Some computer tips and tricks vol7

Quick Access to Your Desktop

How do you access your darn desktop when you have a ton of applications open?
Well you could right click on the taskbar and do a minimize all, but that can be slow.
Instead:

1. Open a browser window (double-click on "My Computer")
2. If there is no toolbar, select View from the menu and select Toolbar.
3. Then from the dropdown list-box in the toolbar select desktop.
4. Now minimize it and forget about it.
5. The next time you want to access your desktop just click the desktop window on the taskbar.
6. As long as you don't close the window when you shutdown, it will reopen when you start windows again.

Additional Note from Bob: You can also drag the Desktop folder to the start menu.
Then you just press Ctrl-ESC and click on Desktop

Restoring Corrupted Icons

* If you use a graphic Card and you change the resolution, sometimes the icons are bad.
* End Win95 and restart. When you see the starting message press F8 then type standard.
* After this start of Win95 exit and restart.
* Change back to your Resolution and restart.
* The icons should be corrected.

Turn Off Window Animation

You can shut off the animation displayed when you minimize and maximize windows.
This tip makes navigating Windows 95 a lot faster especially for those that don't have
super fast video cards.

1. Open Regedit
2. HKEY_CURRENT_USER
3. Control panel
4. Desktop
5. WindowMetrics
6. Right Mouse Click an empty space in the right pane.
7. Select new/string value.
8. Name the new value MinAnimate.
9. Doubleclick on the new string value (MinAnimate) and click on "Modify"
10. Enter a value of 0 for Off or 1 for On then hit
11. Close Regedit and all programs then reboot.

Renaming the Recycle Bin

1. Start the Registry Editor
2. Type Ctrl-F to bring up the Find Menu
3. In the Find What box type Recycle
4. Double click on the Recycle Bin in the right pane
5. Type in the new name under Value Data
6. Restart Win95

Turning off Desktop Icons

If you want to turn off all the icons on your desktop:

1. Start the System Policy Editor
2. Select File / Open Registry
3. Select Local User
4. Select Shell / Restrictions
5. Select Hide all items on Desktop

All Icons will now be hidden.

Note: One side effect is the your CD will no longer automatically play when it is inserted.

Adding in Old Windows Groups

If you are setup to dual boot between your old Win 3.x and want to add in the old groups, just click on the *.GRP file in your old windows directory. The programs will be added to your list under Programs in the task bar.

Note: Any DLL's the programs require will need to be copied.
To speed up the Start Menu

1. Start the REGEDIT program
2. Search for the word desktop
3. This should be in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT / CLSID / {00021400...
4. Right Click on the right panel
5. Pick NEW / String Value.
6. Name it MenuShowDelay, all one word.
7. Select a value from 1-10, 1 being the fastest.
8. Exit REGEDIT
9. Restart Windows

To change the My Computer or Recycle Bin icon

1. Open Regedit
2. Find My Computer or Recycle Bin
3. Tab to the left panel
4. Double click on the highlighted line
5. Double click on DefaultIcon in the left panel
6. Double click on DefaultIcon right panel
7. Type in the value for the new icon
8. Note: DLL files can be used. Specify the location of the new icon with the filename,#

Remove the tildes in short filenames

1. Open Regedit
2. Go to Hkey_Local_Machine\System\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\FileSystem
3. Right Click on the Right pane
4. Select New / Hex
5. Add the value NameNumericTail= 0

To remove the Network Neighborhood Icon

1. Start POLEDIT. It is on the CD in \Admin\Apptools\Poledit
2. Open Registry
3. Select LocalUser
4. Select Shell
5. Select Restrictions
6. Select Hide Network Neighborhood

To change the Startup and Logoff screens
Startup Screen

* Create a 320x400 bitmap in the root directory and name it LOGO.SYS
* You can use LOGOW.SYS file in the Windows directory as a starter

Logoff Screens

1. There are several files called LOGOX.SYS
2. They are actually bitmaps 320x400 that just have a different extension
3. The hidden one in the root directory LOGO.SYS is the startup logo.
4. There are two files in the Windows directory.
5. LOGOW.SYS is the Wait while Shutting down ... screen
6. LOGOS.SYS is the You may now shut-off or Reboot screen
7. To edit them, rename them with a BMP extension and use your favorite graphic editor
8. You can edit these files or create you own
9. They just need to be the same size