Microsoft KB Archive/312933

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Article ID: 312933

Article Last Modified on 8/28/2007


APPLIES TO

  • Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition


This article was previously published under Q312933

SUMMARY

The information covered in this article is provided by: Microsoft Press.

This article is part 1 of a series of three articles that explain how to customize Windows Millennium Edition (Me) for personal use. Part 1 focuses on what's new on the desktop, how to customize the Start menu, configure Windows Me for multiple users, and configure accessibility needs. To view the remaining articles in the series, click the link to the topic you want to view:

312934 Customizing Windows for Personal Use (2 of 3)


316610 Customizing Windows for Personal Use (3 of 3)


This information is an excerpt from the Microsoft Windows Me Step-by-Step book, "Lesson 1: Customizing Windows for Personal Use". Learn More About Microsoft Windows Me Step-by-Step.

MORE INFORMATION

After completing this lesson, you will be able to: Discovering What's New on the Windows Desktop

  • Using Windows Help

Customizing the Start Menu Setting Up Windows for Multiple Users and Creating Additional User Profiles

  • Understanding the Personalized Items Settings Options
  • Recovering from a Lost Password

Configuring Windows for Accessibility Needs Using the Windows Magnifier

  • Adjusting Accessibility Settings

Customizing Folder Appearance

  • Viewing Information About Files and Folders

Using the Folders List to Move and Copy Files and Folders Using Compressed Folders to Save Disk Space Using Search to Find Files

  • Searching for People and Web Sites

Lesson Wrap-Up Glossary

  • Quick Reference

As you work through the exercises, imagine that you are the parent of two middle school children. You work in the admissions office of a community college, and your spouse is a department manager for a local retail firm. Your family owns a computer that runs Microsoft Windows 98; the computer is used by all family members for a variety of tasks, ranging from games to homework to work that you and your spouse bring home from the office. You have just purchased a second computer with Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Windows Me) already installed. Because there is some competition for computer time in your home, you plan to use both computers. First, however, you want to learn about the new features in Windows Me and get it set up for the whole family.

In this lesson, you will explore the Windows Me desktop to see what's new. You will also learn how to customize Windows, and then set it up so that family members can create their own personal desktops. You want to set up a profile for your son, who has motion disabilities, to make it easier for him to use the keyboard and mouse. You also want to know how Windows can be set up for your mother, who will be visiting you, and whose low vision makes it difficult for her to see objects on the computer screen. You also want to customize your folders and compress large folders to create more disk space. Finally, you want to explore the Search feature to locate lost files.

Discovering What's New on the Windows Desktop

The Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition desktop is similar to the Microsoft Windows 98 desktop. The consistency between the versions makes it easy to upgrade to Windows Me and quickly learn its new features.

Although the Windows Me desktop will look familiar, several items have been enhanced or added to make the desktop easier to use. The following list previews new items on the Windows Me desktop.

My Documents Icon

[GRAPHIC: Picture of the My Documents icon]

Now contains the My Pictures folder and links to My Network Places and My Computer.

My Computer Icon

[GRAPHIC: Picture of the My Computer icon]

Now contains shortcuts to local drives and Control Panel only, plus links to My Documents, My Network Places, and Dial-Up Networking.

My Network Places Icon

[GRAPHIC: Picture of the My Network Places icon]

Replaces Network Neighborhood. Simplifies viewing local networks and adding access to network locations. Contains icons to Add Network Places, the Home Networking Wizard, and links to other network and Internet resources.

Internet Explorer Icon

[GRAPHIC: Picture of the Internet Explorer icon]

Microsoft Internet Explorer, version 5.5.

Outlook Express Icon

[GRAPHIC: Picture of the Outlook Express icon]

Shortcut to Microsoft Outlook Express, version 5.5.

Windows Media Player Icon

[GRAPHIC: Picture of the Windows Media Player icon]

Shortcut on desktop and on Quick Launch bar.

IMPORTANT: This article assumes that Windows Me has been installed with the Typical set up. If any of the components discussed here do not appear in your installation of Windows Me, you will need to install them.

Windows Me is already installed on your new computer, which you have just set up. You want to take a quick look at Windows to see what's new on the desktop. In this exercise, you explore shortcuts on the Windows desktop.

  1. Turn on your computer to start Windows Me.
  2. Windows starts, and the Windows desktop appears.


[GRAPHIC: Picture of the Windows desktop]

  1. Double-click the My Documents folder.


The My Documents folder opens, displaying the My Pictures folder and links to My Network Places and My Computer.

  1. Double-click the My Pictures folder.


The My Pictures folder opens, displaying a graphics file and links to additional Windows features.

TIP: You can set up a screen saver that uses graphics stored in the My Pictures folder to create a slideshow, for example, a screen saver that shows family photographs. First, make sure that the graphics you want to use are located in the My Pictures folder. Then, right-click the Windows desktop, click Properties, and then click the Screen Saver tab. Click My Pictures Screensaver in the Screen Saver list.

  1. Click the Sample graphics file.


A graphics thumbnail appears in the folder.

  1. Click the Close button, and then double-click My Computer.


The My Computer folder opens, containing icons representing the computer's drives and Control Panel, as well as links to other folders in the information pane on the left side of the folder.

  1. Click the Close button.

Using Windows Help

As in Microsoft Windows 98, the Help system in Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition is the primary source of information on how to use the program. Windows Me Help has been redesigned to include an easier, Web-like interface. In Windows Help, you can either type a word or phrase to search for or browse the index by topic.

The Windows Help topics include links to features in Windows so that you can quickly and easily complete a task without searching for the right tool. For example, the topic for setting up new hardware includes a link to the Add New Hardware Wizard.

Exploring Windows Help

  1. Click the Start button, and then click Help.
  2. In the Search box, type what's new and then click Go.
  3. Click the What's New In Windows Me topic.
  4. Click Back twice to return to the Main Help screen.

Using Windows Troubleshooters

You can use Windows Troubleshooters to diagnose and fix network problems, printer problems, and modem problems, to name a few. Troubleshooters lead you step-by-step through a list of possible causes and solutions to help you identify the specific problem that you are having and how to fix it.

  1. Make sure that Help is open.
  2. In the What Would You Like Help With? list, click Troubleshooting, and then click a category in the Troubleshooting list.

Using Windows Online Help

Windows Me also includes links to help resources on the Web. You can find answers to specific problems as well as introductory and advanced information on using Windows. In Windows Me Help, you can locate the following resources.

  • Getting Things Done Online: An online guide to additional information about how to use Windows Me. To find Getting Things Done Online, in the Help home page, search for Help, and then click the Getting Things Done Online Guide topic.
  • Ask Maxwell: An online question and answer forum. You ask Maxwell a question, and he will provide answers. On the Help home page, click Search Online Help under the More Resources heading.
  • Assisted Support: Links to other Web resources, such as the MSN Computing Central Forum. To find Assisted Support, on the Help home page, click Get Assisted Support under the Fix A Problem heading.
  • Personal Online Support: A Web site offering links to additional resources, such as Microsoft Knowledge Base, which is a collection of technical information about Microsoft products, including Windows Me; Technical Support phone numbers; and requests for online support from Microsoft technicians. To find the Personal Online Support Web page, search for Help, click the Getting Help And Support topic, and then click the Personal Online Support link.

Customizing the Start Menu

The Start menu is the location from which you start most Microsoft Windows programs, and in Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition, the menu has been redesigned for easier use. The Start menu contains Personalized Menus, which are designed to hide items that you haven't used recently, making it easier to find frequently used menu items. You can also easily change Start menu settings; for example, by selecting or clearing a check box, you can view or hide commands to change the appearance of the Start menu. In addition, you can add, delete, and rename folders and program shortcuts on the Start menu. Finally, you can set up programs to start automatically by adding them to the StartUp menu.

In this exercise, you want to further personalize Windows and decide to customize the Start menu. First, however, you want to look at the Personalized Menus to understand how they work. Then, you decide to temporarily turn off the Personalized Menus until you become familiar with the contents of the Start menu. Next, you want to move the Address Book to a more accessible place on your Start menu for easier access.

  1. Click the Start button, point to Programs, and then click the Unfold button at the bottom of the Programs menu.


The menu expands to include less frequently used items.

[GRAPHIC: Picture of an expanded menu]

  1. Click the desktop to close the Start menu. Click the Start button, point to Programs, point to Accessories, and then click the Unfold button on the bottom of the Accessories submenu.


The submenu expands to include less frequently used items.

TIP: If Personalized Menus are turned on and you move the pointer over a collapsed menu, the menu expands after a few seconds.

  1. Point to Settings, and then click Taskbar And Start Menu.


The Taskbar And Start Menu Properties dialog box appears.

  1. On the General tab, clear the Use Personalized Menus check box, and then click OK.
  2. Click the Start button, point to Programs, and then point to Accessories.


The entire submenu appears.

  1. Drag the Address Book to the blank area under the Windows Update command on the Start menu.


Address Book is moved from the Accessories submenu to the Start menu.

  1. Click the desktop to close the Start menu.


TIP: As you position the pointer under the Windows Update command, a horizontal bar appears on the menu to indicate where the object will be placed when you release the mouse button. If a circle with a line through it appears, move the mouse pointer just slightly until the horizontal line appears.

Setting Up Windows for Multiple Users and Creating Additional User Profiles

You expect that your entire family will want to use the new family computer, but you don't want your children or your spouse to change your desktop settings. In Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition, you can set up user profiles, which are a collection of settings that affect the desktop display, desktop folders, the Start menu, and e-mail messages. For example, you can set up a user profile for yourself that includes the settings for your personalized desktop, and then create a password for your desktop. Other users who log on to Windows will not be able to modify your settings--unless, of course, they log on with your name and password.

Profiles, however, do not prevent others from accessing files and folders. Files and folders can still be found in Windows Explorer or by using the Search option.

When you set up a user profile, Windows treats the existing configuration as the default. For example, if you have already set up a desktop theme before setting up a user profile, that desktop theme becomes the default desktop display setting. As you set up the user profiles, you can elect to change parts of the default settings (such as the changes you have made to the Start menu) or keep them the same.

In this exercise, you decide to set up a profile for yourself so that other family members cannot change your desktop settings, and then you set up a profile for your son who will want to apply a clever color scheme to his desktop display.

  1. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel to display the contents of the Control Panel folder.
  2. Click the View All Control Panel Options link, and then double-click the Users icon to start the Enable Multi-User Settings Wizard.
  3. Click Next.


The Add User dialog box appears.

  1. Type your name, and then click Next.


Each user profile will be identified by name.

  1. In the Password box, type a password, press TAB, and then type the password again.


You do not have to use a password, but it is a good idea if you have anyone in the household that you would like to block from either using or changing your desktop settings.

  1. Click Next.


The Personalized Items Settings dialog box appears. You can select items to personalize in the new profile.

[GRAPHIC: Picture of the Personalized Item Settings dialog box]

  1. Click Create New Items To Save Disk Space.


You do not select the check boxes in the Items area because you want to retain the current settings for the items, such as the current desktop settings and the Start menu settings.

  1. Click Next, and then click Finish.


The wizard creates your user profile. A message prompting you to restart your computer is displayed. The new profile will not take effect until you restart your computer.

  1. Click Yes.


Windows Me quits, your computer restarts, and then the Enter Password dialog box appears, displaying your name.

TIP: To delete a user profile, in Control Panel, double-click the Users icon, select the user, and then click Delete.

IMPORTANT: You can create an additional user profile from Control Panel. However, because you have already set up a user profile, the Enable Multi-User Settings Wizard does not appear again when you double-click the Users icon. Instead, you add additional user profiles directly from the User Settings dialog box.

  1. In the Enter Password dialog box, type your password, and then click OK to display the Windows desktop.
  2. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel to display the contents of the Control Panel folder.


You may need to scroll down or maximize the screen to see the Users icon.

  1. Click View All Control Panel Options, and then double-click the Users icon.


The User Settings dialog box appears, displaying the user profile you just set up.

  1. Click New User, click Next, type James and then click Next.
  2. In the Password box, type JKA and press TAB. Type JKA again.
  3. Click Next.


The Personalized Items Settings dialog box appears.

  1. In the Items area, select the Start Menu check box.


The Start menu will be reset to Windows defaults so that your son can customize it.

  1. Click Create Copies Of The Current Items And Their Contents, click Next, and then click Finish.


You remain logged on as yourself until you restart the computer or log off Windows from the Start menu.

  1. Close the User Settings dialog box and Control Panel.


TIP: To change your user profile password, make sure that you are logged on using your user profile. In Control Panel, double-click the Passwords icon, and then click Change Windows Password.

TIP: To set up Windows so that a list of users is displayed when Windows starts, right-click My Network Places, and then click Properties. On the Configuration tab, click Add. In the Select Network Component Type dialog box, click Client, and then click Add. In the Manufacturers list on the left, click Microsoft. In the Network clients list on the right, click Microsoft Family Logon, and then click OK. In the Primary Network Logon box, click Microsoft Family Logon, and then click OK.

Understanding the Personalized Items Settings Options

When you set up or change a profile, the options you select in the Personalize Items Settings will affect your new profile in various ways, depending on whether you choose to create copies of the current items or create new items. If you choose the Create Copies Of The Current Items And Their Contents option, the settings of any item you selected will be retained. For example, if you selected the Start Menu option, any programs that had been added to the Start menu will be retained in the new profile. However, if you selected the Create New Items To Save Disk Space option, programs that had been added to the Start menu will not be retained in the new profile.

The following table explains the effects of choosing items in the Items list and then selecting Create New Items To Save Disk Space. 

Item Selected            Effect
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Desktop Folder and       File shortcuts currently included on the 
My Documents Menu        Start\My Documents menu will not be included 
                         in the new profile.

Start Menu               Program shortcuts currently included on the 
                         Start\Programs menu will not be included in the 
                         new profile.

Favorites Folder         Shortcuts included on the Start\Favorites menu 
                         will not be accessible in the new profile.

Downloaded Web Pages     Downloaded Web pages will not be included in the 
                         new profile. 

My Documents Folder      Files or folders in My Documents will not be 
                         accessible in the new profile.

Recovering from a Lost Password

If you ever forget your password, you can delete the password file and then set up a new password. When you create a password, it is stored in the Windows folder on your computer. The password file always has the extension .PWL and the file name is the user profile name. For example, the password file for the Amy user profile would be named Amy.pwl.

  1. Double-click the My Computer icon, double-click Local Disk, and then click the View The Entire Contents Of This Drive link.
  2. Double-click the Windows folder, and then click the View The Entire Contents Of This Folder link.
  3. Scroll through the list to locate the files with the .PWL extension. The files are listed in alphabetical order after the folders. The file name will be in the form username.pwl, where username is the name of the user profile.
  4. Delete the .PWL file.
  5. Start Windows using your user profile, and then type a new password in the Enter Password dialog box.

TIP: You can also open Control Panel, double-click Users, select the name in the Users list, and then click Set Password. You can also change Personalized Items settings from the User Settings dialog box.

Configuring Windows for Accessibility Needs

Your son has juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, which makes it difficult for him to use the keyboard and mouse. You want to set up Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition so that ordinary tasks, such as selecting objects and typing, are easier for him. You can set up Windows Me so that it is easier to use for people with special needs. You can make modifications to keyboard response, sounds, display elements, and the mouse from the Accessibility Properties dialog box in Control Panel. However, an easier method for setting up Windows for users with special needs is to use the Accessibility Wizard, which steps you through the process. In fact, the wizard suggests changes based on a particular need or disability that you specify. The wizard will configure Windows for vision, hearing, and mobility needs.

In this exercise, you aren't sure which accessibility changes should be made, so you decide to use the Accessibility Wizard to guide you through the process of making Windows easier to use for your son. First, you log on as your son, and then you start the Accessibility Wizard.

  1. Click the Start button, click Log Off, and then click Yes.


The Enter Password dialog box appears.

  1. Click James, press TAB, type JKA and then click OK.


You are now logged on as your son. The Accessibility options will affect his profile only.

  1. Click the Start button, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to Accessibility, and then click Accessibility Wizard.


The Accessibility Wizards starts.

[GRAPHIC: Picture of the Accessibility Wizard Welcome Page]

  1. Click Next.


The Text Size screen displays text samples in three font sizes. If you have a vision disability, you can change the text size in the wizard by clicking one of the text samples.

  1. Click Next, clear the Change The Font Size check box, and then click Next. In the Set Wizard Options screen, select the I Have Difficulty Using The Keyboard Or Mouse check box, and then click Next.
  2. In the StickyKeys window, click Yes, and then click Next.
  3. The StickyKeys feature is turned on so that you do not have to press multiple keys simultaneously for multiple-key combinations like CTRL+ALT+DELETE.
  4. In the BounceKeys screen, click Yes, and then click Next.


BounceKeys is turned on so that repeated keystrokes will be ignored.

  1. In the BounceKeys Settings screen, click Next.
  2. In the ToggleKeys screen, click Yes, and then click Next twice.


The ToggleKeys option is turned on so that a sound will play if the CAPS LOCK, NUM LOCK, and SCROLL LOCK keys are pressed.

  1. In the Extra Keyboard Help screen, click Yes, and then click Next.


The Extra Keyboard Help option will offer Tool Tips on keyboard shortcuts in programs that make them available.

  1. In the MouseKeys screen, click Yes, and then click Next twice.


The MouseKeys option is turned on so that the keypad can be used to manipulate the mouse pointer.

  1. In the Mouse Cursor screen, in the Black column, click the large mouse pointer, and then click Next twice.


The mouse pointer size and color is changed.

  1. In the Mouse Speed screen, position the Mouse Pointer Speed slider so that it is half way between the middle setting and Slow, and then click Next four times.


How quickly the mouse pointer moves across the screen is changed. The accessibility changes you selected are listed. You have set up the Accessibility options for the James user profile. Three icons are displayed on the System Tray, indicating that you have turned on StickyKeys, BounceKeys, and MouseKeys.

  1. Click Finish.
  2. Press CTRL, ALT, DELETE in sequence.


The Close Program dialog box appears. Because you have turned on the StickyKeys option, you do not have to press the keys simultaneously.

IMPORTANT: If you press two keys simultaneously, for example, CTRL+ALT, StickyKeys is turned off until you log back on.

  1. Click Cancel, and then press NUM LOCK twice.


Your computer makes a sound because you have turned on the ToggleKeys option. The MouseKeys icon on the System Tray changes to indicate when it is toggled off.

  1. Click the Start button, click Log Off James, and then click Yes.
  2. In the Enter Password dialog box, click your name, press TAB, type your password, and then click OK.

TIP: Windows Me also includes an on-screen keyboard that may be useful for mobility-impaired users. To open the on-screen keyboard, click the Start button, point to Accessories, point to Accessibility, and then click On-Screen Keyboard.

REFERENCES

The information in this article is an excerpt from the Microsoft Windows Me Step-by-Step book, published by Microsoft Press.

[GRAPHIC: Picture of the Windows Me Step-By-Step book][1]

Learn More About Microsoft Windows Me Step-by-Step

For more information about this publication and other Microsoft Press titles, see http://mspress.microsoft.com.


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