Windows 98 Tips Page 2



*1.   SECRET SHORTCUT: 

To navigate the Win98 Active Desktop and new Taskbar, just use the Tab and
 Arrow keys. The Tab key moves the selection from the Start button, each
 Toolbar, the desktop icons and the active desktop content. Once you've use
 Tab to select, use arrow keys to navigate. The exception to this is when
 you have active desktop content with links-those are navigated with
 entirely with the Tab key, which moves you from link to link. The Enter
 key launches the currently selected item. Shift+Tab is does the same as
 the Tab key but in reverse.


*2.   Registry Checker

Win98 comes with a handy way to check your Registry for errors. Launch the
 Microsoft System Information (MSI) utility from
 Start/Programs/Accessories/System Tools/System Information, then select
 the Registry Checker from the Tools menu.


*3.   Web Search

The Address toolbar in Win98 or IE 4.0's Active Desktop performs a Web 
search if you enter a phrase. (This doesn't work for a single word, 
because IE 4.0 assumes it's a domain name and attempts to create a URL 
in its place.) Type in a few words and IE 4.0 will run your phrase 
through a search engine on Microsoft's Web site.


*4.   Tools from the Resource Kit

The Win98 CD comes loaded with tools from the Resource Kit sampler.
 You'll find their installation files in your CD's TOOLS\RESKIT folder.
 Run SETUP.EXE, and the utilities will be installed in
 Start/Programs/Windows 98 Resource Kit/Tools Management Console.


*5.   What's the Difference?

The Resource Kit's WinDiff utility lets you quickly compare files or even
 whole folders and tells you how they differ. To use it, select either
 Compare Files or Compare Directories from WinDiff's File menu.


*6.   Shortcuts to Nowhere?

The Checklinks Resource Kit tool scans your hard disk for shortcuts that
 don't point to anything and lets you blast 'em. Before you do, you can
 get more information about the phantom file with a simple right click.


*7.   Registry Checker Utility

The first time Win98 boots each day, it runs the Registry Checker utility
 to look for errors, then backs up your Registry and SYSTEM.DAT,
 SYSTEM.INI, USER.DAT and WIN.INI files. The backups are stored in CAB
 files in C:WINDOWS\SYSBCKUP and named RB000.CAB, RB001.CAB and so on.
 You can't see them unless you set Explorer to Show All Files in My
 Computer/View/Folder Options/View. If you don't frequently back up your
 system, you should at least put a recent backup on a diskette before
 making Registry changes or installing new software.

Bonus Tip: The installation instructions for the Resource Kit tips
 ("Shortcuts to Nowhere" and "What's the Difference") were vague at best.
 The tip that showed how to install them ran the day before "What's the
 Difference."  Here it is again for those who missed it:

Cool Free Tools
The Win98 CD comes loaded with tools from the Resource Kit sampler. You'll
 find their installation files in your CD's TOOLS\RESKIT folder. Run
 SETUP.EXE, and the utilities will be installed in
 Start/Programs/Windows 98 Resource Kit/Tools Management Console.


*8.   Increase Registry Checker Backups

By default, Win98 keeps the five most recent backups that Registry Checker
 creates. To increase the number of stored backups-which is always a good
 idea if you have available disk space-find the file SCANREG.INI, open
 it in Notepad and change the MaxBackupCopies= value from 5 to the number
 of your choice.


*9.   Instantly transform Windows Explorer into My Computer 

Have you ever been working in Windows Explorer and realized that the task
 you're performing could be done more easily in a My Computer style folder
 window? If so, chances are that you've closed Windows Explorer and then
 launched My Computer. However, why go to all that work when you can
 easily transform Windows Explorer into My Computer? It's easy to do!
 Just click the close button in the top right corner of the All Folders
 pane. You can then reverse the transformation by pulling down the View
 menu, opening the Explorer Bar submenu and selecting the
 All Folders option. 


*10.   Quickly addressing the Internet  

If you're on a network that's patched directly into the Internet, you
 probably keep Internet Explorer minimized on your Taskbar all day long
 so that you can quickly and easily access the Web when you need something.
 However, the whole time that Internet Explorer is running in the
 background, it's using valuable system resources that could be put to
 better use enhancing the performance of other tasks, such as calculating
 spreadsheet formulas in Excel. A better solution to this Internet need
 is to create an Address toolbar, by right-clicking on the taskbar and
 selecting Toolbars/Address from the context menu. Then, move the Address
 toolbar to the top of your desktop and configure it to use the Auto Hide
 and Always on Top features. Now, when you need something on the Internet,
 just move your cursor to the top of the screen and type in the address
 and Internet Explorer will launch. 
