
Windows 3.1 Tips - Page 5



*1.   CLEAN HOUSE--PART 1 OF 5          
          
April 9th, 1999          
          
Ah . . . spring. Time to open all the windows, throw on some old clothes,
 and clean out all those nooks and crannies. 

What's that? You can't possibly do your housecleaning from work? No
 problem--we're talking about the data files on your PC. What better
 time than spring to clean out the ones you never use and then organize
 what's left into one central location? Doing so makes your most
 important files easier to manage (and a snap to back up). 

Why are data files so important anyway? Because data files are the files
 that you create, such as a word processing document or a Paintbrush work
 of art, and not to be confused with program files, which are the files
 that Windows uses to run itself or your applications. Program files are
 easily replaceable because you can always reinstall them using installation
 disks. Data files are not easily replaceable--that is, unless you're
 willing to spend your precious time re-creating them. 

To state the obvious, always back up your data files in case disaster
 strikes and you lose everything on your system. And what could make
 backups easier than having all your data files in one spot? 

Convinced? Then stay tuned. In our next tip, some organization tips. . . .


*2.   CLEAN HOUSE--PART 2 OF 5          
          
April 12th, 1999          
          
In our last tip, we stressed the importance of backing up your data files
 (the files you create, such as a word processing document or a Paintbrush
 picture) and suggested that backing up is easier if you store all these
 files in one central location. Over the next three tips, we show you how
 to set up the perfect filing system by creating a hierarchy of directories,
 moving allyour data files inside, and finally, instructing your
 applications to do the same. Today, we tell you how to create
 the directories. 

Start by creating a main data storage directory: 

1. Open File Manager (it's in Program Manager's Main group). 
2. In the left pane, select the root of your hard drive (or another drive
 or directory where you'd like to store your data files). 
3. Choose File + Create Directory. 
4. Type a name for the new directory, such as "Myfiles"
 (without the quotes), and click OK. 

Next, create your subdirectories: 

1. With the directory you just created selected, choose File + Create
 Directory. 
2. Type a name for the subdirectory, such as "Personal" or "Business"
 without the quotes, and click OK. 
3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 to create as many subdirectories as you need. 

After you create all your subdirectories, you may want to create
 subdirectories within your subdirectories, depending on how deep you
 want to go with your subgrouping. 

In our next tip, filling your new directories. . . .


*3.   CLEAN HOUSE--PART 3 OF 5          
          
April 13th, 1999          
          
In the first tip in this series, we stressed the importance of backing up
 your data files and suggested that backups are easier if you store all
 these files in one central location. In our last tip, we showed you
 how to create a hierarchy of directories for storing these files by
 first creating a main data directory (choose File + Create Directory,
 name the directory, and click OK) and then creating subdirectories
 within that directory. 

Today, we explain how to move all your data files into your new directories
 (not a fun process, we admit, but worth doing in the long run): 

1. Open File Manager (it's in Program Manager's Main group). 
2. In the left pane, select your main data directory and press the
 asterisk key [*] on your numeric keypad to fully expand the directory
 so that you can see any subdirectories it contains. 
3. Choose Window + New Window to open a new File Manager window. 
4. Press Shift + F4 to tile the windows vertically. 
5. In the right window, find the data file (or files) that you want to
 move to one of your new data directories. 
6. Hold down Ctrl as you click each file to be moved. 
7. Click and drag the selection to a directory in the left window and
 then let go. 
8. Click Yes to confirm the move. 
9. Repeat Steps 5 through 8 to move all your data files into their
 new directories. 

In our next tip, moving all files of one type in one fell swoop. . . .


*4.   CLEAN HOUSE--PART 4 OF 5          
          
April 14th, 1999          
          
In this series, we've been helping you organize your data files by showing
 you how to create a main data directory (in File Manager, choose
 File + Create Directory, name the directory, and click OK, and then
 create any subdirectories within it) and how to move your files into
 that directory by clicking and dragging them. 

If you have files of a particular type--for example, *.doc files--scattered
 all over your system, however, you can move them all into one of your
 new directories in one fell swoop: 

1. Open File Manager (it's in Program Manager's Main group). 
2. In the left pane, select your main data storage directory and then press
 the asterisk key [*] on your numeric keypad to fully expand the directory. 
3. Choose File + Search. 
4. Next to Search For, type the wildcard expression of the file type you're
 looking for. For example, if you want to find all Word files,
 you'd type the following: 

 *.doc 

5. Next to Start From, type the drive you want to search, such as 

C:\ 

6. Click OK. When Windows completes the search, you see a window of all
 files on your system of the type you specified. 
7. In the Search Results window, hold down Ctrl as you select each file
 you want to move. 
8. Click and drag the selection over to a directory in File Manager's
 left pane; then let go. 
9. Click Yes to confirm. 

This technique is a little easier than searching all those files out by
 hand, eh? For our final tip in this series, we show you how to make your
 applications go along with this new organization. . . .


*5. CLEAN HOUSE--PART 5 OF 5          
          
April 15th, 1999          
          
In the previous tips in this series, we showed you how to create a
 hierarchy of directories for storing your data files and how to move
 all your data files into the new directories. 

Now the hard part--sticking with your new organization plan. Staying
 organized is a lot easier if you let your applications help. Show them
 where you want to store your data files; that way, when you choose
 File + Save or File + Open, the Save As and Open dialog boxes point
 to the new directory. 

To change an application's "working directory" (the one that it goes
 to automatically), follow these steps: 

1. Inside Program Manager, single-click the icon you use to open an
 application (one that you create your data files with). 
2. Press Alt + Enter to open the Properties dialog box. 
3. In the Working Directory text box, type the path of the data directory
 appropriate for that application, such as 

C:\myfiles\business\contracts 

4. Click OK. 
5. Repeat Steps 1 through 4 for each application you use to create
 data files. 

-From now on, whenever you use the application's icon (the one you
 selected in Step 1) to open an application, choosing File + Open or
 File + Save takes you directly to the directory you specified. 

(Note: With some applications, you can change the working directories
 from within the application.)


*6. GIVE YOUR SYSTEM THE BOOT--PART 1 OF 2          
          
April 16th, 1999          
          
Here's a quick way to create a system disk (also called a "boot disk"
 because it gets you to an MS-DOS prompt in the event that you have
 trouble booting your system) right from the Run command line: 

1. Put a blank, formatted disk in your floppy drive. 
2. Switch to Program Manager and choose File + Run. 
3. On the Command Line, type 

sys a: 

4. Click OK. 

Windows copies the necessary files to the disk. When it's done, you've
 got yourself a system disk. 

In our next tip, we show you how to turn an unformatted disk into a
 system disk.


*7. GIVE YOUR SYSTEM THE BOOT--PART 2 OF 2          
          
April 19th, 1999          
          
In our last tip, we showed you how to create a system disk (or boot disk)
 that you can use to at least get to an MS-DOS prompt in the event that
 you have trouble booting your system: Place a blank, formatted disk in
 your floppy drive; inside Program Manager, choose File + Run; type
 "sys a:" (without the quotes) on the Command Line; and then click OK. 

But what if you don't have a formatted disk? You could go all the way
 over to File Manager and format the disk there, but you don't have to.
 You can do it all--format the disk and turn it into a system
 disk--right from Program Manager: 

1. Switch to Program Manager. 
2. Choose File + Run. 
3. On the Command Line, type 

format /s a: 

4. Click OK. 
5. When asked, insert the unformatted disk and press Enter. 
6. Wait for Windows to complete the formatting. 
7. When asked whether you want to transfer system files to the disk,
 enter Y and press Enter. 
8. Type a Volume label (fancy lingo that just means a name for the disk).


*8. IF I NEED YOU, I'LL ASK          
          
April 20th, 1999          
          
Want to keep Program Manager minimized and out of the way when you aren't
 using it? We thought so. Follow these steps: 

1. Switch to Program Manager. 
2. Choose Options + Minimize On Use. 

To try out this new setting, open an application using a Program Manager
 icon and then minimize the application window. No Program Manager window
 in sight! Instead, it's a measly little icon at the bottom of the screen.
 (As with all minimized applications, just double-click the Program Manager
 icon to restore it to its original window size.)


*9. ROUTINE HARD DISK CHECKUPS--PART 1 OF 3          
          
April 21st, 1999          
          
Want to keep your hard drive in tip-top shape? Send it to an aerobics
 class! No really, be sure to run ScanDisk, an MS-DOS utility, on a
 regular basis (for example, every month or so). ScanDisk checks your
 hard disk for errors and fixes any it finds. Now that's what we call
 getting your money's worth!  

To run ScanDisk:  

1. Switch to Program Manager and press Alt + F4 to end your Windows session.  
2. Click Yes to confirm that you want to end your Windows session.  
3. At the command prompt, type  

scandisk  

4. Press Enter and ScanDisk goes to work testing your hard drive's file
 structure.
5. When prompted, enter Y (for yes) to complete the surface scan. (Note:
 The surface scan is the lengthy part of the process as ScanDisk checks
 the disk for errors. Now might be a good time to go grab some coffee.)  
6. If ScanDisk finds any errors, press Enter to select the Fix It option.  
7. When the surface scan is finished, enter X to exit ScanDisk.  

Don't you feel better now, knowing your hard disk has a clean bill of
 health (especially because errors could result in data loss)?  

In our next tip, some more ScanDisk options. . . .


*10. ROUTINE HARD DISK CHECKUPS--PART 2 OF 3          
          
April 22nd, 1999          
          
In our last tip, we showed you how to run ScanDisk, an MS-DOS utility that
 checks your hard disk for errors: Exit your Windows session; at the
 command prompt, type "scandisk" (without the quotes) and press Enter;
 wait while ScanDisk tests the file structure; enter Y to proceed with
 the surface scan. (If ScanDisk finds any errors, press Enter to select
 the Fix It option.) 

Here are some more commands that may come in handy when running ScanDisk:

- scandisk x: Type this command at the command prompt to check drive x for
 errors (replace x with your own favorite drive letter). 
- scandisk /all: Type this command at the command prompt to check all
 drives on the system. 
- scandisk /surface: Type this command at the command prompt to complete
 the file structure test AND check the disk for errors (you avoid having
 to enter Y to proceed with the surface scan).
- scandisk /surface /autofix: Type this command at the command prompt if
 you want ScanDisk to complete the file structure test, check the disk
 for errors, AND fix all errors on its own (you avoid having to give
 it instructions).
