NWA-PCUG Newsletter Article
Windows 9x Tips
by Various, February 2000
bshook1019@aol.com
(click to email author)


Speed up your Internet signon!
by Cliff Goeke -- submitted by Wes Eckles, NWA-PCUG

After installing Win 98 many users noted that the time for signing on the Internet took up to 45 seconds. Here is a fix to clear up this problem.

Follow these steps. Select the following:
1. MY COMPUTER
2. DIAL UP NETWORKING
3. Rt click on YOUR DIALING ICON
4. Select PROPERTIES
5. Look over the list under ADVANCED OPTIONS
6. If the box to the left of LOG ON NETWORK is checked, UNCHECK it.
7. Click OK

In Win 95 the default for this item was unchecked. This box would be checked if the user had to go on a local PC network to reach the IP provider.

Signing on the Web will be almost instantaneous with this change.


4 Digit Years
submitted by John Clark, NWA-PCUG

Some older application programs will not use 4 digit years until the Windows Regional Setting, 'short date style', is set to "mm/dd/yyyy". Get to it by double clicking on My Computer, then Control Panel, then Regional Settings, then the Date tab.


Windows 9x Shutdown and Restart Shortcuts
submitted by Maurice McCoy, former NWA-PCUG member, President and major contributor in general!

System ShutDown Shortcut
Wish you could shut down Windows with one click instead of four? Make a ShutDown shortcut by right-clicking the desktop and selecting New, Shortcut. In the pop-up Command Line text box, type:

rundll.exe user.exe,exitwindows

Click Next, name the shortcut something appropriate, such as Shut Down, then click Finish. When you're ready to shut down, just click your new shortcut (or double-click it, as the case may be).

System Re-start Shortcut, also with one, or maybe two, click(s)
Follow the steps above, except in the Command Line text box, type:

rundll.exe user.exe,exitwindowsexec

And of course, you'll want to name the shortcut, Restart


Assorted Miscellaneous tips

Have you used the Windows logo key on your keyboard yet? It can be quite handy at times. Try these Windows key (WK) 'shortcuts' as follows:

Holding the WK alone activates the Start Menu.
Holding the WK plus the E key activates Explorer
WK plus M key Minimizes all windows
WK plus R key activates Run
WK plus F key activates Find

The F3 key also activates Find (if on desktop, left click open spot first)
F1 brings up Help (if on desktop, left click open spot first)

Two additional shortcuts to Explorer:
Right click Start, left click on Explore, or...
Right click My Computer, left click on Explore. Try this. It's different.

Copy/Move: The quickest and easiest way to copy/move files or folders in Windows is to drag them to where you want them. This means both the source files or folders and the destination drives or folders must be visible on the desktop at the same time. Also, to simplify whether they're being copied or moved, drag the files or folders with the right mouse button held down. Release it when the destination drive or folder is highlited and a 3-item menu will pop up asking Copy?, Move?, or Shortcut? Left click on your choice and it's all over.

When copying/moving to folders, it's best to bring Explorer up twice, once for the source and once for the destination. Then vertically tile them by right clicking on the taskbar (it's the bar with Start and the system tray and is usually on the bottom of most desktops) and selecting Vertical Tile. Then scroll both windows to your source and destination files/folders and begin your right button dragging.

Of course, copying/moving to a diskette or drive can be accomplished with the two Explorers as above; however, if you do this fairly frequently, it's easier to begin by putting a shortcut to the diskette and/or drive on the desktop, or even to a folder that you may access frequently. Then only one Explorer (the source) is required. It also saves the tiling step. To put a shortcut on the desktop to a diskette or drive, double click on My Computer and with the right mouse button, drag the desired drive to an open spot on the desktop. When the button is released, click on "Make a Shortcut" and you've got your icon. To make a shortcut to a folder, simply right drag the folder to the desktop.

An easy way to access Display Properties for adjusting the screen saver, background, etc, is to right click on the desktop then left click on Properties.

Have fun and submit your tips to the editor.

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