Windows 9X Tips #4


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*1.   Here's an easy way to shrink the Volume Control window:
 Press Ctrl+S after you've opened the window. It will retain
 that smaller state from now on, unless you open the program
 and press Ctrl+S again.


*2.   The most efficient way to reboot Windows 9x is the old
 standard-choosing Restart from the Shut Down Windows dialog
 box. But there are other ways to reboot if you want to
 temporarily extend a session before rebooting. You can press
 Shift while clicking on OK on the Shut Down Windows dialog
 box for a slightly quicker reboot. If you're networked, you
 can use the "Close all programs and log on as a different
 user" entry. Under Win98, that's the Log Off (Your Computer's
 Name) option on the Start menu. Another shutdown method is to
 press Ctrl+Alt+Del (once), select the Explorer item in the
 Close Programs box and click on End Task. You may immediately
 see the Shut Down Windows dialog box, and if you do, choose
 Cancel. Wait for a few more moments; a confirmation dialog box
 should come up. Click on End Task. The Windows shell will
 quickly close and then relaunch.


*3.   You can create a shortcut icon that will automatically
 reboot Windows. In the Command line, or Target field, type:
 C:\WINDOWS\RUNDLL.EXE user.exe,exitwindowsexec Name the new 
shortcut Restart Windows. Warning: This shortcut restarts your
 system without confirmation, so only double-click on it when
 you're sure that's what you want to do.


*4.   Right-click on the CD-ROM icon in My Computer and select
 Eject from the Context menu to eject the CD from the drive. 


*5.   AutoRun plays CDs as soon as you put them in the drive. If
 you don't like this feature, you can turn it off. Right-click on
 My Computer and select the Device Manager tab. Find your CD-ROM
 drive on the list, then double-click on it. Select the Settings
 tab and deselect Auto Insert Notification. 


*6.   You can quickly add the Open With command to the right-
 click Context menu of all or most icons in Windows 9x. In the
 Registry Editor, go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFilesystemObjects
 and make a new key called shell. (Do this by right-clicking on
 the AllFilesystemObjects folder and choosing New/Key from the
 pop-up menu.) In the shell key, make the new key openas. In the
 openas key, make a key called command. Now double-click on the
 Default icon in the command key and, in the Value data field,
 enter C:\WINDOWS\rundll32.exe shell32.dll,OpenAs_RunDLL %1 and
 click on OK. Close the Registry Editor. You'll now find the
 Open With menu item on the pop-up menus of most file and
 folder objects.


*7.   Sometimes you need to restart Windows to make a settings
 change take effect. But there's a faster way. Select Shut Down
 from the Start menu, then press and hold the Shift key when you
 click on Restart the Computer, then (still holding down the
 Shift key) click OK. When the screen prompt reads, "Windows is
 now restarting," you can let go of the Shift key. Performing
 this action bypasses the boot sequence. 


*8.   Win95 and Win98 don't refresh your view of files and
 folders as often as you might like. Here's how to make Windows
 refresh constantly (make sure you back up your system before
 editing the Registry). Launch the Registry Editor by selecting
 Start/Run, typing REGEDIT in the Run dialog and pressing Enter.
 Click on the plus sign next to HKEY_LOCAL_ MACHINE, then on the
 plus sign next to System, and then on CurrentControlSet. Select
 Control, then Update. In the right pane, right-click on
 UpdateMode and select Modify. Select the 01 reading and change
 it to 00. Click on OK, exit the Registry Editor and restart. 


*9.   If you give the ol' three-finger salute (Ctrl+Alt+Del),
 Win95 shows you the Close Program dialog, which gives you the
 option to close running applications--one at a time. A secret
 program (a holdover from Windows 3.x) called the Task Manager
 shows you all your running applications and lets you close any
 number of them--or even all of them--at once. To launch the Task
 Manager, bring up the Run dialog (Start/Run), type TASKMAN in
 the Open box and press Enter. To select a bunch of running
 applications to close, press and hold the Ctrl key, go to the
 Task dialog and click on each of the programs you'd like to
 close, and select End Task from the Windows menu.


*10.    By typing the URL of your favorite Web site into the Run
 dialog (Start/Run) and pressing the Enter key, you'll enable
 Windows to launch the Internet Explorer--if that's your
 browser--and go straight to the site. For example, if you type
 www.winmag.com and press Enter, you'll go directly to the
 WinMag Web site.
