Thinking of
converting your hard disk over to Windows 98's FAT32? If so, you're probably wondering how
much hard disk space you'll gain by doing so. Fortunately you can find out by downloading
and installing a special utility called FAT32 Conversion Information. To download the
utility, point your browser to Microsoft's Web site at
www.microsoft.com/windows/downloads/contents/admintools/win98fat32
When you run
the utility on a Windows 98 system, it scans your data and file structure and displays an
estimate of how much extra hard disk space you'll gain. If you're not satisfied with the
gain, you can exit the utility. However, if you're satisfied with the results, you can
easily launch Windows 98's Drive Converter Wizard and convert your hard disk to FAT32.
Did
you know that the Windows 98 CD-ROM contains a program you can run to quickly create a
Boot Disk that's capable of creating and reading FAT32 partitions? The program is called
Fat32ebd.exe and it's located in the Tools\Mtsutil\Fat32ebd folder on the CD-ROM. Just
place a disk in the floppy drive and double-click the Fat32ebd.exe file. Then follow the
on-screen instructions to create the bootable disk. When finished, it is recommended that
you write-protect the disk to protect it from viruses.
If you
used the Microsoft Fax feature of Windows 95's mail program, Microsoft Exchange or Windows
Messaging, you were probably surprised to learn that Microsoft Fax doesn't appear in
Windows 98's mail program--Outlook Express. However, you'll be glad to know that if you
want to be able to use Microsoft Fax in Windows 98, it's available on the Windows 98 CD.
To use it you must locate the \tools\oldwin95\message\us folder on the Windows 98 CD.
Then, double-click on Wms.exe to install Windows Messaging. Once you've installed Windows
Messaging, double-click on Awfax.exe to add Microsoft Fax to Windows Messaging.
If
you're on a network that's patched directly into the Internet, you probably keep Internet
Explorer minimized on your Taskbar all day long so that you can quickly and easily access
the Web when you need something.
However, the
whole time that Internet Explorer is running in the background, it's using valuable system
resources that could be put to better use enhancing the performance of other tasks, such
as calculating spreadsheet formulas in Excel. A better solution to this Internet need is
to create an Address toolbar, by right-clicking on the taskbar and selecting
Toolbars/Address from the context menu. Then, move the Address toolbar to the top of your
desktop and configure it to use the Auto Hide and Always on Top features. Now, when you
need something on the Internet, just move your cursor to the top of the screen and type in
the address and Internet Explorer will launch.
Have
you ever been working in Windows Explorer and realized that the task you're performing
could be done more easily in a My Computer style folder window? If so, chances are that
you've closed Windows Explorer and then launched My Computer. However, why go to all that
work when you can easily transform Windows Explorer into My Computer? It's easy to do!
Just click the close button in the top right corner of the All Folders pane. You can then
reverse the transformation by pulling down the View menu, opening the Explorer Bar submenu
and selecting the All Folders option.
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As you
know, when you pull down the View menu in either Windows Explorer or My Computer, you can
choose any one of four default view options for displaying your files (Large Icons, Small
Icons, List, Details). However, there is fifth view option in Windows 98 called Thumbnail
view. As its name implies, this view will provide you with a miniature representation of
each document in a particular folder. Before we show you how to enable the Thumbnail view,
we should warn you that not all file formats are supported and that this view format is
best suited for use on folders that contain graphic image files. Furthermore, you must
enable the Thumbnail view on a folder by folder basis.
To do
so, locate a folder in Windows Explorer or My Computer and right-click on it and select
the Properties command. When you see the Properties sheet for the folder, select the
Enable Thumbnail View check box. Now, open that folder using either My Computer or Windows
Explorer and pull down the View menu. When you do, you'll see Thumbnails listed on the
View menu. Once you select the option, you'll see thumbnail views of all the files in that
folder.
Have
you visited the Windows Update site yet this month? If not, you should do so. It's a good
idea to visit the Windows Update site regularly in order to keep your Windows 98 system
running in tip-top shape. Simply click the Windows Update link at the bottom of the
Settings menu. For more detailed information on Windows Update, stay tuned for the article
"Keep Windows 98 in shape with Windows Update" coming in the December 1998 issue
of the Inside Microsoft Windows 98 journal.
If
under View>Options "Browse Folders Using a Single Window for Each Folder" is
selected, you can open an additional window for each folder you select by holding Ctrl
while you select it.
To
rename any file in Windows 98, single-click the filename twice-once to select the file and
once to open the rename text box. Type the new filename over the old one. However,
accessing the rename text box with two single-clicks can be extremely frustrating since it
can be easily translated as a double-click instead. To avoid this, select the file with a
single click and then press [F2]. The rename text box should then open.
For
people using the Active Desktop's single-click mode this technique works slightly
differently. Instead, for example, right-click the item and select Rename from the context
menu. Select the item by hovering over it and then press [F2]. Select the item, pull down
the File menu, and select the Rename command.
Have
you ever wondered how many minutes a MID or WAV file will play? Fortunately, you can find
out easily. To do so, just right-click on the file and select Properties from the shortcut
menu. Once the file's properties sheet appears, click the Details tab and check out the
Media Length field. You can then click Preview tab and listen to the sound clip.
Launch
Solitaire and start playing. When you uncover the ace of hearts, move it to the table as
you normally would. Hold the ALT key down, and tap once on the ace. If you want to quit
this easter egg, press ESC and then click "No" to resume your Solitaire game.
(If anyone gets this to work let me
know)
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If you
want to quickly and easily search the Internet, you can open the Find menu and select the
On the Internet command. When you do, you immediately connect to Microsoft's Search the
Web site. Once you connect to this site, you can easily conduct your search by selecting
from five main search engines and dozens of specialized search sites.
Do you
have one or two people that you find yourself constantly sending email to, perhaps a
friend or a colleague? If so, you can now save yourself some time by creating a desktop
shortcut that will open your email client with a preadressed message. Creating the
shortcut is simple. Just right-click on a clear area of your dekstop and select New and
then Shortcut from the shortcut menu. In the Command Line text box type mailto: and then
the email address of your coworker, leaving no spaces. Click the Next button and type a
name in the Select A Name For The Shortcut text box. Click Finish and a new shortcut will
appear on your desktop.
Double-click
on the icon and your email client, such as Outlook Express, will open with your coworker's
address in the To: text box. Now, you can create and send your message as you normally
would.
If
yours is a job where time is valuable and every second counts, then waiting for Windows 98
to boot must seem like an eternity. Fortunately, you can trim a few seconds off the boot
process by configuring the file system to bypass the floppy disk check on start up. To do
this, right-click on My Computer and select Properties from the shortcut menu. Next,
select the Performance tab and then click the File System button. When the File System
Properties dialog box appears, select the Floppy Disk tab and deselect the Search For New
Floppy Disk Drives Each Time Your Computer Starts check box. Click OK to close the File
System Properties dialog box and then click OK once more to close the System Properties
dialog box. Restart your computer to see the difference.
Recently,
we sent out a tip regarding speeding up the Windows 98 boot process by turning off the
Search For New Floppy Disk Drives Each Time Your Computer Starts setting. We received many
reader emails expressing concerns that following this tip would remove the ability to boot
with a Windows 98 Startup Disk--an obvious setback. However, our Windows 98 experts found
that this is not the case. When you turn off the setting.
Windows 98
will start faster simply because the floppy driver uses the previous settings for drive
information rather than checking for new drives every time Windows starts. Therefore,
unless the settings for your floppy disk drive have changed, you'll have no problems
booting to a Windows 98 Startup Disk. If you're still unsure--take it for a test run!
Right-click
on My Computer, select Properties from the shortcut menu, and then click the Performance
tab. On the Performance sheet click the File System button and then the Floppy Disk tab.
Deselect the Search For New Floppy Disk Drives Each Time Your Computer Starts check box.
Click OK twice and then restart your computer with a Windows 98 Startup Disk in the disk
drive.
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If you
use Windows 95/98 Find tool to search for files, you'll love to know that you can easily
access the folder containing the file. Once you track down and select the file that you
were looking for, pull down the file menu and select the Open Containing Folder command.
When you do, Windows 95/98 will open a new My Computer window showing the folder that
contains the file.
If
you're like most people in today's Internet-centric world, you probably keep your Internet
browser running in the background on your work PC all day long. That way it's ready and
waiting when you want to quickly access your favorite Web site. Unfortunately, your
browser is also sucking up valuable system resources and slowing down the other
applications that you need to perform your daily tasks. So, rather than bog down your
system by having your browser running when you're not using it, why not create an Address
toolbar that you can place anywhere on your desktop? Doing so is easy: just right-click on
your taskbar and select Toolbars|Address from the shortcut menu. The Address toolbar
instantly appears on your taskbar, but you can move it to any place on your desktop by
clicking and dragging it. If you want the Address toolbar to always be in view,
right-click on it and select Always On Top from the shortcut menu.
For
those of you who like to dabble with individual device managers and hardware profiles and
have a keyboard with the Win key on it, here is a badly documented shortcut to the System
Properties dialog box. Just hold down the Win key and press Pause/Break. This is much
faster than going to My Computer, Control Panel, System, etc.
You
can easily change the icons of the four main items on your desktop. To do so, access the
Display Properties dialog box by right clicking on the desktop and selecting the
Properties command from the shortcut menu.
When the
Display Properties dialog box appears, click the Effects tab. You can then select an icon
in the Desktop icons box and click the Change Icon button. When you do, the Change Icon
dialog box will appear and you can simply select an alternative icon and click OK.
To add
an icon to the Start Menu in Windows 95, 98, or NT, simply click and drag any object from
the desktop and drop it on the Start button.
Sometimes
when you change screen resolutions in Windows 98, your application icons on the taskbar
can get scrambled. When this happens, place your mouse pointer on the vertical bar just to
the right on the Start button and, when your cursor turns into a double-headed arrow,
right-click. When the shortcut menu appears, select the Refresh command. Your application
icons on the taskbar will then return to normal.
When you
hover your mouse pointer over the icons on the Quick Launch Toolbar, you see the names
assigned to the items as pop up tool tips. If you've added items to the Quick Launch
Toolbar using drag-and-drop, the tool tip box will say Shortcut to [item]. You can remove
the words "Shortcut to" and replace them with "Launch" or simply
delete them altogether. When you do, the tool tip is cleaner and takes up less space.
To make this
change, launch Windows Explorer or My Computer and access the
c:\windows\application\microsoft\internet explorer\quick launch folder. You can then
easily rename the shortcuts.
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If
you're using Internet Explorer 4.0's Links toolbar to provide quick access to your most
often accessed Web sites, you know that each link shows the same icon. Fortunately, you
can spice up your Links toolbar by assigning custom icons to each item. To do so, simply
right-click on the existing icon and select Properties from the shortcut menu. Then, click
the Change Icon button and use the Browse button to locate a file that contains the icon
you want and double-click on it.
If
you've configured Internet Explorer 4.0 to display the Links toolbar (View/Toolbars/Links)
you know that it provides you with quick access to several of Microsoft's Web sites.
However, did you know that you could easily add links to your own favorite Web sites to
the Links toolbar? Doing so is easy and you can either delete the existing links or simply
add your links to the Links toolbar. When you're connected to your favorite site, simply
drag the Web site's URL from the Address box and drop it on the Links toolbar. You can
also pull down the Favorites menu and drag various Internet shortcuts to the Links
toolbar.
As you
know, the taskbar is always visible at the bottom of the screen. This makes it very easy
for you to switch between active applications. However, you might not want to sacrifice a
portion of your screen for the taskbar. To configure the taskbar so it's visible on the
desktop only when you need it, click the Start button and select the Taskbar command from
the Settings menu. When the Taskbar Properties sheet appears, select the Auto Hide check
box on the Taskbar Options page. Next, click the OK button to close the Taskbar Properties
sheet and to activate the new setting. This "sends" the taskbar below the bottom
edge of the screen. To access the taskbar when the Auto Hide option is activated, simply
move your cursor to the edge of the screen. When your cursor gets close to the edge, the
taskbar jumps back into position; when you move your cursor away from the taskbar, Windows
95 automatically hides it again.
Note: If you
have Microsoft Plus! 98 installed and activate the Auto Hide option, the taskbar moves up
and down more gracefully.
Have
you ever wondered what's happening behind the scenes while you're looking at the Windows
95 startup logo? If you have, you can easily find out by pressing the [Esc] button when
the logo appears. In doing so, you'll see the Windows 95 boot process being narrated by a
lot of rapidly scrolling text. If you want to really take it all in, you can temporarily
stop the boot process by pressing the [Pause] key on your keyboard. Then, just press any
key on your keyboard to get things rolling again.
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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One of
Windows 98's handiest utilities is the Disk Cleanup tool, which is designed to help you
free up hard disk space. While Disk Cleanup automatically starts when the available free
space falls below a 3% threshold, you can run it at any time. To do so click
Start/Programs/Accessories/System Tools/Disk Cleanup. When Disk Cleanup launches you'll
see a Files To Remove list box that contains four check-boxes: Temporary Internet Files, Downloaded Program
Files, Recycle Bin, and Temporary files. (You may find other check boxes on your
particular system.) Simply select the check boxes you want and click OK.
If you
click the More Options tab, you'll see two more choices--
Windows
setup and Installed program --that allow you to easily remove unneeded Windows components
or application programs.
As you
may know, Windows 98 comes with a handy Registry maintenance tool called the Registry
Checker. Each time you start your system, the Registry Checker automatically creates a
backup of the Registry in the \Windows\Sysbckup folder. If you investigate that folder,
you'll discover that Registry Checker actually keeps five backup copies of the Registry in
compressed format as Rb001.cab, Rb002.cab, and so on.
You
can manually back up the Registry anytime you want. To do so, load the System Information
utility (Start/Programs/Accessories/ SystemTools), pull down the Tools menu, and select
Registry Checker.
As soon as
you do, the Registry Checker will scan your Registry for errors and then prompt you to
make a backup. Click Yes to replace the oldest backup file with the new one.
If you
ever find that you need to restore from a Registry backup, reboot your system to an MS-DOS
prompt and then type Scanreg on the command line. Now, just follow the onscreen
instructions to view your backed-up Registry files and restore the most recent one.
It is
well known that ZIP and video (.AVI) files take up loads of hard disk space, so they're a
good place to start when trying to create more free space. You should know another
culprit--bitmaps (.BMP). If you do a lot of Paint-ing--for example, you draw your own
wallpaper--you need to be especially careful. It's easy to save four or five different
versions of the same picture and then forget about them. Search your system for extraneous
bitmaps and delete them, or at least save them in a more efficient format, such as *.GIF
or *.JPG.
Do you
have files on your hard disk that you don't want anyone to access? If so, then you need to
download a copy of Enigma for Windows 98 from Cyptosoft. This awesome utility, which
received a 5-star rating from ZDNet, will allow you to encrypt, decrypt, as well as
completely wipe files and folders from your hard disk. Using various encryption engines
such as DES and Blowfish, this amazing utility will also work with ZIP files--allowing you
to create self-extracting encrypted zip files. Enigma for Windows 98 is easy to use and is
well suited for all computer users' security needs.
Enigma
for Windows 98 is shareware, which means that it's free to try, but costs $69 if you
decide to keep it. You can download Enigma for Windows 98 from the ZDNet Software Library
at http://www.hotfiles.com
When you
arrive, type the word "Enigma" in the Search text box and click the button.
Create
a shortcut to your printer by clicking on your Start menu, then Settings, then Control
Panel, then Printers, and dragging a printer icon to the Desktop. You can now drag
documents to the printer icon and print them instantly.
When
you have a difficult Windows 98 problem to solve, you should spend some time investigating
the newsgroups on Microsoft's free public news server. As you may know, one of the most
valuable resources available to you is the knowledge and experience of your peers. What
better way is there to learn than by observing the successes and mistakes of others?
Newsgroups
are a collection of ongoing discussions that cover a particular topic and are a free
service available to anyone who has access to a news server. They're great forums for
sharing your knowledge and experience with others, as well as seeing what others have to
say. When using a newsgroup, you can either post a message in response to an ongoing
conversation thread, or pose your own question that relates to the newsgroup topic.
To
access the Microsoft public news server, configure Outlook Express, or whatever news
reader you're using, to request the latest list of newsgroups from the
msnews.microsoft.com server.
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