Windows Watcher

Should you buy a laptop or a desktop? ... by Tom S. Bair Jr.

With Christmas approaching, several readers have been asking me which would make a better present for their loved ones, a laptop or desktop computer. The answer is not an easy one, and must take into consideration both the buyer's pocketbook and the user's needs. Is this computer going to be used by the family at large? If so, then get a desktop PC. Is this computer to be used by a child who is going to college? If so, then get a laptop.

The gift giver must understand that laptop computers cost twice as much to purchase and maintain as their desktop counterparts. If the keyboard or pointing device buy the farm, it isn't a simple matter of stopping at your local computer shop for the part. The upgrade options are limited and expensive as well. However, the mobility offered by laptops is well worth the expense.

The type of computer you purchase depends on the needs and finances of those involved. My best advice for those who are struggling with this problem is to read the Parental Computing column by Nancy Ahern in this issue. As for myself, I like questions like the following from Wes Malo. "I may leave my laptop unused for about ten months. I have a Ni-MH battery. What is my best course of action in protecting my battery"?

The answer is to fully discharge the battery. Store the battery at room temperature in a dry location. Before using the battery again, fully recharge it. For a fast charge, place the battery in the laptop and plug the computer into an outlet without turning it on. Allow ten to twelve hours to pass before booting the laptop. For a slow charge, run the laptop while charging. Do not unplug the laptop for operation until charging is complete. Doing so can diminish the life of the battery.

Remove Documents List

[98] There are two methods of removing the Documents List from the Start menu. The first involves TweakUI and is the simpler of the two. You must have TweakUI installed on your computer. If you do not have it, I suggest you try downloading it from http://www.download.com. See the "Installing TweakUI" tip from the June 1999 issue of this column, or look it up in the Windows Tips Database located under Online Features of Computer Bits Online at http://www.computerbits.com.

1. Click on the Start button.
2. Highlight Settings and click on 'Control Panel.'
3. Click on the TweakUI icon.
4. Click the IE4 tab.
5. Click on the check box next to "Show Documents on Start Menu." The check mark in the box will disappear.
6. Click the OK button.
7. Reboot your computer.

If you don't have, or don't like to use, TweakUI, then use this second method instead. It involves editing the Registry, so you will want to back up the Registry first.

1. Click on the Start button.
2. Click on Run. Type in regedit from the keyboard, and click on the OK button.
3. In the left pane of the Registry Editor window, click on the box with a plus sign in it to the left of HKEY_CURRENT_USER.
4. Click on the plus box next to 'Software.'
5. Click on the plus box next to 'Microsoft.'
6. Click on the plus box next to 'Windows.'
7. Click on the plus box next to 'CurrentVersion.'
8. Click on the plus box next to 'Policies.'
9. Click on the 'Explorer' folder.
10. In the Toolbar at the top of the Registry window, click on 'Edit.'
11. Highlight 'New' and click on 'Binary Value' in the pop-up menu.
12. Change the default name to NoRecentDocsHistory. Press the Enter key.
13. Press the Enter key again and change the contents of the Value Data to 01000000. Pay no attention to the first four zeros that are already there. Be sure to type the eight numbers in sequence.
14. Click on the OK button.
15. Right-click on a blank area in the right pane of the Registry Editor.
16. Highlight New and click on 'Binary Value' in the resulting pop-up menu.
17. Change this default name to NoRecentDocsMenu. Press the Enter key.
18. Press the Enter key again and change the contents of this Binary Value window to 01000000 (the same eight digits as in step #13).
19. Click on the OK button.
20. Exit the Registry Editor by clicking on 'Registry' in the toolbar, and clicking on 'Exit' in the drop-down command menu.
21. Reboot your computer by clicking on the Start button, Shut down, Restart, and the OK button.

If you decide you want the Documents list back, you can change the value data in the above two Binary Values to 00000000 (eight zeros).

Extending Laptop Usage

[95/98/SE] If you desire the longest possible battery life and don't mind making some sacrifices in performance of your laptop, perform the below steps to extend the battery life.

1. Right-click on the 'My Computer' icon on your desktop.
2. Click on 'Properties.'
3. Click on the Performance tab.
4. Click on the 'File System...' button.
5. Click on the down-arrow next to "Typical role of this computer."
6. Click on 'Mobile or Docking System' in the drop-down list.
7. Click the OK button.
8. Again click the OK button.

Although your laptop will not run as fast as it used to, it will last longer between battery charges.

Empty Your Browser Cache

[95/98/SE] Want to know where your kids have been surfing to on the Internet? Wondering if your husband has been browsing the adult sites? Suspect the wife is spending too much time on ebay? Have a need to determine where on the Internet your employees are going?

Information from each Web site you visit using a browser is stored on your hard drive in the form of cookies. These are stored in a cache folder named C:\Windows\Temporary Internet Files. So all you need to do to find out where a person has been on the web is to run Windows Explorer and navigate to this cache folder. You will be shown the names of the cookies, the Internet Address, and when that site was last accessed!

If I have you feeling insecure in having this data available to any person who cares to snoop your cache, follow these steps to empty it.

1. Right-click on the Internet Explorer icon on your desktop.
2. Click on 'Properties.'
3. On the General tab, click on the 'Delete Files' button.
4. Click the OK button.
5. Again click the OK button.

You can also access the Properties menu from IE5 itself by clicking on Tools|Internet Options..., then following steps 3-5 above.