Potpourris: Miscellaneous Tips

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ONE-CLICK RESTARTS

You all know how to restart Windows 95 without restarting your PC, right? Select Start, Shut Down, select Restart The Computer, then hold down Shift as you click the Yes button. Well, if this shortcut isn't short enough for you, get a load o' this: You can create a batch file that will restart Windows 95 with one double-click.

Open Notepad--select Start, Programs, Accessories, Notepad--and type

@EXIT

Select File, Save, name the file something appropriate, such as 'restart.bat', save it anywhere you want, and close Notepad.

Now place access to the batch file in a convenient location, such as the desktop. In an Explorer window, locate the new file, right-click it, and select Create Shortcut. Drag the new shortcut out to the desktop (or another location of your choice), and rename it.

Finally, a few setting changes. Right-click the shortcut, select Properties, and on the Program tab, select Close On Exit. Click the Advanced button, select MS-DOS mode, and deselect Warn Before Entering MS-DOS Mode. Click OK twice to close all open dialog boxes, and you're done.

The next time you want to restart Windows, just double-click your new batch file shortcut!
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DOS32 BACKUP UTILITY http://www.dos32.com/
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Windows 98: WinMag Forum http://bbs.winmag.com/default.htm
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OH, THOSE STUBBORN DESKTOP ICONS
Have you ever installed an application on your Windows 95 system, only to discover that the program placed its icon on your desktop? Then, when you right-click the icon to try and remove it, no Delete command appears (similar to Inbox, Recycle Bin, and other stubborn desktop icons). Fortunately, there is a way to get rid of that icon. You just have to be willing to edit the Registry to do it. (Note: As always, back 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_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\ CurrentVersion\explorer\Desktop\NameSpace. Select a key under NameSpace and watch the name that appears in the right pane under Data.

Once you find it, right-click its key (again, under NameSpace in the left pane), select Delete, then click Yes to confirm. Close the Registry Editor, click the desktop to place the focus there, then press F5 (for refresh). Bye-bye icon!
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Here's a secret tip for creating 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.
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If the Desktop As Shortcut icon is missing from your SendTo menu, here's how to restore it:

Create a "Desktop as Shortcut.DESKLINK" file in the SendTo folder.
To do so, use the following steps.

1.Click Start, point to Programs, and then click Windows Explorer or Windows NT Explorer.

2.On the View menu, click Folder Options (or Options). On the View tab, click to clear the Hide file extensions for known file types (or Hide MS-DOS file extensions for file types that are registered) check box, and then click OK.

3.In Windows 95/98, navigate to the Windows\SendTo folder, and in Windows NT navigate to the Winnt\Profiles\<username>\SendTo folder, where <username> is the name you use to log on to Windows NT.

4.On the File menu, point to New, and then click Text Document. Type "Desktop as Shortcut.DESKLINK" (without quotation marks), and then press ENTER.

5.Click Yes, and then quit Windows Explorer or Windows NT Explorer.

Open C:\WINDOWS\SENDTO and right-click on the folder's background. Choose New/Text Document and rename the new file Desktop as Shortcut.DESKLINK (click on Yes when the Rename warning dialog opens).
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If you're using real Win95 applications, you can do some neat things in the Save As dialog box (File/Save As). Right-click in the dialog's white space, and you'll get the familiar context menus for the folder you're working in. Right-click on individual files to cut, copy, delete, rename and see properties
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If your taskbar is buried under a pile of open windows, there's a permanent fix and a quick but temporary one. The permanent fix is to right-click on the taskbar (find a spot where there are no tray icons or minimized app or folder buttons), select Properties and make sure Always on Top is checked. The quick fix is to press Ctrl+Esc.
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If you accidentally delete the Show Desktop shortcut from the taskbar's Quick Launch toolbar, here's how to restore it: In C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch, create a new text file with the following contents:

[Shell] Command=2 IconFile=explorer.exe,3 [Taskbar] Command=ToggleDesktop

Save the file as ShowDesktop.SCF. This will put the shortcut back on your Quick Launch toolbar.
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QUICK LAUNCH LANDINGS
In our last tip, we showed you how to change your Quick Launch toolbar into a floating palette: Click the vertical bar on its left edge, drag the entire toolbar bar to a new location on your desktop, and let go. From there, you can size or move the palette, just as you would any other window.

Have you decided that you like the toolbar better? In two quick steps, you can put it right back where it started (we're assuming to the right of the Start button, with your Taskbar across the bottom of the screen). Click the palette's title bar and drag it downward until it expands to the full width of the screen (across the top of the Taskbar). Let go, and the toolbar jumps down to its original form, but on the right side of the Taskbar.

Now just move the toolbar next to the Start button. Hold your mouse pointer over the bar's left edge, and when it changes to a double-pointed arrow, click and drag the bar to the left. When your mouse pointer is just to the right of the Start button, the Quick Launch toolbar will jump into place there. Let go of the mouse.

(Tip: You'll need to resize the other toolbars on the Taskbar to get everything back in perfect order. As a quick review, hold your mouse pointer over a toolbar's left edge, then click and drag in either direction.)
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If your taskbar is buried under a pile of open windows, there's a permanent fix and a quick but temporary one. The permanent fix is to right-click on the taskbar (find a spot where there are no tray icons or minimized app or folder buttons), select Properties and make sure there's a check mark next to the "Always on Top" item. The quick fix is to select Ctrl+Esc.
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If you want to keep files-or even folders full of files-hidden from prying eyes, just right-click on each file and select Hidden in the Attributes box at the bottom of the Properties dialog. To see the files you've hidden, double-click on My Computer, select Options from the View menu, click on the View tab and select Show All Files.
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UNDOCUMENTED TIP Here's how to disable "password caching" (the ability of the browser to remember the passwords of specific web sites) in Internet Explorer. Open the Registry Editor and drill down to the key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings, right-click on the white space in the left pane and select New/DWORD Value. Give the new value the name DisablePasswordCaching, and set the value to 0x00000001.
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SECRET SHORTCUT
To find out the exact version of Internet Explorer you're running, open the registry and drill down to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer and look in the right pane next to the key "Version."
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Here's a great way to get at your most important documents fast: Move them into your C:\WINDOWS\START MENU folder. If you have dozens or even hundreds of documents, keep them in separate subfolders to categorize them. Bes t of all, the menu changes as the folder's contents change.
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SHIFT-Y RIGHT-MOUSE SELECTIONS

Can't seem to get used to that right mouse button? You could always avoid it altogether, but then you won't have access to all those handy, right-mouse-related Windows commands. Instead, try the right-mouse keyboard equivalents.

With any item selected--file, folder, shortcut, whatever--press Shift-F10 to display that item's context menu. It's exactly the same as right-clicking the item. From there, use your up or down arrow keys to highlight the command you're after, then press Enter to 'click' the selected command. Sorry right mouse--you've been replaced.
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CUT YOUR DOUBLE-CLICKS IN HALF

Do you frequently access files on floppy disks? Tired of all the double-clicking you have to do to get to them--double-click My Computer, then double-click your floppy drive? You can cut these double-clicks in half by placing a floppy drive icon right on your desktop.

Open My Computer, click and drag your floppy drive icon onto the desktop, and click Yes to confirm that you want to create a shortcut. Rename it (with the shortcut selected, press F2, type a new name, and press Enter), and from now on, you can access the contents of a floppy disk by simply double-clicking this icon.
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Here's the fastest way to temporarily disable your screen saver (if you're defragmenting a drive or doing something similar). Click on the Start button and bring up the Start menu. When the menu is up, your screen saver won't launch.
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ACCESSING ACCESSIBILITY

Did you know there's a wizard that will help you decide which Accessibility options are right for you? Probably not, because it isn't part of the default installation. In case you aren't familiar with Accessibility options, they're a group of settings that make Windows 98 easier to use. While these settings were designed for people with disabilities, such as sight or hearing impairments, they can be useful to everyone.

In today's tip, we'll show you how to install this wizard. Then, over the next three tips, we'll show you how to use the wizard and the newest Accessibility option, Microsoft Magnifier.

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.

Itching to see what that wizard has to say? More in our next tip....

ACCESSIBILITY WIZARDRY

In our last tip, we showed you how to install the Accessibility options new to Windows 98--the Accessibility Wizard and Microsoft Magnifier: Open the Control Panel, select Add/Remove Programs, click the Windows Setup tab, select Accessibility, click Details, select Accessibility Tools, click OK twice, insert the installation CD, and click OK. Now, we show you what the Accessibility Wizard can do for you--in a nutshell it determines 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), then in the Set Wizard Options box, select each of the four statements that applies to you. Click Next, and the wizard will now 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 of keyboard combinations one at a time. Continue pressing Next until all questions are answered, and at the end of the wizard, click Finish. The wizard will now apply the appropriate settings as necessary.
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COME A LITTLE CLOSER--PART 1 OF 2

In a previous tip, we showed you how to install the Accessibility options new to Windows 98--the Accessibility Wizard and Microsoft Magnifier: Open the Control Panel, select Add/Remove Programs, click the Windows Setup tab, select Accessibility, click Details, select Accessibility Tools, click OK twice, insert the installation CD, and click OK. Now we zoom in on Microsoft Magnifier, a tool you can use to enlarge any area of the screen--just like a real magnifying glass!

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 (2 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 further in our next tip), click OK to send the Magnifier dialog box to the Taskbar.

When you're finished using the Magnifier, maximize its Options window, then click Exit. (Alternatively, right-click its Taskbar item and select Close.)

(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.)

COME A LITTLE CLOSER--PART 2 OF 2

A few tips ago, we showed you how to install the Accessibility options new to Windows 98--the Accessibility Wizard and Microsoft Magnifier: Open the Control Panel, select Add/Remove Programs, click the Windows Setup tab, select Accessibility, click Details, select Accessibility Tools, click OK twice, insert the installation CD, and click OK. Then, 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 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 it changes to a double-pointed arrow, click and drag up or down to adjust its size. To move this bar to another area of the screen, click and drag it to any location on screen (as a floating window) or to any of the screen's four edges. Similar to the Taskbar, the bar will snap into place along any edge.

All of the remaining Magnifier options can be changed from inside the Magnifier dialog box. Restore this window, if it isn'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're finished selecting options, click OK to minimize the Magnifier dialog box. (Remember, don't click Exit unless you want to turn it off altogether.)
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EVENT-UALLY, YOU'LL HAVE SOUND--PART 1 OF 2

You probably already know how to associate a sound on your system with an event in the Sounds Properties dialog box: Open the Control Panel, double-click Sounds, select an event in the Events list, and select a sound under Name. But did you also know that if an event with which you'd like to associate a sound is not listed there, you can STILL associate a sound with it? Just add this event to the list by editing the Registry. (Note: As always, back 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\AppEvents\Schemes\Apps. There, you'll see a list of applications with events in the Sounds Properties dialog box. (In case you're wondering, .Default is Windows.)

First, create a new key for the application whose events you'd like to add to the Sounds dialog box. Right-click the Apps key, select New, Key, type the name of the program's *.exe file without the extension or path (for example, 'winword' for Microsoft Word) and press Enter. In the right pane, right-click (Default), select Modify, and in the Edit String dialog box, on the Value data line, type the application name, such as Microsoft Word. Click OK.

Repeat these steps for more applications, if desired, and in our next tip, we'll show you how to add the actual events....

EVENT-UALLY, YOU'LL HAVE SOUND--PART 2 OF 2

In our last tip, we showed you the first part to making new application events appear in the Sounds dialog box. Inside the Registry Editor, navigate your way to KEY_CURRENT_USER\AppEvents\Schemes\Apps. For each application for which you'd like to add events, right-click the Apps key, select New, Key, type the name of a program's *.exe file without the extension or path and press Enter. Right-click (Default), select Modify, type the application name, and click OK.

Now, under each new application key, create a key for each event (related to that application, of course) with which you'd like to associate sounds. Right-click the application key, select New, Key, type a legitimate event name, and press Enter. (To view a list of these names, double-click the .Default key under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\AppEvents\Schemes\Apps.) Repeat these steps for each of that application's events you'd like to see in the Events list, then follow these same steps to add events for other applications.

When you're finished, close the Registry Editor. The next time you open the Sounds Properties dialog box, you'll see your new application and events in the Events list. You can now associate these sounds with events just as you would any other: Select an event, then select a sound under Name. (Note: If the sound you want to use isn't in the list, click Browse, navigate your way to that file, select it, and click OK.) Click OK to close the Sounds Properties dialog box and enjoy your very event-ful Windows system!
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DO YOU REALLY NEED TO FATTEN UP?

Does your hard drive still use the FAT16 file system? (If you aren't sure, keep reading.) 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.

To determine exactly how much space you'll regain upon conversion, run the FAT32 Conversion Utility, available on the Windows 98 installation CD.

With the installation CD in your CD-ROM drive, click Browse This CD, then navigate your way to the tools\reskit\config folder. Double-click 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 go ahead with the conversion....

HOW FAT IS FAT?

In our last tip, we suggested that if your hard drive still uses the FAT16 file system, you should consider converting the drive 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 (we can't imagine they wouldn't, since you'll be gaining more hard disk space), here's how to go ahead with the operation.

First of all, you'll need to find a time when you won't be using your system for while--say, three hours. Then close any open programs and select Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Drive Converter (FAT32). Click the Details button, read all the pertinent dos 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 appear to help with the operation); otherwise click Next. One last Next, and the converter is off and running! Now the question is, what are you going to do with all that extra space?
 

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SHOW FILE ATTRIBUTES IN DETAIL VIEW

Want to see file attributes right next to each file, as you could back in the days of Windows 3.x? You can, as long as you have the window in which you're viewing the files set to Detail view.

Open any Explorer window and select View, Folder Options. Click the View tab, and in the list under Advanced Settings, select Show File Attributes In Detail View. Click OK.

The next time you open a folder in Detail view, you'll see a brand new Attributes column on the far right. (You may need to widen the window to see it.) What's more, if you're viewing the folder as a Web page (select View, As Web Page), you'll see the attributes for any selected file on the left side of the window.

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TURN OFF SCHEDULED TASKS

Don't want the Task Scheduler running in the background all the time (and taking up valuable Taskbar space)? Simple--turn it off.

Select Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Scheduled Tasks to open the Task Scheduler. Now select Advanced, Stop Using Task Scheduler. The program's icon will disappear from the tray of your Taskbar, and the scheduler will no longer start when you start Windows 98.

(To turn Scheduled Tasks back on, follow the steps above, but select Advanced, Start Using Task Scheduler.)

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If you export a Registry key to disk or create a special RegEdit script, double-clicking the file automatically merges its content with the Registry. You can prevent inadvertent merging of REG files by changing the default action to display a REG file in Notepad. Select View/Options/Filetypes (Folder Options in Win98). Then select Registration Entries from the Registered Filetype list and click Edit. Choose Edit and Set Default. When you do want to merge a file into the Registry, right-click it and select Merge from the popup menu.

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You'll increase your chances of getting out of virtually any computer problem if you follow this rule of thumb: Never install a program unless you own it, and have the executable setup file and installation CD or installation floppy disk handy. The same rule goes for programs you download from the Internet: Always save the installer files. Create a folder called C:\Setup, C:\Downloads or C:\Installers and store the setup files in subfolders named for each program and version number. Even better, store them on a second hard drive or partition. You should also copy the Favorite shortcut to the program's Web site to the program's folder. If there's a program serial number or license file, store that too. If you ever have to reinstall your applications, you'll be prepared.

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A MISSING SEND TO COMMAND

J. Parker writes, "When I use Find to locate files, and then right-click a selection of files in the Find window, the Send To command is missing. How do I return this command to the menu?"

You can't. According to Microsoft, this problem exists if you attempt to access the Send To command with multiple files selected (in a Find window). The only workaround is to right-click one file at a time and select Send To.

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Here's a great way to get at your most important documents fast: Move them into your C:\WINDOWS\START MENU folder. If you have dozens or even hundreds of documents, keep them in separate subfolders to categorize them. Best of all, the menu changes as the folder's contents change.

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Right-click on the My Computer icon and select Properties from the context menu. Click on the Device Manager tab, then the Print button. Select the "All Devices and System Summary" radio button, then click on OK. This will give you more information about your hardware, IRQs, ports, memory usage, devices and drivers than you ever wanted to know. Keep this printout handy for future reference.

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If you accidentally delete the Show Desktop shortcut from the taskbar's Quick Launch toolbar, you can restore it by going to C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Microsoft \Internet Explorer\Quick Launch. Create a new text file with the following contents:

[Shell]
Command=
IconFile=explorer.exe,3
[Taskbar]
Command=ToggleDesktop

Save the file as SHOWDESKTOP.SCF. This will restore the shortcut.

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TRY, TRY AGAIN

Sometimes when you click a link, a page won't open. Among other reasons, it may be Net congestion or an overtaxed Web server. You may be able to get around the problem by right-clicking the link and choosing Open In New Window. Or click the Esc key and reenter the address. Good luck!

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If You Forget Your Win9X Password, just press Escape at the password box, bring up the MS-DOS Prompt and enter dir *.PWL
at the WINDOWS folder to find your .PWL files. Delete the one with your name in front of it. Restart your system and enter a
new password when prompted.

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SWITCHING BETWEEN SINGLE-CLICK AND DOUBLE-CLICK ICONS

Do you prefer to activate your icons using a single click, as with a Web page link, or a double-click, like in the old days? Regardless of your preference, Windows 98 makes it easy to switch back and forth.

Open any Explorer window and select View, Folder Options. Select Web Style if you prefer the single-click approach. Or, to stick with the classic double-click, choose Classic Style. Click OK, and Windows applies your choice.

There are other settings that go along with the Web Style or Classic Style desktop. For example, choosing Web Style places an underline below each icon title. In our next tip, we'll show you how to mix and match settings from these desktop styles.

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It's hard to find an icon on a Desktop that's cluttered with dozens of them. Here's a quick way to locate the one you're looking for-all you need to know is the name under the icon. Click anywhere on the Windows desktop and press the first letter of the icon's label. Windows will highlight the first icon it comes to beginning with the letter-if that's not the one you're looking for, keep pressing the letter and watch the highlight as it cycles through the matching icons.

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The Recycle Bin lets you view items you've tossed in the same way as an ordinary Windows folder. If you're looking for something in the Recycle Bin, select Details from the View menu and click on the bar of your choice (Name, Original Location, Date Deleted, Type or Size) to sort by that category.

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ADJUSTING ICON SPACING

Not happy with the spacing between your desktop icons--in other words, do you wish there were more (or fewer) icons in a row? Then change your icon spacing.

Right-click the desktop and select Properties. In the Display Properties dialog box, click the Appearance tab, then click the down arrow under Item and select Icon Spacing (Vertical). Click the up or down arrow next to Size to change the current spacing, then click Apply to see your change on the desktop.

If the icons look too far apart, decrease the Size setting, then click Apply again. Or, if the icons are so close together that they're overlapping, increase the Size setting. (We were able to fit nine desktop icons in each row by changing the vertical spacing to 30.)

Follow the same steps if you want to adjust the horizontal icon spacing (also in the Item list). Then, to save these changes as part of a color scheme, click Save As, name the scheme (or type the name of the current scheme), and click OK. Otherwise, simply click OK to close the Display Properties dialog box.

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COMBINE SETTINGS FROM WEB STYLE AND CLASSIC STYLE DESKTOPS

In our last tip, we showed you an easy way to switch between single-click and double-click icons: Open an Explorer window; select View, Folder Options; and select Web Style (for single-click icons) or Classic Style. We also mentioned that there are other settings that go along with the Web Style or Classic Style desktop. Want to mix and match settings from the two styles? Select the third option under Windows Desktop Update--Custom, Based On The Settings You Choose--then click the Settings button.

In the resulting Custom Settings dialog box, choose your settings. For example, if you've selected the Web Style desktop, but don't want all your icon titles underlined, select Underline Titles Only When I Point At Them. Select other settings, if desired, click OK, then click Close.

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MULTICOLOR TITLE BARS

Want to see a neat trick? Right-click the desktop, select Properties, and in the Display Properties dialog box, click the Appearance tab. In the dropdown list under Item, select Active Title Bar. To the right of that option, you'll see two settings, Color and Color 2. Use them to select two colors (or change only one color), and check out the title bars in the preview area! They fade from one color to the other. Pretty slick. When you find a color combo you like, click OK to keep the change. (Note: You can also select two colors for the Inactive Title Bar component.)

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PRINT DIRECTORY LISTING USING SHAREWARE

We can't tell you how many requests we receive for a way to print a directory listing (a printout of all, or some portion of, the files and folders on your system). There are a number of ways to go about it, but since you're already online, by far the easiest route is a shareware program.

One you may want to try is Directory Printer ($24), available for download from Glenn Alcott Software:

http://www.galcott.com/dp.htm

Don't want to deal with shareware? In the next few tips, we'll show you how to print directory listings using DOS commands.

DOS COMMAND TO SEND DIRECTORY LISTING TO *.TXT FILE

But if you don't want to bother with shareware, you can use DOS commands to create a text (TXT) file, then print it from your application of choice.

Suppose you want to print a directory listing for drive C. First, create a text file, such as C:\My Documents\DirListing.txt, from this listing. Select Start, Programs, MS-DOS Prompt, and type the following command line:

dir C:\ /S > C:\MYDOCU~1\DirListing.txt

(Note: The /S switch searches all folders and subfolders. Also, since the Windows name of the My Documents directory exceeds the DOS eight-character limit, we used the directory's DOS name, "MYDOCU~1.")

Now print the listing. Close the MS-DOS Prompt window and use your word processor to open the TXT file you just created. (Don't use Notepad--it can't handle large files.) Print the file as you would any other document. The nice part is, you have access to all of that program's commands, such as page breaks.

DOS COMMAND TO SEND DIRECTORY LISTING TO PRINTER

Would you rather send that information directly to the printer (for example, if you don't need any word processing commands)? If so, you can forget the TXT file.

Simply exit to a DOS prompt, type

dir C:\ /S > prn

and press Enter. (Note: The /S switch searches all folders and subfolders.)

SWITCHES FOR PRINTING DIRECTORY LISTINGS FROM DOS

Now let's look at a couple of switches to customize these listings. To print a listing of all the directories and subdirectories on a drive, but not the files inside them, use the /AD switch:

dir C:\ /AD/S > prn

To print a detailed listing (for example, including long filenames) of all the files in a folder, not including the folder's subdirectories, use the /V switch:

dir C:\{path to directory} /V > prn

To add subdirectories and their files to the above detailed listing, add the /S switch:

dir C:\{path to directory} /V/S > prn

Finally, to send the information to a TXT file instead of directly to the printer, just substitute the "prn" in any of the above commands with the path and name of a TXT file.

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TURNING OFF MENU AND WINDOW ANIMATION

Try this: Right-click the desktop or select a minimized Taskbar item (to restore it). In Windows 98, menus and windows don't just appear, they ROLL onto the screen.

If you're like us, you find these special effects dizzying after a while. To turn them off, right-click the desktop, select Properties, and click the Effects tab. Deselect Animate Windows, Menus And Lists, then click Apply or OK.

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When you "add a folder" to your Start menu by dragging and dropping it onto the Start button, you're really just adding a shortcut to the folder. It's usually better to put the actual folder there instead of a shortcut. The Start menu is just a special folder in the Windows folder called, unsurprisingly, "Start Menu." If you put folders that contain your documents into this folder, you gain three advantages. First, what you see on the Start menu is always correct; delete a folder, for example, and it disappears from the Start menu as well, while a shortcut would remain. Second, actual folders appear on the Start menu as cascading menu items, whereas shortcuts to folders just open the folder on your Desktop when selected. And finally, the Start menu is always available, even if your Desktop is packed with clutter.

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CHANGING SHORTCUT ICONS

Not happy with the icons Windows 98 has chosen for your favorite shortcuts (any icon with a little arrow in the lower-left corner)? Then change them.

Right-click the shortcut you want to change and select Properties. Click the Shortcut tab, then click the Change Icon button. In the Change Icon dialog box, select a new icon and click OK. (If you don't see one you like, click the Browse button, select another icon file--for example, Windows\System\Shell32.dll or Windows\System\Pifmgr.dll--and click Open to display its contents in the Change Icon dialog box.) Click OK one more time to apply the selection to the shortcut.

Many of you have asked how to change the look of folder icons, but unfortunately, it can't be done--not without shareware, that is. One program you may want to try is AiryFolders, available for download from AirySoft at

http://airysoft.hypermart.net/AiryFolders.html

Once you've installed the program, right-click a folder you want to change and select Properties. Select the New Icon tab, choose Closed or Open, and click the Change Icon button. From here, the technique is identical to the one for changing a shortcut icon: Select a new icon and click OK twice (or click Browse, select another icon file, click Open, and so on).

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The Windows Explorer normally opens to your C: drive, but you can make it launch with the contents of any folder you want. Go to your Windows Explorer shortcut, right-click and select Properties. Open the Shortcut tab. Edit the entry in the Target field to read

explorer.exe /n , /e , (drive:\path\folder) ,

where (drive:\path\folder) is whichever folder you want to first see when Explorer launches.

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MINIMIZE WINDOW USING KEYBOARD

Have you ever clicked the "X" caption button by mistake, when you intended to minimize a window but not to close it? Talk about frustrating! If you tend to be a little click happy, stick with the keyboard: Press Alt-Spacebar, then press N to send the active window to the Taskbar.

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If you want to print a Web page the way it looks on your screen-with background color-you can enable background printing in Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator. In IE , select Tools/Internet Options/Advanced. Scroll down to Printing and check the "Print background colors and images" box. Click on OK. In Navigator, select File/Page Setup, check Print Background under Page Options and click on OK. Remember: Printing the background will slow your print job and might obscure the text if you use a monochrome printer.

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In Control Panel/System/Performance, select File System and the CD-ROM tab. Move the Supplemental Cache Size slider to the right to allocate more RAM for caching data from the CD-ROM drive, or to the left to allocate less. Multimedia programs perform better with a smaller cache because they seldom reuse data. For reading continuous data, such as AVI files, use a higher setting for Optimize Access Pattern. For reading random data, increase the Supplemental Cache Size and decrease the Optimize Access Pattern.

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STOP STARTUP PROGRAMS

Is there a program that starts whenever Windows starts--one that drives you crazy because you don't need it, but can't figure out how to turn it off? The Windows 98 System Configuration Utility allows you to turn off any auto-start program with the click of a check box.

Select Start, Run, type

msconfig

and click OK. In the resulting System Configuration Utility dialog box, click the Startup tab to display a list of all programs that start whenever Windows 98 starts. Deselect the pesky one (making certain you know which one it is), then click OK. The next time you start Windows, that program is nowhere in sight.

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Here's a secret tip for creating 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.

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CHANGING DESKTOP ICONS

Shortcut icons aren't the only icons you can change. You can also change the icons for specific desktop items--namely, My Computer, My Documents, Network Neighborhood, and the Recycle Bin (full or empty)--from the Display Properties dialog box.

Right-click the desktop and select Properties. Click the Effects tab, select the icon you'd like to change, and click the Change Icon button. Select a new icon, click OK, then repeat these steps for each icon you want to change. When you're done, click OK to apply the changes to your desktop.

Note: If you don't see an icon you like in the Change Icon dialog box--for example, you won't see any choices for My Documents--click the Browse button, navigate your way to another icon file (such as Windows\System\Shell32.dll or Windows\System\Pifmgr.dll), select an icon, click Open, then click OK.

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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.

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MAKE EXPLORER SHORTCUT FOCUS ON MY COMPUTER

Want to create an Explorer shortcut that gives you the same result as right-clicking My Computer and selecting Explore? (We can't tell you how many requests we get for this tip.)

First, create an Explorer shortcut in your location of choice. For example, to create one on the desktop, right-click Start, select Open, then double-click Programs. Inside the Programs folder, right-click and drag the Windows Explorer item out to the desktop, release the mouse button, and select Create Shortcut(s) Here.

Right-click the Explorer shortcut, select Properties, and click the Shortcut tab. Replace the text on the Target line with exactly:

C:\Windows\Explorer.exe /n,/e,/root,,/select,C:\

Click OK, and from now on, double-clicking that shortcut is the same as right-clicking My Computer and selecting Explore.

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DELETING ICON FROM QUICK LAUNCH TOOLBAR

Don't have a use for one of the icons on your Quick Launch toolbar? Then ditch the icon. (If you aren't familiar with the Quick Launch toolbar, it's the set of icons just to the right of your Start button.) Right-click any Quick Launch icon--for example, the View Channels icon--select Delete, and if necessary, click Yes to confirm. Buh-bye.

(Tip-in-a-tip: To ditch the entire Quick Launch toolbar, right-click a blank area of the Taskbar, select Toolbars, and deselect Quick Launch. To get the toolbar back, follow the same steps, but select Quick Launch.)

ADDING SHORTCUTS TO QUICK LAUNCH TOOLBAR

You can also do the opposite, adding 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-click and drag this item to the desired location on the Quick Launch toolbar (to the left or right of an existing icon). When you see a black line indicating where the icon will end up, let it go at its new location and select Create Shortcut(s) Here.

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TAKE OUT THE CACHE

Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 helps you browse more quickly by storing recent versions of Web pages you've already opened. The problem is, the cache eats up valuable hard drive space. If you don't mind a slight delay when you're browsing and want to recover more space, tell MSIE 5 to empty the cache each time you close the browser. Select Tools, Internet Options, and click the Advanced tab. Under Security, check Empty Temporary Internet Files Folder When Browser Is Closed. Click the OK button to save your changes.

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Create a shortcut to a printer by opening the Printers folder (Settings/Control Panel/Printers) and dragging a printer icon to the Desktop. You can then drag documents onto the shortcut and print instantly. You can also put a printer shortcut in your Send To folder so printing is always a right-click away.

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Control Panel is one of the more frequently used folders in Windows, but it's not always easy to access. You can, however, make the Control Panel applets available directly from the Start menu. First, right-click on the Start button and choose Open. Then, right-click on the background area in the Start menu folder and choose New/Folder. Rename the folder with this string:

Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}

(Windows 95 users can copy and paste this filename from the TIPS.TXT file found in the Windows folder.) Press Enter. This will place Control Panel directly on the Start menu, with the applets appearing on a cascading menu that opens when you move the cursor over Control Panel. For frequently used Control Panel applets, make shortcuts to the applets and add them to the Start menu or the desktop.

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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.

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Prepare for possible PC catastrophes by regularly copying the following files to a second hard drive, removable hard disk or diskette-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 and WIN.INI, as well as the SYSTEM.DAT and USER.DAT Registry files (SYSTEM.DAT probably won't fit on a floppy disk).

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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.

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ELIMINATING THE RECYCLE BIN CONFIRMATION

The Recycle Bin provides a nice safeguard against accidental file deletions, but having to confirm your deletions might be a bit too cautious and could slow down your work. And really, how often does the warning message actually prompt you to do anything about what's in your Recycle Bin anyway? So, if you want to save yourself a little time, turn off the Recycle Bin Confirmation box by right-clicking on the Recycle Bin and choosing Properties. Click the Global tab and uncheck the box labeled Display Delete Confirmation Dialog Box.

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Some applications add themselves to the Context menu's cascading New menu that appears when you right-click on the Desktop or within a folder. You may find that even after you've deleted a particular application, it stays on the New menu. If you want to remove it, launch My Computer, select Options from the View menu and click on the File Types tab. Find the offending application on the list, select it and click on the Remove button. Click on Yes when it asks for confirmation.

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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.

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TURNING OFF YOUR CD-ROM'S AUTORUN

If you're tired of CDs starting up automatically every time you insert them into your PC's CD-ROM drive, there's an easy way to turn off this feature. Go to Start, Settings, Control Panel and open the System icon. Click the Device Manager tab and click the View Devices By Type radio button. Click the plus sign next to the CD-ROM drive, right-click your CD-ROM device, choose the Properties button, and then the Settings tab. Uncheck the Auto Insert Notification box and click OK twice. Your CDs will now load as usual, but your drive won't launch them without your say-so.

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Sometimes simple tricks are the most useful. If you want to search for a file and you know roughly where it is, just right-click on the folder it's in and select Find from the Context menu. Find will search the folder and all the subfolders within, based on the search criteria you specify.

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CHANGING THE DRIVE FOR VIRTUAL MEMORY

If you have more than one hard drive on your computer, you probably want Windows 98 to use the faster drive for its virtual memory capabilities. Having a faster drive for virtual memory can speed performance by decreasing the time needed to access temporarily stored information.

To change this setting, go to Start, Settings, Control Panel, System. Click the Performance tab and then the Virtual Memory button. Check the Let Me Specify My Own Virtual Memory Settings and choose the new drive from the Hard Disk pull-down menu. When you finish, click OK.

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System Monitor (C:\WINDOWS\SYSMON.EXE) lets you track an array of performance measures for your system and network. You can save the results to a text log.

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CREATING A STARTUP FLOPPY DISK

Having a startup disk around when you're having system trouble makes the first step of fixing your problem (that of getting your computer going so you can run diagnostics) so much easier. If you've been putting off making a startup floppy, there's no time like the present. Insert a disk into the floppy drive and go to Start, Settings, Control Panel. Choose Add/Remove programs, click the Startup Disk tab, select Create Disk, and simply follow the instructions. When you finish, put your startup disk in a safe place and hope that you never have to use it.

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OPENING THE START MENU FROM THE KEYBOARD

As a rule, operating your computer from the keyboard is faster than working with a mouse, so any time you can execute a task using the keyboard only, you're saving yourself a little time. Remember that your Start menu is available to you at any time, no matter what program you're using. You simply press the Windows key to access Start menu functions. Then use the up and down arrows and the Enter key to launch programs, open the Control Panel folder, or anything else you want to do from the Start menu.

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If you have loaded the files from your Windows CD locally or on the network, use this setting to stop the prompt which asks you to put in your Windows CD when loading new options.  This setting will redirect the system to look in the directory where the files are loaded instead of automatically looking to the CD-ROM drive. To set this option, go to:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup

Edit/create the value "SourcePath" (String Value) and set the value equal to the path where the Windows files are stored.

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USING PHONE DIALER

As long as your PC is connected to a telephone line via an internal modem, you can use Windows 98 to dial all your telephone numbers for you, meaning you'll never need to remember another telephone number again. The program you'll need to work this magic is a Microsoft accessory known as Phone Dialer, and you can find it by choosing Start, Programs, Accessories, Communications, Phone Dialer.

Using Phone Dialer, you can save your eight most frequently called numbers by clicking one of the Speed Dial buttons and entering a name and telephone number. Better yet, you can use Phone Dialer to keep a log of all outgoing telephone calls made with the program. To log calls, go to Tools, Show Log to display the Call Log window. Choose Log, Options and check the Incoming Calls check box. Phone Dialer will keep track of who you called and when.