Win98 Shutdown Fix - If you use Windows98 Second Edition in a network environment where you have one or more network drives mapped, you may find that Windows will lock up at the shut-down screen occasionally or every time. Microsoft has acknowledged this bug associated with network drive mapping, and has issued a fix called the Win98 Shutdown Supplement. Microsoft's website has more information and a download of the Shutdown Supplement.

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Apps - If you multi-task a lot (run several programs at once), and are tired of having to minimize everything to get to your desktop, or navigating a bloated Start menu, try this throw-back to Windows 3.1:
  1. create a new folder, named "Apps," on your desktop
  2. open the folder into a window by double-clicking it
  3. copy into the Apps folder the shortcuts that you use most frequently (you can copy them from your desktop or from the Start Menu; and you may want to set Arrange Icons to Auto Arrange and expand the window to fit all your shortcut icons)
  4. leave the Apps window open at all times
  5. whenever you wish to run an additional program, simply click on the Apps button that appears on the button/task bar, then run the program from the shortcut in the Apps window
  6. if ever you close the Apps window by mistake, it's right there on your desktop; just double-click its icon to open it back up.

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CD-R/RW Warning - CD-Rs and CD-RWs are great ways to store and back-up your stuff. However, if you aren't careful, the data that you put store on those CDs might become unreadable. Follow these tips to try to avoid that unhappy circumstance:
  1. DO NOT fill the CD to capacity. If you do, there may not be enough room for the entire Table of Content (TOC) to be written to the CD. When that happens, the CD becomes unreadable.
  2. DO NOT try multi-tasking while writing to your CD. The processing time you take away may interrupt the writing process, thereby rendering your CD unusable. Plextor has a line of CD-R/RW drives with "BURN-proof" technology that helps prevent this situation. But, even so, your best bet is to shut down all unnecessary applications before burning your CD.
  3. DO NOT turn your computer off in the middle of a burn. That's obvious! But for those of you who do a lot of CD burning, this also means that you should have a battery backup on your computer system to avoid power spikes, brown-outs and plain-old black-outs during your burns.
For additional CD burning safety tips, and for data recovery services if you've already victimized yourself, visit the CD Data Guys.

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Modem Types: x2 vs. K56flex vs. v.90 - In the race to increase modem speeds to 56kbps (56,000 bits per second), there were two camps: Lucent Technology and Rockwell Semiconductor developed "K56flex" technology, while U.S.Robotics developed "x2" technology. Each camp was arguing that its technology should be the standard. Lo and behold, the organization that actually decides on the standard resolved the issue by declaring the v.90 standard, in which x2 got the upper hand. All you really have to know is that any new modem you buy should be v.90-compliant. If you have an existing K56flex or x2 modem, the respective manufacturers should have a free, software-based upgrade to make your modem v.90-compliant. Most Internet Service Providers now comply with the v.90 standard, with K56flex support as well. Nonetheless, because of current telephone line and/or regulatory restrictions, the actual maximum connection rate is 53kbps.

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x2 Modem Update - If you have an old modem that isn't as fast as you'd like, check something before you go out and buy a new one. If you have an x2 modem still running at 28.8k or 33.6k, you can perform a "flash" upgrade of the modem to turn it into a 56k modem. The 28.8k and 33.6k x2 modems had that built-in upgradability. You'll need to find the modem manufacturer's upgrade on its website. For U.S. Robotics modems, download and run the Modem Upgrade Wizard from 3Com's site to determine the upgrade that you need (some are free, but others are not). Or, specifically, for those of you with a USR TelePath x2 modem in your Gateway 2000 computer, you can go to Gateway's modem upgrades to select the upgrade you need (you'll need to know the Gateway part number of your modem).

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Online Service vs. ISP - In comparing an Online Service (like America Online) with an Internet Service Provider (ISP), you might consider thinking of the Online Service as a bus--mass transportation-- and the ISP as a rental car agency. Buses are slower and carry a lot of people to preset destinations. If you have a rental car, you take yourself where you want, when you want, and faster.

If you're a beginner with online stuff, an online service is fine to get your feet wet. But if you're using your online service, like AOL, primarily for surfing the Web anyway, get off the bus and take a car. You'll appreciate the greater speed that an ISP account enjoys over an online service account. If you want to keep both accounts, you can save some money.

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Screen Vibration - If the screen on your computer monitor seems to "vibrate" or flicker (without really making a noise), you may have the monitor refresh rate set incorrectly. Check the documentation that came with your monitor to determine its lowest and maximum refresh rates, then follow these steps to reset the refresh rate:
  1. click on Start | Settings | Control Panel
  2. double-click on the "Display" icon in the Control Panel
  3. click on the "Settings" tab (note: some video adapter drivers add their own tab, and you may need to click that tab instead)
  4. click on "Advanced Properties" and look for the "Refresh Rate" property (it may be on one of several tabs) and, from the lowest to the maximum for your monitor, repeat the following steps until you've either reached the maximum for your monitor, or you've fixed the problem
    1. choose a refresh rate
    2. click the "Apply" button
    3. you may receive a warning about using a custom refresh rate; so long as the rate you chose is within your monitor's range, click "OK"
    4. you may then see a notice that Windows is about to adjust the refresh rate; click "OK"
    5. if the screen becomes garbled or unusable, wait a few moments and Windows should restore your original settings
    6. otherwise, the screen will return at the new refresh rate, with a message asking whether you wish to keep the new setting; if this setting has fixed your problem, click "Yes" and exit the display settings panel
    7. if this setting did not fix your problem, return to Step a; if none of the refresh rates (even "Optimal" and "Default") fixes the flickering problem, you may have a problem with the monitor itself

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Start Menu - Accessing the shortcuts in your Start Menu, for purposes of viewing, changing and deleting them, etc., is a handy trick referred to in some of these tips. To access the Start Menu for these purposes:
  1. Click Start | Settings | Taskbar
  2. Click on the "Start Menu" tab; an Explorer window opens
  3. in the left pane of the Explorer window, double-click on the "Programs" folder; this displays a listing of subfolders under the "Programs" folder
  4. click on the subfolder of the application group whose shortcut(s) you wish to view/edit/delete
  5. in the right pane, you'll see the listing of shortcuts associated with the subfolder you've highlighted in the left pane

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Fast Find - Unless you've chosen not to install it, Microsoft Office includes a component called "Fast Find" that, supposedly, makes it easier to find files you're looking for. Fast Find starts running when you start Windows, and it keeps running, taking up valuable processing power. To prevent Fast Find from running:
  1. get in your Start Menu
  2. in the Explorer window that opens, double-click on "Programs" in the left pane (this will display a listing of subfolders under the "Programs" folder
  3. click on the "StartUp" subfolder
  4. if, on the right pane of the Explorer window, there is a shortcut for "Fast Find," delete it
  5. close the Explorer window
  6. next time you start Windows, Fast Find will not load
  7. if you wish to shut down Fast Find immediately, rather than waiting for a Windows restart:
    1. press CTRL-ALT-DEL
    2. in the Task Manager that opens, look for "Fast Find" and click on it
    3. click the End Task button
    4. close the Task Manager window

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