Windows XP / 98 Tips & Tricks (part 2)

If the program's icon isn't on your desktop it may be in your Start, Programs menu. Do the same thing as above: right-click on the program and set the compatibility mode. Be sure you use the program's .exe file. You can find out by right-clicking on the program's name, click on Properties. For example, ICQ's would be "C:\Program Files\ICQ\ICQ.exe" or something similar.

If your files have no extensions, i.e. no dot followed by three letters (for example: letter_to_mom.txt), go to Control Panel, Folder Options, click on the View tab and uncheck Hide extensions for known file types.

If the program isn't on your desktop or start menu, you'll need to go to the program's folder and find the exe file. Be sure it's the one that starts the program [i.e. not setup.exe]. You can find out by double-clicking on the file, if the program you're looking for starts, that's it.

Note! Sysinternals was bought by Microshaft! I'll revise this section after I've had a chance to see what changes MS have made.

Ever wondered what processes and programs are going on in your computer that you don't know about? There's a small, free program called Process Explorer that will display them.

From sysinternals: "Find out what files, registry keys and other objects processes have open, which DLLs they have loaded, and more. This uniquely powerful utility will even show you who owns each process." You can also monitor all network traffic with Process Explorer. There's usually a significant amount of communication going on between your computer and Microsoft's network while you're online [there are various reasons -- one is to synchronize your computer's clock], and other programs [like Symantec, distributor of Norton anti-virus and firewall] may also communicate over the Internet. This is usually harmless network traffic and takes place in the background without most computer users' knowledge. With Process Explorer you can view all the network communication, in real time, that's going on and which processes [services] are active.

Sysinternals has two other computer-monitoring programs that I like: DiskMon that displays all hard drive activity on your system, and FileMon that displays file system activity in real-time. With these three little programs you can find out most everything that your computer is doing or running in the background, including programs that auto-start when you start a Windows session that you might not know about. Using Process Explorer I discovered a program running that was for a printer I no longer used.

Windows gives you lots of control over how folders [directories for those who used DOS] display. Click on Start, Settings, Control Panel, double-click on Folder Options. The General tab is pretty self-explanatory. The View tab has more advanced settings. There you can experiment and configure how Windows and Explorer displays folders. One that I recommend, if it's not already checked, is "Hide protected operating system files." It's too easy to delete or move a critical system file—I've done it! Right-clicking on a setting will launch an explanation of what it is, but be sure you haven't accidentally checked, or unchecked, it when you close the help balloon. Best way is to move the mouse pointer outside the Folder Options window before clicking.

Changing folder details and column widths: Open the folder you want to change, click on View, Choose details. There you can choose which details to display, move them up or down and which ones to display and hide. At the bottom you can set the width of a selected column in pixels. It may take a bit of experimenting to find what you like best.

Windows XP comes with a lot of different mouse cursors. To change your mouse cursor click on Start, Settings, Control Panel, double-click on Mouse, click on the Pointers tab. Under Customize are the current cursors. To change a cursor scheme click on the Scheme pull-down menu. You'll find more cursors by hitting Browse, you should be taken to the Windows\Cursors folder. You'll need to change each 'part' of the cursor by choosing a cursor for Normal select, Help select, etc. There are thousands of custom icon schemes you can download off the Internet.

Want to liven up your desktop with other icons besides the standard ones that come with Windows XP? To change icons, like My Documents, My Computer and the Recycle bin click on Start, Settings, Control Panel, double-click on Display, select the Desktop tab. Click on Customize Desktop, select the icon you want to change, click on Change Icon. If you have custom icons click browse and navigate to the folder that contains the icons [.ico extension]. The recycle bin requires two icons: one for 'empty' and one for 'unempty' state. To change folder icons right-click on the folder, select Properties, Shortcut tab, Change Icon. Program shortcut icons can be changed the same way.

The Microsoft DirectX Diagnostic Tool gives information about the DirectX application programming interface (API) components and drivers on your system. It enables you to test sound and graphics output and Microsoft DirectPlay service providers. It also enables you to disable some hardware acceleration features.

You can use the diagnostic tool to gather information for a technician during a support call. You can save the information gathered by the tool and paste it into an e-mail message.

Never plug your computer directly into an electric outlet, there should be a surge protector between it and the power source. A computer's electronic components are sensitive and need a regulated power supply. The power coming to your home fluctuates widely and a sudden surge could fry your CPU, motherboard and / or RAM. I saw this first-hand when a maintenance technician where I worked connected a voltage meter to the incoming line and the meter was constantly sweeping from one side to another, indicating voltage fluctuations. Don't scrimp on a surge protector. You probably paid good money for your computer. Spending $20 - $40 on a good surge protector is cheap insurance against a voltage spike damaging your system. Even with a surge protector it's a good idea to unplug your computer when there's an electrical storm. Shut it down first. :-)

An uninterrupted power supply, or UPS, is a battery backup for your computer when the power goes out. It will keep your computer running for 15 - 20 minutes giving you time to back up anything important and shutting it down, or the UPS will shut the computer down automatically. It will also sound an alarm, usually an insistent beeping to let you know your electricity has stopped, in case you hadn't noticed. Turning your computer off suddenly without closing programs and doing a proper shutdown (via the Start menu) isn't good for it and you may lose unsaved data. If you're in an area with frequent storms and/or power outages you should have a UPS, but I recommend one for every system. A UPS also acts as a surge protector and line conditioner. You can kill two birds with one stone by getting a UPS.

Generally, yes. Electronic components are stressed by temperature changes—the hot and cold of turning your computer on and off. That's why there are variable speed fans on CPUs to keep them at a constant relative temperature. Also, the initial surge of electricity when you start your computer can stress electronic components. But leaving your computer on 24/7 increases your electric bill, though not substantially. Usually, the advantages of leaving your computer on all the time outweigh the disadvantages, unless you infrequently use it. Also, if you've just gotten a new computer it should be burned in unless it was done before your purchase. Burning-in means the computer is left running for 48 hours which allows the components to settle-in and expose any potential problems.

Your monitor draws a lot of power [LCD monitors are more energy efficient], I usually turn mine off when not using my system.

Some claim a computer needs to be shut-off periodically. However, ISPs [Internet Service Providers] have hundreds of servers—basically computers without any peripherals [mice, keyboards, etc]—running 24/7. Also, there are some processes your computer does when it's idle, like creating an index for searches—that I advise turning off—virus scans [if you have scans scheduled] and general housecleaning. There's no reason that a computer needs to be turned off to 'rest it.'

However, you should reboot every now and then, since over time computers collect temporary, or other files, that are just clutter. Rebooting will sometimes solve a problem with your computer—like it has slowed down to a crawl.

If you don't want your hard drive(s) spinning while your computer is idle: Right-click on your desktop, click on Properties, Screen Saver, in Monitor Power click on Power. You can also access it by clicking on Display in Control Panel. There you can set your monitor and hard drive(s) to go on standby after specified periods of time.

Some computer novices don't know the handiness of the second [or third if you have a three button mouse] mouse button. Right-clicking will usually bring up a menu of whatever your mouse pointer is sitting on. For example, right-clicking on your desktop will open a menu where you can arrange your icons, run the Desktop Cleanup Wizard, create a new folder or shortcut, etc. Then clicking on properties in the right-click desktop menu will open the Display Properties window, where you can change the appearance, settings, screen saver, etc. Right-clicking on the icons in your Task Bar [menu bar at the bottom of your screen, right side] will usually open the menu for the program associated with the icon.

Most people know about the Cut, Copy and Paste functions in the Edit menu of most programs. But there's a quicker way. Highlight the text or image you want to copy or cut, right-click on the text or image and a menu will pop up with Cut, Copy, Paste, Rename, etc and, depending on what program it is, other menu items as well.

You can also use the right mouse button when copying and moving files. Highlight the file, or files (hold the mouse button down and encircle the files), you want to move or copy with your left mouse button. Then right-click and drag them to the folder you want, or your desktop, right-click again and a menu will pop up asking if you want to copy, move, make a shortcut or delete.

Sometimes resting your mouse pointer on the file will cause a small window to pop-up with information about it. But you can tag your files by leaving a comment. Right-click on the file name, click on Properties, Summary tab. In Comments, write whatever you want, click Apply, OK. You can also write the title, subject, author, etc. To change what views are displayed in the folder, click on View, Choose Details and check, or uncheck, what you want or don't want. Be sure comments is checked after you've tagged your files. You can also change the order in which they're displayed by using the Move up/Move down buttons, and set the width of each column by entering a number in "Width in selected column [in pixels]."

You can change the number of mouse clicks to open shortcuts [I find one-click faster] by clicking on Start, Settings, Control Panel, Folder Options. In the General tab, under Click items as follows, click the option you want.

If you click Single-click to open an item [point to select], you can also specify when icon titles are underlined. To check your current browser settings for underlining links, open Internet Options in Control Panel. To open Internet Options, click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Internet Options. On the Advanced tab, check the setting for Underline links.

Your computer's fans draw cool air in and hot air out keeping your components from overheating. Today's high-performance, gaming and high-end video, computers need good cooling but fans also drawn in is dust and cigarette smoke [if you smoke*] that overtime can coat your computer's insides, act as an insulator and reduce its cooling capacity. Getting rid of dust is as easy as opening up your computer and blowing it out. However, if you've never opened your computer it may seem as easy as changing the tube in your TV - unless you have a flat-screen, then you're really stuck! ;-) If you're not sure you want to open your computer, don't—let someone else do it.

There are usually four screws on the back of your computer case, two on each side, that hold the side panels on. It's merely a matter of unscrewing two, carefully removing one side [the side without the motherboard] and gently blowing the innards out. If you own a brand name puter like Dell, HP, etc it may not have the standard four screws on the back and be more difficult to open. Dell is notorious for this and was designed to frustrate you so you end up taking your computer into a shop. I don't recommend buying a mainstream brand name computer [Dell, HP, etc]. For one, it will be setup how the manufacturer thinks you want it and may not best suit your needs. It will probably have software, or trial software, that you won't need. Custom build it, or have a local store, friend or shop put one together.

I use a vacuum cleaner on reverse to blow out the dust. Canned air provides more pinpoint cleaning, but keep the can upright so no chemicals spray out and follow the instructions for spraying distance. Some compressed air is quite cold. The inside of your computer should be cleaned every four or five months. More frequently if it's in a dusty, or smoky*, environment.

*Cigarette smoke creates a difficult to remove coating on the inside of a computer.

No matter how inspiring the desktop wallpaper, the Windows taskbar sits at the bottom of the screen, dour and gray. A small program called Transbar harnesses the Alpha Transparency feature in Windows XP to let you tweak the transparency level of your taskbar. You can make the taskbar completely see-through, letting it blend with your desktop. Transbar download site