(C) 1999 by
axcel216@aol.com|
|
|
NOTES:
1. Topics marked with a plus [+] apply also to Windows 95 B/C OSR 2.x and/or to Windows 98/98 SE, and are referred to in
OSR2TIPSand/orTIPS98, respectively (both included).2. Registry topics in OSR2TIPS apply STRICTLY to Win95 B/C OSR2.
3. Registry topics in TIPS98 apply STRICTLY to Windows 98/98 SE.
To get rid of the annoying tooltips that appear when placing the mouse over an object/button/box/etc, run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
Modify/create the "ShowInfoTip" DWORD (no quotes) and give it a value of 0 in the Decimal box. The Start button tooltip still pops up though. :("
If you have a newer external 56K analog modem, you may be able to take advantage of a little extra speed boost. Modern external modems have their own CPU built-in, which runs usually at 25 MHz (higher than an internal modem's CPU, rated at 12-20 MHz). Good examples are the 3COM/US Robotics Sportster and Courier models. Such modems have the capability of internal data transfers (COMmunication port to modem) up to 230400 bps, or even higher (maximum is 921200 bps). This tweak applies also to 56K modems connected to internal ISA (PnP) serial I/O add-on cards equiped with faster UARTs: 16650 or 16750, designed to transfer data between the COM port and the modem up to 921200 bps. Wow! This makes ISDN look like a slow poke. :)
If you wanna get one of these high speeed UART cards, check out Pacific Commware's TurboExpress Port 920:
http://www.turbocom.com/texport.htmlBut this canNOT be usually achieved without a Registry tweak, because the maximum transfer speed (default) allowed by Windows 9x is 115200 bps (half of the above), enabled from: Control Panel -> Modems -> Your Modem Name ->Properties -> General tab -> Maximum speed -> 115200 -> OK -> OK.
To enable and use this higher speed, run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\Modem\0000
Note that your modem might be installed under the 0001, 0002 etc keys, not necessarily under 0000. Highlight the appropriate one. In the right hand pane double-click the "Properties" Binary value. You'll notice that the 7th up to the 10th digits on the 4th row (the one that begins with 0018) show C2 01, which corresponds to a maximum connection speed of 115200 bps. Highlight and replace them with 10 0E to bump it up to 921200.
Geek speak: replace the 24th up to the 27th byte (0x18h) as shown above. Do NOT change anything else there! Click OK when done.For convenience you can use the REG file below to do this without having to alter the Binary value. Just make sure the modem key matches the one in your Registry (replace 0000 with 0001 or 0002 etc if necessary):
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\Modem\0000]
"Properties"=hex:80,01,00,00,ff,00,00,00,ff,00,00,00,07,00,00,00,0f,00,00,00,\
77,07,00,00,00,10,0e,00,00,fa,00,00
------End cut & paste here------
Cut & paste these lines into Notepad, and save the file as 921200.REG. Now (double)-click on it in Explorer or File Manager to merge it into your Registry. Now if you open Control Panel -> Modems... and follow the same steps above, you can see that 3 new settings are available: 230400, 460800 and 921600. Reset your modem's "Maximum speed" to one of these new values (some experimenting might be necessary depending on your hardware specs), save your changes, and finally, connect to the Internet as usual. I'm sure you'll notice the speed boost. :)
CAUTION: If you try this on slower internal 56K modems, your connection may lock up, and/or experience various errors while using any communications apps or the Internet, which may also occur if your external modem doesn't have a fast CPU (25 MHz or above). If that is the case, reset the "Maximum speed" (see above) back to 115200.
TIP:Read the "FAST, FAST, FAST" topic in
MYTIPS95 to learn how to "overclock" your COMmunication port(s) in Windows 9x.
I got bored with the default Microsoft Internet Explorer blank page that pops up every time I try to access a web page that doesn't exist anymore due to an invalid link, or if the connection is broken because of a (temporary) server/network downtime. The MS IE default blank page exists as BLANK.HTM in C:\Windows\System.But you can make it go away, or change it to something else, a little more pleasurable to the eye.
NOTE: This should work with all MS IE releases.
1. To make BLANK.HTM disappear automatically, open it with Notepad, and modify it so it looks like this:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
<html>
<head>
<title>Microsoft Internet Explorer</title>
</head>
<body>
<script language="JavaScript">
window.close("blank.htm", "Microsoft Internet Explorer")
</script>
</body>
</html>
------End cut & paste here------
JavaScript MUST be enabled in IE for this to work. Save your file, exit Notepad, and then start IE.
2. To force MS IE to load another HTML document (web page) instead of its default BLANK.HTM, run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
In the right hand pane double-click on "Local Page" and replace C:\Windows\System\blank.htm with the filename of the HTML document you want, found preferably on your local computer, so you won't have to wait for a remote web page to load off the Internet. Make sure to type the full path to your file (drive letter and folder name) in the "Value data:" box. I use a simple web page which displays a cool JPG. Example of creating such an HTM document in Notepad (save it as 1STPIC.HTM, or whatever other name you wish, just keep the HTM extension):
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
<html>
<head>
<title>1st Pic</title>
</head>
<body>
<center>
<img src="file:///C|/pics/1stpic.jpg" border=0>
</center>
</body>
</html>
------End cut & paste here------
Note that 1stpic.jpg resides in this case in C:\Pics. You can modify the page title/layout, JPG filename/path to your liking, or replace it with your favorite GIF. Exit Regedit when done, start IE and surf away.
[back to top]
CHANGE OE5 IDENTITY [+]
I don't know if you (or anybody else) have seen this, but I discovered this technique, and have written a dedicated Xteq X-Setup plugin, available fromthe Xteq web site soon:
http://www.xteq.com/products/xset/plugs/ It allows changing the current and default identities in Outlook Express 5 without knowing the password. Useful if you've forgotten your password, or you want to look at other peoples' e-mail. :)Open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities which is the base Registry key for all this. Here you'll find a bunch of LUID/GUID subkeys. Each of them holds the value "Username". If you look at the "Username" of each LUID/GUID key, you can find which account you are interested in. For example, my LUID/GUID key {23AE6B7B-34B3-11D3-93C9-C38154464F49} has the Username value "My Account". Copy this LUID/GUID key to "Last User ID" or "Default User ID" (see below), to change the current or default user to this identity without having to know the password. Here is a snapshot (.REG file) containing the keys mentioned above:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities]
"Last Username"="My Account"
"Last User ID"="{23AE6B7B-34B3-11D3-93C9-C38154464F49}"
"Default User ID"="{23AE6B7B-34B3-11D3-93C9-C38154464F49}"
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities\{23AE6B7B-34B3-11D3-93C9-C38154464F49}]
"Username"="My Account"
"User ID"="{23AE6B7B-34B3-11D3-93C9-C38154464F49}"
------End cut & paste here------
You can make these changes by editing the Registry using Regedit, or by merging such a .REG file into the Registry by (double)-clicking on it in Explorer or File Manager. Backup the Registry FIRST to revert back to original when you're done, to allow other users to access their OE e-mail accounts, if you're not the only one using that computer. :) You have to exit and restart OE5 to see the effect."
MS IE 3/4/5 and MS RegClean have a bug which prevents having the same internet cache as Netscape. MS puts a Cache subfolder within Netscape's Cache folder. I hate Microsoft's four folder Internet Cache arrangement, and I only want one internet cache, so I do the following:
1. Reboot to native MS-DOS mode: hold F8 (in Win95/OSR2) or Ctrl (in Win98) at the bootup BIOS POST screen to bring up the Startup Menu -> select the "Command prompt only" option -> press Enter.
2. Delete MM256.DAT and MM2048.DAT from IE Cache Folders 1-4. I hate cookies and don't want a History so I removed these files
From C:\Windows\History and from C:\Windows\Favorites as well.
3. I use Regedit to edit the Registry so that Microsoft's four (4) Cache paths and Netscape's one (1) cache path are the same.
4. MS calls for an "e74" cache limit. I multiply this by 4 and use "e296".
5. MS IE's Internet connection Icon still shows an incorrect Registry setting of my cache: F:\\Internet\\Netscape\\Users\\UserName instead of: F:\\Internet\\Netscape\\Users\\UserName\\Cache
But Explorer and the Registry are correct.
6. This a modified copy (saved as CACHE.REG) of this Registry branch:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Cache\Paths]
"Directory"="F:\\Internet\\Netscape\\Users\\UserName\\Cache\\"
"Paths"=dword:00000004
"NewDirectory"=""
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Cache\Paths\Path1]
"CachePath"="F:\\Internet\\Netscape\\Users\\UserName\\Cache\\"
"CacheLimit"=dword:00001e296
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Cache\Paths\Path2]
"CachePath"="F:\\Internet\\Netscape\\Users\\UserName\\Cache\\"
"CacheLimit"=dword:00001e296
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Cache\Paths\Path3]
"CachePath"="F:\\Internet\\Netscape\\Users\\UserName\\Cache\\"
"CacheLimit"=dword:00001e296
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Cache\Paths\Path4]
"CachePath"="F:\\Internet\\Netscape\\Users\\UserName\\Cache\\"
"CacheLimit"=dword:00001e296
------End cut & paste here------
Substitute all UserName strings above with your real user name. Change the drive letters and/or folder names if different on your machine. Then double-click on CACHE.REG to merge this information into your Registry."
CAUTION: BACKUP your Registry files FIRST!
Here's a Registry tip for users of Outlook Express v5 who use a non-default location to store their mail & news folders, particularly if that location is on a portable/removable disk. If Outlook Express is opened and the portable disk holding the mail & news folders is not mounted, Outlook Express will create a set of default [and empty] folders in the default location: C:\Windows\Application Data\Identities\{GUID}\Microsoft\Outlook Express, rather than notify the user that windows can't locate the users folders, which are correctly pathed in the Registry under this Key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities\{GUID}\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express\5.0
The tip-off that all is not well is finding the sole mail message in the new Inbox folder is the default "Welcome to Outlook Express" message. At this point it is wise for the user to close Outlook Express without downloading/sending any messages to avoid splitting their data between two sets of folders. The simple fix is to remount the portable disk containing the users mail/news folders and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities\{GUID}\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express\5.0 in order to repath the default location of the Store Root string from
C:\Windows\Application Data\Identities\{GUID}\Microsoft\Outlook Express to the physical location which can be something like
F:\Windows\Application Data\Identities\{GUID}\Microsoft\Outlook Express, where F is the drive letter where the user's mail/news folders are located. Also the user should delete the newly created "dbx" folders in
C:\Windows\Application Data\Identities\{GUID}\Microsoft\Outlook Express."
SOUND BLASTER LIVE! REGISTRY BUG [+]
This one has hit me unprepared [well, not quite :)], and it hit me hard. :( Why? Because of a careless software vendor who didn't take in consideration a Windows 9x Registry limitation. Let me explain.
THE BUG:
The BUG I'm refering to is that the Microsoft Windows 9x Registry canNOT be recreated (compacted, reconstructed, shrunk, or whatever else you want to call it) from a .REG file in native/true/real MS-DOS mode, by running either REGEDIT.EXE (all Win9x releases) or SCANREG.EXE (all Win98 releases), IF (and this is where the big WARNING comes in) ANY of the 6 main Registry keys(hives = HKEY) are too large to fit in memory, by containing too many subkeys!
See the "Registry Structure" Intro chapter in
REGISTRY (for details, and read these MSKB articles to learn about the REGEDITrecreation/import BUG:
- "REGEDIT May Not Be Able to Import Registry with Large Keys":
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q132/0/64.asp- "How to Troubleshoot Registry Errors":
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q131/4/31.asp- "Using Registry Editor in Real Mode":
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q131/3/52.aspIn ANY such cases the Registry recreation will FAIL, or the newly created Registry will become CORRUPTED, and Windows 9x will NOT start, will lock up or will keep rebooting the computer!!! And the ONLY solution is to restore the Registry from the most recent backup to be able to get back into Windows!
These are the necessary command lines for recreating the Registry from a saved .REG file (I called mine SAVEDREG.REG), ONLY from native MS-DOS (examples):
- Windows 95 and 98 users: REGEDIT /C drive:\path\SAVEDREG.REG
- Windows 98 users only: SCANREG /FIX
Read these topics for more details: "SHRINK THE REGISTRY!" in REGISTRY.TXT, "REGISTRY BACKUP + RESTORE" Intro chapter in
REGISTRY , and "SCANREGW, SCANREG + SCANREG.INI" in TIPS98 . But this is where my luck comes in... :) I ALWAYS BACKUP THE REGISTRY BEFORE MAKING ANY CHANGES TO MY SYSTEM! Otherwise I would still be locked out of the Windows 98 GUI. :(This applies to ALL Creative Labs Sound Blaster Live! PCI sound cards owners (including the Value edition), and the BUG appears ONLY IF you upgrade to the recent version of SB Live! Windows 98/95 drivers: Live!Ware 2.0 [28 MB!, free], and its newest "patch": Live!Ware 2.1 [1.9 MB, free], available here:
http://www.sblive.com/liveware/get.html This new driver set can be also ordered on cd-rom for $10 + S/H fee [USA]: http://www.sblive.com/liveware/order-us.html The Setup routine included with these driver upgrades writes more than 190 (ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY!) new keys to the Registry, most of which deal with the surround sound presets for popular games, a new feature introduced begining with the Live!Ware 1.2 driver release. After installing these drivers, I've tried to "shrink" the Registry, which has grown to a whooping 12 MB in size (from 8 MB before installation). Guess what? The recreation process failed, no matter which method I used (see above), forcing me to restore the Registry from backups. But this BUG hit me even harder when I installed Windows 98 SEU (Special Edition Updates) cd-rom. After Setup completed and rebooted my machine, Windows kept freezing at the blue screen of death (BSOD). Ouch! So I had to restore from backups once again! :(THE SOLUTION:
The only solution I found is detailed below step by step:
1. BACKUP your Registry: copy SYSTEM.DAT and USER.DAT to a safe location.
2. Move the DEVCON32.DLL file from C:\Windows\System to a safe location, BEFORE installing Win98 SEU (or upgrading to any other newer MS Windows release), or BEFORE compacting your Registry. Otherwise the buggy "Devcon" key will be RECREATED the next time you start the Windows GUI! To move DEVCON32.DLL you need to boot to native MS-DOS FIRST: hold F8 (in Win95/OSR2) or Ctrl (in Win98) at the bootup BIOS POST screen to bring up the Startup Menu -> select the "Command prompt only" option -> press Enter. Then run (example): MOVE C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\DEVCON32.DLL E:\BACKUPS
3. Export the incriminated [read "BUGgy" :)] Registry key containing a ton of subkeys and values to a registration (.REG) file, I called DEVCON.REG. To do this, run Regedit and go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Creative Tech\Devcon Highlight the key above -> click "Registry" from the menu -> select "Export Registry File" -> type a name in the "File name" field (DEVCON.REG in this case) -> Browse for a destination -> click the Save button.
My DEVCON.REG is 11 MB in size, and the Registry was reduced from 12 MB to only 8 MB! Talk about "bloatware". :)
4. Delete the "Devcon" key BEFORE installing Win98 SEU and/or shrinking your Registry: highlight it in Regedit -> hit Del -> press Enter or click Yes.
5. Restart Windows.
6. Install Win98 SEU.
7. BACKUP your Registry: copy SYSTEM.DAT and USER.DAT to a safe location.
8. OPTIONAL: if using "REGEDIT /C" (see above) to recreate your Registry, do this FIRST: save your entire Registry as a .REG file (I called it SAVEDREG.REG): run Regedit -> highlight "My Computer" -> click "Registry" from the menu -> select "Export Registry File..." -> type SAVEDREG.REG in the "File name" field -> Browse for a destination -> click the Save button.
9. Reboot to native MS-DOS: see paragraph #2 above.
10. Compact your Registry using REGEDIT or SCANREG as described above.
11. Type WIN and press Enter to start Windows.
12. Move DEVCON32.DLL back to C:\Windows\System.
13. Merge (register) the "Devcon" key you saved to DEVCON.REG back into your Registry: highlight DEVCON.REG in Explorer or File Manager -> (double)-click on it -> answer Yes/OK to the confirmation prompts. My "shrunk" Registry files (SYSTEM.DAT and USER.DAT) occupy now 10 MB.
14. Restart Windows one more time. End of story. :)
UPDATE:
"Holy $#@&. I think you just figured out why I (and many others according to DejaNews) are unable to upgrade to Win98 SE. Does this sound like what happened to you:
1. You start the upgrade (from DOS or Windows) and all goes well...
2. ... Until the reboot. Then you get a message (in DOS) that the Registry is corrupt.
3. The DOS Scanreg "fixes" System.dat by emptying it altogether (new one is 16 KB).
4. Win98 SE of course can't boot.
5. If you try to reboot with the "unfixed" System.bad as your System.dat, you receive the BSOD complaining with several Vwin32 exception errors, followed by more exception errors in other DLLs. That's what happened to me, but only when I tried to upgrade my existing Win98 setup. I finally ended "manually" upgrading by overlaying a new 98 SE install over my existing Win98 and (painfully!) importing selected Registry keys from the fresh install. I still have a backup up of my original 98, so out of curiosity I'm gonna see if I can upgrade successfully after removing the Live! branch."
This tweak works with ALL Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0x, 4.0x and 5.0x releases First close ALL MS IE instances. Then open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings
In the right hand pane, create/modify these DWORD values (don't type the quotes):
- "MaxConnectionsPerServer": defines the number of simultaneous requests to a single HTTP 1.1 server. Double-click on it and type 4 in the Decimal box (default is 2).
- "MaxConnectionsPer1_0Server": defines the number of simultaneous requests to a single HTTP 1.0 server. Double-click on it and type 8 in the Decimal box(default is 4). Now connect to the Internet, fire up MS IE and surf away.
Automatic MS IE cache clear: Make sure Internet Explorer is not running.
Run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Cache
Double-click on the "Persistent" value in the right hand pane, and:
- if DWORD [IE 3/4]: type 0 or 1 in the Decimal box, or
- if Binary [IE 5]: delete the first two digits, and then type 0 or 01.
Click OK.
Where:
0 = clears the cache every time IE closes.
1 = saves IE's cache."
ADD-ON:
These entries look like this on the Regedit screen:
1. MS IE 3.0x and 4.0x [DWORD]: "Persistent"=0x00000000 (0) or:"Persistent"=0x00000001 (1)
2. MS IE 5.0x [Binary]: "Persistent"=00 00 00 00 or: "Persistent"=01 00 00 00
And this is how they appear in a .REG file:
1. MS IE 3.0x and 4.0x [DWORD]: "Persistent"=dword:00000000 or: "Persistent"=dword:00000001
2. MS IE 5.0x [Binary]: "Persistent"=hex:00,00,00,00 or: "Persistent"=hex:01,00,00,00
NOTE: If your IE cache folders contain lots of files, it may take a while to clear them upon exit, depending basically on your CPU and hard disk speed.
To prevent a drive or any combination of drives from appearing in My Computer, Windows Explorer or Internet Explorer, for security purposes in a multi-user environment, if you own the computer or have Administrator privileges, add/modify the "NoDrives" (don't type the quotation marks) Binary value under this Registry key, using Regedit:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
Give it a value from the list below to hide the individual drive of your choice (don't type the spaces):
|
A = 01 00 00 00 |
B = 02 00 00 00 |
C = 04 00 00 00 |
|
D = 08 00 00 00 |
E = 10 00 00 00 |
F = 20 00 00 00 |
|
G = 40 00 00 00 |
H = 80 00 00 00 |
I = 00 01 00 00 |
|
J = 00 02 00 00 |
K = 00 04 00 00 |
L = 00 08 00 00 |
|
M = 00 10 00 00 |
N = 00 20 00 00 |
O = 00 40 00 00 |
|
P = 00 80 00 00 |
Q = 00 00 01 00 |
R = 00 00 02 00 |
|
S = 00 00 04 00 |
T = 00 00 08 00 |
U = 00 00 10 00 |
|
V = 00 00 20 00 |
W = 00 00 40 00 |
X = 00 00 80 00 |
|
Y = 00 00 00 01 |
Z = 00 00 00 02 |
|
Example: to hide drives D, E, Y and Z, give "NoDrives" this value: 18 00 00 03
Where: D + E = 18 and Y + Z = 03 (cumulative value).
NOTE: These numbers are in HEXadecimal. Example: to hide drives A, B, C and D, use 0F, NOT 15, when cumulating multiple drives.
Show all drives (A to Z) "NoDrives" value: 00 00 00 00
Hide all drives (A to Z) "NoDrives" value: FF FF FF 03
You can also do this by using TweakUI 95, one of the Microsoft Power Toys for Windows 95/OSR1/OSR2 [204 KB, free, unsupported]:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows95/downloads/contents/wutoys/w95pwrtoysset/If you own Windows 98, or have installed Microsoft Internet Explorer 4/5 on your Windows 9x machine, use the "beefed up" TweakUI 98 [100 KB, free, unsupported] instead:
http://www.tweak3d.net/files/tweakui.zipUse TweakUI with caution, ONLY AFTER BACKING UP YOUR REGISTRY! Open Control Panel -> TweakUI -> My Computer tab -> check to show or uncheck to hide the desired drive boxes -> click OK/Apply. Windows 9x default is to show ALL local and remote (network) drives: A to Z.
TO DO: Read the "SYSTEM RESTRICTIONS" topic (included) to learn how to enable more security features on your Windows 9x machine.
DISABLE OUTLOOK EXPRESS SPLASH [+]
Perform the Registry edit below that applies to your MS OE version to disablethe Microsoft Outlook Express startup splash screen (thanks a lot guys!), butexit OE first:
1. MS OE v4.0 "no splash" tip was sent by Akmal Khamis (kamis@pc.jaring.my): "Use Regedit to go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express Modify or create a new DWORD called "NoSplash" (no quotes) and give it a value of 1 in the Decimal box."
2. MS OE v5.0 "no splash" tip was sent by Bo Andersen (bo.andersen@telia.com): "Open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express\5.0 or:
HKEY_USERS\Default\Your_User_ID\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express\5.0 or:
HKEY_USERS\.Default\Identities\{6E709CC0-7461-11D3-9B66-861126026B25}\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express\5.0
Modify or create a new DWORD called "NoSplash" (no quotes) with a Decimal value of 1."
UPDATE: Check out these comprehensive OE User Tips pages:
http://www.okinfoweb.com/moe/
The tip below applies to Windows 98 and to Windows 95/OSR1/OSR2 ONLY with Microsoft Internet Explorer 4/5 installed,
How to switch back to multiple column lists for the START program menu:
1. Click Start, then Run. Type Regedit, then click OK.
2. In the Registry Editor, click the plus signs to expand the following keys:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer
Within the explorer folder, click the Advanced folder once to select it.
3. Right-click an unoccupied area in the right hand pane. Click New, then String Value.
4. In the name box that appears, type StartMenuScrollPrograms (all one word), then press Enter.
5. Right-click the name you just created, then click Modify. In the Value Data box, type false, then click OK.
6. Click Registry, then Exit to close the Registry Editor. It should not be necessary to restart Windows. When you click Start and then Programs, your menu should show multiple columns instead of a single column with scroll arrows (assuming you have a long Programs list)."
When the Windows 9x GUI shuts down, it allows all running services (DLLs, VXDs, OCXs etc) to end after a specific amount of time (timeout). At the end of this interval, the remaining open services will be automatically shut down by Windows. If your system seems to take a while to shut down completely, you can decrease the default setting. Start Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\control
In the right hand pane, look for the "WaitToKillServiceTimeout" String. If it is blank (no value), Windows uses the default timeout of 20 seconds. To modify it: double-click on it -> type any integer number from 1 and 20 (I use 16). In case your Registry doesn't have the "WaitToKillServiceTimeout" String, create it: right-click on an empty spot in the Regedit window -> select New -> String -> name it WaitToKillServiceTimeout.
Exit Regedit and restart Windows.
NOTE: If you are using time sensitive or critical applications, you may want to increase the timeout value, to avoid possible system errors.
CUSTOM IE 4/5 TOOLBAR [+]
The "stock" Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0x/5.0x releases (obtained from Microsoft) do not display a Toolbar background bitmap (default). But if you installed a "branded" IE version, usually distributed by 3rd party search engines, news sites, ISPs etc, you may see a company logo instead of the plain gray Toolbar background. You can have MS IE display your favorite picture as Toolbar background, replace the one already installed, or revert to default. [read "boring"... :)] First close ALL IE instances. Then open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar
Look in the right hand pane for the "BackBitmap" String (IE4).
1. If it is blank (default), IE4's Toolbar is bright gray, or whatever color you have changed it to in Display Properties -> Appearance tab -> Menu Color (no picture).
2. If this value shows something like: "BackBitmap"="C:\PICS\MYPIC.BMP" then IE4's Toolbar is "branded" ("customized"). To replace IE4's bitmap: double-click on "BackBitmap" -> type in the graphic path and name of your choice -> click OK. MS IE5 users need to modify the "BackBitmapIE5" String instead. The ONLY supported graphic file format is .BMP (Windows Bitmap).
3. To revert back to the default background (no bitmap), just double-click on "BackBitmap" (IE4) or "BackBitmapIE5" (IE5) and delete the entire string. MS IE5 USERS ONLY: Download and install the Toolbar Wallpaper web accessory [170 KB, free, unsupported]:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/webaccess/tbwlpapr.exeone of IE5's Power Toys:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/webaccess/From now on you can change your IE5 background bitmap by clicking on its Tools menu -> select Toolbar Wallpaper -> Browse to your favorite .BMP file -> click OK -> restart IE5.
NOTE: The background bitmap is NOT displayed when IE 4/5 runs in full screen mode (press F11 to toggle between window and full screen). To further customize your MS IE interface, read the "BRANDED IE5" topic (included).
By default Microsoft Internet Explorer 4/5 and Windows 98 GUI list all Start Menu icons/folders in alphabetical order. That is until you or a newly installed app creates new shortcuts. You can manually drag any shortcut/folder from a drive, folder, Desktop etc, and drop it onto the Start Menu, into the folder of your choice. These shortcuts are not listed in alphabetical order anymore after such manual "rearrangements", but in the order in which you have dropped them. Further more, new shortcuts added after this are now listed at the bottom of the menu.
NOTE: This feature works ONLY IF the Active Desktop is installed. Now let's presume some day you get bored with this new arrangement, and would like to restore the entire Startup menu back the old fashion way: listed alphabetically. You can do this [again :(] manually, dragging them one at a time, or much easier, by editing the Registry. Run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MenuOrder\Start Menu\Menu
to restore the Start Menu folder listing, then to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MenuOrder\Start Menu\&Programs\Menu
to restore the Programs folder listing, then to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MenuOrder\Favorites\Menu
to restore the Favorites folder listing etc... You get the idea. :) Look in the right hand pane for a Binary value called "Order". Right-click onit and select Delete, or highlight it and press Del. Then click OK or press Enter to confirm. Exit the Registry Editor and restart Windows when done. It will scan the Registry and recreate the default "Order" values (alphabetical listing) next time it starts. To rearrange any icon/folder again, just drag & drop the desired item into a new position. This way you can even move them among folders. That's it.
CAUTION: BACKUP YOUR REGISTRY FILES BEFORE MAKING ANY CHANGES!
NOTES: Read these MSKB articles for more details:
"Start Menu and Favorites Menu Not Listed in Alphabetical Order":
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q177/4/82.asp- "How to Add or Remove Windows Desktop Update"
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q165/6/95.aspUPDATE: SortMenu (freeware program):
http://www.horizon.nl/~rvosta/sortmenu.htm forces Windows 98 to sort the Start Menu whenever you want or every time Windows starts.
By default Windows 9x is set to use write behind caching, which means it writes data back to the fixed disks while proceeding to the next operation, for increased performance. Further more, Windows 98 takes another step and enables this mode also on all your removable drives: Control Panel -> System -> Performance tab -> File System... button -> Removable Disk tab -> "Enable write-behind caching on all removable disk drives" check box (checked by default). The disadvantage is that in case of a sudden power outage or any other system failure, some data might not be completely written back to disk, resulting in data loss, or worse, system lockups/errors, and/or disk errors (lost clusters, surface defects), on subsequent (re)boots. Therefore you may want to disable the write behind cache function, especially if you own system critical applications, or shut down Windows WITHOUT closing ALL open applications FIRST, which BTW is NOT RECOMMENDED! This means all data will be immediately written to disk, bypassing the cache. To do this on:
1. Removable drives [Windows 98 ONLY]: uncheck the "Enable write-behind caching on all removable disk drives" box, click OK/Apply twice, and finally restart Windows (which you will be prompted to do anyway).
2. Fixed (hard) drives [ALL Windows 9x releases]: run Regedit and go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem In the right hand pane look for the "DriveWriteBehind" Binary value. It should read something like: 01 00 00 00 meaning write behind is enabled on drive C, or: 00 00 00 80 meaning write behind is enabled on drives/partitions C, D, E and F (in my case). To completely disable write behind on ALL your fixed drives, double-click on "DriveWriteBehind", and change its value to read (don't type the spaces): 00 00 00 00. Close the Registry Editor and restart Windows when done. If write behind cache is disabled, overall system performance will decrease slightly, depending mainly on your CPU and RAM speed, and on your hard disk subsystem, but it will allow you to "play safe". If you are the lucky owner of an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) unit, turning off write behind cache becomes obsolete.
Have you ever forgotten your screen saver password, not being able to return to "normal operation" in Windows 9x? Well, there is a way to completely delete the screen saver password, allowing you to get your system back, that is if you are using a "protected" screen saver. Just fire up Regedit and go to:
HKEY_USERS\.Default\Control Panel\desktop In the right hand pane look for the "ScreenSave_Data" String value.
Highlight it and press the Delete key, or right-click on it and select Delete. Exit the Registry Editor when done. Voila!
Of course, everybody who has been "playing" with personal computers for a while has learned the "easy way" around this: press and hold Ctrl+Alt+Delete simultaneously, followed by/or Ctrl+Esc. This "classic" trick works with all Windows/WfWG 3.xx releases, WinNT 3.xx, Windows 95 retail and Win95a OSR1. Doesn't seem to work with Win95 B/C OSR 2.x, Win98, WinNT 4.0 or Win2000 though. Talk about "OS security"... :) Screen savers are not necessary anymore for protecting your monitor from screen burn-in these days, because newer CRTs (Cathode Ray Tubes) are equiped with good quality phosphor and anti-static coating layers. Use screen savers only as a primitive (easy to bypass) security shield, or if you just like looking at a "pretty" desktop when not using your computer. :)
TIP: Read the "BYPASS SAVER PASSWORD" topic in
MYTIPS95 (included) to learn about another screen saver password bypassing method.
To improve Internet browsing speed, you can use a temporary RAM (memory) drive to store the Internet cache/cookie files, with both Netscape and Microsoft web browsers (all releases begining with version 3).
ADVANTAGES:
- Can be used for storing ALL browser cache AND cookie files.
- Cuts down on hard disk activity noticeably.
- Provides much greater file storage efficiency, because a RAM drive uses 512 Byte size clusters, smaller even than the FAT32 file system (limited to a minimum of 1 KB default cluster size, on drives/partitions of 512 MB or larger).
- Avoids cluttering your hard disks with zillions of small temporary files.
- Cached web sites are accessed a lot faster.
- The Windows 9x GUI provides full 32-bit driver support for RAM drives.
DISADVANTAGES:
- Your CD-ROM drive letter will be shifted upwards by 1 letter. Example: if you have 1 hard drive (single partition) and 1 CD-ROM drive, the RAM drive will take letter D, and will shift the CD-ROM drive to letter E, in all DOS modes and in Windows. Therefore you will nedd to update ALL your CD-ROM based applications/links to point to the new letter! To do this the easy way, use COA32 (Change of Address 32-bit), a free Win9x tool from PC Magazine:
http://www.pcmag.com/pctech/content/16/01/ut1601.001.htmlCOA32 [296 KB]:
ftp://ftp.zdnet.com/pcmag/1997/0107/coa32.zip changes ALL system references to match the new location of ANY program you move to ANY other drive/directory.- The ENTIRE contents of a RAM drive is GONE upon rebooting!
- You need at least 32 MB of memory (RAM) installed in your computer (64 MB recommended) to use this trick!
- If using Microsoft Internet Explorer 3/4/5 you will NOT be able to download files larger than the RAM drive size, because MS IE downloads ALL files from the Internet into its cache folders!
Necessary steps for creating a properly configured RAM drive to use as browser cache/cookie folder:
1. Add this line (example) to your Config.sys file to create a new temporary drive in your computer's memory (RAM):
DEVICEHIGH=C:\WINDOWS\RAMDRIVE.SYS 4096 /E
This creates a new 4 MB RAM drive in the extended memory, but you can specify a different size (in KiloBytes), depending on the desired cache folder size, and your installed RAM. To load RAMDRIVE.SYS in the Upper Memory Area (UMA), you need to use an upper/extended/expanded memory manager in Config.sys, like EMM386.EXE (bundled with MS Windows 9x), with the NOEMS (to enable extended memory only) or RAM (to enable expanded and extended memory) switch. Example:
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE I=C800-EFFF I=B000-B7FF RAM D=256 AUTO Change the Windows 9x folder name if different on your system.
2. Create a new temporary directory on the RAM drive to store all browser cache/cookie files, by adding this line to your Autoexec.bat file (example): MD D:\CACHE presuming you have only 1 hard disk/partition and 1 CD-ROM drive. Change this letter if you have more drives to the next available letter AFTER the last letter taken by your hard disks/partitions, and BEFORE the CD-ROM drive letter. DO NOT allow your browser to use the root directory on the RAM drive as its cache folder, because the root directory can hold ONLY up to 512 files!
3. Modify your web browser settings to point to the new cache/cookie folder: A. Netscape Navigator/Communicator 4/5: click Edit -> Preferences -> double-click Advanced -> select Cache -> adjust the "Disk Cache Folder" to point to the directory you created on the RAM drive, then adjust the "Disk Cache" to match the size of the RAM drive -> click OK.
Netscape 4/5 browsers use the C:\Netscape\Users\Your_Email_Name folder (default) for storing cookies. To my knowledge this setting canNOT be changed, but if you know how, please send me e-mail: axcel216@aol.com
B. Microsoft Internet Explorer 4/5: click Tools -> Internet Options -> click the Settings button in the "Temporary Internet Files" area -> click the "Move folder" button -> browse to and select the directory you created on the RAM drive, then "Adjust the amount of disk space to use" to match the size of the RAM drive -> click Apply/OK. To change the MS IE 4/5 default cookie folder, you need to edit the Registry
(BUT BACK IT UP FIRST!). Start Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Cache\Special Paths\Cookies
double-click on the "Directory" String, and type in the new RAM drive path.
Then go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Cache\Cookies
double-click on the "CachePath" String, and type in the new RAM drive path.
Exit the Registry Editor.
4. Reboot.
5. Done. :)
UPDATE:There is a much better RAM Disk out there, called XMS/EMS RAMdisk(freeware):
ftp://ftp.simtel.net/pub/simtelnet/msdos/ramdisk/fu_rd19i.zipI have 128 MB and I use a RAM disk of 46 MB, which can be extended to up to 2 GB, depending on the installed RAM. Put the RAMdisk driver in C:\ root (works with EMS and XMS), and put the following line in Autoexec.bat: XMSDSK 46080 E: /C1 /T /Y where:
46080 = RAM disk size in KB.
E: = desired drive letter. /C1 = cluster size of 512 Bytes.
C2=1024, C4=2048 (only doubling works, not 3 or 5).
/T = use RAM from top in 1 block (highly recommended for proper operation).
You can turn on or off your RAMdisk by simply adding REM in front of the Autoexec.bat line.
I load and save the cache files to disk using 2 BAT files.
This can also be automated by Netlaunch:
http://www.blackcastlesoft.com/netlaunch/ at the begining and at the end of a dial session. Also, use Netsonic Pro: http://www.web3000.com/ and put the Netsonic cache in RAM to get a browsing speed you never thought of, it's like having a T1.
I'm sure you have certain file types that do not list a QuickView option when you right-click on them to make their context menu pop up in Explorer. But you can add the QuickView selection to ALL files by editing the Registry.
Run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*
Highlight it -> right-click -> select New -> Key. Name this new subkey "QuickView" (no quotes). Now highlight QuickView -> double-click on its "(Default)" String in the right hand pane -> type an asterisk (*) -> click OK.
Exit the Registry Editor. Now open Explorer and right-click on a file, any file. You'll notice the new QuickView command.
UPDATE:
There are a few little other tweaks for file viewers:
1- If one uses an enhanced viewing program, such as Quick View Plus, the viewer will default to the Plus program which is already on the FILE and Right Click menus. [A search of the Registry shows "Quick View Plus" has taken over the original "QuickView" key and the latter is now relegated to a key named "QuickView.Original".]
2- "Quick View" will not appear on the File or Right Click menus for non-extensioned files such as the ones named "axcel216" or "ojatex" in the Organize sub-folder of the AOL program. However, Quick View Plus will appear in those menus. One can make Quick View appear in the Right Click menus if one uses a program such as "Mlaunch.dll" by adding "QuikView.exe" via the Properties Tab.
Note: Any AOL screen name longer than eight characters [10 is the max], has a period placed after the eighth character in the file directory, which gives the file an "extension"
3- When one tries to open a file such as "axcel216" or "ojatex" with Quick View Plus it seems to work fine unless that file has become quite large [since the owner has not cleaned out their AOL Personal File Cabinet in a long time -- I'm taking the 5th on this one]. At some point of "largeness", apparently Quick View Plus balks and returns a "Whoops" message. But there is a workaround for this too [we won't have to clean up just yet]. One can open these files with a word processing program - they won't look as nice as the Quick View rendition, but the files are viewable."
FILE SYSTEM SYNCHRONIZATION [+]
You might own certain applications that may need the asynchronous buffer commit function enabled in Windows 98/95 to operate properly. This feature was introduced with the release of Windows/WfWG 3.11, and was enabled there by default, thus speeding disk access. But you can also do this in Windows 9x, and speed up disk intensive applications noticeably. In asynchronous mode, the Windows 9x 32-bit file system starts immediately the next disk operation without checking if the data from the last operation was written correctly to disk, thus decreasing (by 10% in most cases) the time it takes to perform an I/O (Input/Output) read/write disk function. Some programs specify if this is recommended or necessary in their
documentation, but most don't. :( But changing the default might prove unsafe if the hard disk presents surface defects/lost clusters, which errors can be easily corrected by running ScanDisk with the "Thorough (performs Standard test and scans disk surface for errors)" option turned on. Also, some disk intensive applications might not "like" the asynchronous mode, and will "complain" by issuing warning messages, or even "behave" improperly. The worst case is a sudden power surge, when information stored into the memory cache buffer cannot be written properly back to disk, resulting in data loss. Therefore you may need to return to the default mode: synchronous buffer commit, which allows the file system to always check the data to be correctly written to disk from the memory buffer.
Now BACKUP YOUR SYSTEM FILES BEFORE PROCEEDING FURTHER! Then open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem
In the right hand pane you should see the "AsyncFileCommit" DWORD Value. Create it if not present: right-click -> select New -> DWORD Value -> name it "AsyncFileCommit" (no quotes). Now double-click on it -> check the Decimal box -> type 1 (for asynchronous mode), or 0 (for synchronous mode). Close Regedit and restart Windows. From now on watch for any weird error messages generated by your programs while in asynchronous mode. If you DO get any, reset back to synchronous mode (default), as described above. This can be also achieved the easy way [but that's no fun :)] by running Control Panel -> System -> Performance tab -> File System button -> Troubleshooting tab -> place (asynchronous mode) or remove (synchronous mode) the check mark from the "Disable synchronous buffer commit" box -> restart Windows.
Note that Microsoft suggests altering this setting ONLY for troubleshooting purposes.
If you have downloaded Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 Public Release from ANY other web site than Microsoft's, you may have a so-called "branded" IE5 version, which might have a different name and/or spinning logo, usually displaying that company's name/logo. But if you want your "original" (unmodified) IE5 copy back, there are a few things you can do:
1. First, make sure to close ALL IE5 browser windows.
2. Even if you have already installed a "branded" copy of IE5, you can always reinstall it. Open the folder IE5's installation files reside into, and move the Branding.cab file to another location. Now download Microsoft's original Branding.cab [7 KB, free] from: http://download.microsoft.com/msdownload/ie5/RTW/x86/en/cab/branding.cab Place it into your IE5 Setup folder. Reinstall IE5. No need to uninstall it beforehand, ONLY IF you first installed the current version: IE5 Public Release 32-bit for Windows 9x/NT4 (Intel platforms), build 5.00.2314.1000 (second "silent" release), BUG fixed. To tell exactly your IE5 vesion/build, open your IE5 folder, and right-click on Iexplore.exe. Select Properties, and click the Version tab.
3. To revert IE5's title to its original (Microsoft Internet Explorer), start Regedit.exe and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
Look in the right hand pane for the "Window Title" String. You can either modify it to show the original name (see above), or delete it.
4. To get back the MS IE5 spinning globe logo, open Regedit.exe and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar
In the right hand pane, double-click on the "BrandBitmap" String, and delete its value, or delete the entire "BrandBitmap" String. Do the same with "SmBrandBitmap".
5. Restart IE5. Voila! The original title name and logo have been restored.
NOTE: These IE5 Registry "fixes" apply also to ALL Internet Explorer 4.0x 32-bit versions. To further customize your MS IE interface, read the "CUSTOM IE 4/5 TOOLBAR" topic(included).
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Sometimes when you try to shut down/reboot/restart your Windows 9x computer, you might get an error message like:
"Program.exe is still running. Close all programs first, and then exit Windows."
This is because once in a while (and more often than we'd like) certain buggy (especially older) programs hang, not allowing you to exit the Windows GUI. One (temporary) solution to this problem is to perform the "three finger salute" (Alt + Ctrl + Del) and click End Task to force the incriminated (locked up) application to exit, and then shut down/restart Windows as usual. But I found a better (permanent) solution: Run Regedit.exe and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\desktop
In the right hand pane look for the "AutoEndTasks" String. Create it if not present: right-click -> select New -> String -> name it "AutoEndTasks" (without typing the quotes). Now double-click on "AutoEndTasks" and give it the value of 1 to enable the "forced program exit" feature. From now on, whenever you want to shut down/restart/reboot Windows 9x, you won't be "greeted" by those error messages anymore. You can also disable the "forced exit" by giving the "AutoEndTasks" String the value of 0, or by deleting it. These Registry changes do not require a system restart.
One of the advantages using Windows 9x, is that it starts every 32-bit application in a separate memory space, in protected mode, thus making it less prone to crash/lock up. But who hasn't seen a Windows program that didn't freeze once in a while? Fortunately, there is a way to shut down an "offending" application, by performing the "three finger salute" (Alt + Ctrl + Del) and then clicking End Task. The only disadvantage using this feature is that sometimes Windows waits a long time (sometimes more than a minute) to finally acknowledge that a particular program is "Not responding", and only after that allowing you to shut it down by clicking the End Task button. But this can be changed. Run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\desktop
Create two new Strings in the right hand pane:
1. Right-click -> select New -> String -> call it "HungAppTimeout" (no quotes). Double-click on "HungAppTimeout" and give it a value of 1000 (default is 5000 milliseconds). This value sets the manual timeout until a program is terminated by using Task Manager.
2. Right-click -> select New -> String -> call it "WaitToKillAppTimeout" (no quotes). Double-click on "WaitToKillAppTimeout" and give a value of 1000 (default is 20000 milliseconds). This value sets the automatic timeout until Windows shuts down/restarts, while trying to exit all open programs. You can try different values here to find your optimal timeouts. Minimum in both cases is 1 millisecond, but it's more than likely it will hang Windows! Use them with CAUTION!
When you press Alt + Tab you access the so called "cool switch" feature, which allows you to switch among all open applications, and restore or maximize the one you want, by highlighting its icon.
To permanently enable this feature, start Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\desktop
Create a new String in the right hand pane: right-click -> select New -> String -> call it "CoolSwitch" (don't type the quotes). Now double-click on "CoolSwitch" and give it the value of 1, to enable it. To disable it (for security purposes in multiuser computing environments), give it the value of 0.
This settings works ONLY on Windows 95/OSR2 systems WITHOUT MS IE 4/5 installed!
The following "cool switch" Registry settings work ONLY on Windows 98 systems, and let you adjust the width (number of columns) and height (number of rows) of the Alt + Tab dialog box. Just open Regedit again, and go to the same key above:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\desktop
Create two new DWORD values in the right hand pane:
1. Right-click -> select New -> DWORD -> call it "CoolSwitchColumns" (no quotes). Double-click on "CoolSwitchColumns" and select the Decimal box. Give it any integer value between 1 and 99 (default column size is 7).
2. Right-click -> select New -> DWORD -> call it "CoolSwitchRows" (no quotes). Double-click on "CoolSwitchRows" and select the Decimal box. Give it any integer value between 1 and 99 (default row size is 3). These settings will resize the "cool switch" box to whatever you want. To restore the Windows defaults, just delete both DWORD values above.
Here's a tip for those users at the "low" end of the Power Scale which saves me 3% System Resources on Bootup [plus a lot of hard drive space for those in the C:\ squeeze]. This tip was discovered when I installed an IBM colour scanner.
1. Install the scanning and OCR software to a portable drive to save 53.6MB of hard drive space. [IBM Tech Support frowns on this practice.] This step is optional depending on your available hard drive space.
2. From the Registry, backup then delete from:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
the string which reads: "InstantAccess"="D:\\XEROX\\BIN\\INSTAN~1.EXE /h" Substitute the proper drive letter for D depending on the location of the software. Now on Bootup, Instant Access won't load automatically. For those who need to husband their system resources carefully, after Bootup do a Ctrl+Alt+Del just to see what can be done away with.
3. Make a shortcut in the START Menu to the program whose string was deleted when you need to use the program. BTW: IBM's Tech Help will not divulge how to disable "Instant Access" loading on Bootup. HA! And they were on my short list when I replace this old Compaq.
PS: MS Money99 is another candidate on the "resource hog list". It loads a program called "loadwc" on bootup and it is a real resource drainer. Users complain in the Newsgroups, but the MS MVPs won't tell them how to stop this resource gobble.
Configuring Internal PC Speaker Beeps You can use this tip to enable or disable the internal PC speaker in Windows 95, 98 or NT 4.0:
1. Click Start -> Run -> Type Regedit. Then press ENTER or click OK.
2. Browse to this Registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Sound
3. Find the Beep value in the right hand pane, or create it if it doesn't exist, by clicking Edit -> New -> String Value and naming it "Beep" (no quotes).
4. Double-click on Beep and change its value to "Yes" (no quotes) if you want PC speaker beeping turned on, or "No" to have the beep sounds turned off."
NOTE: This topic is part of Captain Sisko's
TRICKS98 , available at: http://sites.netscape.net/computingx/win98.html also included with these files.
You can turn off modem logging in Windows 9x. By default all modem activity is logged into a text file called after yourmodem's name installed in Control Panel -> System -> Device Manager -> Modem-> Your modem name. This file is located in your Windows folder (default), and has the .LOG extension.
Example: if the name of your installed modem is "US Robotics 56K Fax INT PnP", then your modem's log file name would be:
- Long File Name (LFN): US Robotics 56K Fax INT PnP.log
- short file name (8.3): USROBO~1.LOG But you can disable ALL modem logging by applying a simple Registry change. First, make sure your modem is completely disconnected (offline). Then run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\Modem\0000
Your modem might be found under the 0001, 0002, 0003 etc keys, depending onyour particular setup, and on how many modems were installed on your system (i.e. if you replaced your old modem with a new one). The String to modify is "LoggingPath". Double-click on it and delete ALL characters found there. Exit the Registry Editor, and press F5 on the Desktop to make the change "stick" (refresh). You also need to delete your (now useless) modem log file from C:\Windows. Similarly, you can change the path of your modem log file to anything you want, also by editing the "LoggingPath" String value above, and typing a new path: drive letter and folder name.
Only make sure you BACKUP your Registry BEFORE making ANY changes!
If you have been "locked out" out of Win95 OSR2 or Win98 after you have enabled the DMA feature for your hard/cd-rom/dvd drives, there is still a way to get back into Windows. Just follow these easy steps:
1. Hold down F8 (in OSR2) or Ctrl (in Win98) to bring up the Startup Menu.
2. Use your numeric keys or up/down arrow keys to select the "Command prompt only" choice, and then press Enter. It is option #5 if not using a Network or TCP/IP, or option #6 if connected to a Network or/and using TCP/IP protocol.
3. Run this command from the DOS prompt: REGEDIT C:\NODMA.REG HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ENUM\ESDI to save (export) the HKLM Registry key above to a plain text file (NODMA.REG). The .REG extension is necessary in case you would like to re-enable the DMA feature again (with CAUTION!), by merging (registering) the info contained in NODMA.REG back into your Registry.
4. Edit NODMA.REG with EDIT.COM (the default MS-DOS text/ASCII editor, located in C:\Windows\Command), by running this command: EDIT C:\NODMA.REG
5. Change ALL these lines (you probably have more than one, depending on how many types of drives are installed on your machine): "DMACurrentlyUsed"=hex:01 to read: "DMACurrentlyUsed"=hex:00
6. Save your file, and then import (merge) it into your Registry, by running: REGEDIT C:\NODMA.REG This turns off the DMA support on all your drives, allowing the Windows 9x GUI to load once again.
7. Now start Windows by running: WIN. Done.
To turn on the DMA feature in Windows 98/OSR2: open Control Panel -> System -> Device Manager -> Disk drives/CDROM -> Properties -> Settings tab -> check the DMA box -> reboot. But keep NODMA.REG handy, just in case you need to do this again on a dark, cloudy day. :(
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You can use the .REG files below to add/change the default Registry keys/values, thus making the Recycle Bin "behave" the way you want.
BUT FIRST (in case you want to restore it later to its default), save the strings between the "cut & paste" lines below as RECYCLE.REG (using Notepad), and keep it handy:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}]
@="Recycle Bin"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\ShellFolder]
"Attributes"=hex:40,01,00,20
------End cut & paste here------
Restoring Recycle Bin's icon after deletion requires a screen refresh: press F5 after left-clicking on an empty Desktop area. Save all Registry edits below between the "cut & paste" lines as .REG files, using Notepad. Then merge (register) the information into the Registry by (double)-clicking on the respective .REG file in Explorer or File Manager.
And now let's have some fun:
1. Add Delete and Rename to Recycle Bin's right-click (context) menu:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\ShellFolder]
"Attributes"=hex:70,01,00,20
------End cut & paste here------
Adding Delete and Rename takes effect instantly.
2. Dim (disable) Recycle Bin's desktop icon:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\ShellFolder]
"Attributes"=hex:40,01,08,20
------End cut & paste here------
3. Add Copy, Cut and Paste to Recycle Bin's right-click (context) menu:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\ShellFolder]
"Attributes"=hex:47,01,00,20
------End cut & paste here------
If you work [play :)] in a multiuser computing environment, and you have full (administrator level) access to your computer, you might want to restrict unauthorized access to your "sensitive" files under Windows 98/95. One way is to disable the Cancel button in the Logon dialog box.
Just run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Network\Logon
Create the "Logon" subkey if it is not present on your machine: highlight the Network key -> right-click in the left hand Regedit pane -> select New -> Key -> name it "Logon" (no quotes) -> press Enter. Then add/modify a DWORD value and call it "MustBeValidated" (don't type the quotes). Double-click it, check the Decimal box and type 1 for value. Now click the Start button -> Shut Down (Log off UserName) -> Log on as a different user, and you'll notice that the Logon Cancel button has beendisabled.
To make your rodent behave like a Unix X-Windows mouse, without having to install any additional software, start Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Mouse
In the right hand pane, create a new DWORD value named "ActiveWindowTracking" (don't type the quotes). Set its Decimal value to 1 to enable it (or set it to 0 to disable this feature). What this does, it will make your mouse control window activation, therefore wherever you move the mouse pointer, that window will become active. This procedure is similar to installing X-Mouse, a Microsoft Power Toy [209 KB, free, unsupported]:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows95/downloads/contents/wutoys/w95pwrtoysset/Also, if you have the new TweakUI Power Toy for Win98/IE4 [100 KB, free, unsupported]:
http://www.tweak3d.net/files/tweakui.zip click TweakUI's Mouse tab and check the "Activation follows mouse (X-Mouse)" box. Click OK. Windows 98 users can install the new TweakUI directly by right-clicking on TweakUI.inf and selecting Install, found on the Win98 Setup cd-rom, in the \Tools\Reskit\Powertoy subfolder.
This tip is for fixing the window size and position Win95 bug. I'm running Win95 with IE 4.01, which allows to store into the registry the size and position of 99 windows, in addition to the "Desktop" window. Nevertheless, my PC sometimes loses my preferred window size and position. I've solved the problem this way:
1. Open and resize/re-position all the windows you usually use and wouldn't like to change: Desktop, My Computer, Control Panel, Network Neighborhood etc.
2. Launch RegEdit and select: HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Streams and export it to a file called "MyWindows1.reg" (don't type the quotes).
3. Launch RegEdit and select: HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\StreamMRU and export it to a file called "MyWindows2.reg".
4. In Notepad, open "MyWindows2.reg", select all text except the first line (REGEDIT4), and press Ctrl+C to copy the selected text to the clipboard.
5. In Notepad, switch to "MyWindows1.reg", go to the end of the text, and press Ctrl+V to paste the text copied from "MyWindows2.reg".
6. In Notepad, save the modified "MyWindows1.reg" to a directory on the hard disk. Eventually, change its name to "MyWindows.reg", or any other name you like.
From now on, every time Win95 loses your preferred window size and position, simply double-click on "MyWindows.reg", and all of your windows will return to their (your) best-preferred state.
PS: Don't leave any blank spaces within .REG file names, otherwise Win95 will be unable to restore the information from the file by double-clicking on it."
NOTE: Read the "SAVE SETTINGS - Part 1" topic (included) for an alternative Registry fix to keep your most used window positions in Windows 95/OSR1.
RENAME OUTLOOK EXPRESS TITLE [+]
Use Regedit to go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express
Modify or create a new String called "WindowTitle" and give it anything you want as its value, i.e. "My Email Program" (no quotes please). This will change your MS Outlook Express title bar text."
UPDATE: Check out these comprehensive OE User Tips pages:
http://www.okinfoweb.com/moe/
Change the "Current Time Zone" in Date/Time Properties in Control Panel. The old name for my Current Time Zone was Singapore Standard Time. Well that is far away from Manila(Philippines). But a little tweak can fix this.
Use Regedit to browse to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\control\TimeZoneInformation
Modify/create a string called "StandardName" and give it the value "Manila Standard Time" (no quotes please). Next time you open Control Panel's Date/Time applet it will display "Manila Standard Time"."
This tip applies to ALL Microsoft Internet Explorer releases begining with v4.00, and to Windows 98 (includes MS IE 4.01). I have been using MS IE 4.01 in full screen mode for some time, but I have never been able to adjust IE4's menu bar to include all basic items, like:
File, Home, Back, Forward, Reload, Full screen, Help etc, and the same time display the URL address bar and get rid of IE4's annoying title bar.
Until now...
IMPORTANT: BACKUP your Registry files: SYSTEM.DAT and USER.DAT FIRST!
To backup only the Registry key that will be modified here:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar start Regedit, highlight the Registry key above, click the "Registry" menu item, select "Export Registry File", type IE4OLD.REG in the "File name" field, Browse for a destination, and finally click the Save button. Then close all open IE instances. Now create (using Notepad) a Registration file (with the .REG extension, which is actually a plain text file), and call it IE4BAR.REG. Cut & paste the lines below into IE4BAR.REG EXACTLY as they appear:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar]
"Theater"=hex:0c,00,00,00,4c,00,00,00,74,00,00,00,18,00,00,00,1b,00,00,00,5c,\
00,00,00,01,00,00,00,e0,00,00,00,a0,0f,00,00,05,00,00,00,22,00,00,00,26,00,\
00,00,02,00,00,00,21,00,00,00,a0,0f,00,00,04,00,00,00,01,00,00,00,a0,0f,00,\
00,03,00,00,00,08,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
------End cut & paste here------
Save the file and close Notepad. In Explorer or File Manager, (double)-click on IE4BAR.REG to merge (register) this information into your Registry. Now restart IE4 in full screen mode (this also works in windowed mode though), no more title bar, a slick menu bar and a full sized address bar!
NOTE: IE4BAR.REG is included here.
This tip applies to Windows 95/OSR2 sytems upgraded with MS IE4/5 and to Windows 98 (which comes with IE4 built-in). You can change IE4's name in the title bar to whatever you want. Just start Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
Modify (or create if not present) the "Window Title" string in the right hand pane (don't type the quotes) to show the name of your choice. Default is "Microsoft Internet Explorer". Close Regedit when done and open an Iexplore window. If you select to have IE4/5 open in full screen mode you won't see the title bar. From now on you'll see your own IE4/5 customized title bar name.
UPDATE: Read this Microsoft Knowledge Base article for more info:
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q176/4/97.asp
You can control the way your Win98/95 system restricts access to certain areas or features (especially useful on multiuser machines) without having to mess with Poledit (the Policy Editor), the default Win98/95 administrative control tool. All you have to do is modify the Registry values listed below. You can either make these changes manually using the Registry Editor, or save them in a .REG file for future use (name it for example RESTRICT.REG). Start Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies
Look in the left hand pane for these subkeys: Explorer, Network, Ratings, System and WinOldApp. If they are not present, create them: right-click -> New -> Key -> Name it to one of the values listed above.
Now you need to create (or modify if already there) the following DWORD values listed further below under the subkeys above.
To create a new DWORD value: right-click -> New -> DWORD -> Name it to one of the values listed further below.
To modify one of these DWORD values: right-click on the one you want -> select Modify -> check the Decimal box -> give it a value of 1 (to disable access to a certain system feature/area), or a value of 0 (to enable access to a certain system feature/area).
These are the valid DWORD values (if not specified otherwise) you can change under the following subkeys:
1. Explorer subkey:
- ClearRecentDocsOnExit = enable/disable Clear of Recent Documents upon exit
- DisableRegistryTools = enable/disable Registry Editing tools
WARNING: If you disable the Registry Editor, you will NOT be able to modify ANY Registry settings anymore, and the ONLY way to disable system restrictions is to run (register/merge) a .REG file!
- NoAddPrinter = enable/disable addition of new printers
- NoClose = enable/disable System Shutdown
- NoDeletePrinter = enable/disable existent printers deletion
- NoDesktop = enable/disable ALL items on Desktop
- NoDevMgrUpdate = enable/disable Windows 98/98 SE web Update Manager
- NoDrives [hex] = enable/disable ANY Drives in My Computer/Explorer/IE
See the "HIDE WIN9X DRIVES" topic (included) for details.
- NoFind = enable/disable Find command
- NoInternetIcon = enable/disable Internet Icon on Desktop
- NoNetHood = enable/disable Network Neighborhood
- NoRecentDocsHistory = enable/disable Recent Documents in Start Menu
(Win98/IE4/5 ONLY)
- NoRun = enable/disable Run command
- NoSaveSettings = enable/disable Save Settings upon exit
- NoSetFolders = enable/disable Folders in Start Menu -> Settings
- NoSetTaskbar = enable/disable Taskbar in Start Menu -> Settings
- NoWindowsUpdate = enable/disable Windows 98/98 SE web Update
2. System subkey:
- NoAdminPage = enable/disable Remote Administration tab
- NoConfigPage = enable/disable Hardware Profiles tab
- NoDevMgrPage = enable/disable Device Manager tab
- NoDispAppearancePage = enable/disable Appearance Display tab
- NoDispBackgroundPage = enable/disable Background Display tab
- NoDispCPL = enable/disable Display Properties applet
- NoDispScrSavPage = enable/disable Screen Saver Display tab
- NoDispSettingsPage = enable/disable Settings Display tab
- NoFileSysPage = enable/disable File System button
- NoPwdPage = enable/disable Password Change tab
- NoProfilePage = enable/disable User Profiles tab
- NoSecCPL = enable/disable Password applet
- NoVirtMemPage = enable/disable Virtual Memory button
3. Network subkey:
- DisablePwdCaching = enable/disable Password Caching
- NoNetSetup = enable/disable Network applet
- NoNetSetupIDPage = enable/disable Identification tab
- NoNetSetupSecurityPage = enable/disable Access tab
- NoFileSharing = enable/disable File Sharing button
- MinPwdLen = set Minimum Password Length (integer number: 0 - 99)
- NoPrintSharing = enable/disable Print Sharing button
4. WinOldApp subkey:
- Disabled = enable/disable MS-DOS Prompt
- NoRealMode = enable/disable Single MS-DOS Mode
Similar settings for Explorer, Network and System can also be found under this Registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies
If you double-click on it, you'll see 3 subkeys in the left hand pane:
Explorer, Network and System.
Create (or modify if already present) the following Binary [hex] values listed below under the subkeys above. To create a new Binary value: right-click -> New -> Binary -> Name it to one of the values listed below.
To modify one of these Binary [hex] values: double-click on the one you want
-> give it a value of 01 00 00 00 (to disable access to a certain system feature/area), or a value of 00 00 00 00 (to enable access to a certain system feature/area). Don't type the spaces, they will be inserted automatically.
* Explorer subkey valid DWORD values (if not specified otherwise) that can be changed (some are valid ONLY for Win98/IE):
- ClassicShell [hex] = enable/disable Active Desktop shell
- ClearRecentDocsOnExit = clear/don't clear Recent Docs upon exit
- EditLevel = edit security level (integer number: 0 - 4)
- EnforceShellExtensionSecurity = self explanatory :)
- LinkResolveIgnoreLinkInfo = display/don't display link info
- NoActiveDesktop = enable/disable Active Desktop
- NoActiveDesktopChanges = enable/disable changes to Active Desktop
- NoAddPrinter = enable/disable addition of new printers
- NoChangeStartMenu = enable/disable changes to Start Menu
- NoClose = enable/disable closing IE GUI
- NoDeletePrinter = enable/disable existent printers deletion
- NoDeskTop = enable/disable ALL items on Desktop
- NoDevMgrUpdate = enable/disable Windows 98/98 SE web Update Manager
- NoDrives [hex] = enable/disable ALL Drives in My Computer/Explorer/IE
See the "HIDE WIN9X DRIVES" topic in (included) for details.
- NoDriveTypeAutoRun [hex] = enable/disable cd-rom Autorun command
- NoEditMenu = edit/don't edit Start Menu
- NoFavoritesMenu = enable/disable Favorites folder display
- NoFileMenu = enable/disable Explorer/IE File Menu
- NoFind = enable/disable Find command
- NoFolderOptions = show/don't show Folder Options Menu in Explorer
- NoHelp = show/don't show Help Menu
- NoInternetIcon = show/don't show Internet icon on Desktop
- NoLogOff = show/don't show Logoff Menu in Start Menu
- NoNetConnectDisconnect = enable/disable DUN Connect/Disconnect
- NoNetHood = enable/disable Network Neighborhood
- NoRecentDocsHistory = enable/disable Recent Documents in Start Menu
(Win98/IE4/5 ONLY)
- NoRecentDocsMenu = show/don't show Recent Documents Menu in Start Menu -> Settings
- NoRun = enable/disable Run command
- NoSaveSettings [hex] = enable/disable Save Settings upon exit
- NoSetActiveDesktop = enable/disable Active Desktop
- NoSetFolders = enable/disable Folder settings
- NoSetTaskbar = enable/disable Taskbar settings
- NoStartBanner [hex] = enable/disable Logo banner upon IE start
- NoStartMenuSubFolders = show/don't show subfolders on Start Menu
- NoTrayContextMenu = show/don't show Context Menu for Tray items
- NoViewContextMenu = show/don't show Context Menu
- NoWindowsUpdate = enable/disable Windows 98/98 SE web Update
- RestrictRun = enable/disable Run Menu
Most of the "CURRENT_USER" settings, especially the ones that affect the entire system, change automatically when you modify the similar values under the "LOCAL_MACHINE" Registry key (see above). Most of these values affect ONLY Internet Explorer versions 3, 4 and 5, and CAN be changed separately in the "CURRENT_USER" key, without influencing the overall system operation. ANY changes to these settings under ANY of these Registry keys require a Windows restart to take effect.
TIP:Read these included topics for more restriction settings: "HIDE WIN9X DRIVES", "UNCLUTTER START MENU" and "NO MORE CLICK HERE TO BEGIN" in REGISTRY.TXT, and "LOCK UP THE DOS BOX" in MYTIPS95.TXT.
To permanenly add the needed "Open with..." command to all the right-click file context menus, you need to apply this Registry tweak. Launch Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Unknown\shell\openas\command
In the right hand pane, you can see the "(Default)" string which has this command line as value:
C:\Windows\rundll32.exe shell32.dll,OpenAs_RunDLL %1
Double-click on "(Default)", hold the CTRL key and press C (or right-click and select Copy) to copy its entire command line to the clipboard, and then click Cancel. Don't make ANY changes at this point! Now go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*
and highlight the "*" key (asterisk). Right-click on it and select New Key. Name this new subkey "shell".
NOTE: Don't type the quotes for any of the keys or values mentioned here. Right-click on the "shell" key and add a new subkey named "openas". Right-click on "openas" and add a new subkey named "command". Now double-click on the "(Default)" string in the right hand pane, hold the Ctrl key and press V (or right-click and select Paste) to paste here the command line you have copied earlier. Click OK and close the Registry editor. From now on a new "Open with..." context menu selection will appear whenever you right-click on any highlighted file.
BUG: Open an Explorer window (full screen) and left-drag the left edge of the Modified column header to cover the Type column entirely. Release the mouse, and left-drag the Modified column to cover the Size column. Release the mouse again, and left-drag the Modified column to cover the Name column. This way your Explorer display has been reduced to a column of File Date/Time stamps!
FIXES: To recover the Explorer missing columns, apply one of these methods:
1. Using the mouse dragging function: with an Explorer window open at full screen, place your mouse at the left edge of the Modified column header and left-drag this header to the right. Do this again, until the rest of the missing columns are exposed. When all columns are visible again, you can (re)size them to your liking.
2. Modifying the Registry: Close ALL Explorer windows FIRST. Then start Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
This is the place where Explorer stores its column layouts. Select the Explorer key (above). In the right hand pane, you can see a list of values (strings), including "DirectoryCols". Right-click on "DirectoryCols" and choose "Delete". Answer "Yes" to the confirmation prompt, and close Regedit. Now open Explorer again. You should be able to see ALL the details columns again, sized at their default widths.
3. "Open Explorer, left-click once in the right hand pane, and then press Ctrl and + (the plus key on the Keypad) the same time, to "auto-resize" and "auto-fit" the file content."
It has been brought to my attention that many AOLers cannot access AOL members web sites located by default on the AOL members.aol.com or users.aol.com servers. But this "BUG" affects all Internet surfers using one of the 3.0x or 4.0x popular (free) browser releases. This is due to the "smart" URL (Uniform Resource Locator) completion feature (in this case a limitation), part of the newer 32-bit "fancy" web browsers, which include both Microsoft Internet Explorer (begining with version 3.0), and Netscape Navigator/Communicator (begining with version 3.0). And since AOL 32-bit software versions 3.0 and 4.0 have MS IE 3 or 4 built-in, many frustrated AOLers encountered this "BUG". All these browsers assume that an incompletely typed-in URL must have the www. prefix (stands for "world wide web" naming convention) added before the domain name (i.e. aol), and the default .com (stands for "commercial") suffix added after the domain name.
Example: if you type this URL in the Internet address box: aol
your browser assumes that you want to access the America Online web site, and "completes" the URL to point to:
www.aol.com
Well, the reality is that not all websites contain the www. prefix or/and the .com suffix into their URL notation. Examples of such websites:
members.aol.com/axcel216/ or: users.aol.com/axcel216/
in which case adding the www. prefix is incorrect. Therefore the members.aol.com or users.aol.com servers cannot be accessed if typed as shown above, because the www.members.aol.com and www.users.aol.com host names do not exist.
WORKAROUNDS:
1. Quick fix: type the complete URL. Examples:
http://members.aol.com/axcel216/ or: http://users.aol.com/axcel216/ to avoid having your browser add the "www." prefix.
But I'm not happy (are you?) with this temporary fix, many other URLs having the same "problem".
2. Permanent fix: Win95/OSR2 with MS Internet Explorer 4.0x or later, and Win98 (which comes with MS IE4 built-in) users can apply this Registry workaround to force IE4 (and newer) to access such "non-standard" URLs correctly.
Run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\URL\Prefixes
In the right hand pane you'll find a list of most used URL prefixes, which are added by IE4 to a "truncated" URL, to match a real server name:
home
home.
mosaic
mosaic.
www
www.
Note that they all have "http://" assigned as their value. You can add your own prefixes to this list. Right-click and select New -> String. Name this new string "members" (no quotes). Double-click on "members" and give it the value "http://" (no quotes). Then add 3 more new Strings, name them respectively: "members.", "users", and "users.", and then give them the same value: "http://" (don't type the quotes). Close the Registry editor when done.
3. Unfortunately I haven't found a way [yet :(] to "patch" Netscape Navigator/Communicator 3.0x/4.0x (or newer) to recognize "non-standard" incomplete URLs. If you find a Netscape URL fix, please let me know: axcel216@aol.com
The workarounds detailed below apply especially to owners of 28,800 baud (or faster) analog modems, to enable the fastest Internet connection supported by these modems, connecting through the TCP/IP protocol, and using Dial-Up Networking (DUN) in Windows 95/OSR1/OSR2, WITHOUT the Microsoft Dial-Up Networking v1.3 Patch installed [2.24 MB, free]:
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q191/4/94.asp* Windows 95/OSR1/OSR2 users who installed MS DUN v1.3 Patch AND Windows 98 users: READ the "FASTEST INTERNET 98 - Part 1" and "FASTEST INTERNET 98 - Part 2" topics in
TIPS98 (included), to learn how to improve your dial-up Internet performance by tweaking the "IPMTU" Registry values. You need an Internet/Online Service Provider to connect to the Internet.DEFINITION: Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) or packet size of a Network/ISP is the largest amount of data that can be transferred in one physical frame on that Network. Fragmentation will occur if a packet is sent across a Network that has a MTU smaller than the packet's frame length. This leads to lower performance as fragments need to be reassembled. The workaround in this case is to decrease the Winsock's MTU value to match the minimum MTU of ALL intervening Networks. Since it is virtually impossible to determine the minimum MTU of so many Networks, trial and error is almost always the best choice. Start by trying to match your MTU value with your Network/ISP's MTU.
Typical cases:
- Ethernet networks: MTU = 1500
- SLIP servers: MTU = 1006
- PPP protocol (Internet TCP/IP): MTU = 576.
NOTE: MaxMTU + MaxMSS [Win95], IPMTU [Win98], DefaultRcvWindow [RWIN], DefaultTTL [TTL] and cachesize [NDI] are NOT present in your Registry if you have never used a "MTU tweaker" like EasyMTU, or added them yourself using a Registry editor like Regedit.
* Tweak "MaxMTU" + "MaxMSS":
There are two ways of doing this, but NOT BEFORE BACKING UP YOUR REGISTRY FILES:
- THE EASY WAY [USE THE REG FILE]:
All necessary settings can be implemented by using the included file: MAXMTU95.REG (or restored by using DEFMTU95.REG, also included). But FIRST open these .REG files in Notepad and compare the Registry keys listed there with yours. To view/edit your Win95 Registry, run the Registry editor (REGEDIT.EXE, located in your Win95 folder), and scroll to the keys listed in MAXMTU95.REG and DEFMTU95.REG. The "DriverDesc"="TCP/IP" NetTrans keys: 0000, 0001, 0002 might have different values on your system. You may have more than one "00nn" NetTrans keys ("nn" is an actual number, ranging anywhere from 00 up to 50, depending on your system's Network/Dial-Up settings). If that is true, you HAVE TO REPLACE THEM with the ones found in YOUR Registry! The values in MAXMTU95.REG are: MaxMTU = 576 and MaxMSS = 536. Modify them if your ISP/Online Service uses different MTU values at server end. After modifying the MAXMTU95.REG and DEFMTU95.REG keys to match YOURS, (double)-click on MAXMTU95.REG in Explorer or File Manager, to merge (register) the new settings. Then restart Win95, log on to the Internet as usual, and notice any differences in access speed.
- THE HARD WAY :) [MODIFY THE REGISTRY MANUALLY]:
Run the Registry editor (REGEDIT.EXE, located in your Win95 folder) and set
MaxMTU to 576 (Win95 default MaxMTU value is 1500) into ALL your TCP/IP NetTrans Registry keys (these are the SLIP/PPP protocol keys). You may have more than one.
Examples (these are ONLY my TCP/IP NetTrans registry keys, you MUST customize YOURS to get similar results):
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\NetTrans\0000
"MaxMTU"="576"
"MaxMSS"="536"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\NetTrans\0001
"MaxMTU"="576"
"MaxMSS"="536"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\NetTrans\0002
"MaxMTU"="576"
"MaxMSS"="536"
MEANING:
"MaXMTU" = Maximum Transmission Unit, or MTU (packet size in bytes).
Valid values: MTU = MSS + 40.
Respectively: 256, 576, 1006, 1500 (other values are valid as well, depending on the MTU used by different ISPs).
Default: 1500.
Recommended: 576.
Data type: string:
"MaxMTU"="576"
"MaxMSS" = Maximum Segment Size, or MSS (segment size in bytes).
Valid values: MSS = MTU - 40.
Respectively: 216, 536, 966, 1460 (other values are valid as well, depending on the MSS used by different ISPs).
Default: 1460.
Recommended: 536.
Data type: string:
"MaxMSS"="536"
To determine EXACTLY which NetTrans keys you need to alter (and NO others),
bear in mind that you MUST have this entry:
"DriverDesc"="TCP/IP"
under EACH of your NetTrans keys you want to modify! Change/add the MaxMTU string ONLY under your NetTrans keys that have "TCP/IP" on the "DriverDesc" line!
You may have more than one "00nn" NetTrans keys ("nn" is an actual number, ranging anywhere from 00 up to 50, depending on your system's Network/Dial-Up settings).
Here there are two possibilities:
A. If you already have a "MaxMTU" entry: double-click on the right hand pane "MaxMTU" string, and type in 576. Click OK.
B. If you don't have a "MaxMTU" entry: you can add it manually, by double-clicking on EACH of your left hand pane TCP/IP NetTrans 000n/00nn keys and then selecting New -> String value. Name the new string MaxMTU. Double-click on it and give it a value of 576. Repeat the steps above for ALL your TCP/IP NetTrans keys, to include the recommended values for both MaxMTU and MaxMSS. Restart Windows 95 when done so all changes can take effect.
NOTE: Some ISPs use a default packet size (MaxMTU) value of 1500, so it's a trial-and-error game. To make sure your Win95 Registry TCP/IP settings match the ones used by your Internet provider, you may need to contact your ISP's support line or e-mail service, and ask them the exact values used for MaxMTU. Also, read the "ISPS KNOWN MTU VALUES" topic in
MYTIPS95 (included). Then modify your Registry settings accordingly, to obtain maximum performance.MANDATORY UPGRADES:
You might also see modem speed improvements over the Internet by upgrading to these Microsoft free communications updates/patches:
A. Windows 95 + OSR2 users: install Microsoft PPP/PPTP/TCP/IP/ISDN Dial-Up Networking (DUN) Upgrade/Security Patch v1.3 [2.24 MB]:
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q191/4/94.aspAND ONLY AFTER THAT INSTALL: Microsoft Windows Sockets 32-bit (updated WINSOCK.DLL + WSOCK32.DLL) Upgrade v2.0:
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q182/1/08.aspMS WINSOCK Update 2.0 direct download [963 KB]:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/downloads/bin/W95ws2setup.exeB. Windows 98 users: install Microsoft Dial-Up Networking Security Patch v4.0 [319 KB]:
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q191/5/40.aspUPDATES:
1. I recommend using Rob Vonk's new EasyMTU v3.0, the first, the best and the only FREEware AOL/MTU/MSS/TTL/RWIN/COMBoostTime/cachesize/etc tweaking tool [357 KB]:
http://www.rob.cybercomm.nl/easymtu.zipEasyMTU v3.0 now includes FindMTU [a PING tool] to determine EXACTLY the MTU
value used by your ISP/Online Service (i.e. AOL). Rob Vonk's EasyMTU home:
http://www.rob.cybercomm.nl/easymtu/2. ONLY for AOL users: To MAXimize your AOL performance, read the "AOL MAXMTU REVISITED" topic in AOLTIPS.TXT (included).
3. For extensive details/specs on analog/digital modems, Win98/95 communications, TCP/IP, DUN and more MTU/TTL/RWIN/etc tweaking programs, check out these reference links:
http://members.aol.com/axcel216/modem.htm3. READ this Microsoft TCP/IP Knowledge Base Article: "Windows 95 TCP/IP Registry Entries":
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q158/4/74.asp
I was only tinkering [... yeah, yeah :-)] with the Registry (using good ol' RegEdit), when I stumbled into a few Registry keys/strings, and I thought it might improve my PPP protocol (Win98/95 TCP/IP internet connection using a modem), by modifying them. Even with a 56 kbps modem, I still have to wait a long time to access some web sites (especially those loaded with large graphics/GIFs/JPGs), or to download huge files from the Internet.
IMPORTANT: BACKUP YOUR REGISTRY FILES FIRST!
Here are the Registry keys I'm talking about (modified to improve my modem Internet access speed):
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\MSTCP
"DefaultRcvWindow"="3216"
"DefaultTTL"="128"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\NETBEUI
"default"="16"
"ncbs"="16"
"sessions"="10"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\NETBEUI\Ndi\params\ncbs
"default"="32"
"max"="255"
"min"="8"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\NETBEUI\Ndi\params\sessions
"default"="32"
"max"="117"
"min"="4"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\NWLink\Ndi\params\maxconnect
"default"="64"
"max"="128"
"min"="2"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\NWLink\Ndi\params\maxsockets
"default"="255"
"max"="1020"
"min"="16"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\NWLink\Ndi\params\cachesize
"default"="16"
MEANING:
"DefaultRcvWindow" = Receive Window (machine's network fill buffer in bytes).
Valid values: (MTU - 40) x n or MSS x n, where n = 2, 4, 6, 8, 16.
Respectively: 1072, 2144, 3216, 4288 etc.
Default: 8192.
Recommended: 3216.
Data type:
- string (Win95):
"DefaultRcvWindow"="3216"
- DWORD (Win98):
"DefaultRcvWindow"=dword:00000c90
"DefaultTTL" = Time To Live (going over Net hops until destination is reached in milliseconds).
Valid values: 32, 64, 128.
Default: 32.
Recommended: 128.
Data type: string (Win98 and 95):
"DefaultTTL"="128"
NOTE: MaxMTU + MaxMSS [Win95], IPMTU [Win98], DefaultRcvWindow [RWIN], DefaultTTL [TTL] and cachesize [NDI] are NOT present in your Registry if you have never used a "MTU tweaker" like EasyMTU, or added them yourself using a Registry editor like Regedit.
You can do this two ways:
- THE EASY WAY [USE THE REG FILE]:
In Explorer or File Manager, (double)-click on MAXSPEED.REG, the registration file included here, to apply all above Registry tweaks the easy way. Then you need to restart Windows so the changes can take effect! To restore all these Win98/95 Registry keys to their DEFAULT values, in case you don't see any improvements using the new ones, just open Explorer or File Manager, and (double)-click on DEFSPEED.REG (also included).
RECOMMENDED: You can also open these two REG files in Notepad, in case you'd like to modify the values in MAXSPEED.REG yourself to get better performance on your system. It's only a trial-and-error game, and you need to fiddle with these settings yourself until you find the optimal values to match your own system specs, depending in part on your modem, ISP connection and CPU speed. After applying the new changes, I restarted Win98/95, and poof!, my web browser started to boldly soar through web pages like never before! I've also seen some noticeable speed improvement with my AOL 32-bit version 3.0 software, configured to connect through TCP/IP protocol (I connect to AOL using my primary ISP).
- THE HARD WAY :) [MODIFY THE REGISTRY MANUALLY]:
* Tweak "DefaultRcvWindow":
Start Regedit (found in your Windows folder) and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\MSTCP
In the right hand pane, look for (or create it if it's not present) this string: "DefaultRcvWindow"="3216"
The number you should have is 3216 (Win98/95 default value is 8192). The principle behind this setting is to calculate the optimal value for the DefaultRcvWindow string with this formula:
DefaultRcvWindow = (MTU - 40) x n = MSS x n
Where "n" is anything between 2 and 8 (fiddle with it and find out the best value for your machine, depending on your modem speed and your custom ISP settings). I used MTU = 576 in this example:
DefaultRcvWindow = (576 - 40) x 6 = 3216
respectively:
DefaultRcvWindow = 536 x 6 = 3216
Right-click on the above string, click Modify, and change the number to read 3216, which will default to the recommended calculated value. Exit Regedit and restart Windows when done.
If you find out (after connecting to your ISP with your modem, using the TCP/IP protocol, and then accessing some graphics intensive web sites, and downloading a few large files from the Internet) that a DefaultRcvWindow value of 2144 or 4288 works better on your system, please modify your Registry DefaultRcvWindow key accordingly.
* Tweak "DefaultTTL": Run Regedit and look under:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\MSTCP
for the string below:
"DefaultTTL"="128"
Create the "DefaultTTL" string if it's not already present, and assign it the value of "128" (Win98/95 default is 32). Experiment with your Internet hookup and lower the "DefaultTTL" value to 64 if you get better results. Do NOT type the quotes! Exit the Registry Editor and restart Windows.
MANDATORY UPGRADES:
You might also see modem speed improvements over the Internet by upgrading to
these Microsoft free communications updates/patches:
A. Windows 95 + OSR2 users: install Microsoft PPP/PPTP/TCP/IP/ISDN Dial-Up
Networking (DUN) Upgrade/Security Patch v1.3 [2.24 MB]:
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q191/4/94.aspAND ONLY AFTER THAT INSTALL:
Microsoft Windows Sockets 32-bit (updated WINSOCK.DLL + WSOCK32.DLL) Upgrade v2.0:
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q182/1/08.aspMS WINSOCK Update 2.0 direct download [963 KB]:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/downloads/bin/W95ws2setup.exeB. Windows 98 users: install Microsoft Dial-Up Networking Security Patch v4.0 [319 KB
]: http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q191/5/40.aspUPDATES:
2. ONLY for AOL users: To MAXimize your AOL performance, read the "AOL MAXMTU REVISITED" topic in AOLTIPS (included).
3. For extensive details/specs on analog/digital modems, Win98/95 communications, TCP/IP, DUN and more MTU/TTL/RWIN/etc tweaking programs, check out these reference links:
http://members.aol.com/axcel216/modem.htmRIGHT-CLICK CAB EXTRACT [+]
NOTES: Cut & paste the lines between the marks below, and then save them as REG files (i.e. RIGHTCAB.REG). Then modify the "C:\\Windows" strings in these REG files to match your installation, if your Windows 98/95 drive letter and/or directory are different. Then (double)-click on the REG file you want to use in Explorer or File Manager to merge the settings into your Registry, BUT BACKUP FIRST! "Extract cabinet files with right-click: Find the program where your Cabinet Files (*.CAB) are registered to, then go to that program's key in the Registry. Then add, better if you have the latest Extrac32.exe, or you can get it from CabPack v1.3 written by Lars Hederer [470 KB, freeware] that supports the LZX compression (~30% more powerful than ZIP):
ftp://ftp.simtel.net/pub/simtelnet/win95/compress/cabpck13.zip Or you can use Extrac32.exe from cab-sdk.exe, available from Microsoft: http://channels.microsoft.com/workshop/management/cab/cabdl.aspTIP: Rename your original Extrac32.exe to something like ExtrEc32.exe, so you don't have to delete it. KNOWN BUG: The machine will STOP RESPONDING if the files you want to extract already exist!
CAUSE: Extrac32.exe CANNOT REPLACE existent files. To do this:
1. If XXX is the program your *.CAB files are associated with, use this REG file:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.cab]
@="XXX"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\XXX\shell\Extrac32]
@="Extract Cabinet 32 bit"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\XXX\shell\Extrac32\command]
@="C:\\Windows\\Extrac32.exe /E /A \"%1\""
------End cut & paste here------
3
. Or if you use CabView from the Power Toys: http://www.microsoft.com/windows95/downloads/contents/wutoys/w95pwrtoysset/use this REG file:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.cab]
@="CLSID\\{0CD7A5C0-9F37-11CE-AE65-08002B2E1262}"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{0CD7A5C0-9F37-11CE-AE65-08002B2E1262}\shell\Extrac32]
@="Extract Cabinet 32 bit"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{0CD7A5C0-9F37-11CE-AE65-08002B2E1262}\shell\Extrac32\command]
@="C:\\Windows\\Extrac32.exe /E /A \"%1\""
------End cut & paste here------"
Q: Win98 Font Selection
Perhaps you can help me with a problem I am having. I work with people who have physical handicapps --most of them are or were very active and well respected professionals until a sudden accident or illness struck-- now they feel left out of the mainstream, many because of limited vision.
Here is the question: Is there any way to re-set the proportional and fixed fonts for IE4 to be BOLD (like Arial Bold for proportional and Courier New Bold for fixed)? The size limitations (sm, med, large etc) are ok but the letter density is too light. The Arial Black in Med or Large runs the text too close together. They can manage with the light type for composing e-mail etc, but the reading of INCOMING is almost impossible.
A : Re: Win98 Font Selection I'm afraid the answer to your problem offers only a partial solution. Here it goes:
1. Right-click on an empty spot on the Desktop -> Properties -> Appearance -> press the B (bold) button for ALL items below (you can select them from the drop-down list under "Scheme"):
- Menu
- Message box
- Selected items
- 3D buttons
- Active title bar
- Inactive title bar
Click Apply/OK when done.
2. Start Notepad and take a look at the two included Registry files: IE4BOLD.REG and IE4MINE.REG. IE4BOLD.REG sets IE4's display fonts to Bold into the Registry keys described at paragraph #3 below. IE4MINE.REG contains my system's IE4 font settings, you can view as example.
3. Run Regedit and go to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\International\1252
and respectively: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Styles
Use Regedit's "Export Registry File" menu to backup each of the Registry keys above, and name the 2 saved files something like IE4-1252.REG and respectively IE4STYLE.REG. Keep them for restoring purposes in case something goes wrong. [Everything should be OK, but with Windows you never know... :-)]
NOTE: The "1252" IE registry key above implies that you are using the US English Language (code 1252). If you use a different language on your computer, you need to make similar changes and backup the appropriate Registry keys into your currently used language code key: determine your IE4 language by running the Internet Properties applet: right-click on your Internet [Explorer] desktop icon -> select Properties -> click the General tab -> click the Languages button, and then add it (using Regedit's "Export Registry file" function to save it to a REG file) to the supplied IE4BOLD.REG file, by editing IE4BOLD.REG with Notepad: cut and paste the entire language key from the new file you have saved into IE4BOLD.REG on a line of its own. Then replace the font names on the "IEFixedFontName" and "IEPropFontName" lines (under the new language key you have added) with "Arial Bold", a popular font, installed on all Windows systems. Your custom IE4 language key added to IE4BOLD.REG should look something like this:
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\International\xxxx]
"IEFixedFontName"="Arial Bold"
"IEPropFontName"="Arial Bold"
"Script"="Western"
"Default_Encoding"="Windows-xxxx"
"Default_InternetEncoding"=hex:e4,04,00,00
"IEFontSize"=hex:0b,00,00,00
where all xxxx instances must be replaced with your current language code!
NOTE: I have set the "IEFontSize" hex value above to 11. You can reset this value to one of these values: Smaller, Small, Medium, Larger or Largest, by running the Internet Properties applet (as described above) -> select the General tab -> click Fonts -> scroll the drop-down "Font size" menu.
TO DO: Read also the "IE4 FONT FANCY" topic for more IE4 font tweaks. Now connect to your ISP/LAN/etc, start IE, and browse away to see if all this made any difference.
NOTE: This tip works with Windows 95 (all releases) ONLY with MS IE 4/5 installed, and with Windows 98 systems. I haven't tested this workaround on Win95 machines with MS IE 3.0x installed.
Windows 95, 98, NT4, all install some of their utilities, like: MS Paint, WordPad, MS Backup etc, into the C:\Program Files\Accessories folder. All MS Plus! Package releases: Plus! 95, Plus! for Kids, Plus! 98, install into the C:\Program Files\Plus! subfolder, if you let them use the default destination. Most applications (and some hardware drivers) also place at least some of their shared or system files, or even entire program subfolders and files in
C:\Program Files, in subdirectories they create at the time of installation by default.
The principle behind having "all eggs in one basket" is good, making it easier to manage and find files/directories under a single parent folder, than having your apps scattered throughout your hard drive(s). But on the other hand, having a huge number of files piling up on your C drive is not fun, because one day you'll run out of space. :-(
A possible solution is to change this default if you have another physical drive (hard disk or removable) or partition available, and divert most application installations somewhere else. Besides gaining valuable disk space on your main drive, you'll also spend less time accessing and defragmenting it, and also making incremental backups of your most recent files/directories, because the datafiles created would be on another drive, not in the gargantuelian C:\Program Files folder.
On my machine the size of the C:\Program Files folder has grown over time larger than my C:\Windows directory, to a humongous 300 MB! Enough blabbering, let's get on with the solution... :)
A. Fire up Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
You'll see many entries in the right hand pane. Pick "ProgramFilesDir", double-click on it, and modify C:\Program Files to read something like D:\Programs. This is just an example, you can choose the destination of your apps (drive/path) depending on how many drives/partitions you have. This was the easy part. :-)
B. Now comes the tough part:
1. You need to uninstall ALL apps from C:\Program Files, by opening Control Panel -> Add/Remove Programs and then reinstall them into the new folder (D:\Programs in the above example).
2. Another way is to manually edit the Registry by using Regedit and replace all C:\Program Files instances with D:\Programs, but this is a DANGEROUS procedure, and I do NOT recommend it if you're not experienced messing with the Registry! Anyway, BACKUP YOUR REGISTRY FILES FIRST!
3. An easier way is to simply open Explorer, drag and drop the Program Files folder from C to D, then switch to your D drive, rename it to Programs, and then finally delete C:\Program Files.
In this last case, some of your apps might not work properly because they had Registry, System.ini, Win.ini etc (and possibly other .INI, .CFG, .DAT etc files) settings pointing to C:\Program Files which is not there anymore. Therefore some Registry editing is also in order here to reestablish your apps' correct settings.
Also read the "MOVE WITHOUT REINSTALL" topic for more details and an example of how to move an app without losing its custom Registry settings.
4. The most "elegant" solution (which requires a lot of time though) is to reformat your C drive, reinstall Windows, and then modify the Registry as described at paragraph A above BEFORE installing any apps or 3rd party drivers.
UPDATES:
1. Download Change Of Address (COA32), a freeware 32-bit tool for Windows 98/95 from PC Magazine [296 KB]:
ftp://ftp.zdnet.com/pcmag/1997/0107/coa32.zipCOA32 home page:
http://www.zdnet.com/pcmag/pctech/content/16/01/ut1601.001.htmlCOA32 changes the path in ALL your Registry and .INI files to point to the new location of the program(s) you moved.
2. Your multiple solutions work fine depending on the computer savvy of the user. When installing a new program I find the best result for the portable drive user, is a direct install to a separate folder of its own on the drive of choice. When moving a program off of C:\, it is sometimes not possible to do a re-install because the original Setup.exe is not available or it is too time consuming. I have found the cut/paste method the easiest as long as any shortcuts are re-targeted] when Mlaunch.dll is used that adds a Tab to the Properties Menu [resulting in a Registry entry] for related file extensions. Using this method, multiple programs are attached to one extension; for example, an htm file is easily opened by various browsers as well as text editors, word processors etc. via the right-click menu regardless of the location where the program was originally installed or subsequently moved.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
In the right hand pane create a new Binary value called "link": right-click on an empty spot -> select "Binary Value" -> name it "link" (no quotes). If "link" is already present: double-click on it -> type as many zeroes as necessary until it reads: 00 00 00 00 Click OK. Don't type the spaces. Now apply the same trick under this Registry key:
HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
to affect ALL users on your Windows 9x computer. Restart Windows to make the changes take effect.
NOTE: You can also achieve this (and much more) by using the new version of TweakUI Power Toy 98 [100 KB, free, unsupported]:
http://www.tweak3d.net/files/tweakui.zip[back to top]
DEFAULT BROWSER - Part 2 [+]
To replace Microsoft Internet Explorer 3/4/5 as your default web browser with Netscape Navigator/Communicator 3.xx/4.xx/5.xx: http://www.netscape.com/download/ you need to enable the pop-up confirmation message box for Netscape.
Start Regedit and go to:
1. MS Internet Explorer entry:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
2. Netscape Navigator/Communnicator entry:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Netscape\Netscape Navigator\Main
First make sure you exit ALL your browsers COMPLETELY.
For both these browsers you need to modify (or add if not present) two
Strings under the "Main" header: "Check_Associations" and "IgnoreDefCheck".
To create a new String, click on an empty spot in the right hand pane,
right-click, select New, String. Name it "Check_Associations". Repeat these
steps for "IgnoreDefCheck" (don't type the quotes).
Notice that IE's "Check_Associations" String has a default value of "yes".
On the other hand, Netscape's "Check_Associations" String value is "no".
Right-click on IE's "Check_Associations" String, select Modify, and replace
yes with no. Also modify IE's "IgnoreDefCheck" String to read "yes".
Similarly, right-click Netscape's "Check_Associations" string, select
Modify and replace no with yes, and then modify Netscape's "IgnoreDefCheck" string to read no.
Now start Netscape Navigator/Communicator and answer "yes" when asked if you want to make it your default browser.
NOTE: You may also need to apply the fixes described in these topics: "DEFAULT BROWSER" in TIPS95 and "DEFAULT BROWSER - Part 1" (included) to make this trick work properly.
[back to top]
CD-ROM MAX SPEED [+]
NOTE: Read this MicroSoft Developer Network (MSDN) "CDFS Supplemental Cache" article for techno details (this applies to all Windows 95 and 98 releases): http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/winresource/dnwin95/s713c.htm
These are the maximum values allowed by Win98/95... NOT! :) You can further increase these values to optimize your cd-rom performance (also depending on your cd-rom physical speed, transfer rate and seek time), beyond the Windows 9x GUI limitations. Now BACKUP YOUR REGISTRY before going any further! There are two hex (binary) or on some older Win95 machines DWORD values, you can change to speed up your cd-rom access, under this Registry key (maximum values allowed by Windows shown here):
1. The hex values: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\control\FileSystem\CDFS
"CacheSize"=hex:6b,02,00,00
"Prefetch"=hex:e4,00,00,00
2. The DWORD values: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\control\FileSystem\CDFS
"CacheSize"=dword:0000026b
"Prefetch"=dword:000000e4
To do this you need to run Regedit. If you choose to do this manually, it may take some time to become familiar with the way the hex and DWORD values work and how to modify them properly. The table below shows all the "CacheSize" and "Prefetch" values you need to modify for cd-roms of different speeds, starting with 4x (maximum allowed by Windows) and up to 32x:
1. "CacheSize" Registry values:
Cache Size Decimal | KB Hex DWORD
--------------------------------------------------------
[Default] 619 | 1238 6b,02,00,00 0000026b
Medium 1238 | 2476 d6,04,00,00 000004d6
Large 2476 | 4952 ac,09,00,00 000009ac
2. "Prefetch" Registry values: CD-ROM Speed Decimal Hex DWORD
--------------------------------------------------------
4x [Default] 228 e4,00,00,00 000000e4
8x 448 c0,01,00,00 000001c0
16x 896 80,03,00,00 00000380
24x 1344 40,05,00,00 00000540
32x 1792 00,07,00,00 00000700
Larger cache size/buffer means using more memory (RAM). Make sure you leave Windows with enough memory to operate properly (it's only a trial-and-error game).
But if you prefer to do this the easy way, take your pick. The following Registry files are included here for your pleasure. To choose your cd-rom speed and/or buffer size, just (double)-click on the correspondent .REG file in Explorer or File Manager to merge the changes into your Registry:
1. REG files for cache size:
Cache Size hex REG file DWORD REG file
----------------------------------------------
[Default] CDDEFHEX.REG CDDEFDWR.REG
Medium MEDIHEX.REG MEDIDWRD.REG
Large LARGHEX.REG LARGDWRD.REG
2. REG files for read-ahead buffer:
CD-ROM Speed hex REG file DWORD REG file
----------------------------------------------
4x [Default] CDDEFHEX.REG CDDEFDWR.REG
8x CD8HEX.REG CD8DWRD.REG
16x CD16HEX.REG CD16DWRD.REG
24x CD24HEX.REG CD24DWRD.REG
32x CD32HEX.REG CD32DWRD.REG
[Default] means the maximum values allowed by Windows 98/95 in System Properties -> Performance -> File System -> CD-ROM -> "Supplemental cache size" and "Optimize access pattern" settings, the equivalent for a 4x speed cd-rom.
HINTS: 1. Your cd-rom drive needs to be properly configured in Windows 98/95, and CDFS (32-bit Compact Disc File System) has to be enabled! If your cd-rom runs in "MS-DOS compatibility mode", none of these work! To check if your cd-rom drive is recognized by Windows, open the System Properties Control Panel applet, click the Device Manager tab, and make sure your CD-ROM Drive is present.
2. Read also the "PLAY AUDIO CDS" topic in MYTIPS95.TXT (included) to learn how to properly configure your cd-rom drive in Windows 98/95.
3. You MUST have at least 32 MB RAM installed to benefit from increasing the CD-ROM cache size beyond the maximum allowed in Windows 9x. You can experiment, selecting any combination of settings by using the REG files above, until you're satisfied with your cd-rom performance.
NOTE: You need to restart Windows after each change, so your new cd-rom settings can take effect. You may see noticeable speed improvement when playing a video clip (AVI, MOV, MPEG), running multimedia apps, or copying large files from your cd-rom. But if you play graphics intensive (i.e. DirectX/3D) games, the speed increase might not be so obvious, because most games use their own disk read-ahead technologies, which work independently from the Windows preset buffer/cache. To compare your cd-rom before and after making such changes, and to see which are the optimal settings in your case, run a benchmark tool like CDCheco v1.01 for Windows 9x/NT/3.1x [125 KB, no nag shareware]: ftp://ftp.cdrom.com/pub/sac/utildisk/chkcd101.zip Check out the "SPEEEDUP + BENCHMARK TOOLS" topic in SOFTWARE.TXT (included) for more cd-rom testing programs.
UPDATE: Use DirectControl DirectX tweaking tool for Windows 9x [freeware, MUST HAVE!] to configure your CD-ROM Cache and Prefetch sizes, among many other DirectX, 2D/3D Video, 3D/A3D Audio, Disk Cache/Vcache etc settings for MAXimum performance: http://www.3dfxmania.com/bgrsoftware/dcontrol.shtml
NOTE: You MUST install these REQUIRED Microsoft Active Controls + Runtime Libraries [2 MB, free]:
ftp://ftp.cdrom.com/pub/3dfiles/utility/bgr/setupvb6.exe BEFORE installing DirectControl!Full speed ahead!
UNCLUTTER START MENU [+]
These Registry hacks work on Win95 systems upgraded with MS IE 4 or above, and on Win98 machines.
Win98 installs IE anyway, no choice there. :( To unclutter your Start Menu, and to enable only the items you want listed when you click the Start button, run Regedit (found in your Windows folder) and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
1. To make the "Log Off" prompt disappear from your Start Menu, look in the right hand pane for the "NoLogOff" entry. Create it if not present, by right-clicking in the left hand pane, and then selecting New -> Binary Value. Name it NoLogOff. Double-click it and assign it the Value Data below (don't type the spaces): 01 00 00 00 Don't worry about the other zeroes already present, the values you typed are inserted automatically. Click OK to save your change. Close Regedit and then restart your computer. To reenable the Log Off menu, change "NoLogOff" to read (this is the default): 00 00 00 00 or delete it entirely.
You only need (or have installed) the Log Off prompt if your machine is connected to a network, thus enabling different users to log on under their own separate system configurations (mainly for security purposes), in which case it's wise to keep it on the Start Menu.
2. This one is for users who don't like using the IE Favorites folder outside the IE interface (the only difference is when you open the Favorites menu from the Start button, it displays its contents in the same window). It also takes quite a while to "dig" through all your Favorites folders and subfolders to get to the link you're looking for, if you have a load of them, like I do. To make the Favorites item disappear from your Start Menu, run Regedit and look in the right hand pane of the same Registry key (shown above) for the "NoFavoritesMenu" entry.
If it's not there, create it: right-click and choose New -> DWORD Value. Rename it to read "NoFavoritesMenu" (no quotes). Now double-click on it and give it a Value Data of 1. Click OK to save it. Now close Regedit and restart Windows. You can still access the Favorites menu from any Explorer window, but not from your Start Menu from now on.
3. Want to further slim down your Start Menu? Well then, I have another one for you. To disable the Documents menu from the Start button AND to "anihilate" the \Windows\Recent subfolder, go to the Registry key mentioned above, and search in the right hand pane for the "NoRecentDocsHistory" entry. If you can't find it, create it. Right-click it and select New -> Binary Value. Name it NoRecentDocsHistory. Double-click on it and type in the Value Data field: 01 00 00 00 . Don't type the spaces though. Click OK or press Enter to save. Now you need to repeat the steps above to add/modify another Binary Value called "NoRecentDocsMenu" (don't type the quotes), and then give it the same numeric value, but don't type the spaces: 01 00 00 00
Close the Registry Editor, and restart your system. You'll notice that the Documents item is now absent from your Start Menu, and your \Windows\Recent folder has disappeared. Hocus-pocus, all gone!
NOTE: Win98 users and Win95/OSR2 users who installed MS IE 4/5 can also access some of these settings (and much more) by using TweakUI 98 [100 KB, free, unsupported]:
http://www.tweak3d.net/files/tweakui.zipAfter unzipping the files into an empty folder, right-click on Tweakui.inf and select Install. Then run TweakUI from the Control Panel.
[back to top]
IE4 AUTOSCAN [+]
This is an excellent tip for ALL Microsoft Internet Explorer 3/4/5 users
When you have AutoScan/AutoSearch/AutoComplete enabled in MS IE, and you want to load a national domain (for example a Dutch domain which ends in .nl), AutoScan will only look at: .edu, .org, .net and .com. To add extra domain names to the default MS IE search list, run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\UrlTemplate
and ad two or more strings for each new domain. I have added "www.%s.nl" and "%.nl" (don't type the quotes). Now I can just type a name in the URL Address box and IE is looking at the .nl sites first." This is an example of custom MS IE 3/4/5 "UrlTemplate" Registry key saved as a .REG file:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\UrlTemplate]
"1"="www.%s.com"
"2"="%.com"
"3"="www.%s.org"
"4"="%.org"
"5"="www.%s.net"
"6"="%.net"
"7"="www.%s.edu"
"8"="%.edu"
"9"="www.%s.gov"
"10"="%.gov"
"11"="www.%s.ca"
"12"="%.ca"
"13"="www.%s.co.uk"
"14"="%.co.uk"
"15"="www.%s.de"
"16"="%.de"
"17"="www.%s.nl"
"18"="%.nl"
------End cut & paste here------
Just copy the lines between the cut & paste strings above in Notepad, save it as URLTEMPL.REG, and then register (merge) this info into your Registry by (double)-clicking on it in Explorer or File Manager.
UPDATE:
I assume that the order of the templates is the order in which AutoSearch works, so IE will use www.%s.com first, www.%s.org second etc. Remember that the more AutoSearch templates you have, the slower this process will be.
TIP: AutoComplete may become slow, especially if your History folder contains a lot of URLs. To speed it up, delete the ones you don't need, or better, delete the entire History folder. Don't worry, it will be recreated every time IE starts.
This can be also done using Microsoft TweakUI 98 [100 KB, free, unsupported]: http://www.tweak3d.net/files/tweakui.zip
Click TweakUI's Paranoia tab -> check the "Clear Internet Explorer history at logon" box -> click OK/Apply.
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HIGH COLOR ICONS WITHOUT PLUS!
If you own Win95 (retail) or Win95 OSR1 (upgraded with SP1) you can have high color icons displayed on your Desktop, without having the Microsoft Plus! Pack for Windows 95 installed. Start Regedit.exe and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\desktop\WindowMetrics
Add a new String (if not present) under the Registry key above: right-click on an empty spot in the right hand pane, select New -> String and type "Shell Icon BPP", without the quotes. Or edit/double-click it if already
present, and give it this numeric value: "Shell Icon BPP"="16"
Don't type the quotes.
BPP = Bits Per Pixel.
The integer number represents the color depth: 16 bit = 65,000 colors [High Color]
Also available:
4 bit = 16 colors
8 bit = 256 colors
24 bit = 16 million colors [True Color]
This is the Windows 95 "Shell Icon BPP" default without the Plus! 95 Pack installed: "Shell Icon BPP"="8"
8 bit = 256 colors
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DITCH THAT SOUND ICON
You can get rid of the sound Volume icon (the yellow speaker) from the Taskbar in 2 ways:
1. Start Control Panel, double-click on the Multimedia applet, select the Audio tab, and uncheck the "Show volume control on the taskbar" box with a left click. Click OK.
But even if you did as shown above to make it disappear, in certain configurations, with some sound cards third party software, and especially after installing a new multimedia application or game, the Volume icon misteriously reappears on the Taskbar! So I found another method to remove it:
2. Start Regedit.exe and go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
In the right hand pane, you'll see this entry: Systray "systray.exe" Double-click on it and rename Systray.exe to let's say "Systray.old". Click OK. Close Regedit.
Next time you'll start Win98/95, the Volume icon will be gone!
APPLICATION PATH
You can add/modify/delete an application's path into the Registry, if you moved it to a different folder/drive (something similar to the Autoexec.bat PATH statement).
But BACKUP YOUR REGISTRY FILES FIRST!
Fire up the Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths
This key contains a series of subkeys that identify executables/programs following the standard Filename.exe. A list of such subkeys includes:
1. The "(Default)" entry, which contains a path to the designated executable/program.
2. The "Path" entry, which identifies the folders that are passed to that specific executable/program.
When you run a "Filename" (without quotes, and without the dot and the "exe" extension that follows), Windows first looks for it in the Windows folder, then in the Windows\System folder, and after that in the "PATH" statement, usually mentioned in your Autoexec.bat file (and loaded in memory at boot time when Autoexec.bat is processed), before Windows was started. If Win98/95 doesn't find an executable with that particular name at any of these locations, it looks into the "App Paths" Registry key. If it finds the corresponding key, Win98/95 runs the specified executable.
Example: to run Netscape.exe without having to type its full path (i.e.
C:\Netscape\Program\Netscape.exe) every time, create a new Key entry in the left hand pane, and name it Netscape.exe.
Now double-click on the (Default) string in the right hand pane and type in: C:\Netscape\Program\Netscape.exe
Under Netscape.exe, create a new String (right hand pane), and call it Path.
Double-click on Path and type this: C:\Netscape\Program
Close the Registry Editor and restart Windows. You may need to add to, modify or delete some of these filenames, subkeys or entries, in case you moved an application to another folder or drive (because Win98/95 doesn't adjust the "App Paths" entries in some cases, even if the Microsoft Windows Interface Guidelines claim the opposite), or you can add the paths to your most often used programs/apps/batch files, to speed up your system response.
NOTE: A filename you add/modify doesn't have to be identical to the executable but it MUST match the key name!
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DISABLE DNS FOR WINS RESOLUTION
Windows for WorkGroups 3.1x and Windows NT have an "Enable DNS for WINS resolution" check box which is turned off by default. In Windows 95 (the original release, without any DUN/TCP/IP/PPP/PPTP/ISDN updates installed) this feature is turned on by default, and there is no check box to turn it off. :( But there is an "EnableDNS" Registry switch you can manually "toggle" on/off. If "EnableDNS" is turned off, DNS is still enabled, but it isn't used for WINS resolution.
NOTE: Windows 95 systems upgraded with MS DUN 1.2a/1.2b/1.3 or with the ISDN Modem update, Windows 95 B/C OSR 2.x and Windows 98 systems do NOT exhibit this BUG.To disable the NetBIOS name resolution on a DNS server, especially for TCP/IP dial-Up Networking Internet hookups, run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\MSTCP
In the right hand pane you can see the "EnableDNS" entry. ight-click on it, and select Modify. Replace 1 (default value) with 0. lose Regedit and restart Win95.
NOTE: Read the "How to Disable NetBIOS Name Resolution on DNS" MSKB article: http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q137/3/68.asp for more details.
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INSTALL MS PLUS! 95 OVER IE 3/4/5
BUG:If you installed Internet Explorer 3/4/5 on your Win95/OSR2 system, you can't install Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95 anymore. :(
CAUSE: MS Plus! 95 Setup looks in the Registry for previously installed MS Plus! components, "sees" your current IE version, and as a consequence doesn't continue properly.
FIX: Start Regedit.exe and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer
In the right hand pane look for the "IVer" String, which has a default value of "103" (could be different on your machine). Delete the IVer key by right-clicking on "IVer" and then selecting Delete (or by pressing the Del key). Close Regedit.exe and restart Windows. Now install the MS Plus! 95 Pack.
NOTE: Do NOT apply this workaround to Windows 98 systems!
CD-ROM KEYS
NOTE: This procedure requires a working copy of Windows 9x! With the GUI started, open Regedit and go to:
- MS Windows 9x: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ProductID
- MS Internet Explorer 4/5: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\ProductID
- MS Plus! for Windows 95:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft Plus!\Plus!\Registration\ProductID
- MS Plus! for Kids:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft Kids\Kids Plus!\Registration\ProductID
- MS Plus! for Windows 98: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Plus!98\ProductID
- MS Windows NT: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProductId
You may have more than one "ProductID" String, depending on the MS programs installed on your machine. To make it easier to find them all, start a Registry search: click Edit, select Find, type "ProductID" (no quotes) in the search box, and hit Enter (or click Find Next).
In the right hand pane double-click on each ProductID subkey, and copy the entire string of numbers to a text file (by holding Ctrl and pressing C, or by right-clicking on the highlighted number, and then clicking Copy), specifying which program/app it belongs to. Now print a hard copy, and keep it handy for a dark cloudy day when your OS/program may become unusable!
Example: such a cd-rom (copy protection) key might look similar to this one:
11111-333-3333333-11111
When installing a Microsoft product, you will be asked to enter the 2 groups
of numbers in the middle (in this case: 333-3333333).
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CONTIGUOUS FILE ALLOCATION SIZE [+]
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\control\FileSystem
Right-click in right hand pane, select New, and then DWORD. Name this new DWORD (double word) value "ContigFileAllocSize" (no quotes). Now highlight it, double-click on it, check the Decimal box, and give it a value of 512. Close the Registry editor and restart Windows.
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EDIT THE BAT
To edit a DOS batch file (.BAT extension) with a (double)-click instead of executing it:
1. Start the Registry editor and go to: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\batfile\shell\open
2. Rename the "open" key to "run", as shown below: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\batfile\shell\run
by right-clicking on "open", selecting Rename, typing in "run", and then clicking OK. Don't type the quotes!
3. Modify the "EditFlags" binary value in: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\batfile
to read "00 00 00 00": right-click on "EditFlags" (right hand pane), select Modify, and type in "00 00 00 00" (no quotes). Click OK.
WARNING: DO NOT MODIFY THE LENGTH OF THE HEX VALUE ABOVE!
4. Open Explorer, click Options from the View menu (or Folder Options if you installed Internet Explorer 4.0x, or if you are using Win98), select the File Types tab, scroll down to the "MS-DOS Batch File" item, highlight it and click Edit. You'll notice that the last three buttons (Edit, Remove and Set Default) are now enabled and that you can select Edit as the default action.
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SOURCE PATH CHANGE
To tell Win98/95 setup the new location of its installation (.CAB) files, fire up your Registry editor, and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup\SourcePath
Right-click on SourcePath. Select Modify. Type in your new path for the .CAB files (default for Win95/OSR2 is D:\WIN95, and for Win98 is D:\WIN98, if you have only one hard drive with only one logical partition on your system). Click OK. Exit Regedit. Restart Windows.
NO MORE "CLICK HERE TO BEGIN"
To get rid of the annoying "Click here to begin" moving arrow and message, which appear on the Taskbar every time you load the Windows GUI (if you don't have any open programs that display their icons on the Taskbar at Windows 9x startup, and that will cover the "Click here to begin" message and arrow), run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Policies/Explorer
In the right hand pane, modify the "NoStartBanner" DWORD value to read:
"NoStartBanner"="01 00 00 00" by double-clicking on it, and then type: 01000000
Don't type the spaces (they will be automatically inserted) or the quotes. Or add it if not present: right-click on an empty spot in the right hand pane -> select New -> click DWORD Value -> name it NoStartBanner. Close Regedit and restart Windows when done.
DELETE DESKTOP ICONS
Have you ever wanted to delete some of those annoying icons (you never use anyway) from your Desktop? If your answer is yes, read on... There are two ways of doing this:
1. The more complicated [but elegant :)] procedure is to install the System Policy Editor, and delete/disable the unwanted items.
2. The easy way is to make a few Registry changes, which you should BACKUP FIRST! Run Regedit, and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
In the following example I'll use the "Network Neighborhood" icon: With the above key highlighted, right click anywhere in the Registry field, select New, and click DWORD, to create a new entry. Name it "NoNetHood" (don't type the quotes). When you set its value to 1 and then reboot, the Network Neighborhood desktop icon will be gone! To reinstate this icon on your desktop, change its value to 0. And the beauty of this trick is that you can apply it to ALL your Desktop system icons.
To make changes to any other "hardwired" (read "unwanted") icon, go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\{xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx}
Within this key, each system icon has its own CLSID key (Class ID), a 16 byte value which identifies an individual object) that points to a corresponding key in the Registry:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID{xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx}
To delete an icon, remove the 16 byte CLSID value within "NameSpace". To change an icon name, change the value of its "sister" CLSID key:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID{xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx}\DefaultIcon
Therefore, the "Network Neighborhood" correspondent keys would be:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\{208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D}
and respectively:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D}
Here are the "CLSID" keys for all Windows 95 system icons:
- Briefcase {85BBD920-42A0-1069-A2E4-08002B30309D}
- Desktop {00021400-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}
- Control Panel {21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}
- Dial-Up Networking {992CFFA0-F557-101A-88EC-00DD010CCC48}
- Fonts {BD84B380-8CA2-1069-AB1D-08000948F534}
- Inbox {00020D76-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}
- The Internet {FBF23B42-E3F0-101B-8488-00AA003E56F8}
- My Computer {20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}
- Network Neighborhood {208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D}
- Printers {2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D}
- Recycle Bin {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}
- The Microsoft Network {00028B00-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}
- Url History Folder {FF393560-C2A7-11CF-BFF4-444553540000}
You can use the method above for any system icon you want to modify/delete. Go to the CLSID key you want to modify and change its "DefaultIcon" subkey. Recycle Bin makes an exception, its "Default" value lists the full pathname of the file that contains the corresponding icon. Recycle Bin has three entries under "DefaultIcon": Default, Empty and Full, each represented by a different icon for the: default, empty and full Recycle Bin respectively. I know my "nightmare" is to see that pesky "Recycle Bin" icon on my desktop every day. Just go to its "NameSpace" key:
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}
and delete it. From now on when you start Win95, bye-bye Recycle Bin! You can also rename the Recycle Bin's "NameSpace" key, by scrolling to the corresponding CLSID key:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\DefaultIcon
and modifying its "default" value. You can always create new versions of the icons listed above, which will have the Move, Copy and Delete properties enabled.
The Control Panel icon for example, is represented by this CLSID key:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}
To create a new icon called, let's say "Control Center", delete the key below:
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}
and then create a new folder called:
Control Center.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}
A folder with this extension file retains the properties of the original Control Panel, but it can also be deleted or moved. To change the "My Computer" icon, go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\DefaultIcon and change its icon file name in the "default" entry.
NOTE: You can also use TweakUI v1.1 (free), part of the famous, unsupported Microsoft Power Toys set, to eliminate the Win95 system icons of your choice from your desktop (and much more). MS Power Toys set [209 KB, free] web page: http://www.microsoft.com/windows95/downloads/contents/wutoys/w95pwrtoysset/
... But that means taking the fun out of messing with the Registry :-)
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NEW TCP/IP SETTINGS
This trick applies to the Windows 9x users who log on to the Internet using the TCP/IP protocol, a modem and an ISP (Internet Service Provider). You can add new TCP/IP parameters to the Property sheet. When you start Control Panel, double-click on Network, and then open "TCP/IP -> Dial-Up Adapter", you'll see the Advanced tab. Normally there is not much you can tweak here. Maybe the "Use IPX header compression" and/or "Record to a log file" settings, but these won't speedup your Internet access. But you can add a couple of extra parameters to the TCP/IP Advanced tab, by merging NEWTCP.REG into the Registry (a Registration file included in this archive), to increase your Internet connection performance.
BACKUP YOUR REGISTRY FILES BEFORE MAKING ANY CHANGES! DO NOT MERGE NEWTCP.REG INTO THE REGISTRY THE WAY IT IS! YOU NEED TO MODIFY IT FIRST!
To do this properly, follow these steps EXACTLY:
1. Open Regedit to find where your TCP/IP resides under the following key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\NetTrans
There you will find one or more four-digit subkey(s). Example: 0000, 0001, 0002, 0003... etc.
Your TCP/IP keys MUST ALL include this value:
"DriverDesc"="TCP/IP"
DO NOT MODIFY them if this parameter has ANY other value!
2. Open NEWTCP.REG in Notepad and change ALL 000n occurrences found in NEWTCP.REG to MATCH ALL your TCP/IP NetTrans subkeys, and ADD new lines if you have more than one! Example of NEWTCP.REG original line that you NEED TO MODIFY:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\NetTrans\000n\Ndi\Params\DefaultRcvWindow]
"Location"="System\\CurrentControlSet\\Services\\VxD\\MSTCP"
Example of new MODIFIED lines:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\NetTrans\0000\Ndi\Params\DefaultRcvWindow]
"Location"="System\\CurrentControlSet\\Services\\VxD\\MSTCP"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\NetTrans\0001\Ndi\Params\DefaultRcvWindow]
"Location"="System\\CurrentControlSet\\Services\\VxD\\MSTCP"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\NetTrans\0002\Ndi\Params\DefaultRcvWindow]
"Location"="System\\CurrentControlSet\\Services\\VxD\\MSTCP" ... etc. You get the idea.
Repeat same steps above with ALL NEWTCP.REG "MaxConnectRetries" keys.
3. Now merge (register) NEWTCP.REG into your Registry: (double)-click on it in Explorer or File Manager.
4. Two new parameters are now available in the Network applet "TCP/IP -> Dial-Up Adapter" Advanced tab:
- "Default Receive Window" = recommended values: 2144, 3216 or 4288 (depending on your MTU value). Default = 8192; and: - "Maximum Connection Retries" = recommended values: 16 - 64. Default = 32.
TIPS:
* The "Default Receive Window" (RWIN) and "Maximum Connection Retries" (TTL) TCP/IP parameters are also discussed in the "HOW FAST CAN YOU GO? - Part 2" topic (included).
* To learn how to adjust your Win95/OSR2 MaxMTU TCP/IP parameter to speed up your Internet connection, read the "HOW FAST CAN YOU GO? - Part 1" topic (included).
* To learn how to adjust your Win98 IPMTU TCP/IP parameter to speed up your Internet connection, read the "FASTEST INTERNET 98 - Part 1" and "FASTEST INTERNET 98 - Part 2" topics in TIPS98 (included).
ACTIVE CORNERS
There is a Registry trick that might allow you to activate/deactivate your screen saver by placing your mouse in different screen (desktop) corners (hot spots).
WARNING: This feature is disabled if you installed MS Internet Explorer 4/5 with the Active Desktop feature!
Run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Screen Savers
Under Screen Savers, add a new string value and name it Mouse Corners. Edit this new value to show "-Y-N" (no quotes).
Close Regedit and restart Windows. From now on whenever you position your mouse cursor in the upper right corner of your screen, the screen saver will immediately activate. Likewise, if you position the mouse in the lower left corner of your screen, the screen saver will not activate, even if it has been inactive for longer than the time specified when you selected it. The principle behind this is based on activating/deactivating the 4 screen corners, in this specific order (in the Registry key above):
1. lower right corner;
2. upper right corner;
3. upper left corner;
4. lower left corner.
Therefore, a value of "NY--", would result in having the screen saver active by placing your mouse cursor in the upper right corner, and respectively inactive by placing your rodent pointer into the lower right corner. Just take your pick, depending on which corners are easier for you to use. This trick is useful to keep your screen saver from being turned on right in the middle of a task that cannot be interrupted, like defragmenting/scaning your hard disk(s).
NOTE: The "active screen corners" feature can also be enabled from your Display (the Screen Saver tab), if you own Microsoft Plus! Pack for Windows 95 (but NOT with MS IE 4/5 installed), for all MS Plus! installed savers (and ONLY if System Agent is active).
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WALLPAPER POSITION [+]
In Windows 98/95 you have the following options for displaying a background wallpaper (bitmap):
1. "Centered" or "Tiled" and
2. "Stretch to fit the desktop" (this one is available ONLY to MS Plus! for Win95 and OSR2 users).
NOTE: To learn how to stretch your Desktop bitmap to the screen size in
Win98, read the "STRETCH WALLPAPER" topic in TIPS98.TXT (included). By editing the Registry you can add a third option: to position the wallpaper anywhere on your screen by specifying values for the X and Y coordinates.
Run Regedit.exe and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
Create 2 new Strings and call them "WallpaperOriginX" and respectively "WallpaperOriginY" (don't type the quotes). Give these entries the desired values to position your bitmap off the center on your Desktop.
Example:
"WallpaperOriginX"="1"
"WallpaperOriginY"="1"
Experiment with these values until you are satisfied with your wallpaper's position.
NOTE: The repositioned wallpaper must be smaller than your desktop size (duh...).
MS Plus! for Win95, OSR2 and Win98 users can stretch the wallpaper size to fit your screen, by adding a new String entry (under the same Registry key above):
"WallpaperStyle"="2"
Don't type the quotes.
Accepted values for "WallpaperStyle" are:
- 0 = Centered (default);
- 1 = Tiled and
- 2 = Stretch desktop wallpaper to fit the screen.
MS Plus! for Win95 users: The wallpaper style can also be changed without modifying the Registry:
1. Right-click on an empty spot on your Desktop.
2. Select Properties.
3. Click on the Plus! Tab. Check the "Stretch desktop wallpaper to fit the screen" box. Click OK or Apply.
1. Start Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
In the right hand pane you'll find the "NoSaveSettings" key. No matter what value is given to this Registry key, the Desktop/Explorer/Control Panel settings will still be modified by Windows 95 again after opening 29 of those windows (that's the maximum number of window settings "stored" in Windows 95's Registry "memory"). MS IE 4/5 and Windows 98 up this limit to 99. Now delete the "NoSaveSettings" key. Close the Registry editor and press F5 after left-clicking your mouse on an empty Desktop area, to refresh it.
2. Run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_USERS\xxxxx\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
Substitute the "xxxxx" string above with your password profile name, or look for the ".Default" key if you don't have a password profile:
HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
Delete the "NoSaveSettings" key in the right hand pane. Close Regedit and refresh the Desktop (implement Registry settings without a restart), as described above.
From now on all your window "looks" will stay the way you told them to.
BTW: Have you made a backup copy of your Registry beforehand? I was hoping you'd answer yes to this one. For your own sake. :)
NOTE: Read the "SAVE SETTINGS - Part 2" topic for an alternative Registry fix to keep your most used window positions in Windows 98/95.
MOVE WITHOUT REINSTALL
This is a tricky one, and requires a lot of messing with the Registry and/or with other configuration files. So BACKUP FIRST! But if can be done (in certain cases anyway). The principle is to move a Win98/95 application to another drive and/or folder, and modify its Registry/config file(s) settings to match the new location, without getting any error messages, like:
"Your Program is not properly configured/installed. Windows cannot find XYZ.CFG file. Please reinstall." and without having to reinstall it (of course). I am going to use "Outlaws" by Lucas Arts (a "shoot-em-up" cd-rom game) as example of doing this, step by step:
1. Let's say you originally installed Outlaws in C:\Outlaws, but now you'd like to move it to D:\Outlaws (all its files and subfolders, of course). To move a folder and its contents to another drive, hold down Shift (in Explorer) while dragging and then releasing it onto the target drive. Then open Control Panel, and double-click "Add/Remove Programs". Scroll down to "Lucas Arts' Outlaws". The principle is to look for all Registry entries that match at least one word contained in your application's title, the one listed in "Add/Remove Programs" (also called "friendly name").
2. Now run the Registry Editor (REGEDIT.EXE), located in your Windows folder. Click on Edit, and then Find (Ctrl-F). Type "outlaws" (no quotes) in the Find box. Click Find Next (press Enter), and modify all C:\Outlaws instances found to read D:\Outlaws. In this case, the Registry keys to look under are:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\LucasArts Entertainment Company\Outlaws
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DirectPlay\Applications\Outlaws
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\OUTLAWS.EXE
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\LucasArts' Outlaws
The last two Registry keys listed above also contain settings for most installed Win98/95 programs.
Replace the first C:\Outlaws instance with D:\Outlaws, and then press F3 to find the next instance (and so on). Repeat this operation until you get this Regedit message: "Finished searching through the Registry"
Close Regedit.
In the above example there are no *.CFG, *.DAT, *.INI, *.LOG etc files you need to modify, either in your Windows folder or in the Outlaws folder. But other apps make use of such files, and you need to replace all your particular app's old folder instances with the new ones (to point to your program's new location), in all those files too (where applicable).
3. Restart Windows when you're done.
There are several 3rd party uninstallers out there that can automate some of the steps above (especially if you use such a tool to monitor all your programs' installations), since most of them keep a record (log) of all changes made to your Win98/95 system during install.
UPDATE: Download Change Of Address (COA32), a freeware 32-bit tool for Windows 98/95 from PC Magazine [296 KB]:
COA32 home page:
http://www.zdnet.com/pcmag/pctech/content/16/01/ut1601.001.html COA32 changes the path in ALL your Registry and .INI files to point to the new location of the program(s) you moved. Cool!
You can have a browser other than Microsoft Internet Explorer (default) launch when you double-click the Internet icon on your Win98/95 Desktop. May it be Netscape Navigator, Communicator or whatever your favorite browser would be, this can be done by editing the Registry. Start Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{FBF23B42-E3F0-101B-8488-00AA003E56F8}\Shell\Open\Command
Double-click the "Default" key in the right hand pane, and change the line that points to Internet Explorer to let's say Netscape Communicator default path and filename (modify it to match the location of your browser executable is different on your system):
C:\Program Files\Netscape\Program\Netscape.exe
Click OK when ready, close Regedit and press F5 to refresh the Registry. In case you want to revert back to your default Win98/95 startup browser (Internet Explorer), type it back into the "Default" String, under the same
Registry key above.
Default Internet Explorer path is: C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\Iexplore.exe
NOTE: You may also need to apply the fixes described in these topics: "DEFAULT BROWSER" in TIPS95 and "DEFAULT BROWSER - Part 2" (included) to make this trick work properly.
To add new items to the Start button right-click menu, launch Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Shell
Right-click on Shell and select New -> Key. Type in the name of the program you want to see listed under the Start Menu, and then press Enter.
UPDATE: "This will affect other directories too, not only the Start Menu!"
In the Default name that shows in the right hand pane, you can add an "&" character [ampersand] to the title (don't type the quotes), in front of the first letter of your shortcut, to use that particular letter on the keyboard as shortcut key to open your new Start Menu item. Right-click on the Registry key you just created and create another subkey under it called command. For the command value enter the full path and program executable (including the file extension) you want. From now on, whenever you right-click on the Start button, your new program will show up. No need to reboot for this change to take effect.
Example: If you like to add ScanDisk to the Start menu, you need to add its name as the first key, under "Shell". The default in the right hand pane would be &ScanDisk, so when you right click on the Start Button, the letter S would be underlined and you only need to press the S key to run ScanDisk. The appropriate ScanDisk command would be (case insensitive):
C:\WINDOWS\SCANDSKW.EXE
Command line parameters are optional (if supported by your program).
NOTE: You have to assign DIFFERENT letters as hot keys to your shortcuts listed in the SAME folder! Duplicates are NOT allowed.
To change the default font (size, weight, style etc) displayed in Windows 98/95 Internet Explorer 4/5 to any font installed on your system, launch Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Styles
All possible combinations are listed there. You need to highlight the "Style Name" key in the left hand pane, followed by its value in the right hand pane. Double-click on "Style Name" and change its font name, font size and/or font weight. Repeat this operation for all available fonts for the style you'd like to customize. There are 13 "StyleSheet_Names" settings you can modify here. When you're done, go to this Registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Styles
and rename the "Default_Style_Sheet" string to show an identical value with the "Style name" key you have selected under the Internet Explorer HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE key above. Now close the Registry Editor and restart Internet Explorer to "admire" your new font/style/weight.
When you're logging on to a WinNT domain it is preferable to disable password caching. This allows for the single NT domain login and eliminates the secondary Windows logon screen. It also eliminates the possibility of the respective passwords to get out of sync. To disable password caching on the workstation, you need to make a one-line addition to the Registry (this also works for machines running the Workstation release of Windows NT 4.0). First, create a text file (using Notepad or any other plain text/ASCII editor) called DISABLE.REG with the following lines:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Network]
"DisablePwdCaching"=dword:00000001
------End cut & paste here------
Save it. Then (double)-click on DISABLE.REG in Explorer or File Manager. If you need to reenable password caching, create another plain text file named REENABLE.REG, with the following lines:
-----Begin cut & paste here-----
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Network]
"DisablePwdCaching"=dword:00000000
------End cut & paste here------
Save it. Then (double)-click on REENABLE.REG in Explorer or File Manager to revert back to caching your password when logging into an NT domain (default).
[back to top]
TRASH THE BIN [+]
The Recycle Bin can be deleted or renamed from its own context menu (when you right-click on its desktop icon), but you have to disable its read-only and system Attributes first. To do this, run the Registry Editor and go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\ShellFolder
In the right hand pane, double-click on "Attributes" and change its binary
value from: 40 01 00 20
to read: 70 01 00 20
Do not type the spaces (they will be automatically inserted). This Registry edit takes effect immediately.
[back to top]
If you don't use the Recycle Bin to store deleted files [that you may want to recover some day though... :)], you can get rid of its desktop icon all together. Run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Desktop\NameSpace
Click on the "Recycle Bin" string in the right hand pane. Hit Del, click OK, and say "Good Bye" to the Recycle Bin!
To change the name of the Recycle Bin desktop icon, open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}
and change the name "Recycle Bin" to whatever tickles your fantasy (don't type any quotes).
Windows 98/95 doesn't refresh the view of its files/folders as often as we'd like it to. To make it refresh them constantly, run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Update
In the right hand pane, right-click on the UpdateMode value (or Update on some machines) and select Modify. Highlight 01 (or 1 in some cases) and change its Decimal value to 0. It will actually show as 0x00000000 (0), because this is a DWORD (double-word) value. Exit the Registry Editor and restart Windows when done.
CAUTION: This constant refresh setting might impair your computer's performance if your CPU's clock speed is 200 MHz or lower, and you are using Windows 98 or have installed Microsoft Internet Explorer 4/5 on your Windows 95/OSR2 machine!
There is a way to allow Long File Name (LFN) format command line parameters (switches) to work when specified on a command line that starts a Windows 9x program. By default any parameter (supported by a particular program) can be typed in from the Run command line box. This translates into a Registry entry for that particular program, that looks something like this (example):
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.doc\shell\open\command\
(Default)="C:\Word\Winword.exe %1"
Notice the quotes that start and end the entire command line. In the above case, only short parameter names can be used with a program. To allow long parameter names to work with your program, you need to start Regedit, and search for your program key (example):
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.doc\shell\open\command\
(Default)="C:\MS Apps\Excel.exe %1"
and change this line to read:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.doc\shell\open\command\
(Default)="C:\MS Apps\Excel.exe" "%1"
Notice that you need to add two more quotes, one after the program's extension and the other at the begining of your application parameter name. Another example: change the line below:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.bmp\shell\open\command\
(Default)="C:\Program Files\Accessories\Mspaint.exe %1"
to read (adding the above mentioned extra quotes):
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.bmp\shell\open\command\
(Default)="C:\Program Files\Accessories\Mspaint.exe" "%1"
Close the Registry Editor when done.
This workaround can also be achieved this way: open Explorer, click View, click Options, then select the File Types tab, and scroll down to the line that contains your program executable. Double-click on the highlighted line, or click Edit, then double-click the Open line (or click on Edit), and now modify the command line as described above. Save your settings and close all open windows.
NOTE: This FIX applies to Win95, OSR1 and OSR2. This limitation was fixed in Win98, which [almost always :(] adds the necessary quotes automatically.
DOS_HERE.REG, NOTEPAD.REG, SCAN.REG, SERVER.REG, and CLEAR.REG, and this batch file: CLEAR.BAT (all these files are included here). Credit is also given to Windows 95 Annoyances:
http://www.creativelement.com/win95ann/ for CLEAR.BAT and CLEAR.REG, and to Windows Magazine: http://www.winmag.com/ for NOTEPAD.REG.Many thanks Dave for this collection of cool Win95 hacks! Files included:
- DOS_HERE.REG creates a new right-click item for a DOS prompt window that opens in the current folder (similar to MS Power Toys's DOS Here).
- NOTEPAD.REG adds a right-click item for opening Notepad.
- SCAN.REG adds a right-click item for scanning your drives with Norton Anti-Virus 2.0 software (you can replace the path and filename to match your installed Win95 Virus Scanner).
- SERVER.REG takes care of properly setting the Win95 32-bit File System cache to "Network Server" (or to "Mobile Desktop") for better disk performance (detailed in the "NETWORK SERVER" topic, also included).
- CLEAR.BAT deletes all recently opened files (docs, links, zips etc) from the
C:\Recent folder, upon Win95 startup.
NOTE: You need to create a new folder called:
C:\Program Files\ClearDocs and place CLEAR.BAT in this newly created folder for this tip to work:
- CLEAR.REG registers CLEAR.BAT to run every time you start Win95.
Hack for clearing the Document window I have modified a small app I downloaded from Win95 Annoyances, and added it to my Registry as follows:
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]
"Clear"="C:\\Program Files\\ClearDocs\\CLEAR.bat"
I have attached CLEAR.BAT for your convenience. I modified some of your work into .REG files. I couldn't get any of them to work as originally written.I understand that some of them don't work on all machines, but possibly you could use them as a counter-point to the originals. I also have written a .REG file that allows you to scan a file or folder from the right-click menu, using Norton Anti-Virus 2.0, and one that I got from Windows Magazine that places Notepad on the Right-click menu."
NOTE: To use any of these REG files, just open Explorer or File Manager, and (double)-click on the REG file you want to install (register) in Win95's Registry database. But first, you NEED to open them in Notepad to modify the paths names to match your system setup!
IMPORTANT: You need to alter the Registry to get the CORRECT "Network Server" setting by running SERVER.REG, ONLY if you have Win95 original (retail) release or Win95a OSR1 (upgraded with SP1)! This bug is fixed in Win95 B/C OSR 2.x and Win98. READ the "NETWORK SERVER" topic (included here) for more details.
I figured out I don't need to run (or load) programs from Win.ini's load= and/or run= lines anymore. The same job can be done by adding any or all of your programs to the Run menu into Win98/95's Registry Database. All you need to do is remark, or delete completely the load= and/or run= lines in Win.ini's [windows] section (Win.ini resides in your Windows folder), if you decide to keep these changes permanent. To remark in Windows means adding a semicolon (;) in front of the file you want to disable from running/loading. Edit Win.ini with Notepad, look for the load= and/or run= lines in the [windows] section, and apply these changes to your own programs
(examples):
load=
; c:\path\myprogr.exe
run=
; c:\path\myapp.exe
replacing the original lines (that start these programs from Win.ini):
load=c:\path\myprogr.exe
run=c:\path\myapp.exe
Then run Regedit (located in the Windows folder) and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
Here, look for the programs listed in the right hand pane. Left-click on an empty spot in the right hand pane. Select New, String Value, and name it whatever you want (the name doesn't matter). Now right-click on the new String you just created, and left-click Modify. In the Value Data box, type the full drive letter, path (directory/folder name) and file name and extension of the program you want to load/run every time Windows 98/95 starts. Example of such String name (of course you need to add your own programs):
AfterDark Quick Access and its corresponding Value Data box (DO type the quotes, to allow Long File Names to be properly recognized):
"c:\ad95\After Dark.exe" /taskbar
When you're done, close RegEdit and restart Windows. That's it.
NOTE: You can also replace by this method the programs that load from the Startup folder (and then you can delete all the files with the .LNK extension found in C:\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup, to save disk space and a few seconds every time Windows starts).
This is how to change "This Product is Licensed to: ..." without re-installing Windows 9x. Run Regedit.exe, and go to this key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
Once there, you can change any of these String values: "RegisteredOrganization", "RegisteredOwner", and/or "ProductId" to whatever your heart desires. Your Win9x Properties info will display "Registered/Licensed to: Your Name/Company" from now on.
To protect against Trojans, make the following change to the Registry: Open Regedit. Go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT/batfile/shell
Right-click on the Default entry, choose "Modify", and type Edit. Close Regedit. You can then preview all batch files before executing them. Right click and choose "Open" to run a batch file."
NOTE: This trick refers to potential "Trojans"/"Bombs" (rogue executables) that use "distructive" internal/external DOS commands, like: FDISK, FORMAT, DELTREE, DEL etc to wipe out entire drives!
UPDATE: An alternative way to do the same without hacking the Registry (for the more faint-hearted) is to go to Folder -> Options under Settings and choose MS-DOS Batch Files, edit the associations and choose Edit as the Default for double-click.
For some reason, my computer kept resetting my Dial-Up Networking (Internet) connection to use a specific IP address, even though my connection was server assigned, and regardless that I kept putting the checkmark in "Server assigned IP address". Often, this specific IP address was a flaky, unreliable address at that. So, I searched the Registry for the culprit, taught myself how to write little REG files that alter the Registry, and came up with this tip. To create a REG file that will reset your Dial-Up Networking connection: DUN | Properties | Server Type | TCP/IP Settings | IP address, to "Server assigned IP address", do the following:
1. Create a text file.
2. Type in the following:
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\RemoteAccess\Profile\Frontier]
"IP"=hex:1c,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
(Type this as one single line.)
3. Save with a descriptive name. My ISP is Frontier Telephone, so I called mine "Frontier."
4. Change the file extension to REG. I use a utility called Change File Type 96, from www.windows95.com, but you can, of course, use the DOS prompt.
The icon for the file should change. Right-click and choose Edit to make sure the text is correct. Then, double-click on the file whenever you want to make sure that your IP address is server-assigned, such as before you connect to the Internet. I put this file in C:\Windows\System and made it automatically run from a freeware utility called DUNCE (Dial-Up Networking Connection Enhancement) v2.52 for Win9x:
http://www.vecdev.com/dunce.html
To make ALL Desktop settings permanent in an (Explorer) window: window size, position, display the toolbar etc, run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
Right-click in the right hand pane, click New, and select DWORD Value. Name it NoSaveSettings, and press Enter. Now right-click on it, choose Modify, and type 1 in the Value data box. Click OK and exit the Registry Editor. All future windows settings will be from now on those you specified BEFORE creating the new "NoSaveSettings" Registry value, and can be changed ONLY temporarily.
Next time you open that same window, its settings will revert back to the ones you started with, before this Registry change. To re-enable permanent settings changes again, run Regedit again, and go to the same Registry key above, right-click on "NoSaveSettings", choose Modify, and change its Value data to 0. Close Regedit, make the desired changes to your windows settings, then go back and make them permanent again by resetting "NoSaveSettings" back to 1. Alternatively you can delete the NoSaveSettings DWORD (which has the same effect as assigning it the 0 value) by right-clicking on it, selecting Delete and then clicking Yes.
NOTE: TweakUI 98 [100 KB, free, unsupported], one of the Microsoft Power Toys, also lets you save your window settings:
http://www.tweak3d.net/files/tweakui.zip. Open Control Panel, (double)-click the TweakUI icon (after properly installing it), select the Explorer tab, check the "Save Explorer window settings" box, and click OK/Apply. All changes made to a window's settings will be saved from now on.
To change the cursor blinking rate to NON-BLINKING in Windows 98/95, effective in Notepad, Wordpad, or any other Windows application using the standard block cursor dialog box, open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\desktop\CursorBlinkRate
Highlight "CursorBlinkRate" in the right hand pane, right-click on it, click Modify, change the numeric value to -1 and click OK. Close Regedit and restart Windows. If the "CursorBlinkRate" String value is not present, create it: right-click on an empty spot -> choose New -> String, and then name the new String value "CursorBlinkRate" (no quotes). Now right-click on it and assign it the value of "-1" (no quotes). Alternatively, for a very slow blinking rate, you can give it a value of 65534 (maximum allowed). Save your work and restart Windows to see the effect.
NOTE: This setting does NOT apply to the MS-DOS mode box cursor.
Run Regedit and create a new String value under this Registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\desktop
Name it "MenuShowDelay" (don't type the quotes).
Give it a value from 0 (fastest = no delay) to 65534 (slowest = maximum delay). Default is 250.
These values are the time in milliseconds all pop-up/drop-down menus wait before showing.For fastest GUI response, double-click on "MenuShowDelay", enter 0 and then restart Windows 98/95 to see all pop-up menus open instantaneously.
UNDOCUMENTED: To completely disable the automatic menu pop-up, enter -1 and then restart Windows. Now you will have to click one more time on each item/folder (after selecting it) to make its menu expand (manual pop-up). This forces Windows 9x to behave like the older Windows/WfWG 3.xx releases.
I have found a way to have all BMPs (BitMaPs, wallpapers) show as small icons (miniatures) of the actual picture. Open Regedit and go to: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Paint.Picture\DefaultIcon Under "Paint.Picture", or whatever program your BMPs are registered to, in the right hand pane, double-click on the "Default" value, and change it from: C:\Program Files\Accessories\Mspaint.exe,1 or from (MS Plus! 95 users ONLY): C:\Windows\System\Cool.dll,41 to read "%1" (no quotes). Add a new String value under "Paint.Picture", and name it "DefaultIcon" (no quotes), if it is not present."%1" tells Win9x that the default icon for this file type is found in the file itself, but since there is no icon in a BMP file, Windows 9x creates a small preview image of the BMP for the icon (which shows up in Explorer and in all dialog boxes/menus that list files). This "fix" makes viewing and sorting BMPs much easier.
WARNING: Take extreme caution when using this so-called fix. Reports say that Win95's Long File Names (LFNs) information (especially Windows 95 retail users) can be permanently LOST due to enabling this undocumented feature! It seems that Windows 98 doesn't exhibit this bug. If you don't have a problem with reading truncated Long File Names in an OS/environment/application that doesn't support LFNs, please resist the temptation of doing this!
By default Windows 98/95 creates eight-character alias names for Long File and directory (folder) Names. Short file names are relevant only in a mixed computing environment (MS-DOS 5.00/6.xx, Windows/WfWG 3.xx AND Win98/95/NT), which share files and directories with systems that don't support LFNs. To have a folder show as "New Documents" in Win98/95 (and 32-bit applications), but have the short directory name display as "DOCUMENT" (in Windows/WfWG 3.xx and 16-bit applications) instead of the trucated "NEWDOC~1", follow the steps below.
1. Start your LFNs with the short version: rename the above folder to read "DOCUMENTS-NEW", which resolves to "DOCUME~1" (don't type the quotes).
2. Start Regedit and go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem
Get rid of the unwanted tildes by adding a DWORD value called "NameNumericTail": right-click -> click New -> click DWORD -> give it the name "NameNumericTail" (no quotes). Now double-click on it, check the Decimal box, and finally type in "0" (no quotes). The folder name in the above example (assuming there wasn't already a \DOCUMENT directory present) resolves to the correct eight-character name.
CAUTION: Do NOT rename the "Program Files" folder to ANYTHING else, because many applications assume its short file name should be "PROGRA~1". Such programs that use the hard coded directory name (due to poor programming practices) will install correctly, but WILL have difficulty finding resources/libraries (DLLs) afterwards.
NOTE: TweakUI 95, part of the free, unsupported Microsoft Power Toys 95 set, also has the ability to get rid of the tildes in LFNs:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows95/downloads/contents/wutoys/w95pwrtoysset/TweakUI 95 is recommended ONLY for Win95 retail and Win95a OSR1 users WITHOUT MS IE 4/5 installed. If you own Win95, 95a or Win95 B/C OSR2.x upgraded with MS IE 4/5, or Win98 (which includes MS IE
4), download TweakUI 98 [100 KB, free, unsupported]:
http://www.tweak3d.net/files/tweakui.zip
To use a Logitech (or compatible) middle mouse button as a double-click (valid for 3-button mice users), run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Logitech\MouseWare\CurrentVersion\Serial\0000
Some Logitech mice might be installed under one of these other keys:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Logitech\MouseWare\CurrentVersion\SerialM\0000
or: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Logitech\Mouseware\CurrentVersion\SerialV\0000
Your rodent might reside under the "0001" or "0002" subkeys, not necessarily under "0000". In the right hand pane, double-click the "DoubleClick" String value and change its value from "000" to "001" (no quotes).
UPDATE:This only works with Logitech mice and only for a double-click. But there is a freeware program called CoolMouse 97 at:
http://www.surfport.com/solver/ which works with ANY 3-button or 2-button mouse, and provides multiple mode features, a must have for all 3-button mice users."
If you're browsing through folder windows, it's usually nice to have Win98/95 set to use a single window that changes when you open a new folder. However, if you want to copy or move files around, you should be able to quickly open a separate window or folder. This can be done by holding the CTRL key as you double-click, but it would be nice to have this option on the right-click menu, next to "Open" and "Explore". To add this option to the drop down menu, open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Default Icon\shell\shellex
Under "shell", add a new key called "opennew". Modify its (Default) value to say "Open New &Window" (no quotes). Then, add another key under "opennew". Call this one "command", and set its (Default) value to "explorer %1". A side effect is that "Open New Window" will also appear now when you right-click on the Start Button, which is completely pointless because it does that anyway.
To add your desired file types to the New menu available when you right-click an object (file, folder, shortcut etc), you need to edit the Registry. Find the extension of the data file for the program you want (i.e. MS Word files have the .DOC extension) under this Registry key, using Regedit: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT Below the file extension key of your choice you need to add a new key called "ShellNew" (no quotes). Now you have two options: to start with either a null file (0 Bytes, default template with no preset styles), or with a template file. To start with a null file, insert a new String called "NullFile" (no quotes, no extension) under the ShellNew key, and leave its value blank. To use a template file, insert a new String named "FileName" (no quotes, no extension) and set its value to match the path of your "incriminated" data file or document. The template files reside by default in the hidden ShellNew subfolder beneath your Windows 9x directory. To "see" it, you need to enable the view of Hidden and System files in Explorer. You can also place there the templates of your choice. Some Win9x apps give you the option (when you first install them) to add their own template(s) to the ShellNew subdirectory. From now on when you select the New right-click menu, Win9x will copy the template file to the ShellNew subfolder, or create a null file.
NOTE: You can disable or completely remove the templates you want (and much more) by using Microsoft TweakUI 98 Power Toy [100 KB, free, unsupported]:
http://www.tweak3d.net/files/tweakui.zipRight-click on TweakUI.inf -> select Install -> then (double)-click the new TweakUI icon in the Taskbar tray -> scroll to the New tab -> check/uncheck the desired template(s) to prevent them from being listed on the New menu, or/and highlight the one(s) you want and click the Remove button.
There are 3 ways of getting rid of ALL those pesky Desktop shortcut arrows:
1. UNSAFE (?):
Open Regedit and go to: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.lnk
Double-click on ".lnk" and delete the "IsShortcut" key in the right hand pane.
Then find: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.pif
Double-click on ".pif" and delete the "IsShortcut" key in the right hand pane as well. Restart Windows.
UPDATE: This prevents Windows 9x from recognizing these files as shortcuts. But this also causes such a useful program as TrayMenu by Wei Ke (freeware):
http://www.iglyph.com/free.htm to stop working. :( To disable the arrows, one should change the arrow icon (SHELL32.DLL,29) to an empty (transparent) icon, using the next topic below: 'CHANGE ARROWS'.NOTE: Some Win9x programs might "complain" or stop working after deleting these Registry keys! So BACKUP FIRST!
2. SAFER (?):
To safely hack the registry to permanently remove those funky little shortcut arrows, without adversely affecting your program shortcuts in any way, start Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Lnkfile and to: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Piffile
In each of these folders the right hand pane has the "IsShortcut" String. Right-click on it, select Rename, and change it to read "IsNotShortcut" (no quotes). Close Regedit and reboot. The arrows are gone now, but Windows still sees all the affected icons as shortcuts and treats them accordingly!"
3. "ELEGANT" (?):
Windows 95/OSR1/OSR2 users WITHOUT MS IE 4/5 -> download TweakUI 95, one of the famous, unsupported Microsoft Power Toys [204 KB, free]:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows95/downloads/contents/wutoys/w95pwrtoysset/Windows 98 and 95/OSR1/OSR2 users ONLY with MS IE 4/5 installed -> download this better TweakUI 98 release [100 KB, free, unsupported]:
http://www.tweak3d.net/files/tweakui.zip Use TweakUI to replace a shortcut's "arrowed" icon with a transparent (empty) icon, as suggested by Yuri Khan (see the UPDATE above).
To change the shortcut arrows on your shortcut icons, open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Explorer\Shell Icons
Change the value labeled SHELL32.DLL,29 (could be different on your system) to another icon of your choice. Browse your fixed drives for the desired "transparent" (empty) icon, in either .DLL, .EXE, .ICO or .ICL format. Just make sure you type in the full path to this file! SHELL32.DLL is located in your C:\Windows\System folder. In this case a transparent icon means a 32x32 pixels icon, in 16 colors, "painted" with the "see-through" color (most icon editors are calling it clear, transparent or see-through) for all 1024 pixels (squares), except ONE. This last pixel, located in the lower left corner, has to have assigned the black color. Use your favorite icon creating/editing tool to do this. TweakUI, the famous MS Power Toy, can also achieve this: assigns a see-through (transparent) icon to the shortcut icon automatically when you select the "Custom" check box for "Shortcut overlay" under the Explorer tab.
IMPORTANT: - Windows 95/OSR1/OSR2 users WITHOUT MS IE 4/5 -> download TweakUI 95, part of the MS Power Toys 95 Package [209 KB, free, unsupported]:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows95/downloads/contents/wutoys/w95pwrtoysset/Windows 98 and 95/OSR1/OSR2 users ONLY with MS IE 4/5 installed -> download this better TweakUI 98 release [100 KB, free, unsupported]:
http://www.tweak3d.net/files/tweakui.zip
To change the options Win98/95 gives you when making a shortcut to an MS-DOS app/game that requires its own AUTOEXEC.BAT and/or CONFIG.SYS files, open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\MS-DOSOptions
Create a new key called AUTOEXEC.BAT under any of the directories/keys listed for the key above, and give it a value, typing the exact program path and name (don't forget to type also the program's extension) you would like to include in your custom AUTOEXEC.BAT. From now on you'll be able to use this command in your existing AUTOEXEC.BAT, to load a particular program/driver/TSR needed to run your MS-DOS app/game. Then you can perform the above steps again, to add similar CONFIG.SYS key(s), and corresponding devices/drivers/TSRs. Press F5 when done, to refresh/update your Registry settings.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Tips
Go to the end of the list of existing Tips (Win95 comes with 48 Tips). To add a new String Value, right-click at the end of the list. Select New. Type the next highest number from what is listed directly next to "ab". Press Enter. Right-click again on the number value you created. Select Modify. In the box marked VALUE DATA, type your new User Tip. Select OK. Close Regedit and restart Win95. You'll see your new tip the next time the "Welcome to Windows 95 Tip" dialog box appears. At the beginning of the VALUE DATA, you might want to begin the new tip with a text string like "My Own Win95 Tips:". This way you'll remember which tips you have added.
You can turn off window animation (exploding windows), displayed when you minimize/maximize windows. This makes navigating Windows 98/95 a lot faster, especially if you don't have a super fast video controller, or if you got tired of seeing it all the time (like I did). :) To do this, run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics
Right-click an empty space in the right hand pane. Select New -> String value. Name this new value MinAnimate. Double-click on "MinAnimate" and enter 0 for "Off" or 1 for "On". Click OK. Close Regedit and restart Windows.
TweakUI, the most famous Microsoft Power Toy, can also turn off exploding windows. Just remove the check mark from the Window Animation box in the General tab.
Download the new TweakUI tool with added features for Windows 98/IE4 [100 KB, free, unsupported]:
http://www.tweak3d.net/files/tweakui.zip
This Registry editing tip moves the Startup folder from the\Windows\Start Menu\Programs folder to a different location, let's say \Windows (default Win98/95 files folder). The programs located in the Startup folder will still run, but the Startup folder will be in a different directory (\Windows in this case). This helps if you don't have anything in the Startup folder, getting it out of your way. The folder is just relocated, NOT deleted! To do this, open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders
The right hand window contains the path to the current location of the Startup folder (the default is: \Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp). Change this value to \Windows to make the Startup folder disappear for good! This is valid for all Win98/95's default folders (you can change their location to anything you want).
Example: change Win98/95's fonts location from \Windows\Fonts to \Fonts.
The Documents Menu is a clever idea: it displays a list of the last dozen or so programs and files opened. You can clear this menu temporarily. The only problem is that there is no way to turn it off permanently. This can be seen as a lapse in security, and the lack of a way to turn it off is confusing. But there is a way around this:
1. To clear the menu temporarily, right-click on an empty portion of the Taskbar. Select Properties from the menu, and click on the Start Menu Programs tab. Click Clear to "clean" the menu. But this is only temporary until you launch another file. :-(
2. To make the documents menu ALWAYS empty, right-click on the Recycle Bin on the Desktop, and select Properties from the menu. Under the Global Tab, select "Use one setting for all drives". Turn on the option labeled "Do not move files to the Recycle Bin". Now open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Shell Folders
In the right hand pane there should be a list containing one or more of your "special" System folders. If an entry named Recent doesn't already exist, select New from the Edit menu, and then select String Value. Rename the new item Recent. Next, double-click on Recent, and under Value Data, type C:\Recycled, press OK and close the Registry. Click on the desktop, and press F5 to refresh the desktop, so the change takes effect. Done.
To add sounds easy to ANY Windows 98/95 application/program, and to most of the sound events available in Windows, open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\AppEvents\Schemes\Apps
There are two subfolders here: .Default and Explorer. Open the Apps folder, click New, and then select Key from the menu. Type in your application's filename, without extension (for example Winfile, which is the executable WITHOUT the .EXE extension for File Manager). Then click New and Key again from the menu, in the new Winfile subfolder. Name this new key Open. Then create a new key with the Winfile subfolder selected and name it Close. Close the Registry and click on Start, Settings, Control Panel and then double-click on Sounds. Assign different sounds (.WAV files) to Winfile's Open and Close functions. From now on, when you open/close the File Manager, you will hear the newly assigned sounds.For each application in your system, you can add sounds to these events:
AppGPFault, Close, Default, Maximize, MenuCommand, MenuPopup, Minimize, Open, RestoreDown, RestoreUp, SystemAsterisk, SystemExclamation, SystemHand, SystemQuestion
Other events may be possible. Depending on the events your application generates, not all programs support all these sound events. Some of these sound events can be assigned only to Windows 98/95/NT (Win32) specific applications (32-bit). On a 486 or on a slow Pentium (60 or 75MHz) assigning sounds to most of these events may slow down your system a bit, especially if you choose large and/or Hi-Fi quality, stereo, 22KHz or above sound files.
NOTE: You can also do this using the Sound applet in Control Panel, but some of these sound events may not be available to all programs.
To remove the Network Neighborhood icon from your Desktop, open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Desktop\NameSpace
Click the particular icon you want to remove and choose Delete.
UPDATE:"The Network Neighborhood icon can easily be removed using TweakUI:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows95/downloads/contents/wutoys/w95pwrtoysset/
But, if you ever decide to use DCC (Direct Cable Connection) or install a Network on your PC, then reinstalling this icon is neccessary."
To (re)set your video refresh rate in Windows 9x, open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\Display\0000\Default
Look in the right hand pane for the "RefreshRate" String. Double-click on it and change its value to -1 for automatic refresh rate. Any other value corresponds to the actual vertical refresh rate frequency in Hz (Hertz), and MUST be supported by BOTH your video controller AND your monitor (CRT), otherwise you may DAMAGE one or the other! Also if you have installed more that one video driver over time (by swapping video cards or by upgrading to a newer driver version), you may have more than one subkey under the Display key above, like: 0001, 0002 etc. But keep in mind that only the most recent of these keys is "active", probably the one bearing the highest 000n number. Restart Windows when done to apply the new setting.
To reduce your hard drive thrashing and decrease the potential delay you might experience when you right-click to bring up a context menu or a dialog box, open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer
Look in the right hand pane for the "Max Cached Icons" entry.
Create it if not present: right-click in Regedit's right hand pane -> select
New -> click String Value -> name it "Max Cached Icons" (the spaces are required, but don't type the quotes).
The default value is 1024, which means the maximum size of your ShellIconCache file found in your Windows folder (which holds the information for all cached icons) is 1 MB (1024 KB). You can increase this number (I use 6144 for a 6 MB file, but you can also try 4096 for a 4 MB or 8192 for an 8 MB file) and then restart Windows 98/95 to see if it makes any difference. You may also want to delete a possibly corrupt ShellIconCache file after changing this Registry setting. Don't worry, it will be recreated next time you start Windows 9x. :)
Read this MSKB article for more details:
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q132/6/68.aspAlso consider running a benchmark utility like Windows Magazine's WinTune 98 (free):
http://wintune.winmag.com/Download.aspto determine your disk drive(s)' I/O performance. It is also recommended to edit your SYSTEM.INI file's [vcache] section to read (SYSTEM.INI is located in your Windows folder):
[vcache]
MinFileCache=2048
MaxFileCache=4096
ChunkSize=512
Meaning:
- MinFileCache specifies the minimum amount of system memory allocated for caching files.
- MaxFileCache specifies the maximum amount of system memory allocated for caching files.
- Chunksize specifies the size of each block of cache memory.
The above lines are useful on systems with at least 16 MB of RAM installed. On systems with 8 MB or less, try these conservative System.ini [vcache] settings:
[vcache]
MinFileCache=1024
MaxFileCache=2048
ChunkSize=512
On machines with 32 MB or more, you may want to adjust the "MinFileCache" to 1/8 of your installed RAM, and "MaxFileCache" to 1/4. Some trial and error might be necessary, depending on your particular system configuration. Create a new [vcache] section if it's not already present in your System.ini file. Save your work, and then restart Windows for the changes to take effect. And don't forget to BACKUP your files FIRST! Here are some recommended "MinFileCache" and "MaxFileCache" values depending on your installed memory (note that the minimum and maximum cache values are NOT the same, which helps if you routinely perform tasks dealing with large files):
|
Memory (RAM) |
MinFileCache |
MaxFileCache |
|
8 MB |
1024 |
2048 |
|
16 MB |
2048 |
4096 |
|
32 MB |
3072 |
6144 |
|
64 MB |
4096 |
8192 |
|
128 MB |
8192 |
16384 |
|
256 MB |
16384 |
32768 |
I have experimented with these values on 32, 64 and 128 MB systems. You may find that other values work better on your computer.
NOTES:
- CacheMan for Windows 9x [freeware, MUST HAVE!] does all this automatically, including different options you can customize, depending on your computer's memory and used software:
http://www.outertech.com/en/soft/cacheman/cacheman.html- Check out this excellent Win9x Vcache optimization article:
http://epsilon.silicon.net.my/adrian/Speed_Demonz/Disk_Cache_Optimization/Disk_Cache_Optimization_01.htm
To change your modem's default initialization string in Windows 98/95, open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\Modem\00nn
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\Modem\00nn\Init
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\Modem\00nn\Settings\Init
and change the default value, or add new strings, but BACKUP YOUR REGISTRY FILES FIRST!
Depending on your installed modem you might have all three or only one of these subkeys in your Windows 9x Registry. 00nn represents the subkey number assigned to your modem, and can be any integer number between 0 and 50. Examples: 0000, 0001... 0011... etc. These are mine (ONLY an example):
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\Modem\0000
"UserInit"="S11=40S15=128S27=64S28=0S36=7"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\Modem\0000\Init
"1"="AT<cr>"
"2"="AT&F1E0Q0V1&C1&D2S0=0M0<cr>"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\Modem\0000\Settings\Init
"1"="ATS7=255S19=0M0&M4&K1&H1&R2&I0B0X4\r"
"2"="ATS11=40S15=128S27=64S28=0S36=7M0\r"
The strings above apply to my "U.S. Robotics 56K Modem/Fax INT PnP" modem (as shown in the Control Panel Modems applet), model number 5687-02. Note that some of these strings include the AT prefix and some don't. Also, some include the full initialization string necessary to initiate your modem upon connecting. You need to respect these conventions for proper modem operation. The "easy way" would be to open Control Panel -> Modems -> Your modem name ->Properties -> Connection -> Advanced -> Extra settings -> add/modify whatever you want, but would THAT be fun... without messing with the Registry? ;-) These are a few recommended INI strings (I use all the time) to add to the default, for ALL 56K modem owners, no matter which protocol is used (3COM/US Robotics x2, Lucent/Rockwell 56KFlex, or the ITU V.90 standard): S10=60 avoids line dropping for "noisy" lines, extending the duration your modem waits to hang up after a loss of carrier (default is S10=14). Measured in tenths (1/10) of a second. This allows your modem to distinguish between line noise and a true disconnect (hang up) by the remote modem. In this example my modem will remain connected without a carrier for 6 seconds; S11=35 cuts the dialing delay by 2/3 (default is S11=100). Measured in milliseconds. This is the value I use with my ISP, but you may need to increase it to S11=50 if you experience frequent connect errors; S15=128 disables V.42 (older 33.6 kbps connect protocol) operation completely (default is S15=0); S27=64 disables V.42 (older 33.6 kbps) connect protocol selective reject (default is S27=0); S28=0 eliminates V.32 (older 28.8 kbps connect protocol) answer tones for faster connections (default is S28=8); S36=7 forces your modem to try connecting at high speeds in two ways before dropping back to a standard asynchronous connection with automatic speed buffering (default is S36=0). You can also try different values for S10 and S11 until you reach an optimum, depending (not only) on your modem type, line quality, location and ISP used. S10, S11 and S28 can be also used with most 28.8 - 33.6 kbps modems.
CAUTION: Some of these strings might NOT work with your particular modem! READ your modem's documentation for details. To learn more on how to maximize your modem's performance, read these topics, also included here (applying to all Windows 9x users):
- "56K MODEMS @ 56K SPEED!" in
MYTIPS95, "SPEEDUP MY DUN!" in TIPS95, "DON'T DROP BACK!" in TIPS95, "SYSTEM.INI TWEAKS" in MYTIPS95, "MODEM TIMEOUT" topic (included), "FAST, FAST, FAST" in MYTIPS95.A MUST: Check out these tech modem pages:
http://tech.newspeak.org/modems.html with comprehensive lists of modem commands and strings:- Temporary fixes: AT and S register commands for most modem brands:
http://tech.newspeak.org/spec-mod.html- Extensive AT commands reference guide for ALL modems out there:
http://tech.newspeak.org/extat.html- x2 S register commands table: ONLY for x2 56K modem owners:
http://tech.newspeak.org/x2s.html... And these ones: [optional :-)]
- AccessOne Modem Strings page:
http://www.accessone.com/support/modems/modem_init.html- Modem Command Sets:
http://www.banjo.com/modem1.html- Shiva Modem String/CCL Database:
http://www.shiva.com/prod/ccl/
If your modem is timing out (you experience too long delays) while performing file transfers or loading web pages, you might want to increase the inactivity timeout period. Run Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\Modem\00nn\Settings
00nn is the integer number assigned to your modem (valid values: 0000 - 0050).
Example: 0000.
You'll see the "InactivityTimeout" String in the right hand pane, which has an integer number inside brackets, representing the modem timeout in minutes. Double-click on "InactivityTimeout" and give it the value of your choice.
Example: "InactivityTimeout"=<60> Default is 30 minutes.
NOTE: 3COM/US Robotics modems might have a default S19=<#> value string assigned as "InactivityTimeout" (30 minutes).
Even though the Win9x Add/Remove Programs feature allows you to remove software installed by a Setup utility, some buggy Install/Uninstall tools do NOT always remove all traces of an application from the Registry, or from the disk.
To remove uninstalled (deleted) programs still listed in Control Panel under the "Add/Remove Programs" section, open Regedit and go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall and delete the remnant Registry key(s) for the program you want. Before deleting them, check to make sure a particular app didn't leave any "phantom" folder(s) and/or files scattered on your drives. To do this, scroll to the key(s) that match your program's name, double-click on the suspected String(s) in the Regedit right hand pane, and take a look at the path(s) shown there. Then search all your fixed drives/partitions for those folders/files. Delete them all. Now return to Regedit and safely erase the "incriminated" Registry key(s).
NOTE: You can also edit/add/delete the desired uninstall Registry keys by using TweakUI's Add/Remove tab, the famous Microsoft Power Toy [100KB, free, unsupported]:
http://www.tweak3d.net/files/tweakui.zip
To edit the Most Recent Used (MRU) list of your Run commands (available under: Start button -> "Run..." menu), open Regedit and go to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RunMRU
Here you can add/remove the commands you want. To create a new command: right-click on an empty spot, select String, name it using a letter between a and u (Win9x allows a maximum of 20 RunMRU entries), double-click on it, type in the command line you want (including the full path to your program), and finally click OK or press Enter. Make sure not to name your new entry using an existing name (but Win9x won't allow it anyway). :) To delete an existing command: highlight the String you want (from a to u), right-click on it and select Delete (or press Del), and finally click OK or press Enter.
NOTE: This tip doesn't seem to work on some Win95 systems! Therefore it's a good idea to BACKUP your Registry files BEFORE trying it! READ the next topic: "DAVID SPENCER'S RIGHT-CLICK COMMANDS MENU" for more info on right-click assigned new commands! Create a new text file with the lines below, name it NEW.REG, and then double-click on it:
REGEDIT4
; Add the "Open DOS Box" option for files and folders:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Folder\Shell\Open_DOS_Box]
@="Open DOS Box"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Folder\Shell\Open_DOS_Box\command]
@="COMMAND.COM /K CD %1"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\*\Shell\Open_DOS_Box]
@="Open DOS Box"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\*\Shell\Open_DOS_Box\command]
@="COMMAND.COM"
; Add the "Edit with Notepad" option for unknown files:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\*\Shell\Edit_with_Notepad]
@="Edit with Notepad"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\*\Shell\Edit_with_Notepad\command]
@="notepad.exe %1"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\*\Shell]
@="Edit_with_Notepad"
Running this registration file, adds one command to the shortcut menu when you click folders or folder shortcuts:
- Open DOS Box: opens an MS-DOS box set to the directory/folder you click on.
It also adds two commands to the shortcut menu when you click a file:
- Edit with Notepad: it opens the highlighted file in Notepad;
- Open DOS Box: opens an MS-DOS box set to the directory/folder the
respective file is in. "Edit with Notepad" is also set as the default option viewer for all unknown extensions. From now on, when you double-click on a file with an unknown extension (not associated in the Registry with a specific application), it will open in Notepad.
DAVID SPENCER'S RIGHT-CLICK COMMANDS MENU
SAMPLE.INF FILE FOR ADDING A PROGRAM TO THE RIGHT-CLICK MENU IN EXPLORER
INDEX
.inf file - the right hand click menu command file
Instructions - install and un-install instructions
Registry Information - details of how the Registry is modified
customizing the .inf - how to customize the .inf file
.inf file
; Right Hand Click Menu Command .inf file by David Spencer.
; Adds a command to the right-click menu in Explorer:
;
[version]
signature="$CHICAGO$"
; Following is the Install information / scripts:
[DefaultInstall]
; Add to registry:
AddReg = R_Click_Comm.AddReg
; Copy .inf file to \inf directory under the Windows 95 directory:
CopyFiles = R_Click_Comm.CopyFiles.Inf
[R_Click_CommInstall]
AddReg = R_Click_Comm.AddReg
CopyFiles = R_Click_Comm.CopyFiles.Inf
; Following is the UnInstall information / scripts:
[DefaultUninstall]
; Remove from registry:
DelReg = R_Click_Comm.AddReg
; Delete file from \inf directory under the Windows 95 directory:
DelFiles = R_Click_Comm.CopyFiles.Inf
[R_Click_Comm_Remove]
DelReg = R_Click_Comm.AddReg
DelFiles = R_Click_Comm.CopyFiles.Inf
; Script to Modify Registry:
[R_Click_Comm.AddReg]
; Add the command to the registry:
HKCR,*\Shell\R_Click_Comm,,,"%PROGRAM_DESC%"
HKCR,*\Shell\R_Click_Comm\command,,,"%PROGRAM_TO_RUN%"
; Add uninstall information to the registry:
HKLM,Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\R_Click_Comm,DisplayName,,"%PROGRAM_REMOVE_DESC%"
HKLM,Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\R_Click_Comm,UninstallString,,"RunDll setupx.dll,InstallHinfSection R_Click_Comm_Remove 4 RCComm.inf"
; Name of .inf file to copy:
; !!! MUST be the SAME as the .inf file run !!!
[R_Click_Comm.CopyFiles.Inf]
RCComm.Inf
; Source Disk information (stops annoying request for source disk):
[SourceDisksNames]
55="R_Click_Comm","",1
[SourceDisksFiles]
RCComm.Inf=55
[DestinationDirs]
R_Click_Comm.CopyFiles.Inf = 17
; !!! THIS IS THE ONLY SECTION YOU SHOULD HAVE TO MODIFY !!!
; Strings: display text + program information:
[Strings]
; Program to run - ie drive:\path\program.exe:
PROGRAM_TO_RUN ="notepad.exe %1"
; Text displayed within the right click menu (& signifies shortcut key):
PROGRAM_DESC = "Edit &with Notepad"
; Text displayed within Add/Remove Programs utility:
PROGRAM_REMOVE_DESC = "Edit with Notepad (Remove only)"
Install Instructions
1. Using Explorer, right hand click on the .inf file (RCComm.inf) and select 'Install'.
2. Let the Program run...
Uninstall Instructions
1. Open Control Panel.
2. Run Add/Remove Programs applet.
3. Select 'Edit with Notepad (Remove Only)' (or other valid text if you have modified it).
4. Click Add/Remove.
5. Click OK. That's it, you're done.
Registry Information
The .inf file modifies the registry by changing two basic items:
- the software settings for file associations;
1. Changing the file assosciations (found in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT) for the key '*' (this means that the command is avaliable for all files, and is default for unassociated files) so that the association has a new feature. The new feature is a command specified by the 'R_Click_Comm' subkey. The default value defines the text displayed: ie (Default)"Edit &with Notepad". The subkey 'command' defines the actual command that is executed (ie when the option is selected from the right click menu). The default value defines the program command to perform, ie (Default)"notepad.exe %1". The '%1' specifies that the program will accept a command line parameter, this is feed via Explorer, ie when you right-click and select "Edit with Notepad" it sends the currently selected file to Notepad as a command line parameter. The .inf sets up the following registry structure:
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT] (Default) (value not set)
|
+-[*] (Default) (value not set)
|
N +-[shell] (Default) (value not set)
|
N +-[R_Click_Comm] (Default) "Edit &with Notepad"
|
N +-[command] (Default) "notepad.exe %1"
NOTE: Lines starting with 'N' are new lines added by the .inf file.
2. New uninstall information is added in to allow the command to be uninstalled. To achieve this a new key is added in with the information regarding the text to display in the Add/Remove Programs applet and the program to run. Thus the .inf file sets up the following registry structure:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE]
|
+-[SOFTWARE]
|
+-[Microsoft]
|
+-[Windows]
|
+-[CurrentVersion]
|
+-[Uninstall]
|
N +-[R_Click_Comm] (Default) (value not set)
DisplayName "Edit with Notepad
(Remove only)"
UninstallString
"RunDll setupx.dll,InstallHinfSection R_Click_Comm_Remove 4 RCComm.inf"
NOTE: Lines starting with 'N' are new lines added by the .inf file.
Customizing the .inf
The .inf file may be customized easily to allow you to setup you own command which can be accessed via a right-click in Explorer. The
customizing can be performed on two levels Basic and Involved. The Basic customizing requires no knowledge of the Registry while the involved customizing requires a reasonable understanding of the basic Registry structure. The two methods are described below:
1. BASIC:
All customizing here revolves around the [Strings] section (at the bottom) of the .inf file. Here the three strings: PROGRAM_TO_RUN, PROGRAM_DESC and PROGRAM_REMOVE_DESC control the basic look, feel and operation of the .inf right click command to be added. The PROGRAM_TO_RUN defines the program which will be invoked upon selection of the new menu item. The form is "drive:\path\program.exe [parameters]" eg "notepad.exe %1" invokes notepad and passes it the selected file. The PROGRAM_DESC defines the text to be displayed in the menu. The '&' character can be used to define a shortcut key to invoke the command once the menu is displayed. The character following the '&' is the shortcut key. A little care should be used here, by preference it should proceed a previouslyunused character (go to explorer and right click on a file, note the characters underlined, these are already used). If a previously used character is used then pressing the key when the menu is displayed will simply move between the items with the same key, pressing enter when the desired one is selected activates it.The PROGRAM_REMOVE_DESC defines the text to be displayed in the Add/Remove Programs applet (found in Control Panel). The text "(Remove only)" is appended to indicate that the selection may only be uninstalled and has no other options. That's all there is to it. Note, however, that you may only have one command by using the .inf file in this manner, see the Involved section of customizing for details on how to have multiple .inf files and hence commands.NOTE: do NOT change the name of the .inf file, leave it as RCComm.inf! By changing the name alone you will make it unable to work correctly!!!
2. EVOLVED:
This is not really that hard just that it helps to have an understanding of the basic structure of the Registry before you begin. For simplicity's sake I have only detailed how to setup multiple .inf files thus allowing multiple commands to be accessed via the right hand click menu. Note also that this .inf file could be customized to setup new associations automatically for programs with little modifications (ie set the key to something other than '*' and also setup a sub key called 'DefalutIcon' with its defalut value set to the desired icon, see other associations on how to set this up) however, it is probably easier to use Explorer and goto the 'View' menu, choose 'Options' and then 'File types'. Setting up Multiple .inf files:
1) Think of a good name for your command ie Edit_with_UltraEdit.
2) Perform a search on the text 'R_Click_Comm' and replace with your new name from 1).
3) Think of an appropriate name for the .inf file ie Uedit (only the part preceeding the .inf extension since you still need the .inf part).
4) Perform a search on the text 'RCComm' and replace with your new .inf name from 3).
5) Modify the [Strings] section (as per the BASIC customizing section).
6) Save the file as the name in 3) with a .inf extension (NOTE it is important that the names in 4) and 5) are the same or it won't work correctly. Now cross your fingers and install it. That is really all there is to it. You can of course modify all the parameters but that is a little too complex for now." Wow! Complex indeed... But very useful too. :)
To have the NumLock key turned ON or OFF upon Win95 startup, open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ControlPanel\Microsoft\Input Devices Double-click on Input Devices, then click New, then Key. Name the new key Keyboard. Highlight Keyboard, right-click on it, then click New and choose String Value. Type in NumLock and click OK. Then right-click on NumLock and click Modify. Type in ON to turn the NumLock key on (or OFF to turn it off). Now close Regedit and then press F5, after left-clicking your mouse on an empty area on your Desktop, so the change can take effect.
NOTE: If you are using a Config.sys file to boot up, you can also choose to turn your NumLock key OFF by adding this line to your Config.sys (and then reboot): NUMLOCK=OFF Read CONFIG.TXT located in your Windows 95 folder for more details on Config.sys commands.
For those of you who installed Microsoft Plus! for Win95, there is a way to disable the System Agent log update.
Run Regedit.exe and go to:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Plus!\System Agent In the right hand pane, highlight "No Log". Right-click on No Log, click Modify, and change the numeric value from 1 to 0. Close Regedit and then re start Win95.You can now safely delete the file SAGELOG.TXT (or whatever you called it) located in your \Program Files\Plus! folder, if you don't want your System Agent to keep a record (log) of its actions anymore.
To change the default font displayed in Notepad, open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Config\0000\Display\Settings
The 0000 Registry key above might have a different value on your system: 0001, 0002 etc. If that is the case, refer to the appropriate Registry key for your active display settings. Modify the "fixedfon.fon" string found in the right hand pane, and replace the default Win98/95 display font (vgafix.fon) with the plotter, screen or system fixed font (.FON extension) you want to see in your Notepad documents, and in all other display screens that can make use of this font type. You can try to use any other .FON file installed in your Windows\Fonts subfolder for that matter. This change requires a Windows restart to see the effect.
NOTE: I haven't tried this, but it may also work with True Type Fonts (.TTF extension). These are scalable fonts. This is especially useful if you work with Windows 98/95's multi-language support installed, and if the selected font is bilingual. Windows 95 and OSR2 have one limitation though: you can switch from English to any other language only ONCE per session.
TIP: You may also want to try a better 3rd party replacement for Notepad, that lets you change its display font from within the program.I recommend the BEST + FASTEST FREEware text/ASCII editor/viewer, the Programmer's File Editor 32-bit for Windows 9x/NT:
http://www.lancs.ac.uk/people/cpaap/pfe/
This performance tip applies to ALL end-user/stand-alone Windows 98/95 systems.
Right-click on My Computer, click Properties, select the Performance tab and then click the File System button. Set your machine to "Network Server". This allocates about 40 KB of RAM to cache the last 64 accessed directory paths and the last 2729 accessed files. The "Desktop" setting caches the last 32 folders accessed and the last 677 accessed files, and takes about 16 KB of memory. The extra used RAM is worth the file system boost. BUT to make this work, you need to enable the correct Registry values ONLY if you own Windows 95 original retail, or Windows 95a OSR1, upgraded with SP1 (Service Pack 1). Microsoft acknowledged that these settings are written incorrectly into the Registry for the "Network Server" and "Mobile Docking" profiles on most Windows 95 (original retail release) and 95a OSR1 (upgraded with SP1) machines. Read the "Incorrect Settings for File System Performance Profiles" MSKB article for more details:
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q138/0/12.aspYou'll have to manually fix them by editing the Registry to get the expected performance boost BEFORE upgrading your machine to the "Network Server" cache setting!
NOTE: Windows 95 B/C OSR2 and 98 do NOT exhibit this BUG! The settings you need to change are found in the Registry under:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\FS Templates\Server
and respectively:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\FS Templates\Mobile
Run Regedit and go to the Server key shown above. Click on "Server", and inthe right hand pane you'll see two entries called "NameCache" and "PathCache".
These are their CORRECT hex values:
"NameCache"=hex:a9,0a,00,00
"PathCache"=hex:40,00,00,00
Don't type the commas in the value fields! Some older Win95 (retail) systems might need to have DWORD values instead of hex, to apply the CORRECT "Network Server" settings under the same Server
Registry key above:
"NameCache"=dword:00002aa4
"PathCache"=dword:00000100
HINT: To apply the correct "Network Server" cache setting values without messing with the Registry, open Explorer or File Manager and (double)-click on SERVER.REG (included). Windows needs to be restarted for these changes to take effect.