Note: You will see the new WebTechGeek web page format with -
older WTG web page format. I hope you like the new!
Windows
Me Tips !
The
Latest Windows Me News & Tips!
Part 1
More software downloads
Windows~Me
Tip of the Week!
Task Scheduler to accomplish various
useful tasks while your computer is idle.
You might want to reschedule most of the
tasks to take place once a month, and then remind yourself
to leave the computer on that night only so Task Scheduler
can accomplish Tasks while your PC is idle.
1. Click the Start button and choose Programs
> Accessories > System Tools > Scheduled Tasks.
2. Click Add Scheduled Task, click Next,
and wait a few minutes while the Scheduled Task Wizard
searches your registry for registered applications. Highlight
ScanDisk, and click the Next button. Continue using the
wizard to define the task, and click Finish.
3. Right-click your ScanDisk item, and click
Properties. Click the Settings button (not the tab), and
make sure that Thorough and "Automatically fix errors"
are marked.
4. Click the Schedule tab, display the Schedule
Task drop-down list, and select Monthly. Click the Day
option button and then choose a start time for this first
task. Click OK.
5. Right-click the Maintenance-Disk Cleanup
item in the Task Scheduler, if it's present. This task
might be called Tune-up Disk Cleanup on your computer
— if you're in doubt, check that the Run field on
the Task tab says C:\WINDOWS\CLEANMGR.EXE. (If you don't
see any Disk Cleanup item, follow Step 2 again, this time
adding the Disk Cleanup task.) Click Properties. Click
the Settings button on the Task tab, and make sure you've
selected the files to be deleted automatically, Click
OK.
6. Click the Schedule tab, and set Disk
Cleanup to run an hour later than ScanDisk, but on the
same night. Click OK.
7. Right-click the Disk Defragmenter task
in the Task Scheduler. (It may also be called Maintenance-Defragment
Programs. If you don't see any Disk Defragmenter item,
follow Step 2, this time adding the Disk Defragmenter
task.) Click Properties. Click the Schedule tab and schedule
the Defragmenter to occur on the same day of the month
as ScanDisk and Disk Cleanup, but an hour after the cleanup.
Click OK.
OK you've set up your Task Scheduler to
perform these tasks on one day of the month, be sure that
there are no conflicts between the Disk Defragmenter and
your power management, screen savers, or any other applications.
Be careful not to run intensive disk activities too often.
Computer technicians recommend that you don't schedule
a thorough scan of your hard disk every night, for example.
This can wear out a hard drive more quickly than normal
usage will. If you scan once a month that should take
care of most problems that might arise.
Remove
the Color Block behind the Names of your Desktop Icons!
Remove icon color block:
By Raymond, WebTechGeek.com -
You have a nice looking wallpaper as the
background, you'll notice that there is a rectangular
block of color behind the icon's name. Annoying yes? Here
is a little program that can change the appearance of
your icons. Transparent is a freeware program you can
use to change your icon text color and more.
Remove icon color block: by Raymond,
WebTechGeek This utility will turn your Windows 9x or
NT desktop icon text backgrounds transparent; allowing
your wallpaper to show through. It will also allow you
to easily change the icon text to any color. It's completely
free, with no splash, and is only 25k. Get it here!
Put the file in you startup folder. Remember to come back
to WebTechGeek.com for more How to.
Removing Old System Files:
By Raymond, WebTechGeek.com!
After you've used Windows Me for a while, and you've
decided to continue using it, you can easily reclaim the
disk space that is consumed by the uninstall files, that's
"the old system files".
Once you've taken the following steps, of course, you
can no longer uninstall Windows Me and revert to your
previous version of Windows.
Step 1. Click the Start button > Settings > Control
Panel.
Step 2. Click the Add/Remove Programs icon.
Step 3. Click the Install/Uninstall tab. If you are removing
Windows 9x uninstall files, select "Remove Windows
9x system files," then click Remove. If you are removing
Windows 3.x or DOS uninstall files, select "Old Windows
3.x/MS-DOS system files," then click Remove.
Seeing and Creating Hidden Startup Programs:
By Raymond - WebTechGeek
Step 1. Click Regedit.exe in your \Windows folder.
Step 2. Navigate to either HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE
\ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Run or HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
\ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \RunOnce.
You can also check the RunServices or RunServicesOnce
keys.
Step 3. Highlight Run in the left pane. You'll see which
programs are currently running when you start up.
Step 4. To enter a call to a new program to run at startup
time (once or always), right-click in the right pane with
either Run or RunOnce highlighted. Click New, String Value.
Step 5. Type any name you want to identify the application
that is going to be run at startup.
Step 6. Double-click this new name. Type the complete
path and filename for the application. Click OK.
Step 7. Exit the Registry Editor.
Add Image Preview to any folder:
By Raymond, WebTechGeek.com!
If you choose to store pictures in a folder other than
the My Pictures folder, you can turn on Image Preview
to preview your pictures.
On your desktop, click on My Computer.
Pick the disk drive where your pictures are located, and
then click on the folder that contains your pictures.
Go to the View menu, and then click Customize This Folder.
In the Customize This Folder Wizard, click Next, select
Choose or edit an HTML template for this folder, and then
click Next again.
Select Image Preview, click Next, and then click on Finish.
What Gets Loaded When
By Raymond - WebTechGeek
Io.sys carries out a default sequence of commands. You
can easily see just what commands Io.sys carries out.
The easiest way to get to interactive startup is for
you to hold down the Ctrl key during the power-on self
test, and when the Startup menu appears, then choose item
4. You will then be asked to confirm if you want various
actions to be carried out. Here's how to interpret the
questions:
Process the system registry [Enter=Y, Esc=N]?
If you are actually going to start Windows, you want
the registry to be processed.
Create a startup log file (BOOTLOG.TXT) [Enter=Y, Esc=N]?
The file Bootlog.txt is created and a backup of the previous
Bootlog.txt is written to Bootlog.prv.
Enable SMARTDRV disk cache [Enter=Y, Esc=N]?
Loads the disk caching software to speed up your hard
drive access.
Load all Windows drivers [Enter=Y, Esc=N]?
If you answer yes, you have the option of not loading
some drivers, mostly network drivers. If you answer no,
you'll start Windows in Safe mode. You may choose not
to load some drivers in order to troubleshoot Windows
networking problems.
This default load sequence gives you an idea why Config.sys
and Autoexec.bat are not needed in Windows Me. Many of
the functions that would be carried out by Config.sys
are carried out by Io.sys, if you let it.
Web Accessories:
By
Raymond,
WebTechGeek.com
Web Accessories from Microsoft,
Don't forget about all these cool accessories free for
Microsoft!
Internet Explorer 5 includes an extensibility feature
called Web Accessories. Web Accessories are one way to
add new features and functionality to Internet Explorer
5. Try out the Web Accessories, which were developed by
Microsoft and several other leading Internet companies.
Note: These Web Accessories are only for use with Internet
Explorer 5x.
Web Accessories from Microsoft -
Internet Explorer 5 Web Accessories, Dreamed up by Microsoft's
own development team, this kit contains eight utilities
that let you zoom in and out on any image, highlight text,
do custom searches, and much, much more. Get
them here!
Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8 How to Uninstall Windows Me / All About Windows
Millennium Edition!
