SEND TO MENU
	In the first tip in this series, we introduced Quick View, a command that allows you to preview files without opening them in their native applications. Right-click a file, select Quick View, and up pops a preview of that file. The problem with this command, however, is that it appears only in the context menu of file types for which a file viewer is available (as determined by Microsoft). If you want to use Quick View for other file types, try adding its shortcut to the Send To menu. Open an Explorer window and navigate your way to the Windows\System\Viewers folder. Inside, you'll see Quikview.exe. Create a shortcut to this file in your Windows\SendTo folder. (Inside a second Explorer window, open the Windows folder, right-click and drag Quikview.exe into this window, release the mouse button, and select Create Shortcut(s) Here.) With the Quikview.exe shortcut selected, press F2 (for Rename), name the file Quick View, and press Enter. Close all open windows. Right-click any file, select Send To, then choose Quick View in the pop-out menu. Click Yes to confirm that you want to try the default viewers, and you'll see a preview of your file (in rough form, of course, but that's all you wanted anyway).
ADJUST KEYBOARD REPEAT DELAY
	Have you ever noticed that when you press an arrow key to move your cursor in one direction or another, the cursor thinks about it for a second and then goes? Hel-LO! Can we shake a leg here? Light a fire under that cursor by adjusting your keyboard delay. Open the Control Panel (Start, Settings, Control Panel), double-click Keyboard, and on the Speed tab, move the Repeat Delay all the way right, to Short. While you're at it, adjust that Repeat Rate to Fast, if it isn't already. Now take your cursor for a test spin in the white text box. That's more like it. Click OK to keep the change.
AUTO HIDE MENUS IN FULL-SCREEN VIEW
	In a recent tip, we showed you how to enlarge any Explorer window to full-screen view: Assuming the window is not currently maximized--in other words, you can see all of its edges--hold down the Ctrl key as you click the middle caption button in the window's upper-right corner. Still not enough viewing space for you? Try hiding the toolbars, too. Right-click a blank area on the menu bar (at the top of the screen) and select Auto Hide. The menu and button bars disappear from view. If and when you need them, move your mouse pointer up to the top edge of the screen, and they slide back into place. (Tip: To undo this option, right-click the menu bar and deselect Auto Hide.)
CHANGE BACKGROUND OF FOLDER WINDOW
	When you display a folder's contents inside an open window, by default, you see them against a white background (unless you've chosen a color scheme with a different window color). Bor-ing. As with the Windows 98 desktop, you can apply any image or wallpaper to that window background. But wait, there's more: That background is unique to that folder. If you wanted to, you could apply a different background to every folder on your system! Open any folder window you want to customize and select View, Customize This Folder. Select Choose A Background Picture, then click Next. Select any of the files in the resulting list; or click Browse, select an image, and click Open. Click Next, click Finish, and check out that icon backdrop! CHANGE BACKGROUND OF FOLDER WINDOW When you display a folder's contents inside an open window, by default, you see them against a white background (unless you've chosen a color scheme with a different window color). Bor-ing. As with the Windows 98 desktop, you can apply any image or wallpaper to that window background. But wait, there's more: That background is unique to that folder. If you wanted to, you could apply a different background to every folder on your system! Open any folder window you want to customize and select View, Customize This Folder. Select Choose A Background Picture, then click Next. Select any of the files in the resulting list; or click Browse, select an image, and click Open. Click Next, click Finish, and check out that icon backdrop!
CHANGE DESKTOP RESOLUTION
	Need a little more desktop real estate? You can change the size of your Windows 98 desktop on the fly. Right-click the desktop, select Properties, and click the Settings tab. Under Screen Area, move the lever toward More (or Less, if that's what you want), and you'll see the dimensions change before your eyes. If you like what you see in the preview and want to go through with the change, click OK, then click OK again. In the Monitor Settings dialog box, click Yes to accept the change or No to go back to where you started.
CHANGE ICON LABELS IN FOLDER
	In our last tip, we showed you how to change the background of an individual folder window: Open the folder, select View, Customize This Folder, select Choose A Background Picture, select an image, click Next, and click Finish. Icon labels don't quite match your selection? Then change them. Follow the steps above to select a background image. Before clicking Next, under Icon Caption Colors, click the box next to Text and select a color. For example, you might select white or yellow to contrast with a dark background. Click OK, and if desired, click the check box next to Background and choose a color for the box that surrounds each icon label. Click Next, click Finish, and you won't even recognize that folder!
CHANGE ICONS ON LINKS TOOLBAR
	In our last tip, we introduced the Links toolbar--a bar of Web-site links that hides out to the right of any Explorer window's Address bar. To display this toolbar, just double-click the word "Links" on the right side of the Address bar. (To view your Address bar again, just double-click Address.) Tired of having to choose between the Address bar and the Links bar? This default arrangement of sharing a bar isn't written in stone. If you prefer, you can give each bar its very own row. Hold your mouse pointer over the vertical bar at the left end of the Links toolbar. When it changes to a double-pointed arrow, click and drag the bar downward, then release the mouse button. Instantly, the bar expands to fill the row just below the Address bar. (Tip: If you'd rather have the Address bar on the bottom, after following the steps above, use the vertical bar on the Address bar to drag it down below the Links bar, then release the mouse button.)
CHANGE SIZE OF EXPLORER PANES
	Did you just expand four levels of a folder inside an Explorer window and now you can't see them all? The left pane of that Explorer window (the one that says All Folders) isn't as narrow as it seems. It can be any size you want. Just hold the cursor over the dividing line between the two panes, and when the cursor changes to a double-pointed arrow, click and drag to the right. To change the size back, just drag the line to the left.
COLLAPSE EXPANDED FOLDER
	In our last tip, we showed you how to fully expand a folder in the left pane of a two-paned Explorer window: Select the folder and press the asterisk key (*) on your numeric keypad. Want to collapse it again? If you simply press the minus sign (-) at the top of the expanded branch, the folders inside will appear to collapse; but the next time you expand that folder, its contents appear fully expanded. So what's the trick? After clicking the minus sign (-) at the top of the branch, press F5.
DISABLE USER PROFILES
	In a previous tip, we showed you how to enable user profiles so that multiple users can use different settings--wallpaper, desktop shortcuts, color schemes, and so on--on the same system: For each user, open the Control Panel, double-click Users, then follow along to complete the Enable Multi-user Settings wizard. From now on, whenever you start Windows 98, you'll get a Welcome To Windows dialog box. To log on, type your user name and password, then click OK. When you don't want to use user profiles anymore, you can simply disable them. Open the Control Panel and double-click Passwords. Select the User Profiles tab, select All Users Of This Computer Use The Same Preferences And Desktop Settings, then click OK. Click Yes to restart your system, and user profiles are officially disabled.
DISPLAY STARTUP MENU AT STARTUP
	In our last tip, we showed you how to access the Windows 98 startup menu during the boot process: After turning on your Windows 98 system, press and hold the Ctrl key (or F8). If you find yourself pressing Ctrl more often than not, make the startup menu appear automatically every time you start your system. Select Start, Run, type msconfig and press Enter to open the System Configuration Editor. On the General tab, click the Advanced button, select Enable Startup Menu, then click OK twice. Click Yes to restart your system.
DISPLAY WINDOWS 98 STARTUP MENU
	Back in Windows 95, you saw a "Starting Windows 95" message during the boot process, at which point you could press F8 to display the startup menu. Well, watch your Windows 98 system's boot as closely as you want--you won't see any such message. So how do you get to the startup menu? After turning on your Windows 98 system, press and hold the Ctrl key (or F8). Eventually, the startup menu appears. In our next tip, we'll show you how to start up with the Startup Menu every time.
DRAG AND DROP START MENU ITEM ON DESKTOP
	Do you find your desktop handier than the Start menu? Then create shortcuts to your oft-used Start menu items on the desktop. Whereas in Windows 95, this operation required you to right-click Start, select Open, and so on, now you can copy a shortcut using a simple click-and-drag operation. With all windows minimized, click Start and navigate your way to a favorite shortcut, such as Start, Programs, Accessories, Paint. Click the item you want to turn into a shortcut (here, Paint), and without releasing the mouse button, drag it out to the desktop. Release the mouse button, and there's your shortcut.
EDITING REGISTERED USER INFO
	We frequently receive requests asking how to change a system's registered user information--your name, company, and so on--as it appears in the System Properties dialog box. If you don't mind editing the Registry, there's an easy way to change your identity. (Note: As always, we recommend that you first back up your Registry files--User.dat and System.dat, hidden files on the root of your hard drive.) Open the Registry Editor by selecting Start, Run, typing regedit and clicking OK. Navigate your way to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\ Windows\ CurrentVersion. In the right pane, right-click RegisteredOwner and select Modify. Type the correct information on the Value Data line of the Edit String dialog box, then click OK. Close the Registry Editor, and the new information will appear in the System Properties dialog box.
EXPLORER WINDOWS OFFER BACK AND FORWARD BUTTONS
	As anyone who's ever browsed the Web knows, you can go back and forth through the pages you've visited using the Back and Forward buttons at the top of your browser window. With this in mind, take a look at the toolbar of any Explorer window (with the Standard Buttons toolbar displayed). Look at that--Back and Forward buttons! Try them out as you're navigating your way through windows; they work the same way as other Back and Forward buttons. Use them to go back the way you came (and forward again) without all that unnecessary double-clicking. You can even jump multiple windows back or forward by clicking the down arrow next to the appropriate button and choosing a destination in the list. Again, just like a browser window.
FORCE FILE TO OPEN IN DESIRED PROGRAM
	Don't want to open a file in the application with which it's associated (the one that appears if you double-click the file)? As long as you know how to invoke the Open With command, you can open that file in any application you want. Highlight the file you're about to open, then hold down the Shift key as you right-click it. In the resulting menu, select Open With. Select an application, make sure Always Use This Program To Open This Type Of File is deselected (unless that's what you want), then click OK.
FULL-SCREEN EXPLORER WINDOW
	Did you know that you can view any Explorer window in full-screen view (just as you can in Internet Explorer 4.x and beyond)? Assuming the window is not currently maximized--in other words, you can see all of its edges--hold down the Ctrl key as you click the middle caption button in that window's upper-right corner. In our next tip, we'll show you a shortcut for getting that window back to the size you started with (other than closing and reopening the window, or right-clicking the maximized window's Taskbar item and selecting Restore).
GLOBAL FOLDER VIEWING OPTIONS
	Do you have a favorite way of viewing a folder's contents--for example, always as a Web page and always the Large Icon view? Rather than set these options every time you open a new window, set them once and be done with it. Windows 98 will apply your view options globally (unlike Windows 95, where you had to reset these options constantly). Open any Explorer window and select View, Folder Options. Select the View tab, click the Like Current Folder button, then click Yes to confirm. Every window you open from that point forward will look the way you want it to.
INCREASE SCROLLBAR SIZE
	Do you find the scrollbars in your applications and dialog boxes too small to grab onto? Windows 98 lets you make them as big (or as small) as you want. Right-click the desktop, select Properties, and click the Appearance tab. Under Item, select Scrollbar, adjust the Size using the up arrow, and watch your change in the preview. When you like what you see, click OK to keep the change.
INTRO TO QUICK VIEW
	Can't remember which files are which, based on their filenames alone? Before you waste precious time opening them all in their native applications, go for the Quick View. Right-click a file, select Quick View, and up pops a preview of that file. Don't see a Quick View command? One of two things is happening: Either Quick View doesn't have a file viewer for that file type (we'll show you a workaround for this limitation in an upcoming tip), or Quick View isn't installed on your system. To see if Quick View is installed, right-click any *.txt file, and you should see a Quick View command. To install Quick View, pop your Windows 98 installation CD in your CD-ROM drive and open the Control Panel (choose Settings, Control Panel from the Start menu). Double-click Add/Remove Programs, click the Windows Setup tab, and in the list under Components, double-click Accessories. Click the check box next to Quick View and click OK twice.
INTRO TO USER PROFILES
	Are there a number of people who use your system? Can't seem to agree on a desktop color? What you need are user profiles. In case you aren't familiar with them, user profiles enable different users of the same system to use different settings--wallpaper, desktop shortcuts, color schemes, and so on. With user profiles enabled, everyone who uses the system logs on using his or her user name and password, and sees only his or her personal settings. To set up user profiles, select Start, Settings, Control Panel, then double-click Users. Now just follow along to complete the Enable Multi-user Settings wizard. You'll need to select a user name, a password, and the items you want to customize. Click Finish, wait for Windows 98 to set up the new profile, then click Yes to restart Windows (or No to restart later). To set up the next user, double-click Users, click the New User button, and so on. >From now on, whenever you start Windows 98, you'll get a Welcome To Windows dialog box. Type your user name and password, then click OK. Now go ahead and start customizing. Your changes won't affect anyone else's settings.
LAUNCH STARTUP APPLICATION MINIMIZED
	Is there an application you'd like to launch when Windows 98 starts, without it being a total desktop hog? Instruct the application to open minimized. All it takes is a quick trip to its Properties dialog box. Right-click the Start button, select Open, double-click Programs, and double-click Startup. Inside the Startup folder, right-click the shortcut of the program you want to open minimized and select Properties. Click the Shortcut tab, and on the Run line, select Minimized. Click OK. The next time you start Windows 98, that application will open and then shrink to the Taskbar.
LINKS TOOLBAR
	Have you ever noticed the word "Links" on the far-right side of an Explorer window's Address bar? Double-click it (or the word "Address"), and you've got another whole toolbar! The Links bar provides you with--what else?--links to Web sites. Of course, you'll want to customize the links to suit your own needs. To delete a link, right-click it and select Delete. To add a link, point the current window at that Web page (type its URL on the Address bar and press Enter), then drag that Web page's icon from the Address bar directly over the Links bar and release the mouse button. Want your Address bar back? Double-click Address or Links. (Note: If you're missing the Address bar or the Links bar from your folder window, select one or the other, or both, from the View, Toolbars window.)
PASSWORD-PROTECT YOUR SCREEN SAVER
	Don't want nosy neighbors meddling in your business when you step away from your computer? A screen saver will stop the passers-by (unless they can get close enough to bump your mouse), but a password-protected screen saver is even better. Right-click the desktop and select Properties to open the Display Properties dialog box. Click the Screen Saver tab, select Password Protected, then click the Change button and enter a password twice. Click OK and you'll see a dialog box telling you the password has been changed. Click OK two more times. The next time your screen saver kicks in and anyone (including you) tries to get past it, it'll be a no go without the password. So make sure you don't forget your password!
PRINT FROM THE DESKTOP
	Need to print a file that's sitting on the desktop (or inside an open window)? Don't waste time opening the file and selecting the application's Print command. Windows 98 will do all of that for you. Simply right-click the item you want to print and select Print in the resulting menu. Done. (Note: If you don't see the Print command, no go--sorry. Certain file types don't support this feature.)
QUICK VIEW TECHNIQUES
	In our last tip, we introduced Quick View, a command that allows you to preview files without opening them in their native applications. Right-click a file, select Quick View, and up pops a preview of that file. (If you don't see a Quick View command, see the note at the end of this tip.) Now, let's move on to some Quick View tricks. If you've just opened a file in a Quick View window, and it isn't the one you were looking for, try another. Simply drag and drop another file into the open Quick View window, and its contents replace those of the first file. Just found the file you were looking for? You can open it in its native application right from the Quick View window. See the icon just below the File menu? Click it. (Or, select File, Open File For Editing.) Okay, one more tip. You can change your Quick View to a full page view by selecting View, Page View. For our final tip in this series, we'll show you how to use Quick View for any file type. (Note: If you don't see a Quick View command when you right-click a file, either Quick View doesn't have a file viewer for that file type, or Quick View isn't installed on your system. To install Quick View, pop your Windows 98 installation CD in your CD-ROM drive, open the Control Panel, double-click Add/Remove Programs, click the Windows Setup tab, double-click Accessories, select Quick View, and click OK twice.)
RE-CREATE SHOW DESKTOP SHORTCUT
	Just delete the Show Desktop item from your Quick Launch toolbar by mistake? Don't worry--you can get it back. Open an Explorer window, navigate your way to the Windows\System folder, and locate a file named Show Desktop. (If you don't see one, we'll show you how to create one in the next tip.) Open a second Explorer window and navigate your way to Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch. Right-click and drag the Show Desktop file from the System folder into the Quick Launch folder, release the mouse button, and select Create Shortcut(s) Here. That shortcut is right back where it started.
RE-CREATE SHOW DESKTOP SHORTCUT FROM SCRATCH
	In our last tip, we showed you how to restore the Show Desktop shortcut to the Quick Launch toolbar, assuming you've deleted it by mistake: Open the Windows\System folder and locate a file named Show Desktop; then create a shortcut to this file in the Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch folder. Don't see a file named Show Desktop in your System folder? Then you'll need to create one. Open Notepad--select Start, Programs, Accessories, Notepad--and type the following: [Shell] Command=2 IconFile=explorer.exe,3 [Taskbar] Command=ToggleDesktop Select File, Save, then navigate your way to the Windows\System folder and name the file Show Desktop.scf. Finally, click Save and close Notepad. Now just create a shortcut to this file in the Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch folder, as described previously, and a Show Desktop item will appear on your Quick Launch toolbar.
REMOVE FOLDER CUSTOMIZATION
	A few tips ago, we showed you how to customize a folder's background and icon labels: Open the folder, select View, Customize This Folder, select Choose A Background Picture, select an image and adjust your Icon caption colors, click Next, then click Finish. What we forgot to mention was that you can undo these changes just as easily as you made them. To remove all customization options from a folder, open the folder window, select View, Customize This Folder, and select Remove Customization. Click Next twice, click Finish, and that window is back to plain ol' black on white (or whatever colors are defined by your current color scheme).
RIGHT-MOUSE KEYBOARD EQUIVALENT
	Tired of having to reach for your mouse? You can do just about anything without it--even "click" something with the right-mouse button. The next time you need to right-click the desktop, an active window, or a highlighted shortcut, press Shift-F10 instead. Magic.
RIGHT-MOUSE WINDOW COMMANDS
	Did you know that many of the options available through menu commands in an Explorer window are also available in the right-mouse context menu in Windows 98? Right-click a blank area inside an open window and check out the resulting list. There, you'll find almost every command from the View menu (except Folder Options and the three toolbar commands). Additionally, you'll see a couple of favorites from the Edit and File menus. Hey, why waste all that energy clicking on an exact menu command when you can right-click anywhere in a window and accomplish the same thing?
SEND FILE OR FOLDER TO FLOPPY DRIVE
	Need to copy a file or folder from your hard drive to a floppy? You could go the long route--drag the file or folder to your floppy icon in a My Computer or an Explorer window--or, you could be quick about it: Right-click the file or folder, select Send To, and in the resulting menu, select your floppy drive. Done.
SHORTCUT TO PROPERTIES
	When you want to know all about an icon--file, folder, whatever--you right-click the icon and select Properties. Getting tired of dragging your pointer all the way down to the bottom of that context menu to the Properties command? Next time, hold down the Alt key as you double-click the icon. Properties dialog box, at your service.
SIZE COLUMNS TO FIT WIDEST ENTRY
	When you view a folder's contents in Details view (select View, Details), some columns of information are probably cut off. (Each cut-off entry is followed by ellipses.) One way to view the hidden information is to resize each column. Or, try this trick: Hold down the Ctrl key as you press the plus sign (+) on your numeric keypad. Instantly, Windows sizes every column to fit the widest entry. (Note: In many cases, you'll need to enlarge the window to see every column of information.) (Tip-in-a-tip: Pressing Ctrl-+ also shrinks oversized columns to fit the widest entry.)
SWITCH MOUSE TO LEFT HAND
	Hey, lefties, want the primary mouse click to be your pointer finger? All you have to do is switch the buttons. Open the Control Panel, double-click Mouse, and in the resulting dialog box, select the appropriate setting (depending on your mouse). For example, you may see a Left-handed option. Or, if you have an IntelliPoint mouse, click the Basics tab, then select Right or Upper. Click OK, then try it out. Click the desktop using your middle finger--of your left hand, of course--and there's the context menu.
THE MANY FACES OF PAINT TOOLS
	The next time you're creating a work of art in Paint (Start, Programs, Accessories, Paint), keep in mind that there's more to those tools than meets the eye. Many of them can take on multiple personalities. Take the tool that looks like a paintbrush, for instance. Select this tool, and a palette of 12 tips appears under the toolbar. For a great calligraphy effect, try one from the third or fourth row.
UNDO LAST ACTION
	Did you just move, copy, rename, or delete something you shouldn't have? Not a problem. Windows allows you to undo your most recent action. Right-click the desktop or window (wherever you made the mistake) and select the Undo command. Alternatively, press Ctrl-Z, or, from inside a window, select Edit, Undo.
USE ASTERISK TO FULLY EXPAND FOLDER
	Want to fully expand a folder in the left pane of a two-paned Explorer window? Select the folder and press the asterisk key (*) on your numeric keypad. The result is a fully expanded view of all folders and subfolders inside.
USE F11 TO SWITCH BETWEEN FULL-SCREEN AND WINDOWED EXPLORER VIEW
	In our last tip, we told you how to switch any Explorer window to full-screen view: Assuming the window is not currently maximized--in other words, you can see all of its edges--hold down the Ctrl key as you click the middle caption button in the window's upper-right corner. Ready to jump back to the window you started with? Press F11. And by the way, you can press F11 (as an alternative to Ctrl and the middle caption button) to view any window in full-screen view.
USE SHIFT-DELETE TO BYPASS RECYCLE BIN
	More than once, the Recycle Bin will save your life, and you'll kiss the desktop it sits on. However, deleting everything twice can be a real bother, especially things you know you'll never need again in a million years. If you're sure you want to ditch something the first time around, skip right over the Recycle Bin. Just highlight whatever it is you want to get rid of, hit Shift-Delete, and kiss it goodbye. It's not as dangerous as it sounds, because you'll still get one of those polite messages asking if you're sure. (The danger is in getting so comfortable that you delete this way all the time and get hasty and...D'oh!)
USE WEB PUBLISHING WIZARD TO PUBLISH PHOTOS ON WEB--PART 1 OF 2
	Want to publish your favorite photos on the Web? All you need are some .gif or .jpg files and access to a Web server (typically, through an ISP or LAN that allows you to set up your own Web site). Windows 98's Web Publishing Wizard does the rest. In today's tip, we'll show you how to get everything ready. Before you do anything, you'll need to get your photos onto your computer. If you have a scanner, scan the images and save them as .gif or .jpg files. If not, most photo development outfits can put photos on disk for you (typically, in the form of *.jpg files). As a third option, some photo outfits have Kodak scanners (they look like copy machines) that allow you to save a picture you scan to disk. Regardless of how you get the photos on your system, place all the images you want to publish in the same folder for convenience. The other thing you need to do is find out some specific information about your available Web server. You'll need to know the server's address (URL), and also the address that people will use to view your pages. Ready and set? In our next tip, we'll show you how to put those photos on the Web.
USE WEB PUBLISHING WIZARD TO PUBLISH PHOTOS ON WEB--PART 2 OF 2
	In our last tip, we told you how to get ready to publish your favorite photos on the Web using the Web Publishing Wizard: Make sure the pictures are on your system as .gif or .jpg files, and gather information about the Web server to which you'll publish the photos (its address and the address people will use to view the pages). Now, let's put those photos on the Web. Select Start, Programs, Internet Explorer, Web Publishing Wizard. Click Next and type the path of the folder in which the image files are stored--or click Browse Folders, navigate your way to that file, and click OK. (If you only want to publish a single photo, you can do that too. Just click Browse Files, select the file, and click Open.) Click Next and type a name for your Web server, such as your ISP or LAN name. If applicable, click Advanced and select the protocol your service provider uses. Click Next and type the URL that people will use to access your pictures on the Web, such as "http://www.your-isp-name.com/~yourname/photos/." (The Local directory will already be filled in for you, based on your original folder or file selection.) Click Next, and if you aren't online already, the wizard will attempt to connect you. Based on the protocol you selected previously, you'll be asked to enter information about your Web server. For example, we were asked to enter the FTP server name. Click Next, click Finish, and the wizard publishes your files! Surf over to the correct address and see for yourself! Want to put captions under your photos? Then you'll need to create HTML pages. In our next series of tips, we'll show you how to do that using FrontPage Express.
USER PROFILES: SWITCHING USERS
	In our last tip, we showed you how to enable user profiles so that multiple users can use different settings--wallpaper, desktop shortcuts, color schemes, and so on--on the same system: For each user, open the Control Panel, double-click Users, then follow along to complete the Enable Multi-user Settings wizard. From now on, whenever you start Windows 98, you'll get a Welcome To Windows dialog box. To log on, type your user name and password, then click OK. Once you've enabled user profiles, it's easy to switch from one user to the next without shutting down the system. Select Start, Log Off [user name], click Yes to confirm, and up pops the Welcome To Windows dialog box. (Type a new user name and password, then click OK.)
CHANGE THE DEFAULT WINDOWS INSTALL PATH
	For long-term support of your Windows 9x installations, you can save yourself a great deal of time by simply copying the Windows installation files from the CD to your computer's hard drive. These files (mainly .cab files) will take up some disk space--but having them available on your hard drive can save you a lot of time and pain later. You may also want to change the path where Windows looks for the files you've copied. If you don't, Windows will ask you for the path each time you use the files to add new components to the installation. To change the path, start Regedt.exe from the Run dialog box and navigate down to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup In the right-hand pane you'll find the SourcePath value. Double-click this entry and enter the path to the files you copied. Verify your changes as OK and exit the Registry Editor. NOTE: Remember, editing your registry can be risky; always have a verified backup before you begin.
DISABLE FAST SHUTDOWNS
	By default, Windows 98 doesn't uninitialize device drivers when it shuts down. This is called the Fast Shutdown feature. However, if your Windows 98 installations are experiencing problems shutting down correctly, you may want to disable the Fast Shutdown feature as a step in your troubleshooting procedures. To do so, open the Registry Editor and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Shutdown and change the FastReboot value from 1 to 0. NOTE: Please remember that editing your registry can be risky; always have a verified backup before you begin.
FIND IT QUICKLY
	The Find utility of Win9x is available everywhere. It sits on the Start menu just waiting to be used, but there's a much quicker way to access it. As long as Explorer is the current application, just press the [F3] key, and the Find dialog box pops up. Even better, Find will take your current folder in Explorer and make it the default starting point for its searches. And because My Computer and the desktop are all part of Explorer, you can press [F3] in My Computer, and all the drives in My Computer become the starting point for searches. You can also search a cluttered desktop by pressing [F3].
GET TO THE CONFIG FILES QUICKLY
	In yesterday's tip, "Spare stack pages," we suggested editing a single configuration file, System.ini, to solve a simple problem. In addition to System.ini, there are a few other text files that (along with the registry) largely govern the way in which Win9x systems run. If you ever need quick access to these files, you can open all of them simultaneously simply by typing the following command in the Run dialog: Sysedit.exe All the files listed below will open in text editor windows within one convenient utility: * Config.sys * Autoexec.bat * System.ini * Win.ini * Protocol.ini
LOGTIME.EXE
	We've discussed a number of utilities from the Windows 98 Resource Kit that can be used in batch files. Some of the utilities can make your scripts more meaningful by adding more information to the output that's generated. Logtime.exe simply logs the time it is executed into a log file-- logtime.log. Put into a script that runs an automated process, it makes it easy to see at what time actions occur. For instance, the following script logs the time a file copy starts and finishes: logtime "begin copy" copy c:\autoexec.bat c:\test.tst logtime "end copy" The logtime.log file would have entries like the ones below: 12/07/99 07:40:28 begin copy 12/07/99 07:40:29 end copy
MORE ON NET USE
	We've looked at the Net.exe command before, specifically the Net use command that maps drive letters to shared folders and LPT ports to shared printers. But there are also other ways shared folders can be "net use'd." The command net use * \\servername\sharename takes the next available drive letter and maps it to the share. This can be useful when you can't guarantee that a particular drive letter is not in use in a user's PC environment and you're setting up a script for them to access a share. Also, the command net use \\servername\sharename makes the shared folder or printer available to the user but does not assign a drive letter or LPT port to it. This still allows the user to access the share by using the UNC path name (e.g., \\server1\companydocs). This can also be very useful when the user's current drive assignments are unknown.
NETWORKS: BROWSING PROBLEMS
	Following some of the tips we ran last month on network browsing, we received some comments from readers experiencing problems on their Windows 9x-based networks. One problem occurred on a Windows 98 peer- to-peer network where PC1 could see PC2 in its Network Neighborhood, but PC2 couldn't see PC1 in its Network Neighborhood. There are a number of possible causes for this problem, but the workgroup name is the likely culprit. To check the workgroup name that the Windows 9x PC has been asked to register on the network, right- click the Network Neighborhood icon on the desktop and select Properties. Select the Identification tab, and carefully check the text in the Workgroup field. The text in this field should be identical on both PCs. If it's not, the two PCs will browse different workgroups on the network, which would account for one PC being unable to find the other. If the "real" workgroup should be called BOBSCO, for example, you should ensure there are no spelling mistakes, such as BOBSC0 (note the zero in place of O), on either PC.
NETWORKS: NetBEUI REVISITED
	Several weeks ago, we issued a series covering the protocols that are shipped with standard Windows 9x products. One of these was NetBEUI; a small, nonroutable broadcast protocol suited to small networks that don't require any TCP/IP services or access to NetWare servers. Several readers questioned us on this, so we thought we should clarify one point: Don't confuse the NetBEUI protocol (NetBIOS Extended User Interface) with NetBIOS. NetBIOS is largely the foundation on which Microsoft networking (prior to Windows 2000) manipulates network names, such as computer names. The difference is important--NetBIOS is required for Microsoft networking (prior to Windows 2000), including communication between NT servers--NetBEUI is not. Pre-W2K Microsoft networks that run purely with Microsoft TCP/IP stacks still manage to resolve NetBIOS names on the network through the use of either WINS (Windows Internet Naming Service) servers or broadcasts. We hope this clears up the confusion!
NETWORKS: NetBEUI REVISITED
	A few weeks ago, we issued a series covering the protocols that are shipped as part of the standard Windows 9x products. One of these was NetBEUI; a small, nonroutable broadcast protocol suited to small networks that don't require any TCP/IP services or access to NetWare servers. Several readers questioned us on this, so we thought we should clarify one point: Don't confuse the NetBEUI protocol (NetBIOS Extended User Interface) with NetBIOS. NetBIOS is largely the foundation on which Microsoft networking (prior to Windows 2000) manipulates network names, such as computer names. The difference is important--NetBIOS is required for Microsoft networking (prior to Windows 2000), including communication between NT servers--NetBEUI is not. Pre-W2K Microsoft networks that run purely with Microsoft TCP/IP stacks still manage to resolve NetBIOS names on the network through the use of either WINS (Windows Internet Naming Service) servers or broadcasts. Hope this clears up the confusion!
NETWORKS: THE PRIMARY NETWORK LOGON
	In recent tips on networking in a Windows 9x environment, we've discussed various components of Microsoft networking: clients, adapters, and protocols. In the Network applet of Control Panel, there's another field, named Primary Network Logon, which brings us to this query from a TechMails reader: "[On our] Windows peer-to-peer network, a PC's Windows Logon screen is not coming on when we start Windows. We have to log off and then log on again, but at the start, it's not showing up." Even if you have the Client for Microsoft Networks installed, it won't become the primary logon until you select it from the list of installed options in the Primary Network Logon field. If you haven't set up a Windows password, you'll find that the PC boots straight into Windows. You'll then be able to select Close All Programs And Log On As A Different User from the Shut Down menu, and you'll be asked for a Windows password. If you type in a password that's the same as the password that grants you access to shares on your peer-to-peer network, then you'll also have access to these shares.
NETWORKS: WHERE TO GO FOR MORE ON BROWSING
	We've spent a number of tips looking at browsing on Microsoft Networks (prior to Windows 2000) and answering reader queries on the subject. Unfortunately, the topic is too large to cover in its entirety in small tips. If you want the complete lowdown on browsing, try reading one or both of the following: * Windows 98 Resource Kit, Chapter 18, Logon, Browsing, and Resource Sharing * Windows NT Server Networking Guide, Chapter 3, The Browser Service For the most up-to-date discussion of the subject, read Microsoft Knowledge Base article Q188001, "Description of the Microsoft Computer Browser Service." The article covers the browser service in Windows 2000. (Windows 2000 performs network browsing through the Active Directory, but it also has a browser service to maintain backward compatibility.) http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q188/0/01.ASP
NETWORKS: WHERE'S THE BROWSE MASTER?
	Following up on our recent series of tips on Microsoft Networking and Windows 9x networks, here's another response to a reader's request for more information. The reader asked how the current Browse Master could be identified without using the Browser Monitor utility from NT's Resource Kit. With some knowledge of the NetBIOS name codes that Microsoft Networking uses to identify services on the network, you can use the Nbtstat command to identify the computer that is currently the Browse Master. If you issue the command Nbtstat -n at the command prompt, you'll receive a list of the local NetBIOS names currently registered at the PC. If you see the entry WORKGROUP <1D> UNIQUE Registered (where WORKGROUP is the name of your workgroup), then that PC is currently the Browse Master. (If you run the command at a PC that is NOT the Browse Master, then the 1D entry will not appear at all.) The 1D is registered as the Browse Master starts so that PCs can announce themselves to the Browse Master, allowing it to build its browse list.
OFFLINE PRINTING FOR LAPTOP USERS
	If you support laptop users who'd like to send documents to a printer immediately, even while they're not connected to the network, be sure to teach them this trick. 1. Navigate to Start \| Settings \| Printers. 2. Right-click the local printer that the laptop will eventually reconnect to. 3. Enable the Use Printer Offline checkbox. 4. Print normally to that printer. The print jobs will be held on disk, surviving reboots. When the laptop is reconnected to the printer, repeat the steps to disable the Use Printer Offline option. Queued print jobs will now all print. Your users will be relieved of having to remember which documents to print when they arrive back at base.
ORGANIZE YOUR DRIVES BY FREE SPACE
	If you have a number of drives where you store files, you'll probably want to know at some point which drives have the most free space. Rather than right-clicking each one to look under Properties and make a mental note of the numbers, use this tip to get a quick ordering of drives by free space. Open My Computer, right-click on a blank space within the My Computer window, and click Arrange Icons. Now select the By Free Space option. It's that simple. Another way to achieve the same result is to use the Details view within My Computer and click the Free Space column header to order the drives. Clicking the column header again will, of course, reverse the sort order. It's useful to remember that mapped network drives are included in the list, too.
QUICK STARTUP
	Sometimes you just can't wait to have Windows start up so you can crack into an urgent job, right? But those applications in the StartUp folder take a lot of time to load. You can stop them from loading on a one-off basis by following this quick tip. As Windows starts, wait for the Windows logo screen to appear. Now press and hold [Shift] until Windows has stopped loading. The programs in the StartUp folder will be omitted from the startup procedure, and Windows will consequently load quicker this particular time.
MANUALLY REMOVING PROGRAMS FROM THE ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS LIST
	Windows 9x-compatible programs should have an Uninstall executable that removes the program from the Windows installation. Uninstall should also remove the program from the list of programs registered as installed in the Control Panel's Add/Remove Programs list. Sometimes, however, these programs aren't removed properly. In that case, you may wish to remove them from the list manually. This is achieved by opening the Registry Editor, Regedt.exe, and navigating to the following key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall Now look for the key below this one to find the one that relates to the application to be deleted, highlight it, and press [Delete] to remove it. If you need more information to determine which key to remove, look for the DisplayName value in the keys to match up the value to the entry in the Add/Remove Programs list. Note: Please remember that editing your registry can be risky; always have a verified backup before you begin.
RESTART YOUR COMPUTER FROM THE COMMAND LINE (REVISITED)
	Some time ago, we ran a TechMail that described how to restart a computer by issuing a command that could be used as a desktop shortcut ("Restart your system from a batch file," Feb. 8, 2000). Some readers found that the given command shut down but didn't reboot PCs with certain installations of Windows 95 or 98, though it worked on others. The original command was Rundll.exe user.exe, exitwindows(restart) If you experienced problems with that command, try the following command, which has been tested against PCs that displayed a reluctance to reboot under the original syntax: Rundll.exe user.exe,exitwindowsexec To use this quick reboot method, right-click on the desktop and select New \| Shortcut. In the Command Line field, type the new command exactly as given above, and OK the changes.
SAVING DOCUMENT SCRAPS
	The desktop is Windows' gathering spot for frequently used icons (such as the Recycle Bin), but it's also a place you can store items you need to see at a glance. If you spend a lot of time reading, reviewing, and dissecting Word documents, for example, you might find this tip useful. Here's a simple way to keep a copy of snippets of your documents on the Windows desktop for later use--letting you use your desktop as a big bulletin board for ideas and boilerplate text. Open your Word document and locate the text to "snip." Highlight the text and use the Restore command from Word's control menu to allow you to see the Windows desktop behind the Word window. Now drag the text out onto the desktop and release it. Minimize Word (and any other open programs), and you'll find a new icon on the desktop named Document Scrap. Double-click the icon, and a new Word window containing the text scrap opens up.
SPARE STACK PAGES
	Each month we try to bring you some quick fixes that are otherwise time-consuming to figure out. Here's one fix that requires just a tweak to a single file. When starting Windows 95, you may receive the following message: "There are no spare stack pages. It may be necessary to increase the setting of 'MinSPs' in System.ini to prevent possible stack faults. There are currently SPs allocated." To resolve the error, add the following line to the [386Enh] section of the System.ini file: MinSPs=4 If the problem persists, increase this number in multiples of 4 until the error disappears. The error is caused by an overflow of the stacks used by Windows 32-bit device drivers. It's not related to the stacks=line you may find in Config.sys.
WIN98 SE SHUTDOWN WOES
	If you've upgraded your Windows 98 system to Windows 98 Second Edition, you may have discovered a number of new bugs in this revision. One of them is a shutdown problem. When you shut down your system, you may find that the computer hangs with a message "Windows is shutting down." The problem is caused by a broadcast to top-level windows on the system that informs them of a specific Windows event related to the shutdown. If a window doesn't respond to the broadcast message, the computer hangs. A fix is available from Microsoft. For further information, check out Microsoft Knowledge Base article Q242934. http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q242/9/34.ASP
INTRODUCTION TO FRONTPAGE EXPRESS
	In the previous series, we showed you how to publish .gif and .jpg files to the Web using the Web Publishing Wizard: Select Start, Programs, Internet Explorer, Web Publishing Wizard; then follow along with the wizard, entering all of the necessary information for your Web server (typically provided by your ISP or network administrator) and pointing out the file(s) you want to publish. The Web Publishing Wizard is a great place to start. But if you want to publish more complete pages--text, photos, and so on, all on the same page--you'll need to create HTML documents. In this series, we'll show you the basics of creating HTML documents with Windows 98's FrontPage Express. Select Start, Programs, Internet Explorer, FrontPage Express, and you'll see a window that looks like a word processor. This is where you're going to create your Web pages by adding elements to the page. You don't have to worry about any coding, because FrontPage Express automatically converts everything to HTML behind the scenes. Can't wait to get started? Stay tuned--in the rest of this series, we'll show you how to add some basic elements, such as pictures and hyperlinks, to your HTML page. We'll also show you how to format a page's background and text, for a bit more character than the default black and white. Finally, at the end of this series, we'll show you how to publish your creation on the Web.
FRONTPAGE: ADDING PUBLISHED IMAGE TO HTML PAGE
	In previous tips, we've shown you how to publish .gif and .jpg files to the Web using the Web Publishing Wizard: Select Start, Programs, Internet Explorer, Web Publishing Wizard; then follow along with the wizard, entering all of the necessary information for your Web server (typically provided by your ISP or network administrator) and pointing out the file(s) you want to publish. Photos are a great place to start, but for fancier Web pages with text, hyperlinks, and any kind of formatting, create HTML documents using FrontPage Express. (To open this program, select Start, Programs, Internet Explorer, FrontPage Express.) In this series, we're discussing the basics of creating HTML documents with Windows 98's FrontPage Express. Today, we'll cover adding pictures to a page. One quick thing before we get started: This tip assumes you've already used the Web Publishing Wizard to publish any pictures you plan to use. You'll need to publish the pictures at some point anyway--otherwise, you'd see nothing but an image reference on your published HTML page. So, assuming you've already published the images, go online if you aren't already. Inside your FrontPage Express document, place the cursor exactly where you'd like to insert the picture--before, after, between text, wherever--then click the Insert Image icon (it looks like a stamp with mountains on it). Select From Location, type the picture's URL, and click OK. Now just wait as FrontPage Express downloads the picture and displays it on the page. In our next tip, we'll show you how to add a picture you haven't yet published.
FRONTPAGE: ADDING UNPUBLISHED IMAGE TO HTML PAGE
	In previous tips, we've shown you how to publish .gif and .jpg files to the Web using the Web Publishing Wizard: Select Start, Programs, Internet Explorer, Web Publishing Wizard; then follow along with the wizard, entering all of the necessary information for your Web server (typically provided by your ISP or network administrator) and pointing out the file(s) you want to publish. Photos are a great place to start, but for fancier Web pages with text, hyperlinks, and any kind of formatting, create HTML documents using FrontPage Express. (To open this program, select Start, Programs, Internet Explorer, FrontPage Express.) In this series, we're discussing the basics of creating HTML documents with Windows 98's FrontPage Express. Want to add a picture you haven't already published (to the Web) to your HTML page? Assuming the image you want to use is on your system, in your FrontPage Express document, place the cursor exactly where you'd like to insert the picture, then click the Insert Image icon (it looks like a stamp with mountains on it). With From File selected, click Browse, select the desired .gif or .jpeg file, click Open, then click OK. The image appears on the page, but you still need to do two more things. One, you need to publish that image to the Web using the Web Publishing Wizard (otherwise, people viewing the page will see nothing but a placeholder). Two, you need to tell FrontPage Express where to find the picture: Right-click the image (on the page) and select Image Properties. Under Image Source, type the URL of the already published image. Click OK, and assuming you're online, FrontPage will download the image from the specified URL. In our next tip, we'll discuss adding hyperlinks.
FRONTPAGE: ADDING HYPERLINKS TO HTML PAGE
	In previous tips, we've shown you how to publish .gif and .jpg files to the Web using the Web Publishing Wizard: Select Start, Programs, Internet Explorer, Web Publishing Wizard; then follow along with the wizard, entering all of the necessary information for your Web server (typically provided by your ISP or network administrator) and pointing out the file(s) you want to publish. Photos are a great place to start, but for fancier Web pages with text, hyperlinks, and any kind of formatting, create HTML documents using FrontPage Express. (To open this program, select Start, Programs, Internet Explorer, FrontPage Express.) In this series, we're discussing the basics of creating HTML documents with Windows 98's FrontPage Express. Surely, you've seen a Web page that says something to the effect of, "Click HERE for a really neat picture." You just add one or more links to your page, so that when a person visiting the page clicks on a word, he or she jumps directly to another page. Open FrontPage Express to your HTML document. Assuming you've already typed the text with which you want to associate a specific URL (in our example, the word "HERE"), select that text and click the Create Or Edit Hyperlink icon. Select the Hyperlink Type, if necessary, enter the URL the hyperlink should point to, and click OK. Back on your HTML page, the hyperlink now appears in blue, underlined text. It's a link! In our next tip, we'll discuss changing the page background.
FRONTPAGE: CHANGING BACKGROUND OF HTML PAGE
	In previous tips, we've shown you how to publish .gif and .jpg files to the Web using the Web Publishing Wizard: Select Start, Programs, Internet Explorer, Web Publishing Wizard; then follow along with the wizard, entering all of the necessary information for your Web server (typically provided by your ISP or network administrator) and pointing out the file(s) you want to publish. Photos are a great place to start, but for fancier Web pages with text, hyperlinks, and any kind of formatting, create HTML documents using FrontPage Express. (To open this program, select Start, Programs, Internet Explorer, FrontPage Express.) In this series, we're discussing the basics of creating HTML documents with Windows 98's FrontPage Express. By default, all pages created in FrontPage Express have a white background. But if you prefer, you can use any color, or even an image, for your background. Right-click a blank area of the page, select Page Properties, and click the Background tab (or select Format, Background). To change the background color, click the down arrow in the box next to Background, select a color, and click OK. To apply an image to the background, open the same dialog box, select Background Image, click the Browse button, and tell FrontPage Express where to find the image. (As with any picture you place on an HTML page, ideally you will have already published the image. In that case, select From Location and type the published image's URL.) Click OK twice. In our next tip, we'll cover text formatting.
PUBLISHING FRONTPAGE HTML PAGE TO WEB
	In this series of tips, we've shown you how to create some basic HTML documents using FrontPage Express: Select Start, Programs, Internet Explorer, FrontPage Express; then type some text, add graphics and hyperlinks, and format your text and background. Now that you've actually finished your HTML page, and it looks exactly as you want it to on the Web, it's time for the fun part--publishing it. (Note: This tip assumes you've already defined a Web server using the Web Publishing Wizard, as described in a previous tip. As a quick review, select Start, Programs, Internet Explorer, Web Publishing Wizard; then follow along with the wizard, entering all of the necessary information for your Web server.) To publish your page, first select File, Save, and type a title for the page. Under Page Location, type the address to which you'd like to publish the page, such as "http://www.webservername.com/~yourname/yourpage.htm." (Note: The address may be different from the address other people will use to view the page.) Click OK, enter your username and password if prompted to do so, then click OK. FrontPage Express will now display a message telling you it is publishing the page. When it finishes, point your Web browser at the corresponding URL and bask in the glory of your HTML expertise!
THE ONE-WAY UPGRADE FROM WIN9X TO WINDOWS 2000
	If you upgraded way back when from Windows 3.11 to Windows 95 or 98, you had the safety net of being able to uninstall the new version of Windows and revert back to your previous installation. Be Forewarned: This is not an option when you upgrade your current installations of Windows 95 or 98 to Windows 2000. There is no uninstall program that removes the new version of Windows. As with most things in the computer industry, planning is all- important. In the coming weeks, we'll bring you a selection of tips on making sure your upgrades go as planned. Considering that there is no uninstall, the role of that test machine you always keep up-to-date and available just got more important!
EDIT BACKGROUND PATTERNS
	Want to make your own background pattern for your desktop? Click the desktop with the right mouse button, choose Properties, and take a look at the Patterns list on the Background tab. Pick one that looks like it might be fun to change, such as Scottie, and click the Edit Pattern button. Two things first, though: Make sure (None) is selected for Wallpaper, and if your desktop has a black background, you'll need to switch it to another color by clicking the Display Properties' Appearance tab and changing it in the Color dropdown menu. The pattern is nothing more than a grid of black or colored boxes. Click a box, and it toggles between black and your desktop's background color. The nice thing is that you get to see your changes right in the Sample box as you work. When you're done, give the pattern a new name (unless you want to overwrite the old one), click Add, then click Done. Is your favorite dog a Doberman instead of a Scottie? Make the tail and legs longer, and you've got a whole new look!
NOTEPAD LOG FILES
	Notepad is a small, can't-even-really-call-it-a-word-processor program that comes with Windows 98. It isn't fancy, but it does have one unique feature: log files. Type .LOG at the top of a Notepad file, and it becomes a log file, just like a journal. From then on, every time you make an entry in the file, Notepad adds a time and date stamp. You'll see the stamp the next time you open the file.
ALWAYS SHOW EXTENSION FOR A FILE TYPE
	In our last tip, we showed you how to change the icon associated with a file type: From any Explorer window, select View, Folder Options; click the File Types tab; select a type in the Registered File Types list; click Edit; click Change Icon; select a new icon; then click OK. Worried that the icon you chose will keep you from recognizing that type in the future? No problem. Windows 98 includes a foolproof way to recognize a file type, regardless of its icon. It's called Always Show Extension. In any Explorer window, select View, Folder Options, then click the File Types tab. Select a file type under Registered File Types, click Edit, then select Always Show Extension. Click OK twice, and from now on, every file of that type will display an extension (even if you've selected the Hide File Extensions For Known File Types option on the View tab of the Folder Options dialog box).
CHANGE ICON ASSOCIATED WITH FILE TYPE
	Tired of the boring "text-on-a-page" icon next to your *.txt files? Then change it. In most cases, you can assign a new icon to a file type. From any Explorer window, select View, Folder Options, and click the File Types tab. Select a type in the Registered File Types list--in this case, Text Document--click Edit, and in the Edit File Type dialog box, click Change Icon. (If this command is grayed out, you can't change the icon for this type.) Pick a new icon (or click Browse and find one you like, then click Open), then click OK. Click Close twice. In our next tip, we'll show you how to always recognize a file type, even if the icon doesn't help much.
CHANGE ICON ASSOCIATED WITH FILE TYPE
	Tired of the boring "text-on-a-page" icon next to your *.txt files? Then change it. In most cases, you can assign a new icon to a file type. From any Explorer window, select View, Folder Options, and click the File Types tab. Select a type in the Registered File Types list--in this case, Text Document--click Edit, and in the Edit File Type dialog box, click Change Icon. (If this command is grayed out, you can't change the icon for this type.) Pick a new icon (or click Browse and find one you like, then click Open), then click OK. Click Close twice. In our next tip, we'll show you how to always recognize a file type, even if the icon doesn't help much.
CHANGE YOUR MOUSE POINTER
	Tired of that same boring arrow you see on screen all the time? Or the hourglass? Then change your mouse pointers. You can choose from things like piano keys, a banana, and even a dinosaur. Open the Control Panel and double-click Mouse. Select the Pointers tab, highlight the pointer you want to change, and click the Browse button. Select a pointer, click Open, and back at the Pointers list, click Apply. Repeat these steps for each pointer you'd like to change. To return to a traditional pointer, select any pointer and click the Use Default button. (Note: You'll need to install the pointers from the installation CD, if you haven't already. Open the Control Panel, double-click Add/Remove Programs, and click the Windows Setup tab. In the Components list, double-click Accessories. Select Mouse Pointers, click OK twice, and insert the installation CD when asked.)
CONVERT DRIVE FROM FAT16 TO FAT32
	In our last tip, we suggested that if your hard drive still uses the FAT16 file system, you might want to convert to FAT32. This new and improved system stores data in smaller clusters, resulting in less wasted space. We also pointed out that you can run the FAT32 Conversion Utility (Fat32win.exe, located in the tools\reskit\config folder of your Windows 98 installation CD) to determine exactly how much space you'll regain upon conversion. Assuming the numbers convince you to convert, here's how to perform the operation. First, find a time when you won't be using your system for a while--say, three hours. Close any open programs, then select Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Drive Converter (FAT32). Click the Details button, read all the pertinent do's and don'ts (for example, don't try to convert a compressed drive), then click Next. Select the drive you're about to convert, click Next, and wait as the wizard makes sure you don't have any incompatible programs installed. Click Next again, and you'll be asked if you want to back up your files before proceeding. If so, click Create Backup and so on (Microsoft Backup will help with the operation); otherwise, click Next. One last Next, and the converter is off and running.
EXPLORER WINDOWS HAVE TOOLBARS, TOO
	The next time you're going about your business in an Explorer window--single or double-paned--take notice of the often-overlooked Toolbar. (If you don't see it, select View, Toolbars, Standard Buttons.) It has buttons for a lot of the commands you might otherwise use your right-mouse button for. Funny thing, too, because a button only takes one click. See the button with the blue curved arrow? That's Undo. The "X" button mimics Delete. Clicking the hand holding the paper is the same as choosing Properties. On the right, you'll find your View options--Large Icons, Small Icons, List, or Details. Hold the cursor over any button on the Toolbar, and you'll see a box telling you what it does.
FAT32 CONVERSION UTILITY
	Does your hard drive still use the FAT16 file system? That means you aren't taking full advantage of your hard disk space, and you should consider converting the drive to FAT32. This new and improved system stores data in smaller clusters, resulting in less wasted space. If you aren't sure whether to convert, run the FAT32 Conversion Utility, which is available on the Windows 98 installation CD. It'll tell you exactly how much space you'll regain upon conversion. With the installation CD in your CD-ROM drive, click Browse This CD and then navigate your way to the tools\reskit\config folder. Double-click the Fat32win.exe file, and when the utility opens, select a drive and click Scan. (If you see a dialog box telling you the drive is already a FAT32 drive, you're all set.) In our next tip, we'll show you how to complete the conversion.
INSTALL ACCESSIBILITY OPTIONS
	Ever hear of Accessibility options? In case you aren't familiar with them, they're a group of settings that make Windows 98 easier to use. Although these settings were designed for people with disabilities, such as sight or hearing impairments, they can be useful to everyone. There's even a wizard to help you decide which Accessibility options are right for you. In today's tip, we'll show you how to install this wizard and the newest Accessibility option, Microsoft Magnifier. Then, over the next three tips, we'll show you how to use the wizard and this new tool. Open the Control Panel--select Start, Settings, Control Panel--and double-click Add/Remove Programs. Click the Windows Setup tab and wait as Windows 98 checks your system for installed components. (Depending on your system, this may take a few minutes.) Under Components, select Accessibility, then click the Details button. Select Accessibility Tools, click OK twice, and insert your installation disk when asked. Click OK again, and wait until Windows 98 finishes copying the files it needs. Curious to know what that wizard has to say? More in our next tip...
MICROSOFT MAGNIFIER OPTIONS
	A few tips ago, we showed you how to install the Accessibility Wizard and the newest Accessibility option (Microsoft Magnifier): Open the Control Panel, select Add/Remove Programs, click the Windows Setup tab, and select Accessibility. Click Details, select Accessibility Tools, click OK twice, insert the installation CD, and click OK. In our last tip, we introduced Microsoft Magnifier: Select Start, Programs, Accessories, Accessibility, Magnifier, and at the top of the screen, you'll see a magnified view of the area of the screen under your mouse. Now we'll take a closer look at the Magnifier's options. For starters, you aren't limited to the size or location of the Magnifier. Hold your mouse pointer over the edge of the magnified area, and when the pointer changes to a double-pointed arrow, click and drag up or down to adjust the Magnifier's size. To move this bar to another area of the screen, click and drag it to that location (as a floating window) or to any of the screen's four edges. Like the Taskbar, the bar will snap into place along any edge. You can change the remaining Magnifier options from inside the Magnifier dialog box. Restore this window, if you haven't already, then take your pick of options. For example, you might select Invert Colors to provide some contrast between your screen and the magnified view. Or, if you don't want the Magnifier's focus to follow the mouse, deselect Follow Mouse Cursor. The Magnifier will still follow your keyboard commands and the cursor. When you've finished selecting options, click OK to minimize the Magnifier dialog box. (Remember, don't click Exit unless you want to turn the Magnifier off altogether.)
REARRANGE PAINT TOOLS AND COLORS
	Not happy with the placement of Paint's tools and colors? Then move them. You can turn them into floating palettes, for placement anywhere on screen, or stick them to the edge of the Paint window. Open Paint by selecting Start, Programs, Accessories, Paint. Click a blank area around the edge of the tools or colors, and a black box will appear to let you know they're selected. Now just drag the palette where you want it, along its existing edge or anywhere on screen. Don't like floating palettes? Just like the Taskbar, they'll snap into place at the edge of the Paint window. Tools stick to the side edges; colors stick to the top or bottom.
RUNNING ACCESSIBILITY WIZARD
	In our last tip, we showed you how to install the Accessibility Wizard and the newest Accessibility option (Microsoft Magnifier): Open the Control Panel, select Add/Remove Programs, click the Windows Setup tab, and select Accessibility. Click Details, select Accessibility Tools, click OK twice, insert the installation CD, and click OK. Now, we'll show you how the Accessibility Wizard can determine which Accessibility options are right for you. Select Start, Programs, Accessories, Accessibility, Accessibility Wizard. In the resulting dialog box, click on the smallest text you find comfortable to read. Click Next twice (assuming you don't want to change any of the options along the way--if you do, go ahead and change them). In the Set Wizard Options box, select each statement that applies to you. Click Next, and the wizard will ask you some questions, depending on which of the statements you selected. For example, if you indicated that you have a hard time using the keyboard or the mouse, you'll be asked if you want to press each key in a keyboard combination one at a time. Continue clicking Next until you've answered all the questions, and at the end of the wizard, click Finish. The wizard will now apply the appropriate settings.
TURN OFF WINDOW ANIMATION
	Ever notice that when you minimize or restore a window, you actually see the window-shrinking (or reverse) process? If you're looking to increase performance, remove this "window animation." Your windows will grow and shrink faster than ever. (Note: This technique involves editing the Registry. As always, we recommend backing up your Registry files--System.dat and User.dat, hidden files on the root of your hard drive--before proceeding.) Open the Registry Editor--select Start, Run, type regedit and click OK--and navigate your way to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics. In the left pane, right-click the WindowMetrics key and select New, String Value. Type MinAnimate (to name the new value) and press Enter. In the right pane, right-click MinAnimate and select Modify. In the resulting Edit String dialog box, type 0 on the Data Value line. Click OK, close the Registry Editor, and restart Windows 98. Tip-in-a-tip: If you want your window animation back, delete the MinAnimate string (right-click it, select Delete, then click Yes to confirm), or change its data value to 1 (right-click it, select Modify, type 1 on the Value Data line, then click OK).
USING MICROSOFT MAGNIFIER
	Two tips ago, we showed you how to install the Accessibility Wizard and the newest Accessibility option (Microsoft Magnifier). Now let's look at Microsoft Magnifier, a tool you can use to enlarge any area of the screen. To launch Microsoft Magnifier, select Start, Programs, Accessories, Accessibility, Magnifier. A bar appears at the top of the screen displaying everything under your mouse pointer in a magnified (two times) view. To change the contents of this window, simply move your mouse around the screen. Assuming you don't want to change any options (we'll discuss these in our next tip), click OK to send the Magnifier dialog box to the Taskbar. When you've finished using the Magnifier, maximize its Options window, then click Exit. Alternatively, right-click its Taskbar item and select Close. (Tip-in-a-tip: If you use Microsoft Magnifier frequently, place a shortcut to it somewhere that's easily accessible, such as the desktop or the Quick Launch toolbar.)
BETTER USE OF THE DIR COMMAND
	PART 1 Most of us know how to use the dir command at the MS-DOS prompt in Windows 9x, but we should make sure we know how to get the most out of the command probably used more than any other. Let's take a quick look at a couple of options we could use more often. The /a switch lets us filter out directory entries that don't have the attributes set that we specify on the command line. For example: dir /a:h would return a list of entries in the current directory that have the Hidden attribute set. Other attributes and their single letter switch codes that can be specified on the command line are: d (Directory) h (Hidden) s (System) r (Read-only) a (Archive-ready) So, if you wanted to list just the subdirectories within the current directory, you'd issue the command dir /a:d and no files would be listed---just the directories. You can also reverse the filter by adding the "-" operator. To take our example again, the command dir /a:-d would list all the files in the current directory but none of its subdirectories. PART 2 Here's a bit more on how to get the most out of the dir command. The /o switch lets you sort selected files using the normal selection arguments based on these codes: n (Name) e (Extension) g (Group directories first) a (Access date--most recent first) s (Size--smallest first) d (Date and time--earliest first) For example, the command dir .doc /o:s would list all the .doc files in the current directory in order of size, with the smallest file first. As with the /a switch, the "-" operator can also be used to reverse the filter, so our example could be changed to dir .doc /o:-s to list all the .doc files in the current directory in order of size, with the largest file first. PART 3 The /v option (for Verbose) opens up some good information in the directory listing that wouldn't normally be visible without running additional commands on your selected files. For example, running the command dir . /v would return a list of files and subdirectories in the current directory along with the following information: * Real vs. allocated disk size * Last modified and last accessed dates * Attributes for each entry (which would otherwise require that you run the attrib.exe command) The /v option also returns at the end of the listing the percentage of the drive currently in use. PART 4 To round out our series on the dir command, here's a tip on how to automatically activate your favorite dir command line switches so you don't have to always remember them. Windows 9x has a reserved environment variable called DIRCMD which is used specifically with the dir command to set command line options automatically. For example, if, after reading yesterday's tip you decided that it would be useful to always have the selected files listed with the largest first, with the Verbose option turned on you could use the DIRCMD variable to set this up automatically. To do so, open the MS-DOS prompt window and type the command Set DIRCMD=/o:-s /v and press [Enter]. Now if you run a dir command without those options, they'll be applied to the command anyway. To make the options permanent through reboots, you could add them to the autoexec.bat file. To clear the options, simply open the MS-DOS prompt window and type the command Set DIRCMD= and press [Enter].
CLIPSTOR
	Part 1 If you deal with a number of text documents during your workday and constantly cut and paste text between them, you may wish you had more than one clipboard on which to store text. If you have access to the Windows 98 Resource Kit, you might want to try the ClipStor utility. ClipStor offers a simple way to organize and move multiple snippets of text between documents. Start the ClipStor.exe program. It will open a small window with five buffer windows. To use one of the buffers, copy the text in your document in the normal way, and then right-click one of the black buffer windows. The text will appear in the buffer window. You can fill up the other buffers at your convenience. To retrieve the contents of one of the buffers, click its window. The buffer's contents are placed in the standard Windows Clipboard and can then be pasted into a document normally. To delete the contents of a buffer, simply press and hold [Shift] and right-click the buffer window. The text in the buffer will disappear. PART 2 Yesterday we introduced a simple utility from the Windows 98 Resource Kit called ClipStor. This utility organizes text copied from documents into buffers. The text can then be transferred via the Windows Clipboard to different documents. When you start ClipStor, it contains a default of five buffer windows into which you can store text. If you need more buffers, you can specify the desired number of buffers from the command line. Simply type the number of buffers required after the program name. For example, ClipStor 13 will open ClipStor with 13 available buffers in which to store text.
PREPARING TO UPGRADE WIN9X TO W2K
	PART 1 Let's take a look at how to prepare for the upgrade of your Windows 9x PCs to Windows 2000. Having a test PC that accurately represents your "live" Windows 9x network is no longer simply a luxury. There are some major pitfalls you can avoid, and problems you can prepare for, by careful planning and testing. One area that you can test is the set of applications and utilities that you currently run on your Win9x PCs, as some of these may be incompatible with the new version of Windows. Microsoft points out the items below as being among the areas to watch out for when upgrading an existing Windows installation to Windows 2000. You should contact your software manufacturer for updated and certified versions of the following: * Software digital video disc (DVD) decoders. * Custom keyboard or monitor buttons that control certain programs or functions, such as audio volume or your Internet connection. * Applications and utilities that use virtual device drivers (VxDs) and .386 drivers. * Third-party control panel applets. * Network components that don't ship on the Windows 2000 CD, such as protocols, clients, and services. * Custom power management and plug-and-play solutions and tools. Windows 2000 has plug and play and power management built into the OS, so third-party solutions aren't necessary. * Utilities that came pre-loaded from the computer manufacturer. Consult Microsoft's Windows 2000 Upgrade site for additional information on upgrade preparations. There's a wealth of information on how to prepare for and proceed with your upgrade. The site also features a Readiness Analyzer tool to download and run that will report on problem areas. http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/upgrade/compat/search/default.asp PART 2 Yesterday we listed some of the areas that have potential incompatibilities between existing Win9x installations and the upgrade process to Windows 2000. However, there are also some other utility application areas to be checked out before proceeding with your upgrade. These include some disk utilities that are not supported in Windows 2000. * Compressed drives that use DriveSpace or other third-party applications must be decompressed before upgrading. * Disk defragmenters written for Windows 95 and Windows 98 will not work on Windows 2000. Windows 2000 includes its own disk defragmenter. And, just to keep you busy, antivirus programs must be upgraded to a version compatible with Windows 2000 to keep your upgraded installation safe. You'd also be wise to disable or uninstall the Windows 9x software before carrying out the upgrade.
TIRED OF WIN9X ALWAYS ATTEMPTING DIAL-UP ON STARTUP?
	We try to bring you some quick fixes to Windows 9x problems that would be time-consuming or otherwise difficult to troubleshoot on your own. Here's a look at a fix for the annoying habit of some Windows installations trying to make a dial-up connection each time Windows is booted. The EnableAutoDial key in the registry is a common culprit for this behavior, and this is the setting to check to eliminate the problem. This key can appear more than once in the registry, so open the Regedit.exe program and press [F3] to start a find. Enter EnableAutoDial as the search string. When the search stops at an instance of the EnableAutoDial key, check whether the value is set to something other than 00 00 00 00 (if a different value appears, that's what's likely triggering Auto Dial). Double-click on the value and enter 0000 (which will actually appear as 00 00 00 00 in the value field). Click OK and press [F3] again to carry on searching the rest of the registry. When all the EnableAutoDial values have been set to 00 00 00 00, reboot the PC and verify that the PC doesn't try to dial up! Note: Please remember that editing the registry can be risky, so please take the usual precautions and be sure to have a verified backup before you begin.
THE POWER OF UNIX ON WINDOWS
	The Power of UNIX on Windows 2000 and Windows NT - MKS has the most complete solution set for portability, interoperability, user compatibility and adaptability of applications in heterogeneous UNIX, Linux, Windows and Web environments. These solutions: MKS Toolkit, MKS Toolkit Select and MKS NuTCRACKER Professional, save time and money by allowing UNIX users, developers and administrators to be immediately productive on Windows platforms. Download MKS Toolkit 6.2a FREE for 30 days at: http://www.techrepublic.com/ad.jhtml?id=49&listu=1&listdate=05/12/2000
WINDOWS 95 USER PROFILES
	PART 1 Let's take a look at User Profiles in Windows 95 to determine whether they're a help or a hindrance to you. In this first part in our four- part series, we'll look at how to determine whether User Profiles have been turned on or not. Go to Start \| Settings \| Control Panel \| Passwords \| User Profiles. By default the All Users Of This PC Use The Same Preferences And Desktop Settings option will be selected, indicating that Profiles are turned off. If the Users Can Customize Their Preferences And Desktop Settings; Windows Switches To Your Personal Settings Whenever You Log In option is selected, then User Profiles are turned on. In general, profiles allow your users to customize their working environment with desktop shortcuts, drive mappings, desktop wallpapers, etc. These might be useful in small network installations, especially when users share equipment, but should not be confused with the control that administrators can apply to Windows 9x systems with the Policy Editor. In the next tip we look at some settings that are not kept separate between users. PART 2 Windows 95 profiles do not govern some of the settings that you might imagine they would. Users may individually make and break network mappings without affecting the list of drives presented to other users of the system. However, printers and connections to network printers are shared between all users of a Windows 95 PC that has User Profiles turned on. If you've diligently set up a network printer on the PC for use by multiple users within their individual profiles and someone deletes that printer, all users who subsequently log on to that PC will find the printer removed, regardless of the fact that they're using separate profiles. (Of course, if an application requires only a redirected LPT port to print to, this could be set up in a login script either during network login or as a batch file when Windows starts up.) Another setting you should be aware of that is shared between the users of a Windows 95 PC is the configuration of the Recycle Bin. If one of your users bravely turns on the "Do Not Move Files To The Recycle Bin. Remove Files Immediately On Delete" property, then this setting will be made for all users of the Windows PC--perhaps leaving unwitting users very unhappy when they delete something by mistake. PART 3 By default, the User Profiles are kept in the \windows\profiles folder, in separate folders named for each of the usernames. Within these folders are Start Menu and Desktop folders that allow the administrator to easily manage the shortcuts that appear in these elements of the user interface. For instance, you could easily navigate down to user Bob's profile folder, open his Desktop icon, and then drag an Excel icon from your own profile into Bob's, giving him easy access to Excel the next time he logs on. If the Windows PC is on a peer-to-peer network, you could use this method to distribute icons to other Windows PCs, even while users are logged on. If the PC is part of a larger NT network, you'd probably look to roaming profiles and policies to deliver the required control over your PCs. Be aware, of course, that due to Windows 95's lack of security, while you can conveniently access the Profiles folders, other users can too. PART 4 In this series, we've looked at some of the advantages and pitfalls of Windows 95 User Profiles. In short, User Profiles are useful when trying to give users some room for customization of their work environments, but they can introduce another step in the troubleshooting process and increase the need for ongoing PC support when unwitting users make changes that affect all other users. To remove User Profiles completely from a PC, follow the procedure below. Note that this procedure involves editing the registry, so please take all the usual precautions and be sure to have a verified backup before you begin. 1. Navigate to Start \| Settings \| Control Panel \| Passwords \| User Profiles. 2. Select the All Users Of This PC Use The Same Preferences And Desktop Settings option, and click OK. 3. Reboot the PC when prompted. 4. When the PC has rebooted, open the registry editor (regedit.exe) and navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\ CurrentVersion\ProfileList 5. To remove all of the PC's User Profiles, delete the ProfileList key and then close the Registry Editor. 6. Now open the Windows system folder and open the Profiles folder. To delete all the User Profiles, delete the folders within this folder and reboot the PC.

CHANGING THE COMMAND PROMPT'S LOOK

AUTO ARRANGE OPTION

CREATE WORDPAD TEMPLATE

INTRODUCTION TO TASK SCHEDULER

LINE UP YOUR ICONS

RIGHT-CLICK TO FIND

WINDOWS 98 HARDWARE INFORMATION REPORT

TASK SCHEDULER: ADDING AND DELETING TASKS

TASK SCHEDULER: CHANGING TASKS

CHANGING THE DEFAULT PRINTER

MORE DRIVE LETTERS