Computer Education and Services

  "Love grows as a spark in one's heart, just as a seed grows to be a flower in the garden.  Both need to be nourished and cared for to become as beautiful as they are."*

General Windows Tips

This archive will contain accumulated tips that apply to Windows 95, 98, and ME.  There is a separate link for Windows XP tips.

Topics

Shortcut to the System Configuration Utility

Right-click the desktop and select New, Shortcut to start the Create Shortcut wizard. In the 'Command line" field, enter msconfig (in Windows 98 and Me), or c:\windows\pchealth\helpctr\binaries\msconfig (in XP). (Note that Windows 2000 lacks the System Configuration Utility.) Finish stepping through the wizard, making your own choices. Once you have the shortcut on your desktop, simply drag it to your Start menu.

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Playing Music from a Portable Device

You can use the Copy to CD or Device button in Windows Media Player to copy music to handheld devices, which include pocket PCs, PDAs, and even some MP3 players. Before you can use Windows Media Player to copy music files, you must establish a connection between the desktop computer running Windows XP and your handheld device. This connection is most often made via a cable or, in some cases, a cradle that connects the two devices with a USB or serial cable.

After you've connected a handheld device to the desktop computer running Windows, open Windows Media Player on the desktop computer by clicking the Start button on the taskbar and then clicking the Copy to CD or Device button on the left side.

When you click this button, Windows divides the Windows Media Player window into a left pane called Music to Copy and a right pane called Music on Device. You then follow these steps to copy music files from the Media Library to your handheld device:

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Have you ever had a window on your screen somehow end up with title bar off the top boundary of the screen so that you can't grab the bar to move it back where it belongs? Just right-click on its button in the task bar, click "Move" then use your down arrow key to put the window back where it belongs. When you can see the title bar, hit the "Enter" key. (Note: When you first press the down arrow key, the window may disappear altogether. If this happens, just keep pressing the down arrow until it comes back into view.)

Another way to accomplish the same thing is to click on any part of the errant window that you can see, hold down the ALT key and then press the SPACEBAR. This brings up the control dialog box. Click "Move" and then use the arrow keys to move the window. When you can see the title bar, either click on it or hit "Enter" to stop moving the window.

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Too Many Fonts

If you ever have a problem where every single time you try to insert a Symbol into a Microsoft Word document and an error message would display shutting down Word, your problem could be too many fonts installed. Once there are about 500 fonts, Microsoft just cannot handle it. Try removing about 100 of them, the ones you don't need, and that should work. Some fonts should stay put--notably Windows system fonts, which have the extension .fon instead of .ttf. The icon for a system font has a red 'A' rather than a gray-blue 'TT'.

Remember that you have to re-start Word (and shut down Outlook, if you use Word as your email editor) to force Word to re-construct its font list. While collecting fonts for fun and profit may sound like fun, in fact having more than a couple hundred hanging around is a sure invitation to disaster - or at least instability. If you really want to use a whole, big bunch of fonts, install a font manager like the free AMP Font Viewer , which lets you show and hide fonts as you need them.

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Starting Windows in Safe Mode

Having trouble with Windows? If Windows won't start, sometimes you can fix the problem in Safe Mode. An example is if you cannot get ScanDisk or Defragmenter to finish, running it in Safe Mode usually works. When you see the "Starting Windows" message, here are the keys to press:

F5 -- Safe mode. This allows Windows to start with its most basic configuration, bypassing Autoexec.bat and Config.sys files and using the VGA driver for video and not loading networking software.

F6 -- Safe mode (like F5) but with the addition of network support.

F8 -- Gives you a menu of different options before Startup. This is an important one to remember!

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Dr. Watson

All Windows versions have a utility called Dr. Watson. It captures a snapshot of your system when a program crashes. The idea is that someone could look at the data and figure out what's wrong. You usually have to tell the good Doc to get to work, though.

In Windows 98 and ME, click Start>>Programs>>Accessories>>System
Tools>>System Information. On the Tools menu, click Dr. Watson. That will put an icon in your taskbar. Dr. Watson generates lots of information about your system, much of it incomprehensible to a novice. But technicians may well find it interesting. To look at it, double click the icon and, on the View menu, click Advanced View. You will find several tabs. Most contain loads of information. If a program crashes, the Details tab will have all the gory details.  This is the information that you can pass on to a technician.  Otherwise, that tab will be missing.

Dr. Watson is also in Windows XP, too. He's just harder to find. Click
Start>>Run. Enter Drwtsn32.exe in the box and click OK. There's no need to start Dr. Watson manually in XP. He jumps to work automatically when an error occurs.

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Find Windows' Version

Every now and then, you may need to know what version of Windows is on your computer.  Sometimes you may need this information for Windows Updates.  This is very simple.  Just click Start-->Run.  In the Run box, type "Winver" (without the quotes).  A window will popup showing all the information you need for your version of Windows.

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New Years Resolutions

I promise to do the following for the new year.  You should do the same.

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Using .CAB Files

When using a complex operating system with hundreds of support files, like Windows, every once in a while you'll need to get one of the files off of the distribution diskettes. They may also be on a separate partition of your hard drive. These files are often compressed into CAB (cabinet) files, which are similar to ZIP files.

If you're using Windows Me, 2000, or XP, CAB file support is built-in. Just double-click a CAB file to open it. Files can be extracted by dragging them out of the CAB window.

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Still in Add/Remove Programs?

Have you ever uninstalled a program only to later discover it's still on your Add/ Remove programs list? The program is gone, but its entry is still there.

When that happens, most people click the program, hit the Add / Remove button and end up with an error. And the program is still stuck on the list. It may have been removed from your computer, but its ghost seems determined to stay on.

So, is the program listing there forever? Can you ever get rid of it? YES - but you have to play around in your system registry.

Before we go any farther, I want to say that messing with your registry is not for everyone and should only be attempted by advanced users. If any of the information below doesn't make sense to you, it's probably NOT a good idea for you to be trying this tip. So, do this only at your own risk.

Here's the procedure:

Now, go back to your Control Panel, Add / Remove programs area and you should find that extra program is now gone.

BONUS TIP

You may have already figured this out, but there's another use for this tip. If you have a program listed in the Add / Remove programs section that you DON'T ever want uninstalled, you can delete its folder from the Uninstall folder list mentioned above. That way, you (or someone else) won't accidentally remove it.

Note that deleting the folder won't remove the program, just its entry in the Add/ Remove section of the Control Panel.

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How to Uninstall Device Drivers, Patches, Updates in Win 98

Device drivers, system patches, or hot fixes you installed using the Windows Update feature, can be uninstalled using the Restore page from the Web site. If you are unable to connect to the Windows Update Web site, you can uninstall the latest updates by using Update Wizard Uninstall found on the Tools menu of Microsoft System Information ( Select Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Information).

Existing files and drivers are automatically backed up before the new ones are installed.

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How to Get Programs Back into the Start Menu

I will use the Accessories menu as an example.

Calculator, Paint and games are missing from the Accessories menu in the Start menu and you want to know how to get them back. Since the menu items are shortcuts, not the programs themselves, it's likely that the executable files are still on the hard disk.
 
Try this: Look in your WINDOWS\System32 folder for the following files: mspaint.exe and calc.exe. If the programs are there, you can get them back into your Accessories menu by right dragging to the Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories folder and selecting Create Shortcut Here. You can also find games such as mshearts.exe in the System32 folder and create shortcuts in the same way.
 
If you don't find the program files, try installing the programs from Control Panel | Add/Remove Programs. Select Windows Components, Accessories and Utilities, and then Accessories. If the boxes for Calculator and Paint are checked, try unchecking to remove them, then going through the process again and checking the boxes to reinstall.

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Installing Windows 98/Me after Installing WinXP

For whatever reasons, some want to be able to use Win 98 or Me on the same computer that runs WinXP.  Here are the steps to add Win 98/Me on the same system. 

Necessary Criteria

Installing Windows 98/Me

Repairing the Windows XP Boot Loader

1.)  Create a Win98/Me Startup Disk.
2.)  Create a Notepad file with the following entries, exactly as  shown:

L 100 2 0 1
N C:\BOOTSECT.DOS
R BX
0
R CX
200
W
Q

3.)  Save the file to the Win98/Me Startup Disk as READ.SCR.
4.)  Boot the computer with the Win98/Me Startup Disk and at the A: prompt type DEBUG <READ.SCR

Steps 1-4 create the BOOTSECT.DOS file needed to boot Win98/Me.  For your convenience, you can download READ.SCR here.  I suggest you use right click and Save As.  You may need to use the ATTRIB C:\BOOTSECT.DOS -S -H -R command if BOOTSECT.DOS already exists and you get an error when trying to recreate it.

5.)  Configure your computer to boot from the CD drive.  This is done in the BIOS, or your computer may offer the option at startup if it detects a bootable CD.  Consult your computer's manual for more information.  If your computer does not support booting from the CD Rom, you should also be able to boot with a 98/Me Startup disk, and run WINNT.EXE from the I386 folder of your XP CD.
6.)  Insert your XP CD and boot from it.
7.)  You'll see some files being copied, then you'll be presented with a choice of installing or repairing an existing installation.  Choose Repair.
8.)  You'll be asked which XP installation you want to log into.  Enter 1.  There is usually only one installation.
9.)  You'll be prompted for the Administration password.  For Home, the default password is blank, so just hit Enter.  For Pro, enter the same password you did during setup for the Administrator account (this is not the same as the password for an Admin level account.  It must be the Administrator account password).
10.)  At the C:\Windows prompt, type FIXBOOT.  You'll be prompted to confirm.  Do so.
11.)  When FIXBOOT is finished, remove the XP CD and type EXIT and the machine will reboot.
12.)  Reconfigure your computer to boot from the hard drive if necessary.

You will now get the XP Boot loader with your choice of operating systems.

*COMPEDS provides limited support for this procedure.  Use at your own risk.

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ALT Key and Menu Bar
 

Here is a neat tip on using the ALT key to navigate the menu of any program in Windows.  I used NOTEPAD as an example.  Give it a try.

You can also use the Esc key to close an open menu.

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How to Open the Windows Explorer

The Windows Explorer (the file management utility, not to be confused with the Internet Explorer web browser) contains the folder and file structure of your computer.  You can use this area to manage these files.  Here are some methods you can use to open the Windows Explorer:

There are other ways of opening the Windows Explorer, but these are the most common ways.

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Restoring Declined Updates

In the last tip, I suggested waiting or delaying installing Windows updates due to possible problems with the updates.  This will allow Microsoft to correct any problems or update the updates. 

If you have downloaded any updates and chose not to install them, Windows deletes the files from your computer.  To download these updates later, follow these steps:

If any of the updates you previously declined still apply to your computer, they will reappear the next time Windows notifies you of available updates.  You can always install specific updates from the Windows Update Web site.

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Don't Let Windows XP Update Itself Automatically

I strongly recommend that you not allow Windows XP to update itself automatically - precisely because the updates can't be 100% relied upon.  Far better to wait a week or two when a patch comes out, then apply it when time permits.

At the very least:

When Windows Update notifies you that you have updates, I'd suggest that you start the Wizard, click Notify Me Later, and pick 3 days. Then the next time Windows Update notifies you, pick 3 more days.

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Windows Update Not Working?

If your Windows Update is not working, here’s a tip that might help:

Close the browser and return to the Windows Update site.  I hope this helps.

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Show Your Drives, NOT My Documents 

Here's how you get the Windows Explorer to automatically open to the C: drive and not My Documents:

You may copy and paste the contents within the quotes ("), but not the quotes.

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Windows Media Player

For those interested, the final release of Windows Media Player is released and can be downloaded from here.

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Restoring Your Registry

The Registry stores settings for programs installed on your computer as well as for your computer's internal operation. If these get corrupted or damaged in any way, your applications, or your computer, won't run correctly.

Windows 98 comes with a utility called Registry Checker that backs up the registry each time you turn your computer on, and scans your Registry at every restart. If Registry Checker finds a problem with your Registry, it will automatically replace it with your most recent backup copy.

To run the Registry Checker at any time:

To access your backup copies at any time:

Reboot your computer to the Command Prompt. (Hold down the CTRL key at restart, and choose step #5 from the Microsoft Windows 98 Startup Menu.)

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Computer Locks Up When in Suspend

There is a little known bug in Windows 98 that causes your computer to lock up when it is in Suspend mode.  This is caused by a drive letter that is in lowercase in the SYSTEM.INI.  This can easily be fixed by doing the following:

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System Idle Process is Always Running

There are those concerned about the "System Idle Process" that's taking up so much of their CPU time.  Where are they seeing this System Idle Process?  Right click on an empty area of the task bar and click Task Manager.  Click on the Processes tab.  Click on the CPU column header so that the list of processes are listed in order of CPU activity.  You'll almost always see the System Idle Process on top.  The system idle process runs to occupy the processor when it's not executing other threads.  Idle has one thread per processor.  It's nothing to worry about.  This is also the case in Windows XP.

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Remove Outdated Entries in the Add/Remove Programs Applet

Have you ever removed a program from your computer using the Add/Remove Programs applet in the Control Panel only to find the entry for the program remains in the Control Panel? If so, you're not alone. If you try to remove the program again using the Add/Remove Programs applet, you get an error message. Ouch! Try this to remove this bogus entries from the list:

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If you are having a problem with setting your power management, there is a Power Management Troubleshooter tool available either on the Win98 CD or on the web. This is a program that can help you determine the device or driver that might be interfering.  It is on the CD at \Tools\Mtsutil\Pmtshoot\Pmtshoot.Exe or click More Information for Microsoft's site.

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Extreme Gaming

If you enjoy games, and hey, who doesn't, then you probably know that if you really want to test the boundaries of a computer, run a game. Today's games are incredibly resource intensive. Because of this, if you want to play a game, and have it run to the best of its capabilities, make sure that all other applications are closed. You may even want to temporarily disable your virus software.

Also, try not to switch between a game and the desktop. Some games like to "own" the machine, and it does not share well with others. You could potentially crash your system.

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Moving Around the Desktop Without Using the Mouse

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System Restore

In Windows Me and Windows XP, System Restore is a method that can be used to put the Windows system back to the way it was at any given point that is chosen. The System Restore does not change data files such as emails and documents, but will change the registry and installed components to their original configuration from the point of the last restore save.

To create a checkpoint, Click 'Start' then go to Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and System Restore.  Now, select 'Create a Restore Point' and click next. Type in any name for this checkpoint and click Next, then OK.

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Detail View

If you find yourself scrolling left and right, up and down while in Windows Explorer looking at icons, change the View in the menu bar to "Details" and this will make the list scroll only up and down. Also, the icons will be much smaller. This helps save some time.

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Drastic Shutdown

The most drastic way to end an application, and Windows itself, is to power down the computer (turn it off) or press the computer's reset button. This action is the last resort when things stop working. Sometimes it's necessary when Windows 98 itself has become unstable, usually because of an errant application. None of your applications will initiate their termination procedures, and all your unsaved work will be lost.  Disk file records that are being held in a memory cache are not written to the disk. The potential exists for corruption of the file system. Consequently, when you restart the computer, Windows 98 senses that its previous termination was an abrupt power interruption and runs the ScanDisk utility to ensure that the file system's integrity was not corrupted by the untimely shutdown.

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Click And Shut Down

In Windows, right-click the desktop and select New. Select Shortcut and on the command line, type the following command:

Rundll.exe user.exe, exitwindows

Now when you click the icon, your computer will shut itself down.

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Saving Files

Save means to send the work you just created on your computer to a disk or the hard drive for safekeeping. Unless you specifically save you work, your computer thinks you've just been fiddling around for the past four hours. You need to tell the computer to save your work before it will store the work on a disk.  Normally, if you close a program before you save, the computer will ask you if you want to save the file and present you with a dialog box.

All Windows-based programs use the same Save command, no matter what company wrote them. Press and release the Alt, F, and S keys in any Windows program, in that order, and the computer saves your work. If you prefer using the mouse to save files, click File from the toolbar that appears at the top of the program and choose Save from the drop-down menu.

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Renaming Shortcuts

When creating a shortcut on your desktop, Windows will choose a name for you. However, you don't have to keep it.  Right click the shortcut.  In the resulting context menu, click Rename.  The original name under the shortcut will be highlighted.  Just type in the name you desire and press your Enter key.

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Single-Clicking vs. Double-Clicking

Note: This tip works in Windows XP, but it may also work in other versions of Windows with little alteration. Give it a try!

Prefer to always single-click instead of double-click? Then choose Folder Options from the Control Panel's Appearance and Themes area, and choose the single-click option: Single-Click to Open an Item (Point to Select). Prefer the traditional
double-click way? Then go to the same place and choose the other option: Double-Click to Open an Item (Single-Click to Select).

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The "Custom Install" Options

Most software offers a custom install option, which often lets you be far more selective about both *what's* installed, and *where* it's installed to.  In some cases (such as with the downloads of IE5 and IE6) you even get unusual "save to disk" options that are completely unavailable by any other means.

It never hurts to see what a "custom" install offers--- it only takes minute. If there's nothing in the custom install that's useful to you, you always can back out and re-accept the standard install options. But many times, you will see custom options that can give you f