Windows 98 Installation & Configuration Handbook

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- 6 -

Configuring Windows 98 Classic and Web View Desktops


by Christopher Gagnon

The Classic Desktop Interface

The classic desktop interface was introduced with Windows 95. See Figure 6.1. This section discusses the elements of the interface. You'll also learn about customizing the interface according to your preferences.

FIG. 6.1 The Windows 98 classic-view desktop.

The Taskbar

One of the most significant and noticeable changes in the Windows 98 interface is the taskbar. Instead of restricting you to a single taskbar with limited functionality, Windows 98 allows you to add mini-taskbars called toolbars.

Several toolbars are included with Windows 98 designed to help you move more efficiently through your system.


TIP: You can activate as many of the toolbars as you want. If you are using screen resolutions of 1024x768 or higher, you might want to expand the taskbar by grabbing the top edge and dragging it up. This way, you can arrange multiple toolbars on your taskbar.

Address  The Address toolbar allows you to quickly access a Web page right from your desktop. See Figure 6.2. It works just like the Address bar in your browser. To use this toolbar, just type in the URL to your favorite site. Windows 98 launches Internet Explorer and connects to the site.

FIG. 6.2 The Windows 98 Address toolbar gives you a quick way to jump to a Web site

Links  The Links toolbar is another quick way to get to your favorite Web sites. See Figure 6.3. The default links point to various areas on Microsoft's Web site. You can add links by using the Organize Favorites dialog box in Internet Explorer. Links keep you from having to type the URL every time you want to visit a particular site.

FIG. 6.3 The Links toolbar allows you to keep buttons to your favorite Web sites on the taskbar.

Desktop  The Desktop toolbar takes everything on the desktop and displays it on the toolbar. See Figure 6.4. Because the desktop is usually just as accessible as the toolbar, you don't gain much from using this toolbar. It is handy, though, for those times when you have several windows open and the desktop is covered.

FIG. 6.4 The Desktop toolbar places your desktop icons on the taskbar.

Quick Launch  The Quick Launch toolbar allows you to place shortcuts to your favorite programs on the taskbar. See Figure 6.5. The functionality is very similar to the Microsoft Office shortcut bar. The advantage to Quick Launch is that the shortcuts are kept on the taskbar. This helps you keep your screen organized and free of clutter.

FIG. 6.5 The Quick Launch toolbar lets you keep shortcuts to any program on your taskbar. To add your favorite items to the Quick Launch toolbar, follow these easy steps:

1. Locate the program executable by using Windows Explorer.

2.
Right-click the program file and drag it to the Quick Launch area.

3.
Release the right mouse button.

4.
Select Create Shortcut Here from the dialog box.

The Quick Launch toolbar gives you an organized place to store your shortcuts. This helps keep your desktop clear and uncluttered.

Creating Your Own Toolbars

If the built-in toolbars don't seem that attractive to you, don't worry! Windows 98 has a way for you to create your own. See Figure 6.6.

FIG. 6.6 You can custom build a toolbar from any directory.

You can create your own toolbar from a folder or a URL. The following example describes how to create a new toolbar called Games:

1. Create a new folder on your machine called Games.

2.
Create shortcuts to each of your games in the new folder.

3.
Right-click on the taskbar.

4.
Choose Toolbars from the shortcut menu.

5.
Choose New Toolbar.

6.
In the New Toolbar dialog box, browse your system to find the folder you created and click OK.

The new toolbar appears on the taskbar.

You can create a toolbar for any folder you want. It's a great way to organize your programs and increase your productivity.


TIP: As with most of the elements in Windows 98, the toolbars can be customized to meet your personal tastes. To access the general properties for the toolbar, right-click on the bar itself. Be careful not to right-click on any of the buttons. If you right-click on a button, you see a properties list for the shortcut associated with the button. After you right-click on the toolbar area, you see a properties list for the entire bar. This list enables you to perform tasks such as displaying the toolbar name, showing titles for the buttons, and changing the button size. Experiment with these settings to find the look and feel that is right for you.

My Computer

My Computer is a desktop icon that was introduced with Windows 95. It contains links to areas specific to the local machine, such as disk drives, Dial-Up Networking, printers, and the Control Panel. You can use My Computer to browse system settings, manage files, and add and configure printers. This is a required file on the desktop and cannot be deleted without altering the Registry.


TIP: An easy way to remove required desktop elements such as My Computer and Network Neighborhood is with TweakUI. This is a set of free tools from Microsoft that allows you to change Registry settings without having to modify the Registry directly.

Network Neighborhood

Network Neighborhood also was introduced in Windows 95. This application enables you to browse the network if you are on a LAN. After you double-click the Network Neighborhood icon, you are presented with a list of computers that are active on the network. Double-click on a computer to see a list of the shares available on that machine. Network Neighborhood is a handy way to track down resources on the network if you are not exactly sure where they are located.

Recycle Bin

The Recycle Bin is one of the handiest utilities to come out of Windows 95 and has been included in Windows 98. Whenever you delete a file from your system, it is placed in the Recycle Bin. The Recycle Bin is actually a separate area on your hard disk that stores unwanted files. Files are not actually deleted from the machine until you empty the Recycle Bin. This allows you to recover a file if you accidentally delete it.

To restore a file from the Recycle Bin, follow this procedure:

1. Double-click the Recycle Bin icon.

2.
Find the file you need to restore by scrolling through the deleted files.

3.
Right-click the file you want to restore and choose Restore from shortcut menu.

The file is restored to its original location.

Internet Explorer

Internet Explorer is a shortcut to Internet Explorer 4.0, which is included with Windows 98. Unlike the previous three elements, Internet Explorer can be removed easily from the desktop by right-clicking the icon, choosing Delete, and confirming that you want to remove the icon.

My Documents

My Documents is an element new to Windows 98. If you have used Microsoft Office, you are used to the folder called My Documents that is placed in the root of your C: drive. Windows 98 takes the approach that all documents should be placed in a common area regardless of the program used to create them. Thus, you should be able to find a folder called My Documents on your C: drive. This folder is the default save location for any document. Go into Notepad and type a few lines. Choose File, Save As to bring up the Save As dialog box. You will notice that Windows prompts you to save in the My Documents folder. Now go into Paint. If you try to save your work here, you'll also notice that the default save location is My Documents. By creating this default save directory, Windows 98 helps you save time looking for your files.

Shortcuts

Shortcuts are icons that point to a program somewhere on your system. Shortcuts are a handy way of organizing your desktop by function. Instead of worrying about where a program is on your system, you can create shortcuts on your desktop that enable you to launch your programs from the same place. You can tell that an icon is a shortcut by the arrow at the bottom left corner of the icon. Immediately after installing Windows 98 on your system, you will find several shortcuts on your desktop. You can add and delete shortcuts from the desktop at your leisure.

Configuring Your Display Properties

Aside from the basic elements on the desktop, there are several features that enable you to change the way your desktop looks. To change these features, you use the Display Properties dialog box. You can get to this dialog box by double-clicking Display in the Control Panel. The Windows 98 Display Properties dialog box contains six tabs; each tab changes a different element of the desktop interface.

The Background Tab  The Background tab enables you to change the way your desktop looks, as shown in Figure 6.7. You have the option of adding wallpaper or patterns to your background. Wallpaper applies a graphics file to the background so that you can put your favorite picture on your desktop. Wallpaper can be centered or tiled, depending on your taste. Windows 98 comes with several wallpaper samples that you can use. Choosing Patterns applies a design to the background color using a tiled 8x8-pixel pattern. Several patterns are included with Windows 98. You also have the ability to modify any of the patterns to create your own interesting designs.


NOTE: Because wallpaper is stored in memory, you should be careful not to use a huge graphics file for your wallpaper. Using patterns or no background at all generally improves your system's performance.

FIG. 6.7 You use the Background tab to add wallpaper or patterns to your desktop.

The Screen Saver Tab  Screen savers are an interesting way to personalize your system. See Figure 6.8. They were designed to prevent burn-in on your monitor but have since evolved into a way of expressing yourself. Windows 98 comes with several screen savers that you can use. To enable a screen saver, you simply choose the one you want from the list.

FIG. 6.8 The Screen Saver tab. The following list describes the options you have for configuring your screen saver:

The Appearance Tab  The Appearance tab enables you to change the color scheme used by Windows 98, as shown in Figure 6.9. It also enables you to set window-element sizes and to change the font displayed by the window. You can choose from a number of color schemes, or you can create your own. To change the attributes of a certain window element, you can click the item in the picture, or you can select it from the Item drop-down list box. You then can use the Size, Color, and Font options at the right of the screen to change the attributes. The changes are shown in real-time in the picture at the top of the dialog box, so you will know what the changes will look like before you apply them.

FIG. 6.9 The Appearance tab enables you to change colors and sizes of window elements.

The Effects Tab  The Effects tab will look familiar to anyone who has used the Plus Pack for Windows 95. See Figure 6.10.

FIG. 6.10 You use the Effects tab to apply miscellaneous effects to the interface.

The Effects tab can be broken into two sections. First, it enables you to change the icons of the required desktop items. Second, it gives you a list of the following effects you can activate to further enhance your desktop:

The Web Tab  The Web tab enables you to change the way your desktop looks if you are using the Web desktop interface. (See the section, "The Web View Desktop Interface.")

The Settings Tab  The Settings tab enables you to change the physical display settings for your machine, as shown in Figure 6.11. Here, you can change your screen resolution and the maximum display colors on your system. Screen resolution is purely a personal-preference choice. Higher resolutions give you more room on the desktop but display text and icons much smaller than lower resolutions. Color depth defines how many colors your computer is capable of displaying. Choosing this setting might take some thought. If you plan on viewing photo-realistic graphics on your machine, you will not want a setting of 256 colors. If you display a picture containing 16 million colors on a system that is set to display only 256 colors, the picture will look terrible. Most systems can display images at 64,000 colors (high color) without distorting the picture. You will have to test your system to see which color depth is right for you.

FIG. 6.11 The Settings tab.


NOTE: Color depth and screen resolution are directly related to the video card you have in your machine. You might find that you can display only certain color depths at certain resolutions. Refer to your system documentation for details.

The Web View Desktop Interface

The most noticeable change in Windows 98 is the integration of the Internet Explorer 4.0 active desktop. This interface enables you to subscribe to your favorite Web channels and to change the way Windows feels so that the entire system acts like a Web browser. In this section, you'll look at some of the most prominent features of the Web interface, including how to set up your favorite Web sites as desktop items that update automatically.

Activating the Web Desktop

You can activate the Web desktop at any time. As with most of the functions in Windows 98, there are several ways of doing this. The quickest method follows:

1. Right-click on the desktop.

2.
Choose Active Desktop from the shortcut menu.

3.
Choose View as Web Page, as shown in Figure 6.12.

Your system configures the Web interface and returns you to the active desktop. You can use this same method to return to the classic interface.

FIG. 6.12 You can activate the Web interface from the desktop.

Introducing the Web Desktop

At first glance, the Web desktop doesn't look much different than the classic desktop. The main advantage of the Web desktop is the capability to place active desktop items in the background. See Figure 6.13. This feature enables you to configure areas of your screen to point to different Web sites. These active areas then can be scheduled to update at any given time. This way, you can have your computer download the page when you are not around. Then when you want to view the page, you actually will be viewing it from the local system.

The Web interface also gives you the capability to configure the Windows 98 interface to treat everything as if it were a Web page. This means that file management can be done as if you were viewing the files on the Internet. The standard Internet toolbars are used in every window. You can even set the system to treat icons as hypertext. That way, you don't have to double-click an icon to activate it.

Active Desktop Items

Active desktop items enable you to create an area on your desktop that is linked to a specific URL. You then can keep your favorite Web sites open all the time. Hundreds of active desktop items are floating around the Internet, from stock tickers to news headlines. In this section, you'll look at adding and removing active desktop items, as well as creating your own.

Adding and Removing Active Desktop Items  Active desktop items are controlled from the Web tab in the Display Properties dialog box, as shown in Figure 6.14. The easiest way to add a desktop item is to choose one from Microsoft's Active Desktop gallery.

FIG. 6.13 The active desktop fully integrates your desktop with Internet Explorer.

FIG. 6.14 You can control your active desktop items from the Web tab in the Display Properties dialog box.

To add a new desktop item, use the following procedure:

1. Select the Web tab in the Display Properties dialog box.

2.
Click New.

3.
A message box appears asking whether you want to select a desktop item from Microsoft's Active Desktop gallery. Click Yes.

Internet Explorer launches, and you are taken to the gallery on Microsoft's Web site.

4.
Choose the item you want and click the Add to Active Desktop button.

The item then appears on your desktop, as shown in Figure 6.15.

FIG. 6.15 You can find a lot of great active desktop items, like this stock ticker in Microsoft's Active Desktop gallery.

At some point, you might decide that you no longer want a certain item. You have two options for removing unwanted items from your desktop. To disable the item without removing it from the system, you simply uncheck the box next to the item in the Web tab of the Display Properties dialog box. Disabling an active desktop item stops all updates and removes the item from your desktop without actually deleting it. This way, you can re-enable the item later without having to reload it on the system. If you know that you will not use an item again, you can delete it. To delete an active desktop item, select the item in the Web tab of the Display Properties dialog box and click Delete. This permanently removes the item from your system.

Creating Your Own Active Desktop Items  Windows 98 also enables you to create your own active desktop items. See Figure 6.16. This feature is handy when you can't find a desktop item that you want or if you just want to put your favorite Web site on your desktop.

FIG. 6.16 You can create active desktop items that point to any site on the Internet.

The following procedure walks you through the process of creating your own desktop item:

1. Select the Web tab in the Display Properties dialog box.

2.
Click New.

3.
A message box appears, asking whether you want to select a desktop item from Microsoft's Active Desktop gallery. Click No.

4.
Type the URL to your favorite Web site and click OK.

It might take a few minutes for Windows 98 to contact the Web site.

5.
A confirmation box appears asking you to verify that you want to add the new item to the desktop. Click OK.

The new item appears in the Active Items list.

Manipulating Your Active Desktop Items  You can place active desktop items anywhere on your screen and size them just like any other window. The only noticeable difference between an active desktop item and an ordinary window is that the window border and title bar disappear when not in use. This feature enables the desktop item to blend seamlessly into the background. If you want to move or size your desktop item, hold the mouse over the item for a few seconds. The control bar appears, and you can manipulate the item as if it were a normal window.

Folder Options

Windows 98 enables you to choose whether you want the system to have a classic Windows 95 feel, a Web-browser feel, or a combination of both. You specify these options in the Folder Options dialog box, as shown in Figure 6.17. You can get to this dialog box by clicking Folder Options in the Web tab of the Display Properties dialog box. Each setting offers a number of differences. What you choose comes down to a matter of personal taste.

FIG. 6.17 The Folder Options dialog box.

Web Style  Choosing Web style enables you to interact with your entire system as if it were a Web site. One of the biggest differences is that you no longer will need to double-click icons to activate them. Each icon will be underlined as if it were a hyperlink in a Web document. One of the handiest features of Web view is that your folders will contain a status area on the left side of the window. The status area shows you the properties for the selected file. Depending on the type of file you have selected, you might even get a preview of the file contents.

Classic Style  The Classic Style setting changes your icons and windows to the Windows 95 classic interface. Icons will require a double-click, and Windows will display their contents without the fancy status area. This setting is included for people who are comfortable with the Windows 95 interface and don't want to spend time learning new ways to do the same tasks. If you use the classic interface setting, you will not be able to view any active content on your desktop.

Custom Settings  The Custom, Based on Settings You Choose option enables you to mix features of both interfaces to create the interface you want. You might not want any active content or the single-click option, for example, but you might want the status area in your windows. The Custom Settings dialog box enables you to pick and choose features from each interface type, as shown in Figure 6.18.

FIG. 6.18 You use the Custom Settings dialog box to choose your favorite settings from both interfaces.

The option areas for Custom Settings follow:


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