All You Need to Know to Be Productive in Windows 95
Written for the Windows 3.1/WFW User
Jerrold M. Grochow
This version downloaded from America Online. User agrees to make only one print copy (just like a book) and to pay $5.00 to author if found to be useful. Please send payment to:
Jerrold M. Grochow
P.O. Box 15206
Southeast Station
Washington, DC 20003
[Pay $10.00, and I will send you a diskette with a Word 6.0 file of the same information but with nice formatting and graphics.
COPYRIGHT ( 1996 Jerrold M. Grochow
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the author.
Windows 95, Windows, Microsoft are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
OS/2 is a trademark of IBM Corporation.
Apple and Macintosh are trademarks of Apple Computer Corporation.
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
ASSUMPTIONS
THINGS TO UNDERSTAND
THINGS TO TRY
BASICS
COMMUNICATIONS AND REMOTE OPERATION
THE MICROSOFT NETWORK
INTERMEDIATE
LOCAL AREA NETWORKS
ADVANCED
KEYBOARD COMMANDS
INDEX
INTRODUCTION
This book is an outgrowth of my own learning experiences as a beta tester of Windows 95. It was written to document what I learned, both on my own and from myriad sources, as I came to rely on Windows 95 as my day-to-day operating environment.
In the summer of 1995, I was on leave from my position as Chief Technology Officer at American Management Systems to write a book on new information systems technology. That book is being published in the Spring of 1996 by Yourdon Press/Prentice Hall (Components and Connections: Creating Value with the New Information Systems Technology). I had been using Windows 95 for several months but it wasn't until I had to sit in front of my portable for six to eight hours a day and perform a variety of research, communication, and writing activities that I came to know the richness of the Windows 95 user interface. While I spent a lot of time perusing on-line forums and even reading most of one of 850-page books written on Windows 95, I suspect that most people won't want to. So I put down on paper in as succinct a way as the functions that I use regularly or found most useful when I needed them. I hope you will benefit from my experiences.
During the beta test period, I was actively supported by my colleagues in the AMS Center for Advanced Technologies. Led by Jim Simmons, Assistant Director of the Client/Server Laboratory, associates Ash Singh, Chris McDonald, and to a lesser extent myself, formed the test team. Together, we reported several dozen bugs to Microsoft and worked out the procedures for introducing Windows 95 to AMS and our clients. Without the support of these dedicated professionals, this book would not have been possible.
ASSUMPTIONS
*
You are already a Windows 3.1 or Windows for Workgroups user and are familiar with basic Windows terminology, keyboard, mouse commands, etc. [If you are not, I recommend that you visit your local book store which has dozens of books that will explain the basics of becoming literate in "graphic user interface" terminology and technology.]
* You need to use Windows 95 in your work but you need some help getting started.
* You are trying to learn Windows 95 with a minimum training time and effort and are getting increasingly frustrated by some of the new features (and seeming inconsistencies) as compared with earlier versions of Windows.
* You know you should buy one of those books that came out on August 24 along with Windows 95 but you don't have any more shelf space. Besides, you don't want an 850 page tome (even Windows 95 for Dummies is over 500 pages!).
* You are willing to try some things to see if they work - and if not, try some others. [While you may not call yourself this, you have become a computer hacker (in the best sense of the word, of course).]
* You have the ability to purchase this book, download it from an online service (the Microsoft Network, of course), or read over someone's shoulder.
* You want to get Start'ed....
Notes about format
When you see something in bold and italic (e.g. Alt+Esc), it represents keys on your keyboard. The + means to press them simultaneously (actually, press the first one and hold it when you press the second one - but you already know that, right?).
When you see something in italics only (e.g. Explorer), it represents something you will see on your screen - either a command name on a menu, a name of a file or program, other labels, or just "things" (such as the Taskbar).
When you see something in bold only (e.g. Notes), it is a title or heading.
* When you see something in a "bulleted" paragraph (like this), it is an instruction on how or when to do something in Windows 95.
All other text is just text.
THINGS TO UNDERSTAND
1 What is a Windows 95 object?
An object is document, file, executable program, folder, or any other "thing" that can be created and manipulated using the Windows 95 interface.
[Let's not get into deep discussion of the file points of objects - this simple statement will do for now and for your understanding of the Windows 95 manuals.]
2 What happened to Program Manager
Program Manager has been replaced by the Windows 95 desktop "shell." If you are familiar with OS/2's or the Macintosh's desktop, you have the idea - Windows 95 has some aspects of both. A key element of this shell is the Taskbar with its Start menu. When you first install Windows 95, the Taskbar (showing open tasks and other "notifications") will appear on the bottom of your screen. The Start menu is sort of like the Program Manager window in Windows 3.1.
3 What is a shortcut?
Windows 95 also allows you to create "shortcuts" to objects. Shortcuts appear on your desktop as objects with a small arrow symbol as part of the icon. Since they are objects, shortcuts can be manipulated independently of the object to which they refer. That is, they can be moved, copied (to create another shortcut), renamed, and deleted without affecting the object to which they refer. They can also have different "properties" than the original file, such as a different name (with or without secondary name), opening minimized or maximized, etc.
Shortcuts are very useful for navigating your Windows 95 desktop and file hierarchy. This picture shows the icon for a shortcut to Excel 5.0. It is constructed automatically by Windows 95 from the icon for Excel by adding the arrow you see in the middle left.
Note that shortcuts are actually stored in files with secondary name ".lnk." The fact that short cuts are in separate files is the reason they have their own properties. These files can be copied to other directories, to media such as diskettes or network drives. However, they will only be meaningful on a computer running Windows 95 (i.e. they will not work if you copy them to Windows NT or Windows 3.1 systems).
4 What happened to File Manager?
The handy-dandy File Manager of Windows 3.1 has been replaced by several Windows 95 mechanisms. They do many things better, some things worse, and some things not at all.
* You should explore Explorer (most like File Manager), My Computer (like OS/2's disk icons), and Network Neighborhood (an expanded version of My Computer if you are attached to a local or wide-area network) and become familiar with their functions. You will use them a lot.
5 What is a Windows 95 desktop object?
A desktop object is an object that appears on your Windows 95 desktop. Whether it is a document, a file, an executable program, a folder, or any other "thing" (for example, "shortcuts") it is a desktop object.
The Windows 95 user interface is an "object oriented user interface:" the things you see on the desktop are each members of a class of object, e.g. files, executable, folder, etc. Each class has certain functions associated with it (which you see by clicking your right mouse button while pointing to the object). You can move objects onto other objects where that action makes sense. It is a major step up from the simple graphic user interface of Windows 3.1.
* Desktop objects appear as files in the file directory hierarchy in the Windows\Desktop directory. If you browse your directory hierarchy (using Explorer, for example), you will see them all there.
Note that if you move something to the desktop, Windows 95 moves it in the file hierarchy to this directory. If you don't want this to happen, but still want to reference something from the desktop, create a shortcut to it and put the shortcut on the desktop.
6 What is the tilde (~) doing in some of my file names?
Some programs do not understand Windows 95 long file names (like all programs not explicitly designed to run with Windows 95!) so Windows 95 also keeps a standard 8.3 style name available. It forms this name using a tilde (~) if necessary to squeeze the first name down to eight characters.
* Use the name with the tilde if your program only works with 8.3 names (although it can be used with any program).
* Use the full name if your program is new or modified for Windows 95.
7 What is that X is in the right upper corner of each window
It's an alternate way of closing the Window. You'll get used to it - I did.
* Single click the X with your left mouse button to close the window.
8 What about win.ini, system.ini, and all the other .inis?
For the most part, in 1996, at least, you will still see a lot of ".ini" files in your Windows directory (if you care to look). In the case of win.ini and system.ini, a lot of what used to be there won't be (or won't be used) because Windows 95 has created something new to eventually replace all the .ini files. This is called the System Registry and it is where all that initialization information and a lot of others things are mysteriously hidden. What this means, of course, is that if the Registry gets corrupted, most of your system stops working. Smart, eh?
The Registry is stored in two files named system.dat and user.dat (a third file, policy.dat may appear if your LAN Administrator has set it up). I wouldn't recommend trying to delete them.
* You should add the Registry files to your regular "backup" list (or use the Registry Backup program).
Note: If you want to try something dangerous, use the Registry Editor (found in your Windows directory) to peruse the Registry's contents. Don't change anything or you'll probably wish you hadn't.
9 What is the Microsoft Natural Keyboard?
The Natural Keyboard is an "ergonomically correct" keyboard (i.e. it separates left half keys from right and slopes at some interesting angles) that provides two extra keys that perform certain functions recognized by Windows 95. The primary key is the "win" key ( ). You do not need this keyboard to use Windows 95.
THINGS TO TRY
10 Try using your right mouse button ...
* Move the cursor over various items on the screen, e.g. windows, text areas, borders, etc. Try clicking the right mouse button. See what happens.
11 Try moving your cursor ...
* Move your the cursor over different objects on the screen, e.g. icons, the Taskbar, the clock. Wait one second. See what happens (sometimes something does; sometimes it doesn't).
12 Try clicking your mouse buttons on icons in the notification area of the Taskbar...
Icons represent running programs. Different functions are provided for right button click, single left button click, and double left button click.
* Try both right and left mouse clicks on each of the icons in the Notification Area to see what happens.
13 Try clicking on the ? when it appears in the Title Bar ...
* Click on the ? and then move your cursor (called a Context Help cursor) to some object in the window and click your left mouse button again.
14 Try creating long file names ...
The following are all valid in Windows 95:
12345678.ABC (standard "8.3" DOS name)
12345678.ABCDEF (no more 3 character limit on extensions)
1234567890123456789012345678901234567890.ABCDEF (long file names and long extensions)
Spaces and some special characters are valid in names too.
15 Try dragging the Taskbar ...
You can move it to any side of your screen (or even hide it - see INTERMEDIATE below) or make it bigger.
* "Grab" the Taskbar (left button and hold) and move the cursor to the different sides of the screen.
* Grab an edge and resize the Taskbar.
16 Try to see how many mini icons you can get in the "notification area" of the Taskbar ...
Applications specifically written for Windows95 may put icons in a special area of the Taskbar to serve as a special "notification area" for those applications. Depending on the program, these icons will perform some function when you move the cursor over them, select them with left button or right button, or double-click. I've gotten 10 there at once and more are showing up all the time. Here is an example of what it looked like:
[Keyboard language, plugged-in portable, modem, speaker, resource meter, phases of moon (program downloaded from MSN), dial-in network transmission, on-line to MSN, FAX availability, new mail waiting - followed by the clock.]
17 Try the Microsoft Natural Keyboard...
...or some other ergonomic keyboard. If you spend hours at your PC as I do, you will come to appreciate the different shapes, angles, and supports. While only the Microsoft keyboard has the two special keys for use with Windows 95, these are its primary advantage. You may need to try several different types to find one you like; we have tried six in the AMS Center for Advanced Technologies and some people like one, some another.
BASICS
18 Get Start'ed
Everything starts at Start.
* Left click on Start to see your menu (equivalent to Program Manager but better).
* Pressing the key (on Microsoft Natural Keyboard) brings up the Start menu. Ctrl+Esc works on all keyboards.
19 Run an application
* Double click on the icon to run a program just like in Windows 3.1.
* You can also select Run from the Start menu (or use the shortcut +R from your Microsoft Natural Keyboard) and type in a path name.
20 View a list of your files and directories
The Explorer Program has replaced the File Manager.
* Open Explorer from your Start menu to see a list of directories and files. Click on the + sign in the left pane to expand that part of the directory tree.
* You can open multiple copies of Explorer at the same time to work between two different directories.
Here is what Explorer looks like:
21 Open an existing file via its associated application
This function works the same way as in Windows 3.1 and WFW.
* Open an application and use its File Open dialog.
* Double click on the file name in Explorer.
22 Close an application
* Do it in the usual manner (File Close, or double click the small icon in the upper left corner of the window title bar).
* Do it the new way by single clicking your left mouse button on the X in the window title bar.
23 Find a file
The file directory search capability that used to be part of File Manager is now a separate function.
* Access Find from Start, or left click on the word Start on the Taskbar and select Find.
24 See a file list using My Computer or Network Neighborhood
These are alternatives to Explorer, starting at different points in the search hierarchy. Explorer starts at Desktop and encompasses both My Computer and Network Neighborhood.
Note: from here on out, the text will usually not specify Explorer, My Computer, and Network Neighborhood although all three function in similar ways. Most things that you can do in Explorer, you can do in the others. All things you can do in the others, you can do in Explorer.
25 Stop getting new windows every time you move down a directory level (or vice versa) in My Computer or Network Neighborhood
* Go to the View menu and select Options. Click the option "Browse folders using a single window that changes as you open each folder."
26 See the next higher directory level in My Computer or Network Neighborhood
* Hit the backspace key or the up-arrow icon in the command area.
27 Open a batch file to see its contents
* Right click on the icon or on the file name or icon in Explorer and select Edit.
28 Copy a file
It's so easy, it will fool you:
* Highlight the name of the file you want to copy, either in Explorer or in an open directory shortcut.
* Go to the Edit menu and Copy and then Paste (or use Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V).
Why not? Copy and paste should work for files and Windows 95 did it!
* Another method is to use the left mouse button to drag objects from one directory to another. This will result in a copy IF THEY ARE ON DIFFERENT DRIVES. [Look for the + (plus sign) in the icon indicating a copy.]
* Use Ctrl+LeftArrow to force a copy while dragging if the files are on the same drive.
29 Move a file
* Using the left mouse button to drag objects (EXCEPT EXECUTABLES) from one directory to another ON THE SAME DRIVE results in a move. [Look for the icon WITH NO EXTRA SYMBOL indicating a move.]
* Use Shift+LeftArrow to force a move while dragging.
* Click and drag the file icon with the right button. When you release, you will get a mini-menu which allows you to select move, copy, or create a short cut.
30 Undo a file move or file rename
* If you forget where you just moved a file to, or if you accidentally rename a file, select Undo from the Edit menu (or press Alt+Backspace).
* If you want to stop in the middle of such an operation, hit the Esc key.
31 Rename a file
* Select the object by pressing the left mouse button. Position the cursor over the name of the object and press the left button again. Wait one second and you will have an edit window on the name.
* Alternatively, go to the File menu and select Rename.
32 Discard and/or delete a file
For files on your harddrive, hitting the Delete key doesn't delete but moves objects to the Recycle Bin. You can also discard something by moving it to the Recycle Bin. Like every other "container," the Recycle Bin is a directory that you will see in Explorer.
* Select the object with your mouse and drag it over the icon for the Recycle Bin. Release the mouse button.
* To really delete from your harddrive, either "empty" your Recycle Bin or hit Shift+Delete and answer the not-so-stupid question "Yes." [In Windows 3.1, you could turn these question off via an option in the File Manager. In Windows 95, you can turn off some questions but not all.]
Note that Delete really deletes from your floppy, so be careful in answering the question. [Shift+Delete will also work.]
33 Get rid of those messages asking whether you really want to discard/delete
In Windows 3.1, this was an option in File Manager. In Windows 95, it is an option in the Recycle Bin's properties.
* Select the Recycle Bin on your desktop, in Explorer, or anywhere you see it. Click the right mouse button and select Properties, then the Global tab. Unclick the item "Display delete confirmation dialog."
34 Create a "shortcut" to an application or file
* Use the right mouse button to drag an object from one directory to another, then select "Create Shortcut (s) Here"' to create a shortcut to that object.
* Alternatively, hold down Ctrl and drag the icon (hold down left mouse button) to your desktop. A new shortcut will be created there.
You will know that a shortcut is being created by the shortcut arrow in the shadow icon in the new location before you release your mouse button. If you don't see this, you are either moving the file (no special character in the icon) or creating a copy (a plus sign in the icon).
35 Create shortcuts for executables
* Use the left mouse button to drag an executable file to a new directory. It won't actually move the file but will create a shortcut instead. [Look for the arrow in the icon indicating a short cut being created.]
* Use the right mouse button to drag the executable and follow the instructions.
* Another way of doing this is to use your right mouse button to click the desktop, click New, and then click Shortcut. Type the correct command along with any special parameters, or browse to find the application you want the shortcut to. Click Next, and you will be prompted for a shortcut name. Enter a name, and then click Finish.
36 Put files on your "desktop" (a la OS/2)
For the most part, don't move files to your desktop - create shortcuts there instead. Whether you want to move it or create a shortcut, the instructions above will work for operations to the desktop as well as to anywhere else.
Remember that "moving" a file to your desktop actually moves it in the file hierarchy, sometimes with unintended results (like programs not being able to find needed files).
37 Rename items on your desktop
* Select the object by clicking once on it. Position the cursor over the name and click once more. [Be careful not to do the two clicks too rapidly or Windows 95 will interpret this as a double click and open the application or document.] Edit as usual. Hit Enter to make it permanent. Hit Esc to cancel.
38 Arrange and line-up your icons
* Right click when you are on the background of the desktop. Select what you want to do.
39 Create a new "folder" for your files and applications
* Select New in Explorer and move your cursor to the right. One of the choices will be Folder.
40 Kill an application that isn't responding
* Hit Ctrl+Alt+Delete (once only!) to get you a list of all active programs. Select the one you want to "kill" (it will usually say "NOT RESPONDING" next to its name on the list) and select End Task.
Sometimes you will have to wait ten seconds for another dialog box saying that the program isn't responding and asking you if you really want to kill it. You decide.
41 Turn off the loud speaker
You should see a loud speaker icon in the notification area of your Taskbar. If you don't, you can put one there (listed in an item in the Intermediate section of this book).
* Double click on the volume control icon (speaker). Select the Mute option.
42 Set up to print to a file
At least one printer is typically set up when you install Windows 95. You can install others by going to Start Settings Printers Add Printer. Once you have printers set up, you can check their status by going to Start Settings Printers and selecting the one you are interested in.
43 Put a clock on your screen
* Click on Start (or hit the key on your Microsoft keyboard or hit Ctrl+Esc) to get Start. Go to Settings, Taskbar. Click on "Clock on screen."
* Double click the left mouse button on the clock to change its settings.
If you want a Windows 3.1-style clock (separate window, choice of analog or digital), you have to download a separate program from one of the on-line services.
44 Use your keyboard instead of a mouse...
* To select all files in a folder, press Ctrl+A
* Press F5 to update the contents list of any list screen.
See the Appendix for many more keyboard actions.
45 Find out the version of Windows 95 you are using
* Run winver from your Windows directory by double clicking it from Explorer or typing its path when you select Start Run.
COMMUNICATIONS AND REMOTE OPERATION
46 Install a modem
In most cases, Windows 95 will detect and install your modem automagically. If not...
* Go to Settings Control Panel Add New Hardware. When asked if you want Windows 95 to search for new hardware, check No. Then follow instructions to get to the specific brand and type of modem that you have.
To check what was installed, Control Panel Modems Diagnostics will give you a lot of information to help debug any problems.
47 Dial up an on-line service
Most software to gain access to on-line services (such as America Online, Compuserve, Wall Street Journal, ATT Interchange, etc.) comes with its own modem communications modules. Follow instructions with that software to gain access to the service.
Presumably, most of these services will come out with versions specifically for Windows 95 that will use Windows 95 built-in functions for tracking your modem protocol and status. For now, you will have to select your modem type and other options for each individual service.
48 Dial up a bulletin board system
Windows 95 include Hyperterminal developed by Hilgreave, developers of HyperAccess.
* From Start, select Programs Accessories Hyperterminal (which is a folder). In the Hyperterminal folder, you will see the Hyperterminal program and several Hyperterminal configuration files (second name "ht"). If you see the configuration you are looking for, select (double click) it. If not, select the Hyperterminal program and follow instructions for creating a new configuration file.
49 Dial up another computer and share files
If you installed the Dial-in Networking drivers during Windows 95 installation, using them is fairly simple. If you did, you will see the Dial-up Adapter listed under Start Setting Control Panel Networks as well as a Dial Up Networking folder in Explorer or My Computer.
* Open the Dial Up Networking folder and select "Make New Connection." Follow the instructions.
50 Send a fax using Microsoft Exchange
If you have installed Microsoft Fax (that comes with Windows 95), it will be selectable as a printer.
* From any word processor, spreadsheet, or other Windows program, select File Print (sometimes you have to select Print Setup) and select the appropriate option to change your printer. Select Microsoft Fax and follow the instructions.
* Alternatively, open the Inbox of Microsoft Exchange (icon on your desktop). Select Send and then Deliver Using Microsoft Fax.
51 Receive a fax using Microsoft Exchange
* Open the Microsoft Exchange program by clicking on the Inbox on your desktop. When your telephone rings, double click on the Fax machine icon in the notification area of your Taskbar and select Answer Now.
52 Modify the fax cover page
You need to get to Microsoft Fax Properties and select the User tab.
* Select the Inbox from your desktop and go to the Tools menu. Select Microsoft Fax Tools Options.
53 Install fax software if you didn't do it when installing Windows 95
* From Start, select Settings Control Panel Add/Remove Programs. Click the Windows Setup tab.
* In the Accessories box, scroll to MS Fax, and make sure it is checked. If you have not selected MS Exchange, you will see a prompt to select it also.
THE MICROSOFT NETWORK
54 Join the Microsoft Network
* Select the Microsoft Network icon on your desktop. Follow instructions for joining and connecting.
55 Receive mail over MSN
Have your correspondents address you as "YourMSNName@MSN" and you will receive mail. You must have installed and joined Microsoft Network and Microsoft Exchange for this to work.
56 Send mail over MSN
* Select Compose New Message and then (after you have composed it!), Send. Remember to select Tools Deliver Now Using the Microsoft Network for mail you composed off-line.
* Check your Outbox to make sure mail has been sent.
57 Join in discussion groups on MSN
* Double click on any discussion folder. When viewing a message, select the command for sending a new message from the Compose menu or its icon.
58 Download files from MSN
As you might expect, there are multiple methods of downloading files:
* Double-click the file name or file icon in a bulletin board message.
* Click Save As on the File menu. Select the Attachments option button. Select the attachment you want to download. Click OK.
* Click the file. On the Edit menu, point to File Object and then click Download.
* Click the file. On the Edit menu, point to File Object and then click Properties. The Properties tab contains information about the file. Click Download File.
* Click the file. On the Edit menu, point to File Object and then click Open. This will download the file and open it.
* You can also use the right mouse button to click the file and use the pop-up menu.
Your downloaded files will show up in the Transferred Files folder under Microsoft Network under Programs. You can change this default by following these steps:
* In the BBS window, on the Tools menu, click File Transfer Status.
* In the File Transfer Status window, on the Tools menu, click Options.
* In the Default Download Destination box, type the path to the folder where you want to store files that you copy from the bulletin board.
59 Find something on MSN
* To find a file, a mail message, computer, or a file on The Microsoft Network, use the Find command on the Start menu. In addition, you can save a search using the menu File Save Search.
Find will often not find what you are looking for. As of this writing, it cannot search with text or titles of bulletin board messages, for example.
60 Store a pointer to something as a "favorite place"
* Select the menu command or icon for "Add to Favorite Places." This will add the item to a folder stored on the MSN with your favorite places.
The name associated with each item will be the name it is known by on the MSN. This name cannot be changed. However, you can create a shortcut to a favorite place (by dragging the item onto your desktop) which can then be renamed.
61 Create a shortcut to something on the MSN
* Drag the object onto your desktop. From there, you can drag it to any folder, rename it (often desirable to help you understand what it really points to), make a copy of the shortcut, or just leave it there.
You may find it useful to create a folder on your desktop (or elsewhere) to store your shortcuts. If you are using MSN's Internet Explorer, it will create a folder in your Windows directory called "Favorites" where it will store shortcuts to your favorite Internet sites. You can use this folder as a convenient place to store your shortcuts to other MSN (or even other on-line services) information.
62 Get access to the Internet from the MSN
There are actually two types of services that MSN provides: "regular" service, or "Internet and regular." At the current time, you have to dial a different phone number to get the full Internet and regular service.
* Select "Internet and Microsoft Network" as the service from your Settings menu.
Once you have dialed in to the correct service, you have full Internet access (this is a PPP connection). You can use Microsoft's Internet Explorer, Netscape, or any other World Wide Web or Internet tools you have available (Telnet is included along with several others in your Windows directory).
63 Read Internet discussion group postings off-line
You can't in the current version of MSN.
* Use America Online if you want this capability.
64 Disconnect from the MSN
* Either close all windows related to MSN or double click on the mini-icon at the right side of the Taskbar. You will be asked if you want to disconnect.
65 Get the latest phone numbers for MSN
MSN uses SprintNet as well as its own network. To get the latest phone numbers:
* Select Tools on the main menu when connected to MSN.
* Select Connection Settings.
* Click on Change and the latest phone numbers will be downloaded automatically. [You can select a new one or not, online or off-line.]
INTERMEDIATE
66 Install some more Windows 95 features and applications
* Go to Control Panel (via the Start menu) and select System. Select Windows Setup. Check the features you want to add (you may have to press details to see some of them). Follow instructions about inserting CD, or giving location on network or harddrive for Windows 95 installation files.
67 Hide the Taskbar
* Use the right mouse button to click Start, and then click Properties. Click the Taskbar Options tab. If you have the "Always on Top" box checked, uncheck it. The Taskbar will be hidden by any window that covers its area.
Additionally, you can click the Auto Hide selection box. The Taskbar will be hidden as soon as you are done with it. If you do not have a full screen window being displayed, the Taskbar will reappear when you move your mouse near the area where it is supposed to be.
68 Get to the Start menu once you have gotten rid of the Taskbar
* You can bring up the Taskbar by hitting key on your Microsoft Natural Keyboard.
* You can also bring up the Taskbar by hitting Ctrl+Esc on any keyboard.
69 Change items on your Start menu
* To modify, delete, or add items to the Start menu, click the right mouse button on the Start menu button, and then select Open or Explore to view and modify its contents.
The Start menu is actually stored in a subdirectory of your Windows directory. You will see it (and can modify it) directly from Explorer.
70 Quick way to add items to your Start menu
* Click and drag any object from the desktop and drop it on the Start button to add it to the Start Menu.
71 Start up in DOS rather than Windows
When Windows 95 first starts up, you will see a text message "Windows 95 starting..." on the top line of the screen.
* Press F8 when you see this message and you will be presented with a menu of start-up choices. Select DOS.
Once you have completed your tasks, you can type the command "Win" and Windows 95 will start.
72 Set up a file to always open with a certain application (Associate)
* In Explorer, pull down the View menu and select Options. Click on the File Type tab. Select New or find an existing one and Edit.
73 Set up "zipped" files to automatically "unzip"
* See the previous entry on setting up an associated file type and associate the program for "unzipping" (usually Pkunzip) with the file type "ZIP."
74 Change the icon for a shortcut to a folder
* Position your mouse over the icon for the shortcut whose icon you wish to change. Click your right mouse button and select Properties. Select the Shortcut tab and the Change Icon button. Follow the instructions.
75 Change the icon for a particular folder
You can't.
76 See how much "system resource" you are using
* Start the program Resource Meter found under Programs Accessories System Tools from your Start menu.
Green is good, yellow is OK, red means you will start running out of things (obvious).
77 Get more disk space for free (Disk Compression)
Not quite, but good enough: automagically compresses and decompresses files so that it looks like you have more available disk space (another one of those functions that you don't need to install separate software for).
* Go to Programs Accessories System Tools from your Start menu and select DriveSpace (disk compression; used to be double space in Windows 3.1).
Note: creating or deleting zipped files (files made with Pkzip or other archive programs) seems to change your available disk space by more than the listed size of the file. Since these files are already compressed, Windows 95 disk compression doesn't really do anything to them but the algorithm for calculating available space doesn't quite know that.
78 Get faster performance for free (Disk Defragmentation)
Just as in every other operating environment, Windows 95 will run faster if the contents of files on your disk are more or less in contiguous locations on the disk.
* Run Disk Defragmenter from Programs Accessories System Tools.
79 Change properties of the desktop display
* From any point on your desktop not covered by an application window, click your right mouse button and select Properties from the pop-up menu.
The Display Properties window allows you to adjust the color scheme, fonts, font and window sizes, screen saver, monitor resolution (see below for more information on this one), and monitor type for your computer.
* For global font changes: change the icon font on the Appearance page of the Display Properties window.
80 Switch to a higher (or lower) resolution display
* As above, go to Display Properties by clicking your right mouse button with the cursor pointing to your desktop. Select the Settings tab and adjust the resolution using the Desktop Area slider.
Since changing your screen resolution could result in your not seeing anything, Windows 95 handles the change in a very clever way: if you don't respond to a dialog box question in 15 seconds, it will switch back to your original resolution. Makes it a lot saver to try different resolutions.
81 See file name extensions on icon names or in Explorer
* From Explorer, select Options from the View menu. Deselect the "Hide MS DOS file extensions" option.
82 Determine the attributes of a file (hidden, read-only, archive)
* Check its Properties: right click on its icon; select the Properties icon from Explorer; select Properties from the File menu in Explorer.
83 See "hidden" and "system files" listed in Explorer
* In Explorer, select the View menu, and then click Options. Click the View tab, make sure Show All Files is selected. Click OK.
84 Change a files attributes
* While viewing the Properties for a file, select (or deselect) the read-only, hidden, and/or archive attributes.
85 Use directory "shortcuts" at DOS command prompt "
Related directories have the following shortcuts:
. = current directory (not new)
.. = parent directory (not new)
... = parent directory once removed (new)
.... = parent directory twice removed (new)
For example, if you in the C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\VIEWERS directory and enter
cd... at the command prompt, the current directory changes to C:\.
86 "Drag & Push" onto a Taskbar button
You can drag objects from one open document to another open document (one covering the other) by dragging the object to the target's Taskbar button, waiting a second while the target window is displayed, and then dragging the object onto the target window.
87 Create a "master volume control" icon on the Taskbar
You can put a volume control icon in the Notification Area of the Taskbar.
* Select Start Settings Control Panel and double-click the Multimedia icon.
* Click the Audio tab, and then select the option "Show Volume Control on Taskbar."
* Click the volume (speaker) icon on the Taskbar to open the master volume control. Double-click the volume (speaker) icon to open the more detailed view from the Volume Control program.
88 Open a file with other than the "associated" program
Windows 95 makes it fairly easy to open a file with program B that is normally opened with program A (i.e. with other than its normal association). This is particularly useful for viewing batch files, configuration files and the like.
* Right click the file icon. Click Open With on the menu to open the file with a different program.
89 Switch between a window and a full screen DOS session
* Press Alt+Enter.
LOCAL AREA NETWORKS
90 Get access to a network drive (if you are connected to a network)
Easy as pie:
* Open Explorer and there it is!
If it isn't, you aren't "connected." You can check this by checking your System properties (go to Settings on the Start menu; then Control Panel; then System). Check Devices and see if you have Network drivers present. If you see an X through the driver or a yellow !, it isn't in use. Check with your Network Administrator.
* Alternative: open My Computer to see network drives in your domain. Open Network Neighborhood to see all drives accessible to you.
91 Get access to a network printer (if you are connected to a network)
Go to Start Setting Printers and select Add Printer. Select Network when asked.
92 Creating a shortcut to a network resource
Browse Network Neighborhood until you find the network resource you want (drive, printer, CD-ROM, etc.).
Use the same procedure as for creating a shortcut to an item that is on your local drive:
* Use the right mouse button to click the resource, and then drag the icon for that resource where you want it. Select Create Shortcut(s) Here from the mini-menu.
ADVANCED
93 View your computer's properties
* Use the right mouse button to click My Computer and then click Properties. If you have a Microsoft Natural Keyboard, press +Break.
* To view Network properties, use the right mouse button to click Network Neighborhood, and then click Properties.
94 Create shortcuts to a particular place in an OLE document
* Right drag a selection from an OLE document (for example, Word for Windows 95) onto the Desktop or folder, and then select Create Document Shortcut Here."
Opening this document shortcut later will open the original document at the place in the document that the shortcut originated.
95 Create a shortcut to a document scrap
* Use the left mouse button to drag a selection from an OLE document (for example, Word 95) onto the Desktop or folder to create a scrap (a scrap is an OLE object that contains the selection). Drop the scrap onto another document or back onto the original document to insert or render it (whichever is most appropriate).
96 Change the standard icon for "folder"
* From a folder's View menu, select Options. Select File Types and then scroll down the list to the Folder item. Click Edit Change. Select a new icon.
97 Create a new "send to" link
SendTo is really a directory of places that you often send things to. This is useful for creating an archive directory (perhaps on the network) to put older files in.
* Put a shortcut in the SendTo folder in the Windows directory and it will automatically appear every time you click the right mouse button and select the SendTo option.
98 Open Explorer with "switches"
The Explorer program can be opened with various switches to control where it begins its display. Create a shortcut with switches on the command line to have customized ways of starting up Explorer.
Command line: Explorer [/e][,/root,<object>][[,/select],<sub object>]
/e: Use Explorer view (scope and results pane view). The default is Open view (results pane view only).
/root<object>: Specify the object in the "normal" name space that is used as the root (top level) of this Explorer/Folder. The default is the Desktop.
/select: The parent folder opens and the specified object is selected.
<sub object>: Specify the folder unless /select is used. The default is the root.
Examples:
Explorer /e, /root, \\projects
opens an Explorer window at \\projects.
Explorer /select, c:\windows\win.ini
opens a folder at c:\windows (or activates one that is currently open) and selects win.ini.
Explorer /e, /root,\\projects\Archive
opens a folder to the Archive folder. This is a good way to create a dedicated, remote, documents' archive directory. A link to this folder (\\projects\David\Archive) can then be placed in the SendTo folder for quick routing of documents.
99 Put contents of Control Panel, Dial Up Networking, or Printer folders in other folders
You can put the contents of Control Panel or other special folders in any folder including your Start menu. Paste in the appropriate name below:
For
Use This Name
Control Panel
Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}
Dial Up Network
Dial Up Net.{992CFFA0-F557-101A-88EC-00DD010CCC48}
Printers
Printers.{2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D}
[Don't ask me where these names came from; I just got this information from a file on the Microsoft Network.]
100 Create a shortcut to a DOS program and get prompted for parameters
* Create a shortcut using the File New Shortcut command from Explorer.
* Type in the name of the DOS program file but add a "?" to the command line. You will be prompted for a parameter string when you start the program.
101 Move your Windows swap file to another drive
In particular, after you create a compressed drive, there may be 15-20 Mb available on the uncompressed drive. You can move your swap file (Win386.swp) there and "reclaim" this space for something useful.
* Go to Start Settings Control Panel System and select the Performance tab. Click on Virtual Memory and check the box that says you want to specify it yourself. Put in the drive location.
This is a little dangerous (but you are reading the Advanced section). Make sure you have plenty of room on the drive you put your swap file on. Windows 95 can make some big ones even if you have 24 Mb of memory (as I do on my computer).
102 Create a hardware profile
Hardware Profiles are used to set up multiple hardware configurations. This is especially useful for laptops that have docking stations.
* Use the right mouse button to click the My Computer icon. Click Properties, and then click the Hardware Profiles tab.
At this point, you can rename a profile or create a new one by copying from an existing one.
* Select the profile closest to the new one you want to create and Copy it.
At this point, you have to switch to the Device Manager tab.
* Select any device and select Properties. Scroll down to the profiles you want this device to be inactivated for and click to deselect.
Mucking around with your Device Managers is like changing system.ini in Windows 3.1. You better know what you are doing and do it carefully.
KEYBOARD COMMANDS
These items are based on the Care Package Project version .95 by Microsoft Product Support Services Personal Operating System's Unit
I'm kind of partial to keyboard commands. Once upon a time, the mouse was an alternative to the keyboard. Now it is the other way around. For the most part, I find the keyboard to be faster in many situations. Perhaps you will too. [Note that some of these commands also involve a mouse click or two: sometimes you just can't get away from the rodent.]
A Operations on a selected object in a folder
F2
Rename
Ctrl+X,C,V
Cut, Copy, Paste
Shift+Delete
Delete immediately without putting into Recycle Bin
Alt+Enter
Properties
Ctrl+right click
Put alternative verbs on the context menu
Ctrl+drag a file to a folder
Copy a file
Ctrl+Shift+drag a file to the desktop or a folder
Create a shortcut
B Commands in Explorer
F4
Displays the directory list combo box
F5
Refresh the view
F6
Switches between panes
Ctrl+G
Goto
Ctrl+Z
Undo
Ctrl+A
Select all
Backspace
Goes to the parent folder
Shift+Click Close Button
Closes this folder and all its parent folders
C Commands in the Explorer tree pane
Right arrow
Expands current selection if it's not expanded, otherwise goes to the first child
Left arrow
Collapses current selection if it's expanded, otherwise goes to the parent
Numeric Keypad * (asterisk)
Expands everything under the current selection.
Numeric Keypad + (plus sign)
Expands the current selection.
Numeric Keypad - (minus sign)
Collapses the current selection.
D Commands in the Open/Save common dialog
F4
Drop down the location list
F5
Refresh the view
Backspace
Go to parent if focus is on view window
E General keyboard-only commands
F1
Help
F10
Goes to menu mode
Shift+F10
Context menu for selected item
Ctrl+Esc
Brings up Start menu
Shift+F10
Context menu
Alt+Tab
Switch to the next application in order
Shift while inserting CD
Bypasses auto-run program
Alt+M when focus is on Taskbar
Minimizes all windows
F Microsoft Natural Keyboard commands
+R
Run dialog
+M
Minimize All
Shift+ +M
Undo Minimize All
+F1
Windows Help
+E
Explorer
+F
Find Files or Folders
Ctrl+ +F
Find Computer
+Tab
Cycle through Taskbar buttons
+Break
PSS Hotkey (System Properties dialog)
G Mouse click/keyboard combinations for desktop objects
Ctrl+RIGHT CLICK
Displays a context menu containing alternative verbs.
Shift+DOUBLE-CLICK
Runs the alternate default command (the second item on the menu).
Alt+DOUBLE-CLICK
Displays properties
Shift+Delete
Deletes an item immediately without placing it in the Recycle Bin.
