Windows NT Tips #9


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*1. KEEP THE ATTRIBUTES         
  
Windows NT Workstation 4.0 
Here's a Command Prompt tip from subscriber Lou D.: 

"Have you ever noticed that Xcopy changes the attributes when
 you copy files from a CD? The files on the CD are always
 read-only, but Xcopy strips that attribute. 

"If you want the files to remain read-only after the copy, type 
 
xcopy (folderName) /k 
 
and press Enter. Xcopy will no longer remove the read-only
 attribute from the copied files." 

Thanks for the tip, Lou.


*2. WHICH IRQ?         
  
Windows NT Workstation 4.0 
Reader Warren F. asks if we can tell our readers which IRQ the
 PS/2 mouse uses. It's IRQ 12. 

While we are on the subject of interrupts, here is a list of
 the interrupts Windows NT Workstation 4.0 uses. 

IRQ/Device 
0/Timer 
1/Keyboard 
2/Cascade (handles interrupts above 8) 
3/COM2, COM4 
4/COM1, COM3 
5/LPT2 
6/Floppy Disk Controller 
7/LPT1 
8/Clock 
12/PS/2 Mouse 
13/Coprocessor 
14/IDE Controller 

IRQ 10, 11, 12, and 15 are the ones most commonly available for
 add-on devices.


*3. CHECK THE MEMORY         
  
Windows NT Workstation 4.0 
Reader Dale H. has just finished working through a printer
 problem and sends us this advice. "When you install a printer in
 Windows NT Workstation 4.0, make sure you know how much memory
 you have installed in the printer. If you tell Windows NT
 Workstation 4.0 that a printer has more memory than is actually
 installed, the system sends more information to the printer than
 it can handle." 

Dale is absolutely correct. Specifying more memory than exists in
 a printer can result in some confusing occurrences. To set the
 printer memory, click Start, Settings, Printers. When the
 Printers window opens, right-click your printer's icon and
 choose Properties. When the Properties dialog box opens, click
 the Device Settings tab. You should find printer memory in the
 list--set it to the memory size of the printer and click OK to
 close the dialog box and save your changes.


*4. REBOOT THE SYSTEM         
  
Windows NT Workstation 4.0  
Reader Mark S. submitted the following tip.  

"If you have installed Service Pack 4, you can reboot your system
 immediately by pressing Shift-Ctrl-Alt-Delete. The option is
 there, but you'll have to do a simple Registry edit to
 activate it."  

We decided to create a REG file to activate your reboot option.
 As usual, remember that REG files modify the Registry and can be
 dangerous to your system.  

To write the reboot REG file, run Notepad and type the following
 as shown. Where you see the words BLANK LINE GOES HERE, press
 Enter. Do not type BLANK LINE GOES HERE.  
  
REGEDIT4  
BLANK LINE GOES HERE   
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon]
BLANK LINE GOES HERE   
"EnableQuickReboot"="1"  
BLANK LINE GOES HERE  
  
Choose File, Save As, and name the file Reboot.reg. Locate a
 folder for the new file and click Save.   

To use the file, double-click its icon. A dialog box appears,
 informing you that the file has merged. The change takes effect
 the next time you restart the computer.  

Note that the quick reboot is an emergency measure (just as it is
 in Windows 95 and 98). Do not use this method for a
 normal reboot.


*5. NO FLICKER         
  
Windows NT Workstation 4.0 
Here's a question from new subscriber Harry N.: 

"I recently installed Windows NT Workstation 4.0 and hope you can
 help me with a problem--my monitor flickers. This is very
 annoying and gives me a headache when I work for a long time. Do
 you have any idea what might cause the flicker? I didn't have
 this problem when I used Windows 95 on this computer." 

The refresh rate specifies the number of times per second your
 screen gets refreshed. Many people see flicker when the refresh
 rate is set to 60. You could try setting the refresh rate to a
 higher value, but you first need to make sure your monitor can
 handle the increased rate. Too high a refresh rate setting can
 damage some monitors. 

To set the refresh rate, right-click the desktop and choose
 Properties. When the dialog box opens, click the Settings tab.
 Now click the arrow at the right side of the Refresh Frequency
 list box to expand the list. Select a higher refresh rate from
 the list (a rate consistent with what your monitor can accept).
 With the new rate selected, click Test. Windows NT Workstation
 4.0 will now test the new rate. If all looks well, click Yes.
 Next, click Apply to apply your new setting. Note that in some
 cases you may need to restart the system to see the changes.


*6. OPEN A NEW FOLDER IN THIS WINDOW         
  
Windows NT Workstation 4.0 
Reader Bonnie C. sent this My Computer tip: 

"Although I like to use the default to open folders in My
 Computer, there are times when I want to open a folder in the
 current window. If you would like to do this, all you need to do
 is hold down Ctrl while you double-click the new folder's icon." 

Let's take a look at what Bonnie is talking about. 

By default, when you double-click a folder in My Computer, the
 folder opens in a new window, leaving the original window in
 place. If you want to open a new folder in the current window,
 hold down Ctrl and double-click the new folder's icon.  

If you prefer to have all folders open in a single window, open
 My Computer and choose View, Options. When the Options dialog
 box opens, click the Folder tab and then select the radio button
 labeled "Browse folders by using a single window that changes as
 you open each folder." Now click OK to close the dialog box and
 record your new setting. 

With My Computer set to open in a single window, you can hold
 down Ctrl and double-click a folder to open it in a new window. 

Thanks for the tip, Bonnie.


*7. ALWAYS USE FIND         
  
Windows NT Workstation 4.0 
Here's a question from subscriber Larry G.: 

"I would like to run Find every time I start my computer. Is
 there any way to put Find in the Startup folder?" 

Try this: Click the desktop and press F3 to open Find. Set up and
 perform a search--any search will do. In the Find window, choose
 File, Save Search to place a copy of the search on your desktop.
 You can close Find Now (choose File, Close). 

Now right-click Start and choose Open. When the Start menu opens,
 double-click Programs to open the folder. Double-click the
 Startup folder to open it. Finally, drag your new Search copy to
 the Startup folder. To close all the open folders, hold down
 Shift and click the Startup folder's Close box. 

The next time you start your computer, the saved Search will
 open. You can enter your new search parameters and continue
 as usual.


*8. IT ISN'T LOST YET         
  
Windows NT Workstation 4.0 
Reader Chiara G. sent in this Recycle Bin question: 

"I understand that you can recover all the files in the Recycle
 Bin, but how do you recover a single file?" 

To restore a single file from the Recycle Bin to its original
 location, double-click the Recycle Bin icon. When the Recycle
 Bin window opens, locate the file you want to restore and click
 it. Now choose File, Restore. This removes the selected file
 from the Recycle Bin and places back into the folder from whence
 it came.


*9. PLEASE REPEAT          
  
Windows NT Workstation 4.0 
Reader Perry F. sent in this Command Prompt tip: 

"When you're working at the Windows NT Workstation 4.0 Command
 Prompt, at times you need to repeat a particular command. All
 you have to do is press F3 to repeat the last command." 

Perry is correct. Suppose you enter 
 
chkdsk 
 
and press Enter. Before you type anything else, press F3 and  
 
chkdsk  
 
appears at the prompt. All you have to do is press Enter to run
 the program again.


*10. STARTING AN UNSEEN PROGRAM         
  
Windows NT Workstation 4.0 
Reader Steve K. sent in this question: 

"You ran a tip (a year or so ago) on how to start a program
 without placing it in the Startup folder. I need to do just
 that. When I put this program in the Startup folder, the users
 just take it out again. Please repeat that tip." 

You're right, you can run a program in Windows NT Workstation
 4.0 without placing it in the Startup folder. However, you'll
 have to do a Registry edit. As always, be careful when fooling
 with the Registry. Now, to get going, click Start, Run, type 
 
regedit 
 
and press Enter (or click OK). Navigate to  

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows

In the right pane, you'll see Load and Run. To run a program,
 double-click the Run icon and enter the name and path of your
 program. For example, to run a program named MyProg.exe located
 in the \Special folder, you'd enter 
 
c:\Special\MyProg.exe 
 
Click OK to save the entry, then close RegEdit (choose Registry,
 Exit). Your changes take effect the next time you restart
 the computer.
