tips

Random Tips and Bits

Prepare for possible PC catastrophes by regularly copying the following files to a second hard drive, removable hard disk or disk-especially if you frequently install and uninstall applications. From your root directory (you may find only some of these), back up AUTOEXEC.BAT, AUTOEXEC.DOS, CONFIG.SYS, CONFIG.DOS and MSDOS.SYS. From your Windows folder, back up CONTROL.INI, SYSTEM.INI, WIN.INI, and SYSTEM.DAT and USER.DAT Registry files (SYSTEM.DAT probably won't fit on a floppy disk).

Creat a shortcut to the Device Manager: Right-click on the Desktop and choose New/Shortcut:
Type C:\WINDOWS\CONTROL.EXE SYSDM.CPL,,1 in the Command Line box and click on Next. Name it Device Manager (or another name of your choice), then click on the Finish button. Assign a new icon to the shortcut as you would any other.

Windows Wisdom - Dump Unwanted Auto-launching Apps Many, MANY, Windows crashes, hangs at system start, freezing, and Windows Shutdown glitches derive from automatically launching programs that initiate at Windows startup. You may not even know these programs, which often run in background and may or may not appear as icons in the system tray on the task bar (next to the clock). New PCs are sometimes the worst offenders. PC makers seem to think that loading Windows down with a lot of so-so software is a good way for them to differentiate themselves and add value. Frankly, I think we should all tell PC makers we don't want this stuff on our PCs. But that's another tirade.

One of Win98's most powerful hidden gems is a universal command line. From here you can launch programs, open folders, go to Web sites and more. Right-click on the taskbar and select Toolbars/Address. When the Address box shows up on your toolbar, click and hold on the word Address and drag it to the top of your Desktop. Right-click on it and select Always on Top. Now, when you maximize applications, they'll expand between your Address bar at the top and your taskbar at the bottom.

When you hit Ctrl+Alt+Delete, you'll see a list of what's running on your system. Chances are, you'll discover drivers and programs running that you don't need or want. To find out, launch the Win98 System Configuration utility by typing MSCONFIG in the Run command line and pressing Enter. Click on the StartUp tab and deselect the items you think you might be able to live without. Click on OK and reboot. If you later realize you need one of the items you deselected, go back and reselect it.

You can select groups of icons or folders on the desktop or within folders by clicking outside the body of icons and, while holding the left mouse button, dragging a rectangle to surround all the icons you want to select, then letting go. You can then move, copy or delete them en masse.

If your system 'freezes' up; bring up your task manager by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Dlt; first try to page down on the list and look for 'rundll'. If that is in your list, highlight it and press endtask. This often will 'jumpstart' your system back to life. If not you may have to use the task manager to end the current application you are in. As always, once your system comes back to life: save and Reboot!

Here's a tip that lets you put Start menu items in the order you want and also launch
them with keystrokes. In Win95, Right-click on the Start button, then select Open.
Rename each item by placing a number in front of it. Now you can open the Start menu by pressing Ctrl+Esc. Launch the program of your choice by simply pressing the associated number. For Win98, simply drag and drop items to place them in the order you want. Launch items by pressing Ctrl+Esc, then the letter of the item you want to launch, followed by the Enter key.

You can set your browser to include time and date information when you print a Web page. Go to File/Page Setup in Navigator or IE. In Navigator, check "Date printed
under footer," and your printouts will include the date and time. In IE, you can have the time and date printed in the header or footer. You have to enter the proper codes in the Header or Footer box. If you want the time and date, type &t &d in the appropriate text box. You might want to leave a few spaces between the codes to separate the time and date on the printed page.

If the taskbar gets in your way, there are a few ways to move or hide it. You can move it to the top or sides of your screen by dragging and dropping it on the appropriate edge. Wherever the taskbar is, right-click on it, choose Properties and check the Auto Hide option to make it disappear until you move the mouse pointer to the screen edge where it hides. To hide it permanently, turn off Auto Hide and drag the taskbar off the screen. Its edge will stay visible so you can drag it back again.

Right-click on your My Computer icon and select Properties. This tabbed dialog box is your hardware's Rosetta stone. By exploring the various tabs and items, you can get the
scoop on all the devices installed on your system, plus memory and port settings.