Microsoft KB Archive/234901

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition

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SUMMARY
This article contains a copy of the information in the Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition Tips.txt file.

MORE INFORMATION
-- Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition README for Tips and Tricks April 1999 --

(c) Copyright Microsoft Corporation, 1999

This document provides complementary or late-breaking information to supplement the Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition documentation.

HOW TO USE THIS DOCUMENT

To view Tips.txt on-screen in Notepad, maximize the Notepad window.

To print Tips.txt, open it in Notepad or another word processor, and then on the File menu, click Print.

CONTENTS

MISCELLANEOUS TIPS AND TRICKS

MS-DOS COMMAND PROMPT

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NOTE: For more tips and keyboard shortcuts, see online Help.

MISCELLANEOUS TIPS AND TRICKS

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Faster Application Launching

Windows 98 can tune your system to launch your applications faster. To get the best application launch speed, convert your hard disk to FAT32, and then run the Maintenance wizard from the System Tools menu. By using this wizard, you can schedule regular disk defragmentation options that automatically tune up your application launch times.

Aggressive System Maintenance -

For even more aggressive maintenance, after running the Maintenance wizard, open Task Scheduler and set your tasks to run every night, with one-half hour intervals between the start time of each task (Cleanup, then ScanDisk, then Disk Defragmenter). You may want to check the settings for ScanDisk to automatically fix errors, too. This way, your system is ready to go each morning.

Faster Connections to Internet Service Providers

You may be able to reduce the time it takes to connect to your Internet Service Provider (ISP). Go to the Dial-Up Networking connection that you use, right-click and select Properties, and then on the Server Types tab, clear the check boxes for Log on to Network, NetBEUI, and IPX/SPX Compatible Protocol. Then verify that you can still connect. Most ISPs don't use this setting, and it can take up to 60 seconds to time out.

Start Menu Order

With Windows 98, you can drag items around directly on the Start menu to change the order or which sub-menu an item is located on. You can also right-click and delete, or see the properties of the shortcut on the Start menu. You can also right-click an item and then choose Sort by Name.

Use System Monitor to Monitor Your Connection and Download Speeds -

System Monitor now has parameters for your dial-up networking connection, including download and upload bytes per second, so you can monitor the data flow speeds.

Configuration Summary -

To print a copy of your system configuration summary, run the System Information utility from the System Tools menu, and select Print from the Edit menu.

Sending Objects By Using The SendTo Feature ---

You can drag any shortcut to the SendTo folder. Shortcuts can be to a printer, fax, network drive, or Windows program. To open the SendTo folder, click Start, and then click Run. In the Open box, type SendTo, and then press ENTER. Use the right mouse button to drag the item's icon into the SendTo window. The shortcut appears on the SendTo menu. Right-click a document or folder icon, click Send To, and then click a menu item.

For example, you can create a link to Notepad.exe in your SendTo folder. Then, if you right-click a document, you can click Send To, and then click Notepad.

Quick View --

If Quick View is installed, and if Quick View supports a particular file format, you can quickly view the contents of that file by right-clicking it, and then clicking Quick View.

System Tools

1. Right-click a drive in My Computer, and then click Properties.

2. Click Disk Cleanup to run the disk cleanup tool for that drive.

TIP: Click the Tools tab to use ScanDisk, Backup, and Disk Defragmenter.

Convert Windows 3.1 Program Groups --

You can convert Windows 3.1 program groups in two ways:

- Click a .grp file to automatically convert it to a  Windows 98 folder.

-OR-

- Run the GRPCONV command with the /m parameter to display a dialog box in which you can select groups to convert.

Open With -

To open an associated file with a different program, hold SHIFT and right-click the file. Click Open With. Under Choose the program you want to use, click the program you want to use, and then click OK. If you don't want all files of this type to be associated with this program, clear the check box, Always use this program to open this type of file.

Hotkeys ---

In Windows 98, hotkeys assigned to shortcuts in the Start menu or its subfolders can be used to start programs any time.

Screen Resolution -

To quickly change screen resolution for different applications, right-click anywhere on the desktop, click Properties, and then click the Settings tab. Under Screen area, move the slider to the desired resolution.

If you change screen resolution often, on the Settings tab, click the Advanced button and then on the General tab, click the Show settings icon on task bar check box. You can then double-click the icon to quickly display the Settings tab.

File Names And Extensions -

The following are valid file names for Windows 98 programs:

12345678.ABC (MS-DOS name) 12345678.ABCDEF (no limit on extensions) 123456789012345678901234567890123456789.ABC (long file name) 1234567890123456789012345678901234567890.ABCDEF (long file name and long extension) 123456789.ABC.DEF (long file name with multiple extensions)

This is a valid file name (long names with spaces        that mean something).

To view the MS-DOS name associated with a long file name, right-click the file, and then click Properties.

Developer's Trick -

If you need to restart the taskbar (for example, after you've changed a registry entry), press CTRL+ALT+DEL, click Explorer, and then click End Task. The taskbar is removed and then restarts.

Making A Startup Disk -

To create a complete startup disk, click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Add/Remove Programs. Click the Startup Disk tab, and then click Create Disk.

Undoing A File Move Or File Rename --

If you forget where you just moved a file in Windows Explorer or accidentally renamed a file, on the Edit menu, click Undo or press CTRL+Z.

Display Properties --

Right-click anywhere on the desktop, and then click Properties to change the desktop background, screen saver, appearance, or Web or video settings. To change your primary display font, change the font on the Appearance tab.

Taskbar Clock -

Place the mouse pointer over taskbar clock to view the date. Double-click the taskbar clock to set the system time, date, and time zone. To remove the clock from the taskbar, right-click the taskbar, and then click Properties. Click Taskbar Options, and then click to clear the Show Clock option.

Easy Access To Computer Properties --

To view your computer (system) properties, right-click My Computer and then click Properties. If you have a Windows button on your keyboard, press WINDOWS+BREAK.

To view Network properties, right-click Network Neighborhood, and then click Properties.

Using The Keyboard Instead Of A Mouse

You can move the cursor without using the mouse by turning on MouseKeys. Accessibility Options must be installed before you can use MouseKeys.

MS-DOS COMMAND PROMPT

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Directory Shortcuts ---

Related directories have the following shortcuts:

. = current directory .. = parent directory ... = parent directory once removed .... = parent directory twice removed

For example, if you are in the C:\Windows\System\Viewers directory, and you enter cd... at the command prompt, the directory changes to C:\Windows.

Visual Display Of Directory From The Command Prompt ---

If you are at a command prompt and want a visual display of a directory (folder), type "start ." to view the current folder, or "start .." to view the root folder.

Drag File Names To The Command Prompt -

You can drag file and folder icons from the desktop or a folder to a command prompt instead of typing the file or folder name. The file or folder name is then placed in the keyboard buffer of the running MS-DOS-based program.

Copy And Paste Information From And To The Command Prompt -

Activate the toolbar in the MS-DOS-based program window to gain point-and-click access to copy, cut, and paste operations from a Windows-based program to an MS-DOS-based program. For example, you can copy a folder shortcut on the screen, and then paste it into a mail message.

Start Windows-Based Programs From The Command Prompt

You can start Windows-based programs from a command prompt by typing the name of the program you want to run, including parameters. For example, to start Notepad, type "notepad" at the command prompt, and then press ENTER. You can also start Windows-based programs in batch files.

You can use the Start command at a command prompt to start a program or open a document. For example, you can type "C:>start calc.exe."

COMMAND.PIF ---

To set the properties for an MS-DOS window, open the PIF folder and edit Command.pif, or find Command.com and edit the properties there.

DOSKEY --

If you want to use DOSKEY in an MS-DOS window without loading it in Autoexec.bat or creating a startup batch script, you can specify DOSKEY as the startup batch file in the program properties. If you decide to use a different startup batch file, simply move DOSKEY into this batch file.

Easy Disk Copy From The Desktop ---

- On your desktop, double-click My Computer, right-click floppy disk drive icon, and then click Copy.

- OR -

- You can create a shortcut on the desktop to use for copying floppy disks. Right-click the desktop, point to New, and then click Shortcut. In the Create Shortcut dialog box, type

diskcopy A: A:

to copy a disk (substitute B to use the B drive).

Windows Explorer Switches -

Windows Explorer switches are useful in creating rooted folders:

Explorer [/e,][/root, ,] [/select,

/e     Use Explorer view (scope and results         pane view). The default is open view (results in        pane view only). /root Specify the object in the "normal" name space that is used as the root (top level) for Windows Explorer. The default is the Desktop folder. /select    The parent folder opens and the specified object is selected.

The folder or file that Windows Explorer opens. If the /select switch is used, the sub object is highlighted. If the /select switch is not used, the folder or file opens in Explorer. The default is the root.

Examples:  Explorer /e, /root, \\Reports Opens an Explorer window at \\Reports.

Explorer /select, C:\Windows\Calc.exe Opens a folder at C:\Windows (or activates        one that is currently open), and selects Calc.exe.

Explorer /e, /root, \Source\Internal\Design\Users\David\Archive Opens a folder to the Archive folder. This is a good way to create a dedicated, remote, documents archive folder. A link to the \\Source\Internal\Design\Users\David\Archive folders can then be placed in the SendTo folder for quick routing of documents. Additional query words:

Keywords         : win98se Version          : WINDOWS: Platform         : WINDOWS Issue type       : kbinfo
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