Nanci's Win95 Stuff - Useful Utilities

Hi! Welcome to Win95 Stuff Useful Utilities Page! Updated: Sept. 1, 1998

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Nanci's Win95/98 Desktop Themes
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Nanci's Win95 Stuff

Useful Utilities

There are some things that Microsoft left out of Windows95, so many people and/or companies have written programs to add to your Win95 experience. I have found these programs on the Internet and have listed below the ones that I have found to be the most useful. Most of them are shareware which means you can use them for free on a trial basis, but if you like them, you should register. Some are freeware, and this means just what it says -- they are free. You might disagree with me about them all being useful, but there just could be something here that will make your life a little easier. Take a look!

NetLaunch is a Windows 95/NT 4.0 program written by Robert Simpson that sits idly in your system tray just waiting for you to make a Dial-Up Networking connection. When it senses a connection it will launch all of the programs that you have configured it for (eg. your browser, e-mail reader and/or newsgroup reader). Also, with one click of a button, all those programs that you have running will shut down (including your dial-up connection). You can also configure each dial-up connection individually. It takes away having to click all those buttons when you start a DUN session. The configuration is real easy. This is a must-have and it's freeware! NetLaunch

Tray Menu (69 kb) An alternative to Tray Shortcuts (listed below), Tray Menu, developed by Wei Ke is even better! You can put a number of little icons in your tray and they will each cascade into a menu of all your most-used applications. There's no need to minimize all those windows to get at your favourite applications. It's like the "Start Menu", but you have more control. I have mine grouped into categories such as "Graphics", "Online", "Home Office", etc. Works great and it's freeware!

It's nice to be able to chat on the Internet without having to go to a chat room (they can get pretty confusing). If you download Mirabilis ICQ (1.6Mb) you can chat anytime that you're on-line. This program notifies you whenever your friends are on-line and you can then send messages back and forth, or you can start a chat session. It also allows you to be private as well. Check it out.. it's free! ICQ

WinZip 6.3 (629kb) WinZip, by Nico Mak Computing Inc. is a "must have". When you download a file from the Internet it is usually compressed (it has a ".zip" extension). In order to install the program you just downloaded you must first decompress it. This program does this beautifully!

If you liked the "install/try/uninstall" of the WinZip version for Windows 3.1 and you have Windows95, you need to download the WinZip Uninstall Component. If you're not sure what this is... let me explain. You can take a zipped (or compressed) file and install it, then try it. If you don't like it you can then totally uninstall it. I mean, it uninstalls ALL of the files that the program put on your hard drive, including the DLL's and the registry changes. Warning, it is beta!.. but I use it all the time and haven't had a single problem. WinZip Uninstall Component (92kb)

Dunce (217kb) If you sometimes get disconnected from your internet provider (or constantly, like some users), you need to get Dunce (or Dial-Up Networking Connection Enhancement) by Vector Development. This little freeware utility will automatically press "connect" for you on the "Connect To" dialog box, redial your Internet Provider indefinitely (even from within another application), and auto-reconnect if you get unexpectedly disconnected. It can also run applications when you are connected and force connections at a given time. Another "must have". You need to be using Dial-Up Networking in order for it to work. Also, it is incompatible with America Online software.

I started this web site because I wanted to learn HTML, so I went on the hunt for an easy web page editor. I found a great one and it's freeware. It's called HomeSite by Allaire. It lets you have control but it also helps you with some shortcuts. Easy to install and use. Note: This site only has the commercial version. Click on the icon to download the freeware version (small but powerful). HomeSite (498kb)

Power Toys The PowerToys Set for Windows 95 (204kb) by the Microsoft Windows Shell Development Team, is also a "must have". There are many little utilities included, one of which is Tweak UI 1.1 (64kb). This allows you to change a lot of desktop settings to your liking, easily. For gamers, QuickRes (40kb) is a beauty. This lets you change your screen resolution without having to reboot (i.e. Hi-Color to 256 Colors). Send To X 1.4 (23kb) allows you to send your files, within Windows Explorer, to basically any folder or anywhere you want and not just the default "floppy drive". There are others here and I'm sure you'll find at least one you'll like.

If you're into Desktop Themes, like I am, and you don't like all those desktop icons covering up your great-looking wallpaper, then you need Tray Shortcuts by Clovis Lofton. It puts any and all icons into your system tray (at bottom of screen, beside clock). Easy to set up -- just point the program to a folder that holds all your precious shortcuts. But remember to create a shortcut and place it in your startup folder. Tray Shortcuts (15kb)

Dipstick (655kb) Ever had ~100 choices of sites to download a file from? Well, I have and I never know which will be the fastest and most reliable. I found a little freeware utility called Dipstick by Klever. After installed and loaded, all you do is click and drag the site shortcuts into the dipstick window. It pings each site and lets you know which is the fastest and most reliable. Works great! Has saved me lots of time.

So many times I have wanted to leave my computer, but I am downloading something and I don't want to waste precious connection time. Solved that problem with Connection Manager. Start your download, then start this little freebie and go watch a movie. It will disconnect you when your download is complete. (You must be using Dial-Up Networking in order for this program to work).
HOW TO MAKE IT WORK WITH WINDOWS NT 4.0 :
Copy the file RASAPI32.DLL into Connection Manager's directory but rename it to RASAPI32. (Remove the Extension). It should work! Hopefully, this will be fixed in the next release. Connection Manager (128kb)

Check back.. I'll list more.

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E-mail me at n-martin@home.com

NetLaunch is a Windows 95/NT 4.0 program written by Robert Simpson that sits idly in your system tray just waiting for you to make a Dial-Up Networking connection. When it senses a connection it will launch all of the programs that you have configured it for (eg. your browser, e-mail reader and/or newsgroup reader). Also, with one click of a button, all those programs that you have running will shut down (including your dial-up connection). You can also configure each dial-up connection individually. It takes away having to click all those buttons when you start a DUN session. The configuration is real easy. This is a must-have and it's freeware!								NetLaunch

Tray Menu (69 kb)		An alternative to Tray Shortcuts (listed below), Tray Menu, developed by Wei Ke is even better! You can put a number of little icons in your tray and they will each cascade into a menu of all your most-used applications. There's no need to minimize all those windows to get at your favourite applications. It's like the "Start Menu", but you have more control. I have mine grouped into categories such as "Graphics", "Online", "Home Office", etc. Works great and it's freeware!

It's nice to be able to chat on the Internet without having to go to a chat room (they can get pretty confusing). If you download Mirabilis ICQ (1.6Mb) you can chat anytime that you're on-line. This program notifies you whenever your friends are on-line and you can then send messages back and forth, or you can start a chat session. It also allows you to be private as well. Check it out.. it's free!								ICQ

WinZip 6.3 (629kb)		WinZip, by Nico Mak Computing Inc. is a "must have". When you download a file from the Internet it is usually compressed (it has a ".zip" extension). In order to install the program you just downloaded you must first decompress it. This program does this beautifully!

If you liked the "install/try/uninstall" of the WinZip version for Windows 3.1 and you have Windows95, you need to download the WinZip Uninstall Component. If you're not sure what this is... let me explain. You can take a zipped (or compressed) file and install it, then try it. If you don't like it you can then totally uninstall it. I mean, it uninstalls ALL of the files that the program put on your hard drive, including the DLL's and the registry changes. Warning, it is beta!.. but I use it all the time and haven't had a single problem.								WinZip Uninstall Component (92kb)

Dunce (217kb)		If you sometimes get disconnected from your internet provider (or constantly, like some users), you need to get Dunce (or Dial-Up Networking Connection Enhancement) by Vector Development. This little freeware utility will automatically press "connect" for you on the "Connect To" dialog box, redial your Internet Provider indefinitely (even from within another application), and auto-reconnect if you get unexpectedly disconnected. It can also run applications when you are connected and force connections at a given time. Another "must have". You need to be using Dial-Up Networking in order for it to work. Also, it is incompatible with America Online software.

I started this web site because I wanted to learn HTML, so I went on the hunt for an easy web page editor. I found a *great one* and it's freeware. It's called HomeSite by Allaire. It lets you have control but it also helps you with some shortcuts. Easy to install and use. Note: This site only has the commercial version. Click on the icon to download the freeware version (small but powerful).								HomeSite (498kb)

Power Toys		The PowerToys Set for Windows 95 (204kb) by the Microsoft Windows Shell Development Team, is also a "must have". There are many little utilities included, one of which is Tweak UI 1.1 (64kb). This allows you to change a lot of desktop settings to your liking, easily. For gamers, QuickRes (40kb) is a beauty. This lets you change your screen resolution without having to reboot (i.e. Hi-Color to 256 Colors). Send To X 1.4 (23kb) allows you to send your files, within Windows Explorer, to basically any folder or anywhere you want and not just the default "floppy drive". There are others here and I'm sure you'll find at least one you'll like.

If you're into Desktop Themes, like I am, and you don't like all those desktop icons covering up your great-looking wallpaper, then you need Tray Shortcuts by Clovis Lofton. It puts any and all icons into your system tray (at bottom of screen, beside clock). Easy to set up -- just point the program to a folder that holds all your precious shortcuts. But remember to create a shortcut and place it in your startup folder.								Tray Shortcuts (15kb)

Dipstick (655kb)		Ever had ~100 choices of sites to download a file from? Well, I have and I never know which will be the fastest and most reliable. I found a little freeware utility called Dipstick by Klever. After installed and loaded, all you do is click and drag the site shortcuts into the dipstick window. It pings each site and lets you know which is the fastest and most reliable. Works great! Has saved me lots of time.

So many times I have wanted to leave my computer, but I am downloading something and I don't want to waste precious connection time. Solved that problem with Connection Manager. Start your download, then start this little freebie and go watch a movie. It will disconnect you when your download is complete. (You must be using Dial-Up Networking in order for this program to work). HOW TO MAKE IT WORK WITH WINDOWS NT 4.0 : Copy the file RASAPI32.DLL into Connection Manager's directory but rename it to RASAPI32. (Remove the Extension). It should work! Hopefully, this will be fixed in the next release.								Connection Manager (128kb)