Windows Watcher

Regurgitated graphics from past Operating Systems ... by Tom S. Bair Jr.

I finally located a Windows 98 blooper. To see it, right-click an empty spot on your desktop and select NEW|SHORTCUT. Look at the graphic to the left of the 'Create Shortcut' menu. Notice the vertical gray strip on the left side of the Start menu. It says "Windows 95". (For you novice users, just click the 'cancel' button to exit the menu with no actions taken).

I will leave it to other columnists in other magazines to debate whether or not this blooper signifies Windows 98 is nothing more than an update to Windows 95. Or that this qualifies as proof that Microsoft is ripping us off with regurgitated graphics from past Operating Systems. I am simply pleased that I have discovered a visual mistake in the OS.

Turn Off "Click Here to Begin"

[W98] There are still users out there who are annoyed by the bouncing "Click Here to Begin" arrow when Windows 98 is first booted. Would you like to learn how to turn that wee bugger off? If you have TweakUI installed on your Control Panel, access it and:

1. Click on the 'Explorer' tab.
2. Under the 'Startup' section, uncheck the box next to 'Animated "Click Here to Begin".

1. Left-click the Start button.
2. Left-click 'Run'.
3. Type REGEDIT in the dialog box and press the ENTER key.
4. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER|Software|Microsoft|Windows|CurrentVersion|Policies|Explorer.
5. Create a binary value and name it NoStartBanner.
6. Double-click on NoStartBanner. Enter a value string of 01 00 00 00.
7. Press the OK button.
8. Navigate to HKEY_USERS|.Default|Software|Windows|CurrentVersion|Policies|Explorer.
9. Repeat steps 5,6 and 7.
10. Close Regedit.

WARNING: Tampering with the Windows Registry file can crash your computer. Proceed with extreme caution!

Device Manager Shortcut

[W95][W98]For me, the most utilized addition in Windows 98 has to be the Device Manager. Not only does the menu allow me to view all devices attached to my computer, but also the resources used by each device. Getting to this menu can be time consuming when you must perform up to a half-dozen mouse clicks. I solved this time consuming chore by placing the Device Manager on my Start Menu.

1. Click on the Start button, highlight 'Programs', and click on 'Windows Explorer'.
2. Navigate to your Start Menu folder. To do so, in the left pane of Explorer; click first on 'Drive C', next click on the WINDOWS folder. Finally, click on the Start Menu folder.
3. Click on the word 'File' in the upper-left corner of Windows Explorer. Highlight 'New', then click on 'Shortcut'.
4. In the Command Line dialog box, type the following: C:\WINDOWS\CONTROL.EXE sysdm.cpl, System,1. Either hit the Enter key, or click on the Next button.
5. Type 'Device Manager' in the "Select a name for this shortcut" dialog box.
6. Press the Finish button.

To see the result of your handiwork, click on the Start button. Look up at the top of your Start Menu. You will find a selection named 'Device Manager'. Clicking on it will take you directly to the fore-said menu.

Removing Online Services

[W98] Windows 98 installs a desktop shortcut and files for you to set up several popular national online services. But once you've installed the one you want, free up disk space by removing the rest.

1. Drag the Online Services desktop shortcut to the Recycle Bin.
2. From the Control Panel, open 'Add/Remove Programs'.
3. Click on the 'Windows Setup' tab.
4. Clear the services you don't want and click on the OK button.
5. Now click on the 'Apply' button and then the OK button.

One Click Closes All Windows

[W95][W98] Sometimes we are required to open multiple windows to perform a task. It is such a pain to close all those open windows. Here's a better way. Hold down your SHIFT key as you click on the 'x' button in the top-right corner of your last opened folder. This consequence will close all open windows on your desktop.

Reassign Setup CD-ROM

[W98] When you install Windows 98, it remembers where the install files are on your computer. Of course this would be the CD-ROM drive (most often Drive D:), in a folder named WIN98. Yet what happens if you add a second hard drive? What if you relocate all your Windows 98 CAB files on your hard drive (as explained in last month's column under 'Install CAB Files on Hard Drive')? Windows is going to be stubborn and reference the original installation location.

This will be annoying if your CD has since gotten a new drive letter. Even worse is having zillions of Computer Bits readers cussing me out because they placed all their CAB files on their hard drive, only to have Windows wanting to load from the CD-ROM. Let me quickly tell you how to inform Windows 98 where to automatically look for the setup CD.

1. Left-click on the Start button.
2. Left-click on 'Run' and type "regedit" in the dialog box. Press the Enter key.
3. Navigate to KHEY_LOCAL_MACHINE|Software|Microsoft|Windows|CurrentVersion|Setup. NOTE: If you do not know how to navigate the Registry, you should not be using the Registry Editor until you are able to familiarize yourself with it's use.
4. Right-click on SourcePath, and click on 'Modify' in the pop-up menu.
5. Change the value to reflect the location of your CAB files (normally D:\WIN98).

Remove Start Menu programs

[W95][W98] Several times in the past I have shown you how to add programs and shortcuts to your Start menu. Now I would like to show you how to remove anything from your Start menu.

1. Right-click on any empty area of your Taskbar.
2. Left-click on 'Properties' from the shortcut menu which will pop up.
3. Left-click the 'Start Menu' tab.
4. Click on the Remove button.
5. Select the item you want to remove in the 'Shortcuts/Folders' tree by left-clicking on the name of the item. Now click on the Remove button.
6. Repeat Step 5 for all items you desire to remove.
7. When done, click on the Close button, then click on the OK button.

Creating File Associations

[W95][W98] If a file association is not created by default, it is set the first time you double-click an unknown file type. For example, if you double-click on a file which Windows does not know how to open, you will be prompted for a program to use to open the file. You will be presented with a list of every program installed. Once you select a program from that list, it will be assigned to open that file type.

Let us assume that the program you want to use to open the file type is not on the list. You would click on the 'Other' button, and browse the contents of the hard drive until you located the program you wished to use. This is how a 'first time setup' is done on an unknown file type. But how would you later change the association?

1. Double-click the My Computer icon on your desktop.
2. Click on the word 'View' located just under the title bar of the open window for My Computer.
3. Go to the bottom of the pop-up menu and click on 'Options' ('Folder Options' in Windows 98).
4. Click on the 'File Types' tab.
5. Search the list of file types for the one you want to change. When you have located it, just left-click on the name.
6. Now click on the 'Edit' button.
7. From the 'actions' list, select "open"; and click on the 'Edit' button.
8. A window will pop up, click on the 'Browse' button and locate the program you wish to use to open the file type. When you have found the program, double left-click on it and click on the OK button.
9. Close all open windows until you are back to your desktop. That's it, the new file association is now set.

Activating Thumbnail view

[W98] In Windows Explorer, the View menu gives you four options: Large Icons, Small Icons, List, or Details. But did you know that there is a fifth option called Thumbnails? It shows you miniature images of any and all graphic files in a folder. If you would like to enable thumbnails for a folder:

1. Right-click on the folder in Explorer.
2. Left-click on Properties in the pop-up menu.
3. Select Enable Thumbnail view.

Now when you open the folder in Windows Explorer, from the 'View' menu, just click on 'Thumbnail View'.

Making a Boot Disk

[W98] Remember when you were upgrading your computer to Windows 98, you were asked to place a blank 1.44 MB disk into the drive. Windows was anxious to make us a 'boot disk' just in case it mucked things up during the install process.

You obeyed by popping in the requested disk. You took it out when prompted by Windows Setup to do so. Then you put it . . . where?

Later, as your computer was crashing for one reason or another; you frantically looked for that darn boot disk.

One friend believed she was being clever by using a very strong magnet to attach the disk to her refrigerator. Never lose it now, she thought, not realizing this was a huge no-no.

So whether you have physically lost it or somehow erased it, you need to make another. Must you re-install Windows 98 just to get a bootable floppy out of the experience? Not if you follow these easy steps:

1. Make sure your computer is on (I always wanted to say that... ).
2. Left-click on the Start button.
3. Highlight 'Settings', and left-click on 'Control Panel'.
4. Highlight and left-click on the 'Add/Remove Programs' icon.
5. Left-click on the 'Startup Disk' tab.
6. Left-click on the 'Create Disk button.
7. Place a blank floppy in the drive. You will need to have your Windows 98 CD in your CD-ROM drive.

After Windows 98 has made your new boot disk, you will need to find out if it really works.

Shut down your computer. (Do not place it in Suspend Mode, you want to turn it off). Place your newly created Boot Disk into your A: drive. Turn on your computer. (NOTE: If your hard drive uses a disk partition program such as EZ-Drive, follow the on-screen instructions to boot from a floppy disk).

When prompted, choose the "Start Computer with CD-ROM Support" option. Your computer should install the CD DOS drivers from your boot disk. Wait for the A:> prompt to appear on your monitor. Make sure you have floppy disks in your drives and CDs in your CD-ROM drive(s). Now check each of your drives by typing the drive letter followed with a colon, and pressing the Enter key. Type DIR and press Enter. If your drive is being accessed correctly, a listing will appear on your monitor. Go on to the next drive.

Once you have verified that your boot disk works, store it in a dry, non-magnetic location. Don't forget to label your disk 'Windows 98 Boot Disk', or another similar title.