Some things never change. Upgrading to Windows 95 doesn't mean you can
skip system maintenance chores. But it does make them easier. The System
Tools folder in the Accessories folder contains several utilities that
help you protect data, optimize performance, and check your disk's
integrity. Backup lets you copy your entire hard disk or selected files to
a floppy disk or tape. The Disk Defragmenter (see w95tip.txt, search for:
"DISK DEFRAGMENTING:") speeds up disk access by reassembling fragmented
and scattered files. To detect and fix errors on your disk, run ScanDisk.
If you buy the Microsoft Plus Companion product, you get enhanced versions
of some of these tools.
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Chkdsk/Scandisk (check errors)
My Computer, select drive with R/click, select Properties: See amt. of
free space left. Tools menu: Check error or defrag. Disable Screensaver
first?
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Defrag H/disk (also check free Disk space)
Use Win95's own, don't use Norton or others which will cause problems! My
Computer, select drive with R/click, select Properties: See amt.of free
space left. Tools menu: Check error or defrag. Or can access by:
Start/Programs/Accessories/System Tools.
Defrag often, specially after adding or deleting programs/files.
Can use computer while defragging, but operation will be slower. Can Pause
the defrag if want to run other progs. at full speed. Defrag faster when
its window is minimized.
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When using Windows 95's Disk Defragmenter (DEFRAG.EXE), be sure to
disable your screen saver. If the saver kicks in while the Defrag
program is running, the system will lock up and/or reboot. This can
create serious file damage. The same goes for running SCANDISK.EXE. It
may not cause file damage, but at the very least it may want to start
over since it will think files have changed.
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Waste Not, Want Not
If you don't use one of the little applications and accessories that come
with Windows 95, delete it to free up valuable disk space. To properly
remove it, choose Start/Settings/Control Panel. Double-click Add/Remove
Programs. Click the Windows Setup tab and scroll through the list of
preinstalled toys to find the item you don't want. (To remove specific
items, you may have to select a general category, such as Accessories, and
click Details.) Then clear the check mark from the box and click OK (twice
if needed).
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Deleting *.tmp files
Q. A friend and I got into a long discussion about deleting *.tmp files in the Windows temp directory. I say it's safe to delete them because they were meant to be used temporarily and then discarded. My friend says I'm courting disaster if I do that. Who's correct?
A. You're both right. Windows applications create .tmp files for various purposes, such as storing information for undo commands or as printer spooling files. Normally these files are deleted when you exit an application, but if a crash occurs, they can hang around until you clean them up.
Deleting .tmp files while Windows is running can cause problems for
applications that need them. But it's safe to eliminate the files when
Windows isn't running. Exit Windows completely, and at the DOS prompt type
del c:\windows\temp\*.tmp (adjusting the path as necessary). If you're
using Windows 95, restart the computer in MS-DOS mode to clear out these
files.
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Memmaker:
Should run this ever so often. Restart in MS-Dos mode to do it (not Dos Prompt!). Rem out re VirusScan in Autoexec.bat first to facilitate rebooting by Memmaker. When finished, "Exit" to win95.. (Don't type"Win"!!)
Henry Jordan wants you to know he's finally solved the problem of adding a
standard signature block to the end of messages created with Exchange. It
seems the kids at Microsoft forgot to put that feature in this version.
Check out the auto signature widget for MS Exchange (win 95) called
Internet Idioms. It's freeware! Henry says it's working great for him.
Surf over to http://www.halcyon.com/goetter/widgets.htm to download it.
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Add Mail Signatures With MS Mail
When using Microsoft Exchange with Word Mail running (Word Mail is
included
with Office 95) an easy way to put a signature into your mail is to use
the
AutoText option. Create your signature, highlight it all, select AutoText
from the Edit Menu and add it in. When you want to use it just type in the
first few letters and hit F3 and your signature will be added to your
E-mail.
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Q: I'm having the strangest errors using Microsoft Exchange. I use Exchange's Inbox to check for Internet mail. However, when I get a mail message and try to read it by double-clicking the entry I get an error which states The command you specified could not be carried out. The object could not be found. Microsoft Windows Messaging System Forms Registry - 13085 - [8004010f]. I can print the message out, but cannot reply to it or view it. Can anyone help me figure out how to change my Microsoft Mail/Internet setting to solve this annoying problem? I don't receive any errors when trying to view mail delivered by Netscape 2.0. - Jarhead (smithsc@SLUVCA.SLU.EDU) A: This error means that the FRMCACHE.DAT file in the Windows\Forms directory has become corrupted. Delete that file, as well as the FRMCACHE.BAK file, uninstall Exchange from Control Panel, Add/Remove programs, Windows Setup, and reinstall Exchange.
Let 16-bit Apps Share the Line
If you keep Exchange set to receive faxes at all times, it will block
16-bit Windows 3.x and DOS communications programs from any access to the
modem. (You shouldn't have any trouble with Windows 95 applications). The
easiest way to give 16-bit programs access is to right-click the fax icon
on the right end of the taskbar, choose Modem Properties, then click Don't
answer. When you're done borrowing the fax-modem, return to the same
dialog box and select Answer after.
The files mentioned in this article are available on PC World Online.
Scott Dunn and Scott Spanbauer are PC World contributing editors.
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Microsoft Fax: Personal Address Book: C:\Exchange\mailbox.pab Personal folder: C:\Exchange\mailbox.pst Cover page files: *.cpe (view with Fax cover page editor or in M/s Fax: Properties dialog, h/lite then click "open")
In Windows 95, the speed of your modem may seem not to work, but the true
fact is, the baud rate for you COM Port doesn't allow you to reach
top-speed. It's like having a Ferrari in heavy traffic. To improve your
port's speed, go to Control Panel, System, Communication Ports, then
double-click the port your modem's in, then click the Properties tab, and
set the Port Speed to 921600 bps, that way you won't have a sort of filter
on the Port.
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Modem problems
Q: I use a Zoom external modem. Before I installed Windows 95, I had no problem sending and receiving data using this modem attached to Port 2 on my computer. Now that I've installed Windows 95, my modem no longer works properly. It looks like I can send data but not receive. I hoped that everything would at least work as well in Windows 95. Do I have to reinstall Windows 3.1 to use my modem? Or do I have to buy a new modem? I don't much like either choice.
It sounds like your problem might be the serial cable. Windows 95 uses hardware flow control by default. If your cable can't handle RTS/CTS, you won't receive data properly. If you use a switch box, it may also be that the switch box doesn't support the hardware flow control.
The best solution is to build or buy a cable that supports hardware flow control. If you still have a problem, check out that switch box.
You might be able to work around the problem by telling Windows 95 to use software flow control. To do this, open the Control Panel, then double-click the Modems icon. This should open the Modems Properties dialog box.
Modem properties. Change 'em like you change your mind.
Now click the Properties button to open the next dialog box. When that opens, click the Connection tab. OK, click the Advanced button. This opens the Advanced Connection Settings dialog box.
Here's where you can make your changes.
All you have to do is select the Software (XON/XOFF) radio button. After you change the flow control setting, click all OK buttons until you get out of the dialog boxes.
I suggest you restart your computer now, and then give your modem another try. I still recommend you get a new cable as soon as possible, though. Do it the right way!
You can configure a Logitech three button mouse to have the middle button be a double click by editing the registry. Open RegEdit and search for
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Logitech\Mouseware\CurrentVersion\Serial\0000.
In the right hand pane double click on the "Double Click key and change the default value of 000, changing it to 001.
CD Autoplay:
Just insert your Audio CD into the CD-Rom drive & it'll start playing.
Volume Control: Start/programs/Accessories/Multimedia/CD Player... To
bypass autoplay press Shift while inserting the CD-Rom. Read Help menu in
CD Player. Also in Media Player.
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Turn Off the CD-ROM Autorun
Right-click on the My Computer icon (or whatever you've renamed it - hopefully something less cute and more meaningful than "my computer," such as "Bart").
Enable/Disable Autorun AudioCD
Yes, you can have it both ways: autoplay audioCD but not CD-ROM.
Click on My Computer| View| Options..| File Types tab|select Audio CD| Edit| click on Set Default until "Play" is bold (selected)| Close |Close.
Conversely, if you wish to TURN OFF autoplay, then leave "Play" as "not
bold" and close the windows.
(recommendation was for "autoinsert notification" in Device Manager; this
is a requirement)
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Volume Control: Start/Programs/Accessories/Multimedia/Volume
Control.
Can set it to have a small icon on the Taskbar for easy access.
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Get real, mode! Using unsupported CD-ROM drives
As things stand now, most CD-ROM drives will run in protected mode in Windows 95. If you're among those unfortunate people with an unsupported drive, you'll have to use real-mode drivers--those supplied by the hardware vendor. You'll also probably need to use MSCDEX.
Here's a list from Microsoft of common CD-ROM drives that require real-mode drivers:
Media Vision Reno NEC CDR-250, CDR-260, CDR-260R, CDR-260GW NEC 55-JD Philips CD-ROM on Media Vision Fusion 16 Sound Card Philips CM205 and CM206 proprietary CD-ROM drives Pinnacle Micro PCD-100 Sanyo CDR-C3G Multidisk ATAPI CD-ROM BackPack CD-ROM (external) Aztech CDA26801A CD-ROM drive CD-ROM drives on Mozart sound cards Chinon CDS-435 or CDS-535 (The Chinon CDS-435 and CDS-535 CD-ROM drives use an unsupported SCSI controller card.) Sony CDU-6201-20 •Teac CD55A proprietary CD-ROM Wearnes CDD-110
In every case, you should first try the real-mode drivers with MSCDEX. Place all in the CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files just as you did when running Windows 3.1. If this doesn't work, contact the hardware vendor.
In order to enhance the CD-ROM drive's performance as much as possible,
you should use SmartDrive, just as you would have in Windows 3.1. Don't
use SmartDrive if you run protected-mode drivers.
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Changing the cd-rom drive letter in win95?
Control Panel\System\Device Manager\CD-ROM\Properties\Settings...
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Windows 95 allows you to do some strange things with audio CDs. Try some of the following:
Andrew O'Connor (ace@sover.net) sends along a tip thats really cool for letting people who share a Windows 95 system by logging in with their own desktop send messages to other users.
To set up a "mail" system place a folder for each user of the system on the desktop. For example, for the three users, Andrew, Kevin, and Pat, make three folders named: Andrew's Mail, Kevin's Mail, and Pat's Mail. Create 2 shortcuts for each.
Put one of the shortcuts on the user's desktop and the other in the Send To
folder.
Then when a user wants to pass something along to another user who has a
login account all they have to do is right click the item, and chose Send
To from the context menu. Tada! The message flys off to the chosen user,
and will be waiting in his folder on his desktop!
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Log on as a different user
You can use the following method to quickly log on as a different user. Go
to the Start menu, select Shutdown, then use the Close all programs and
logon as different user option.
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Q: I am associated with a learning environment, which teaches Win95 basics. How can we reset Win95 back to a default windows environment (desktop icons, start menu progs, colors, etc) for the next student , after the last student has created new folders, etc. I know this is possible on a network using User Profiles but can it be done on standalone systems?
A: User Profiles can also be utilized on stand alone systems such as
yours. Just go to Control Panel, Passwords, User Profiles.
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Q: I want to disable the Welcome to Windows password/user ID screen, so that I can reboot and not have to always log-on or have to hit cancel.
A: To get rid of the password delete your .PWL file in the Windows directory (I know you can change this in Control Panel, Passwords, but most people including me forget their original password) then when you restart Windows 95, don't enter password. It will ask you to confirm it. Just press OK and there you go! No more log on!