Windows 98 Tips #41


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The Windows 98 Tip of the Day

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*1. MICROSOFT MAGNIFIER OPTIONS         
     
A few tips ago, we showed you how to install the Accessibility Wizard 
and the newest Accessibility option (Microsoft Magnifier): Open the 
Control Panel, select Add/Remove Programs, click the Windows Setup 
tab, and select Accessibility. Click Details, select Accessibility 
Tools, click OK twice, insert the installation CD, and click OK. In 
our last tip, we introduced Microsoft Magnifier: Select Start, 
Programs, Accessories, Accessibility, Magnifier, and at the top of the 
screen, you'll see a magnified view of the area of the screen under 
your mouse. Now we'll take a closer look at the Magnifier's options. 

For starters, you aren't limited to the size or location of the 
Magnifier. Hold your mouse pointer over the edge of the magnified 
area, and when the pointer changes to a double-pointed arrow, click 
and drag up or down to adjust the Magnifier's size. To move this bar 
to another area of the screen, click and drag it to that location (as 
a floating window) or to any of the screen's four edges. Like the 
Taskbar, the bar will snap into place along any edge. 

You can change the remaining Magnifier options from inside the 
Magnifier dialog box. Restore this window, if you haven't already, 
then take your pick of options. For example, you might select Invert 
Colors to provide some contrast between your screen and the magnified 
view. Or, if you don't want the Magnifier's focus to follow the mouse, 
deselect Follow Mouse Cursor. The Magnifier will still follow your 
keyboard commands and the cursor. When you've finished selecting 
options, click OK to minimize the Magnifier dialog box. (Remember, 
don't click Exit unless you want to turn the Magnifier off 
altogether.)


*2. FAT32 CONVERSION UTILITY         
     
Does your hard drive still use the FAT16 file system? That means you 
aren't taking full advantage of your hard disk space, and you should 
consider converting the drive to FAT32. This new and improved system 
stores data in smaller clusters, resulting in less wasted space. 

If you aren't sure whether to convert, run the FAT32 Conversion 
Utility, which is available on the Windows 98 installation CD. It'll 
tell you exactly how much space you'll regain upon conversion. 

With the installation CD in your CD-ROM drive, click Browse This CD 
and then navigate your way to the tools\reskit\config folder. 
Double-click the Fat32win.exe file, and when the utility opens, select 
a drive and click Scan. (If you see a dialog box telling you the drive 
is already a FAT32 drive, you're all set.) 

In our next tip, we'll show you how to complete the conversion.


*3. CONVERT DRIVE FROM FAT16 TO FAT32         
     
In our last tip, we suggested that if your hard drive still uses the 
FAT16 file system, you might want to convert to FAT32. This new and 
improved system stores data in smaller clusters, resulting in less 
wasted space. We also pointed out that you can run the FAT32 
Conversion Utility (Fat32win.exe, located in the tools\reskit\config 
folder of your Windows 98 installation CD) to determine exactly how 
much space you'll regain upon conversion. Assuming the numbers 
convince you to convert, here's how to perform the operation. 

First, find a time when you won't be using your system for a 
while--say, three hours. Close any open programs, then select Start, 
Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Drive Converter (FAT32). Click 
the Details button, read all the pertinent do's and don'ts (for 
example, don't try to convert a compressed drive), then click Next. 
Select the drive you're about to convert, click Next, and wait as the 
wizard makes sure you don't have any incompatible programs installed. 
Click Next again, and you'll be asked if you want to back up your 
files before proceeding. If so, click Create Backup and so on 
(Microsoft Backup will help with the operation); otherwise, click 
Next. One last Next, and the converter is off and running.


*4. CHANGE EXPLORER'S FOCUS         
     
When you select Start, Programs, Windows Explorer, Explorer always 
opens to your C:\ drive's contents. Is there another folder you'd 
rather start in? You can tell this, or any Windows Explorer shortcut, 
to open to your folder of choice. 

Right-click Start, select Open, and double-click Programs to reveal 
the Windows Explorer shortcut. Right-click the shortcut, select 
Properties, and in the resulting dialog box, click the Shortcut tab. 

In the Target line, after the last comma, you'll see your root 
directory, C:\. Add the name of any folder to the end of that line 
(for example, it might now read C:\MYFILES or C:\MYFILES\LETTERS after 
the last comma), then click OK. Now take it for a test spin--select 
Start, Programs, Windows Explorer.


*5. KEYBOARD ACCESS TO CONTROL PANEL         
     
In a previous tip, we suggested that you create a Control Panel 
shortcut on your desktop for quick access: Open My Computer, click and 
drag the Control Panel icon out to the desktop, release the mouse 
button, and click Yes to confirm that you want to create a shortcut. 
Would you prefer to access this oft-used window with a simple keyboard 
combination? If you've already created a shortcut, you're halfway 
there. 

Right-click your Control Panel shortcut and select Properties. Click 
the Shortcut tab, and you'll see your cursor inside the text box next 
to Shortcut Key. Type the letter you'd like to use in combination with 
Ctrl-Alt to open the Control Panel, such as C, then click OK. From now 
on, pressing that hot key combo--in this case, Ctrl-Alt-C--from 
anywhere on the system opens the Control Panel.


*6. NEW HARD DRIVE ICON         
     
Reader G. Murphy writes, "How do I change the name of my hard drive?" 

To change the name of any drive on your system, open a My Computer 
window, right-click the drive's icon, and select Properties. In the 
text box next to Label, type a new name of up to 11 characters, then 
click OK.


*7. CANCEL PRINT JOB         
     
Just send a bunch of documents to the printer, and now you've changed 
your mind? Rather than waste all that paper, use the printer queue to 
cancel what you can. 

Select Start, Settings, Printers, and double-click your printer's icon 
to display its queue, or list of pending jobs. Right-click the job 
you'd like to cancel and select Cancel Printing. Immediately, that 
document disappears from the list. 

(Tip-in-a-tip: If a long document is already in the process of 
printing, canceling that job will stop it midway.)


*8. LASSO ICONS WITH THE RIGHT MOUSE BUTTON         
     
In a previous tip, we told you that you could use your mouse to lasso 
(or select) a group of icons by clicking and dragging a box around 
them. Once you have a bunch of icons selected, you can then click any 
one with the right mouse button, select a command, and that command 
will apply to all of them. 

Want to save yourself a step? Lasso the icons using the right mouse 
button, and when you release the button, the Context menu pops up 
automatically.


*9. CUT-AND-PASTE INSTEAD OF DRAG-AND-DROP         
     
Planning to move some selected icons to a new location, say to a new 
folder or to the desktop? Don't assume you have to click and drag them 
all the way there. Instead, try a cut-and-paste operation. 

Assuming you've already selected the icons, right-click the selection 
and select Cut. Poof--the icons disappear. Right-click their 
destination (desktop, folder, wherever), select Paste, and they're 
right where you want them. 


*10. DISPLAY FULL PATH IN TITLE BAR         
     
Open any folder window, and you'll see its name in the title bar. Need 
to see a bit more information there? You can opt to display every 
folder's complete path right in that bar. 

In any Explorer window, select View, Folder Options. Click the View 
tab, select Display Full Path In Title Bar, and click OK. Now take a 
look at the title bar of any open folder window (or glance down at its 
spot on the Taskbar).
