... Windows Tips 'n Tricks 15 ...
As he teaches, so he learns.

You can accidentally move a folder to the wrong location or delete a file from that you really meant to keep. How do we undo a Move, Copy, or Renaming of files and folders? When you want to undo those commands, just right-click the desktop or window in which you performed the operation and select Undo for whatever command you just used. (Alternatively, press Ctrl + Z to undo the most recent operation.)

Though we don't upgrade internal hardware all that often, it's a necessary evil for some of us. Upgrading your video card, modem, etc.? First, be sure to remove its reference in your Device Manager (found in the properties dialog of My Computer). This way, Windows won't try to find it when it boots up again. That was a somewhat straightforward task, but what happens when you need to install a new motherboard -- without wanting to reinstall Windows? Don't pick and choose what needs to go; delete everything sitting in the Device Manager. Before you do this, of course, you'll want to back up your system registry (just in case the upgrade is a complete failure). Once you've disconnected and reconnected all your devices to the new system board, when Windows boots up, it'll re-detect your hardware and should configure itself accordingly. Skipping the 'Device Manager deletion' step is inviting disaster.

Do you have a couple of favorite sites you visit everyday? One way to access them quickly from outside your browser is to create shortcuts to their URL's on your desktop. To create the shortcuts for later use, drag a URL or hyperlink from the browser window to the desktop. Then, next time around, double-click the shortcut to launch your default browser and load the page you want. By having a selection of your favorite sites, you can quickly decide which site you want to visit first thing each morning without having to navigate through your browser bookmarks.

Windows 98 User Profiles let several people work on the same PC and keep their unique Start menu orders, Favorites, and other personal settings. It's a great tool for families who share a computer and don't want to clutter each other's PC space. But first you have to set it up, and here's how.

Click the Start button and select Settings/Control Panel. Then double-click the Users icon. A wizard pops up to help you create the new profile. When you want to add another user or change a user's settings, simply double-click the Users icon again.

Keep in mind, though, that Profiles is hardly perfect. For instance, some software doesn't take advantage of Profiles, so if you install it under one user, it doesn't show up for the other users unless you reinstall the application for each of them. Don't count on Profiles to protect your privacy, either. Even if they don't have your password, other users can simply snoop around your folders and see what you've been up to.

The manufacturer just announced a new version of your favorite software, but you're not sure which version you are currently using. In most programs, you can choose "Help" from the menu bar and then choose "About (the program name)." You will be presented with a screen that gives the version number and other pertinent information about the program.

Do you notice your system periodically stalling while the hard drive thrashes? This phenomenon is often caused by the Windows virtual cache feature. Like onboard caching, this cache is designed to reduce disk access, but it can easily grow large enough to put a dent in your performance. If you've got 32MB of RAM or more, try setting the cache size at a fixed number. It is recommended that 4MB for systems with less than 48MB of RAM and 8MB for those with 48MB or more. Here's how to set it up:

1. Run SysEdit. (Select Run in your Start menu, type SysEdit in the text box, and press Enter.)
2. Click the system.ini window.
3. Scroll down to the [vcache] section. If you don't see one, type in [vcache] as a new heading.
4. If you have 48MB of RAM or less, enter these two lines:

   MinFileCache=0
   MaxFileCache=4096

5. If you have more than 48MB of RAM, enter these two lines:

   MinFileCache=0
   MaxFileCache=8192

6. Close SysEdit, saving changes on the way out, and restart Windows.

Another way is to make the settings using a program called Cacheman. I'm not giving you the URL but you can always go to Google (a great search engine) and type in "cacheman" … simple as that.

Most of the time, it's best to let Windows hold the reins when it comes to handling virtual memory--the dedicated storage area on your hard disk for bits of data in RAM that aren't being used much. But if you're running with lower amounts of physical memory, consider giving your system more virtual memory. Follow these steps:

1. Right-click My Computer, go to Properties, and to Performance.
2. In Virtual Memory click on "Let me specify my own virtual memory settings:" and enter a minimum of 2.5 times the amount of RAM, and a maximum of one above that.
3. Click OK, OK.

For example, if you have 128 MB RAM, then 2.5 will be 320 MB. That's what you enter in the "minimum" box. In the "maximum" box you will enter 320 MB; as simple as that.

There are certain files that are so important that Microsoft in its wisdom allows (encourages) you to keep them hidden (invisible). In fact, that's the default status of those files (an example would be the dll files). To make them visible:

1. Open Windows Explorer or My Computer

2. Click View on the menu and choose Folder Options.

3. Click the View tab and then click the radio button, Show All Files. Then click OK … this will make all hidden files visible to Windows Explorer.

Remember to go back to View, Folder Options, View, and click radio button, "Do not show hidden or system files" when finished or (Now who are those strangers?), you won't recognize all the "new" files you see in your windows.

Simple test to see if VBS is running on your system and also to see how easy it is to write/run a VBS script is to do the old famous "Hello World" program.

Open Notepad and type this one line of Visual Basic Script:

MsgBox "Hello, World!", 0, "The Windows Scripting Host (WSH) says"

Type (or copy/paste) that entire line, and then use Notepad's SAVE AS function and save the file to your Desktop as HELLO.VBS. Now click on the file's icon. The WSH (Windows Scripting Host) running in the background, interprets your Script and opens the little "Hello, World" dialog box. It's that easy to add and run VBS scripts on your Win98 system. Have fun...

If your computer has a sound card and speakers installed and properly set up, you probably noticed the speaker icon that sits in the system tray of your taskbar throughout your Windows session. Aside from letting you know that your computer can play sounds, you can also use it to quickly access your system's volume control functions. Click once on the icon to display the master volume control and mute function; double-click it to display the full volume control panel.

To display the volume icon if it's missing from the system tray -- or, conversely, to remove it -- do the following: click the Start button, point to Settings, select Control Panel, double-click Multimedia, and click the Audio tab (if it doesn't already have the focus). Select -- or deselect -- the option Show Volume Control on the Taskbar. Click OK to save the change and close the Control Panel.