Windows 98 From A to Z

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ScanDisk

ScanDisk is used for examining and repairing problems on your hard drive. To use ScanDisk, do the following:

1. Click the Start button, choose Programs, select Accessories, click System Tools, and then choose ScanDisk, as shown in Figure S.1.

Figure S.1

2. Click the Advanced button in the ScanDisk window (see Figure S.2).

Figure S.2

3. The ScanDisk Advanced Options dialog box, shown in Figure S.3, enables you to specify various advanced options, such as whether to use log files and how to deal with lost file fragments and cross-linked files. Select the check boxes and radio buttons as needed, and then click the OK button to return to the main screen.

Figure S.3


NOTE: It's recommended that you select the Append to Log option instead of the default Replace log option in the Log File area. That way, you will have a running history of ScanDisk usage on your PC. In addition, it is useful to configure ScanDisk to check for invalid dates and times because such files tend to result in cross-linking of files down the road.

A cross-linked file is a file that contains pointers to multiple locations. For example, suppose you own two identical cars (one is yours and one is your spouse's). You tell your kid to wash your spouse's car, but because they are identical, he has no way of figuring out which one to clean. Cross-linked files are like your identical cars; your computer may not know which one to open (or may open the two at once as a single file).


4. Click the Start button in the main ScanDisk window to run the ScanDisk application for the highlighted hard drive (you can select a
different drive by clicking it). You will be notified when the program
finishes.

Screen Saver

Screen savers provide a series of graphics that hide the application that's open on your computer. The original purpose of a screen saver was to help prevent screen burn-in, in which a faint image of your screen's former contents remained visible even after you turned off your monitor or moved to new contents. Although some people still use screen savers for this purpose, they are used mostly for their entertainment value only.

To designate one of Windows 98's built-in screen savers for use, do the fol-lowing:

1. Right-click a blank portion of the desktop and choose Properties, as shown in Figure S.4.

Figure S.4

2. Click the Screen Saver tab in the Display Properties dialog box to view the screen shown in Figure S.5.
3. Click the down-arrow button to the right of the Screen Saver field and select a screen saver from the drop-down list. To set the options for a specific screen saver, click the Settings button to view that screen saver's Options dialog box. (The one shown in Figure S.6 shows the options for the Curves and Colors screen saver.)

Figure S.5

Figure S.6

4. After you set your screen saver's options, click OK to return to the Screen Saver tab of the Display Properties dialog box. Click the Preview button to view a full-screen preview of the screen saver; click or move the mouse to end the preview session.
5. To password-protect the screen saver, check the Password Protected check box and click the Change button. This opens the Change Password dialog box, shown in Figure S.7.

Figure S.7

6. If you have never added a password to a screen saver, you will be prompted to enter and confirm the new password (as is the case in Figure S.7). Otherwise, you will need to know the original password before you can change it to a new one. Fill in the text fields as necessary.
7. Click the OK button to return to the Display Properties dialog box, and then click OK again to accept all changes and return to the desktop.

Serial Mouse

A serial mouse is simply a pointing device that is connected directly to one of your computer's serial communications ports, more commonly referred to as COM:x ports (where the x equals the port number). For more information on mouse devices, refer to the section titled "Mouse."

Serial Printer

A serial printer is one that is connected to your computer's serial communications port. A serial communications port is better known as a COMx port (where x equals a number, usually 1 or 2). Because a serial printer tends to operate at a slower rate (9,600bps) than a parallel printer (roughly 232,000bps), you do not see many serial printers these days.

Shortcuts

A Windows 98 shortcut is also known as a link. It permits you to access a file or application without having to navigate to it on your hard drive. Shortcuts on your Windows 98 desktop are represented by icons containing a small curved arrow in the lower-left corner (see Figure S.8).

Figure S.8

To view information about a shortcut on your desktop, do the following:

1. Right-click a shortcut and choose Properties from the shortcut menu, as shown in Figure S.9.

Figure S.9

2. The Properties dialog box for the shortcut you've selected opens (in this case, it's the Publish Properties dialog box, shown in Figure S.10). The Target text field on the Shortcut tab contains the shortcut's path and executable file. (If the shortcut is to a folder and not a program, there is no executable file at the end of the target statement.)

Figure S.10

3. Click the Find Target button to go to the folder containing the shortcut. Figure S.11 shows the target folder for the Publish shortcut.

Figure S.11

4. Close this window to return to the Shortcut tab of the Properties dialog box, and then click the Change Icon button to alter the shortcut's icon. This opens the dialog shown in Figure S.12.

Figure S.12

5. Select the icon you want to use, or click the Browse button to find other icons. After you have selected the icon you want, click the OK button.
6. Click on the General tab to view the screen shown in Figure S.13. Here you can determine the shortcut's MS-DOS name and other specific properties (such as the dates it was created, modified, and last accessed).

Figure S.13


NOTE: You can make a shortcut hidden or read-only by clicking the applicable check box in the Attributes section at the bottom of the General tab.
7. To accept changes and exit, click the OK button in the Properties dialog box.

To create a shortcut from scratch, do the following:

1. Right-click any blank spot on the desktop and, in the ensuing shortcut menu, choose New and then Shortcut, as shown in Figure S.14.

Figure S.14

2. The Create Shortcut Wizard starts. In the first screen (shown in Figure S.15), either type the full path including the target file for your shortcut, or click the Browse button to find the file on your computer. Click Next to continue.
3. In the wizard's second screen, shown in Figure S.16, type a descriptive name for your shortcut (this is the name you will see on the desktop).
4. In most cases, the shortcut will be assigned a default icon, which appears on the Windows 98 desktop. In other cases, the Select an Icon screen may appear (see Figure S.17). To select an icon, click the one of your choice.

Figure S.15

Figure S.16

Figure S.17

5. Click the Finish button to complete the wizard and return to the desktop. As you can see in Figure S.18, the newly created shortcut appears.

Figure S.18

Shutting Down Windows 98

Because Windows 98 performs so many tasks in the background (including caching memory prior to saving it), it is imperative that you turn off your PC in a structured manner. If you were to simply cut the power to your PC, you might lose data that you thought you had already saved to the hard drive. To properly shut down Windows 98, do the following:

1. Click the Start button and choose Shut Down, as shown in Figure S.19.
2. Select the Shut Down option button in the Shut Down Windows dialog box. Then click OK. Your computer will automatically shut itself down and, in some cases, power itself off (if your computer's internal BIOS supports such a function, which most laptop and newer desktop PCs do).

Figure S.19

Sound Recorder

The Windows 98 Sound Recorder enables you to play, record, and edit sound (WAV) files.


NOTE: If you do not have a sound card with speakers, this feature will not work on your PC.


NOTE: A microphone, which usually plugs into the back of the sound card, is necessary for recording live sound.

To use Sound Recorder, do the following:

1. Click the Start button, choose Programs, select Accessories, click Entertainment, and then choose Sound Recorder, as shown in
Figure S.20.

Figure S.20

2. This opens the Sound Recorder window, shown in Figure S.21. To configure your version of Sound Recorder, click the Edit menu and choose Audio Properties.

Figure S.21

3. Make any necessary changes in the Audio Properties dialog box, and then click OK to return to the Sound Recorder screen.


NOTE: Most computers have only a single configurable option on the Audio Properties screen.
4. Open the Effects menu to view your choices for editing existing WAV files (see Figure S.22).
5. To record using the microphone, click the Record button (the one with a circle on it). The status bar in the center of the screen begins to move (see Figure S.23), indicating that recording has begun. Start talking, singing, or making whatever sounds you want to record.

Figure S.22

Figure S.23

6. Click the Stop button (the one with a rectangle on it) to stop the recording process.


NOTE: No matter what you record, Sound Recorder will limit your time to roughly 50 seconds.
7. To listen to what you just recorded, click the Rewind button (the leftmost button), and then click the Play button (the one in the middle).

Start Menu

The Windows 98 Start menu consists of all those menu options that appear above the Start button when you click it. They include Run, Help, Find, Settings, Documents, Favorites, Programs, and any shortcuts you may have added. To examine and manipulate the contents of the Start menu, do the following:

1. Start Windows Explorer and navigate to the C:\Windows\Start Menu folder, as shown in Figure S.24. (For more information about navigating in Explorer, refer to the section titled "Windows Explorer.")
2. Click the Start Menu folder in the left pane, and its contents will appear in the right pane. Using standard Explorer techniques, you can delete, move, or add any of the Start menu's contents.

Figure S.24

Starting Windows 98

Starting the Windows 98 operating system is simple: Just turn on your PC and let it boot directly into the Windows 98 graphical user interface (GUI). If you are unable to get in, try using your Windows 98 startup disk.

If you ever wind up at a DOS prompt and cannot get back into the Windows 98 GUI, try typing the command win and pressing the Enter key. If that doesn't work, try turning your PC off and then turning it back on.

Startup Disk

The purpose of the Windows 98 startup disk is to enable you to recover in the event that something dreadful happens to your PC (for example, if you turn on your computer one morning and get the error message No operating system found, you are in deep trouble). If you have a startup disk (think of it as an emergency repair disk), you can pop it into the A: drive and reboot the system.

To create a startup disk, sometimes called a boot disk, do the following:

1. Click the Start button, choose Settings, and then select Control Panel, as shown in Figure S.25.
2. Double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon in the Control Panel window, as shown in Figure S.26.
3. In the Add/Remove Programs Properties dialog box, click the Startup Disk tab to view the screen shown in Figure S.27.

Figure S.25

Figure S.26


NOTE: Note that you must have a formatted 3 1/2-inch high-density (1.44MB) floppy disk available in order to complete this process.
4. Click the Create Disk button, and the system begins to prepare startup disk files. (The Startup Disk tab changes to display a status bar, as shown in Figure S.28.)


NOTE: You may be prompted to put the Windows 98 CD-ROM into an available CD-ROM drive bay. Simply follow the prompts.

Figure S.27

Figure S.28

5. You will be prompted to insert a floppy disk into the A: drive (see Figure S.29). Insert the disk and click OK.
6. The process will continue and will probably take several minutes. When it is complete, you will be returned to the Startup Disk tab of the Add/Remove Properties dialog box. The disk is now complete and ready for use. Close the dialog box.

Figure S.29

Suspending a Windows 98 Session

Suspending a Windows 98 session is like putting the machine into hibernation. Your computer is not turned off; rather, it is suspended exactly where you left off, waiting for you to begin using it again. (Of course, your PC must be able to support this feature in order for you to use it.)

To place your Windows 98 PC into suspend mode, simply click the Start button and click Suspend (if this menu selection does not appear, you cannot suspend your computer session).

System Information

The System Information utility for Windows 98 does exactly what its name implies: It provides you with information about your computer. To use this utility, do the following:

1. Click the Start button, choose Programs, select Accessories, click System Tools, and then choose System Information, as shown in Figure S.30.

Figure S.30

2. The Microsoft System Information screen, shown in Figure S.31, opens. The pane on the right contains basic information regarding your PC's its resources. The left pane breaks the system information into three categories: hardware resources, components, and software environment.

Figure S.31

3. Click the plus symbol next to any of these categories to reveal even more data. Figure S.32 shows the details of the Hardware Resources category.

Figure S.32

4. Click any option within a specific category to reveal detailed information about that topic.
5. Open the Tools menu to access these other Windows 98 utilities:


NOTE: Although these tools will certainly aid any information systems professional, they will probably cause information overload for the basic Windows 98 user.
6. To save your system information data to a separate file, click the File menu option and choose Export. This opens the Save As dialog box, shown in Figure S.33.

Figure S.33

7. Navigate to the folder where you want the file to be saved, type a name for the file you're exporting (it will be saved in a text format), and click Save. Even on fast computer systems, this process takes several minutes to complete.

System Monitor

The Windows 98 System Monitor enables you to more closely track how specific resources are being used within your PC.


NOTE: Probably 90% of the System Monitor's available options will soar directly over your head if you are a general user; this tool was designed for information systems professionals.

To use this utility, do the following:

1. Click the Start button, choose Programs, select Accessories, click System Tools, and then choose System Monitor, as shown in
Figure S.34.
2. The System Monitor window, shown in Figure S.35, appears. Click the File menu and choose Start Logging. This starts the System Monitor utility.
3. To add a system process to be monitored, click File and then Add. This opens the Add Item dialog box, shown in Figure S.36. Select a category from the Category list, and then click an item in the Item list. Click OK to confirm your choices.

Figure S.34

Figure S.35

Figure S.36

4. You are returned to the System Monitor window, where the item you selected in the previous step is visible. Open the View menu to change the manner in which the monitors are graphically presented (see
Figure S.37).

Figure S.37

5. To add, remove, or edit items, click the Edit menu option, click the appropriate command, and then follow the prompts.

System Properties

The System Properties screens of Windows 98 provide raw information about the hardware installed on your computer system, as well as a starting point for troubleshooting hardware configurations gone wrong.


warning... A word of warning: If you incorrectly make changes on any of these screens, you can mess things up so badly that reinstalling the Windows 98 operating system is your only hope for recovery.

To use the System Properties screens, right-click the My Computer icon on the desktop and choose Properties from the shortcut menu (see Figure S.38).

The System Properties dialog box contains several tabs:

Figure S.38

Figure S.39


Device Manager.
This tab, shown in Figure S.40, lists all your hardware devices and their connection points.

Figure S.40


NOTE: If an icon is overlapped with a black exclamation point in a yellow circle, the hardware device represented by the overlapped icon may or may not work properly. Whether this indication is accurate, however, varies from system to system.

Figure S.41

Figure S.42


NOTE: If you do not completely understand what you are doing in the File System, Graphics, and Virtual Memory areas, stay with the settings that the Windows 98 operating system installed for you (they are probably adequate). Failure to make the correct selections--which will vary from PC to PC--can cause intermittent computer system deficiencies.

System Tools

The System Tools folder contains many applications that are necessary for tuning and maintaining the Windows 98 operating system. To access this folder, click the Start button, choose Programs, and then select System Tools, as shown in Figure S.43.

Figure S.43

Many of the items in the Systems Tools folder are covered in detail elsewhere in this book. If you can use only one of these tools on your computer, make it Backup, which provides everything you need to avoid system failure and data loss. If you use the Windows 98 Backup tool regularly, you will always have a copy of your vital files and applications in case of system loss.


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