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More Windows Tricks and Tips

Disable Scandisk (Windows 95/98/untested on later OSes)

If your computer is suddenly powered down (due to power spikes, blackouts, etc.), Windows will automatically call its scandisk program to check the hard disk and the affected files. The intention is well, but it adds to the time of booting again. To disable it, we will edit the MSDOS.SYS file located in the c:\ root directory:

1. Go to the MS DOS prompt.
2. Type attrib -h -r msdos.sys to make the file visible and editable.
3. You should now be able to see it on Explorer. Right click it and open it with Notepad.
4. Among the entries there, change the "AutoScan=1" entry to "AutoScan=0". Now it would look something like this:

;FORMAT
[Paths]
WinDir=C:\WINDOWS
WinBootDir=C:\WINDOWS
HostWinBootDrv=C

[Options]
BootMulti=1
BootGUI=1
AutoScan=0
WinVer=4.90.3000
;
;The following lines are required for compatibility with other programs.
;Do not remove them (MSDOS.SYS needs to be >1024 bytes).
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxa
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxb
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxc
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxd
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxe
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxf
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxg
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxh
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxi
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxj
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxk
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxl
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxm
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxn
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxo
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxp
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxq
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxr
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxs

5. Save it as "msdos.new" in c:\ and close Notepad. Restart your computer and boot from a floppy disk.
6. Go to c:\ and type "ren msdos.sys msdos.old" and press Enter.
7. Type "ren msdos.new msdos.sys". Restart and look how successful you are in getting rid of the boring Windows GUI (he he he).
8. To bring it back the way it was, type "ren msdos.sys msdos.new" then type "ren msdos.old msdos.sys".
9. Restore msdos.sys' attributes (attrib +h +r msdos.sys).

NOTE: You still need to scandisk once in a while.

Creating a Bootdisk

Startup disks are very important for computer users. Whenever you have trouble booting in the c: drive, boot disks are handy for diagnostic purposes and more.

1. Click Start/Settings/Control Panel.
2. Double click on the Add/Remove Programs icon.
3. Insert your clean diskette into the disk drive.
4. Go to the Startup Disk tab and click Create.

Faster Windows startup

There are some programs that when installed in the system will auto load everytime you start the computer. This takes Windows some time to load. To disable some of these programs:

1. Click Start/Run.
2. Type "msconfig".
3. Go to the tab where you see the programs that load automatically.
4. Uncheck the ones you don't want.

NOTE: If you come across something you don't exactly know, leave it alone

Change Internet Explorer Start Page

Everytime you double click your Internet Explorer icon, you will usually see the browser connect to a Microsoft site (MSN.com, etc.). Fact is, you are not trapped in that setting. Here's how to change the default page:

1. Click Start/Settings/Control Panel.
2. Double click "Internet Options".
3. Go to the General Tab where you can find a Homepage section. The entry on the address is the site you will automatically be connected to.
4. In the address field, you can enter a new site or even jpeg, gif or htm files. You can type the location in DOS format.
Example: "c:\girl.jpg" or "http://www.myfavesite.com" or "c:\mydocu~1\mywork.htm"

Quick Closing of Active Windows

One quick way of closing active windows is by pressing Alt, holding it and pressing F4.

Refreshing the System

If you made some changes in the system and you can't see the difference, you might see it by pressing F5.

Directly boot into DOS. (Windows 95/98/untested on later OSes)

This is something that you can do to test your geeky friend's tech savvy. we will change the msdos.sys file so it will
straightly go to DOS and not Windows.

1. Go to the MS DOS prompt.
2. Type attrib -h -r msdos.sys to make the file visible and editable.
3. You should now be able to see it on Explorer. Right click it and open it with Notepad.
4. Among the entries there, change the "bootGUI=1" entry to "BootGUI=0". Now it would look something like this:

;FORMAT
[Paths]
WinDir=C:\WINDOWS
WinBootDir=C:\WINDOWS
HostWinBootDrv=C

[Options]
BootMulti=1
BootGUI=0
AutoScan=1
WinVer=4.90.3000
;
;The following lines are required for compatibility with other programs.
;Do not remove them (MSDOS.SYS needs to be >1024 bytes).
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxa
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxb
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxc
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxd
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxe
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxf
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxg
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxh
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxi
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxj
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxk
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxl
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxm
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxn
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxo
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxp
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxq
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxr
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxs

5. Save it as "msdos.new" in c:\ and close Notepad. Restart your computer and boot from a floppy disk.
6. Go to c:\ and type "ren msdos.sys msdos.old" and press Enter.
7. Type "ren msdos.new msdos.sys". Restart and look how successful you are in getting rid of the boring Windows GUI (he he he).
8. To bring it back the way it was, type "ren msdos.sys msdos.new" then type "ren msdos.old msdos.sys".
9. Restore msdos.sys' attributes (attrib +h +r msdos.sys).
By the way, if you changed msdos.sys to boot to DOS, you can still go to Windows by typing "win" and pressing Enter.