Windows 98 From A to Z

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Paint

The Microsoft Paint program enables you to view and slightly modify graphics files. Please keep in mind, though, that Paint permits you to create or modify just a few of the many different types of graphics files. Only the bitmap (BMP), GIF (GIF), and JPEG (JPG and JPEG) file formats can be opened with Microsoft Paint. However, these three formats plus the monochrome (black-and-white), 16- and 256-color, and 24-bit bitmap file formats (BMP and DIB) are acceptable forms in which to save Microsoft Paint files. To use the Paint application, do the following:

1. Click once on the Start button, choose Programs, Accessories, and then Paint, as shown in Figure P.1.

Figure P.1

2. This opens the main Paint screen. To open an existing graphics file, click the File menu option and choose Open, as shown in Figure P.2.


NOTE: To create a new picture from scratch, click the File menu option and click New.
3. In the Open dialog, navigate to the file you want to open, click to select it, and then click the Open button.
4. The file you selected opens into the Paint window, as shown in Figure P.3.

Figure P.2

Figure P.3

5. Paint provides many tools for modifying graphic files. In this example, I have clicked the Fill tool, which I can use to fill a selected area with the color I select in the palette (along the bottom of the window). The results of using the Fill tool are shown in Figure P.4.

Figure P.4


NOTE: Notice that some of the white space within the letters of Mr. Caray's name did not get filled in because they were completely surrounded by another color (in this case, the color of the letter itself). These areas must be filled individually.
6. To print a copy of your masterpiece, click the File menu option and choose Print. This sends a copy of your image to the default printer.


NOTE: My favorite aspect of the Paint application is that it lets you undo your mistakes. This enables you to play with this application until you feel more comfortable with it.

Passwords

Think of a password as an electronic key. This key is a bit of information that is entered into a computer program to gain access to that particular application. There are many different kinds of passwords for Windows 98, and most of them can be altered from a single location. To change your passwords, do the following:

1. Click Start, choose Settings, and click Control Panel, as shown in Figure P.5.
2. Double-click on the Passwords icon in the Control Panel screen, shown in Figure P.6.

Figure P.5

Figure P.6

3. In the Change Passwords tab of the Passwords Properties dialog box, shown in Figure P.7, click the Change Windows Password button.
4. The Change Windows Password dialog box, shown in Figure P.8, opens. Type your old password (if this is the first time you're setting a password, leave this box blank), then type your new password twice: once in the New password field, and once in the Confirm new password field. Click OK to accept the password change.

Figure P.7

Figure P.8


NOTE: You can change passwords such as those needed for the Windows NT network in the Other Passwords dialog box, which you reach by clicking Change Other Passwords in the Change Passwords tab of the Passwords Properties dialog box.
5. Click the Remote Administration tab, shown in Figure P.9. If you want to allow others to remotely manage your files and printers, click that check box in this tab, and then type the password that others must know in order to remotely administer your PC.

Figure P.9

6. Click the User Profiles tab, shown in Figure P.10. If you want to configure your computer for use by multiple users, follow the prompts on this screen.

Figure P.10


NOTE: This is the same feature as the one discussed in the section titled "User Profile."
7. When you are finished changing the password options, click on the OK button.

PC Card (PCMCIA)

A PC Card, or PCMCIA (Personal Computer Manufacturers Cards International Association) device, is a credit card-sized piece of hardware that enables specific functions on computers that support this option. PC Card slots are typically found only on laptop, notebook, and handheld computing devices, but special drives can be installed on desktop PCs so that they are able to handle these types of devices. These devices are usually fax/modem, memory, or hard drive devices that are used to expand the functionality of the computers in which they are installed.

Windows 98 supports the Plug and Play features of countless numbers of these devices out of the box, and many more through add-on software drivers. Double-click the PCMCIA icon in the Windows 98 Control Panel to verify settings for these devices.

Personal Web Server

The Windows 98 Personal Web Server enables you to quickly create and display web pages and sites on your own computer. A nifty wizard application helps you create your first web site, which can then be copied to another server (maybe your ISP's), where it can be accessed via the Internet. To install Personal Web Server for use, do the following:

1. Insert the Windows 98 CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive.
2. Click the Start button and choose Run.
3. As shown in Figure P.11, type the exact path to your Windows 98 CD-ROM, and to the Personal Web Server setup program. Then click OK to start the installation process.

Figure P.11


NOTE: Windows 98 provides instructions for installing Personal Web Server. To view them, type C:\windows\help\pws_main.htm in the Run dialog box shown in Figure P.11.
4. Figure P.12 shows the first installation screen. Click Next to continue.

Figure P.12

5. The licensing agreement screen, shown in Figure P.13, appears. Failure to accept the agreement results in the termination of the installation process, so it is advised that you click Accept. Click Next to continue.

Figure P.13

6. In the screen shown in Figure P.14, select the type of installation that best suits your needs. Although the Typical installation would probably work for your, click Custom so you can pick and choose exactly which components get installed on your computer. Then click Next to continue.

Figure P.14

7. The Microsoft Personal Web Server Setup screen, shown in Figure P.15, lists all the components you can select to install (use the scrollbars to view the list in its entirety). Click the check box that corresponds with the components you want to install. Click the Show Subcomponents button to view the subcomponents of the highlighted component. After you select all the features you want, click Next.

Figure P.15


NOTE: If a component's corresponding check box is checked but grayed out, it indicates that not all of that component's subcomponents have been installed.
8. The screen shown in Figure P.16 enables you to set or change the default folder destinations for any of the services on the screen. Simply enter the new folder path in the appropriate box. Click Next to continue.

Figure P.16

9. The screen shown in Figure P.17 enables you to specify where the Microsoft Transaction Server is to be installed. Either accept the default location or change it to one that better meets your needs, and then click the Next button to continue.
10. The progress bar shown in Figure P.18 keeps track of the installation's progress. When installation is complete, click the Next button.
11. The Personal Web Server installation process is now complete. Click the Finish button in the screen shown in Figure P.19.
12. You are prompted to restart your computer, as shown in Figure P.20. Click Yes.

To use the Personal Web Server after it has been installed, do the following:

1. Double-click the Publish icon that now appears on your desktop, as shown in Figure P.21.

Figure P.17

Figure P.18

2. The Personal Web Server application starts, first displaying the Tip of the day dialog box (see Figure P.22). Either click on the Next button to view another tip, or click the Close button to exit the Tip of the day dialog box.

Figure P.19

Figure P.20

Figure P.21

Figure P.22


NOTE: To prevent this dialog box from appearing each time you start the Personal Web Server, uncheck the Show tips at startup check box.
3. If you clicked the Close button in the previous step, the Personal Web Manager screen appears (see Figure P.23). From here, you can fully manage your web site, including creating new pages through the Publish Wizard. Play with the various options found within this screen to become more familiar with them.

Figure P.23

Phone Dialer

The Windows 98 Phone Dialer enables you to make telephone calls from your computer by using your modem or another Windows telephony device (see the section titled "Telephony" for more information). To use the Phone Dialer application, do the following:

1. Click the Start button, select Programs, choose Accessories, click Communications and then choose Phone Dialer, as shown in Figure P.24.

Figure P.24

2. The Phone Dialer dialog box, shown in Figure P.25, opens. Notice that this screen is laid out just like a touch-tone telephone.
3. You must determine what hardware this application must connect to in order to place calls. To do this, click the Tools menu option and select Connect Using. This opens the Connect Using screen, shown in Figure P.26.
4. Specify the hardware device (such as a modem) to be used in the Line drop-down list box.
5. To modify how telephone calls are to be made, click the Line Properties button to open the Modem Name Properties dialog box, shown in Figure P.27. Use this screen to modify the properties of the modem that has been selected for use, and then click the OK button to return to the main Phone Dialer screen.

Figure P.25

Figure P.26


NOTE: For a more detailed description of the options on this dialog box, refer to the section titled "Modems."

Figure P.27

6. Click the Tools menu option and choose Dialing Properties. This opens the Dialing Properties screen, shown in Figure P.28. Use this screen to specify or modify information about the location from which you are dialing, and then click the OK button to return to the main Phone Dialer screen.


NOTE: For details on filling in the Dialing Properties screen, refer to the section titled "Modems."

Figure P.28

Before you make a telephone call, it's helpful to add the intended recipient to your Speed Dial list (although you don't have to). To add someone to your list, do the following:

1. In the main Phone Dialer window, click the Edit menu option and then choose Speed Dial. This opens the Edit Speed Dial screen shown in Figure P.29.
2. Type the name of the person you want to add in the Name field.
3. Type the person's phone number in the Number to dial field.
4. Repeat these steps for any other people you want to add to speed dial.
5. Click the Save button to return to the Phone Dialer screen, shown in Figure P.30. Notice that eight new names have been added.
6. To place a call using speed dial, simply click the button labeled with the name of the person you want to call.

Figure P.29


NOTE: To place a call without using the speed-dial feature, use your keypad or click the numbers on the Phone Dialer screen to enter the complete telephone number (with area code, if necessary) in the Number to dial box. Click the Dial button to start the call.

Plug and Play

Plug and Play refers to the capability to add new hardware devices or take away old ones on-the-fly. Suppose, for example, that you use a laptop computer and want to install a PCMCIA (or PC Card) modem. With Windows 98's plug and play capability, you can simply pop the modem into your laptop. The modem is then automatically recognized and installed.

Figure P.30

Power Management

The Windows 98 power management feature helps you conserve energy by reducing the power consumption needs of your computing devices. This feature functions by making you create a power scheme--essentially a series of settings that manages PC power needs. For example, you can configure your PC to save power by automatically turning off the system monitor or stopping the hard drive after a preset period of idle time. To configure power management for your PC (assuming, of course, that your computer system is designed to support this feature), do the following:

1. Click the Start button, choose Settings, and click Control Panel, as shown in Figure P.31.
2. Double-click the Power Management icon in the Control Panel window, shown in Figure P.32.
3. The Power Schemes tab of the Power Management Properties dialog box opens. Click the down-arrow button to the right of the Power schemes field to view a drop-down list box containing the three available sample power management schemes, as shown in Figure P.33.

Figure P.31

Figure P.32

4. Choose the power scheme that best describes your work environment, and set the time limits at the bottom of the screen.

Figure P.33

5. Click the Advanced tab to view the screen shown in Figure P.34. Here, you can select whether you want to show the power meter on the taskbar and whether you want to be prompted for a password when the computer goes off standby mode.
6. Click the OK button.

Figure P.34

Printers

A basic but important need of any Windows 98 user is the ability to print information from his or her computer. To do this, you must have a physical printer and be able to install the proper software drivers for your locally connected printer (assuming you have one). For instructions about installing a printer, refer to the section titled "Add Printer Wizard."

After your printer is installed, to take a closer look at the printer(s) that are available for use with your computer, do the following:

1. Click the Start button, click Settings, and then click Printers.
2. The Printers folder, shown in Figure P.35, opens. The default printer is indicated by a check mark. Whenever you print from a Windows 98 application, such as your word processor, your document automatically goes to this default printer.

Figure P.35


NOTE: When you are getting ready to print something, you are usually presented with an option to preview your document. This enables you to see exactly what your printed document will look like before you actually print it.

Programs

In the context of Windows 98, programs are the start of everything. A word processing application is a program; so are all the Windows 98 accessories, utilities, and online services. When you examine the Windows 98 Programs menu, you will see the starting points (or shortcut links) to all your additional software applications that you have installed on your computer.

Programs Menu Option

The Programs menu option contains all applications folders and shortcuts. This, of course, can be changed, but does hold true immediately following the installation of the Windows 98 operating system on a brand new computer. To view the contents of the Programs menu option, click the Start button, then choose Programs (see Figure P.36).

Figure P.36


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