Windows Help -Three 

More Help, Tips and Tweaks

Password Security (For Win2k) 

By default, Windows 2000 lets you log in without having to press Ctrl-Alt-Del to obtain the login screen. You can change this by opening the Control Panel and looking in Users and Passwords. In the Advanced tab, check "Require users to press Ctrl-Alt-Delete before logging on.

Uninstall Tips Fix Windows (For Win98/Me) 

If you often check out demo programs or games, when you're done with them, you uninstall them; thinking that the uninstall routine will remove them completely. Unfortunately, this is NOT the case and may cause problems down the line. Here are tips to cleaning up after a program uninstalls. The programs  referred to are only available in Win98, 98SE, Me versions.

 A) Check the file folder that contained the original program. Often saved games or character files remain on the computer EVEN AFTER THE UNINSTALL. Simply delete the offending folder and regain mucho disk space.

 B) Check your startup folder using msconfig.exe. Many programs will leave "stubs" in this folder, even after they're removed. Unchecking the startup program in msconfig will regain system resources and you may find all manner of useless stuff that can be easily shutoff without having to resort to editing your registry. 

C) Use System File Checker (sfc.exe) and Version Checker (vcmui.exe) to assure that your system files have not been corrupted, deleted or changed by an install/uninstall routine. Games are notorious for installing old versions of DirectX over the new one you downloaded last week. This can cause video, sound and joystick problems that can be easily cured by checking for and restoring the files with the most recent file version number and or date. Don't pay too much attention to file dates as they sometimes are erroneously saved as the date they were installed, not the create date. 

D) Run dxdiag.exe if you have problems that you know are related to DirectX. You can see if your drivers are up to date, check to see if they are working properly and change some default DX settings for compatibilty. If DXDiag say the driver is uncertified, don't worry too much unless you know the driver is the problem, "certified drivers" are not usually the most recent or best for your games. These simple tasks will improve the load speed of Windows 98 and help to mitigate problems from poorly designed uninstallers. You can fix many issues using these programs.

Add Accent Marks (For Win9x) 

There's an easy way to add accent marks and other special characters to words like resume and cafe. Open the Character Map application (Start/Programs/Accessories in Windows 95, Start/Programs /Accessories/System Tools in Win98). If Character Map isn't installed, you can add it using Control Panel's Add/Remove Programs applet. In the drop-down list under Font, select the font you're using in your document. In Character Map, find the character you need, double-click it to add it to the  Characters To Copy field, then click on Copy. Return to your document, place your cursor where you'd like the character to appear (or select a letter to replace)  and press Ctrl+V to paste the new character.

Lock Down Your Screen from Prying Eyes (For Win98)

Here's how to obscure and secure the contents of your PC screen from prying eyes in a flash. Start by picking a specific screen- saver and configuring it the way you like it (right click the desktop, choose Properties, and click the Screen Saver tab). For extra protection, give your screen-saver a password. Next, run the Find, Files and Folders utility from the Start Menu, and type *.SCR in the "Named" field. Click the Browse button, locate your \Windows\System folder, and click the Find Now button. Find the screen-saver filename that matches the screen-saver you picked. Right-click drag and drop it from the Find window to your desktop. As you drop it, choose "Create Shortcut (s) Here" from the pop-up menu. Rename the new shortcut icon "LockDown," or any name your prefer. From now on, whenever you want to shutdown both viewing and active access to your PC instantly, just double click the LockDown icon. Mount it on the Quick Launch part of Taskbar to make launching even faster.

Hide the Virtual Memory Button under the System Control Panel Icon (Win9x) 

Use this Registry setting to hide the Virtual Memory button on the Performance tab under Control Panel > System. By hiding this button, you can prevent people from changing or disabling your machine's Virtual Memory setting, which can adversely effect its performance. To set this option, open the Registry Editor and go to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ Policies\System Edit/create the value "NoVirtMemPage" (String Value) and set the value to "1" (without quotes) to hide the Virtual Memory button, or "0" to display the button. The setting will take effect immediately and it doesn't require a reboot. ** this tip is for users who are familiar with the Registry Editor **

System Resource Meter (Win98) 

To keep an eye on Win98 system resources, make sure the System Resource Meter is installed. Run Add/Remove Programs from Control Panel, and select the Windows Setup tab. Click on System Tools and then Details; check the box for the System Resource Meter and click on OK twice to install it. When you run the program, a resource usage gauge will appear in the System Tray. 

Migrate from Win95  (Win2k)

Windows 2000 includes a migration path from Win95, which means most Win32 applications won't require reinstallation when you move from Win95 to Windows 2000. 

Tips on Shortcut Keys (Win9x) 

1. For a shortcut key to work, it must be somewhere that Explorer looks at during system startup, such as the Desktop, or somewhere in the hierarchy of the Start Menu.

 2. Always try a shortcut before assigning it; if you use a shortcut that is already assigned, then neither one will work, and it's usually an exhaustive search process to find the two. 

3. Many times, you have to restart Windows before a shortcut key will work. 

4. The default seems to be "Ctrl+Alt+key"

5. It's not possible (or, at least, easy) to assign a shortcut key to one of the internal Explorer icons, such as for Internet Explorer or Outlook.

6. Make a Shortcut  with C:\WINDOWS\RUNDLL32.EXE shell32.dll,SHExitWindowsEx 1 in the command line and use a shortcut key of Ctrl-Alt-\ (it does a shutdown); then, when  Windows gets funny, you have a chance of getting at least a partial shutdown without having to use the mouse or find the Start/shutdown menu. That, combined with turning off Windows' hard disk write-caching, means that you lose much less information from system crashes. (No hard disk write-caching: Start; Settings; Control Panel; System; Performance tab; File System; Troubleshooting tab; check Disable Write-behind caching for all drives.)

Examine Files Before They Change Your Registry  (Win9x) 

If a new application is accompanied by an information file (filename.INF), that file may contain Registry-revision instructions. If so, search it for lines beginning with AddReg= and DelReg=. These lines point to the sections of the INF file that contain those instructions. Review the sections to get an idea of what changes are about to be made to your Registry.

Add Delete and Rename Options to the Recycle Bin  (Win98) 

Have you ever noticed that most desktop icons have a Delete and Rename option when you right-click on them, but the Recycle Bin does not? This option can make the Delete and Rename options available for the Recycle Bin as well. To set this option, go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes\CLSID\ {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\ShellFolder Edit the value "Attributes" (BINARY value) and change the value setting to one of the following numbers: 50010020  =  Add Rename Only 60010020  =  Add Delete Only 70010020  =  Add Delete and Rename ** This tip is for anyone who's familiar with the Registry Editor **

Access Programs Faster with Disk Defragmenter (Win98) 

Do you have a few programs that you use far more than any others? If so, you can make those programs more quickly accessible. The improved Disk Defragmenter in Windows 98 can gather the program files you use most often and move them to the faster parts of your hard disk. To run Disk Defragmenter, click Start and select Programs/Accessories/System Tools and then select Disk Defragmenter. Click on the Settings button and make sure that the option labeled "Rearrange program files so my programs start faster" is selected. Click OK twice to begin defragmentation. 

Return Filched File Types (Win98)

Ever encounter an application that designates itself as the default program for a file extension previously owned by another program? The quickest way to get out of this jam under Win9x is to find an example of an incorrectly associated file. Click on the file once to select it, then hold down the Shift key while you right-click on it. Choose Open With. Select the correct program, check the "Always use this program to open this type of file" box and click on OK. Or, if you don't find the program, click on the Other button and navigate to the correct program on your drive.

Save Your Install Info (Win9x) 

You'll increase your chances of getting out of virtually any computer problem if you follow this rule of thumb: Never install a program unless you own it, and have the executable setup file and installation CD or installation floppy disk handy. The same rule goes for programs you download from the Internet. Always save the installer files. Create a folder called C:\Setup, C:\Downloads or C:\Installers and store the setup files in subfolders named for each program and version number. Even better, store them on a second hard drive or partition. You should also copy the Favorite shortcut to the program's Web site to the program's folder. If there's a program serial number or license file, store that too. If you ever have to reinstall your applications, you'll be prepared. 

Speed Up Quick View (Win98)

Quick View is an underused, under-appreciated feature of Windows; it lets you quickly and safely see the contents of documents without opening their associated applications. To make it even quicker, create a shortcut to it, C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\VIEWERS\QUIKVIEW.EXE, and then drag and drop a file onto the icon to view it. 

Create a Hiding Program Bar (Win98 & ME) 1

1. Create a new folder on your desktop. 

2. Drag/Drop or create shortcuts in this folder of programs you use. In Win 98/ME you can right click a program from the Start menu, drag it to the new folder and when you drop it select copy from the menu. 

3. Drag the folder to the edge of the screen and drop it. It will create    a program bar. 

4. Right click the Title and Select Auto-Hide 

5. Right click the Title again and de-select Show Title in both places. Anything that you add to the folder on the desktop will show up in the program bar. You can also hide the folder by setting it properties to Hidden.

Remove the Update Folder (Win9x) 

When you install Internet Explorer 5 over Win9x, you'll find a new folder called Windows Update Setup Files in your root directory. This folder is filled with setup files that take up between 10MB and 20MB of space on your hard disk. It's a good idea to save them for a while after installing IE5 to make sure it's running properly. That way, you won't have to download the app again if you run into trouble and want to reinstall. After using IE5 for a while without encountering any problems, you can delete these files to regain the disk space.

Auto Resize Columns for Long Filenames (Win9x) 

When browsing folders with Windows Explorer, or My Computer in the Details view, longer filenames may be truncated in the view due to column width. This can make finding a file difficult as the distinguishing feature of the filename may well be at the end. You can resize the Name column by clicking and dragging the vertical black border to the right of the column heading, but here's a neat trick: try double-clicking the border instead of dragging it. The column will automatically be resized to fit the longest filename in the directory without truncating it!

Disable Password Caching (IE 5) 

Internet Explorer has the ability to remember the passwords you use to log on to certain Web sites. To disable this feature -- called Password Caching -- open the Registry editor and drill down to the key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ CurrentVersion\Internet Settings. Right-click the white space in the left pane and select New/DWORD Value. Give the new value the name DisablePasswordCaching and set the value to 0x00000001.

Reinstall the Volume Control Icon (Win98)

If you have inadvertently lost your volume control icon from the task bar, you may reinstall it by going to Start>Settings>Control Panel>Multimedia and Check off the block ON [X] that says SHOW volume control on the taskbar. And Presto, the volume control icon will be back for you to use. Please keep in mind that all Multimedia software or Hardware may not support this option. In that case your sound board probably has a volume control wheel on it.