WIN95 |
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by Tom Lassiter |
Modems get faster, hard drives get bigger, prices keep dropping, 25X CDs must be just around the corner, and, if I'm lucky, the annual software upgrade bills will be paid by the Fourth of July. Is this a great world of PCs or what?
Aside from those die-hard corporate MIS types who haven't converted yet, most of the PC world seems to be having a ball with Win95. If we really hurry we MAY learn most of its myriad functions and secrets before its successor is released this year. I keep hearing rumors about that highly kept secret (yeah, right!) code-named "Memphis" that may be released as "Windows 97". I truly hope they are talking about NINETEEN ninety-seven. But hey, we're talking Microsoft here - would they miss a ship date?
I understand the "Micro…" part of their name indicates their estimate of the brain size of their customer base and the "…soft" part refers to the firmness of their release announcements and timing. To know them is to love them.
Any company of their size becomes a great target for derision - but can you imagine how poorly we would be computing without them, and their competitors (bless them all) who keep forcing them to do it all better and faster. The PC computing industry has to be the absolutely best example of a capitalist economy sector that works, producing better and better products at ever declining prices. Now we can only hope it keeps on growing so fast the Government can't figure out what is going on fast enough to regulate it and mess it up. Who would have thought that the 1960's expression of "Power to the People" would turn out to translate into the "computing" power now truly empowering masses around the world via the Internet and other PC uses?
So - empowered PC user - take a bite of these tidbits for your tips and tricks meal of the month.
If you still find frequent occasions to work from a DOS prompt (dang how we DO love it!), try this to put a DOS Prompt shortcut on your Desktop. Right-click the START button, Select OPEN, Double-click on PROGRAMS, Double-click on STARTUP, Right-click on a blank area of the STARTUP window, Select NEW then select and Click on SHORTCUT, Click on the BROWSE button, Browse to the WINDOWS directory, Double-click on the DOSPRMT file, Click on NEXT , Click on FINISH. You may then drag the newly created shortcut icon to the Desktop and use it to your heart's content.
Caches serve as handy places for your PC to store information so it can pull it from there instead of searching all over for it. But caches can also consume enormous amounts of space on your hard drive, thereby slowing it down eventually. Internet browsers use cache to store website data so they can paint the web page from cache the next time you visit the site. A lot of browsing adds quickly to cache space. Clear Netscape cache by clicking on Options, Network Preferences, Cache tab, Clear Memory Cache Now button, then Clear Disk Cache Now button, and OK. Clear MS Internet Explorer cache by clicking on View, Options, Advanced tab, Settings button in Temporary Internet Files section, then Empty Folder button, and OK. In either of those browsers you will also see a place to set up or limit the amount of cache space allowed, not a bad idea either.
Most dialer and communications programs have a place to add a code to disable call waiting, or allow you to add a code in front of the phone number string. Win95 can set it for your modem and then apply to all such programs. Open Control Panel (from Start, Settings), double-click on Modems, select Dialing Properties, and choose the code you need to apply - usually *70 for tone dial lines and *1170 for rotary dial lines.
You can do a faster than normal restart of Win95 when you need to do so to place new changes in effect, for example. Just select Shut Down from the Start menu, then press and hold down the Shift key while you click Restart the Computer, and keep holding down the shift key and click OK; when the screen reads "Windows is now restarting" you may release the Shift key. This sequence will bypass the regular boot process and put you back in action faster.
Win95 offers two helpful tutorial programs which are very beneficial to new users of Win95, and may also provide more experienced users with a quick refresher course. From My Computer or Windows Explorer simply open the file C:\windows\welcome.exe and then click on the View Windows Tour Tutorial button; and when finished with it click on the View What's New Tutorial button.
See you next month. Until then, keep shining your "Guru" name tag. Remember - image is everything! If you are perceived as a guru you may get paid as a guru.
NOTE: These tips and tricks are provided as an informational member service. Neither HAL-PC, the author, nor the editor of this article accept any liability for the above tips and tricks or their applicability to a particular computer or purpose.
Tom Lassiter is a HAL-PC member, Chairs the Steering Committee of the Build or Buy a PC SIG and emcees that weekly SIG meeting, is a HAL-PC Ambassador to the America Online (AOL) User Group Forum, and was one of the initial HALNet beta testers.
E-mail me at webmaster@hal-pc.org with any comments you have and tell me what you want to see here.
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