200 windows tips

COVER FEATURE

PCANSWERS.CO.UK JANUARY 200438

When you install Windows onyour PC you get a ‘one sizefits all’ installation. It’s then

up to you to make OS changes to suityour way of working.Thesecustomisations are necessary becausethe requirements of, for example, abusiness user who uses QuickBooksand Microsoft Office are different tothe user who plays fast-moving games and both have differentneeds to an art director who usesPhotoshop to render images manymegabytes in size.

Each person will want to customisedifferent settings to optimise their PCtoo.The business user will want customdesktop icons and a good backuproutine.The games enthusiast wantsfast graphics and quick response timeand the Photoshop user wants fast diskaccess and good memorymanagement. All of them would like atrouble-free system that doesn’t failand, if it does, they want to be able toput it back together quickly and easily.

We’ve rounded up 200 tips forconfiguring and customising Windows,

and for troubleshooting problems youmay encounter. Because Windows XP isthe most commonly used OS we’veconcentrated on it but many of thesetips are equally applicable to WindowsMe and 98.We’ve also included sometweaks specially for Windows 98 andMe users that relate to issues peculiarto these OSes.

The fine print...One word of warning before we begin.Many of these tips involve makingchanges to the Registry which is

critical to the smooth running ofWindows. Even if you’re confident inyour skills in editing the Registry, take abackup before you begin and neverchange or delete something you don’tunderstand the use of. It’s simply notsmart to wipe out your Registry tryingto save 100 milliseconds in start uptime today when it will take you therest of the day to put the mess right!

Enough said. It’s time to roll upyour sleeves, dust off your wish list ofthings you always wanted Windows todo and get started tweaking it to fit.

WINDOWS TIPS

Whether you’re looking for a faster boot time, a prettierdesktop or some new tools to play with, Helen Bradleyhas unearthed 200 tips to do the job, and do it well

ESSENTIALWINDOWS TIPSCompatible with Windows:

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JANUARY 2004 39PCANSWERS.CO.UK

WINDOWS TIPSCOVER FEATURE

Before you edit the Registry,take a back up of it. ChooseStart -> Run -> Regedit

and choose File -> Export. From the Export range, click All and type a filename and location for the file, thenclick Save.

Many programs are installedbut are turned off bydefault.To enable these,

from the Control Panel choose Add orRemove Programs -> Add/RemoveWindows Components, and enableunchecked or greyed-out checkboxes.

Before installing newsoftware or making changesto your setup, create a

manual restore point by choosing Start -> All Programs -> Accessories ->System Tools -> System Restore andclick Create a restore point.

When you change yourmind and want to install a Windows update

you’ve previously declined to install,choose Control Panel -> System ->Automatic Updates tab and clickRestore Declined Updates.

To determine whichWindows updates areinstalled, turn off the

Automatic Update feature. ChooseControl Panel -> System -> AutomaticUpdates tab and disable the ‘Keep mycomputer up to date’option.Alternately, enable it and choose oneof the first two settings options to be

notified of what updates are availablefor installing.

No bootable CD drive? Youcan create bootable floppiesto use using a tool from

Microsoft.Visit http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=310994 to findmore information and links todownload the set-up disks.

When your Windows XPinstall freezes, remove extracards (although not your

graphics card) and any attacheddevices and try again. Add the cardsand other devices back when theinstall is complete.

To add SystemAdministration Tools to yourStart menu, right-click the

Start menu, choose Properties -> StartMenu tab -> Customize -> Advancedtab. Scroll the Start menu items tolocate the System Administrative

Tools option and enable the ‘Display on the All Programs and the Startmenu’option.

To install the Backup utilityin Windows XP Homeedition (it’s installed already

in Pro), locate the file \valudeadd\msft\ntbackup\ntbackup.msi on your Windows CD and double-click it to run the set-up wizard.

Stop Windows fromhighlighting newly installedprograms by right-clicking

Start, click Properties -> Start Menu tab -> Customize -> Advanced tab andclear the ‘Highlight newly installedprograms’checkbox.

If you watch movies or playgames on your PC, makesure you’re using the latest

version of DirectX.Visit www.microsoft.com/windows/directx/ tosee what the current version is and tofind links to download it.

When installing a devicewhich isn’t Plug-and-Play,choose Control Panel ->

System -> Hardware tab and click theAdd Hardware Wizard button to stepthrough the required process.

Before moving to a newcomputer run the Files andSettings Transfer (FAST)

wizard to move files and settings toyour new computer. Choose Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> SystemTools -> Files and Settings TransferWizard to run it.Visit http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=304903 to learn more.

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Smoother Windows installation

Get goingfaster

> TOP TIP

Want to get Windowsup and running faster?Then here are somethings to try

While it may only take aminute or two for your

computer to start up, it oftenfeels like the process takesmuch longer. To speed thingsup, consider stripping downWindows. Items on yourdesktop such as icons andwallpaper consume memoryand take time to display. Ifthey’re not needed, removethe wallpaper and replace itwith a coloured background,and clean up unused icons bymoving them to a UnusedDesktop Shortcuts folder onyour desktop: right-click thedesktop, click Arrange IconsBy -> Run Desktop Cleanup

Wizard. Run Defrag todefragment your hard driveso files are faster to access.

If you’ve added andremoved programs over aperiod of time, clean up yourPC’s Registry using a Registryclean up tool like RegistryMechanic 2.1 from www.winguides.com. Remove anyprograms that loadautomatically at startup andwhich you don’t need or use.You’ll find tips on these pagesfor paring back your start-upfolder and using msconfigand the Registry to locate anddisable other programs fromrunning. If things get tooslow, consider backing up allyour data, settings and devicedrivers and perform a cleanreinstall of Windows.

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One simple way to improve systemperformance is to use Defrag regularly

Add System Administration tools to your Start menu for quick access

The File and Settings Transfer Wizard saves your settings for moving to a new computer

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WINDOWS TIPS COVER FEATURE

When using the WindowsUpdate site you’ll beprompted to enable an

Active X control to run. If you’d prefernot to alter your Internet Explorersecurity settings, add a securityexemption for the Windows Updatesite. In Internet Explorer choose Tools ->Internet Options -> Security tab andclick Trusted Sites and then Sites.Typethe URL from the Windows Updatesite into the text area and disable theRequire server verification (https://) forall sites in this zone checkbox. ClickAdd -> OK.

If you’ve lost your WindowsXP key, visit www.magicaljellybean.com/

keyfinder.shtml and download thefreeware utility Magical Jelly BeanKeyfinder. Run it to locate your key andthen either print it or save it to a textfile so you can reinstall Windows.

When the name of theregistered owner of thecomputer isn’t you and you

want to change it, do this using aRegistry fix. Open the Registry (Start ->Run, type Regedit and click OK). In theregistry, select My Computer thenchoose Edit -> Find and type RegOwnerin the search box.When the entry is located, right-click it, choose Modify and alter it as required.TheRegCompany key directly above this isthe Company name.

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Enable the Internet Connection Firewall to protect your computer

Add Windows Update site to your trusted sites and you won’t have to alter security settings

Protect your Media Player’s anonymity when you visit a Web site

To share a folder on anetwork, in WindowsExplorer, right-click the

folder and choose Properties ->Sharing tab. Enable the ‘Share thisfolder on the network’checkbox, type aname if required and click OK.

Add a My Network Placesicon to your desktop byright-clicking the desktop,

choose Properties -> Desktop tab ->Customize Desktop -> General tab.Enable the My Network Placescheckbox and click OK.

Send a message to othernetwork users by choosingControl Panel ->

Administrative Tools -> ComputerManagement and then choose Action-> All Tasks -> Send Console Message.Type the message, add any PCs not inthe list to the list and choose Send tosend it.

To configure the InternetConnection Firewall (ICF), inthe Control Panel choose

Network Connections, select yourconnection, right-click and chooseProperties -> Advanced tab and enablethe ‘Protect my computer and networkby limiting or preventing access to thiscomputer from the Internet’checkbox.

Enable the InternetConnection Firewall (ICF) foreach of your connections

(broadband and dialup) separatelyand, if you’re sharing an Internetconnection, enable it only on the PCdirectly connected to the Internet.

When you need to knowyour IP address choose Start-> All Programs ->

Accessories -> Command Prompt andtype ipconfig /all.

If you receive messages viaMessenger from the Internetyou can stop this by choosing

Control Panel -> Administrative Tools ->Services and double-click Messenger.Click Stop and from the Startup typelist,choose Disabled to preventMessenger from auto loading.

Kill Windows Messenger forgood by followingMicrosoft’s instructions for

removing it at http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=302089.

For information about yourconnection, choose Start ->All Programs -> Accessories

-> System Tools -> System Informationand choose Tools -> Net Diagnostics.Click Scan your system and a detailedreport about your Windowsinstallation and your networkconnection will appear.

Protect your privacy bystopping Windows MediaPlayer from sending

information that identifies your copy ofmedia player to any site you receivedata from. Launch Windows MediaPlayer, choose Tools -> Options -> Playertab and disable the ‘Allow Internet sitesto uniquely identify your player’option.

To lock your computer whenit is operating in a domainenvironment, press [Ctrl] +

[Alt] + [Del] and click the LockComputer option.To unlock thecomputer, press [Ctrl] + [Alt] + [Del],and type your password.

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Improved Internet andnetworking experience

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To disable the autorunfeature, right-click the CD icon, choose Properties ->

AutoPlay tab and then disableautoplay for individual file types from the list.

Visit www.microsoft.com/typography/cleartype/ todownload and run the

Microsoft Clear Type Tuning Control to configure Clear Type for yourcomputer.

To view system files whichWindows XP keeps hidden,in Windows Explorer choose

Tools -> Folder Options -> View tab andenable the ‘Display the contents ofsystem folders’checkbox.

To add a volume control iconto your taskbar, chooseControl Panel -> Sounds and

Audio -> Volume tab and enable the‘Place volume icon in the Taskbar’checkbox, and click OK.

Configure the power buttonon your PC by choosingControl Panel -> Power

Options -> Advanced tab and in thePower Buttons area select whatshould happen if you press the power button.

Set Windows to clear the Pagefile on shutdownfor added security by

locating the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\MemoryManagement key and set theClearPageFileAtShutdown value to 1.Be warned that shutdown may nowtake longer.

Set Windows to showextensions for all known filetypes so you’ll be able to

identify executable files which arriveas email attachments. From MyComputer choose Tools -> FolderOptions -> View tab and clear the ‘Hide file extensions for known filetypes’checkbox.

Change your Welcomescreen image by choosingStart -> Control Panel ->

User Accounts, open your account andclick Change my picture. Locate andselect a picture to use and clickChange Picture or click Browse to use an image on disk.

Do you prefer the oldWindows Start menu to thenew? Right-click the Start

button, choose Properties -> ClassicStart menu -> Customize to set upyour new Start menu.

To return to the classicWindows interface, right-click the desktop and choose

Properties -> Themes tab and, from the

Theme list, choose Windows Classicand click OK.

Alter the size of yourWindows Recycle bin byright-clicking the Recycle Bin

icon on the desktop, choose Propertiesand alter the percentage.

Add an image to a folder todisplay when the folderappears in a list displayed in

Thumbnail view. Right-click the folder,choose Properties -> Customize taband click Choose Picture. Select animage and click Open -> OK.

Configure the columnswhich display when viewinga folder in Details view by

right-clicking a column header andenable or disable a category in the list.Choose More to see more options.

To add a frequently usedprogram to your QuickLaunch toolbar drag the icon

on to the Quick Launch area and placeit where you want it to appear.

Add the Address bar to yourtaskbar to quickly launchprograms or Web pages.

Right-click the taskbar and chooseToolbars -> Address. Double-click it toopen or close it.

Make Windows Explorerstart like My Computer byright-clicking your Windows

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Configure Windowsquickly and easily

Enable the sound icon in the system tray and get easy access to your volume controls

Removing installed components34

Open Notepad and choose File -> Open.Navigate to the Windows\inf folder and type

the filename Sysoc.inf. Click Open to open this Setupinformation file in Notepad. Choose Edit -> Replace.

>STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

Many programs don’t appear in the Add/Remove Windows Components dialog. Here’s how to put them there

01 In the Find what text box, type Hide. Don’tput anything in the Replace With box and

click Replace All (this removes the word Hide from allthe entries and means they won’t be hidden). ClickCancel and then File -> Save and File -> Exit.

02 Open the Control Panel and chooseAdd/Remove Programs and then

Add/Remove Windows Components. In the dialogmany Windows items such as Games and WordPadcan now be removed.

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Explorer icon, choose Properties. In the Target area after the entry%SystemRoot%\explorer.exe, add this text and click OK:/n, /e, /select, C:\

To add a program to the topof your Start menu so italways appears in that

position, right-click the program inyour Start menu and click ‘Pin to Startmenu’.

To make folders and drivesaccessible from the Send Tomenu drag and drop

shortcuts to these into your\Documents and Settings\<username>\SendTo folder.

Need to find your SendTofolder? Choose Start -> Run,type SendTo and click OK.

To empty the list ofdocuments in your MyRecent Documents folder,

right-click Start, choose Properties ->Customize -> Advanced tab and clickthe Clear List button.To stop storingitems in the folder, disable ‘List mymost recently opened documents’.

To see what’s in your MyRecent Documents folder(you might be surprised

what’s there), choose Start -> Run andtype %UserProfile%\Recent.You’ll seeshortcuts to files you’ve used recently.

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You can configure Windows Explorer to start looking much like My Computer

Implement Fast User Switching53

To enable Fast User Switching, choose ControlPanel -> User Accounts, Change the way users

log on or off and enable the ‘Use Fast UserSwitching’ checkbox.

>STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

Use Fast User Switching so one user doesn’t have to close down for another to login

01 To ensure the dial-up connection staysconnected when Fast User Switching is

enabled, choose Start -> Run, type Regedit. Locatethe key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon.

02 Right-click in the right-hand pane and choose New -> String Value, type

KeepRasConnections, then double-click it and set itsvalue to 1. Restart your PC.

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To switch between currentlylogged in users, press [Ctrl] +[Alt] + [Del] to open the Task

Manager and click the Users tab.Right-click the user name to switch to and click Connect.

Add a Guest account toenable others to use yourcomputer by choosing

Start -> Control Panel -> User Accounts, click Guest and then Turn On the Guest Account.

When you’re makingchanges that affect your PC’sperformance, remember that

most can only be made if you’re loggedin as System Administrator.

To copy a user profile, chooseControl Panel -> System ->Advanced tab and click User

Profiles: Settings. Click the profile tocopy, click Copy To and then select thelocation to copy the profile to.Toallocate permission to use this profile,click the Change button.

Disable the Welcome screenand replace it with a logindialog for added security.

Choose Control Panel -> User Accountsand choose the ‘Change the way userslog on or off and disable the Welcomescreen’option.

Provided you’re not using anetwork, you can use SharedDocuments to place

documents for all users to access.You’llfind it in the Other Places area of yourMy Documents folder.

Stop passwords fromexpiring in Windows XP Proby choosing Start -> Run,

type control userpasswords2 and press[Return]. Choose the Advanced tab ->Advanced user management:

Advanced button and select LocalUsers and Groups: Users. Right-clickthe user to change, click Properties ->General tab and enable the ‘Passwordnever expires’checkbox.

Manage the disk space eachuser has access to by right-clicking the drive in My

Computer -> Properties -> Quota.

Protect against losing apassword by creating apassword reset disk. Choose

Start -> Control Panel -> User Accounts.Click your account name and choose‘Prevent a forgotten password’ to startthe Wizard.

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Better multiple usersmanagement

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Print photos from your MyPictures folder by selectingthem, then choose File ->

Print to start the Photo PrintingWizard.This enables you to select theprinter and layout to use – someprinters make it possible to printmultiple pictures on to a single sheet.

When you use more thanone set of settings for yourprinter, speed up making

changes by installing a second copy ofyour printer and configure it with thealternate settings.Then instead ofchanging printer settings each time,select a different printer.

Locate characters whicharen’t on the keyboard bychoosing Start -> All

Programs -> Accessories -> SystemTools -> Character Map. Choose yourfont and locate the character. Read its[Alt] keystroke from the bottom-rightcorner of the dialog.

To capture a still image from a video clip so thatyou can save it as a file,

import the clip into Windows MovieMaker and play it. Press Stop at thepoint to capture, click Take Picture andtype a filename.

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Improved printing options

Play it Bill! Why not trackdown and play the originalWindows start-up music?

you can find it at: \windows\oobe\system32\images\title.wma.

The Windows Plus pack nowcomes in two editions, forMicrosoft Plus! For

Windows and Digital Media Edition(DME). Find more information atwww.microsoft.com/windows/plus/PlusHome.asp including a trialdownload for DME.

Choose Start -> Run, typeiexpress and press [Return] to run Iexpress 2.0.

This handy utility creates self-extracting and self-installing files for

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Windows: gainadded extras

It’s on the CD> TOP TIP

Check out the WindowsXP installation CD forextra features

On the XP Homeedition CD is a back-up

and restore tool NTBACKUP,some extra fonts and theUSMT command linecomponents.There’s also thenetworking protocol NetBEUIthat’s included forcompatibility with older OSes.Read more about this andlearn how to install it, ifrequired, at www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/itpro/networking/netbeui.asp.

Both CD versions includethe Citrix ICA client for

connection to Citrix terminalservers, the program TTPS thatenables you to check packetdata on an IP network and TheDistributed Management TaskForce’s Common InformationModel v2.5 for computermanagement. On the XPProfessional disc is a phonebook administrator and theWindows NT 4.0 InternetAuthentication Service.

Also on the disks you’ll finda support\tools folder thatincludes a clutch of tools forsupporting Windows XP.There’s a Windows installerfile (Suptools.msi) to use toinstall these Support Tools onyour PC. You’ll find a Files andSettings Transfer Wizard,Remote Desktop Client andtools for Remote InstallationServer deployments. Visitwww.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/proddocs/tools_overview.aspto learn more.

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The Microsoft TechNet Web siteincludes information about theSupport tools on the Windows CD

Make a compressed folderby right-clicking the desktopand choose New ->

Compressed (zipped) Folder.Then dragand drop files on to the folder thatappears on your desktop.

Password protect acompressed folder byopening it and choose

File -> Add a Password.Type thepassword and then again to confirm it and click OK.

Add files to a compressedfolder by dragging anddropping them on to

the folder.

When you run the DiskCleanup tool, select theCompress old files option

to compress files you haven’t used in a while to save space.Windows will display these files in a differentcolour to indicate that they’recompressed.

Encrypt files on a computerrunning Windows XPProfessional by right-clicking

the file in My Computer -> chooseProperties -> General tab -> Advanced

button. Enable the Encrypt contents tosecure data checkbox.

Shortcut renaming a folderor file by selecting it andpress [F2].Type the new

name and press [Return].

So you can click a hyperlinkin one folder to moveautomatically to a second

folder, create a shortcut to the secondfolder in the first one.

Reset file associations byholding [Shift] as you right-click a file in My Computer.

Choose Open With, choose theprogram to open it with and enablethe ‘Always use the selected programto open this kind of file’checkbox.

Adjust the size of music files copied to your PC by opening Windows

Media Player and choose Tools ->

Options -> Copy Music tab. Adjustthe slider to decrease file size orincrease quality.

When you store all yourdocuments, pictures,music and so on in folders

inside your My Documents folder,they’ll be handy for backing up and they won’t be affected by aSystem Restore.

When you can’t access a filecopied from a CD, chancesare its Read only attribute

needs removal. Right-click the file inMy Computer, choose Properties anddisable the Read-only checkbox.

Configure how a folderappears by right-clicking thefolder in My Computer,

choose Properties -> Customize andchoose the template to use to displayitems in the folder, for exampledocuments, photo album and so on.

Rename a group of similarfiles (such as imagesdownloaded from your

camera), by displaying the containingfolder in Thumbnails or Details view,select the files to rename, right-clickthe first, choose Rename and type thename, for example Vacation2003.jpg.All files will be namedVacation2003(1).jpg,Vacation2003(2).jpg and so on.

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Stay in control of files and folders

Set the size of the music files you to ripdepending on the quality you want

It’s easy to print your pictures with the builtin photo printing wizard in Windows XP

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distributing applications and files to others.

To access Windows wizardsto perform commonWindows tasks, choose

Start -> Help And Support -> Index and type Wizards to see a clickable listof them.

To create your own fontcharacters, choose Start ->Run, type Eudcedit and

click OK at the first dialog. Use the 64 x 64 grid to create your character.Choose Edit -> Save Character to save it.

To locate your newcharacter, choose Start -> All Programs, Accessories,

System Tools, Character Map andchoose the All Fonts (PrivateCharacters) font. Click your character, pick Select and then simply copy and paste it into your document.

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83Select from a range ofmouse pointers by openingthe Control Panel and

choose Mouse, Pointers tab and choose a pointer from thedisplayed list.

To display a list of recentlyused documents on yourStart menu, in Windows XP

Home edition, right-click Start,choose Properties -> Customize ->Advanced tab and enable the ‘Listmy most recently opened Documents’checkbox.

When a Windows Explorerscreen is open, you can setit to toggle it to display at

full screen size without a title bar,toolbars or any Windows taskbar bypressing [F11].

Add a shortcut key to launchany program by right-clicking its icon, choose

Properties -> Shortcut tab, click in theShortcut key area and press a key.Windows will add [Ctrl] + [Alt] to it.

Alphabetise your Startmenu programs list bychoosing Start -> All

Programs, right-click any entry in thelist and choose ‘Sort by Name’.

To edit the contents of your Start menu, right-clickit and choose Open or

Open All Users.You’re able to add andremove program groups or shortcutsas required, for a more efficient way of working.

To remove the name from a desktop icon, right-click it, choose Rename and

hold down [Alt] as you type 255on the numbers pad and then press [Return].

They’re small but they canbe annoying, so to removethe arrows from your

desktop shortcuts, locate theHKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Lnkfile key inyour Registry and remove theIsShortcut value.

Open multiple programsfrom the Start menu atone time by holding down

[Shift] as you click the Start menu –keep it pressed until you’re doneopening applications.

Why not display an indicator in the status bar for your broadband or

dial-up connection? Choose MyNetwork Places -> View NetworkConnections, right-click theconnection, choose Properties and then enable the ‘Show icon in notification area when connected’checkbox.

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Use the tool Eudcedit to create your own custom font characters

Sending faxes82

Install the fax tool by choosing Control Panel-> Add or Remove Programs -> Add/Remove

Windows Components, Enable the Fax Servicescheckbox and click Next to install it.

>STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

Did you know that Windows XP has a tool for sending and receiving faxes from your PC? You do now!

01 Choose Start -> All Programs -> Accessories ->Communications -> Fax -> Fax Console to run

the Fax Configuration Wizard. You can now set it upwith your details, fax number and modem anddecide how you want to handle incoming faxes.

02 Compose a fax from the Fax Console bychoosing File -> Send a Fax and complete the

details in the Send Fax Wizard. You can use contactdetails from your Address book to automate fillingin recipient information.

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Make your cursor more interesting bychanging the pointer style. There’s plenty tochoose from, including these ratherattractive dinosaurs

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Enable or disable groupingof files from the sameprogram on your Taskbar by

right-clicking the taskbar and chooseProperties, select or deselect the Groupsimilar taskbar buttons checkbox andclick OK.

Toggle your desktop icons onand off by right-clicking thedesktop and choose Arrange

Icons By -> Show Desktop Icons.

Add a custom toolbar toyour desktop by right-clicking the taskbar, choose

Toolbars and then New Toolbar toconfigure it.

When you have moreprograms than candisplay in a single

column, the All Programs menu willdisplay multiple columns. Change thisto a single column with scroll arrowsby right-clicking Start, chooseProperties -> Advanced tab and enablethe Scroll Programs option.

Launch your browserwith a Web site loaded init by choosing Start ->

Run and type the site’s URL, forexample www.pcanswers.co.uk.

Force Windows menus todisplay underlinedshortcut keys whenever

they are available (and not just when[Alt] is pressed), by right-clicking thedesktop, choose Properties ->Appearance tab -> Effects in theAppearance tab and disable ‘Hideunderlined letters for keyboardnavigation until I press the [Alt] key’.

To hear an audible soundwhen your Caps Lock,Num Lock or Scroll Lock

key is pressed choose Control Panel ->Accessibility Options -> Keyboard tab and enable the ‘Use ToggleKeys’checkbox.

To enable Hibernatemode for Windows XP,choose Start -> Turn off

computer.Then press and hold down[Shift].The Stand By button changes tobecome the Hibernate button that youcan click to hibernate your PC.

Enable Hibernation if itisn’t currently enabled bychoosing Control Panel ->

Power Options -> Hibernate tab, andcheck the ‘Enable hibernate’checkbox.If the tab isn’t there, your hardwaredoesn’t support Hibernation.

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Speed up your system bydisabling showy buttime-consuming

animations. Choose Control Panel ->System -> Advanced tab, and choosePerformance: Settings, then enable theAdjust for best performance option.

To reduce booting time,use your computer’s BIOSsetup feature to

configure your computer to start upfrom your hard drive first, and a CD orfloppy second.

Improve performance forbackground processes bygiving them equal time

with foreground jobs. Choose ControlPanel -> System -> Advanced tab andin the Processor scheduling area selectBackground services.

Track your CPU usagefrom the System Tray bypressing [Ctrl] + [Alt] +

[Del] to run the Task Manager andthen minimise it so it displays a liveCPU usage chart in the System Tray.

To improve writingperformance for a USB Zipdrive, from My Computer

right-click your Zip drive,chooseProperties -> Hardware tab -> Propertiestab -> Policies tab and enable the‘Optimize for performance’option.

To speed up the Startmenu, locateHKEY_CURRENT_USER\C

ontrol Panel\Desktop in the registryand decrease its MenuShowDelay tothe delay in milliseconds before themenu displays (100 is a good choice).

For a super-fast, warning-free shutdown, press[Ctrl] + [Alt] + [Del], click

Shutdown and hold [Ctrl] as you clickTurn Off. Make sure you’ve savedeverything first.

View your computer’sperformance graphicallyby choosing Control Panel

-> Administrative Tools -> Performanceto see a chart displaying thePages/Second rate, Average DiskQueue Length and % Processor Timethat are indicators of memory, disk andprocessor performance.

Add other indicators tothis chart by clicking the‘+’ icon and choose a

Performance object to track and thena counter from the list. Click theExplain button to learn more aboutwhat that counter can tell you.

You can use a .reg file toautomatically add a keyto the Registry. Simply

double-click it to add it.To see what itcontains, open it in Notepad.

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PC performanceenhancements

The Performance chart can be configured to show you whatever performance indicator

Shortcut City> TOP TIP

These handy Windows key shortcuts makequick work of many day-to-day tasks96

[Windows Key] + [L] Lock the computer[Windows Key] + [U Displays the Utility Manager [Windows Key] + [R] Run dialog[Windows Key] + [F] Search dialog (think of it as

File Search)[Windows Key] + [E] My Computer[Windows Key] + [D] Toggle Desktop on/off[Windows Key] + [M] Minimise all Windows[Windows Key] + [Shift] + [M] Restore all minimised Windows[Windows Key] + [Ctrl] + [F] Search for computer [Windows Key] + [F1] Displays the Help and Support

Center [Windows Key]+ [Break] Displays the System Properties

dialog [Windows Key] + [Tab] Scroll through the taskbar buttons

No Windows key on your keyboard? Use [Ctrl] + [Esc] instead todisplay the Start menu.

As well as the Start Menu you can createyour own toolbar to go with it

Is your PC running slowly? Check the CPUusage with Task Manager

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If you have 512Mb ormore of RAM, stopWindows XP paging to

disk for a performance boost. Locatethe Registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\ Control\SessionManager\ Memory Managementand set the DisablePagingExecutivevalue to 1.

Use Bootcfg.exe to edityour Windows XPProfessional Boot.ini

file. Choose Start -> Run, type cmd and press [Return].Type bootcfg /? to see the options available.You canfind out more information athttp://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=289022.

To select the defaultOperating System to useon a PC with a

partitioned drive, click Control Panel ->System -> Advanced tab, choose the‘Startup and recovery Settings’buttonand then Edit.

Use the Chkdsk tool tocheck your drive and fixany errors. Choose Start

-> Run, type chkdsk c: /f to check disk Cand fix any errors. Use chkdsk /? tolearn more.

Bypass the Scanner andCamera Wizard andaccess your digital

camera as a drive using My Computeror Windows Explorer.

On Windows XPProfessional edition run gpedit.msc from the

Run box to access the Group PolicyEditor. It enables you to configure aclutch of options that would otherwiserequire Registry edits.

Find and download thefree PowerToys forWindows XP at

www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/downloads/powertoys.asp.These include the very useful TweakUIprogram that enables you to accesssystem settings that you can’totherwise alter.

Speed up your computerby disabling the Indexingservice. Choose Control

Panel -> Administrative Tools ->Services and disable the IndexingService.

Free up disk space onyour PC to improveperformance. From My

Computer, right-click your drive andchoose Properties -> General tab ->Disk Cleanup. Select the files toremove (including emptying the Trash),and click OK.

Check your Start menufor programs which runevery time Windows

launches. Choose Start -> All Programs-> Startup and remove any shortcutsfor programs that you don’t use on aregular basis.

Still more programs thatlaunch when your PCstarts can be found using

the program Msconfig. Choose Start ->Run, type msconfig and press [Return].Click the Startup tab and disable anyprograms you don’t want to run atstartup.

Alter the priority for aprogram up or down bypressing [Ctrl] + [Alt] +

[Del] to open the Task Manager, right-click the program and choose ‘Go toprocess’. Right-click the process, chooseSet Priority and adjust it up or down.

Start any program with apreset priority using theStart command. For

example, type ‘start /high calc’ in acommand prompt to run thecalculator at high priority. See www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/proddocs/start.asp.

Replace the Windows XPdefault search dialogwith one that enables

you to get searching faster. ChooseStart -> Search and choose ChangePreferences -> Change files and folderssearch behaviour and click theAdvanced option.

Speed up Windowsshutdown byautomatically killing

applications which aren’t responding.To do this, use regedit to locate theRegistry key HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop and set itsAutoEndTasks entry to a value of 1.

Locate programs thatyou don’t use andconsider removing

them to free disk space by choosingControl panel -> Add or RemovePrograms and choose to sort by Datelast used.

If you regularly work withlarge documents,increase performance by

increasing your virtual memory size.Choose Control Panel -> System ->Advanced tab and click the

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Schedule a task121

To set up a schedule, choose Control Panel ->Scheduled Tasks, Add Scheduled Task to run

the wizard. Click Next and from the list, select theapplication to schedule.

>STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

Keep your computer running smoothly by scheduling clean-up tasks to run at regular intervals

01 If the tool isn’t listed, click Browse and locatethe executable file on your drive. Most

Windows tools are in the Windows orWindows\system32 folder. Select it and click Open.

02 Type a name for the task and select thefrequency to run the program. Click Next and

select a time to run the task. Click Next and typeyour user name and password.

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Speeding up your PC isn’t hard, disablingthe Indexing Service is one way

If you need to free up room, why not get ridof the software you don’t use anymore?

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Performance: Settings button ->Advanced tab. Click Change andincrease the size allocated.

Unless you’re usinggraphic applications, youcan trim your colour

display to 16-bit colour and not losemuch in the way of visuals but gainsome performance enhancements.Right-click the desktop, chooseProperties -> Settings and chooseMedium (16-bit) colour.

Use the Registry to locateand remove programswhich start with

Windows but which don’t appear inthe startup menu or in the msconfigStartup dialog. Locate theHKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Run key and remove entries that relateto programs which run at startup andwhich you want to disable. If you’reunsure what a particular item relatesto, don’t remove it, just to be safe.

To find out how long yourWindows XP Professionalcomputer has been

running, from the command line (Start -> Run, type cmd and press[Return]) type systeminfo and click OK. Read off the System Up Time entry.

When you need to run aprogram from thecommand line, drag and

drop the program from a Windows

Explorer window into the commandline window to save typing its nameand path.

To clear all restore points,choose Start -> AllPrograms -> Accessories -

> System Tools -> System Restore and enable the ‘Turn off SystemRestore on all Drives’option.Then click Apply. Answer Yes whenprompted that this will delete allRestore Points.

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Run Windows incompatibility mode whena game or other program

requires an earlier version of windows.Right-click the program’s executablefile, choose Properties -> Compatibilitytab, and enable the ‘Run this programin compatibility mode for…’checkbox.Choose the Operating System that theprogram is compatible with.

When your computer’sclock is wrong,synchronise it with an

Internet time server by double-clickingthe time on the Taskbar and choosethe Internet Time tab. Enable the‘Automatically synchronize with anInternet time server’checkbox, choosea server and click Update Now.

Need help from theMicrosoft Web site? SkipMicrosoft Search and use

Google instead.Type the keywords

you’re looking for and addsite:microsoft.com to the end andyou’ll get results from that site only.

When your movies don’tplay smoothly, tryrunning an older version

of the Windows Media Player. FindWindows Media Player v6.4 on yourdisk at c:\Program Files\WindowsMedia Player\mplayer2.exe.

When you’re trying todelete a file and youreceive an error saying a

file is in use by another process, press[Ctrl] + [Alt] + [Del] to launch the TaskManager, and locate and kill theexplorer.exe process.

To start up Exploreragain, in the TaskManager, choose File ->

New Task (Run...) and type explorer.exeand click OK.

If your desktop goesawry and your iconsappear incorrectly or

they don’t display at all, try refreshing

your desktop by displaying it andpress [F5].

If your icons continue todisplay erratically, enlargethe icon cache by locating

the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer. Alter or createa DWORD called MaxCachedIcons andset its value to 2048 (Decimal).

Undo a driver update byrolling back to a previousdriver. Choose Start ->

Control Panel -> Administrative Tools ->Computer Management -> DeviceManager. Click the device to undo thedriver, click Properties -> Driver tab ->Roll Back Driver.

To check your hard diskfor errors, open MyComputer, and right-click

the drive to check. Choose Properties ->Tools -> Check Now. Select‘Automatically fix file system errorsand Scan for and attempt recovery ofbad sectors’and click Start.

If Defrag stops runningand never completes,reboot your computer in

Safe mode and run it again from there.

Capture a screen shot ofan error message to helpyou identify the problem.

Press [Alt] + [Print Screen] and thenpaste the resulting image into Paintor WordPad and save or print the filefor reference.

Stop the reporting oferrors to Microsoft bychoosing Control Panel ->

System -> Advanced tab, ErrorReporting and enable the ‘Disable errorreporting’option and the ‘But notifyme when critical errors occur’checkbox.

Is your drive FAT or NTFS? Find out which by right-clicking the

drive name in My Computer andchoose Properties -> General tab and read the File system details fromthe dialog.

Convert a FAT drive toNTFS by choosing Start ->Programs -> Accessories -

> Command Prompt and typeCONVERT C: /FS:NTFS.The process is one way and can take some time.Find more information and learn some precautions to take before you perform the command athttp://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=314097.

When a newly installeddriver makes yourcomputer stop

working correctly, restore yourcomputer to an earlier a priorconfiguration by rebooting, press [F8] to launch Safe mode and choose the ‘Last Known GoodConfiguration’option.

To trace system orapplication errors,right-click My Computer,

click Manage -> Event viewer and then either Applications or System.Double-click the error to obtaininformation about it to help you trace the problem

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Essential Windowstroubleshooting advice

Read your file system details from the diskdrive properties dialogTrack down causes of errors by accessing the Event viewer

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Back up your dial-upsettings by opening yourDial-up Networking

folder and drag and drop the file to a floppy or Zip disk – it’s stored as a.dun file.

Install a subset of thetools in the Resource Kitfrom your Windows 98

CD by running the file setup.exe in the\tools\reskit folder.Then choosePrograms -> Windows 98 Resource Kit-> Tools Management Console.

Use the program WinDifffrom the Resource Kit tocompare files – run the

program and choose File -> CompareFiles. Differences between two files (for example, two copies of yourcomputer’s Registry settings) will be highlighted and you can press [F8] to move from one file to the other.

Restart Windows 98more quickly by choosingStart -> Shut Down ->

Restart and hold down [Shift] as you click OK.

Add the QuickRes icon toyour System Tray and useit to alter your display

settings. Right-click your desktop,choose Properties -> Settings tab ->Advanced button and enable the‘Show settings icon on task bar’optionand click OK. Click the icon to changeyour display settings.

Use the program Syseditto open and edit yoursystem files such as

autoexec.bat, config.sys, system.ini andwin.ini. Choose Start -> Run, typeSysedit and press [Return]. If it’smissing in Windows Me, you can usemsconfig instead.

To bypass checking thefloppy drive as yourWindows 98 computer

boots, right-click My Computer, chooseProperties -> Performance tab -> FileSystem button and click the FloppyDisk tab. Disable the ‘Search for newfloppy disk drives each time yourcomputer starts’option.

To start your Windows 98computer in Safe mode,turn on the PC and hold

down [Ctrl] as soon as anythingappears on the screen. Keep holding it until the Microsoft Windows 98Startup Menu appears and chooseSafe Mode.

You can remove thestartup password dialogby opening the Control

Panel, choose Passwords -> ChangePasswords tab, click Change WindowsPassword and OK.Type your oldpassword, leave the new one blankand click OK twice. Click the UserProfiles tab and enable the ‘All users ofthis PC use the same preferences anddesktop settings’option.The changestake place next time you start your PC.

Optimise your Windows98 computer by right-clicking My Computer,

choose Properties -> Performance tab -> File System -> Hard Disk tab. From

the ‘Typical role of this computer’ listchoose the role which best describeswhat your computer does: Desktopcomputer, Mobile or Docking station orNetwork Server.

Create a list of files in afolder so you can print itusing a DOS command.

Open a DOS window and type acommand in this format, specifyingthe directory to list and the text file tostore it in. For example: dir c:\windows-> filelist.txt.

Download and installTweakUI for Windows 98from www.microsoft.

com/ntworkstation/downloads/PowerToys/Networking/NTTweakUI.asp, then run it by opening the ControlPanel and choosing TweakUI.

When your computer isrunning slow, check formemory leakage by

closing all open windows, right-clickMy Computer, choose Properties ->Performance tab and check the SystemResources which should be around 80 per cent. If it’s considerably less,restart your PC.

Add the Control Panelicon to your Quick Launchtoolbar for quick access

to it. Open My Computer and drag theControl Panel icon on to the QuickLaunch toolbar and answer Yes to theprompt to create the shortcut.

If you’re left handed, setyour mouse for left-handed operation by

choosing Control Panel, click Mouseand choose the left-handed option.

Use the system filechecker to locate systemfiles that need repairing

or replacing because they’re corruptor out of date. Choose Start ->Programs -> Accessories -> SystemTools -> System Information -> Tools ->System File Checker.

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Windows 98 and Me:specific tips Change

its look

> TOP TIP

Here are five quickways to give yourcomputer a visualmakeover

Replace the Windowsdesktop image with a

photo you’ve taken. Right-click the desktop, chooseProperties -> Desktop, clickBrowse to find the image andchoose a Position option.

You can also use thecontents of your My

Pictures folder (or any otherfolder), as a screensaver if youright-click the desktop, chooseProperties -> Screensaver andselect My Pictures Slideshow -> Settings -> Browse tochoose the folder to use.

Once you’ve set upyour slide show or any

other screensaver, you can runit on demand if you create it asa desktop shortcut. Open yourWindows\system32 folder andlocate the .scr file for yourscreensaver. Drag a shortcut ofit on to the desktop.

To change the desktopicons used for tools

like My Computer, right-clickyour desktop, chooseProperties -> Desktop tab andclick the Customize Desktopbutton. Click the icon, clickChange Icon and select anicon to use. You’ll find moreicons by browsing shell32.dlland moricons.dll in theWindows\system32 folder.

By choosing the Webtab you can also select

a Web page to display in a resizable window on your desktop.

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Use the Desktop Items, Web tab to picka Web page to display on your desktop

Double-click any font file to see what characters it contains

Use Sysedit to edit a range of Windows files

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Preview the characters ina font by double clickingits icon in the

Windows\Fonts folder, or any otherfolder it is stored in. A dialog opensshowing what it looks like.

To remove temporaryfiles choose Start -> Find -> Files or Folders, in the

Named box type *.tmp and click FindNow. Remove all files except thosewith today’s date.

To open the Find filesdialog with a single click,press [F3] when the focus

is on the desktop, an Explorer window,a folder window or even the Taskbar.

Use the MaintenanceWizard to schedulesystem maintenance

tasks by choosing Start -> Programs ->Accessories -> System Tools ->Maintenance Wizard, click Express andthen Next. Set the time period, andclick Next -> Finish.

To configure a networkfor two Windows 98 orWindows Me computers,

use the Home Networking Wizard bychoosing Start -> Programs ->Accessories -> Communications ->Home Networking Wizard.

Although there’s no Copybutton in the Helpwindow in Windows Me,

the feature is still there if you selecttext and right-click.

To see the keyboard onthe screen in WindowsMe, choose Start ->

Programs -> Accessories -> Accessibility-> On-Screen Keyboard.You can nowclick on keys with your mouse to ‘type’in any Windows program.

To cancel a print jobbefore it is complete,choose Start -> Settings -

> Printers and double-click yourprinter’s icon. Right-click the documentto stop and choose Cancel Printing.

Find many of your oldfavourite DOS tools onyour Windows 98 CD in

the tools\MSDOS folder. Drag and dropthem to your Windows folder to accessthem from there.

Make sure your version ofWindows is up to date, atthe very least including

critical updates, by visiting www.microsoft.com/windows98/support/critical/default.asp and follow the linksto the Windows Update site.

When a Windows 98program window goesmissing, press [Alt] +

[Spacebar] to display the window’ssystem menu, press [M] to select moveand use the arrow keys to get thewindow back.

If the drive spacemaximisers, DoubleSpaceand DriveSpace are

installed in your C:\windows\command folder (Dblspace.bin andDrvspace.bin) remove them to stop

them loading when Windowslaunches.

Configure a folder todisplay in Thumbnailview by opening the

folder in Windows Explorer, right-clickand choose Properties. Check the‘Enable Thumbnail View’checkbox.Open the folder and choose View ->Thumbnails.

Configure Windows 98menus so they cascaderather than scroll by

locating the Registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion \Explorer\Advanced. Click in the right panel andcreate a new string value calledStartMenuScrollPrograms. Double-clickit and set its value to false.

When programs you’vealready removed fromyour computer are still

listed in your Add/Remove Programsdialog, remove them by locating theRegistry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall and removethe program’s entry.

Improve performance foryour Zip drive bychoosing Control Panel ->

System -> Performance tab -> FileSystem -> Removable Disk tab, checkthe ‘Enable write-behind caching on allremovable disk drives’checkbox andclick OK

Locate details for yourcurrent TCP/IPConfiguration including

your IP address by choosing Start ->Run.Type winipcfg and press [Return].

Check for devices thathave not started and maycause problems with your

system by choosing Start -> Run, typeASD and click [Return] to run theAutomatic Skip Driver program.Youcan opt to skip devices causingproblems next time you boot your PC.

Manage Dial-UpNetworking connectionson the road using the

Telephony Location Manager: choose

Start -> Run -> tlocmgr to run it.An icon appears in the System Tray that you can click to set upalternate dialling locations or use the Phone Dialer.

If your PC won’t go intostandby or suspendedmode, use the program

Pmtshoot to identify what is causingthe problem. Read more about it anddownload it from http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=185949.

Always back up yourRegistry before makingchanges. Choose Start ->

Programs -> Accessories -> SystemTools -> System Information -> Tools ->Registry Checker.This scans yourRegistry and then offers to make abackup of it.

Create a bootable disk forWindows 98 byformatting a floppy with

the system files included. Copyc:\windows\command\scanreg.exeand c:\windows\himem.sys on to itand add the line device=a:\himem.systo the disk’s config.sys file.

To restore your Registry ifyour computer won’tstart, use your boot disk

then change to your C: drive and typethe command scanreg\restore.You’llget a choice of backed-up Registry filesto restore to.

Add a Control Panelfolder to your Startmenu by right-clicking

Start, choose Open, right-click on thefolder background and choose New -> Folder, then type this and press [Return]:Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}

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EVEN MORE TIPS!SEE THE COVER DISC We think that we’ve printed enough tips here to getWindows into tip-top condition, but if 200 tips aren’t enough for you then try out the

cover CD-ROM and the toolkit.You’ll find a further 50 tools so that you can get even more out of your PC.

Windows 98 Registry checker will check your Registry and back it up for you

Add a new folder to your Start menu todisplay your Control Panel

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200 windows tips

Documents

add remove windows components

home networking wizard

choosing control panel

photo printing wizard

automatic updates tab

control panel icon

windows system32 folder

choose control panel