| July 1999 | Volume 9 • Number 7 |
Tips and techniques ... by Tom S. Bair, Jr.
[W95][W98] I showed you how to disable the CD's autoplay feature for just the current CD back in the January issue of Computer Bits. Now I would like to explain how you can disable the CD's autoplay permanently.
1. Double-left click on the My Computer icon on your desktop.
2. At the top of the menu, left-click on View, and again left-click on Folder Options.
3. Left-click on the File Types tab. (My mother likes to call the tabs "folder tops").
4. In the Registered File Types window, left-click on the word AudioCD.
5. Left-click the Edit button.
6. You should see the word 'play' in bold type displayed in a window under Actions. Left-click on the Set Default button located at the bottom right of the window. This should result in the word 'play' being unbolded. (To re-enable CD Autoplay, insure that the word appears in bold print and continue on to step 7).
7. Left-click on the Close button.
8. Left-click the OK button.
[NT] Do you use Windows NT Workstation 4.0 at your work place? Are you concerned about others accessing your NT computer whenever you leave your desk? If so, then just press Ctrl-Alt-Delete whenever you wish to secure your computer. A Windows NT Security dialog menu pops up. Left-click on Lock Workstation. Your computer can't be accessed now without the correct password. To unlock your workstation, press Ctrl-Alt-Delete, enter your password, and press the Enter key.
[W95][W98] There are two ways your print spooling can be configured. You have to decide which configuration you will use. The first configuration will spool an entire document to your printer before beginning to print. This requires more disk space and increases the total printing time, but gets you back to your application more quickly.
The second configuration will start printing the first page of the document as soon as it is buffered into the EMF file. Although this reduces the total print time and disk space used, it requires more time before you are returned to your application. My advice is to try both for a short time and pick the configuration that best suits your needs.
1. Left-click on the 'Start' button.
2. Double-click on the 'Printers' icon.
3. Right-click on a Printer icon. Click on 'Properties' in the resulting pop-up menu.
4. Click on the 'Details' tab. Toward the bottom of the window, click on the 'Spool Settings' button.
5. Click on the radio button next to "Spool print jobs so program finishes printing faster."
6. Click on one of these two options:
A. Click on "Start printing after last page is spooled" radio button if you want to return to your application faster.
B. Click on "Start printing after first page is spooled" if you want to reduce the total print time and disk space used.
7. Click on the 'Ok' button.
8. Click on the 'Ok' button again.
9. Exit the 'Printers' folder and exit 'Control Panel.'
[W95][W98] In the June issue of this column, I explained how to put CAB files on your hard drive (pg. 63). I received e-mail from Kevin Heitz explaining how to go one step better by editing the registry. He says to navigate to
"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE|SOFTWARE|MICROSOFT|WINDOWS|CURRENTVER SION|SETUP (and) modify the SourcePath to show the location of your CAB files. Now, whenever Windows needs the Win95/98 CD, it will not prompt you for it, and you no longer need it to browse the CAB files."
Thanks for the tip, Kevin. Now allow me to give step-by-step instructions for the intermediate users who feel comfortable with altering their Registry File.
1. Left-click on the 'Start' button.
2. Left-click on 'Run'.
3. Type in regedit on the dialog line and press the enter key.
4. In the left pane of the Registry Editor; left-click on the box with the plus symbol in it (referred to as plus-box from here on out), next to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.
5. Click on the plus-box next to the 'Software' folder.
6. Click on the plus-box next to the 'Microsoft' folder.
7. Click on the plus-box next to the 'Windows' folder.
8. Click on the plus-box next to the 'CurrentVersion' folder.
9. Click on the 'Setup' folder, not on the plus-box next to it.
10. Double-click on 'SourcePath' in the right pane of the Registry Editor.
11. An 'Edit String' dialog window will open up. You will see "D:\WIN98\" highlighted in the 'Value data:' dialog line. Type in the path of your new location for your CAB files. If you followed the instructions in the previous issue, and you are running Windows 98; you would type C:\WIN98\ on the dialog line. (Don't worry about the highlighted text: it will disappear as soon as you begin typing input).
12. Click on the 'Ok' button.
13. Left-click on 'Registry' in the text tool bar at the top of the window.
14. Click on 'Exit' in the drop-down menu.
Would you believe I just went out and spent $69.99 for the Microsoft Windows 98 Resource Kit from Microsoft Press? It's a really nice, thick book with a very useful CD in the back. It claims to be the Professional's Companion to Windows 98.
While I was browsing though this book, I decided to use the Windows 98 Installation CD to research some facts it presented. And guess what I found? The book I spent a lot of money for is on the CD! It's called 'Windows 98 Resource Kit Book Online,' and it's word-for-word exactly as the print edition. The only thing it lacks is the "Tools and Utilities" CD that comes with the book. But at a savings of seventy bucks, who can complain?
To view this awesome resource, insert your Windows 98 Installation CD into your CD-ROM drive. If your Auto-play is enabled, you will click on "Browse this CD" in the blue window that pops up. (If Auto-play is not active on your computer, open My Computer and double-click on your CD-ROM drive icon to display the blue window.) Navigate through the following folders: tools|reskit|help. Now double-click on 'rk98book.chm'.
Up pops what looks like a regular help window, yet it is titled "Windows 98 Resource Kit Book Online." You may use this application just as you would the Help application. Not only does this online resource contain all the tables and graphics that are in the print edition, but it is also set up for hyperlinks. Just clicking on an underlined blue word will jump you to a related topic or definition.