Microsoft KB Archive/262214

= Windows Millennium Edition Tips.txt File Contents =

Article ID: 262214

Article Last Modified on 1/27/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition

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This article was previously published under Q262214



SUMMARY
This article contains a copy of the information in the Tips.txt file included with Windows Millennium Edition (Me). Note that Windows Me Setup copies the Tips.txt file to the Windows folder.



MORE INFORMATION
 Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition README for Tips and Tricks June 2000

(c)Copyright Microsoft Corporation, 2000

This document provides complementary or late-breaking information to supplement the Microsoft(R) Windows(R) Millennium 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

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

MISCELLANEOUS TIPS AND TRICKS

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Faster Application Launching

Windows Me can tune your computer to start your applications faster. To start applications as quickly as possible, convert your hard disk to FAT32, and then run the Maintenance wizard from the System Tools menu. This wizard enables you to schedule regular disk defragmentation options that automatically tune up your application start 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 half-hour intervals between the start time of each task (Cleanup, then ScanDisk, then Disk Defragmenter). In ScanDisk, you may want to select the Automatically Fix Errors check box. That way, your computer is ready to go each morning.

Faster Connections to Internet Service Providers

You might be able to reduce the time it takes to connect to your Internet Service Provider (ISP). To do so, carry out the following steps:

1. In Dial-Up Networking, locate the icon for the connection that you use.

2. Right-click the icon, and then click Properties.

3. Click the Networking tab, and then clear the following check boxes: NetBEUI, IPX/SPX Compatible

4. Click the Security tab, and then clear the Log On To Network check box.

5. Verify that you can still connect. Most ISPs don't use these settings, and it can take up to 60 seconds to time out.

Start Menu Order

In Windows Me, you can change the order of items on the Start menu and its submenus by dragging them to a new location. You can also right-click an item, and then see its properties, delete it, or sort the list by name.

Use System Monitor to Monitor Your Connection and Download Speeds -- System Monitor now includes 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, carry out the following steps:

1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click System Information. 2. On the File menu, click Print.

Sending Objects by Using SendTo --- You can drag any shortcut to the SendTo folder. The SendTo folder can contain shortcuts to a printer, a fax, a network drive, or a Windows program. To open the SendTo folder, carry out the following steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Run. 2. 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.

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.

To run ScanDisk, Backup, and Disk Defragmenter, click the Tools tab.

Open With - To open an associated file with a different program, carry out the following steps:

1. Right-click the file you want to open. 2. Point to Open With, point to Choose Program, and then click the program you want to use.

If you don't want all files of this type to be associated with this program, clear the Always Use This Program To   Open These Files check box.

Hotkeys --- In Windows Me, you can use the hotkeys assigned to shortcuts in the Start menu or its subfolders to start programs any time.

Screen Resolution - To quickly change screen resolution for different programs, carry out the following steps:

1. Right-click anywhere on the desktop, and then click Properties. 2. Click the Settings tab. 3. Under Screen Area, move the slider to the desired resolution.

If you change screen resolution often, you can display the Settings tab quickly by carrying out the following steps:

1. On the Settings tab, click the Advanced button. 2. On the General tab, click the Show Settings Icon On Task Bar check box.

You can then double-click the icon on the taskbar to quickly display the Settings tab.

File Names and Extensions - The following are valid file names for Windows Me 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.

Restarting the Taskbar -- 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, carry out the following steps:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel. 2. Open Add/Remove Programs, and then click the Startup Disk tab. 3. Click Create Disk.

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

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

Taskbar Clock - - To view the date, rest the mouse pointer over the clock on the taskbar.

- To set the system time, date, and time zone, double-click the clock on the taskbar.

- To remove the clock from the taskbar, right-click the taskbar, and then click Properties. Click Taskbar Options, and then clear the Show Clock check box.

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 My Network Places, and then click Properties.

Using the Keyboard Instead of a Mouse - To move the cursor by using the keyboard instead of the mouse, make sure Accessibility Options are installed, and then turn on 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 &quot;start .&quot; to view the current folder, or &quot;start ..&quot; 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 &quot;notepad&quot; at the command prompt, and then press ENTER. You can also start Windows-based programs from 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 &quot;C:>start calc.exe.&quot;

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.

Easy Disk Copy from the Desktop --- - On your desktop, double-click My Computer, right-click the floppy disk drive icon, and then click Copy.

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- 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 &quot;normal&quot; 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.

Keywords: kbinfo kbreadme KB262214

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