Windows 98 Tips #36



*1. USE ASTERISK TO FULLY EXPAND FOLDER         
     
Want to fully expand a folder in the left pane of a two-paned Explorer 
window? Select the folder and press the asterisk key (*) on your 
numeric keypad. The result is a fully expanded view of all folders and 
subfolders inside.


*2. EDITING REGISTERED USER INFO         
     
We frequently receive requests asking how to change a system's 
registered user information--your name, company, and so on--as it 
appears in the System Properties dialog box. If you don't mind editing 
the Registry, there's an easy way to change your identity. (Note: As 
always, we recommend that you first back up your Registry 
files--User.dat and System.dat, hidden files on the root of your hard 
drive.) 

Open the Registry Editor by selecting Start, Run, typing 

regedit 

and clicking OK. Navigate your way to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SOFTWARE\ 
Microsoft\ Windows\ CurrentVersion. In the right pane, right-click 
RegisteredOwner and select Modify. Type the correct information on the 
Value Data line of the Edit String dialog box, then click OK. Close 
the Registry Editor, and the new information will appear in the System 
Properties dialog box.


*3. INTRO TO USER PROFILES         
     
Are there a number of people who use your system? Can't seem to agree 
on a desktop color? What you need are user profiles. 

In case you aren't familiar with them, user profiles enable different 
users of the same system to use different settings--wallpaper, desktop 
shortcuts, color schemes, and so on. With user profiles enabled, 
everyone who uses the system logs on using his or her user name and 
password, and sees only his or her personal settings. 

To set up user profiles, select Start, Settings, Control Panel, then 
double-click Users. Now just follow along to complete the Enable 
Multi-user Settings wizard. You'll need to select a user name, a 
password, and the items you want to customize. Click Finish, wait for 
Windows 98 to set up the new profile, then click Yes to restart 
Windows (or No to restart later). To set up the next user, 
double-click Users, click the New User button, and so on. 

-From now on, whenever you start Windows 98, you'll get a Welcome To 
Windows dialog box. Type your user name and password, then click OK. 
Now go ahead and start customizing. Your changes won't affect anyone 
else's settings.


*4. USER PROFILES: SWITCHING USERS         
     
In our last tip, we showed you how to enable user profiles so that 
multiple users can use different settings--wallpaper, desktop 
shortcuts, color schemes, and so on--on the same system: For each 
user, open the Control Panel, double-click Users, then follow along to 
complete the Enable Multi-user Settings wizard. From now on, whenever 
you start Windows 98, you'll get a Welcome To Windows dialog box. To 
log on, type your user name and password, then click OK. 

Once you've enabled user profiles, it's easy to switch from one user 
to the next without shutting down the system. Select Start, Log Off 
[user name], click Yes to confirm, and up pops the Welcome To Windows 
dialog box. (Type a new user name and password, then click OK.)


*5. Save System Settings

The System Information Utility lets you save all your system 
settings and information--and we mean all--to a text file. 
Just select File/Export. Always keep a current copy of your 
settings; if your computer goes south, it can help with 
troubleshooting.


*6. SIZE COLUMNS TO FIT WIDEST ENTRY         
     
When you view a folder's contents in Details view (select View, 
Details), some columns of information are probably cut off. (Each 
cut-off entry is followed by ellipses.) One way to view the hidden 
information is to resize each column. Or, try this trick: Hold down 
the Ctrl key as you press the plus sign (+) on your numeric keypad. 
Instantly, Windows sizes every column to fit the widest entry. (Note: 
In many cases, you'll need to enlarge the window to see every column 
of information.) 

(Tip-in-a-tip: Pressing Ctrl-+ also shrinks oversized columns to fit 
the widest entry.)


*7. AutoComplete

You probably already know about the AutoComplete feature in
the IE4 browser's Address box, but did you know it works for
local folders as well? Start to type the pathname to the
folder you want to open, and AutoComplete will guess. Once it
guesses the right one, stop typing and press Enter.


*8. RE-CREATE SHOW DESKTOP SHORTCUT         
     
Just delete the Show Desktop item from your Quick Launch toolbar by 
mistake? Don't worry--you can get it back. 

Open an Explorer window, navigate your way to the Windows\System 
folder, and locate a file named Show Desktop. (If you don't see one, 
we'll show you how to create one in the next tip.) Open a second 
Explorer window and navigate your way to Windows\Application 
Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch. Right-click and drag 
the Show Desktop file from the System folder into the Quick Launch 
folder, release the mouse button, and select Create Shortcut(s) Here. 
That shortcut is right back where it started.


*9. DISABLE USER PROFILES         
     
In a previous tip, we showed you how to enable user profiles so that 
multiple users can use different settings--wallpaper, desktop 
shortcuts, color schemes, and so on--on the same system: For each 
user, open the Control Panel, double-click Users, then follow along to 
complete the Enable Multi-user Settings wizard. From now on, whenever 
you start Windows 98, you'll get a Welcome To Windows dialog box. To 
log on, type your user name and password, then click OK. 

When you don't want to use user profiles anymore, you can simply 
disable them. Open the Control Panel and double-click Passwords. 
Select the User Profiles tab, select All Users Of This Computer Use 
The Same Preferences And Desktop Settings, then click OK. Click Yes to 
restart your system, and user profiles are officially disabled.


*10. RE-CREATE SHOW DESKTOP SHORTCUT FROM SCRATCH         
     
In our last tip, we showed you how to restore the Show Desktop 
shortcut to the Quick Launch toolbar, assuming you've deleted it by 
mistake: Open the Windows\System folder and locate a file named Show 
Desktop; then create a shortcut to this file in the 
Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch 
folder. Don't see a file named Show Desktop in your System folder? 
Then you'll need to create one. 

Open Notepad--select Start, Programs, Accessories, Notepad--and type 
the following: 

[Shell] 
Command=2 
IconFile=explorer.exe,3 
[Taskbar] 
Command=ToggleDesktop 

Select File, Save, then navigate your way to the Windows\System folder 
and name the file Show Desktop.scf. Finally, click Save and close 
Notepad. 

Now just create a shortcut to this file in the Windows\Application 
Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch folder, as described 
previously, and a Show Desktop item will appear on your Quick Launch 
toolbar.
