| TIPS & TRICKS |
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>WINDOWS EXPLORER Show all files in Explorer [95/98/NT4] |
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>WINDOWS STARTUP Access the boot-menu on Startup [95/98] |
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>MISC. Delete a Windows' password [95/98]
Restart Windows quickly [95/98/NT4]: When you click Start\Shut Down\Restart Windows, hold down the Shift key while pressing OK. Windows will reload without going through the POST and real-mode load sequences.
Show all files in explorer [95/98/NT4]: Hidden and system files such as DLLs and INI files are hidden in Explorer or My Computer by default. To show all files, select View, then Options from the File Menu. Check the "Show all files" option on the View tab.
Prevent audio CDs from playing automatically [95]: By default, Windows 95 is set up to automatically start the CD Player applet and begin playing a music CD as soon as it is inserted into the CD-ROM drive. This is set up in Windows 95 much like a file extension association. To change this, start Explorer, and select View/Options/File Type. Scroll through the list until you find a listing for Audio CDs. Highlight it, and select the Edit button. You'll see a panel showing the option 'play'. Select that, then click on the Edit button on this panel. You'll see the command that is invoked for that option. It is by default set to execute CDPLAYER.EXE with a command parameter of '/play'. If you delete the entire line, nothing will happen when an audio CD is inserted. If you delete just the '/play' parameter, when an audio CD is inserted, the CD Player applet is started but it does NOT immediately begin playing the CD.
Print to a file [95/98/NT4]: Open the Printers folder in Control Panel. Double-click Add Printer.
Select Local Printer and click on Next. Select Generic from the manufacturer list, and Generic/Text Only from the
printer list, then click on Next. Select File from the available ports list, and click Next a couple times to add
the printer. Highlight the new icon, right-click it and select Properties. Click the "Paper" tab, and
change the paper setting to "continuous, no page-breaks."
Change Win95 boot-up options [95]: The following allows you to customize some of the boot-up options
under Windows 95: Open a command prompt. Switch to the root directory and issue the following command:
Windows 95 setup switches [95]: Windows 95 has several switches you can use when executing Setup. There are two sets: one for use from DOS-based setups, and on for use from Windows based setups (upgrades and re-installs). From Windows: /is - Ignores the system check From DOS: /is - Ignores the system check
Prevent items in the Startup folder from launching [95]: Hold down the CTRL key while entering Windows. This will keep items in the Startup folder from launching.
Change file associations quickly [95/98/NT4]: To change the default application of a file type, simply select the file, hold down SHIFT, and click the right mouse button. Select Open With, and choose the program you want to use for this file type. Select "Always use this program to open this type of file" at the bottom of the dialog box.
Use single click everywhere [ 98]: Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Folder Options. Click Web style. If you want to have more control over the exact settings, click Custom, and then click Single click to open an item.
Enable thumbnail view in Windows Explorer [98]:Traditionally, there have only been 4 ways to arrange icons in Windows Explorer: Large Icons, Small Icons, List or Details. It is possible in Win98 to enable a 5th option, Thunbnail View, which displays a miniature image of the file, be it a graphic, HTML file, Word doc, etc. Thumbnails can only be enabled on a folder by folder basis. To do so, right click the folder icon and select the "Enable Thumbnail View" checkbox. Once enabled, open the folder and select View from the main menu and enable the Thumbnail View option. Note that you cannot use the "View as Web Page" option when thumbnails are enabled.
Change WinNT Startup Screen [NT4]: Rename the file C:\WINNT\WINNT256.BMP to C:\WINNT\WINNT256.OLD. Open the Bitmap you'd like to use and save it as C:\WINNT\WINNT256.BMP. (Note: The Bitmap's location may be on a different drive, but by default is in the WINNT directory.)
Change Win9x Startup Screen [95/98]: Rename C:\LOGO.SYS to C:\LOGO.OLD. Start with a 640-by-400, 256-color bitmap. Open the Bitmap in Paint (Start->Programs->Accessories->Paint). Use the Stretch/Skew item from the Image menu to reduce the file by 50 percent horizontally and save it as C:\LOGO.SYS.
Access the boot-menu on Startup [95/98]: In Windows 95, hit the F5 key when you see STARTING WINDOWS 95... at the top of the DOS screen. In Windows 98, you don't have that message, so just hold the CTRL key down as the PC is booting.
Delete a Windows' Password [95/98] {Thanks to a submission from Keely Kasonovitch}: In Windows 95 and 98, click on Start -> Find -> Files or Folders. In the "Named" box, type in: *.pwl It will bring up a list of files. At the top of the find window, click on Edit, then Select All. Click on File, then Delete. Restart your computer. You will be prompted for your windows password. If you do not want one, just click on "OK" If you do want one, enter in a password, and at the next dialogue box, confirm your password! |
