Potpourris: miscellaneous tips #4

Potpourris: Miscellaneous Tips #5

Ok, I get all these tips in the mail see. But I'm too lazy to organize them, so here they come just as posted. Note: I haven't tried them all.

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OPEN FILE IN APPLICATION OF CHOICE

If you've spent a lot of time using Windows 95, you know that double-clicking a file of a particular type (with a certain extension) opens that file in a particular application. For example, double-clicking a text file opens that file in Notepad. But what you may not know is that you can open a file in any application you want--without first opening that application.

Click once on the file you want to open to select it, then hold down the Shift key as you right-click that file. In the resulting menu, you'll see a brand new menu command, Open With. (Now why couldn't Microsoft have placed that command in the regular right-mouse menu?) Select this new command, and up pops the Open With dialog box. Select the application you'd like to use to open the file and click OK.

(Tip-in-a-tip: Make sure the option Always Use This Program To Open This Type Of File is NOT selected before clicking OK. Otherwise, you'll change that file association permanently. Just the opposite, if you would like to change an association--for example, you'd like to open all *.txt files with WordPad--follow the steps above, selecting WordPad in the Open With dialog box; but before clicking OK, select Always Use This Program To Open This Type Of File.)

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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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COLLAPSE FULLY EXPANDED EXPLORER FOLDER

In our last tip, we showed you how to expand every branch of a double-paned Explorer window: Select the folder, then press the asterisk key on your numeric keypad. When you're finished, and you'd like all those folders to fall in again, your first instinct might be to click the minus sign next to the top folder. Doing so will seem to collapse the branch, but the next time you click that plus sign, it will appear fully expanded again. To put all those branches back where they belong, permanently, click the minus sign next to the top branch, then press F5.

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SHOWING HIDDEN FILES

When you view a folder's contents in an Explorer window, do you want to be sure that you're seeing EVERYTHING inside? Open any Explorer window, select View, Folder Options and click the View tab. Under Advanced Settings, select Show All Files (under Hidden Files), if it isn't already selected, then click OK. The next time you open any folder window, Windows will reveal all.

(Note: Typically, "hidden" files are so important that the developers opted to keep them out of reach. In other words, don't mess with a hidden file unless you really know what you're doing.)

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KEEP YOUR HARDWARE WORKING WHEN YOU UPGRADE YOUR OS--PART 1 OF 5

Now that Windows 2000 is in beta, let's review ways that will help you keep all your hardware devices running while you're upgrading something as significant as an operating system. No matter how good a job Microsoft does with compatibility testing, there will still be compatibility issues that may surface during your upgrade process. Over the next few days, I'll mention some ways to protect your hardware investment.

First, if you haven't already done so, create a complete list of all your hardware devices (hard drives, video cards, sound cards, modems, CD-ROM drives, printers, and other internal devices and peripherals), complete with model numbers and current driver software names. This list will help you check for potential compatibility problems--based on the compatibility testing that others have done--before you actually perform your upgrade.

KEEP YOUR HARDWARE WORKING WHEN YOU UPGRADE YOUR OS--PART 2 OF 5

Carefully pore over any Readme files and other documentation for the operating system that you plan to upgrade to. Look for known hardware compatibility problems. You'll likely find a rather long list of known conflicts, and some of these will also reference workaround solutions. Printed manuals may contain such information, but the installation CD's Readme file will probably offer the very latest hardware-related news. Match this list against the hardware your PC contains (using the list you created as a result of our previous tip).

What should you do if you find a match (and a hardware compatibility problem)? First, check the severity of the conflict. Sometimes it's just a minor issue and the hardware and operating system can both still co-exist and function. If it's something more serious, check with the manufacturer of your specific hardware device. The manufacturer will probably already be aware of the problem and be working on a solution.

KEEP YOUR HARDWARE WORKING WHEN YOU UPGRADE YOUR OS--PART 3 OF 5

Software drivers are the number-one way in which manufacturers solve conflicts with operating systems and other software. Browse your hardware manufacturer's Web site and check for updated drivers for your devices. Before you download new drivers, double-check that you're choosing the drivers that are targeted for your specific model of hardware device AND that the drivers are meant for the operating system that you plan to upgrade to. You'll only introduce additional problems if you install the wrong drivers on your PC.

KEEP YOUR HARDWARE WORKING WHEN YOU UPGRADE YOUR OS--PART 4 OF 5

Back up! Back up! Back up! Make a full-scale, full-system backup before you upgrade your operating system. And finally create that emergency start-up disk that you've been meaning to make for the last 12 months. You may need both of these items in a dire recovery mode.

You might even want to practice restoring a few files from the backup medium to your hard drive. Many people make backups but don't even know how to use them. You don't want this operating system upgrade process to be your first dive into the deep waters of backup/recovery.

KEEP YOUR HARDWARE WORKING WHEN YOU UPGRADE YOUR OS--PART 5 OF 5

Plan your operating system upgrade for a noncritical day. If you do stumble across a hardware conflict that you weren't warned about, you may need much longer than the typical 30 or so minutes of installation time. And have all relevant technical support numbers close at hand.
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HIDE OR MOVE WORDPAD TOOLBARS

Are WordPad's toolbars getting in your way? (For a simple word processor, this thing sure has a lot of commands and buttons taking up valuable workspace.) You can hide or move them at will.

To hide a toolbar completely, pull down the View menu and select (or deselect, really) Toolbar, Format Bar, Ruler or Status Bar. (A check mark means the bar is showing on screen.) Repeat these steps to display the bar again.

If you want access to your toolbars, but need as much vertical workspace as possible, try changing the Toolbar or the Format Bar into a floating palette. Then, you can position it anywhere you want. Click a blank area around the edge of the Toolbar of the Format Bar, then drag it to any location on screen--even outside the WordPad window. To return the bar to its original location, drag the palette back to the toolbar area, and when the dotted outline changes to a solid line, let go.

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BRIEFCASE HELPS WITH DATA FILE BACKUPS

Reader J. Emler writes:

"I don't think Windows Briefcase gets the attention it deserves, so I would like to share my use for it. I have a CD rewriter that I use to back up data files. I use Briefcase to make sure the files are kept up to date.

"Every directory that I want to back up to CD has a duplicate copy in a briefcase on a rewritable CD (that I leave in the drive). I have shortcuts to each briefcase in a desktop folder. At the end of the day, I open the folder and double-click each shortcut. The corresponding briefcase opens up and tells me if it needs updating. Very handy! I never have to worry about whether or not I remembered to back up a data file."

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SCSI hardware such as scanners and tape backup devices often require you to reboot your system before using them. But sometimes you can force Win9x to recognize such devices right after you plug them in. Right-click on My Computer and choose Properties. Click on the Device Manager tab, make sure the Computer entry is highlighted and click on the Refresh button. The device should appear under its appropriate heading in Device Manager.

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PLAYING SOUND WHEN CAPS LOCK/NUM LOCK KEYS ARE PRESSED

Do you want your Caps Lock and Num Lock keys to play a sound when you press them, so you don't suddenly find yourself typING IN ALL CAPS or typing numbers instead of paging up and down? Then call upon ToggleKeys.

Open the Control Panel and double-click Accessibility Options. On the Keyboard tab, select Use ToggleKeys, then click OK. From now on, pressing Caps Lock or Num Lock (or Scroll Lock) plays one of two sounds (depending on whether you're turning the button on or off).

(Note: If you don't see Accessibility Options in your Control Panel, you need to install it using your Windows 98 installation disk. Inside the Control Panel, double-click Add/Remove Programs. Click the Windows Setup tab and, under Components, select Accessibility. Click the Details button, select Accessibility Tools, click OK twice, and so on.)

In our next tip, we'll tell you about a keyboard shortcut for turning ToggleKeys on and off.

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Add a folder to the Start menu that holds all the documents you use frequently. Right-click on the Start button and choose Open. Then right-click on the folder background, choose New/Folder and give the new folder a name, like Hot Docs. For permanent documents in other folders, drag and drop shortcuts into the new folder. Or just copy or create new documents right in the Hot Docs folder. Either way, all you'll have to do is click on Start and open the Hot Docs folder to access your most important files.

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CASCADE CONTROL PANEL

This is also very easy to set up. Leave this newsletter on screen to save time.

1.Highlight the whole line below (but not the trailing blank space) and then press Ctrl+C to copy it.

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

2.Right-click the Start button and choose Open.

3.Right-click anywhere on the background area in the START MENU folder and choose New/Folder. Highlight the New Folder label, and press Ctrl+V to paste the long name you copied.

4.Press Enter. Open the Start menu to see the new cascading Control Panel. Another great way to access frequently used Control Panels is to just make shortcuts of individual applets on Start, your Desktop or wherever you need them.

An interesting side note: Windows 95 users can copy and paste the special Control Panel filename from the TIPS.TXT file found in their WINDOWS folders. Microsoft removed this tip from the Windows 98 TIPS.TXT file for unknown reasons. I've never, ever heard of this one causing a problem. It works on Win95, Win98 and SE, NT4 and Win2000.

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One view for all your folders

With Windows 98 it's a breeze to set global view options for all open folders because you can do so from any open folder window. Just open a folder window and select the viewing options that you want to apply to all folders. Then, select Folder Options from the View menu and click the View tab. In the Folder Views panel click the Like Current Folder button, click Yes to confirm, and then click OK to close the Folder Options dialog box. You'll see the changes the next time you open a new folder window.

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KEYBOARD SHORTCUT FOR TOGGLEKEYS

In our last tip, we showed you how to turn on ToggleKeys, so that you'll hear a tone whenever you press the Caps Lock or Num Lock key: Open the Control Panel, double-click Accessibility Options and, on the Keyboard tab, select Use ToggleKeys.

Want to be able to turn ToggleKeys on and off from your keyboard? After following the steps above, click the Settings button next to the Use ToggleKeys setting. Select Use Shortcut and click OK twice. The next time you want to silence ToggleKeys--for example, if the person working next to you needs a little peace and quiet--hold down the Num Lock key for five seconds. You'll hear a tone to indicate ToggleKeys has been turned off. To turn this feature back on, hold down Num Lock for five seconds, then click OK to close the ToggleKeys dialog box.

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TWO ICONS YOUR DESKTOP SHOULDN'T BE WITHOUT

When working in Windows 95, there's nothing more frustrating than having to go through more steps than necessary to get to what you need. So we recommend placing shortcuts to the items you use all the time--the Control Panel and your Floppy Drive--right on the desktop.

Open My Computer and, one at a time, click and drag the Control Panel and Floppy Drive icons to the desktop, release the mouse button, and click Yes to confirm that you want to create a shortcut. Close the My Computer window.

>From now on, accessing the Control Panel or your floppy drive is a one-step operation. Just a simple double-click (or click, depending on your Active Desktop settings), and you're there.

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SAME PRINTER, TWO SETS OF PROPERTIES

If you frequently print documents using different printer settings, such as black and white drafts versus color documents, you're probably getting tired of changing these settings each time you print. You can avoid this busywork by tricking Windows into thinking you have two different printers. "Install" the same printer twice, then set the Properties for each to match your most commonly used settings. From then on, the only setting change you'll have to make is selecting the printer you want to use.

To "install" your printer again, select Start, Settings, Printers and click Add Printer. Follow along with the installation instructions and, when asked, opt to keep the existing driver. Also, be sure to give this "second" printer an appropriate name, such as Color Docs.

When the installation is complete, you'll see two different printer icons in the Printers window. To adjust their Properties, one at a time, right-click an icon, select Properties, then make the changes you'd like. The next time you want to print a document, use the native application's Print command, select a printer in the resulting dialog box, and click OK.

(Tip-in-a-tip: You may also wish to place shortcuts to these printers on your desktop. Then, you can drag and drop the document you want to print on your printer of choice.)

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Getting Rid of Those Tool Tips

1.Start the Registry Editor
2.Go to HKEY_USERS \ .DEFAULT \ Control Panel \ Desktop
3.Double-click UserPreferencemask, and change the Value date from BE 00
00 00 to 3E 00 00 00
4.Close the registry editor and restart Windows

This setting can also be changed with TweakUI (you can find it on your CD-ROM in
the \tools\reskit\powertoy folder).
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MAKING A WINDOWS 98 STARTUP DISK

When you installed Windows 98, you were given the option to create a Startup Disk. In haste (or if you didn't happen to have a blank floppy handy), you may have opted not to create this disk, with the assumption that you would do so later. Well, later is here. If you don't have a Startup Disk, make one now. This disk is a big help if you ever have trouble starting Windows 98. It boots your system and also provides some utilities that you can use to diagnose the problem.

With a blank, formatted disk in hand, open the Control Panel and double-click Add/Remove Programs. Select the Startup Disk tab, click the Create Disk button, and follow along as Windows 98 walks you through the disk creation process. When it finishes, label the disk and store it in a safe place. You never know when you may need it.

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MAKING YOUR OWN WINDOWS KEY

In our last tip, we listed the keyboard shortcuts for the Windows key. Don't have one? Before you run out and buy a new keyboard, try making your own Windows key by using the Keyboard Remap Kernel Toy.

Point your Web browser to

http://www.pcworld.com/fileworld/file_description/0,1458,746,00.html

and download krnltoys.exe. Double-click this file to extract its contents, then right-click the Keyremap.inf file and select Install.

Open the Control Panel, double-click Keyboard, and select the new Remap tab. Under Right-hand Side, select a key to use for your Windows key--such as Right Alt--on the left; and on the right, select Windows. Click OK, and the key you specified will now act like a real, live Windows key!

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REMOVING ICONS FROM YOUR DESKTOP

Want to remove all icons from your desktop in order to display that photo you just scanned and turned into desktop wallpaper? Assuming you're viewing the desktop as a Web page--by right-clicking the desktop, selecting Active Desktop, then choosing View As Web Page--you can wipe the desktop clean with one quick setting change.

Right-click the desktop and select Properties to open the Display Properties dialog box. Click the Effects tab, select Hide Icons When Desktop Is Viewed As A Web Page, then click OK. Back on your desktop, there's not an icon in sight.

(Note: Before selecting this option, you'll probably want to place shortcuts to the desktop items you use in a convenient location, such as the Quick Launch toolbar or the Start menu. Also, to get your icons back, simply deselect the Hide Icons... option.)

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THE SHOW DESKTOP ICON GOES BOTH WAYS

If you have Internet Explorer 4 or higher installed on your system, then you have the Quick Launch toolbar next to your Start button (unless you've removed it). This bar of icons includes the Show Desktop icon, which, when clicked, minimizes all windows to display your desktop.

Great, everyone knows that, right? But what you may not know is that after clicking this icon once to display your desktop, clicking it AGAIN restores all windows to their original position (before clicking the button). Who knew?

(Note: If you do anything on the desktop before clicking the icon again--for example, if you open and close a window--you may have to click the icon twice to restore your windows.)

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STOPPING 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 (such as AOL Instant Messenger)? 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. Then 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 one that's been bugging you (making certain you know which one it is), then click OK. The next time you start Windows, that program is nowhere to be found.

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If you frequently hit the Caps Lock key by accident, open Control Panel's Accessibility Options applet and put a check in the Use ToggleKeys box on the Keyboard tab. Then select the General tab and clear the check box next to "Turn off accessibility features." From now on your computer will beep if you press the Caps Lock, Num Lock or Scroll Lock keys.

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Cascading Control Panel

1. Leave this newsletter on screen to save time. Highlight the whole line below and press Ctrl+C to copy it.

History.{FF393560-C2A7-11CF-BFF4-444553540000}

2. Right-click the Start button and choose Open. (Or, if Open is grayed out, use Explorer to open the C:\WINDOWS\START MENU folder.)

3. Right-click anywhere on the Start Menu folder's background area and choose New/Folder. Highlight the New Folder label, and press Ctrl+V to paste the special folder name you copied. (If you get an error message, you're probably reading this in Outlook Express. Here's how to work around it. Paste the special folder name into the New Folder label again, then before you press Enter, hit the Backspace button twice to delete the two trailing blank spaces Outlook Express adds. Thanks to reader Pete Rogers for helping me solve this problem.)

4. Press Enter. Open the Start menu to see the new cascading History folder.

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INSTALLING AND USING DESKTOP THEMES

Want to spice up your desktop a bit? And not with a different color background or wallpaper. We're talking things like bugs for pointers and jungle sounds. If so, try one of Windows 98's desktop themes. Each offers a unique collection of pointers, sounds, wallpaper, fonts, colors, and so on to make your Windows experience a whole bunch more fun.

Of course, before you can use desktop themes, you need to install them. Open the Control Panel and double-click Add/Remove Programs. Click the Windows Setup tab, select Desktop Themes in the Components list, then click Details. Select the boxes next to the themes you'd like to install, click OK twice, then insert the installation CD when asked.

When the installation is complete, try out a theme. Again, open the Control Panel, but this time, double-click Desktop Themes. Click the down arrow next to Theme, select a theme, and wait as Windows 98 displays its preview. Click OK to apply the theme to your desktop.

Do you like everything about a theme but its pointers? In our next tip, we'll show you how to choose which desktop theme components you want to use.

SELECTING DESKTOP THEME COMPONENTS

In our last tip, we showed you how to apply a Windows 98 desktop theme to your desktop: Open the Control Panel, double-click Desktop Themes, select a theme in the Theme list, wait for Windows 98 to display the preview, then click OK.

(Note: To install Desktop Themes, open the Control Panel, double-click Add/Remove Programs, click the Windows Setup tab, select Desktop Themes in the Components list, click Details, select the themes you want to install, click OK twice, and insert the Windows 98 installation disk when asked.)

Do you like everything about a theme but its pointers? Wish you could use the pointers and icons from a theme, but not the wallpaper? The Desktop Themes dialog box makes it easy to choose the components of a theme you'd like to use.

Follow the instructions above for selecting a theme, but don't click OK yet. See the list of components under Settings? Select or deselect these items to match your preferences. When you're finished, click OK, and only the selected components will be applied to your desktop.

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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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You can disable Windows' log-on password. Open the Passwords in Control Panel and click on the Change Windows Password button. Type your old password in the Old Password field. Then tab to the New Password and Confirm Password fields in turn, and press only Enter in each one.

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Has a folder or program window mysteriously moved off your screen? It can happen for several reasons-the most common is that you've recently changed your video resolution. Right-click on the taskbar, select either the Cascade Windows or Tile Windows (Horizontally or Vertically) option, and the window will magically appear (you may need to resize your windows).

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DELETING UNWANTED DESKTOP THEMES

In a previous tip, we showed you how to apply a Windows 98 desktop theme to your desktop (assuming you've already installed Desktop Themes from the installation CD): Open the Control Panel, double-click Desktop Themes, select a theme in the Theme list, wait for Windows 98 to display the preview, then click OK. We also suggested that you try downloading themes from one of the following sites (use an unzipping utility, such as WinZip, to extract the resulting .zip file's contents to the C:\Program Files\Plus!\Themes folder):

http://www.pcworld.com/r/tw/1%2C2061%2Ctw-win980818%2C00.html

http://www.rad.kumc.edu/win95/themes.htm

http://www.winfiles.com/apps/98/shelldesk.html

Suppose you don't like one of the themes you just installed (or one of the Windows 98 themes). Themes take up a lot of disk space--not to mention space in the Theme list--so there's no point in keeping the unwanted ones around. Inside the Desktop Themes dialog box, select any theme you want to get rid of (in the dropdown Theme list), then click the Delete button. Click Yes to confirm, and it's a goner.

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TURNING OFF PART OF A SOUND SCHEME

Open the Control Panel, double-click Sounds, select a scheme in the Schemes list, then click OK. Is there a sound (or two) in a scheme that you could do without? Or an action with which you don't want a sound associated? For example, you might not want to hear a sound every time you minimize a window. Either way, feel free to choose which sounds get to stick around and which don't.

Open the Control Panel and double-click Sounds. In the list of Events, scroll down and select the action with which the undesirable sound is associated, such as Minimize. Below this list, under Name, select None (at the top of the list). Click Yes to confirm, then repeat these steps for other events, if necessary.

To save these changes as part of the current sound scheme, click Save As, type the name of the scheme, then click OK twice. Otherwise, simply click OK.

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Ever encounter an application that designates itself as the default program for a file extension previously owned by another program? The quickest way to get out of this jam under Win9x is to find an example of an incorrectly associated file. Click on the file once to select it, then hold down the Shift key while you right-click on it. Choose Open With. Select the correct program, check the "Always use this program to open this type of file" box and click on OK. Or, if you don't find the program, click on the Other button and navigate to the correct program on your drive.

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Want to hide some of the items in your Start menu from someone else who is using your system? Just mark the top-secret items hidden. As long as your system is set to hide "hidden" files, those items stay out of sight.

Right-click the Start button, select Open, and navigate to an item you want to "remove" from your Start menu. Right-click the item, select Properties, and in the resulting Properties dialog box, select Hidden. Click OK, then repeat these steps for each item you'd like to hide. Restart Windows 95, click Start, and the hidden items are nowhere in sight.

(Note: If the items still appear in the Start menu, in any Explorer window, select View, Options, and on the View tab, select Hide Files Of These Types. If you have Internet Explorer 4 or higher installed, select View, Folder Options, and on the View tab, select Do Not Show Hidden Files.)

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INSTALL 3D PINBALL (FROM PLUS! FOR WINDOWS 95)

Although we've run this tip before, we continue to receive e-mail from people wondering how (or if) you can use 3D Pinball on a Windows 98 system. The answer is yes, provided you follow this exact technique:

First, copy the pinball.inf file from the Windows 98 installation CD to any location on your hard drive, such as the desktop. (Pop the CD in your CD-ROM drive, assumed to be D; click Browse This CD; and you'll find this file inside the tools\mtsutil folder.) Replace the Windows 98 CD with the Plus! for Windows 95 CD, then click Cancel (to close the dialog box stating that Plus! cannot be removed). Right-click pinball.inf (on your hard drive), select Install, and you're done. You can now play the game by selecting Start, Programs, Accessories, Games, Space Cadet Table.

INSTALL 3D PINBALL (FROM PLUS! FOR WINDOWS 95)

In our last tip, we showed you how to install 3D Pinball on a Windows 98 system using the Plus! for Windows 95 CD: Copy pinball.inf from the Windows 98 installation CD's tools\mtsutil folder to any location on your hard drive, replace the Windows 98 CD with the Plus! for Windows 95 CD, then right-click pinball.inf and select Install.

The above technique assumes you're installing the game from drive D. If you're not (because you're using floppy disks or your CD-ROM drive is another letter, such as G), you'll need to make one quick change before you can install the program.

Follow the steps above, but don't right-click pinball.inf and select Install just yet. Instead, right-click this file, select Properties, deselect Read-only, and click OK. Open pinball.inf using Notepad, and under [Version], in this line:

layoutfile = d:\pluslayt.inf

replace the letter D with the location of the Plus! files--for example, A for a floppy drive or G for a CD-ROM drive. Save your changes and close Notepad. Right-click pinball.inf, select Properties, select Read-only, and click OK.

NOW right-click pinball.inf and select Install. When you see a dialog box stating the font.dat file can't be found, type your CD-ROM or floppy drive letter, then click OK.

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If your Control Panel is cluttered with icons you don't need, clean it up. In the C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory, you'll find a corresponding CPL file for each Control Panel item. Move the ones you don't want to a safe place on your hard disk. When you open Control Panel, those icons won't appear.

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PLUS! 98: DESKTOP THEMES

Over the next month, you'll find Microsoft Plus! 98 tips scattered throughout the Windows 98 tips of the day. Similar to Plus! for Windows 95 (but even better), this Windows 98 companion includes a number of bells and whistles--desktop themes, games, utilities, and so on--not included in Windows 98. For those of you who don't own Plus! 98, these tips will serve as a sneak preview, especially if you're on the fence as to whether this add-on is worth the 33 bucks or not. (Our opinion is yes, or we wouldn't be giving it so much ink.) And if you already have Plus! 98--well then, these tips will show you how to make the most of this feature-packed enhancement.

Upon installing Plus! 98, one of the first things you should check out are the new desktop themes that have been added to your system. Open the Control Panel, double-click Desktop Themes, and scroll through the Themes list to see the new additions: Architecture, Cathy, Cityscape, Corbis Photography, Doonesbury, Falling Leaves, Fashion, Foxtrot, Garfield, Geometry, Horror Channel, Jazz, Peanuts, Photodisc, Rock-n-Roll, Science Fiction, Space, Windows 98, Windows 98 Default, World Traveler--whew! Select any one to see its preview, then click OK to apply it to your desktop.

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Presumably, you've got your favorite applications on the Start menu, so they're just two clicks away. Here's how to make them only one click away: Right-click on the Start button and select Open from the Context menu. Select all the shortcuts you want, and drag and drop all of them onto the Links toolbar.

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You may already know how to change colors in Windows: by right-clicking on the desktop, selecting Properties, clicking on the Appearance tab and either selecting one of the existing themes or modifying the elements by clicking on them in the example window and changing the colors below. But you should also note that if you select yo ur own colors, you can click the Save As button and name your own custom theme. You can save as many custom themes as you like.

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PLUS! 98: DELUXE CD PLAYER

If you frequently listen to audio CDs on your system, you're going to love Microsoft Plus! 98's Deluxe CD Player. Pop a music CD in your CD-ROM drive, and this utility appears on screen. In the New Album Found In Drive X (where X is your CD-ROM drive) dialog box, you'll see two download options--one to download information for that album, and one to download information for any new album. Take your pick, click OK, and Windows will attempt to connect you to the Internet (if you aren't already). Once the connection is made, watch the Deluxe CD Player, and like magic, artist and title and track information appear (if available)! A lot easier than typing it all in yourself, eh?

(Over the next month, you'll find Microsoft Plus! 98 tips scattered throughout the Windows 98 tips of the day. Similar to Plus! for Windows 95, but even better, this Windows 98 companion includes a number of bells and whistles--desktop themes, games, utilities, and so on--not included in Windows 98. For those of you who don't own Plus! 98, these tips will serve as a sneak preview, especially if you're on the fence as to whether this add-on is worth the 33 bucks or not. Our opinion is yes, or we wouldn't be giving it so much ink. And if you already have Plus! 98--well then, these tips will show you how to make the most of this feature-packed enhancement.)

PLUS! 98: DELUXE CD PLAYER OPTIONS

In our last tip, we introduced the Deluxe CD Player, a utility for people who like to play audio CDs on their system. Pop a music CD in your CD-ROM drive, click OK to download information for that album, wait as Windows establishes an Internet connection, if necessary, then watch as artist and title and track information appear (if available).

There are a couple of options you should know about for keeping those CD controls close at hand. On the Deluxe CD Player, click Options, then select Preferences. Select Show Control On Taskbar and click OK. >From now on, you have access to the Deluxe CD Player's controls right from the Taskbar. (Right-click the icon, select an option, and so on.) Feel free to close the main player window. Your CD will keep on playing.

If you prefer to keep the Deluxe CD Player's window open all the time, select Options, Tiny View, and it won't hog so much screen space. You may also wish to keep its window on top of all others on your desktop, so it doesn't get lost. Select Options, Preferences; choose Always Make Player Topmost Window On Desktop; then click OK.

Stay tuned--we'll cover this utility in more detail in future tips!

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It's easy to miss Win95's pointer schemes. But if you want bigger pointers and cursors, here's the easiest way to get them. Just double-click on the Mouse item in the Control Panel, click on the Pointers tab, then click on the drop-down Scheme menu. Choose from 3-D, Animated Hourglasses, Large and Extra Large pointer schemes.

Windows 98 Startup Disk Has Real-Mode CD-Rom Drivers

Windows 9x doesn't make it easy to change the look of Desktop folders, but here's a simple solution: Instead of right-clicking on the Desktop and selecting New/Folder, create the new folder somewhere else (My Documents, for example), then right-click on the folder, drag and drop it to your Desktop, and choose Create Shortcut(s) Here from the Context menu that appears. You can now customize the shortcut's look by right-clicking on it, choosing Properties, selecting the Shortcut tab and clicking on the Change Icon button. Win98 adds an icon palette for added customization options.

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How do I find out what kind of hardware is in my PC?

-- Right-click My Computer.
-- Select Properties.
-- Click on the Device Manager tab.

This will tell you what kind of hardware you've got on your computer.

At the bottom of the Device Manager tab, hit the Print button and you'll get the full report on paper -- about 20 pages. It will tell
you everything about your hardware, configuration, operating system, used IRQs, etc. It's very valuable information, and Leo suggests that you do this and print new ones as you update your system.

For more great desktop PC tips, don't miss this Help Channel collection.
http://cgi.zdnet.com/slink?8102:3258496

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TURN OFF MENU AND WINDOW ANIMATION

In Windows 98, menus and windows don't just appear, they ROLL onto the screen. (To quickly see what we mean, right-click the desktop or select a minimized Taskbar item to restore it. Fancy, eh?) If you're like us, you find these special effects fun the first time around, but only dizzying after that. 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 install Windows 9x, it asks for your name. From that point on, the computer recognizes the entered name as the official registered owner. Here's how to change it: Launch the Registry Editor (regedit). Drill down to and click on HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version. In the right pane, find the RegisteredOwner entry and double-click on it. In the Value Data box of the Edit String dialog that pops up, change the name to whatever you wish and click on the OK button. To change the company name, repeat the procedure for the RegisteredOrganization entry.

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SHOW WINDOW CONTENTS WHILE DRAGGING

In a recent tip, we showed you how to turn off the somewhat dizzying menu and window animation that's built into Windows 98: Right-click the desktop, select Properties, click the Effects tab, deselect Animate Windows, Menus And Lists, then click OK.

One effect we don't recommend turning off is the Show Window Contents While Dragging option (also on the Effects tab), which displays your entire window as you drag it across the screen. With this option turned off, clicking and dragging a window displays only an outline of the window in motion--the actual window stays in place until you release the mouse button. Ick.

(Note: If your system is lacking in graphics capabilities, and you find that turning off this option enhances performance, by all means turn it off.)

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Use this setting to hide the Find command on the Start Menu.
(Note that this will not disable a user from pressing F3 to get to the Find dialog box.)

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
Policies\Explorer

Edit/create the value NoFind (DWORD value) and set the value to 1 to hide the Find command, or 0 to display the Find command.

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Renaming files fast

As you know, you can rename any file in Windows 98 by single-clicking the filename twice-once to select the file and once to open the rename text box. Then, you can simply type the new filename over the old one. However, accessing the rename text box with two single-clicks can be extremely frustrating since you inevitably end up double-clicking the file instead. Fortunately, we've discovered an alternate method. Simply select the file with a single click and then press [F2]. When you do, the rename text box opens.

If you're using the Active Desktop's single-click mode this technique works slightly differently. For example, you can right-click the item and select Rename from the context menu. You can select the item by hovering over it and then press [F2]. You can also select the item, pull down the File menu, and select the Rename command. For more information on activating and using single-click mode see the articles "Getting a grasp on the Active Desktop" and "Using the single-click mode" in the October 1998 issue of Inside Microsoft Windows 98.

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FOR MAXIMUM PROGRAM PERFORMANCE, DEFRAGMENT

Want to make sure that when you select a program in your Start menu, that application starts as fast as possible? Be sure to defragment your hard drive on a regular basis--say, once a month--using the Disk Defragmenter. The version of this utility that comes with Windows 98 will rearrange your program files for optimum performance.

Select Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Defragmenter, and select the drive you want to defragment. Now click the Settings button and select Rearrange Program Files So My Programs Start Faster, if it isn't already selected. Click OK twice, and let the defragmenting begin!

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REMOVE DIAL-UP ICON

You know that little icon that appears in your Taskbar tray every time you establish a dial-up connection? It doesn't have to be there. If you'd prefer to reserve that space for other, more useful icons, feel free to ditch it.

Select Start, Programs, Accessories, Communication, Dial-Up Networking, and in the Dial-Up Networking window, select Connections, Settings. Deselect Show An Icon On Taskbar After Connected and click OK. The next time you go online, that icon is nowhere in sight.

(Note: You can always check the status of the connection from inside the Dial-Up Networking window. Simply right-click your connection and select Status.)

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To find out what type of graphics card you have, right-click on My Computer, select Properties, click on the Device Manager tab and double-click on Display Adapters. The card and vendor will be listed. To check the driver, double-click on the card name and choose the Driver tab. In Win98, open the Components section of the System Information utility (Start/Programs/Accessories/System Tools/System Information).

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This option allows you to hide the Screen Saver tab under Control Panel > Display. By hiding this tab, you can prevent users from activating screen savers or setting screen saver passwords. To set this option, go to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ Policies\System

Edit/create the value "NoDispScrSavPage" (DWORD Value) and set the value to "1" (without quotes) to hide the Screen Saver tab, or "0" to re-enable the Screen Saver tab.

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RESTORING GRAYED-OUT TOOLBAR COMMANDS

"How can I get my 'lost' Quick Launch toolbar back? It vanished, and when I go to add a new one, the option is grayed out. Actually, adding ANY new toolbar is impossible; they are all grayed out."

The commands that appear when you right-click the taskbar and select Toolbars may appear grayed out if you have disabled Internet Explorer using Tweak UI. To regain access to these commands, you'll need to re-enable Internet Explorer.

Open the Control Panel (click the Start menu, then choose Settings...), double-click Tweak UI, and click the IE4 tab. Click the box next to IE4 Enabled to select this option, then click OK. Restart Windows, and your toolbar commands should be back in business.

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REMOVE UNWANTED COMMAND FROM CONTEXT MENU

Reader R. Butler asks, "How do you remove an entry that shows up in the pop-up menu when you right-click on the Start button? A program I had downloaded and then deleted left a Change Icon entry there."

>From inside any Windows Explorer window, select View, Folder Options, then click the File Types tab. Scroll down the list of Registered file types and select Folder. Click the Edit button, and you should see the unwanted action in the white Actions box. Select it, click the Remove button, then click Yes to confirm. Click OK twice to close the remaining dialog boxes. Right-click the Start button (or any other folder or folder shortcut), and that command is nowhere in sight.

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