Chapter 13, "Exploiting Your Software," examined some of the things you could do to exploit your software. Getting the most out of your software is really only part of the process, however. You have a large investment in hardware as well, so it pays to get the most you can out of it. A combination of optimum hardware and software usage will enable you to get your work done quickly, yet use the least number of resources. I'll use the same criteria in this chapter that I did in the preceding one to define exploiting your hardware. In short, this chapter will provide the information you need to get the job done fast and with few resources, without sacrificing any quality.
One of the problems with trying to outline a set of definitive hardware guidelines is that not everyone has the same equipment. Your equipment is probably different from just about everyone else's. Unlike software, which must at least meet standards to work with the hardware and follow the interface rules used by all Windows software in general, each piece of hardware seems to need a unique set of drivers. Of course, two SVGA display adapters use some of the same access methods, but hardware vendors differentiate their products by the things they don't do the same.
Another problem with hardware is the variances within the same models. My Pro Audio Spectrum 16+ Revision D has some subtle differences from Revision C that cause problems under Windows in some cases. In fact, I can't use the Revision C drivers with my Revision D device; they simply won't work. Obviously, you can't provide a driver for every little variation a piece of hardware might have; that would require literally hundreds of drivers for each vendor. You can provide a driver that uses the common features of each variation, however, and hope that the subtle differences won't cause any problems.
Problems aside, you'll find that Windows NT does provide good support for most of the hardware on your machine and even takes a few quirks into account so you don't have to. In the following sections, I'll discuss all the classes of hardware you can install. I'll provide some general tips for optimizing your setup and give you some guidelines you can use to implement an effective strategy for nonstandard hardware.
Windows NT usually detects all the hardware on your machine during setup. Unlike Windows 95, Windows NT doesn't provide Plug and Play support, so it has to rely on an extensive set of .INF files to detect your hardware by looking for certain characteristics. It performs a checklist to see if it can figure out what kinds of devices you have and then loads the appropriate drivers for you. Chapter 4, "Setup Primer," covered this entire process. That chapter also covered some of the things you could do if Windows NT doesn't detect your hardware, so I won't repeat that discussion here. What happens if you install a new piece of hardware after installing Windows NT, though? What do you do with old devices that are no longer installed? These are the topics I'll cover in this section of the chapter. I'll also outline troubleshooting procedures you can follow if Windows doesn't act as expected.
Before you can use a printer, you have to install and configure it. I used to hate doing this under Windows 3.x because it seemed as if every printer was just different enough to make life difficult. It was a nice surprise to see how easy things are under Windows NT. Chapter 2, "Exploring the Interface," briefly discussed the topics of installing and configuring your printer in the section "Configuring Windows NT Applets." That's where I told you how to perform a special file installation. This section provides the details required to install a printer. It also includes some productivity tips.
Even if you don't have any printers installed on your system, you'll have a Printer folder in the Control Panel. At a minimum, this folder will contain an applet that enables you to install a new printer. This is the applet you use to add a new printer to your system. I'm going to show you how to install a local printer in this section; look in the next section for tips on connecting to a remote printer. I'll take a look at some configuration details in this section as well.
Note: If you plan to use a printer attached to a Windows 95 (or other non-Windows NT) workstation, you need to use the following procedure instead of the network installation I show in the next section. The network installation assumes that you'll use the drivers on the remote server to perform printing chores. Not only does this save local hard disk space, but it reduces the load on the local workstation. All processing is done on the server. To create a network printer attachment using this procedure, you'll need to add the appropriate network port to the list of ports in step 5. I'll show you how to add a network port to the list of ports in the section "Adding a Port" later in this chapter.
Figure 14.1. The Add Printer Wizard provides an easy method of adding a new printer to your system.
Note: You might not see the dialog box shown in Figure 14.1 if your machine doesn't have network support installed. If you don't see Figure 14.1, simply bypass the rest of step 2 and the very first sentence in step 3. You should see the dialog box in Figure 14.2 that enables you to select a printer type.
Tip: Windows doesn't restrict you from creating multiple installations for the same printer. In fact, doing so will enable you to create multiple setups that are optimized for specific types of jobs. You could create a printer setup specifically designed to output graphics, for example. I often keep a printer setup handy for sending draft output to the printer.
Figure 14.2. Use the entries in this dialog box to select a printer vendor and model.
Figure 14.3. The port selection list might not include any network connections if you haven't used them before.
Tip: You can create multiple connections for one printer. I usually add a file connection as a minimum so that I can delay printing until later. A fax connection is also a good idea to support applications that don't provide a fax connection.
Figure 14.7. The Printer Properties dialog box enables you to change the current printer options.
As you can see, installing a printer isn't difficult. You'll probably need to configure the printer for your specific needs. I've found that Windows doesn't always choose the optimum settings for some items. It chose the 180x180 resolution for my dot matrix printer instead of the higher-resolution 360x360 mode, for example. The next section will take you through the process of connecting to a network port. Next, I'll look at adding a port. Then, I'll look at the overall configuration procedure.
You should use the following procedure if you want to connect to a printer server on a network. What Windows NT is looking for in this case is another machine that contains the drivers and services it needs. You can get around the driver requirement. A Windows 95 workstation won't contain Windows NT driver files, for example, but you can still make an attachment using this procedure. Windows NT will detect that the drivers it needs aren't available on the server and ask you to supply them. Usually, you'd use this procedure in a server environment. Look at the services part of the equation. Windows NT will also require the remote workstation to process printing requests. A Windows 95 workstation can perform that part of the task. You need to share the printer on the remote workstation before Windows NT will see it and use it. The following procedure takes you through the steps for adding a network printer connection to your system.
Adding a network port is very easy under Windows NT. All you need to do is right-click within the Printer folder, select Server Properties, and click the Ports tab. Windows NT also allows you to access this page by right-clicking any installed printer icon, selecting Properties, then selecting the Ports tab. You should see a dialog box similar to the one shown in Figure 14.10. You can perform three tasks in this dialog box: adding, deleting, or configuring a printer port.
Figure 14.10. The Ports page of the Print Server Properties dialog box enables you to add, delete, and configure the ports your printer attaches to.
Clicking the Add Port button displays the dialog box shown in Figure 14.11. You can choose from three types of ports by selecting them from the Available Printer Ports listbox: Local Port, PJL Language Monitor, and Digital Network Port. You also can add third-party monitors by clicking the New Monitor button. Windows NT asks you to supply a disk containing a MONITOR.INF file. The vendor should supply this file along with any drivers you'll need. The serviceability of the monitors varies according to the capabilities of the printer, print server, or network it supports. The default PJL Language Monitor gets its functionality from the PJLMON.DLL in your SYSTEM32 folder. It allows you to create local and digital network ports.
Figure 14.11. You can select from a variety of print connections in this dialog box.
Let's begin with a quick look at the local option. All you need to do in this case is highlight Local Port in the Available Printer Ports listbox and click OK. You'll see the dialog box shown in Figure 14.12. Just type the name of the local port you want to add and click OK to complete the action. Click Close in the Printer Ports dialog box and you see a new local port added to the Ports on This Server listbox in the Printer Server Properties dialog box.
Figure 14.12. Adding a local port is as easy as typing a port or file name.
Adding a digital network dialog box is a little more work than adding a local port. You need to highlight the Digital Network Port option in the Printer Ports dialog box and click OK. Figure 14.13 shows the Add Port - Digital Network Port dialog box you'll use to specify a port name and type.
Figure 14.13. Use the Add Port - Digital Network Port dialog box to add a new network printer port.
Note: You must install TCP/IP, DECnet, or any other required network before attempting to install a network printer. Use the procedures found in Chapter 21, "Peer-to-Peer Networking," to accomplish this task.
The first thing you'll need to do is select an option in the Port Type field. All the entries for the default PJL monitor refer to TCP/IP and DECnet print servers. You'll need to install another monitor if you require other types of network access.
After you define a port type, you need to select the TCP/IP or DECnet network radio button (these are the only two options at the time of this writing; Microsoft may provide other options by the time Windows NT is released). This highlights some network identification fields for the port. Normally, you need to provide the network's name for the port and an address. The final piece of information you need to supply is a local name for the port in the Port Name field at the bottom of the dialog box.
You'll also find an Options button in the Add Port - Digital Network Port dialog box. Clicking this button displays the PrintServer Printer Options dialog box shown in Figure 14.14. The first two options work hand-in-hand to provide banner page support. Clicking the first checkbox prints a banner page. The second checkbox allows you to specify a printer input tray for the page. This is a really handy feature. You can select a tray containing used paper for printing the banner to reduce the cost of using this feature.
Figure 14.14. You can use the PrintServer Printer Options dialog box to define the printer port setupincluding how to print banner pages.
Tip: Click the Tray Number Hints button to see how the various trays are used on the print server. In some cases, the trays have very specific purposes and you'll want to make sure that you select the right one. Tray numbers are not consecutive on some print servers.
The last two checkboxes on this page define the input and output trays for the document. In most cases, you'll want to leave these checkboxes deselected so that the print server uses the default setting. Some software allows you to change the default setting, and checking these boxes would override that selection.
This dialog box also supports two data type entries (depending on the print server that you choose). The first data type is PostScript and the second is PCL (print control language). Obviously, your printer and print server would need to support these options.
Finally, clicking the Logging button in this dialog box displays the Logging Options dialog box shown in Figure 14.15. You can choose to send logging information to a file, a window, or both using the checkboxes in the Trace group. If you select the File option, you also need to provide the name of a log file in the Trace File Name field. The Log Level field determines which messages get logged. The default level of 0 provides the least detailyou only see critical error messages. The maximum level of 3 displays every message sent between your workstation and the print server.
Figure 14.15. You use the Logging Options dialog box to define how port activities get logged.
After you configure your digital network port, click OK to close the Add Port - Digital Network Port dialog box. Click Close in the Printer Ports dialog box to complete the action. If you've filled out all the fields correctly, you'll see a digital network port added to the Ports on This Server listbox in the Printer Server Properties dialog box.
Configuring your printer should be the next step after you assign it to a port. Most of the settings control the appearance of the output and the features that the printer provides to the user. In some cases, a configuration option also affects the speed of printing. I'll point out what kinds of choices you'll be making as you proceed through this section.
Opening the Printer Properties dialog box is as simple as right-clicking the Printer icon and selecting the Properties option from the context menu. The first page you'll always see is the General page, shown in Figure 14.16. All this page contains is the printer name, a comment that other users can use to identify the printer, a location, and the name of the driver. You'll also find four buttons on this page: New Driver, Separator Page, Print Processor, and Print Test Page. The Comment field can contain any information you want, such as the days and times that the printer is available for use. You shouldn't make any temporary comments because this field gets copied only once to other machines that need to use the printer. In other words, the comment is permanent and won't change as you change the comment on your machine. The Location field indicates where the printer is physically located. It appears on the properties page for other Windows NT workstations and servers. It won't appear on the properties page of any Windows 95 workstationsat least not as of this writing. The Driver drop-down listbox contains a list of the drivers currently installed on the machine. You can select a driver for the current printer from the list, although doing so will reset any custom configuration settings you've made. You can also click the New Driver button to select from the complete list of printers available. The Separator Page option is useful when more than one person uses the printer. It sends a page containing your name and other identifying information to the printer before it actually prints your document. Using a separator page wastes one piece of paper for each print job, but it does make sorting through the printouts a lot easier. You can use Print Test Page button at the bottom of the screen to test the capabilities of your printer at any time.
Figure 14.16. The General page of the Printer Properties dialog box enables you to change the basic identification of the printer.
I've already discussed the Ports page of the Printer Properties dialog box, so take a look at the Job Scheduling page shown in Figure 14.17. You can work with four different areas on this page. The first area determines when your printer will actually output data in its spool area of the hard disk. The default setting is Always; however, you can set this option to a specific time frame. You might set the interval to match the times when an attendant is available to add more paper or perform other printer-related tasks, for example.
Figure 14.17. Windows NT provides the option of scheduling print jobs using the options on the Job Scheduling page.
The priority section is next. You can determine how much of a load a printer will put on the workstation by changing the printer's priority. Obviously, a high priority will spool print jobs quickly, but it will also noticeably affect the operation of any foreground tasks on the machine.
The third section of the Job Scheduling page shows two main methods of printing the information. Spooling the data to the hard drive enables the application to finish its part of the job faster. The fastest way to spool is to send all the data to the hard drive first and then start printing it. That way, the print job won't have to take turns with the print spooler for processor cycles.
The last section of this page contains three checkboxes. The Hold Mismatched Jobs option tells Windows NT not to print any jobs that are potentially damaged in some wayreducing the amount of time wasted with print jobs that it can't complete. The second option, Print Spooled Jobs First, tells Windows NT to ignore any print jobs that require dedicated printer access (those that you sent directly to the printer) in favor of jobs spooled by an application to disk. The final option tells Windows NT to keep all the spooled print jobs when it finishes. That way, you can always resend a print job that was damaged in some way.
The Sharing page, shown in Figure 14.18, allows you to share the printer with other people. It contains two radio buttons. Selecting the Shared button enables other people to use the printer. You must provide a Share Name. Once you share a printer, Windows NT adds a hand to its icon. This shows that the printer is shared and helps prevent any confusion over local and network resources.
Figure 14.18. Use the Sharing page to enable other people to use your printer.
Tip: Sharing reduces your spooling options. In addition, using a shared printer imposes other speed penalties on the local user. I always create a second printer for myself that isn't shared. This way, I get the best of both worlds: a shared printer for other people to use and a nonshared printer that's configured specifically for my needs.
Looking Ahead: I discuss the options on the Security page in the section "Using the Security Page of the File or Folder Properties Dialog Box" in Chapter 23, "Security Issues." You'll find Security pages attached to just about every resource under Windows NT, and they all perform the same service. The Security page enables you to define who can use a resource and in what way they can use it. You'll also find options for changing the owner of a particular resource.
The Device Options page, shown in Figure 14.19, enables you to configure a printer for use. I was both happy and surprised to see the level of generalization that Microsoft has added. No matter what kind of printer you use, this page will always look the same. The three main sections are paper, fonts, and halftone setup. The first section allows you to select the paper you want to use. As you can see from the figure, there are four tray options; it doesn't matter what kind of a printer you're using or what options it physically provides. Windows NT supports a much broader range of paper types than Windows 3.x did. I especially like all the envelope options. Although I don't use this particular feature, you might want to configure an envelope printer if you print envelopes often. Unlike Windows 95, you won't find some of the configuration options related to how the printer outputs data here. There isn't an Orientation or Number of Copies option, for example. Windows NT appears to leave these options up to the application program. I wish they had retained these features, but at least the dialog box is easier to use that previous versions.
Figure 14.19. The Device Options page contains all the options needed to configure your printer for use.
Most printers support cartridges these days. Even the lowliest dot matrix printer usually provides some type of cartridge support. The Cartridges section of the Device Options page enables you to tell Windows which cartridges the printer contains.
Note: Windows NT still doesn't provide complete cartridge support for all printers. Epson sold a master cartridge for its LQ series printer for a number of years, for example. This cartridge contains all of the fonts that the printer will support. Unfortunately, Windows NT doesn't list this option in the fonts portion of the Device Options page, so you can't use the full potential of this feature. Always check this page to determine which fonts Windows NT supports before you make an investment.
The final section of this page adjusts the halftone setup for the printer. Figure 14.20 shows a typical Device Color/Halftone Properties dialog box. The Halftone Pattern drop-down listbox enables you to adjust the size of the box used to emulate color. A larger box allows Windows to provide more variations of color using dots. The larger the box, however, the lower the resolution of your output. Some devices support multiple dot sizesthat's where the enhanced version of the pattern shown in the figure comes in. Using different sized dots lets a printer produce more variations of color with fewer dots. Some laser printers support this feature. The Device Gamma option affects the relationship between on-screen pixels and the printed output. Adjusting this setting will change the aspect ratio of the output you see to match that on-screen. Pixel Diameter affects the size of the pixels used to create the printed output. Using larger pixels produces a denser image. Finally, the Device Alignment White setting adjusts the darkness of the image. A high number produces a darker image, whereas a low number produces a lighter image.
Figure 14.20. The Device Color/Halftone Properties dialog box enables you to adjust the color and halftone settings of your printer.
Point and print is a new Windows NT feature that enables you to do a few things you couldn't do with previous versions of Windows. The most significant thing it does is simplify remote printer installation. All you need to do to install a remote printer from a Windows 95, Windows NT, or NetWare network location is drag the icon from Network Neighborhood into the Printer folder. Windows NT will take care of the rest. It might ask you to insert the CD-ROM so that it can load the proper drivers on your machine. Other than that, installation is as close to automatic as you can get.
Note: If you need access to a printer attached to a WFW workstation or a print server that doesn't support point and print, you can still load the printer driver using the standard technique I discussed at the beginning of this chapter. Dragging any icon from Network Neighborhood to your Printer folder should at least start the installation utility. Double-clicking the Printer icon in Network Neighborhood will accomplish the same thing as Windows attempts to open the Printer Status dialog box. (Whether it is successful depends on the limitations of your network and the printer driver and whether the remote workstation responds.)
Windows is graphics; there isn't any doubt that you'll need to good graphics adapter installation program to use the operating system. I cover the standard method for installing your display adapter as part of the section "Installing Generic Devices" later in this chapter. I'd like to show you an alternative to that process, though. Of course, installing a new display adapter or monitor isn't the end of the processit's the beginning. You'll need to install software in the form of drivers as well, and that's what this section is all about. Chapter 2 contains a complete description of the five pages of configuration settings for the Display Properties dialog box, so I won't discuss them again here. Windows NT provides all the settings you had under Windows 3.x, plus a few pleasant surprises.
Installing a new display adapter can be very easy. You can use the standard hardware installation procedure, but the procedure I show you here is shorter and a little more straightforward. It skips the automatic detection method I describe in the section "Installing Generic Devices," however. You might want to use that procedure if you have a newer display adapter.
Figure 14.21. The Display Type dialog box enables you to reconfigure your display adapter or monitor.
Tip: Windows NT doesn't force you to manually select your display adapter type. You also can choose the Detect option on the Settings page of the Display Properties dialog box. In this case, Windows NT tries each display adapter in turn until it finds one that works with your display adapter. It uses a variety of methods for detecting your current adaptermost of which are found in the .INF files that you loaded as part of the installation.
Figure 14.22. The Select Device dialog box shows all the display adapters supported by Windows NT.
Note: If you have a vendor disk containing drivers for your display adapter, you would click the Other button here to look at it. The Other dialog box works just like any other browser under Windows NT.
Tip: If your display adapter vendor doesn't appear in the list and you don't have a special disk for it, you can always use one of the standard display adapter drivers in the list. Generic VGA, SVGA, and MGA drivers are available, for example. It might be a good idea to use this category anyway if your special driver disk contains only older 16-bit drivers. You won't get the same features that you might with the special disk, but using the standard drivers will provide a performance boost.
Communication is a major part of the job these days. It used to be that you could take care of everything with the office fax and a few phone calls. Today, a lot of people can't take the time to use the office fax; they need one close by to take care of their needs. The amount of electronic "paper" passing hands these days is amazing. A lot of people are busier in other ways, too. Playing telephone tag isn't fun, especially when you can leave a message for the person on e-mail and expect a response later that day. Online services are becoming a major source of information for many people. Sometimes, I can get an answer to a networking or application-related question faster by getting online than I could if I called a vendor support line. The difference is the vast amount of knowledge that these online services represent.
Looking Ahead: I take a closer look at using your fax and modem under Windows NT in Chapter 18, "Talking to the Outside World."
It's no wonder that people are always looking for better ways to use the communication features that their computers offer. Under Windows 3.x, it was a foregone conclusion that you would find it difficult, if not impossible, to communicate in the background. Windows NT is a totally different story. Communication isn't only possible; it's easy, too.
Configuring your machine for optimum performance when using background communication isn't hard; it just takes a little time. You need to try a setting, communicate a little to see its effect, and then tune a little more as necessary. Unlike other tuning tips I've presented in this chapter, there's no quick and easy way to tune your communication programs. The problem is that every machine is slightly different, as is every modem and every communication program that uses the modem.
To tune your modem settings, open the Control Panel and double-click the Modem applet. Select your modem and click the Properties button. Select the Connection page. You'll see a dialog box similar to the one you saw for the serial port. Figure 14.23 shows that this dialog box contains those settings plus a few related to modem communications.
Figure 14.23. The Modem Properties dialog box looks similar to the serial port configuration dialog box, but it has some modem-specific additions.
Note: These settings will affect your communication program only if it uses the Windows NT miniport driver setup. Older 16-bit communication programs will maintain their own settings. Check the software vendor's manual for the procedure to tune these applications.
Click the Advanced button. You'll see a dialog box similar to the one in Figure 14.24 where you can modify your connection settings for added efficiency. The settings look straightforward, and they are. If your modem supports error correction, it's usually a good idea to select it. The same holds true for data compression, which boosts your effective transfer rate as much as four times its usual rate.
Figure 14.24. The Advanced Connection Settings dialog box enables you to configure your modem for maximum efficiency.
Tip: Sometimes, using error correction and data compression can actually hurt the efficiency of your transmission. Certain types of Telnet connections fall into this category, as do some BBS calls in which the host modem doesn't support your modem's protocols. If you're having trouble maintaining the connection or the data transfer rate isn't as high as you expected, try turning off data compression first and then turn off error correction to see if there's any improvement.
I've found an interesting use for the Required To Connect checkbox. Some BBSs have more than one connection. They use a switch to move you to the nearest unused connection when you call in. If this is a local call, the fact that you can't use error correction and data compression might not be a big deal. On the other hand, the cost of using such a connection during a long distance call can add up quickly. I use this checkbox when I don't want to make a connection that will disable the advanced features of my modemthe ones that will reduce my overall telephone bill.
The Modulation Type listbox enables you to select from the various forms of signal modulation that the modem provides. Using the standard modulation is usually more efficient than the alternatives. Using the modulation that gives you the best connection is always the route to follow, however. I always try the standard connection first. If it proves reliable, I use that mode. I switch modes only when the connection doesn't work properly.
Some modems provide additional control sequences that you can use in specific situations for added speed. The Extra Settings field allows you to enter these control sequences. You'll need to consult your modem manual for details.
Ports provide the means for the processor and other devices to communicate with the peripheral hardware on your machine. Any data that a device requires to work goes through the port. Think of a port as the mailbox and the data as the mail. If everyone had the same address, the mail carrier would never know where to put the mail. The same idea holds true in your computer. If two devices were to use the same address, the computer wouldn't know where to send the data.
A port conflict does more than just annoy the user; it can cause system instability or a malfunction of some type. The user might not be able to use part of the system or might experience "the slows" as the system tries to figure out which device it's supposed to use. A system with fully exploited hardware lacks any kind of port conflict. Each device has its own port to use.
Fortunately, there's an easy way to get rid of port conflicts. Windows NT provides three different port configuration methods, depending on the type of hardware you want to configure. Most hardware uses the first method, which I present in the next section. The second and third methods apply to your parallel and serial ports. The last two configuration methods provide more of a performance boost rather than a means of conflict resolution. They tune your ports for maximum application and network compatibility.
Communication is the name of the game in your computer. In order for communication to occur, there must be some way to exchange information. In the PC, the physical part of the communication path is called an I/O (input/output) port. If you want to send data from one area of the machine to another, your application must first tell the computer what I/O port (or address) to send it to. I discussed part of this process earlier in this chapter when I examined hardware installation. The Computer Properties dialog box tells you the address of every port on your machine. Usually, you don't need to change these settings, but sometimes you do. If you have a board in your system that allows more than one setting and it happens to occupy the same address as a board that doesn't, for example, you can change the address of the flexible board as needed. The following procedure takes you through the process of changing an I/O port on your machine.
Note: This procedure changes the settings of the device driver. It won't change the settings of your adapter if it depends on jumpers. Make sure you change any required jumpers after you make changes to the driver configuration. Failure to do so will prevent the hardware from responding.
Figure 14.25. The Resources tab of the Device Properties dialog box makes it easy to see what settings each peripheral uses.
Looking Ahead: This particular dialog box also contains some diagnostic information that I cover in Chapter 26, "Windows NT Maintenance Programs."
Figure 14.28. This dialog box enables you to change the setting of a single port.
Tip: Some revisions of a specific piece of hardware will provide more settings than Windows NT will recognize. Modifying the INF file using the procedure in Chapter 4 will often resolve this problem. All you need to do is add the settings that Windows NT doesn't recognize and then shut down and reboot the machine. Be sure not to add unsupported settings to the .INF file, or you'll get unpredictable results.
This procedure isn't limited to port settings. You can use it to configure any hardware setting. Windows NT won't allow you to change some settings. If you try to change one of these settings, Windows NT will display the appropriate error message. In most cases, a hardware limitation rather than a problem with the driver will prevent you from changing a setting.
The serial port offers a variety of configuration options that go beyond address-conflict resolution. Several options control both the speed of the port and its compatibility with software. Figure 14.29 shows the Port dialog box where you select the port you want to change. You access it through the Printer Properties dialog box, which you saw in Figure 14.10. What you'll do is select the Ports page of that dialog box and the port you want to change and then click the Configure Port button. Windows NT will display a list of active serial ports on your machine.
Once you select a serial port, click the Settings button to display the Settings dialog box shown in Figure 14.30. Notice that there are buttons on this dialog box for adding and removing serial ports as well. I cover those options later in this section.
Figure 14.29. You'll need to display the list of active serial ports before you can make any changes.
Figure 14.30. The Settings dialog box enables you to change the basic parameters of the serial port.
There's another way to set the serial port parameters. When you're using the Direct Cable Connection program provided with Windows NT, you'll want to reset these settings to maximum. Some users will miss this particular bit of irony because the utility never asks you to set the port settings. They just assume that the Direct Cable Connection program uses the maximum settings available. Experience says otherwise, though. You can actually slow data transfers from your notebook to a crawl by failing to observe this little "gotcha."
Windows 3.x provided all these serial port settings, as do most DOS applications. The one area where Windows NT rises above its predecessors is in the way it handles advanced UART (universal asynchronous receiver transmitter) chips. A UART contains the intelligence of the serial port, and some of the newer models contain features that allow better performance in a multitasking environment. It is this support that lets Windows NT provide a higher level of support for background communications than you might expect.
Clicking the Advanced button displays the dialog box shown in Figure 14.31. Notice that this dialog box contains three listboxes and a checkbox. The three listboxes control the current port settings. You can change the serial port number to anything from 1 to 255. The Base I/O and IRQ listboxes enable you to change these settings for the port. Windows NT automatically checks the FIFO Enabled checkbox if it detects the proper port. This option is available only on the 16550 UART. Attempting to use it with an older 8250 UART will result in lost data.
Figure 14.31. The Advanced Port Settings dialog box is one place where you can tweak the performance of your communications program.
Note: Don't use MSD (Microsoft Diagnostics) to determine your UART type. In many cases, it will tell you that you have an 8250 UART even if your system contains the newer model. Microsoft claims that this is due to a bug in the UART that makes it difficult to detect, yet many third-party diagnostic programs can make the determination. If you're uncertain what kind of UART is installed in your system, either check the documentation that came with your machine or use one of the better third-party diagnostic aids to check your port type. You can also check the part number on the UART itself and ask your local computer store to verify the type for you.
Tip: Some motherboards come equipped with emulations of the 16550. Unfortunately, some of these emulations work better than others. If the motherboard vendor states that the communication port supports the full 16550 capability, but Windows NT doesn't automatically check the FIFO Enabled option, you might want to test this capability anyway. In some cases, the option works even if Windows NT doesn't detect the port properly. I usually check the box and then test the port by downloading a large file in the background while using a single application in the foreground. Something such as a word processor or data entry program works best, but you should test the port using the same application you'd usually use while downloading a file. If the background transfer works without any data errors, you'll know that the port at least marginally supports the FIFO capability.
Before I go much further, I want to discuss the differences between certain UARTs. Older UARTs could store only one character at a time. This meant that the CPU had to retrieve that character immediately, or the next character the UART received would overwrite it. This is what people mean when they say their port "dropped" a character. It means that the CPU couldn't respond fast enough and the UART overwrote a character in its buffer as a result. Forcing the CPU to attend to the needs of the UART is fine in a single-tasking system such as DOS, but it isn't all that efficient in a multitasking environment such as Windows. Once UART vendors realized that the older UARTs were a bottleneck when used in a multitasking environment, they started making new UARTs with a FIFO (first in, first out) buffer. The FIFO buffer can store up to 16 characters, giving the CPU time to complete whatever it was doing and then respond to the needs of the UART.
The parallel port offers just one configuration setting as far as Windows NT is concerned. Figure 14.32 shows the Configure LPT Port dialog box. You access it through the Printer Properties dialog box, which you saw in Figure 14.10. What you'll need to do is select the Ports page of that dialog box and the port you want to change and then click the Configure Port button. As you can see, the parallel port configuration consists of setting a time-out interval. I usually maintain the default setting unless the port captures a network connection that needs more time to react.
Figure 14.32. The parallel port offers only one configuration optionthe amount of time Windows NT will wait for a printer ready signal.
Peter's Principle: A Printer for Every Task
No law states that you can't create multiple copies of the same printer connected to the same port with different configurations. I do it to improve the flexibility of the Windows environment. I have one printer with spooling disabled, and I don't share it with anyone, which enables me to print small jobs very quickly.
A second copy of the same printer gets shared with everyone on the network. I enable spooling with it and allow it to start printing after the first page. This way, my machine doesn't get a lot of heavy jolts as someone else uses the printer attached to it. There's a constant, but barely noticeable, load. I also use this strategy for my medium-sized print jobs. It reduces the overall time that I wait for the print job to complete.
A third copy of the same printer isn't shared with anyone, but it does use spooling. I set this one up to wait until the last page of the print job appears in the spooler. This enables me to regain control of my machine in the minimum amount of time. I use this particular setting when I have a long print job that's going to reduce overall machine efficiency for a long time anyway.
There are numerous ways you can set a single printer on your machine to look like more, special-purpose, printers. Doing this might take a little time and thought, but it will enhance your overall efficiency and improve printer throughput. You can also use this same idea for control. What if you don't want a particular group to use the font cartridge attached to the machine, for example? You could create a special setup for them that allows full printer access but doesn't provide access to the fonts. (All you have to do is choose None when asked for fonts on the Font page.)
One parallel port optimization setting might escape your notice if you don't look carefully. The Enable Bidirectional Support checkbox at the bottom of the Printer Properties dialog box (see Figure 14.10) can make a big difference in the level of support you get from your printer. Usually, you want to enable bidirectional printer support. This enables your printer to communicate with the computer and tell it when it needs maintenance. Bidirectional support also allows the computer to get better information about printer failures. Bidirectional support exacts a toll in speed, though. This isn't a problem with the printer or the computer; it's a result of the amount of traffic flowing through the parallel port. The port has to support a lot more traffic in bidirectional mode than it does regularly. As a result, you might notice slightly better printer performance when you turn off bidirectional support. The speed gain is minimal, though, so think twice before you actually take this step. The loss of information could make a big difference in the computer's capability to help you diagnose problems.
Using a mouse started out as a nice feature in DOS. You really didn't have to use one, but some people viewed it as a productivity enhancer. By the time I started using Windows, the mouse had gone from a nice feature to a should-have feature. Early versions of Windows allowed you to get around pretty well without a mouse, but today, a mouse is must-have. To really use Windows, you need a mouse. Some tasks are difficultif not impossibleto perform without one.
Just as you should configure your keyboard for optimum performance, you should configure your mouse as well. To do this, open the Mouse Properties dialog box by double-clicking the Mouse applet in the Control Panel. Figure 14.33 shows what the first page, Buttons, looks like.
Figure 14.33. The Buttons page of the Mouse properties dialog box enables you to change the way the mouse is configured and reacts.
The first group of settings on this page enables you to reverse your mouse buttons for left-handed use. Windows NT defaults to a right-handed installation. The second group allows you to change the double-click speed. I find that setting this during the middle of the workday seems to provide the best configuration for me. Your mouse's double-click speed is important. Setting it too low might mean that you'll double-click where you didn't intend to, especially in graphics programs where you move the mouse and click a lot to select items. Setting this value too high is an exercise in frustration because Windows won't wait long enough for you to double-click things. In some cases, this means that you'll get a menu in place of an action. In other cases, it will mean that you won't get anything done at all. The test area lets you test this setting. A jack-in-the-box alternately appears and disappears when you double-click.
The Pointers page, shown in Figure 14.34, enables you to change the mouse pointers used to indicate specific events. Besides the standard cursors that Windows 3.x provided, Windows NT provides a few "fancy" cursors, such as the 3D versions displayed in the figure. In addition to the static cursors that you could use before, Windows NT also provides some cursors that move. You can create your own animated cursors using a utility that I describe later in this chapter.
Figure 14.34. This page of the Mouse Properties dialog box allows you to change the appearance of the mouse cursor.
The upper section of this page enables you to save and load various mouse schemes. Think of a mouse scheme in the same way that you would a color scheme under Windows 3.x, and you'll have the right idea. Use the listbox to select a previously saved scheme. Clicking the Save As button displays a dialog box that you can use to enter the name of a new scheme.
Tip: Windows NT provides a wealth of mouse pointers, including some extra-large ones. The extra-large pointers are actually designed for use with some of the Accessibility Options. They also come in handy on laptops, however, where seeing the cursor can be a real chore, and presentations, where a larger-than-normal cursor helps you make your point.
The lower section of the Pointers page contains the actual mouse pointers. The purpose of each pointer is self explanatory. To change a cursor, highlight it and click the Browse button. Windows will display a list of cursors in the CURSOR folder (found within the main Windows folder), as shown in Figure 14.35. All you need to do is double-click the cursor you want. Windows will replace the current cursor with the one you selected. Notice that this dialog box also displays a preview of the cursor. Any animated cursors will appear to move within the preview box. This is how they will look when you use them in an application or another area of Windows. If you ever select a cursor by accident and want to return it to the default setting, click the Use Default button at the bottom of the Pointers page.
The Motion page, shown in Figure 14.36, affects how the mouse cursor tracks your hand movements with the slider at the top of the page. Setting the speed too high can cause jerky cursor movement and make it difficult to control some operations, such as drawing. Set the speed too low and you will need to make a large movement with the mouse to get a small movement on-screen.
Figure 14.35. Use the Browse dialog box to select from the list of currently available cursors.
Figure 14.36. The Motion page enables you to set the pointer speed and whether Windows provides pointer trails.
The bottom half of this page controls whether Windows provides pointer trails. Windows produces many copies of the pointer that track the movements you make with the mouse. These additional pointers are the pointer trail. The slider controls the length of the trail, and the checkbox turns it on or off. This feature is specially designed to make it easier for portable users to track the mouse's position. Kids really like to see extra pointers on their display, though. Adding pointer trails can also help the visually impaired track the mouse.
The General page, shown in Figure 14.37, lets you change the type of mouse installed on your machine. The only time you would need to do this is if you replaced your mouse with a different type. Clicking the Change button displays a dialog box containing a list of supported mouse types. All you need to do is select the correct mouse type and click OK to change the mouse driver.
Figure 14.37. You use the General page to select a different mouse driver for your machine.
Languages aren't the only thing you can change about your keyboard (we'll cover language support in the "Multilingual Support" section of this chapter). The Keyboard Properties dialog box has two more pages of selections that you can make regarding setup. Figure 14.38 shows the first page, where you decide how the keyboard will react to your key presses.
Figure 14.38. The Speed page contains the settings required to adjust the keyboard to your typing habits.
The Repeat Delay setting adjusts how long the keyboard will wait before it starts repeating keys. Setting this value too short could force you to undo a lot of excess keystrokes. You will probably find this more of a problem at the end of the day. The Repeat Rate setting adjusts how fast the characters repeat across the screen. Setting a slightly lower rate will enable you to control repeated keys better. Microsoft thoughtfully provided a test area that you can use to check the combination of settings. Make sure you actually try the keyboard settings for a while before you make big changes in the settings. I found that even small changes affect the way the keyboard reacts.
Use the Cursor Blink Rate setting to change how often the edit cursor blinks per second. Some people like a very fast rate, and other people like things a bit slower. You will want to use a slower rate on portables than you would on your desktop machine because it takes displays on these machines a little longer to react. A setting that works well on your desktop machine might make the cursor disappear on your laptop.
The General page contains only one entry: the type of keyboard you're using (see Figure 14.39). If you decide to use a different keyboard, click the Change button to see a list of compatible devices. This list comes in handy when the driver you're currently using doesn't work as well as it should and you want to try a driver for a compatible device. In reality, you will seldomif everneed this option because the keyboard driver setting is pretty straightforward. Clicking the Show All Devices radio button displays a complete list of keyboards that Windows NT supports.
Figure 14.39. Use the General page to view the name of the keyboard driver you're using or to select a new one.
I partially covered the Multilingual Support feature in past chapters. More of the world is using Windows today, so it's not too surprising to see Windows come in a variety of language options. I was a little surprised by the fact that this language support is at least partially built into every copy of Windows. No longer do you have to perform strange rituals and hand edit your system files to get the proper level of language support. Windows NT has it built right in using the code pages that we all learned to hate under DOS.
The convenience factor of using multilingual support under Windows NT is compounded by the fact that you don't have to memorize code page numbers. Installing a new keyboard language is as simple as a few clicks. Take a look at what you need to do to install a new language on your machine.
Figure 14.42. This dialog box will change your keyboard layout, not the language you're using.
Figure 14.43. This dialog box shows the results of choosing another layout using the Properties button.
Note: You might have noticed that this combination of language and layout provides the means to create a very customized keyboard layout. The folks at Microsoft call this localization. I call it a good idea for those of us who lived through the DOS code page nightmare. This elegant solution provides far greater flexibility than the user has ever had in the past. If you do need multilingual support, try the various options to see which setup is most comfortable.
Changing your keyboard layout and language won't display prompts in the language you select. It affects only the way your keyboard reacts, and to some extent, it helps Windows NT provide better input in regard to other configuration selections.
You'll probably encounter a situation in which you no longer require a specific keyboard layout. You might have needed to use a German layout for a while to type letters to another office, for example, but you don't need it any longer because that office closed. Whatever your reason for wanting to remove the language, Windows NT makes it easy. The following procedure will show you how.
Tip: This would be a good time to use the procedures I showed you in Chapter 7, "Understanding the Windows NT Registry," for checking the filenames of the drivers used to support the language you want to remove. Windows NT won't remove these drivers, which means that they will clutter your hard drive until you decide to install Windows from scratchhopefully, a long time from now. Recording the filenames now, before you remove the name from the Input Locales page, means that you will be able to remove the driver files later. Make certain you shut down and reboot your machine first, or Windows NT will display an error message stating that the driver is in use.
Note: Windows NT will disable the Remove button if you have only one language installed. This makes sense because you have to use a language in order to use the keyboard. It will also remove the International icon from the Taskbar if you have only one language.
Whenever you have more than one language installed on your machine, Windows gives you the opportunity to automatically add the International icon to your Taskbar. Figure 14.44 shows what this icon looks like.
Figure 14.44. The International icon provides quick access to multiple language selections.
Peter's Principle: Easy Keyboard Access
Adding the International icon to your Taskbar is more than just a convenience that comes in handy when you need to change layouts from time to time. It provides a quick way to change all your keyboard settings whenever you need to. Of course, the number of keyboard settings is rather limited, but they are important. The question remains, why would I want easy keyboard access?
If you're like me, long hours at the keyboard really take their toll on your hands. The keyboard settings that you used this morning could make for a lot of mistakes this afternoon as you find yourself repeating more keystrokes than you intended. It's a pain to go through the Control Panel every time you want to change something, so most people don't. That's where the trouble lies in a lack of accessibility.
Having the International icon on your Taskbar provides quick access to the keyboard settings. It doesn't usually appear unless you install more than one language on your machine, however. You can manually add this icon to your Taskbar by adding the International Settings applicationINTERNAT.EXEto your Startup folder. You will find it in the SYSTEM folder under the main Windows folder for your machine. (I don't know why Microsoft is so fond of placing the really neat utilities there, but if you ever need something, this is a good place to start looking.) This will give you access to the keyboard settings even if you have only one language installed.
You can use this icon several different ways. The first is to determine which language you're currently using. Notice in Figure 14.43 that each language has a two-character abbreviation. The Taskbar is where this two-digit abbreviation is used. The icon shown in Figure 14.44, for example, tells me that I have the United States English configuration installed.
A left-click on the International icon displays a list of languages currently installed on the machine, as shown in Figure 14.45. Notice that each entry is preceded by its two-digit abbreviation. This is one way to determine which language you're using if you forget what the abbreviation on the icon means. All you need to do to select a new language is click it, just like you would with any other menu.
A right-click brings up the context menu shown in Figure 14.46. I was especially taken by the What's This? entry. It's apparent that no one at Microsoft thought the user would be able to figure out this icon for themselves. The associated help text is useful and could help someone who is just starting to learn to use Windows NT. I just wonder why Microsoft didn't include this help with the other icons for the sake of consistency, if for no other reason.
Figure 14.45. A left-click on the International icon enables you to quickly switch between installed languages.
Figure 14.46. The context menu for the International icon has a somewhat strange entry in itWhat's This?
The Properties option of the context menu acts as you would expect. It takes you to the Keyboard Properties dialog box that you looked at earlier. Even though it automatically displays the Input Locales page, you can quickly switch to other pages as needed.
As with many of the other icons on the Taskbar, you can also momentarily hold your mouse cursor over the International icon to get more information. Doing so displays the full name of the language that you're currently using.
Windows NT provides special access features for people with disabilities. I gave you an overview of these options in Chapter 1, "A Decade Spent with Windows." I also discussed some of the speed keys that the Accessibility options provide in Chapter 5, "Startup Shortcuts." I won't go over these details again here. What I will examine is the features themselves and how you can use them to enhance productivity. The first thing you need to do to look at these features is open the Control Panel and double-click the Accessibility Options applet.
Windows provides three special keyboard features: StickyKeys, FilterKeys, and ToggleKeys. You'll find them on the Keyboard page of the Accessibility Properties dialog box, as shown in Figure 14.47. You can turn on any of them by using the special key combinations that Microsoft provides.
Figure 14.47. You can turn on any of the keyboard accessibility-related functions from this page.
All these features have one thing in common: They change the way that the keyboard works, independently of the keyboard driver. You must install the Accessibility Options feature to make them work.
The StickyKeys feature comes in handy for a variety of purposes. It makes the Shift, Ctrl, and Alt keys act as a toggle switch. Press the key once and it becomes active. Press it a second time and it's turned off. I don't really need this feature a lot, but it does come in handy for a couple of purposes.
One of the ways I use it is in graphics programs that require you to hold down the Ctrl key to select a group of items. It's kind of inconvenient to hold down the Ctrl key while you look around for objects to select. The StickyKeys feature alleviates this problem.
I also find that it's pretty handy when I want to type a lot of Alt+key combinationsfor example, when I want to use the extended ASCII line-draw characters in a document. It's true that I could use the Character Map utility to do the same thing, but Character Map isn't always easy to access, and I might need only one or two characters.
Take a look at some of the options you can select. Click the Settings button to open the Settings for StickyKeys dialog box, shown in Figure 14.48.
Figure 14.48. The Settings for StickyKeys dialog box enables you to change how this feature works.
StickyKeys has several groups of settings. The first option, Keyboard Shortcut, lets you enable StickyKeys using the shortcut key. There really isn't any good reason to turn this off because it's unlikely that any application would use the same control key sequence.
The Options group contains two settings. Usually, the StickyKeys option works like a toggle. Checking the first box tells Windows to wait until you press the same control key twice before making it active. The second checkbox is designed to allow two people to use the same keyboard. Pressing a control key and a noncontrol key at the same time will turn StickyKeys off.
The Notification group also contains two settings. The first setting tells Windows to play a different sound for each unique control key that it makes active. This can keep you from activating a control key by accident. The second option displays an icon on the Taskbar so that you can control StickyKeys more easily. I usually select this option to make it easier for me to turn StickyKeys on and off.
Do you ever find yourself making a lot of extra keystrokes at the end of a long day? I do. Sometimes, my some words come out like "tthis" instead of "this." FilterKeys is a perfect solution to the problem of tired hands. I use it all the time near the end of the workday to filter out those extra keystrokes.
As with StickyKeys, you can adjust the way FilterKeys works by clicking the Settings button. The Settings for FilterKeys dialog box appears in Figure 14.49. Notice that the first option in this dialog box enables you to turn the shortcut key on and off. It works just like the same feature in StickyKeys. The Notification group at the bottom of the page should look familiar. The only difference is that instead of playing a sound, FilterKeys will beep when you activate it.
Figure 14.49. The Settings for FilterKeys dialog box allows you to change how this feature works.
The Filter Options group enables you to select between two ways of filtering keystrokes. The first option filters keys that get pressed in rapid succession. This feature would filter the rapid typing of the extra "t" in the example I just mentioned. The Settings button displays a dialog box that allows you to select how long an interval must pass between the first and second times you press the same key. It also provides a field where you can test the setting. The second option in this group filters accidental key presses. You might press a key for a moment, not really meaning to. As with the StickyKeys option, the Settings button will take you to a dialog box where you select how long you have to press a key before Windows will accept it.
Ever start typing an e-mail or message to someone, only to see later that you left the Caps Lock key on? It's time consuming to fix such a mistake, but you have to do it for formal documents or memos. A better solution is to be alerted each time you turned on one of the Lock keys. That's precisely what ToggleKeys does. It emits a tone every time you turn on the Caps Lock, Scroll Lock, or Num Lock keys.
Figure 14.50 shows the Settings for ToggleKeys dialog box. Notice that it has only a single option. This option allows you to turn the shortcut key on or off.
Figure 14.50. The Settings for ToggleKeys dialog box enables you to change how this feature works.
Have you ever been to the point of screaming as you try to precisely position an object on a drawing screen using the mouse? It's difficult to do after a full day of drawingespecially if you aren't a graphic artist with the training and tools required to get the job done right. That's one of the reasons I really like the MouseKeys feature. It enables you to use the arrow keys as a mouse. Instead of moving the mouse cursor with the mouse, you can move it with the arrow keys. Of course, this doesn't disable your mouse; it merely augments it. Figure 14.51 shows the Mouse page of the Accessibility Properties dialog box.
MouseKeys has only one dialog box of settings. You access it by clicking the Settings button on the Mouse page. Figure 14.52 shows the features that this dialog box provides. The first option, Keyboard Shortcut, lets you enable MouseKeys using the shortcut key. There really isn't any good reason to turn this off because it's unlikely that any application would use the same control key sequence.
Figure 14.51. MouseKeys can put the control back into your mouse cursor.
Figure 14.52. The Settings for MouseKeys dialog box enables you to change how this feature works.
The second group, Pointer Speed, is where you can optimize the performance of this particular feature. The first option allows you to set the fastest speed at which you can move the mouse cursor using the arrow keys. Set it to a slower speed to gain better control of the mouse cursor. Using a higher speed enables you to move around the display faster. The Acceleration setting determines how fast the cursor reaches full speed after you press it. Windows doesn't start the cursor off at full speed; it brings it there gradually. This allows you to make a small change without seeing the cursor take off toward the other side of the screen if you set the speed fairly high. The combination of these two settings will determine just how much added control MouseKeys gives you over the cursor. Notice the checkbox in this group. Checking it gives you another option. Pressing the Ctrl key will speed up the mouse cursor; pressing the Shift key will slow it down. You can use this option when you need a variety of speeds to get the job done.
The final group contains two settings. The radio button controls when MouseKeys is active. You must specify whether the Num Lock key should be on or off when you use MouseKeys. The choice you make depends on how you usually use the numeric keypad. The second option determines whether the MouseKeys icon appears on the Taskbar. As with most of the special features that Windows provides, I keep this icon on the Taskbar for quick access to this feature because it's more efficient.
Install several versions of your printer, each with different settings. Try this new installation for several weeks and see if you notice the additional ease of use that several pseudo-printers can provide. Also try the various print settings to see if you notice the variations in print speed and output quality that I mentioned earlier.
Place a shortcut to your printer on the Desktop and try the drag-and-drop method of printing. Simply drag a file with your mouse pointer to the Printer icon and drop it. This is the easy way of sending output to the printer using the default setup. You might want to experiment to see which printer settings work best as a default setup for you.
Try all the different Accessibility options to see if any of them provide features you can use. I provided suggestions on how you could use each feature in this chapter.
Install and try using the Dvorak keyboard layout. Once you learn how to use this setup, you'll find that you can type faster with a lot less fatigue. This particular setup can also help you fight repetitive stress injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome. Of course, nothing will provide 100 percent protection. The Dvorak keyboard layout can't reverse years of abuse, but learning this new setup could help keep any problems you have now from getting worse.
Go back to previous chaptersespecially Chapter 5and practice using the various shortcuts that I discussed with the Accessibility options turned on. Does using this feature with your standard shortcuts make a difference? Try a variety of combinations to create the fastest keyboard interface possible.