Windows 98 From A to Z

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- G -


Games

Windows 98 comes with four built-in games:

To play any of these games, do the following:

1. Click the Start button, choose Programs, Accessories, and then Games; then choose whichever game you want to play. As shown in Figure G.1, I've chosen FreeCell.

Figure G.1

2. If you selected FreeCell as I did, the game opens on the desktop. To start a new game, click the Game menu option and choose New Game, as shown in Figure G.2. If you need help learning how to play the game, click the Help menu option.


NOTE: As an alternative, you can press the F2 key on your keyboard to begin a new game.


NOTE: Starting any of Windows 98's other built-in games is pretty much the same as starting FreeCell, except that when you want to start a new game of Solitaire, you select the Deal option in the Game menu.

Figure G.2

Any additional games you install on your PC might not be placed in the same folder structure as FreeCell, Solitaire, Minesweeper, and Hearts. Many games install into their own default locations, as shown in Figure G.3.

Figure G.3

Game Controllers

In Windows 98, game controllers are devices such as joysticks, stick and rudder control systems, steering wheels, and the like. To configure game controllers in Windows 98, do the following:

1. Click the Start button, choose Settings, and then Control Panel, as shown in Figure G.4.

Figure G.4

2. The Control Panel window, shown in Figure G.5, opens. Double-click the Game Controllers icon.

Figure G.5

3. If you have no game controllers connected to your computer, then the Game Controllers dialog box is empty, as shown in Figure G.6.

Figure G.6

4. If you are adding a game controller for the first time, you can use the Add New Hardware feature; refer to the section titled "Add New Hardware" for more information. Otherwise, you can click the Add button on the Game Controllers screen. This takes you to the Add Game Controller screen, shown in Figure G.7.

Figure G.7

5. Click on the game controller that you are connecting to your PC and then click on the OK button to install the chosen controller. If your game controller is not listed, click the Add Other button to view the screen shown in Figure G.8.
6. Select the hardware you want to install or click the Have Disk button to install the necessary device drivers from the floppy disk(s) or CD-ROM disc that came with that particular game controller. Click the Next button to continue the installation process.

Figure G.8

7. As shown in Figure G.9, the Game Controllers dialog box displays the hardware you've added (I added the SideWinder Precision Pro device). Click the Properties button to test each of the buttons, levers, and movement functions of your game controller.

Figure G.9

8. To make port or controller changes to your game controller configuration, click the Advanced tab to view the screen shown in Figure G.10. The most important thing to keep in mind here is that if you do not understand the change that you are making, then do not make the change. It is always better to consult the technical support information that came with the game controller or call the device manufacturer's help desk for further details.


NOTE: Most of the settings on this screen were probably established when you installed your game controller device for the first time. This is especially true if your device came with its own installation software (such as the Microsoft SideWinder Precision Pro joystick seen in this example).

Figure G.10

Getting Started

Getting Started is the name of the Windows 98 online book. This book comes with Windows 98 when you purchase the operating system from Microsoft Corporation. To access and use it, do the following:

1. Click the Start button and choose Help, as shown in Figure G.11.

Figure G.11

2. The Windows Help window, shown in Figure G.12, opens. Click the Getting Started Book: Online Version entry; the book icon to the left of this entry opens to reveal the Microsoft Windows 98 Getting Started Book hyperlink.

Figure G.12

3. Click this hyperlink to view information about the book in the right-hand pane, as shown in Figure G.13.

Figure G.13

4. Click the Click Here hyperlink to open the screen shown in Figure G.14. Click any of the closed-book icons in the left pane to read the corresponding sections.


NOTE: The three tabs--Contents, Index, and Search--all permit users to find additional information as needed (see the section titled "Windows 98 Help" for more information about using Windows Help).

Figure G.14

5. To exit the online book, click the x located in the upper-right corner of the window.

Group Policies

Group policies are tools for securing a Windows 98 installation on a network so that the individuals running the connected Windows 98 client PCs do not change things that the system administrator does not want altered. Typically, you would never install group policies on your home PC, but this is not to say that you could not do so.

By using group policies, the system administrator can lower the total cost of ownership of each computer because these policies make it easier to configure each PC to look and act just like the one next to it. That is, a group policy enables you to lock down the user interface, system security, and the PC's underlying infrastructure in such a way as to permit the easier maintenance and support of that computer. When this cost savings is multiplied over hundreds or even thousands of PCs, it does become a substantial number!


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