Tips for Windows. ● Next page ● Previous page Copyright (c) 1996-2001 by Michael B. Karbo. http://www.karbosguide.com/software/15.htm (5 of 5)7/27/2004 4:07:26 AM Tips for Windows. Karbosguide.com. Software Tip 14 Windows Autotexts ● Next page ● Previous page It is terribly impractical to have to repeat the same operations over and over again. Some programs (like Word) gives lots of options for customizing their execution with macros, autotexts, and keyboard shortcuts. You can read about that in "Word 97 short course," where I have given much emphasis on these options. But other - many other- Windows programs do not offer these macro etc. options. That is the case with a program like Composer, which I use to write my home pages. There is no question that the program is excellent for writing home pages. But its functionality is quite primitive. There are hardly any keyboard shortcuts, and no macros. Many Windows programs are designed like this, and it can really be quite trying to fight your way through a larger assignment. You can get help. I am talking about two programs, which can spruce up any Windows program. I can equip Composer with just the same autotexts and keyboard shortcuts, which I enjoy so much in Word: ● ShortKeys 98 ● MacroExpress 98 Both programs require some getting used to, but then they really work. Unfortunately only for 30 days, unless you pay for them. Let me show you some examples of how I use them. First the simplest of the programs: ShortKeys 98 [top] ShortKeys is quite similar to the Autotext function in the word processing program Word. The idea is that you make an abbreviation of those words or expressions you use most frequently. The smart thing about ShortKeys is that it works in all Windows programs. Look at this illustration: http://www.karbosguide.com/software/14.htm (1 of 2)7/27/2004 4:07:26 AM Tips for Windows. Every time I need to write the word Windows, I just press w. When I hit the space bar after the w, the abbreviation is replaced immediately and automatically with "Windows". Likewise: ● h gives the text home pages, ● ht give gives the text Click & Learn: http://www.mkdata.dk/english ● etc. You just have to get used to the program, since it sometimes may surprise you. But that is soon corrected, and it really saves you time. That is certainly worth its $20 - register it right away! ● Next page ● Previous page Copyright (c) 1996-2001 by Michael B. Karbo. http://www.karbosguide.com/software/14.htm (2 of 2)7/27/2004 4:07:26 AM Tips for Windows. Karbosguide.com. Software Tip 13 The FAX program - what happened in Windows 98? ● Next page ● Previous page Windows FAX is the program which enables you to send fax using your modem. That is a smart item, since fax by modem can appear much more appealing to the receiver than fax from a machine. Machine fax has to be scanned first, and that results in a loss of quality. The FAX function was quite simple to install in Windows 95, but for some reason that program has been omitted in Windows 98. Well it is not really gone, but you have to look hard for it. Then you have to install it yourself. Peculiar, but here is how: On the Windows 98 CD-ROM you need to enter the folder \WIN98\TOOLS\OLDWIN95 \MESSAGE. There you find the Awfax program, and you need to click on that: After you have accepted the license agreement, you can now install Microsoft Fax: http://www.karbosguide.com/software/13.htm (1 of 3)7/27/2004 4:07:27 AM Tips for Windows. Now follows the installation: http://www.karbosguide.com/software/13.htm (2 of 3)7/27/2004 4:07:27 AM Tips for Windows. After you restart your PC, Microsoft Fax will be ready to use. It works by installing an extra printer: When you have written a document in your word processor, you can print that to the fax instead of your regular printer. I hope this works (my own ISDN modem can not work with fax). One question remains: Why all these capers to hide the program so far out of the way in Windows 98? God's ways are unfathomable! ● Next page ● Previous page Copyright (c) 1996-2001 by Michael B. Karbo. http://www.karbosguide.com/software/13.htm (3 of 3)7/27/2004 4:07:27 AM Tips for Windows. Karbosguide.com. Software Tip 12 Tweak UI ● Next page ● Previous page TWEAK UI, which is found on the 98 CD, is a program to customize the user interface. It is included in the collection of small programs, which is known as "Power toys." In Windows 98 these programs have been included in the CD-ROM, but they are still well hidden. First look at the installation here. You need to find an installation file named tweakui.inf. Right click on that and select Install: Then the program will be installed quickly, and now you can find it in the Control Panel: http://www.karbosguide.com/software/12.htm (1 of 3)7/27/2004 4:07:28 AM Tips for Windows. Here you can change a lot of parameters concerning the behavior of the user interface: http://www.karbosguide.com/software/12.htm (2 of 3)7/27/2004 4:07:28 AM Tips for Windows. Enjoy yourself! ● Next page ● Previous page Copyright (c) 1996-2001 by Michael B. Karbo. http://www.karbosguide.com/software/12.htm (3 of 3)7/27/2004 4:07:28 AM Tips for Windows. Karbosguide.com. Software Tip 11 Single click in Explorer ● Next page ● Previous page I use the single click system in Explorer, as you can see in some of the screen dumps. This causes the folder names to be underlined, which means that they work as links on a home page. One click opens them. Try that. To activate it you need to select View -> Folder Options in Explorer. On the General tab select: Then click Settings , and select: Click OK and it works. You just have to get used to the new interface. You just select objects by letting the mouse cursor rest on them - without clicking. Give it a chance! Moreover you can adjust the "reaction time," that is the time between touching an object and selecting it. You need to find the program TWEAK UI, which is on the 98 CD. There you can adjust "menu speed" - increase it. It causes the selection to appear faster. Now there is no excuse for the impatient souls, who might think that the pointing method is too slow compared to the traditional click. Read later about TWEAK UI. http://www.karbosguide.com/software/11.htm (1 of 2)7/27/2004 4:07:29 AM [...]... complete illustrated Guide to the PC Hardware Karbosguide.com Sitemap Guestbooks Support Photo Gallery Karbosguide com Hardware Guides: Digital Data Motherboard logic CPU and RAM Disks and drives PC Interface System Software Monitors & Sound Digital Imaging Others: Software Guides Search Dictionary About us My Super PC Welcome to Michael Karbo's Online Service Here you will find a modern onlinemagazine... recommend the following addition to the Autoexec.bat This only works in Windows 98, since Windows Me has no Autoexec.bat Autoexec.bat is a text file, and it has to be to be edited If you worked with your PC ten years ago, you would not ask what Autoexec.bat is We used it all the time to tweak more free memory out of the startup Autoexec.bat is the central start-up file in any DOS-based computer It holds a. .. Michael B Karbo WWW.KARBOSGUIDE.COM http://www.karbosguide.com/index.htm (2 of 2)7/27/2004 4:07:37 AM An illustrated Guide to RAM Please click the banners to support our work! KarbosGuide.com Module 2e1 About RAM Here you can read about: q q What is RAM? About RAM types q q Next page Previous page On the following pages: q q q q q About SIMMs DIMMs PC1 00 RAM and further Rambus DDR What is RAM? This page... with these options The blank page is the easiest way out The browser starts with a blank page and is ready immediately A local home page is a good option You make your own home page with the links you use most frequently Then the browser will open that as your starting page I have such a local home page myself, but it is on my desktop as is described elsewhere here The fixed start page from the net can... Each line in Autoexec.bat is to be executed during the start-up - one by one Hence the file type is BAT, which stands for batch A batch file holds one or several of lines of commands And here we add three lines into the Autoexec.bat To open Autoexec.bat, you find Windows Explorer and highlight C:\ (the root directory) in the left frame In the right frame you find Autoexec.bat Highlight it and make a. .. be an exciting enterprise There are really many who like for you to use their web site as start page That gives many visits to their page, which in turn signals success and might result in earnings through advertisements Finally you can choose to let the browser select a start page - but that is least desirable solution Neither Microsoft's nor Netscape's start pages are particularly exciting Make a. .. need to select View -> Internet Options The rest is easy: Above the easiest is to browse to the page you want as your start page and then click on the http://www.karbosguide.com/software/07.htm (1 of 2)7/27/2004 4:07:32 AM Tips for Windows button Use Current In Netscape Navigator you similarly select Edit, Preferences : Here it is similarly easy to browse to the start page and then click on the button... creates temporary files They are temporary files, which really need to be deleted However, they are never deleted automatically - certainly not when Windows crashes, as it sometimes does They are in the folder C:\Windows\Temp You ought to check it routinely: It is to your advantage to delete these temporary files They just take up space and there can be hundreds of them However, the problem is that... is also a good idea to check the disk cache, so that it does not occupy more than 16 MB (or less) If the disk cache only occupies 8 or 16 MB, you can easily calculate your actual RAM usage by keeping track of available memory and the size of the swap file q q Next page Previous page Copyright (c) 1996-2001 by Michael B Karbo http://www.karbosguide.com/software/02b.htm (2 of 2)7/27/2004 4:07:36 AM A complete. .. be deleted at any start-up The echo command adds a "Y" into the del command, so you do not need to confirm with a "Y" to execute the delete You may also want to delete the subdirectories using this command: http://www.karbosguide.com/software/0 3a. htm (1 of 3)7/27/2004 4:07:36 AM Tips for Windows deltree /y c:\windows\temp\*.* Use the Autoexec.bat Windows also has tools for cleaning the harddisk However . program which enables you to send fax using your modem. That is a smart item, since fax by modem can appear much more appealing to the receiver than fax from a machine. Machine fax has to be scanned. recommend that you experiment with these options. The blank page is the easiest way out. The browser starts with a blank page and is ready immediately. A local home page is a good option. You make. up? Maybe you have noticed that it appears to be random. Or maybe you have discovered that it always saves in the last folder you downloaded to. You see Windows saves that information. I want