Windows 9X Tips #14


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*1. Fixing "File Not Found," Part

It's not uncommon in Windows to encounter a "File Not Found"
 error while booting up. The message indicates that a particular
 file-usually a DLL or VXD-is missing. Chances are, the file was
 improperly removed when you uninstalled an application. The
 file may be gone, but one or more lines in your System Registry
 or SYSTEM.INI could still be trying to load it. To fix the
 problem, reboot and note the exact name of the errant file.
 From the Windows taskbar, select Start/Find/Files and Folders
 to search for the missing file. If you find it, copy it to your
 WINDOWS or WINDOWS\SYSTEM folder. If you think you might have
 moved or renamed a program folder, make a new folder with the
 old name, and copy the offending file there. Reboot and see if
 the message goes away


*2. Fixing "File Not Found," Part

If you don't find the file, you must find a reference in your
 Registry or SYSTEM.INI to a program that no longer exists on
 your system. Use the Registry Editor's search function to find
 the filename, then use Notepad to open and search SYSTEM.INI for
 the same file. When you find any references to the file,
 carefully note where it is and the exact settings in case you
 have to reinstate it, then delete the references. (Back up your
 Registry before making any changes.) Also check the
 WINDOWS\STARTUP folder for any shortcuts that call the file,
 and delete them.


*3. Smart Program Management

You'll increase your chances of getting out of virtually any
 computer problem if you follow this rule of thumb: Never install
 a program unless you own it, and have the executable setup file
 and installation CD or installation floppy disk handy. The same
 rule goes for programs you download from the Internet: Always
 save the installer files.

Create a folder called C:\Setup, C:\Downloads or C:\Installers
 and store the setup files in subfolders named for each program
 and version number. Even better, store them on a second hard
 drive or partition. You should also copy the Favorite shortcut
 to the program's Web site to the program's folder. If there's a
 program serial number or license file, store that too. If you
 ever have to reinstall your applications, you'll be prepared


*4. Registry Refresh Shortcut

Some Registry changes require restarting Windows before the
 changes take effect. However, there's a way to reinitialize your
 Registry and refresh your Desktop without fully restarting the
 OS. Save your work, then press Ctrl+Alt+Del to bring up the
 Windows task list. Select the Explorer entry and click on End
 Task. If the Shutdown screen appears, click on Cancel. After a
 few seconds an error message will appear. Click on End Task, and

 Windows Explorer will reload with any new Registry settings.


*5. Launch Control I

Some programs tell Windows to launch them at start-up by placing
 a shortcut in the StartUp folder. To remove start-up programs,
 right-click on the Start button and select Open. Double-click on
 the Programs folder, then the StartUp folder. Delete shortcuts
 to programs you don't want to run at start-up. Or just drag the
 shortcut out to the Desktop to temporarily remove it from the
 StartUp folder. You can drag it back later or delete it.


*6. Defrag Virtual Memory

Although the Disk Defragmenter utility speeds up file access, it
 doesn't defrag your swap file, which is t he file Windows uses
 as virtual memory. You can get additional performance gains by
 disabling your swap file, defragging your disk, then re-enabling
 the swap file. The new swap file will be effectively defragged
 and therefore faster. To do so, right-click on My Computer and
 select Properties from the Context menu. Click on the
 Performance tab, then the Virtual Memory button. Select the
 "Let me specify my own virtual memory settings" radio button,
 then select Disable Virtual Memory. Click on OK, then OK again.
 After defragging your disk, follow the same procedure above, but
 this time select "Let Windows manage my virtual memory setting."


*7. Explorer Function Key: F4

If you're a killer keyboard commando-we're guessing that you
 are-you should know the function keys that let you rip through
 Windows Explorer. The F4 function key opens the Address
 drop-down menu and highlights it so you can quickly use your
 arrow keys to navigate local or network drives, plus My Computer
 and Desktop folders.


*8. When What's New Is Old

Some applications add themselves to the Context menu's cascading
 New menu that appears when you right-click on the Desktop or
 within a folder. You may find that even after you've deleted a
 particular application, it stays on the New menu. If you want to
 remove it, launch My Computer, select Options from the View menu
 and click on the File Types tab. Find the offending application
 on the list, select it and click on the Remove button. Click on
 Yes when it asks for confirmation.


*9. Explorer Function Key: F6

The F6 function key lets you quickly toggle between Window
 Explorer's left and right pane and the Address box.


*10. Stuff Your Start Menu

When you "add a folder" to your Start menu by dragging and
 dropping it onto the Start button, you're really just adding a
 shortcut to the folder. It's usually better to put the actual
 folder there instead of a shortcut. The Start menu is just a
 special folder in the Windows folder called, unsurprisingly,
 "Start Menu." If you put folders that contain your documents
 into this folder, you gain three advantages. First, what you see
 on the Start menu is always correct; delete a folder, for
 example, and it disappears from the Start menu as well, while a
 shortcut would remain. Second, actual folders appear on the
 Start menu as cascading menu items, whereas shortcuts to folders
 just open the folder on your Desktop when selected. And finally,
 the Start menu is always available, even if your Desktop is
 packed with clutter.
