Windows 98 Tips Page 5



*1.   NEXT TIME, TAKE THE DIRECT ROUTE 

In a previous tip, we told you that you can use the Startup tab of the
 System Configuration Utility to disable those elusive auto-start programs
 (the ones that start whenever Windows 98 starts). We also showed you how
 to open this utility: Select Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools,
 System Information; and in the resulting window, select Tools,
 System Configuration Utility. Whew! 

There's a much easier way to get there, without all those menu commands. 

Select Start, Run type 

msconfig 

and click OK. 


*2.   If you used Microsoft Fax, Exchange or Windows Messaging under Win95,
 you can still access them under Win98. If you upgrade a Win95 installation
 when setting up Win98, Fax, Exchange and Messaging will remain intact.
 But these programs and services aren't included in a clean installation;
 you need to manually install them from your Win98 CD's
 \TOOLS\OLDWIN95\MESSAGE\US folder. Double-click on WMS.EXE to install
 Windows Messaging (Exchange) and then on AWFAX.EXE to add Microsoft Fax.
 Also, check WMS-FAX.TXT for more information.


*3.   GIVE YOUR DESKTOP ICONS A MAKEOVER 

Subscriber J. P. writes, "How do you change the My Computer icon and
 other icons on the desktop (other than by using Desktop Themes)? I only
 seem to be able to change shortcut icons." 

You can change the icons for specific desktop icons--namely, My Computer,
 My Documents, Network Neighborhood and the Recycle Bin
 (full or empty)--from the Effects tab of the Display Properties dialog
 box. (If you used Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95, you may remember that
 this option was available from the Plus! tab of the same dialog box.) 

To open the Display Properties dialog box, open the Control Panel and
 double-click Display; or right-mouse-click the desktop and select
 Properties. Click the Effects tab, select the icon you'd like to change,
 and click the Change Icon button. Select a new icon, click OK, then
 repeat these steps for each icon that you want to change. When you're
 finished, click OK to apply the changes to your desktop. 

Note: If you don't see an icon you like in the Change Icon dialog box--for
 example, you won't see any choices for My Documents--click the Browse
 button, navigate your way to another icon file (such as
 Windows\System\Shell32.dll or Windows\System\Pifmgr.dll), select an
 icon, click Open, then click OK. 


*4.   THAT DOCUMENTS LIST JUST GOT BIGGER 

Did you just select Start, Documents . . . only to discover that the file
 you wanted to open has been bumped from the list? Don't worry, you can
 access all of your files from the Documents list--that is, assuming you
 store your documents in the My Documents folder (a pretty big assumption,
 we realize). Inside the Documents list, select the very top command,
 My Documents. Instant access to all your data files. 


*5.   If you're running Win98 or IE's Desktop Update for Win95, you can
 transform a two-pane Windows Explorer window to a single-pane window.
 Just click on the close button (the X) on the All Folders (left side)
 pane. Change it back to a two-paned window by choosing View/Explorer
 Bar/All Folders.


*6.   THE QUICKEST TIP IN THE WEST 

Want to delete the Set Up the Microsoft Network icon from your desktop?
 It doesn't take some fancy Registry-editing technique that it did in
 Windows 95. Simply right-mouse-click the icon, select Delete, than
 click Yes to confirm. 

Oh, and if you change your mind someday and decide you want to set up MSN,
 you still can. Just select Start, Programs, Online Services, The
 Microsoft Network. 


*7.   A little-known feature of Tweak UI for Win98 functionally removes
 the resource-hogging components of the Active Desktop. Click on the IE4
 tab, and deselect the Active Desktop Enabled and "Allow changes to
 Active Desktop" options. Click on OK and reboot. This removes the
 option from your Desktop's Context menu, preventing you (or other users)
 from deliberately or accidentally turning on the Active Desktop. It
 also returns an error message when an application or a Web site tries
 to enable the Active Desktop. You can download Tweak UI for Win98 from
 our web site at http://www.winmag.com/win98/software.htm.


*8.   IT'S SO EASY. . . EASY. . . OH-OH-OH . . . 

A. King writes, "How do I make IE 4.x my default browser (after using
 Netscape as the default for a period of time)?" 

This one's easier than it sounds. For starters, there are three ways
 to access the setting (not a big surprise, since Microsoft really wants
 you to use IE 4.x): Right-mouse-click the Internet Explorer icon on your
 desktop and select Properties; or double-click the Control Panel's
 Internet icon; or select View, Internet Options inside an IE window.
 Regardless of how you get there, click the Programs tab and select
 Internet Explorer Should Check to See Whether it is the Default Browser.
 Click OK and, if and when you see a dialog box asking if you want
 Internet Explorer to be your default browser (probably the next time
 you open IE), click Yes. 


*9.   You can close a bunch of open programs, folders and documents all
 at once in Win98 and IE 4.0: Press and hold the Ctrl key, click on the
 taskbar icon of each program you want to close, then right-click on any
 one of them and select Close from the Context menu.


*10.   IT'S NOT MY DEFAULT 

Subscriber I. Alora, writes, "Since upgrading to Windows 98, all my apps
 want to open and save files to the My Documents folder by default.
 I don't want everything there. How do I make it stop?" 

Unfortunately, you'll need to change the default directory of each
 application by hand. (Fortunately, you'll only need to do it once.) In
 many cases, an application provides this capability. For example, in
 Microsoft Word, you can change the default directory as follows: Select
 Tools, Options, click the File Locations tab, select a file type, click
 Modify, navigate your way to the folder of your choice, and click OK. 

If an application doesn't offer this feature (WordPad is a good example),
 you'll need to change the default directory at the Windows level. Locate
 the shortcut you use to open the application (most likely in the desktop
 or Start menu), right-mouse-click it and select Properties. Click the
 Shortcut tab, type the path of the desired default directory in the
 "Start in" text box, then click OK. From now on, as long as you use
 this shortcut to open the application, your 
selected default will stick. 

(Note: In a given work session, if you navigate your way to another folder
 inside the Open or Save dialog box, that folder will remain the "default"
 until you switch to another or close and re-open the application.)
