| Tips
and tricks in using windows 9x versions |
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[95]
Prevent Audio CDs from Playing Automatically When
Inserted
By default, Windows 95 is set up to automatically start the CD Player applet and begin playing a music CD as soon as it is inserted into the CD- ROM drive. This is set up in Windows 95 much like a file type association. To change this;
- Start Windows Explorer, and select View ->Options ->File type.
- Scroll through the list until you find a listing
for Audio CDs
- Highlight it, and click the Edit button.
- Select the Play option, then click the Edit button within this field.
You'll see the command that is invoked for that option. It is by default set to execute CDPLAYER.EXE with a command parameter of /PLAY. If you delete the entire line, nothing will happen when an audio CD is inserted. If you delete just the /PLAY parameter, when an audio CD is inserted, CD Player will start but will not immediately begin playing the CD.
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[All] Add Objects to Start Menu
Click and drag any object and drop it on the Start button to add it to the Start Menu.
[All] Add Shortcuts to the Quick Launch toolbar
Want quick access to a document, Web page, or program? Use the Quick Launch toolbar installed in 95 and NT 4 with the IE 4 Desktop Update) to access frequently used programs with a single click. To add a button to the quick launch bar: Drag a program, document, Web page link, or even a shortcut to the Quick Launch toolbar located on the Taskbar. If you don't see the Quick Launch bar on your taskbar, right-click the Taskbar, point to Toolbars, and click Quick Launch. To remove a button from the Quick Launch bar: Right-click the button you want to remove, and select Delete.
[95] Change the Name of the Recycle Bin
Launch the Registry Editor by selecting Run from the Start menu. Type REGEDIT in the Run dialog and click on the OK button. Go to the following key: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\ {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E} and change Default Value from Recycle Bin to the name of your choice.
[95] Change the Speed of Fly-out Menus
The speed at which menus fly out of selections on the Start Menu can be altered. To do so, make the following changes:
1. Go to Run from the Start Menu, Type in REGEDIT and click OK.
2. Open the HKEY_CURRENT_USER folder.
3. Open the Control Panel folder.
4. Open the Desktop folder.
5. From the Edit menu, choose New -> String Value
6. Call the new item MenuShowDelay.
7. Double-click on the new item and give it a value from
0 to 10, 0 being
fastest.
8. Exit the Registry Editor and restart Windows.
[All] Close Multiple Windows Quickly
If you've opened several windows from the same tool (e.g. My Computer), quickly close them all at once by
holding the SHIFT key while clicking the close window button (small x in
upper right corner of window).
[95] Create Cascading Menus
Within the \WINDOWS\START MENU folder, create a new folder and name it, exactly: Control panel. {21EC2020- 3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}
(All on one line, must include the ".", the curly braces, all four hyphens, and the hex numbers exactly as shown.) After doing this, you'll get a folder in your Start Menu that's called Control Panel with a cascading menu that has all of the Control Panel contents in it. By placing a '.' after the folder name and putting the sequence of
numbers in brackets, it associates that folder with a registry entry. You can also run the Registry Editor and do a search for other Windows System folders to create other such cascading menus. For example, you can name one: Printers. {2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D} to add your Printers to the start menu. Or:DUN. {992CFFA0-F557-101A-88EC-00DD010CCC48)
for Dial-up networking.
[95] Fix a Broken Start Menu
This tip applies to the situation
where the Start Menu shows up blank, and cannot be modified. This occurs
when modifications to the Start Menu are made from the command line.
To repair the Start Menu, perform the following
steps:
1. If there are still subfolders and links in
C:\WINDOWS\Start Menu that you can access from the Explorer, copy these to
another folder as backup
2. Restart the computer, and when you see the Starting Windows 95... message, press F8 to access the boot menu. Choose the Command Prompt Only option.
3. At the C:\ prompt, type CD
\WINDOWS then press ENTER. Type DELTREE startm~1 and press ENTER.
Reboot the computer.
4. When
Windows 95 reloads, it will find
that rather than being invalid, the StartMenu simply isn't there. It will
then create a valid Start
Menu.
5. At this point you can go to Start -> Settings -> Taskbar &
Start Menu Within the Start Menu Programs sheet, click the Advanced button
and start copying back in the shortcuts you backed up in step one, or
you can run GRPCONV.EXE to get your basic icons back, and reinstall
or create the other links by hand to get your icons back.
[95/98] Get Rid of Black Icons
Icons can appear black when the icon
cache becomes corrupted. To
fix the problem, make sure that you can
see all files (including
hidden and system files) in Windows Explorer.
Then, go to the Windows directory and find a file called ShellIconCache
(no extension). Delete this file and
reboot. Your icons will be redrawn!
[95/98/ME] Reload the Desktop
If you ever need to reload the
Desktop, the Taskbar or other Desktop elements, (for example, to reload a
Desktop element after changing a Registry setting), press
CTRL+ALT+DEL. Select the Explorer item then click End Task button. The Desktop
will blank out then
restart.
[All] Switch Between Programs Quickly
To flip from one application to
another using only the keyboard, the
old Windows 3.x trick of using
ALT+TAB still works, in fact it works better than before. Now, instead of
seeing one application icon at a time, you see them all, along with an
outline box highlighting the
one you are about to select.
1. Hold the ALT key while pressing the TAB key to
scroll through the programs.
2. To select an application, release the Alt key. File Management
[All] Bypass the Recycle Bin
To immediately delete a file or
folder rather than send it to the Recycle Bin, hold the SHIFT key when you
delete the file or folder.
[95/98] Change File Associations Quickly
To change the default application of a file type, simply
select the file, hold down the SHIFT key,
and click the right mouse button.
Select the Open With option, and choose the program you want to use for this file type. Place a check in the Always Use This Program to Open This Type of File box.
[98] Converting to FAT32
If you upgraded to Windows 98 from
an older OS, odds are the disk uses the older 16-bit FAT file system
instead of the newer 32-bit FAT32. Windows 98 includes a conversion
utility that updates your disk so you won't have to reformat it. To run
the utility, choose Start | Programs | Accessories | System Tools | Drive
Converter (FAT32), then work your way through the Drive Converter
Wizard screens.
[98] Deciding to Convert to FAT32
Before you convert to FAT32,
make sure it's the right choice.
FAT32's strong point is that it uses hard
disk space more efficiently. The minimum file size for FAT16 on a 1GB disk,
for example, is 32K. For FAT32, it's 4K. Another benefit is that unlike
FAT16, FAT32 isn't limited to a 2GB-per-disk
partition. On the other hand, you
can't use DriveSpace to compress a
FAT32 disk. Nor can you dual-boot
your system to run most earlier versions of Windows or DOS.
Additionally, some older disk utilities work only with FAT16, so you may have to upgrade your third-party utility
programs. And once you've converted to FAT32, the only way to return
the disk to FAT16 and reclaim these capabilities is through
repartitioning and reformatting. If you choose to convert, the Drive Converter Wizard
does a good job of warning you about possible problems. Be sure to
read each screen carefully as you work your way through the
choices, and don't hesitate to cancel the
conversion if you have any doubts.
[95] Free Up to 7 MB of Disk Space
Look in your \Windows\Help folder for .AVI files and delete them. You could have as much as 7MB of .AVI tutorials left over. Unless you are using Windows 95 for the first time, you don't need them.
[98] Remove Unneeded Files with the Disk Cleanup
The Disk Cleanup tool helps you find and delete unnecessary files. Launch the tool by selecting Start |Programs | Accessories | System Tools | Disk Cleanup. If you have any doubts about deleting a category of files, such as Temporary Internet Files, choose the View Files button to see a description of the files marked for deletion. You can manually select only those you want to delete.
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[95/98] Help Avoid System Crashes To help avoid crashes, make sure that you have twice as much hard drive space available as you have AM. For example, a system with 16MB of RAM should have 32MB of hard drive space available for your swap file. In addition, your computer is constantly creating new temporary files (.TMP) to help with productivity. To help avoid crashes, regularly delete all the .TMP files that are not currently being used. Using your Find feature (Start -> Find -> Files or Folders), search for *.TMP files, sort the files by date, and delete all 8520/963.*- the .TMP files without today's date.
[95] Improve Cache Performance
Click Start -> Settings ->
Control Panel. Double-click the System icon. From the Performance sheet, click
the File System button. Within the Hard Disk sheet, change the Typical
Role of This Machine option to Network Server, then click the OK
button. Click the Close button to exit the System Properties dialog box.
You will be prompted to reboot. Instead of rebooting your PC, run Regedit
(Start-> Run-> REGEDIT-> OK) and go to to this key, hKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
\FSTemplates\Server\. Edit the Namecache and Pathcache to
these binary values: NameCache - a9 0a 00 00 PathCache - 40 00 00
00 Note: These values are actually
reversed before you edit the
changes. Exit Regedit and reboot your computer.
[95/98] Increase Windows Speed and Memory
The FDISK utility will erase all data from your hard
drive so backup!!!] Use the FDISK 963.*-utility to repartition your hard drive into
two logical drives: D: should be about 200 MB, while C: should claim all of
the space left on the hard drive. Install Windows on the C: partition.
Once Windows is installed, click Start -> Settings ->
Control Panel. Double-click the System icon. Within the Performance sheet, click
the Virtual Memory button. Click the Let Me Specify My Own Virtual
Memory Settings option. Set the hard disk to the newly created 200
MB partition on D:. Set the maximum to about 10mb less than the total disk space, with no minimum.
[All] Remove Unnecessary Registry Entries
Over time, all of the installing,
uninstalling and modification of your applications cause Registry entries to become
corrupt or stranded within the Windows Registry. Unfortunately, a bloated
Registry can slow performance, so it's important
to keep the Registry "trim." RegClean is a utility that Microsoft offers to
help remove unwanted Registry entries. The utility is not aggressive and,
by default, leaves keys or settings that are questionable. An undo file is
also created so that you can restore the Registry entries should the system
behave worse than before.
[95/98] Speed Up Network Performance
1. From the Control Panel,
double- click the System icon.
2. Within the System Properties
dialog box, click the Device Manager tab.
3. Within the Device Manager sheet,
select your network adapter and click the Properties button.
4. Within the Properties dialog box, click the Resource tab.
5. Within the Resource sheet, check
the IRQ setting and write it down.
6. Click the Cancel button to close
the Properties dialog box then close the Device Manager.
7. Click the Start button, select
Run.
8. Type SYSEDIT and hit the
ENTER key.
9. Within the System Editor,
click the SYSTEM.INI window.
10. Within the SYSTEM.INI file, look
for the heading 386Enh.
11. At the bottom of the 386Enh section type IRQn= 4096 (where n is the IRQ number you wrote down earlier)
12. From the File menu choose Save
and then choose Exit.
13. Re-boot your computer.
These steps allocate 4 MB of
physical RAM for the network card's IRQ. After the change to SYSTEM.INI, we had no
problems with lag. Things to
remember: 1 meg of RAM is 1024, and allocates
it in 2MB-increments.
[98] Tune Up Windows 98
Take advantage of the Maintenance
Wizard to run ScanDisk, Defrag and the Disk Cleanup tool on a regular
schedule. Launch the wizard by selecting Start | Programs |
Accessories | System Tools | Maintenance Wizard. Walk through the wizard's
screens to choose the tasks, options and schedule.
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[98] Extend Battery Life
When you're working from a battery
on a portable computer, you may want to set a short time period
before your monitor powers off. However, if you're plugged into a power
outlet, you may want to make that time longer. To set the power scheme for
your system, choose Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> Power
Management. Click the Power Schemes tab. You can choose one of the predefined choices from the Power Schemes pull-down list, or
you can define your own and save it by choosing the Save As button.
Depending on your system, you may see
choices for how long to wait for
activity before the system turns off the monitor, spins down the hard disk,
or puts itself in standby mode.
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[All] Print to a File
Click Start -> Settings ->
Printers. Double-click the Add Printer icon. Select Local Printer and click the
Next button. Select Generic from the Manufacturer list, and Generic/Text
Only from the Printer list, then click the Next button. Select File from
the available Ports list, and follow directions on the next couple of
screens to complete the wizard. Once completed, right-click the new
printer icon and select Properties. Click the Paper tab, and change the paper
setting to Continuous, no page-breaks. You can now select this
printer from any Windows application, sending the output in text format to
a file. You'll be prompted for the filename when you
print.
[All] Another Way to Print to a File
Within your application, if you choose Print from the
File menu, you should see a checkbox labeled "Print to File." Click the checkbox to select the option, then click the OK button. You will be prompted for a folder location and a filename. The filename should have a .PRN extension. Once saved, use either the COPY or PRINT command from a Command Prompt in the following format: COPY C:\MYFILE.PRN LPT1 or for a networked printer: COPY C:\MYFILE.PRN\\SERVER\PRINTER Just make sure there is a
space between the filename and the printer
port/address name.
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[95] Setup Switches
Windows 95 has several switches you
can use when executing the Setup process. There are two sets: one for
use from DOS-based setups, and one for use from Windows-based
setups (upgrades and re-installs). From Windows:
/is - Ignores the system
check
/id - Ignores the check for
adequate disk space
/iq - Ignores the test for
cross-linked files and file directory
integrity
(skips Scandisk)
/in - Runs setup without the
Network Setup Module
/iw - Skips the Microsoft
legal warnings (i.e., copyright notice,
etc.)
From
DOS:
/is - Ignores the system
check
/id - Ignores the check for
adequate disk space
/IQ - Ignores the test for cross-linked files
and file directory integrity
(skips Scandisk)
/in - Runs setup without the
Network Setup Module
/iw - Skips the Microsoft
legal warnings (i.e., copyright notice, etc.)
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[95] Access the Boot
Menu
Press the F8 key when you see
the STARTING WINDOWS 95... message at the top of the DOS
screen.
[98] Access the Boot
Menu
Hold the CTRL key down as the PC is
booting.
[95/98] Change the Startup Screen
Rename C:\LOGO.SYS to C:\LOGO.OLD.
Start with a 640-by-400, 256- color bitmap. Open the Bitmap in Paint (Start ->
Programs -> Accessories -> Paint). Use the Stretch/Skew item from the Image
menu to reduce the file by 50 percent horizontally and save it as
C:\LOGO.SYS.
[95/98] Restart Windows quickly
When you click Start -> Shut
Down -> Restart Windows, hold
down the Shift key when clicking the OK
button. Windows will reload
without going through the POST and real-
mode load sequences. User Management
[95/98] Delete User Passwords
Click the Start button -> Find -> Files or Folders. In the Named field,
type in: *.pwl Windows will return a list of files. At the top of the Find window, select the Select All option from the Edit menu. Press the DELETE key. Restart your computer. You will be prompted for your windows password. If you do not want one, just click the OK button. If you do want one, enter your password, and at the next dialogue box, confirm your password!
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[All] Show All Files in Explorer
Hidden and system files, such as
.DLLs and .INI files, are hidden in
Windows Explorer or My Computer by
default. f rom the View menu, select Folder Options. Click the View tab
and click the Show All Files option
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[win 98]
Registy Help
Windows 98
keeps 5 copies of the registry, it updates them once a
day (no matter how many times you boot each day). It
stores them in the Windows\Sysbackup folder as
Rb000.cab, Rb001.cab ...
If you need to restore one: Boot to
a DOS prompt (tap F8 when you see "Starting Windows 98"
or hold the Ctrl key down while the system is Booting),
when you see the "C:\" prompt type: scanreg /restore
(press enter) you will be presented with the last five
days of Registry backups, pick the newest one that will
work (the one from today is the one that may be
corrupted) "press enter"
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