Cozy Den Archives
WIN TIP OF THE DAY

These are the WinTips for the weeks of
June 28 through July 9, 1999!

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* * T I P   O F   T H E   D A Y     June 28, 1999 * *
For WIN98 - Reboot the Taskbar

* If you change a Registry setting that affects the taskbar or Start menu, here's how to enable the new setting without restarting Windows. After making a change, press Ctrl+Alt+Del to bring up the Close Program dialog. Select Explorer and click on the End Task button. In the Shut Down Windows dialog that pops up, click on No (or Cancel if you have IE 4.0 installed) *
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* * T I P   O F   T H E   D A Y     June 29, 1999 * *
For WIN9X - Getting Back to Windows

* Have you ever pressed the Full Screen button on the toolbar of an MS-DOS Prompt window and then couldn't find your way back to Win9x? If so, simply press Alt+Enter to return to Windows. *
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* * T I P   O F   T H E   D A Y     June 30, 1999 * *
For WIN9X - Text File Trickery

** Here's an easy way to always open TXT files in WordPad rather than Notepad. Click once on any TXT file, then hold down the Shift key and right-click on the file. Choose Open With from the pop-up menu, scroll through the list of programs and choose WordPad. Check the box labeled "Always use this program to open this type of file" before you click on OK. **
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* * T I P   O F   T H E   D A Y     July 1, 1999 * *
For WIN 9X - Oust the Update Folder

** When you install Internet Explorer 5 over Win9x, you'll find a new folder called Windows Update Setup Files in your root directory. This folder is filled with setup files that take up between 10MB and 20MB of space on your hard disk. It's a good idea to save them for a while after installing IE5 to make sure it's running properly. That way, you won't have to download the app again if you run into trouble and want to reinstall. After using IE5 for a while without encountering any problems, you can delete these files to regain the disk space.**
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* * T I P   O F   T H E   D A Y     July 2, 1999 * *
For WIN9X - Take A CAB to Replace BAD System Files

* * You can manually extract files from your Windows CD or IE setup CAB files, which can be very useful when your PC tells you KERNEL32.DLL or another system file has been corrupted. Win98's System File Checker (SFC.EXE in the \WINDOWS\SYSTEM folder) can automatically fix some corrupted files for you. But Win95 users can also make repairs using the DOS EXTRACT.EXE tool (in the \WINDOWS\COMMANDS folder). Type EXTRACT /? from a DOS window to view the syntax requirements and available options for using this tool. For more detailed information, see Microsoft's Web page "How to Extract Original Compressed Windows Files" at http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q129/6/05.asp. * *
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* * T I P   O F   T H E   D A Y     July 5, 1999 * *
National Holiday celebrating 4th of July... no tips!!!
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* * T I P   O F   T H E   D A Y     July 6, 1999 * *
Win 9X-Open this file in DOS

Do you frequently open a specific folder as a DOS directory? You can automate the process by placing a shortcut in the Windows folder. First, create a new shortcut by right-clicking on the Desktop. In the Command line field, type command; and in the name field, type Open Directory. Once the shortcut is created, right-click on it, select Properties, click on the Program tab, and type the path for the DOS directory you want to open in the Working field. For example, type \Windows\Favorites to open the Favorites folder. If you'd like to see a file listing whenever you run the shortcut, type dir /p in the Batch file field. * *
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* * T I P   O F   T H E   D A Y     July 7, 1999 * *
For WIN9X - Adding accent marks

There's an easy way to add accent marks-and other special characters-to words like resúme and café. Open the Character Map application (Start/Programs/Accessories in Windows 95, Start/Programs/Accessories/System Tools in Win98). If Character Map isn't installed, you can add it using Control Panel's Add/Remove Programs applet. In the drop-down list under Font, select the font you're using in your document. In Character Map, find the character you need, double-click it to add it to the Characters To Copy field, then click on Copy. Return to your document, place your cursor where you'd like the character to appear (or select a letter to replace) and press Ctrl+V to paste the new character.
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EXTRA TIDBIT FROM Margie in *Texas*!: While you are checking out the CHARACTER MAP, notice that they show you what key to press to create the symbol you want. Some symbols are created with the number pad that is located to the right of the keyboard and the ALT key. You hold down the ALT key and then click the NUMBER PAD number sequence and let up the ALT key. There are a couple that I use all the time:

•     ALT + 0162 =     ¢     (cent sign!)
  
•     ALT + 0186 =     º     (degree sign for temperature- like 95º)

Just remember that special fonts may have different symbols than standard ones. You can always bring up the CHARACTER MAP to see exactly what symbols are included with each font!
You can also make amusing funny faces like this: ò¿ó and this ;¬þ LOL!!!
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* * T I P   O F   T H E   D A Y     July 8, 1999 * *
For WIN9X - More on the Character Map

You can skip Character Map altogether on characters you frequently use, and use their keyboard shortcuts instead. The Character Map applet shows the shortcut for each character you select. The e character, for example, has a keyboard shortcut, Alt+0233. To insert a special character this way, turn on Num Lock and hold down the Alt key while you type the shortcut number using your keyboard's number pad
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* * T I P   O F   T H E   D A Y     July 9, 1999 * *
For WIN9X - Tuck away the Task Bar

If the taskbar gets in your way, there are a few ways to move or hide it. You can move it to the top or sides of your screen by dragging and dropping it on the appropriate edge. Wherever the taskbar is, right-click on it, choose Properties and check the Auto Hide option to make it disappear until you move the mouse pointer to the screen edge where it hides. To hide it permanently, turn off Auto Hide and drag the taskbar off the screen. Its edge will stay visible so you can drag it back again.
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