Windows 3.1 Tips

A clean CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT is essential for any uninstallation. Copy these system files under another name and select File/Run in Program Manager or File Manager and type SYSEDIT. In both files, search for and delete references to the program directory for the program you're uninstalling. Save the files, and immediately reboot your computer. If you see any error messages or experience any difficulty rebooting, restore your backups. You should reboot immediately because it will be easier to diagnose any problems.

Help

Closing Secondary Windows: Click, Click ... Gone

Secondary windows are windows that pop-up on top of the main window in Windows Help. They usually have a Close button, but if there isn't one, you can close a secondary window by double-clicking on the horizontal bar in the upper left corner of the window. Windows Help also includes pop-ups; these can be dispatched with a single mouse click, or by pressing any key.

Make Help Stay on Top

You can keep Windows Help displayed on top of the application you are using, so it's easier to follow the help file instructions. In WinHelp, select Help/Always On Top. This is a check-mark menu item that you can also use to turn off the function. With the WinHelp window on top of your application screen, you can resize and relocate it as necessary.

Memorable Bookmarks

You can share your bookmarks and annotations with someone else who has the same help file. If you have created any bookmarks, there will be a WINHELP.BMK file in the Windows directory. Send it to someone with the same help file and they will have your bookmarks. Delete it and your bookmarks go away.

Sharing Notes

Windows Help file annotations are saved in the Windows directory as files with the extension .ANN and with the same filename as the help file. So, annotations for WTHELP.HLP are in WTHELP.ANN in the Windows directory. If you send the .ANN file to someone with the same help file, they can read your annotations. If you delete it, your annotations will be erased.

Mouseless Maneuvers

You don't have to use the mouse to select a text or graphical hot spot in a Windows Help file. While displaying a Windows Help screen, press Shift+Tab and a hot spot will be highlighted. Press Enter to activate the hot spot, or press Shift+Tab again to move to the next hot spot.

Copy That Content

To save the contents of a Windows Help file topic in another format, select Edit/Copy. A dialog appears, in which you select the text you want to place on Clipboard. Then, open another application (a word processor, for example), paste in the text from Clipboard and save it in the desired format.

Don't Copy That Content

Don't even try to copy graphics or the content of help file pop-ups or secondary windows to Windows' Clipboard. Windows Help doesn't allow copying pop-ups or graphics to Clipboard.

Clip-On Comments

You can annotate any help file and add your own tips, tricks or experiences. In a help file, select Edit/Annotate, and type your annotation into the dialog box (or paste text from Clipboard). Select Save, and the help file will be marked with an image of a paper clip-a visual indication that there is an annotation. Single-click on the paper clip to read the annotation.

Graphic Help

You can copy Windows Help graphics, but it takes some work. With the graphic you want to copy on the screen, press your keyboard's Print Screen button. Open the Windows Paintbrush applet (from Program Manager, select File/Run and enter PBRUSH), and select Edit/Paste. Then save the graphic as a BMP file.

Defining Bookmarks

You can mark your path through a help file and revisit favorite places. When you find a place you may want to revisit, select Bookmark/Define and in the dialog box give the bookmark a name. Once you create a bookmark, it appears under the Bookmark menu every time you open the help file.

Some Day Your Prints Will Come

To print a help screen, select File/Print Topic. Windows Help will print the topic you're currently viewing-complete with graphics.

Help for Missing Help

If you click on an application's help button and see the message, "Help File Not Found," it's probably because you moved your application to a different hard disk. Select File/Open and look through the directories on your disk to see if you can find a HLP file with a name similar to that of the application. If possible, edit the INI file or change the start-up parameters of your application so it is able to locate its help file.

System Files

Stuck on Stacker

If you use Stacker or DoubleSpace, and Windows for Workgroups hangs at the logo screen when you have 32-bit file access enabled, check the [386Enh] section of SYSTEM.INI. and make sure it doesn't have an EMMDriver=ON line.

Lost Little RAM

If Windows doesn't recognize the RAM above 16MB on your EISA system, try adding the /EISA switch to the device=HIMEM.SYS line of your CONFIG.SYS file.

One-Stop System File Editing

With the System Editor (SYSEDIT.EXE), you can edit WIN.INI, SYSTEM.INI, AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files. Select Run from the File menu in Program Manager, type SYSEDIT and press Enter.

SYSEDIT-A Windows Icon

Access SYSEDIT easily by creating an icon for the program. Simply drag and drop SYSEDIT.EXE from Windows' System directory in File Manager to any program group on your main desktop.

Time-Out for Printers

When Windows has trouble talking to your printer, try changing the DeviceNotSelectedTimeout setting in the [Windows] section of your WIN.INI file. This setting defines how long Windows will wait for a device-like a printer-to respond before delivering an error message.

Transmission Time

If you're having trouble printing from Windows, increase the TransmissionRetryTimeOut parameter in WIN.INI's [Windows] section. This line defines the length of time Windows will attempt to retransmit characters to a printer.

When Double Clicks Are a Drag

Sometimes, Windows may mistake a double-click as a drag operation. You can make Windows less sensitive to mouse movement when you're double-clicking by increasing the DoubleClickHeight and DoubleClickWidth values in the [Windows] section of WIN.INI. The parameters represent the number of pixels the cursor must travel after a click before dragging begins.

Phony Fonts

If you receive files created with fonts you don't have, you can substitute a different one. Just go to the [Font Substitutes] section of your WIN.INI file to substitute one font for another. Type a line like: [missing font] = [near substitute].

Rev Up Non-Win Apps

To speed up non-Windows application performance, add the line FileSysChange=Off to the [386Enh] section of the SYSTEM.INI file. That disables notification of File Manager when non-Windows applications create, rename or delete files. It also lets you run non-Windows applications exclusively, even when they modify files.

Alarming Apps

If you find that some non-Windows applications seem to go to sleep in the background and never execute (or execute very slowly), wake them up by decreasing the IdleVMWakeUpTime parameter in the [386Enh] section of your SYSTEM.INI file. That forces timer interrupts after the specified number of seconds has passed, even if the application doesn't use timer interrupts, and it may speed up response. The value of this entry is rounded down to the lowest power of two (such as 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64). The default is 8.

Restricted Access Area

Don't change the [boot.description] section unless you know exactly what you're doing. It contains a list of strings describing the devices you can change when you run Setup. If you change these entries, you won't be able to use Windows Setup to update drivers to newer versions.

Networking

Set Your Net For Floppy-less Installs

Using SETUP.EXE's Administrative switch, you can install any version of Windows from a network drive. Install Windows on the server and enable sharing for the Windows directory. Run Setup with the administrative switch-SETUP /A-to load all the necessary files to a network user's system. Windows 95 and NT even have options that allow you to create files that hold setup info for unattended installs.

Right Directions for Drive Maps

To ensure that your drive mappings are correct, log onto your NetWare domain before you launch Windows. Otherwise, Windows won't be able to automatically restore drives mapped from File Manager.

Remote Backup Net Nodes Need Backup, Too

Third-party backup software (such as Cheyenne Software's ARCserve and Seagate Backup Exec) lets you back up the hard drives on networked Windows workstations. These products, and others, also let you schedule backups that are done overnight or during downtime.

Crossed Wires

The easiest way to create a two-computer, peer-to-peer network is to link NICs together with a crossover twisted-pair cable. The difference between this kind of cable and a standard twisted-pair cable is that the crossover cable has the 1 and 3, and 2 and 6 wires reversed. You can buy a crossover cable at a networking supply store or create your own by cutting the RJ-45 connector off one end of a cable and attaching a new connector with the appropriate wires crossed.

Solid Attributes

Protect files with DOS's ATTRIB command. Run ATTRIB filename.ext +R to prevent users from overwriting or deleting important files. ATTRIB also accepts wildcards, such as *.* so you can set the attribute for all files in a directory. Alternatively, you can select Properties/Options in File Manager to achieve the same results.

Local Service

Running Windows from a server is not a good idea as most networks don't have sufficient bandwidth to provide satisfactory performance. For the best results, run Windows from local hard disks. However, you can share .INI files from a network drive to manage the client systems centrally, thus enhancing control.

In the NIC of Time

Improve the performance of your network interface cards (NICs) by keeping their drivers up-to-date. You can obtain the latest drivers from the manufacturers' Web sites, ftp sites, BBSes or online locations. Be sure to read the documentation (usually a readme file) before upgrading.

Set Parameters in Software

When buying a network interface card (NIC), try to find one that can be configured with a software utility such as Intel's SoftSet or SMC's EZStart. It's much easier to configure cards via software when you have to make changes such as adjusting IRQs and I/O addresses.

Share the Wealth

To share your CD-ROM drive with other users, use MSCDEX.EXE 2.21 or later (which ships with WFWG). Make sure MSCDEX is in your AUTOEXEC.BAT with the /S switch.

Yes, LanMan Can

You can use LAN Manager with Windows for Workgroups because WFWG is compatible with LAN Manager clients. To make Windows aware of LAN Manager, add the line: LMAnnounce=yes to the [network] section of SYSTEM.INI.

Problem Peripherals

With Windows 95, you can easily determine whether or not you have a resource conflict. But with Windows for Workgroups, it's not so simple and the conflicts can prevent you from running in 386 Enhanced mode. To troubleshoot a resource conflict problem, remove all devices from your computer. Boot your system; if it starts up without trouble, put one peripheral back and boot again. Continue to do this until the problem appears and you'll be able to identify the peripheral that's causing the conflict.

Power Browser

You can use the MaintainServerList= line in the SYSTEM.INI to expedite the browsing speed of shared resources. You set this line to yes, no or auto. Auto makes your system the Browse Master for the workgroup. Yes maintains a browse list independent of the Browse Master's. No does not maintain a list, but uses less RAM.

Quicker Connections

If you frequently connect to the same resources, you may want to uncheck "Always browse in the connect network drive" dialog box. The dialog box will come up more quickly with your MRU (Most Recently Used) connections listed in a drop-down list under the Path combo box.

Ping-Pong

Pinging is a great way to troubleshoot TCP/IP problems. From a DOS window type PING ip-address. If the remote host replies, you know the connection is clear all the way to the host. Next, try PING DNS.NAME (such as FTP.MICROSOFT.COM). If that fetches a reply, you know your DNS (domain name server) is configured properly.

Log Reveals Knotty Problems

Windows can help you find trouble, if you ask it nicely before you start making changes to drivers or system components. First, open Windows with the command line WIN /B. This causes Windows to write a file named BOOTLOG.TXT. It also causes Windows to skip its opening screen (or splash panel); you'll see the C: prompt until Program Manager appears. As Windows concludes each step of its startup procedure, it writes a line in this file that tells you the step was completed. Rename the file to something easy to remember, like bootlog1.TXT. Now, make your changes to Windows. By looking at the new BOOTLOG.TXT (and comparing it to the previous version) you can tell what went wrong.

Button Makeover

You can display only the buttons you want, in the order you want, by customizing File Manager's toolbar. Select Options/Customize Toolbar and add or remove whichever buttons you like. Move the Customize Toolbar dialog box so you can see File Manager's toolbar. When you add or remove a button you'll see the immediate effect. To relocate buttons on the toolbar, highlight a button in the window and use the two Move keys to move them around.

Program Manager

TASK SHORTCUT'S

1. Change program item or group properties Alt+Enter
2. Select another program item Press first letter of label
3. Save current Program Manager settings Alt+Shift+F4
4. Move program item to another group F7
5. Copy a program item to another group F8
6. Tile windows Shift+F4
7. Cascade windows Shift+F5
8. Close Program Manager and exit Windows Alt+F4
9. Move a file F7
10. Copy a file F8
11. Properties Alt+Enter
12. Expand one level +
13. Expand all *
14. Collapse branch - (Hyphen)
15. Refresh screen F5
16. Change open directory windows Ctrl+Tab
17. Switch current directory window to another drive Ctrl+Drive letter
18. Move to root in tree view Home or Backslash
19. Move up one level in directory view Home, then Enter
20. Move up one level in tree view Ctrl+Left arrow

Foreign Characters

There are two ways to access foreign or accented characters. The first is to use the Character Map utility. Or use your word processor's equivalent: Insert/Symbol in Word, or Font/WP Characters in WordPerfect to insert the appropriate characters into your text.

File Manager

TASK SHORTCUT

1. Select all files in a directory /
2. Change focus from tree view to
3. directory view to drive letter Tab
4. Change open directory windows Ctrl+Tab
5. Select a file Space
6. Select a series of files Shift+Down arrow
7. Deselect a single file Ctrl+Mouse click
8. Select files to end of directory Shift+End
9. Run a file Enter
10. Delete a file Delete
11. Refresh screen F5
12. Move a file F7
13. Copy a file F8
14. View file properties Alt+Enter
15. Switch current directory window
16. to another drive Ctrl+Drive letter
17. Move up one level (directory view) Home, then Enter
18. Move up one level (tree view) Ctrl+Left arrow
19. Expand one level +
20. Expand all *
21. Collapse Branch - (Hyphen)

No-Frills Editor

1. From the command line in a DOS session. Switch to your DOS directory and type EDIT.
2. By clicking on its icon. From Program Manager, select File/New. Click on Program Item, fill in the Program Item Properties dialog box and select one of the DOS icons.
3. By typing or browsing to its command in Program Manager's File/Run dialog box.

Rescue Lost PIFs

If you modified a PIF file that Windows installed for you at setup, and you later decide to restore the original settings, rerun Windows Setup from the Main program group and select Options/Set Up Applications. You can reinstall the original PIF over the one you modified.

Verify the Version

Before you delete a mystery file in the WINDOWS directory, start by checking its Version Information, to see if it really relates to the program you're trying to uninstall. Version Information usually includes the vendor name, product name and a brief description of the file. To check the version, open File Manager and select a file. Then select File/Properties from the menu (or press Alt+Enter). In Windows for Workgroups 3.11, File Manager will display the Version Information (if any).

Hitting All the Hot Spots

You can easily find graphical or text hot spots in Windows Help files. Press Ctrl+Tab and all the hot spots on the current help screen will appear with their colors reversed. You can click on any hot spot to jump to another part of the file, or to display a pop-up window. Text hot spots are usually indicated by color and underlining.

Memory Management

More Memory with Super VGA

If you have a Super VGA display and use MemMaker, you can free-up conventional memory using the MONOUMB.368 file. Open SYSTEM.INI file, add device=c:\dos\monoumb.386 to the [386Enh] section and save the file. Restart your computer and run MemMaker by typing MemMaker at the DOS prompt. Choose Custom Setup; on the Advanced Options screen, answer Yes to "Use monochrome region (B000-B7FF) for running programs?" Then, follow the instructions.

Tight Fit for MemMaker

If you run MemMaker with a disk compression program such as Stacker or SuperStor, it won't undo changes in the CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files if it fails to restart your computer. To restore your computer to its previous state, quit MemMaker, and copy and rename the AUTOEXEC.UMB and CONFIG.UMB files from the host drive to the compressed volume. For example, if drive D is the uncompressed host drive and drive C is the compressed drive, you would type: copy d:\autoexec.umb c:\autoexec.bat and then copy d:\config.umb c:\config.sys.

Heavy Load

If DOS refuses to load high, check your CONFIG.SYS file for the BUFFERS= statement. If its parameter is set too high, DOS will load low.

Erroneous Error

Windows 3.x may generate an "Out of memory" message even when there's plenty left. That happens when there's too little DOS memory (memory below 640KB) available. Removing unwanted TSR references from your AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files and loading required drivers high, using the LOADHIGH or DEVICEHIGH command, should solve the problem.

When Plus Equals Minus

If you use QEMM to load programs into upper memory and get a "Bad Command or Filename" message, QEMM might be using a plus (+) sign for a delimiter in the file command from your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. For example, the command c:\qemm\loadhi /r:1 files+30 is not valid. To fix the problem, remove the command from your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, then add the files= command to your CONFIG.SYS file to specify the number of open files. In the case of our example, you'd use files=30.

Get the Message

To set EMM386 4.45 to display status, error and warning messages for troubleshooting, edit your CONFIG.SYS file and add the verbose switch to the device command for EMM386.EXE.

More Info for More Memory

If you want more information when refining your computer's memory usage, hold down the Alt key during reboot to initiate a display of start-up information.

Virtual Reality

If you don't need virtual control program interface (VCPI) support and are using EMM386 4.45, you can free some memory by using the NOVCPI switch in the command line that invokes the program. In prior versions, the NOEMS switch disabled both EMS and VCPI support, but now you must use both switches.

New Regions to Explore

If you have EMM386 4.45, it can scan and free up additional memory regions if they've been duplicated elsewhere. To enable this feature, edit your CONFIG.SYS file and add the high scan switch to the device= line that loads EMM386.EXE.

Make HIMEM a Messenger

To get status, warning and error messages from HIMEM.SYS, edit your CONFIG.SYS file and add the /verbose (/v) switch to the device command for HIMEM.SYS. If HIMEM encounters an error during initialization, it'll display the error message and other start-up information.

Turn Off the ATM

If you use Adobe Type Manager and want to temporarily free up memory, you can keep it from loading fonts at start-up by switching it off and rebooting.

Use It or Lose It

To free memory, check your AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files for unnecessary programs that load at boot-up.

Beware of SHARE

If you work only in Windows--not DOS--you can save a nice chunk of memory by not loading SHARE; it is seldom needed, and Windows uses a program called VSHARE to do the same job. If there's a line that loads SHARE in your CONFIG.SYS, delete it.

Sacrifice Fonts for Memory's Sake

Free up memory to improve performance by removing unwanted fonts. Open Control Panel and double-click on the Fonts icon. Select the fonts you don't need and click on Remove. The fonts won't be deleted from the disk, just removed from memory. Follow the same steps to reinstall them when needed.

Take Your Configuration to Task

If you run out of resources while performing an occasional task, try creating a special boot configuration just for that operation. The configuration should consist of the minimum number of drivers needed. For example, leave out sound card, CD-ROM, RAM-disk and other drivers if possible.

Version Control

If your AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS loads SETVER, remove it to regain a little memory. It's only needed so DOS can pretend it's an older version. After rebooting, if you don't get an "Incorrect DOS version" message from any of your programs, SETVER wasn't needed.

Higher Is Better

To maximize the amount of lower memory available to Windows, your AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files should (wherever possible) load all TSR programs and device drivers into the upper memory blocks. To do so, use the LH, LOADHIGH and DEVICEHIGH commands.

A Better Mousetrap

To save memory, provided you only use your mouse in Windows, remove any commands that load mouse drivers from your AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files.

Wallpaper Replacement

Use a color for the desktop background instead of wallpaper or bitmaps to gain some memory for running apps.

Screen Savers Are Memory Wasters

Screen savers use memory and can conflict with other programs. Disable your screen saver, or use a simple screen saver (such as those that come with Windows).

Virtually There

Increasing the size of your virtual memory yields results similar to adding RAM. Click on the 386 Enhanced icon in Control Panel. Click on Virtual Memory and then click on the Change button. Type in the desired size in the New Size dialog box. Your permanent swap file setting must not be larger than the largest contiguous free segment on the specified hard drive.

Step Up to StartUp

If you often run out of memory with only a couple of apps open, check your start-up group for unnecessary programs.

New Management Team

EMM386.EXE and HIMEM.SYS are reasonable memory managers, but there are more advanced ones on the market. QEMM386 from Quarterdeck Office Systems, 386MAX from Qualitas or NetRoom from Helix Software are popular memory managers and, if you run out of memory frequently, are worth a try.

Battin' Down Bars

Toolbars and button bars use memory, too. If you don't need one, turn it off. Most apps provide access to all functions via menus or keystrokes anyway.

Out the Window

An open window means memory is being used. Open only the apps you need, and if the apps support multiple windows, keep a minimum open.

Less Color, More Memory

The fewer colors your video card uses, the more memory you'll have available. True-color or high-color video looks great, but dropping back to 256 or 16 colors saves memory.

High Hopes

The HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.EXE drivers in CONFIG.SYS don't work in high memory. You must load them with the device= [path] [file name] [parameters] syntax, not the DEVICEHIGH command.

Swap Meet

If you've got sufficient disk space, use a swap file to take some of the storage burden off of your memory. Double click the 386 Enhanced icon in Control Panel, and look at the Type under SwapFile Settings. If none is present, click on the change button, set the type to permanent and hit OK.

PIF Piece

To save memory while running non-Windows apps, allocate only the minimum extended memory necessary in the applications' PIFs.

"Expanse" Report

To get the most out of expanded memory in Windows, be sure to use the RAM switch and not the NOEMS switch for EMM386.EXE.

Controlled Expansion

You should control the amount of expanded memory (EMS) allocated to a non-Windows app running under Windows by editing its PIF.

Do DOS High

You can save a lot of conventional memory by loading MS-DOS into high memory. Be sure you load HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.EXE with the Device= command in the CONFIG.SYS file, followed by dos=high.

Upper Berths

Save some conventional memory by using upper memory buffers. Be sure you load HIMEM .SYS and EMM386.EXE with the Device= command in the CONFIG.SYS file, followed by dos=UMB.

BIOS Fear

Super VGA cards often use nonstandard memory addresses that cause memory conflicts, which, in turn, can cause Windows to crash or behave erratically. On some systems, the only solution will be to disable video BIOS shadowing. You can usually get to the system BIOS settings by using a special key combination, like Ctrl-Alt-Esc, or when you first boot-up. In other cases, using standard Microsoft-provided Windows drivers at a lower resolution, if acceptable, will alleviate these problems.

Exclusive Video Off-er

If you run EMM386 and experience unusual video problems, try excluding the video card's memory addresses using the X=[video address range] parameter on the line that loads EMM386.EXE in CONFIG.SYS. You can obtain the address range from your video card's documentation. You should also place the range after EMMExclude= in the [386Enh] section of the SYSTEM.INI file.

Trim the TrueType Threshold

You can trade TrueType rendering speed for memory by adding the HeadlineThreshold parameter to the [TrueType] section of your WIN.INI file. Set it from 1 (slower rendering/more memory) to 300 (faster rendering/less memory).

Be TSR Smart

For DOS programs that require a TSR, save memory by only loading the TSR just prior to running the program (rather than have it installed every time you boot). To do this, create a batch file that loads the TSR and then runs the program; then, launch the batch file from Windows to start the program. When you're done with the program, you'll have to reboot to remove the TSR from memory.

BIOS Blues

If your computer generates an A:20 handler error when loading the extended memory manager, it's probably because of your system's BIOS. Some BIOSes need special switches on the HIMEM.SYS line in the CONFIG.SYS file to work properly. Check the HIMEM.SYS section of your DOS manual for a list of switches that you can add to modify this statement.

Sizing Up the Swap File

Your PC's memory should determine the size of your Swap File. If you have less than 4MB of RAM and use Windows 3.x, or less than 8MB and use Windows for Workgroups, the swap file should be around 8MB or 16MB, respectively. If you have more memory, then a 4MB swap file is probably adequate. If you still get Out Of Memory messages, simply increase the size of the swap file.

The Latest and Greatest

Make sure you're using the latest versions of HIMEM.SYS and EMM386. In order of increasing preference, use the versions bundled with MS-DOS 5.0, Windows 3.x}, MS-DOS 6.0, or Windows for Workgroups 3.11.

Resourceful and Steady

When Windows runs out of certain types of resources (file buffers, file handles, etc.) it can misbehave. If Windows seems unstable, try increasing the allocations for those resources. Look in your CONFIG.SYS file for lines like FILES=, BUFFERS=, STACKS= and SHELL=C:\COMMAND.COM /P /E:1024; increase the numbers you see there. These changes will use more memory, but you may gain stability.

A Thin WIN.INI

A quick way to gain some memory is keep your WIN.INI file small. Windows loads the WIN.INI file into memory, so a smaller WIN.INI saves memory. Delete lines that have been disabled with REM statements, comments added by setup programs, sections for programs you've removed and lines referencing never used fonts.

Swap File, the Hard Way

A swap file should be set up on a hard disk, never on a RAM disk. Using a RAM disk reduces performance on most systems.

Mono Tones

If you never use the VGA adapter's monochrome mode, you can free up an extra memory block. Just add the line VGAMonoText=Off to the [386Enh] section of SYSTEM.INI.

Applets

Daily News

To have your schedule greet you every time your start Windows, put File Manager and Program Manager side by side on your Windows desktop, then drag and drop the name of your calendar file (the one with the CAL extension) into your StartUp group.

Cardfile House of Cards

Because Windows' Cardfile restricts you to 1,260 cards per document, you may end up with several CRD files. Create a new CRD file, then add one card for each of the CRD files. From File Manager, drag each existing CRD file and drop it on the corresponding card in the new file. In theory, this lets you have more than 1.5 -million cards in your new, alphabetized master Cardfile document. Each time you open the master Cardfile document, select Edit/Picture. Then double-click on the CRD file icon of your choice.

Configuring Cardfile Dialing

If your modem doesn't make a connection when you use Autodial from Cardfile, you may have a problem with COM port configuration settings. From the Card menu, choose Autodial, and click on Setup. For most configurations, the settings should be: Data Bits-8, Parity-None, Stop Bits-1 or Data Bits-7, Parity-Even and Stop Bits-1.

Character (Map's) Traits

To get an enlarged view of the characters in a document, hold down the left mouse button while passing the cursor over the characters in Character Map.

Stay on Top of Time

To keep the Windows clock in view at all times, open the Clock, then size and place it where you want. Open Clock's Control menu, select Always On Top; double-click on the clock face to get rid of the title bar. Finally, add CLOCK.EXE to the Run= line of the WIN.INI file.

Multimedia Mail

E-mail doesn't have to be all boring text; you can use Media Player to incorporate multimedia. Open Media Player, select File/Open, then find the file you want to send--WAV, MIDI or AVI. Select Edit/Options; deselect Caption and Border around object, but select Play in client document. Click on OK and select Edit/Copy. In your e-mail app, select Edit/Paste Special, then send your mail.

Don't Be Without Sound

Media Player can't play an audio CD if the line CDAudio=0 appears in the MPLAYER.INI file. This line appears if a problem occurs when the SYSTEM.INI file is written, if the MPLAYER.INI file is updated or if there's a problem with the CD-ROM drivers. The CD Audio driver can be disabled if the CD-ROM drivers (including MSCDEX) are not loaded when Media Player is started, or if there's a hardware problem when the SYSTEM.INI is updated. Media Player updates the MPLAYER.INI file after any changes are made to the SYSTEM.INI file and changes the CDAudio=17 (enabled) line to CDAudio=0 (disabled) if Windows is unable to detect the presence of the CD-ROM player. If the problem persists, rename MPLAYER.INI to MPLAYER.PSS, put an audio disk in the drive and restart Media Player. On some systems, if there's no disk in the CD-ROM drive, CDAudio=0 appears in the MPLAYER.INI file when the SYSTEM.INI file is updated. The SYSTEM.INI file may be updated this way if you use the Windows Setup program to install a new driver when there is no disk in the CD-ROM drive. If this occurs, the CD Audio is disabled. So make sure the drive has a disk loaded before you start Media Player.

Timely Notes

Use Notepad to help keep track of your jottings. Type .LOG as the first line in a text file. Every time you open that file, Notepad will put the time and date at the bottom of the file (with the cursor right below it).

Taking Note of Memory

If you use Notepad for copious notes, you may run into low memory messages even if you have sufficient memory available. This is because Notepad won't open a file larger than 54KB or let you edit a file larger than 45KB. If you go over these limits, Notepad says you're out of memory. The solution is either to delete some text, start a new file or use a more capable applet like Write.

Spitting Image

It's easy to copy a Paintbrush image--just press and hold the Ctrl key as you drag the image to its new location. (Pressing and holding the Shift key will leave a trail of the image.)

Image Adjustment

Follow these steps to reduce the size of a Paintbrush image: From the View menu, choose Zoom Out. From the Tool menu, choose the Pick tool (scissors and dotted box). The cursor will change to a crosshair which you use to select the whole image by placing it at the upper-left corner of the image and dragging to the lower-right corner while holding the left mouse button. Select Edit/Cut, and then View/Zoom In. Then, select Edit/Paste. The Pick option on the control bar will become available. Click on Pick and choose Clear. From the Pick menu, choose Shrink And Grow. Set the size, shape and position of the image by placing the mouse crosshair at the position where you want the upper left corner of the image to appear and drag the cursor down to the right corner while holding the left mouse button. From the Tool menu, choose the Pick tool and select the shrunken portion of the image. From the Edit menu, choose Cut. From the File menu, choose New. (When asked "Save Current Image?", select No.) Finally, from the Edit menu, choose Paste.

Recorder Order

View events that have been stored in a Recorder macro file. First, run Recorder, then open the file with the macro you want to view; select from the specific macro you want to see (if there's more than one in the file). While holding Shift, choose Properties from the Macro menu. This brings up a dialog box that shows all the recorded steps in the macro.

Silence Is Golden

You can add to Sound Recorder's default maximum recording time. Click on Record, but don't record anything--just silence--for the entire minute, then save the file as BLANK.WAV. Subsequently, every time you want a longer recording time, open BLANK.WAV, select Edit/Insert File and insert BLANK.WAV once for every extra minute you want to add to the maximum recording time.

Instant Net

To create a quick "network," all you need is two PCs with modems and phone lines. To connect the PCs, open Terminal on both systems and select Settings/Terminal Preferences. In the CR -> CR/LF box, select both Inbound and Outbound. Select Settings/Communications and make sure both systems have the same Baud Rate setting. To have one PC call the other, the caller selects Settings/Phone Number, types the other PC's number, then selects Phone/Dial. The recipient types ATSO=1 when "ring" appears on screen. Whatever you type on one PC will appear on both screens. use the Transfers menu to send and receive files.

Write On

When you create a header or footer in Microsoft Windows Write, you can use ALT+F6 to go back and forth between the dialog box and the header or footer text.

Write Pictures

To capture and print screens, use Windows Write rather than Paintbrush. First, copy the image to Windows' Clipboard by pressing the Print Screen key (to capture the active window only, hold the Alt key when you press Print Screen). Launch Write, and select Edit/ Paste. Since Write is a word processor, you can add a title or other text. Select File/Print to send the image to your printer. (This process works with any word processor that supports OLE.)

Selection Perfection

Write doesn't have a Select All option, but you can select the whole document anyway. Move the cursor to the left side of the Write document until it turns into a right-pointing arrow. Hold the Ctrl key, and click the left mouse button once To select a single line, place the cursor to the left of the line, then click the left mouse button. To select all the text from the cursor to the end of the document, place the cursor to the left of the document, hold Ctrl+Shift and click the left mouse button. To select text from the cursor to the end of a line, place the cursor on that line, hold Shift and click the left mouse button. And to select text from a specific line to the cursor, place the mouse arrow on that line, hold the Shift key and click the left mouse button.

EQUAL RIGHTS FOR LEFT-IES

Hey, lefties! There are scissors for lefties, guitars for lefties, and no one makes you write right-handed, anymore, do they? So why should you have to use a mouse as if you were right-handed? If you want the primary mouse button (the one you click with most often) to be under the index (or pointer) finger, just switch the mouse buttons.

• In the Program Manager's Main group, double-click on Control Panel.
• Double-click on Mouse.
• In the resulting dialog box, select Swap Left/Right Buttons.
• Click on OK.

Now try clicking somewhere with the index finger (of your left hand, of course) to test the left--uh, we mean right--mouse button. How's that for equal rights? (Just remember that you flip-flopped the buttons, so when an instruction says "right-click," you're supposed to press the left button.)

SIZE IS EVERYTHING

Want to know how much space is left on your hard drive, or how much room a particular directory takes up? Do the following:- In the Program Manager's Main group, double-click on File Manager.

• your hard drive (or any directory within that hard drive) selected, check out the status bar--the bar across the bottom of the dialog box. There, you see your hard drive's total capacity and free space.
• ct any other directory in File Manager's left pane to view its total size in the status bar, just to the right of the drive's information. (Note: If you don't see a status bar at the bottom of your File Manager window, choose Options + Status Bar.)

PRESTO, CLOSE-O!

Tired of double-clicking on the little box in the upper left corner of an open application window to close it? Then try the keyboard way:

• sure the window you want to close is the active window (select it or use Alt-Tab to switch to that application). You'll know when it's the active window because its title bar will be highlighted.
• s Alt-F4.

Bye-bye window! Who needs ya, mouse? (You can also use the Alt-F4 trick to exit Windows, by first making the Program Manager--or any open group within the Program Manager--active.)

OUT-OF-SIGHT PROGRAM MANAGER GROUP-IES--PART 1 OF 4

You don't have to be a neat-nik to appreciate arranging stuff in groups. It's why we have closets, drawers, cabinets, cubbyholes, compartments, and the sundry other niches and nooks. When it comes right down to it, we don't want to have to root around behind the cans of green beans and corn to find the Ho-Hos; we want the Ho-Hos up front, in their own special place. The premise is the same for organizing your icons in Program Manager. If you use certain icons all the time and don't want to have to sift through a bunch of icons you rarely use, create a brand new Program Manager group for the icons you use most:

• In Program Manager, choose File + New.
• Select Program Group to indicate that you're creating a new group.
• Click on OK.
• On the Description line, type a name for the group; you may want to name the group "My Favorite Icons," for example.
• Click on OK.

An open window of the group you just created appears on the desktop. Close this window, and the group takes its rightful place alongside the other groups you have on your Desktop.

OUT-OF-SIGHT PROGRAM MANAGER GROUP-IES--PART 2 OF 4

In our last tip, we showed you how to create a new Program Manager group: Choose File + New, select Program Group and click on OK, and then type a description for the group and click on OK. But what good is an empty group? After all, you can amuse yourself by looking at it for only so long. When the fun fades, fill the group with copies of your favorite icons:

• Inside any Program Manager group, select an icon you'd like to copy to your new group.
• Choose File + Copy (or press F8).
• Select your new group in the list under To Group.
• Click on OK.

Here's another way to copy an icon: If you can see both the icon you want to copy and the destination group (open or not) on the screen, hold down Ctrl as you click and drag the icon directly over the new group; then let go.

Check inside your new group. You'll find an exact copy of the icon. Repeat these steps for any other icons you want to add to the group. After you add your favorite icons, leave this group open inside Program Manager for easy access to the programs you use most.

OUT-OF-SIGHT PROGRAM MANAGER GROUP-IES--PART 3 OF 4

n our first tip in this series, we showed you how to create a new Program Manager group: Choose File + New, select Program Group and click on OK, and then type a Description for the group and click on OK. In our last tip, we showed you how to copy icons into the new group: Select an icon, choose File + Copy (or press F8), choose your new group under To Group, and click on OK. Are you with us? Now the question is, what happens if you want to add to your new group an icon that doesn't appear in another Program Manager group. If this is the case, you need to create the icon from scratch:

• Open your new group and choose File + New.
• Select Program Item.
• Click on OK.
• Next to Description, type a label for the icon (the label appears below the icon in Program Manager).
• Place your cursor in the Command Line box and click on Browse.
• Navigate your way to the file that you want the icon to point to (usually an application's *.EXE file, such as WRITE.EXE).
• Select the file and click on OK.
• Click on OK again.

OUT-OF-SIGHT PROGRAM MANAGER GROUP-IES--PART 4 OF 4

In our last tip, we showed you how to create a Program Manager icon from scratch (as opposed to copying the icon from another group): Choose File + New, select Program Item and click on OK, type a Description, click inside the Command Line box and click on Browse, select the file you want the icon to point to, and then click on OK twice.

When you create this new icon, you're stuck with the look that Windows gives it, right? Wrong. Picking a brand-new look for that icon is only a few clicks away:

• Select the icon in need of a makeover and choose File + Properties.
• Click on Change Icon.
• Click on Browse.
• Select C:\Windows\Moricons.dll (or any other icon file you want to use).
• Click on OK.
• Select an icon under Current Icon (use the scrollbar to preview them all).
• Click on OK.

REUNITED AND IT FEELS SO GOOD

As you add and delete files on your hard disk, the information that belongs together isn't necessarily stored in one place. Over time, it gets fragmented, or split into pieces. The result? Slower performance. Fragmented data takes longer to read because your system has to jump around to access all the bits and pieces. You can improve performance and make your system's life much easier by defragmenting your hard disk regularly, such as once a month (more or less, depending on how much you use your system). To defragment your hard disk, follow these steps:

• Exit Windows.
• At the C:\ prompt, type
  defrag
  and press Enter.
• Select the drive you want to defragment (probably C:) and press Enter.
• Microsoft Defrag now analyzes your drive. Read the recommendation and press Enter to proceed with the defrag operation (or not). (Tip: If Defrag says you don't need to defrag, but you still want to, just press Enter again to choose the already-selected Begin Optimization command. Otherwise, press X to return to the C:\ prompt.)
• When Defrag finishes, you'll see a "Finished condensing" message. Press Enter, then select Exit Defrag and press Enter again to return to the C:\ prompt.

(Note: Defragging can take quite a while, so choose a time when you don't need to use your system.) There, don't you feel better that all that data's been reunited?

WINDOWS IN FORMATION

If you want more than one group window open in Program Manager but can't stand disarray, two window arranging options--Cascade and Tile--await you. Cascade waterfalls all the windows downward, with every title bar visible; Tile places windows side by side. To cascade or tile your windows, do the following:

• Inside Program Manager, pull down the Windows menu.
• Select Cascade or Tile.

Those windows step right in line. And if you prefer keyboard commands, you can arrange your windows without ever touching the mouse. Inside Program Manager, press Shift-F5 for Cascade; press Shift-F4 for Tile.

READ THE METER

Wondering how much memory, or what percentage of your system resources, is currently available? You can access this information from inside any open Windows application, such as Program Manager or Write. The results can tell you how much free memory your computer has; and this information is important if you want to know whether you have enough memory on your system to run the latest, greatest, most exciting version of the game you swore you bought for the kids.

• Pull down the open window's Help menu.
• Select About [application name].
• Read the amount of free memory and the percentage of free system resources at the bottom of the resulting dialog box.

Ideally, you don't want available system resources to fall below about 20 percent. Low system resources can cause lockups (ugh). If that percentage of free system resources is frequently close to 20 percent, now may be a good time to ask for (if you're working on the office computer) or shell out for (if you're working on your home computer) some more RAM (memory). You want at least 16MB of RAM.

LOOK AT YOUR FILES THROUGH FILTERED GLASSES

When you don't want the hassle of wading through a zillion files to find the ones you want (how's that for a convoluted clause?), you may want to try a filtered view in File Manager. By specifying which file types are displayed in File Manager, you can save yourself lots of time finding files. To set which files File Manager displays, follow these steps:

• Open File Manager (in the Program Manager's Main group).
• Select View + By File Type.
• On the Name line, type an asterisk, a period (a dot, in computer-speak), and the file extension. To have File Manager display only .EXE files, for example, type *.exe To display only Microsoft Word files, type *.doc. - Click on OK.

Now, no matter which directory you select, File Manager displays only files of the type you specified in the By File Type dialog box. To switch back to your all-files view, follow these same steps, but type *.* on the Name line.

GIVE YOUR CURSOR AN ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT

Have you ever noticed that when you hit an arrow key to move your cursor in one direction or another, the cursor thinks about it for a second before it goes? Hel-LO! Can we shake a leg here? Light a fire under that cursor by adjusting your keyboard delay:

• Open the Control Panel (in the Program Manager's Main group).
• Double-click on Mouse.
• Move the button under Mouse Tracking Speed toward Fast.
• Click on OK.

Try taking your cursor for a test spin inside the application where you noticed it dragging its feet (probably your word processor). Now that's more like it--the pitter-patter of faster feet.

THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING WINDOW

Did you know that you can minimize an open window without dragging the mouse all the way up to that Minimize button (the one with the down arrow on it) in the upper-right corner? Give your wrist a break and try the keyboard two-step:

• Press Alt + Spacebar (the result is the same as clicking on the button at the top left of the window).
• Press N (for Minimize).

On command, the window shrinks right down to the bottom of the screen. Later, alligator!

(To maximize the window again, hold down Alt as you press Tab repeatedly to rotate through your open windows. When you see the window you want, release both keys. The formerly minimized window jumps on-screen in full form.)

CAPTAIN'S LOG

Notepad is a small, can't-even-really-call-it-a-word-processor program that comes with Windows. It isn't fancy, but it does have one unique talent: You can use it to make a time-log file, with a time and date stamp after each entry:

• Open Notepad (you can find it in Program Manager's Accessories group).
• Making sure you use all caps, type
  .LOG
• Type any text you want.
• Save the file.

You won't see anything right away, but the next time you open this file, a time and date stamp appears below the last entry.

Oh, and by the way, you can't password-protect a Notepad file. Therefore, this probably isn't the best place to spill your guts as you would in a real journal, unless you store the file where no one else can access it, such as on a floppy disk locked in a safe.

I WOULD NOT HAVE CHOSEN THIS WALLPAPER

If you've worked in Windows for any length of time, you're probably familiar with all those wallpaper options that come with Windows--you know, the ones like Arcade, Argyle, Castle, Egypt, and so on. If you like a pattern but hate the color, you can change it. To change the color of a wallpaper option, follow these steps:

• Open Paintbrush (in Program Manager's Accessories group).
• Choose File + Open.
• In the C:\Windows directory, select the wallpaper you'd like to change, such as arcade.bmp, and click on OK. (Note: Some wallpapers are easier to change than others. We picked arcade.bmp because changing the turquoise background color is easy.)
• Select File + Save As and save the file under a new name, such as arcade2.bmp.
• Pick a color, pick a tool (try the roller--it fills areas with color), and start coloring!
• When you're finished, select File + Save.
• Exit Paintbrush.

To try out your new wallpaper, do the following:

• Open the Control Panel (in the Program Manager's Main group) and double-click on Desktop.
• Click on the down arrow next to File under Wallpaper, select the wallpaper file you just created, and click on OK.
• Now bask in the glory of your artistic expertise.

SCOTTIE OR DOBERMAN?

Did you know you can edit any of the background patterns in Windows? For example, you can change that Scottie to a Doberman by making the tail and legs longer. A pattern is nothing more than a grid of boxes of two different colors--black and your desktop color--repeated over and over again on your screen. To change a pattern, you simply toggle the squares of the grid off and an on. Here's how:

• In the Program Manager's Main group, double-click on Control Panel.
• Double-click on Desktop.
• Click on the down arrow under Patterns and pick a pattern to change.
• Click on the Edit Pattern button.
• Start editing. Just click an area on the pattern to toggle that "square" between black and your desktop color. (You can see the effect of your changes under Sample as you work.)
• When you're finished, type in a new Name (otherwise you overwrite the original pattern) and click on Add.
• Click on OK.

Ready to try out your handiwork? Back in the Desktop dialog box, make sure None is selected under Wallpaper, select your edited pattern in the Pattern list (it should be all ready), and click on OK.

CHOOSE YOUR ASSOCIATIONS CAREFULLY

When you double-click on a file in File Manager, the file opens in a particular application. For example, double-clicking on a .TXT file opens that file in Notepad; double-clicking on a .DOC file opens that file in Microsoft Word. These links between the file extensions and a certain application are called "file associations." Although it may seem that these associations are carved in stone, they aren't. You can change the association of any file type. (Note: If you're brand spankin' new to Windows, you may not want to try this one. Make sure you're comfortable messing around with this type of change.)

• Open File Manager (in the Program Manager's Main group).
• Select a file of the type you'd like to change, such as a .TXT file.
• Select File + Associate.
• Choose a new file type/application under Associate With, such as Write Document (write.exe).
• Click on OK.

From now on, double-clicking on a file of that type opens it in the new application. In our example, for instance, double-clicking on a .TXT file opens the file in Write. If you ever want to return to the original association, follow these same steps but choose the old association under Associate With.

HAND ME MY HIGHLIGHTER, PLEASE-- PART 1 OF 2

Want some tips for quick text highlighting in Write (or most any other word processor that runs under Windows)? All that fussy letter-by-letter clicking and dragging is for the birds. Here are four shortcuts that you're sure to love:

• To highlight a word, double-click on it.
• To highlight a single line, click once directly to the left of the line, in the left margin.
• To highlight an entire paragraph, double-click directly to the left of the paragraph, anywhere in the margin (or triple-click anywhere in the paragraph).

HAND ME MY HIGHLIGHTER, PLEASE--PART 2 OF 2

In our last tip, we gave you three ways to highlight text in a word processing document: To highlight a word, double-click on it; to highlight a single line, click once directly to the left of the line, in the left margin; and to highlight an entire paragraph, double-click directly to the left of the paragraph, anywhere in the margin. Moving on to four bigger and better selection techniques . .

To highlight a whole bunch of text, you can do either of the following:

• Place the cursor at the beginning of the text; then hold down Shift and click at the end of what you want to select.
• Place the cursor at the beginning of the text you want to select and then, while holding down Shift, use the arrow keys to expand the selection.

Of course, we saved the biggest for last--highlighting an entire document. In some word processors, you can choose Edit + Select All. But if your word processor doesn't have that command or if you're especially fond of keyboard combinations do one of the following:

• Ctrl-Shift-click (that is, press Ctrl and Shift and then click) in the left margin of the document
• Place the cursor at the very beginning of the document and press Ctrl + Shift + End.

You'll never go back to mouse selections again!

TRES CHIC

Wouldn't that title look better with that fancy accent over the "e" in tres? We can't do it here, but you can do it in your documents. Your word processor may not offer this option, but Windows has a character set that can give any document international flair. Just open up the Character Map and take a look. (The Character Map is in Program Manager's Accessories group.) To insert one of these characters into your document, do the following:

• Under Font, select a font that has the character you want. (Which characters are available to choose from depends on the font you selected. For example, Wingdings offers lots of wild and wacky characters that other fonts may not offer.)
• Double-click on the character you want to use. Doing so adds the character to the Characters to Copy box.
• Click on Copy.
• Close or minimize the Character Map.
• Switch back to your document and place the cursor where you want the character to appear.
• Select your application's paste command (or icon).

Voila! Instant character!

YOUR CHARACTERS ARE NUMBERED, BUD

In our last tip, we showed you how to use the Character Map (in the Program Manager's Accessories group) to add special characters to your documents: Select a font, double-click on the character you want to use, click on Copy, close or minimize the Character Map, and then switch back to your document and use its paste command (or icon) to add the character. Well, did you know you can insert characters without opening this dialog box? It's based on an old trick called memorization.

When you opened the Character Map dialog box, did you notice that, with each different character you clicked, a different four-digit number appeared next to "Keystroke: Alt +" in the lower-right corner of the dialog box? OK, neither did we--at least not the first time. Anyway, this number represents the selected character. Memorize these four numbers (or write them down). Then to insert this character into a document, do the following:

• Make sure Num Lock is turned on.
• While holding down Alt, enter those four numbers on your numeric keypad. Bingo!

Memorize the numbers of the characters you use frequently (or keep a list handy), and you can insert them into your documents in a snap, without ever leaving the application you're in.

OO-EY, GOO-EY, RICH AND CHEWY INSIDE . . .

Remember the Fig Newton song? Good, then you know how to say GUI (pronounced goo-ey). GUI stands for graphical user interface, and it's often used to describe Windows. If you want to use it in a sentence, say, "Windows is a GUI."

A user interface is the way a person interacts with something. So a graphical user interface describes interaction using pictures. That describes Windows pretty well, wouldn't you say? You use graphical (as opposed to text) elements--windows, menus, your mouse pointer, icons, and so on--to communicate with your computer. Now, the next time you hear someone say "GUI," you'll know they aren't talking about cookies fresh from the oven.

PUT THAT WINDOW IN ITS PLACE

Looking to move an active window but don't feel like using that pip-squeak mouse? Then move the window with your keyboard:

1. Hold down the Alt key and press the spacebar.
2. Choose Move (by pressing M). A four-pointed arrow appears in the title bar of the active window.
3. Use your arrow keys to move the window outline left, right, up, or down. To move the window diagonally, press two arrows simultaneously (a right or left arrow with an up or down arrow).
4. When the window outline is where you want the window, press Enter. (Tip: To back out of a move, press Escape before pressing Enter.)

Who needs ya, mouse?

SIDEOUT

In our last tip, we showed you how to move an active window around on-screen without the mouse (Press Alt + spacebar, press M, use your cursor keys to move the window, and then press Enter). Did you know a similar, mouse-free technique for sizing a window is also available?

1. Press Alt + spacebar.
2. Press S to choose Size. A four-pointed arrow appears in the middle of the active window.
3. Press the arrow key that points to the side of the window you want to size (for example, press the left arrow to resize the window from the left side, or press the up arrow to resize the window from the top, and so on). A double-pointed arrow appears on that edge.
4. Use your arrow keys to adjust the size.
5. Press Enter when the window is the size you want. The arrow disappears.

Using two arrow keys, you can easily make adjustments to both the height and width of the window. After performing steps 1 and 2 in the preceding instructions, do the following:

1. One at a time, press the arrow keys that correspond to the two sides you want to adjust. (A diagonal arrow appears in the corner of the window.)
2. Use the arrow keys to adjust each side. (Use the up and down keys to adjust the horizontal side, and the right and left keys for the vertical side.)
3. When the lines representing the sides you're adjusting are where you want them, press Enter. (To back out of a sizing operation, press Esc before pressing Enter.)

INVENTORY CTRL

Program Manager's File menu offers commands for moving and copying files and programs, but who says you have to use them? If you've already used the mouse to select an item's icon, you may as well stick with the mouse to complete the move or copy. Follow these steps:

1. Press and hold Ctrl or Shift, depending on whether you want to copy or move an item. Ctrl copies that item (an easy way to remember this technique is to remind yourself both copy and Ctrl begin with "C"). Shift moves the item.
2. Click on the item you want to copy or move.
3. Still holding Ctrl or Shift, drag the item into the desired Program Manager group window (or directly on top of that group's icon) and let go.

Who needs menu commands?

MEET THE CLIPBOARD

You've probably done lots of copying, cutting, and pasting in your lifetime, but have you thought about where those items go in between the cut (or copy) and paste? Windows sends the item you cut or copy--text or graphics--to the Clipboard. For an up-close look, do the following:

1. Open up a file in one of your applications and select some text or a graphic.
2. Press Ctrl + C or, if you prefer, choose that application's Copy command.
3. In Program Manager's Main group, double-click on Clipboard Viewer. (Note: If you have Windows for Workgroups, double-click on ClipBook Viewer, and in the resulting window, select Window + Clipboard).

Is the text or graphic you just copied staring you in the face? You betcha. Try one more test. With the Clipboard Viewer (or ClipBook Viewer) still open, select something else in your document (again, text or graphic), select the Copy command, and watch as the Clipboard boots out the old contents and welcomes the new ones. That's life in the fast lane.

IT AIN'T OVER 'TIL THE CLIPBOARD SINGS

In our last tip, we told you that when you cut or copy text or graphics it goes directly to the Windows Clipboard. We also showed you that when you cut or copy something else to the Clipboard, the new stuff replaced the old (Window's version of "out with the old, in with the new"). But all this doesn't mean that you can't reuse something on the Clipboard. If you don't want to lose the old contents, save them as a *.clp file BEFORE you cut or copy something else. When you save Clipboard content as a *.clp file, you can reuse that snippet again and again. (Note: If you have Windows for Workgroups, and hence, the ClipBook Viewer, you don't need this tip because you can save cut or copied items as pages in your ClipBook. We'll address this topic in a future tip.)

To save Clipboard contents as *.clp file, do the following:

1. Open the Clipboard Viewer by double-clicking its icon in the Program Manager's Main group.
2. Choose File + Save As.
3. In the File Name text box of dialog box that appears, type a name for the Clipboard contents.
4. Click on OK and the *.clp file's been saved.

When you want to use that item in the future, just open the Clipboard Viewer (Step 1 in the preceding) and then do the following:

1. Choose File + Open.
2. Select the *.clp file you want to open.
3. Click on Yes to confirm that you want to clear the Clipboard's contents.
4. Paste to your heart's content.

Using this technique is like cutting or copying that item again--without having to do all the traipsing around to find it!

YOU MUST REMEMBER THIS . . .

In our last two tips, we showed you the Clipboard and how you can use Clipboard contents in the future by saving them as *.clp files. Here's a quick review: When you cut or copy text or graphics, Windows stores them on the Clipboard. To view the contents of the Clipboard, double-click on Clipboard Viewer in Program Manager's Main group. To save the Clipboard's contents as a *.clp file, select File + Save As, name the file, and click on OK. (Note: If you have Windows for Workgroups and therefore the ClipBook Viewer, you can save cut or copied items as pages in your ClipBook. We'll address this topic in a future tip.)

When you deal with the contents of the Clipboard and *.clp files, you need to keep a couple of things in mind: memory and disk space. Because Windows thinks making Clipboard's contents available at a moment's notice is important, it keeps the contents in its short term storage area, memory. Point being? If you've copied something large to the Clipboard, it gobbles up a lot of available memory. If you won't be needing that material again, get it out of there: Select something really small, such as a word or even a single letter, and copy it to the Clipboard. Doing so wipes out the Clipboard's original contents and frees up memory.

The other thing to keep in mind is that *.clp files take up space on your hard drive, just like any other files. So if you think you won't need certain *.clp files again (especially space hogs like graphic-intensive *.clp files), delete them. (After all, you've got the original hanging around somewhere anyway, in case you ever need it again, don't you?)

STICKY SETTINGS

Did you just get all those Program Manager groups and icons into the perfect arrangement? Make them stick so that you won't have to reset them each time you start Windows: Choose Options + Save Settings on Exit. A check mark next to this option indicates that it's selected.

If you want to start over with a new look for Program Manager, deselect the Save Settings on Exit option (choose Options + Save Settings on Exit again to remove the check mark). The next time you start Windows, all the groups and icons return to their original locations.

FOOTLOOSE AND ERROR FREE

If you use the Calculator to come up with a number that you then need to use in another application, how do you get the number from the Calculator to the application? Switch to that other program and type it in? Too risky. (Oops, I meant $910,000, not $190,000.) When you need to be exact and want to work fast, go for the Ctrl + C/Ctrl + V combo.

1. Open the Calculator by double-clicking Calculator in Program Manager's Accessories group.
2. Complete your calculation.
3. Press Ctrl + C (or select Edit + Copy) to copy the result to the Clipboard.
4. Switch to the application where you'd like to insert the number.
5. Place the cursor where you want to put the number and press Ctrl + V (or select that application's Paste command).

You're assured of a perfect transfer every time!

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN

Are you the scientific type? Do you think the Calculator is the most elementary computing tool you've ever seen in your life? Watch this:

1. Open the Calculator (double-click Calculator in Program Manager's Accessories group).
2. From the Calculator's menu bar, choose View + Scientific. Whoa!

Can't take all those school-day math reminders staring you in the face? Choose View + Standard, and you're back to basics.

A NEW ERASER HUE

Paintbrush's Eraser tool is more complex than it seems. It doesn't "erase" anything; it simply colors an area with a different color--the background color, to be exact. In other words, the Eraser tool only creates the illusion of erasing. The point is, you can change the color that the eraser uses. For example, you might change the color to green to erase a purple line drawn on a green area. To change the color used by the Eraser tool, follow these steps:

1. Open Paintbrush by double-clicking its icon in Program Manager's Accessories group.
2. Right-click a color on the palette. The colored square around the currently selected color (to the left of the color palette) changes to the color you just chose.
3. Click the Eraser tool (the one just below the Text tool, which has "ABC" in it).

Use the Eraser tool to see the new hue!

JUST SAY NO TO ADS

Tired of staring at that Windows logo screen every time you start Windows? Why should you have to stare at an advertisement? You already have the product! The next time you type "WIN" at a C:\ prompt to start Windows, stop. Don't press Enter yet. Add a space, then a colon, like so:
WIN :
Now press Enter and enjoy your ad-free Windows entrance!

TICK-TOCK--PART 1 OF 2