Windows 95 Tips

KEYBOARD JAMMIN'

Here are three keyboard shortcuts you shouldn't be without:

Alt-Shift-Tab

You may already know that Alt-Tab cycles you through open programs and windows, but did you know that Alt-Shift-Tab cycles you backward through the same list? It's a useful option if you have lots of applications open at the same time.

Desktop Cycler

Shift-Right-click

If you'd like to open a file in a particular application other than the one it's associated with, don't waste time opening the application first, then using that program's Open command. Instead, hold down Shift as you right-mouse-click on the already selected file icon. Select Open With, choose the application in which you'd like to open the files, and click on OK.

Shift-Delete

Typically, selecting an item and pressing the Delete key sends it to the Recycle Bin (after you click on Yes to confirm that you actually want to send the item there). To bypass the Recycle Bin altogether, hold down Shift as you press Delete.

WINDOWS 95 PRINT SCREEN

Miss being able to print screen, like you did in DOS? You can print screen in Windows 95, you just need a program that excepts its graphical output. Press print screen right now on this page, now open paint on the Program/Accessories menu and click edit on the file menu and then past. There ya go a full print screen of this page in your browser, plus whatever else is on your desktop if it's not maximized. To get just the window that is currently open, hold down alt while pressin print screen.

WHAT'S THE DIAGNOSIS?

Did you know you can add programs, such as Microsoft Diagnostics, to your Windows 95 Startup disk? (You do have one, right? If not, inside the Control Panel, double-click on Add/Remove Programs; select the Startup Disk tab; then click on Create Disk and follow the instructions.) It's filled with programs to help you diagnose and repair problems with your system, but it doesn't have everything.

Microsoft Diagnostics is located on the Windows 95 installation CD, in the D:\Other\Msd folder. This oldie-but-goodie utility is great for diagnosing problems, such as IRQ conflicts, that prevent Windows from starting. To add Microsoft Diagnostics to your Startup Disk, simply copy Msd.exe to the disk.

PICTURE, IF YOU WILL

Turn your favorite BMP image into a Windows 95 icon. Change the file extension from BMP to .ICO, and Win95 will automatically replace its generic icon with a miniature version of the actual BMP, converted to 32x32 pixels and 16 colors. To use the new icon, bring up the Properties page for any shortcut you want to change, and go to the Shortcut tab. Click on the Change Icon button and browse until you find your new icon file.

WHAT'S THAT PASSWORD AGAIN?

You say Windows 95 won't remember your dial-up password? It might be because you installed the Windows 95 Service Pack 1. Microsoft admits that this update has a bug that messes with your password cache.

To fix the problem, point your Web browser to http://www.microsoft.com/windows95/info/passwd.htm and download the Windows 95 Password List Update (and read all about it, if you care to). Once the download is complete, double- click on mspwlupd2.exe to install the necessary files.

(Tip: To ensure that all corrupted files have been removed from your system, delete any Password Caches [all PWL files in the Windows folder] before installing this update.)

FOOTLOOSE AND ICON-FREE

Tired of seeing that little modem icon in the tray of your Taskbar every time you use a dial-up connection? Then ditch it. In a My Computer window, double-click on Dial-Up Networking. Right- mouse-click on the DUN connection you use, select Properties, and click on the Configure button. Select the Options tab, deselect Display modem status, and click on OK. (Repeat these steps for every connection from which you'd like to remove the modem status icon.) From now on, your Taskbar will be modem-free!

A JOURNEY THROUGH WINDOWS' PAST

We've had numerous requests for a tip on removing one of multiple extensions from a registered file type. For example, suppose files with .BMP and .PCX extensions are associated with Paint; and you'd prefer that .BMP files don't open in Paint. Instead, you want them to open in another program, such as Collage Complete's Image Manager. After struggling with the options on the File Types tab (select Options under the View menu of Windows Explorer), we found that the easiest way to accomplish this task is to use--believe it or not--the old File Manager.

Assuming you installed Windows 95 over a previous version of Windows and haven't deleted all your old Windows files, you can open File Manager as follows: Select Start, Run; type
Winfile
on the Run command line, and click on OK.

Inside the File Manager, select Associate under the File menu. Type the extension you want to remove from the file type, select (None) under Associate With (it's at the top of the list), and click on OK. That extension now has no association.

Note: If the file type with which you WOULD like to associate that extension already appears in the list under Associate With, just select it and click on OK. Otherwise, stay tuned for our next tip, when we'll show you how to create a new association for that extension . . . .

BACK TO THE FILE TYPES FUTURE

In our last tip, we showed you how to use the File Manager (assuming you have it on your system) to remove one of multiple extensions from a registered file type: Open the File Manager by typing
Winfile
on the Run command line; select Associate under the File menu; type the extension you want to remove from the file type, select (None) under Associate With, and click on OK. Now you can associate that extension with a new application.

First, you need to get back into Windows 95, to the File Types dialog box. Select Options under the View menu of Windows Explorer and select the File types tab. Now just follow these ten steps to create your new association:

1. Click on New Type.
2. Fill in the Description of type (to appear in the Registered file types list).
3. Type the Associated extension (the one you just removed from the other file type).
4. Click on New.
5. Type "open" on the Action line.
6. Click on Browse and navigate your way to the executable file of the application with which you'd like to associate the extension.
7. Click on Open.
8. Click on OK.
9. Click on Close (there's your new file type in the Registered file types list!).
10. Click on Close one more time.

BECAUSE DOSKEY REMEMBERS . . .

One great DOS utility is Doskey. You turn on Doskey by typing its name during any DOS session. If you're in a DOS window and make a mistake typing a very long command, don't waste time retyping. Use Doskey to recall that command so you can fix your mistake. Press your keyboard's up arrow once to insert the most recently typed command (or use the up/down arrows to scroll through all the commands in Doskey's memory). Make your changes, press Enter, and you've saved yourself some typing!

To view the commands in Doskey's memory, type the following at the command prompt ("h" stands for history): doskey /h

AN HISTORICAL SHORTCUT

Ina previous tip, we showed you how to recall a previously typed command in a DOS window: Use the up arrow to insert the last command in Doskey's history list (or use the up/down arrows to scroll through the commands in memory). We also told you that typing doskey /h displays Doskey's history list. You can also use Doskey to write simple macros. The syntax is: macroname=[text]

For example, suppose you'd like to display Doskey's history list by simply typing
h
(instead of doskey /h). Type the following at the command prompt and press Enter:
doskey h=doskey /h
("doskey" runs Doskey, "h" is the macroname, and "doskey /h" is the command you want the macro to perform.) Test out your new macro. Type
h
press Enter, and there's your history list! For a list of all Doskey macros, type the following at the command prompt and press Enter:
doskey /m

YOU WON'T REMEMBER A THING, DOSKEY . . .

In our last tip, we showed you how to recall a previously typed command in a DOS window: Use the up arrow to insert the last command in Doskey's history list (or use the up/down arrows to scroll through the commands in memory). We also told you that typing
doskey /h
displays Doskey's history list.

Another Doskey switch that may come in handy is /r, or reinstall. If Doskey's history list gets uncomfortably long, just type
doskey /r
at the command prompt (and press Enter). Doing so installs a fresh copy of Doskey over the old one, wiping the history list clean.

EXPLOIT EXPLORER

You probably find the Windows Explorer view more useful than the default window view, so why not make Explorer the default? Bring up the View/Options menu from any folder within Explorer, go to the File Types tab and double-click on Folder in the list of registered file types. Select explore from the list of actions and click on the Set Default button. Double-clicking on a folder will now bring up Explorer, every time.

ONE-CLICK WONDER

If you always refer to the same documents, and they're compatible with Quick View, create a shortcut that will open them with Quick View instead of the default application. For each file you want to set up, create a shortcut to the document; a good location would be in the Start menu or on the desktop. Then bring up the Properties window for the shortcut and click on the Shortcut tab. In the Target field, append C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\VIEWERS\QUIKVIEW.EXE to the front of the path.

CARPE DOS

Here's a way to bring up DOS windows faster. Follow the same steps as in the previous tip to bring up the action list for the Folder file type and create an action called Open MS-DOS. In the Application Used to Perform Action field, type C:\WINDOWS\DOSPRMPT.PIF. Now, right-clicking on any folder will bring you to a DOS prompt, with the folder you selected as the current directory.

GET RIGHT TO THE ROOT

You can pop up rooted Explorer views on the fly by creating an option for them in the right-click menu for folders. Edit the action list for the Folder file type, as in the previous tip, and create a new action called Explore from Here. For the application path, type C:\WINDOWS\ EXPLORER.EXE /E,/ROOT,%1. You can also set this up automatically with Microsoft's Power Toys, available on WinMag's Web site.

OUT TO C:>

Earlier, there was a tip explaining how to boot to DOS: In Notepad, open your MSDOS.SYS file (after removing its hidden and read-only attributes), change the line BootGUI=1 to BootGUI=0, and save your change. From then on, the boot process will leave you at the C:> prompt. (Type win to start Windows 95.)

If you prefer to start at the command prompt on a one-time-only basis, you have two options. During the boot process, press F4 when you see the "Starting Windows 95" message; or, press F8 (at the same message) and choose the sixth item, Command prompt only.

MY COMPUTER MAKEOVER

In a previous tip, we showed you how to change the icon Windows 95 uses to represent your Recycle Bin. As you might expect, you can use a similar technique to change your My Computer icon. (Note: As always, back up your Registry first.)

Select Start, Run, type
Regedit
and click on OK. Inside the Registry Editor, navigate your way to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8- 08002B30309D}\ DefaultIcon. In the right pane, right-mouse click on (Default) and choose Modify. On the Value data line, type the path and number of the icon you want to use for My Computer in the format "path, ##" (no quotes). For example, if you were using the 21st icon in the c:\Windows\System\Pifmgr.dll file, you would type (remember, the numbering in an icon file starts with zero):
c:\Windows\System\Pifmgr.dll, 20
Close the Registry Editor, click on the Desktop, and press F5 to refresh. Hey, it's a window.

(For those of your who don't remember the original tip on changing the Recycle Bin's icon, follow the above technique at HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ CLSID\ {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08- 00AA002F954E}\ DefaultIcon for both the "empty" and "full" values.)

WORKING WTIH SCRAPS

Did you know that in many applications you can drag scraps of text or graphics to the desktop for later use in their original or another application? For example, when working on a report in Microsoft Word, you decide to cut a paragraph. However, you may want to use that paragraph later in the document or even in another file. To create a scrap, select the text you wish to use and then drag it onto the desktop with the right mouse button. When you release the button, select the Move Scrap Here command from the context menu (dragging with the left mouse button will automatically copy the scrap). Now when you want to copy the scrap into a document, just drag it from the desktop into the text.

CLEAR START MENU CLUTTER

Empty the contents of the Documents item on your Start menu by selecting Start/Settings/Taskbar and clicking on the Start Menu Programs tab. Under Documents menu, click on the Clear button.

THE PRINTER DOCTOR IS IN

If you're having trouble with your printer, help is just a CD away--the Windows 95 installation CD, that is. Pop it into your CD-ROM drive, navigate your way to D:\Other\Misc\Epts, and double-click on Epts.exe.

Introducing the Enhanced Printer Troubleshooter. Just answer the questions it asks, follow any orders, and in no time, your printer will be acting like its old self.

DESKTOP ON TOP

If you like to work on your applications full-screen, but still want to get at your desktop icons quickly, this tip's for you. Create a shortcut to the Desktop folder"you'll find it in your Windows directory"and put it in your Start menu. You can also keep the folder continuously open and minimized on your Taskbar simply by minimizing it. The folder will stay there through all your reboots, as long as you never close it.

FUN WITH RUN

You can drag documents and folders into the Run dialog. Windows will type the path for you. You can then modify and launch with your changes.

FUN WITH RUN, PART II

Sometimes it's hard to tell what a document's DOS file extension is (Win95 does a good job hiding that information from you). An easy way to find out is to drag the file to the Run command dialog as described above. The entire path- including the file extension-will be revealed.

FUN WITH RUN, PART III

The four most recently launched Run commands are still available by clicking on the down arrow in the Run dialog or by using the down-arrow key.

FUN WITH RUN, PART IV

You can type the UNC path to a folder on the server (if you're on a network, of course) into the Run command line.

WHAT'LL IT BE, THE QUICKIE OR THE WORKS?

Need to format a floppy disk? Windows 95 offers the Quick (erase) option, to simply wipe out a disk's contents; or a Full format, which takes the disk down to bare bones and rebuilds it.

With the disk you'd like to format in your floppy drive, right- mouse click on your floppy drive icon and select Format. (Don't make the mistake of opening the floppy drive window first, as the Format command is only available from the icon's context menu.)

Which option should you choose? Select Quick (erase) and click on OK to remove the contents of an already-formatted disk. Keep in mind, however, that you should only use this option if you know the disk isn't damaged. Quick (erase) doesn't check the disk for bad sectors.

For a complete formatting job--for example, if you have a disk that was formatted for a Macintosh system, or you think a disk may have errors on it--choose Full. Click on OK and Windows 95 will proceed to wipe out the disk's contents, prepare it for file storage, and check the disk for errors.

ALL SYSTEMS GO

In our last tip, we showed you how to format a floppy disk: Right- mouse click on your floppy drive icon, select format, and choose from the Quick (erase) or Full options. Assuming you have a blank formatted disk in front of you, now may be a good time to create a system, or "boot" disk. This disk will get you to a command prompt in the event that you have trouble booting your system. (Note: Different from the Windows 95 Startup disk, a system disk does not include any diagnostic or repair tools--it simply gets you to an MS-DOS prompt.)

So, with your formatted disk in your floppy drive, right-mouse click on the drive's icon, select Format and choose Copy System Files Only. Click on OK, and Windows 95 will copy Command.com, Io.sys, Msdos.sys and Drvspace.bin (if applicable) to the disk. Why do you need this disk if all of these files are on the Startup Disk? Well, it never hurts to have a backup of the crucial files.

THAT DARN WINDOWS KEY

Do you have a Microsoft Natural Keyboard 1.0? When you're in a DOS session and press the Windows key by accident, does your system then act as if the Windows key is still pressed? (For example, when you press E, does Windows Explorer start?) Microsoft claims that a conflict between the System Agent and the keyboard is to blame and suggests that disabling the System Agent will solve the problem. To disable the System Agent, double-click on the System Agent's icon in your Taskbar. Pull down the Advanced menu, select Stop Using System Agent, and click on Yes to confirm.

ROOT AROUND

To keep shortcuts to your favorite folders handy, set up permanent shortcuts that open a "rooted Explorer" view with your folder at the topmost level of a hierarchical tree. Right-click on the shortcut, select Properties and then the Shortcut tab. Place your cursor at the beginning of the Target field and add C:\windows\explorer /e,/root, (include the final comma) to the beginning of the command line. By double-clicking on the new shortcut, you'll get an Explorer window, with the folder you selected at the top.

DRAG-AND-PRINT

Create a shortcut to a printer by opening the Printers folder (Settings/Control Panel/Printers) and dragging a printer icon to the Desktop. You can then drag documents onto the shortcut and print instantly. You can also put a printer shortcut in your Send To folder so printing is always a right- click away.

GET YOUR TITLE BAR DOWN HERE!

"I have a window that shows up with its top half off the screen. Is there any way to bring that window back to the center of the screen?"

There is, but you'll need to use the keyboard. Click on any area of the window to make it active, then press Alt-Spacebar (to open the menu that appears when you click on the window's upper left icon). Press M for Move, then press and hold the down arrow on your keyboard until the window is in full view on-screen. Press Enter to let go of the window.

(Note: You can use this same technique to move any window without the mouse.)

ALT-ER YOUR START-UP

If you want to get to a DOS prompt when starting your computer, you probably press F8 when you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, wait for the menu to appear, and choose the Command prompt only option. Here's a shortcut: Press Alt-F5 instead (at the "Starting Windows 95" message), and you'll go directly to a command prompt.

GIVE YOUR HOME DRIVE A LETTER

Longtime NetWare users switching to an NT server may miss the MAP ROOT command, which allows you to assign a drive letter to your server-based personal storage area and work with it as though it were the root directory of the mapped drive. NT doesn't support the MAP ROOT command, but it does let you use the SUBST command, which dates back to the DOS days, to accomplish the same goal. Used in conjunction with NT system variables and login scripts, the SUBST command lets you define a single drive letter where all network users can expect to find their personal files (U, for users, is a popular choice.)

To map U: to the Personal folder stored in each user's profile, add the following command to the login script for each user: SUBST U: %userprofile%\Personal
With this command in the login script, NT will add an extra icon to the My Computer window. Double-clicking this icon will take the user straight to the Personal folder on the server. If you're wary of using the SUBST command because you've lost data when using it with pervious versions of DOS or Windows, don't worry. The NT version is far more robust and stable.

CHOOSE HOW THEY RUN

If you want applications to run minimized, maximized or in a normal window, create a shortcut for the app, right- click on the shortcut icon, select Properties from the context menu, click on the Shortcut tab and make your selection in the Run item.

SEARCH DRIVES

Search your floppy, hard and mapped network drives simultaneously by selecting My Computer in Find's Look In box.

QUICK! PUT IT ON A DISKETTE!

The quickest way to put a file or folder on a diskette is to right-click on it, select Send To from the context menu and choose "31/2 Floppy (A)."

TOO MANY PICTURES SPOIL THE PERFORMANCE

In a previous tip, we showed you how to make any .BMP file display a small version of itself (a thumbnail) as its file icon. A number of people have asked how to undo this change (with slower systems, it can affect performance).

To return to your previous setting, open the Registry Editor and navigate your way to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Paint.Picture\DefaultIcon. Right-mouse click on Default, select Modify, and change the Value data from %1 back to ONE of these defaults:
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\cool.dll,41
C:\Progra~1\Access~1\MSPAINT.EXE,1
(Pick the one you like better--the first looks like a paintbrush drawing on a page; the second is a can of paintbrushes.)

Click on OK, then close the Registry Editor.

(Note: If you missed this tip the first time around, to see thumbnails of your bitmaps, change the above Value data to %1.)

FIND'S WILDCARD

The Win95 Find utility sports some unique-and undocumented-wildcard capabilities you can use in the Find dialog's Named box. For example, use a question mark to replace each unknown letter or number in a filename. Each question mark must replace exactly one unknown character, so you have to know how many characters are in the filename. Each asterisk, on the other hand, can replace any number of unknown characters. You can use combinations of question marks and asterisks to refine your search.

SAVE YOUR FINDINGS

If you find yourself searching the same folder or for the same kind of file (say, a Word document), save your search for future use. After you conduct a search, select File/Save Search. It'll place an icon on your Desktop, which, when launched, will bring up Find with all the parameters preset.

WINDOWS AND DOS SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE

If you're working in an MS-DOS Prompt window (running under Windows 95), and don't feel like typing the long path of a file or folder, try this: Drag and drop any file or folder into the DOS window to insert its path at the command prompt.

WHO YOU GONNA CALL?

Do you rely on your PC for everything, to the point where the only address book you have is the one in your e-mail program? Shame, shame. If your system crashes, not only will you be really upset, but you won't be able to call anyone to tell them about it! Back up your address book regularly.

In an Explorer or My Computer window, find your address book and take note of its location. (For example, if you use Outlook Express, this file is C:\Program Files\Outlook Express\Wab.exe. With a disk in your floppy drive, right-mouse click on the file, select Send To, and then choose 3 1/2 Floppy (A). (Or if you prefer, copy the file to your disk in some other way.) If you ever need to restore this file, just copy it from the disk back to its original location (in this case, the Windows folder).

LONG FILENAMES IN THE ROOT DIRECTORY

At first glance, Windows 95's long filenames feature may seem like the perfect tool for organizing the root directory. Although you can exploit long filenames to describe the contents of your directories, you should be cautious about using them in your root directory. DOS imposes a 512-entry limit in the root directory, and this is still true in Windows 95. While 512 may sound like an extremely large number of entries, it's really not. Because when you create a long filename, Windows 95 uses one directory for the file's 8.3-style DOS name and another for its long filename alias. Therefore, if all your filenames are longer than the 8.3 format can handle, your limit is reduced to 256 entries.

LOW ON MEMORY? TELL ME ABOUT IT

Want to know what percentage of your system resources is available? In any Windows 95 window, select Help, About Windows 95. Or, in any Windows 95 application (such as Notepad, Calculator, or WordPad), pull down the Help menu and select About [that program's name]. The resulting dialog box tells you the physical memory available to Windows and your free system resources.

(Try this trick in Word 97, and you'll find a System Info button. Click on it for an entire dialog box of stats about your system. Yikes--that's way too much information.)

TAB-ULATIN' RHYTHMS

If you're in a dialog box with multiple tabs and want to move from one to the next, your only option is the mouse, right? Wrong. If you don't feel like making the effort to grab the mouse, try the keyboard.

Press Ctrl-Tab to move one tab to the right. While holding down Ctrl, continue to press Tab until the tab you want is highlighted, then let go. Ctrl-Shift-Tab rotates you through tabs in the reverse direction.

STOP STARTING ALREADY!

Can't figure out how to get a program to stop loading every time you start Windows 95? (Software developers have a whole lotta nerve to assume this is a convenience. They should ask first.) There are three places where you can try to stop this annoyance:

• The Startup folder. This is the most obvious location for a program reference. Right-mouse click on Start, select Open, double-click on Programs, then double-click on Startup. If you see a shortcut to the annoying program inside, delete it.
• Your WIN.INI file. Select Start, Run, type
  sysedit
  and click on OK. Inside the System Configuration Editor, make the WIN.INI window active and look for a "run=" or "load=" line under the [windows] section. Programs referred to on these lines load at startup. If you feel comfortable doing so, remove the reference to the annoying program, and save your change. (If not, have your local computer guru help you. WIN.INI is a very important file and should not be messed with unless you know what you're doing.)
• The Registry. Select Start, Run, type
  regedit
  and click on OK to open the Registry Editor. Navigate your way to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RUN. In the right pane, you'll find programs that load when Windows 95 starts. Right-mouse click on the one giving you grief, select Delete, and close the Registry Editor. (As always, before editing the Registry, back it up. One way is to zip your System.dat and User.dat files and store them on a floppy disk.)

Whichever method you used, restart Windows 95 and (in most cases) breathe a deep sigh of satisfaction!

QUICK-CLOSE TRICK

If you give Win95 the ol' three finger salute Ctrl+Alt+Del) you'll get the Close Program dialog, which gives you the option to close running applications one at a time. Task Manager, a holdover from Windows 3.x, lets you close any number of running applications-or all of them-at once. To launch Task Manager, select Start/Run and type TASKMAN and press Enter. From the resulting Task dialog, press and hold the Ctrl key, click on each of the programs you'd like to close and select Windows/End Task. To close all your running applications, press and hold the Shift key, click on the first application, then the last and select Windows/End Task.

YOU CALL THAT A HIGHLIGHTER?

When you select a menu item and then scroll down its list of options, your mouse functions as a highlighter, coloring each command it passes. (This highlight color will vary depending on the color scheme you're using.) Want to change the color it uses? For example, if you're using the Windows Standard scheme, you may want to change that dark blue to red for some real contrast.

Whatever your taste in colors, right-click on the Desktop, select Properties, and click on the Appearance tab. Click on the down arrow under Item, select Selected Items, and then choose a Color. Click on Apply to try out your change without closing the dialog box, or click on OK to make it stick. There, much better. Who ever heard of a dark blue highlighter anyway?

(Note: If you want to save the change as part of the color scheme you're using, before closing the Display Properties dialog box, select Save As, name the scheme--or leave the name as is, to write over the existing scheme--then click on OK.)

THE TASKBAR SPEAKS MORE THAN ONE FONT

In our last tip, we showed you how to change the color of selected menu items (and icons): Right-click on the desktop, select Properties, click on the Appearance tab, choose Selected Items under Item, then take your pick of colors. You can use this same dialog box to change the font and size of the text on your Taskbar items (and in your window title bars--it's all the same option).

Select Active Title Bar in the Item list, then play around with the Font and Size. (Make sure to use the Size option next to Font; the one next to Item affects the size of the Active Title Bar.) Click on Apply or OK, and your changes will show up on the Taskbar and the title bars of open windows.

QUICK--INTO THE CORNER!

Want an easy way to keep what's on your computer screen private? If you use Microsoft Plus! and have the System Agent loaded (in other words, this tip doesn't apply to IE 4 users), you can activate any Plus! screen saver simply by moving your mouse pointer to the corner of your screen. If anyone sneaks up behind you, just move your mouse for an instant curtain over whatever you were doing.

Right-mouse click on the desktop, select Properties, and click on the Screen Saver tab. Choose one of the Plus! screen savers (if it isn't already) and click on the Settings button. On the General tab of the Screen Saver Properties dialog box, select the corner you'd like to use to activate your screen saver, then click on Now. Repeat these steps to activate any or all of the corners, then click on OK twice.

Ready for a test spin? Move your mouse pointer as far as possible into one of the corners you selected, wait a second or two, and there's your screen saver.

A WINDOW OF NO-PASSWORD OPPORTUNITY

If you've set up a password for a Plus! screen saver, you probably find it annoying that every time you turn your back, you have to enter your own password to get back to work. You can avoid this annoyance without lengthening the time after which the screen saver will kick in.

Right-mouse click on the desktop, select Properties, and click on the Screen Saver tab. Select any Plus! screen saver and click on the Settings button. At the bottom of the General tab set the Wait XX (seconds or minutes) Before Requiring a Password option. Click on OK, and from now on you have a window of opportunity to get back to work without a hassle.

DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT USERS
--PART 1 OF 2

If more than one person uses a Windows 95 system, then there's more than one idea flying around as to how the desktop should be arranged--or which color scheme looks best . . . and so on, and so on. When it comes to visual and organizational settings, we all have our own ideas of perfection.

With Windows 95's user profiles, each user can customize a working environment and call up these settings at log-on. It's like giving each user his or her very own computer (well, almost).

Before setting up user profiles, make all the settings on the PC fairly neutral. For example, you may want to go back to a blank desktop (no wallpaper or pattern), the default color scheme, and so on. The settings you start with are the ones you'll see when a person does not log on under a user profile. (Once user profiles are set up, you can press Esc to ignore the log-in dialog box.)

DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT USERS
--PART 2 OF 2

In our last tip, we explained the purpose of user profiles: to allow each user of a PC to have unique settings. We also suggested that, before setting them up, you return to as many of the Windows 95 defaults as possible, such as the default color scheme. Now, let's look at setting up and using user profiles.

Open the Control Panel, double-click on Passwords, and click on the User Profiles tab. Select the Users Can Customize Their Preferences option, then select the options you want under User Profile settings. Click on OK, and you'll see a message telling you to restart Windows 95. Click on OK to restart. (Note: IE 4 users have a Users item in the Control Panel for setting up user profiles. Double-click on it and follow the wizard's instructions; or use the method described in this tip.)

Once user profiles have been set up on a system, starting Windows 95 will bring up a Welcome to Windows 95 dialog box. If you're logging in for the first time, enter a user name and password, click on OK, confirm the password, and click on OK again. (If it's a networked PC, typically Windows 95 identifies you by your network name and password instead, and you won't see the Welcome dialog box.)

Once you're in, think of that PC as your very own and start customizing. Whenever you log on to Windows 95 with that user name and password, those same settings will appear.

When you're finished using the computer, you can log off without closing Windows 95. Select Start, Shut Down, select the Close All Programs and Log on as a Different User option, wait a few seconds, and the Welcome to Windows 95 dialog box appears for someone else to log in. (IE 4 users: You have a Log Off option on the Start menu.)

DOSKEY FUNCTION-ALITY

Previously, we ran some tips about Doskey (a utility that makes it easy to insert a previously typed command at an MS-DOS prompt). Based on all the feedback, it seems many of you use this utility frequently. Here are some Doskey shortcuts:

• To view Doskey's history, press F7.
• To insert a previously typed command, after pressing F7, press F9 (you'll be prompted for a line number). Type a line number, then press Enter twice.
• To clear Doskey's buffer, press Alt-F7 when Doskey is active.
• Type doskey /? at the command prompt for more Doskey shortcuts.

WRITE YOUR OWN BIOS

Want a printout of your system's BIOS setup? The following technique works on most systems:
Boot your system normally. Select Start, Shut Down, choose the restart option, and click on Yes. During the second boot, press the key indicated (on-screen) to enter Setup mode--probably F1, F2, or Delete. At the first Setup screen, press your keyboard's PrintScreen key. (Whereas in Windows 95, the PrintScreen key sends the screen contents to the Clipboard; here they go straight to the printer.) If necessary, press your printer's page feed button to complete the printing of the first page. Go to the next Setup screen, press PrintScreen, and so on.

DOS DOES WINDOWS

If you're working in an MS-DOS session, you can open a file or folder just as you would using the Start, Run command (or just as you would by double-clicking its icon outside of the DOS session). The difference is, you need to precede the file name with the Start command.

Let's suppose you normally type
c:\data\myfile.doc
on the Start, Run command line to open myfile.doc in Microsoft Word. You can accomplish the same thing by typing the following at your DOS window's C:\ prompt:
start c:\data\myfile.doc
Press Enter and Microsoft Word launches, and myfile.doc opens.

The Start command works with folders, too (again, just like the Run command line). For example, you might type
start sendto
at the command prompt to open the Windows\SendTo folder (in a separate window, of course).

(Tip in a-tip: If the file or folder you're trying to open from the command prompt is in the Windows folder--or is, for any other reason, recognized by Windows 95--you don't need to type the full path of the item you're trying to open--just the file name. If you aren't sure, try it without the full path first. The worst that can happen is you'll get a message telling you Windows doesn't recognize the file, in which case you can try again with the full path.)

PUMP UP THE PASSWORD

Passwords are a vital part of any company's computer security. Although you can legislate periodic changes of passwords if you're running a Windows NT network, you can never dictate exact password syntax or make sure users don't write down their passwords where someone else can find them. However, the length of your PC's passwords is in your hands. If you're using a peer-to-peer Windows 95 network, take charge of this system attribute by editing the Registry. Standard disclaimers about editing the Registry apply here: Make sure you have a current backup and be very careful, because mistakes in the Registry can cause data loss.

To enforce a minimum password length, open the Registry Editor and navigate to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE \Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Network key. Now, choose the Edit|New|Binary value command and call the new value MinPwdLen. Press Enter twice and then type in the number of characters you want the machine's passwords to have.

OPEN (WITH) SESAME

You can change the association of a file type using the Open With dialog box. While holding down Shift, right-mouse click on a SELECTED icon of the file type you want to change and select Open With. (If you don't hold down Shift, this command won't appear.) In the Open With dialog box, choose the application you'd like to use to open files of this type, make sure you've selected Always Use This Program to Open This Type of File, and click on OK.

SPEED UP YOUR CAB

Copying all the CAB (Windows 95 installation files) from the Win95 CD to your hard disk is a great way to save time when re-installing components or the whole shebang. You can make this even quicker by modifying the Registry to point to the CAB files during installation. Open the Registry Editor, drill down to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Setup and single-click on the SETUP folder. Right-click on the SourcePath item and select Modify from the context menu. Enter the path of the folder that contains your CAB files.

SPLIT THE DEFRAG

If you're defragmenting your drive, keep in mind that you don't have to tackle the whole job at once. The Disk Defragmenter breaks the operation into two parts--defragmenting files and consolidating space. If you need to get back to work as quickly as possible, you might try just defragmenting now, to gain performance improvement, then coming back to the consolidation part later, when you have more time.

Select Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Defragmenter to open Windows 95's defragging utility. Select the drive you want to defragment, click OK, and in the resulting dialog box--the one telling you the percentage of your drive that's fragmented--click the Advanced button. Under Defragmentation, select Defragment Files Only (and select one of the options at the bottom of the dialog box, to indicate if this is a one-time-only or an all-the-time thing) and click OK. Click Start, and you're off!

(Note: You'll definitely want to come back to the consolidation part later. Otherwise, future files are more likely to become fragmented. For more information on each of the defragmenting options, right-mouse click it and select What's This?)

BEEP ME

If you frequently hit the Caps Lock key by accident, open Control Panel's Accessibility Options applet and put a check in the Use ToggleKeys box on the Keyboard tab. Then select the General tab and clear the check box next to "Turn off accessibility features." From now on your computer will beep if you press the Caps Lock, Num Lock or Scroll Lock keys.

RUN-NING ON URL

Want a quick way to get to your favorite URL? Try the Run command line. Select Start, Run, type the URL you want to go to on the command line, and click OK. Presto--your browser opens and takes you directly to that site. (Note: If you've installed Internet Explorer 4.0, selecting an item in the Start menu's Favorites folder is even faster.)

HOLD MY HAND

Win95 Help sports some cool hand-holding videos for beginners. But those videos take up about 7MB of hard-disk space. If you don't need them, go to the C:\WINDOWS\HELP folder and delete all the AVI files.

GROUP CONVERSION

When you install Win95 over Win3.x, a utility called GRPCONV.EXE (in the WINDOWS folder) converts all your Program Manager program groups into cascading menus on your Start menu. You can use this utility to restore the default configuration of cascading menus by clicking on Start/Run, then typing GRPCONV /S and clicking on OK. You can also manually convert Win3.x program groups by typing RPCONV/ M, picking the program group files and clicking on Open.

CTRL YOUR WINDOWS

When you double-click a folder inside a folder inside a folder (and so on), does each folder open in a separate window? There are two ways to switch to a one-window view, so you don't have all that mess on-screen.

• Hold down Ctrl as you double-click a folder icon (inside an already-open window). Its contents will replace those of the current window.
• To make the one-window view a permanent thing, in any Explorer window, select View, Options, and on the Folder tab, select the second of the two browsing options. Click OK. (Tip: If you want to go back to multiple windows temporarily, use the Ctrl trick, above. It toggles you between the two browsing options on the Folder tab.)

(Note: If you have Internet Explorer 4.0 installed, getting to the option described in the second method, above, is a little different. In any Explorer window, select View, Folder Options, and on the General tab, select Custom, Based on Settings You Choose. Click the Settings button, select an option under Browse Folders as Follows and click OK.

EDIT YOUR HTML FILES

If you edit HTML files regularly, you can add an Edit function to the context menu of Web documents. Selecting that option will launch your favorite HTML authoring tool and load the file you want to edit. To set it up, in Windows Explorer select View/Options and click on the File Types tab. Select Internet Document (or Netscape Hypertext Document if Navigator is your default browser) from the list, and click on the Edit button. Click on the New button, type Edit in the Action box, click on the Browse button and select your favorite HTML authoring tool.

DOCUMENT ROUTING

Here's how to set up a convenient document routing system for a small workgroup. Each person in the workgroup should: 1) Create a folder on his or her desktop and label it "IN"; 2) Right-click on the IN folder, select Properties and Sharing, click on the "Shared As" radio button and type his or her name in the "Share Name" box, then click on OK; 3) After everyone completes step two, open the Network Neighborhood, find all the "IN" folders your co-workers shared, and create shortcuts to each of them in your C:\WINDOWS\SENDTO folder (use the right mouse button to drag and drop them from Network Neighborhood and select "Create shortcut here" from the context menu). Whenever you want to send a document to a member of your workgroup, just right-click on it, select Send To, then the name of the person.

MINUTE LOGOS

You'll find these replacements screens all over the Web. For a mind-boggling selection, all in one place, check out http://www.windows95.com/apps/startup.html

To use the ready-made screens, copy any downloaded logo.sys file to your root directory and copy downloaded logos.sys and logow.sys files to your Windows folder. Just make sure to rename your original files first, in case you want to use them again. (For more detailed instructions, each download typically includes a readme.txt file.)

Ready to check out all that hard (ha!) work? Restart.

FILE TYPE DRESS-UP--PART 1 OF 2

You know that boring icon Windows 95 uses to represent .TXT files, or any other file type for that matter? You can change it to any icon on your system. It's just like changing the icon used to represent a shortcut--the difference is, you start on the File Types tab of the Options dialog box.

Open any Explorer window and select Options under the View menu. (If you have Internet Explorer 4.0 installed, select Folder Options under the View menu.) On the File Types tab, find the file type whose icon you'd like to change in the Registered File Types list. Select this type, click the Edit button, and in the Edit File Type dialog box, click Change Icon. (Note: If this button is grayed out, you can't change the icon for that file type.)

Select a new icon (alternatively, click Browse, select the file that includes the icon you want, click Open, and select an icon) and click OK. From now on Windows will use the icon you've selected to represent every file of that type on your system.

In our next tip, we'll show you a foolproof trick for always recognizing a file type.

FILE TYPE DRESS-UP--PART 2 OF 2

In our last tip, we showed you how to change the look of any file type by changing its icon: In any Explorer window, select View, Options (or Folder Options in Internet Explorer 4.0), click the File Types tab, select a file type, click Edit, click Change Icon, select a new icon, and click OK.

If you change a whole bunch of icons, you may worry that you'll become confused and forget which is which. One way to prevent this confusion is to show all file extensions. (On the View tab of the Options [or Folder Options in IE 4] dialog box, make sure Hide MS-DOS Extensions [or Hide All Extensions in IE 4] is deselected.) But if you typically don't show extensions globally, an even better solution is to show them only for the file types for which you've selected custom icons.

Each time you change a file type's icon, opt to always show the extension for that file type--at least until you get used to the new icon. After you change an icon, still in the Edit File Type dialog box for that file type, select Always Show Extension. (To access this command at a later date, select any file type in the Options [or Folder Options] dialog box and click Edit.) Click OK, and from then on, you'll see the extension for that file type no matter what. Once you master the new icon, you can turn the Always Show Extension option off the same way you turned it on.

DRAGGING WITH THE RIGHT MOUSE BUTTON

Did you know that dragging files with the right mouse button displays a context menu with a choice of several actions? You can choose from several options: Move Here, Copy Here, Create Shortcut(s) Here or Cancel. Dragging with the right button gives you more control than dragging with the left button, which automatically performs the default action (which, incidentally, is displayed in bold on the right-drag context menu). The Cancel command can also come in handy, especially when you accidentally drop a file on the wrong folder.

QUICK-START YOUR SCREEN SAVER

Is there a screen saver on your system that you find mesmerizing? Wish you could start it on cue, whenever you need a little entertainment? Then place a shortcut to it within easy reach, such as on the desktop or in your Start menu.

The first thing you need to do is find the screen saver's file. Select Start, Find, Files or Folders, select your hard drive next to Look In, and type
*.scr
on the Named line. Click Find Now, and Find will create a list of all the screen savers on your system. (Tip: If you're short on time, instruct Find to search only the Windows folder, where most--but not all--screen savers are located. To limit the search this way, click the Browse button, select your Windows folder, and click OK.)

Once you locate your screen saver, adding it to your Start menu or the desktop is a snap. Just click and drag it from the Find window to the Start button or the desktop and let go. From now on, relief from boredom is just a click away! (Note: Selecting the new screen saver shortcut has no effect on the screen saver selected in the Display Properties dialog box.)

GET SMALL FAST

The fastest way to minimize all the windows on your desktop is to press Ctrl+Esc, then Alt+M.

SHREWD MOVES

When you drag and drop a file, you're moving, copying or making a shortcut to that file, depending on where you're dragging it from and dropping it to. Look at the lower right corner of the icon you're dragging, right before you let go of the mouse button, to find out what it's going to do. A plus sign means the file will be copied. An arrow means you'll create a shortcut. If you see nothing, the file will be moved.

THE OL SWITCHEROO

When tiling open windows on your desktop (right-click on the taskbar and select either Tile Horizontally or Tile Vertically), Win95 decides which windows go where. Here's how you decide: If you're tiling horizontally, whichever window is selected will go on top. When tiling vertically, whichever window is selected goes on the right. Click once on the title bar to select a window.

HAND ME MY HIGHLIGHTER,
PLEASE--PART 1 OF 2

Want some tips for quick text highlighting in Word Pad (or most any other word processor that runs under Windows 95)? All that fussy letter-by-letter clicking and dragging is for the birds. Here are three shortcuts you're sure to love:

• To highlight a word, double-click it.
• To highlight a single line, click once directly to the left of the line, in the left margin.
• To highlight an entire paragraph, double-click directly to the left of the paragraph, anywhere in the margin.

HAND ME MY HIGHLIGHTER,
PLEASE--PART 2 OF 2

In our last tip, we gave you three ways to highlight text in a word processing document: To highlight a word, double-click on it; to highlight a single line, click once directly to the left of the line in the left margin; and to highlight an entire paragraph, double-click directly to the left of the paragraph anywhere in the margin. Moving on to four bigger and better selections . . .

To highlight a whole bunch of text: Place the cursor at the beginning of the text, hold down Shift, and click at the end of what you want to select. OR, place the cursor at the beginning of the text you want to select, and then, while holding down Shift, use the arrow keys to expand the selection.

Of course, we saved the biggest for last: highlighting an entire document. In some word processors, you can choose Edit, Select All. But if your word processor doesn't have that command or if you're especially fond of keyboard combinations, hold down Ctrl-Shift and click in the left margin of the document (Note: In some word processors, this method may highlight only text below the cursor.) OR, place the cursor at the very beginning of the document and press Ctrl-Shift-End.

With all these options, who needs mice?

AUTOMATIC THUMBS UP

Make the icons that represent bitmap images automatically show a thumbnail of the images themselves. Open the Registry, then drill down to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT/Paint.Picture/DefaultIcon. Now, double-click on (Default) in the right pane and change the value of DefaultIcon to %1. (Note that in order for this to work, you must replace the entire entry with a percent sign followed by the number 1.) Now all your BMP images will be represented in Explorer by icon versions of themselves.

NICE VIEW

Want the view of every window I open to be Details?

Finally, with the release of Internet Explorer 4.0 (which, in case you haven't heard, changes Windows 95 quite a bit), we can answer this question with a solid "yes"--that is, as long as you've installed IE 4.

In any open window, choose your ideal view options. Select View, Folder Options, and on the View tab, click the Like Current Folder button. Click Yes to confirm, click OK, and rest assured--any window you open from then on will use the same view options.

JOINED AT THE SHORTCUT

Is there a batch file you want to run every time you start an MS-DOS session under Windows 95? Then attach it to your MS-DOS Prompt shortcut.

Right-mouse click the shortcut you use to open a DOS window (probably in your Start menu, so you'll need to right-mouse click Start, select Open, and so on, to get to it). In the context menu that appears, select Properties. Click the Program tab, and on the Batch File line, type the name of the batch file you want to run (just the name--no extension necessary). Click OK, and from now on, using that shortcut to open DOS runs the batch file automatically.

CUSTOM DELIVERY

Just add a shortcut to the X:\Windows\SendTo folder, where X is the drive on which Windows is installed, and from then on, it shows up in the Send To list. As an example, suppose you had a folder called "To Do" that you wanted in your Send To list. Display the To Do folder in an Explorer window (or on the desktop). Then open another Explorer window and navigate your way to the Windows\SendTo folder. Right-mouse click and drag the To Do folder directly over the SendTo folder (it should appear highlighted), let go, and select Create Shortcut(s) Here. That's it! Close all open windows.

To try out your new Send To command, right-mouse click a file or folder and select Send To. See your To Do folder in the list? Of course you do!

CLOSE THE WINDOW, PLEASE

Need to close a window without a mouse?

First, make sure the focus is on the application or window you want to close. (Tip: use Alt-Tab to switch to that application.) Then, press Alt-F4 to close the window. Continue pressing this keyboard combination to close each open window or application; and when there are no open windows left, press it again (if you wish) to shut down Windows altogether.

Who needs ya, mouse?

PUT THE WINDOWS KEY OUT OF ORDER

In a previous tip, we discussed the conflict users experience when the Windows key (on a Microsoft Natural Keyboard) is pressed by mistake while playing a DOS game. If the fix we suggested--disabling the System Agent--doesn't work for you, you may wish to disable the Windows key altogether while in your DOS session. A Microsoft program, the "New! Windows Logo Key Control for MS-DOS Programs" (one of the "Kernel Toys"), can accomplish this task for you.

Point your Web browser to Kernel Toys and select the link to the Kernel Toy mentioned above. Once the download is complete, double-click Doswinky.exe to extract the files. For information on installing and using the program, double-click Diswinky.inf.

START-SMART APPS

You can change the default folder of an application such as Notepad (or WordPad, Clipboard Viewer, etc.) by changing the properties of the shortcut you use to open that program. This means, of course, that you'll need to use that shortcut to open the application in order to keep this default in effect.

In an Explorer or My Computer window (or on the desktop) find the shortcut you use to open the application. Right-mouse click the shortcut, select Properties, and in the resulting dialog box, click the Shortcut tab. On the Start In line, type the path of the folder you'd like the program to recognize as the default and click OK. From now on, selecting File, Open inside that application points to the specified folder--again, assuming you use the shortcut you just modified to open the application.

(Note: If you navigate your way to another folder using the program's Open dialog box, you'll return to that folder the next time you select File, Open--that is, until you navigate your way to a different folder, or until you close and reopen the application using the shortcut you've modified. Whew--got it?)

ALL SYSTEMS GO

In a previous tip, we showed you how to create a system disk: a boot disk that gets you to an MS-DOS prompt if you have trouble booting your system. (The technique we suggested was to place a formatted disk in your floppy drive, right-mouse click your floppy drive icon, select Format, select Copy System Files Only, and click OK).

Here are two more ways to create a system disk:

1. Place a formatted disk in your floppy drive; select Start, Run; type
   sys a:
   and press Enter.
   OR
2. Place an unformatted disk in your floppy drive, select Start, Run; type
   Format /s a:
   and press Enter. When it finishes, you'll be prompted to enter a Volume label (you can type in a name for the disk or press Enter to leave it blank).

AUTOMATE ISP CONNECTIONS

Some ISPs require lengthy log-in procedures. You can script these procedures to automate the dial-up connection. You can install scripting tools from the ADMIN\APPTOOLS\DSCRIPT directory of the Windows 95 CD. Or you can download the shareware application RoboDUN from http://www.filemine.com. To configure the script, open the Dial-Up Networking (DUN) folder in My Computer. Right-click on the connection for the ISP and select Properties. Click on the Configure button in the Connect Using section and select Options. Check the box labeled "Bring up terminal window after dialing" and click OK. Initiate the connection; after you've dialed, a window will appear, allowing you to type any necessary commands. Write down all the case-sensitive prompts and enter the commands into the scripting utility.

IE 4.0 UNINSTALL ALERT

In response to our recent introduction of IE 4.0 tips, we offer this warning:
"Per Microsoft, Internet Explorer 4.0 MUST be uninstalled before 'installing or uninstalling operating system upgrades (for example, Windows 95 Service Pack 1)'."

Now that's what we call a big pain in the hard drive. For more information on other circumstances under which Internet Explorer 4.0 should be uninstalled, as well as instructions for completing the uninstall operation, check out Microsoft's Knowledge Base Article ID 174265 at 174265

THE INCREDIBLE GROWING TASKBAR

Need to change the size of your taskbar?

There isn't a true "setting" that adjusts the height of your Taskbar, instead, you adjust its height manually, by clicking and dragging its edge with the mouse: Assuming the Taskbar is positioned at the bottom of the screen, hold the mouse pointer over its edge until it changes to a double-pointed arrow, then click and drag up or down. It's easy to change the Taskbar's size by mistake while moving and resizing open windows.

ZERO DOWN YOUR ICONS

IE 4 users: If you open an icon file (right-mouse click a shortcut, select Properties, click the Shortcut tab, and click the Change Icon button), you'll notice that the icons no longer appear in a horizontal, straight-line sequence (as they did before you installed IE 4). Instead, you'll see at least one vertical column of icons and probably multiple rows of icons.

Whereas you might think that the numbering of these icons would begin with 0 in the top-left corner, then move across the row, start at the beginning of the next row, and so on--it doesn't. Instead, starting in the top-left corner, the numbering moves DOWN the first column on the left, starts at the top of the next column, and so on. (Actually, this numbering method makes more sense than a horizontal one, given the fact that scrolling moves you across columns.) Keep this numbering in mind the next time you need to reference a specific icon.

CLEAN START

Installing a new application places it on your Start menu's cascading menu and loads it with a bunch of junk. Eventually, the menu gets out of hand. To clean it up, right-click on your Start button, select Open from the context menu and double-click on the Programs folder. Create new folders for your streamlined categories. Move all the program shortcuts you want to keep into the new folders by right-clicking on each in turn and selecting Cut, then right-clicking on the appropriate new folder and selecting Paste. Delete the rest.

START MENU CLEANUP

Want to clean some unwanted items out of your Start menu without opening lots of windows (right-mouse clicking Start, selecting Open, and so on)? The Taskbar Properties dialog box has a Remove button just for this purpose.

Right-mouse click on a blank area of the Taskbar and select Properties to open the Taskbar Properties dialog box. Select the Start Menu Programs tab. Under Customize Start Menu, click the Remove button and navigate your way to the Start menu item you want to remove. With the unwanted item selected, click the Remove button, and the item is history. Repeat these steps to remove all unwanted items, click Close, and click OK.

(Note: IE 4 users: You can right-mouse click a Start menu item [right on the actual menu] and select Delete.)

OUT TO LAUNCH--PART 1 OF 2

Hey, IE 4.0 users! Wish you could place your favorite shortcuts in the Quick Launch toolbar button after you install IE 4.0)? Go right ahead. Click and drag any shortcut, file, or folder icon over to the Quick Launch toolbar, place it between any two icons, and a vertical black line will appear to let you know where the shortcut will land. Slide over to exactly where you want the shortcut to go (the line will move with you), drop it, and there's your new Quick Launch button.

To remove an item from the Quick Launch toolbar, right-click it and select Delete. (Note: In case you were wondering, the contents of the Quick Launch toolbar mirror those of the X:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch folder, where X is the drive on which Windows 95 is installed.)

OUT TO LAUNCH--PART 2 OF 2

In the previous tip, we showed you how to add a new shortcut to your IE 4.0 Quick Launch toolbar: Click and drag any shortcut, file, or folder icon over to the Quick Launch toolbar, make sure the vertical black line is where you want the new button to be, and let go. If you end up with more than four icons on the Quick Launch toolbar, an arrow will appear on each edge, so that you can scroll through the icons. (We're assuming you've left the Quick Launch toolbar in the default position--to the right of your Start button, with your Taskbar at the bottom of the screen--and that you haven't resized it.)

If you'd prefer that all the Quick Launch icons appear on screen, so you don't have to scroll through them, you'll have to resize the toolbar to its right. Hold the cursor over the toolbar's left edge, and when it changes to a double-pointed arrow, click and drag to the right. Now those Quick Launch icons have plenty of room to breathe.

THREE CHEERS FOR THE POLICY EDITOR
--PART 1 OF 3

Want to keep people from messing with your Display Properties settings--for example, if you're going on vacation and someone else will be using your system? You can set this restriction (among others) using the System Policy Editor, a handy utility found on the Windows 95 installation CD. If you don't have the CD, you can download the Policy Editor from Microsoft's Web site, at http://www.microsoft.com/windows95/info/admintools.htm

To open the Policy Editor, with the Windows 95 installation CD in your CD-ROM drive, navigate your way to X:\Admin\Apptools\Poledit (where "X" is your CD-ROM drive) and double-click Poledit.exe. If prompted, open the Admin.adm file. Now, in the System Policy Editor window, pull down the File menu, select Open Registry, and double-click the Local User icon.

Now to set that restriction. Double-click the Control Panel book, then the Display book. Select Restrict Display Control Panel, and a list of options appears at the bottom of the dialog box. To lock the entire Display Properties dialog box, select Disable Display Control Panel. To restrict access to only individual tabs of the dialog box, select the appropriate options. (For example, if you don't want anyone messing with your wallpaper, select Hide Background page.) After making your selections, click OK and select File, Save.

What happens now? If you've locked the entire Display Properties dialog box, an error message will appear when someone tries to open it. If you've restricted access to specific tabs, the Display Properties dialog box will open, but without those tabs.

(Notes: Keep the Windows 95 installation CD out of sight, so no one else can access the Policy Editor. Also, you'll need to undo any restrictions [the same way you set them up--just deselect the appropriate options] if you want to access the forbidden zones.")

THREE CHEERS FOR THE POLICY EDITOR
--PART 2 OF 3

Don't want a temporary user to be able to search your system easily? Then disable the Find command until you're back at the helm.

You can accomplish this restriction using the System Policy Editor, a utility found on the Windows 95 installation CD. If you don't have the CD, you can download the Policy Editor from Microsoft's Web site, at http://www.microsoft.com/windows95/info/admintools.htm

To open the Policy Editor, with the Windows 95 installation CD in your CD-ROM drive, navigate your way to X:\Admin\Apptools\Poledit (where "X" is your CD-ROM drive) and double-click Poledit.exe. In the System Policy Editor window, pull down the File menu, select Open Registry, and double-click the Local User icon.

To disable the Start menu's Find item, double-click Shell, double-click Restrictions, and select the Remove Find Command option. Click OK, select File, Save, and exit the Policy Editor. When you restart Windows, Find will no longer appear in the Start menu, and pressing F3 does nothing--nada--zip-o.

THREE CHEERS FOR THE POLICY EDITOR
--PART 3 OF 3

A reader asks: "Is there a way to hide every icon on the desktop?"

There is a way, using the System Policy Editor, a utility found on the Windows 95 installation CD. If you don't have the CD, you can download the System Policy Editor from Microsoft's Web site, at http://www.microsoft.com/windows95/info/admintools.htm

To open the Policy Editor, with the Windows 95 installation CD in your CD-ROM drive, navigate your way to X:\Admin\Apptools\Poledit (where "X" is your CD-ROM drive) and double-click Poledit.exe. In the System Policy Editor window, select File, Open Registry and double-click the Local User icon.

To hide everything on your desktop, double-click the Shell book, then the Restrictions book. Select Hide All Items on Desktop and click OK. Select File, Save, close the Policy Editor, and restart Windows 95. That desktop is clean as a whistle (other than your background or wallpaper selection).

(Note: If user profiles are enabled , this setting will affect the specific user only.)