Closing All Your Applications Fast

Use this tip to close all opened applications quickly. Click the Start-Run menu, type Taskman, and then click OK to open the Task Manager application. Press and hold the SHIFT key, click the first application from the list, click the last application, and then click the Windows - End Task menu. You can also create a shortcut to the Task Manager in the Start menu.

Are you tired to close your running applications one by one? Just select Shutdown from the Start menu and pick the "Close all programs and log on as a different user?" option. Then log back on as the same user.

Bigger Dialog Boxes

Probably you didn't realize that Common Dialogs inside an application (Notepad, Paint, etc), such as File - Open and File - Save As boxes are now resizable in the Windows 9X/Me. Just look in the lower right-hand corner for that familiar Explorer-like resize handle. Now, you can see more than just a handful of files when you're in those dialogs.

An Easy Way to Close Applications

As you know, you can close an opened application by pressing Alt+F4. Actually, there is another method, by pressing Alt+spacebar then followed by C.

Adding SendTo Context Menu to Favorites

Click the Start button, click Run, type "sendto" (without the quotes) in the dialog box, and click OK. The SendTo menu opens as icons for shortcuts to be added such as a shortcut to Notepad and Paint. Now select Favorites from the menu bar and "add" this window to your favorites. This makes it easily accessible to update with other shortcuts.

Disable Restart in MS-DOS Mode

For Windows Me users please skip this tip.

Probably you already know that you can hide your drive using WinBoost option. Unfortunately, that drive can still be accessed through DOS prompt. To prevent users from using the Restart in MS-DOS mode command at the Shutdown Windows dialog box, here is the procedure:

Run Windows Explorer and go to C:\Windows (if your Windows installed at this folder). Find the following item: Exit To Dos (Shortcut to MS-DOS Program). Highlight it.

Make a backup copy of this file (just in case). To do so, while it is highlighted, press Ctrl+C, then press Ctrl+V. This should create a new file named Copy of Exit To Dos. If anything goes wrong, you can use it to restore the original file.

Now, while Exit To Dos is selected, press Alt+Enter to open its Properties dialog. Select the Program tab. Change the Cmd line field to read as follows:
C:\Windows\Win.com

Press OK to close the dialog. Now, try to restart the computer in the MS-DOS mode (by choosing Shut down on the Start menu and selecting the Restart in MS-DOS mode option). The screen should go black for awhile, but eventually Windows should appear again, not the MS-DOS prompt.

One Profile for One Purpose

If you've got your Windows login box enabled, you can create different user profiles. Normally this feature useful if the same computer used by several people. Even if you're the only one using your PC, you can take a benefit from it. Simply set up logins for "School", "Work", “Games”, or "Entertainment." Each Desktop could be laid out with a different set of files, folders, and shortcuts.

Automated Restarts or Shutdown

Want to shutdown or restart your Windows automatically at a specific time you have defined before? Just follow these simple steps:

Click on Start – Programs – Accessories – System Tools – Scheduled Task to open Task Scheduler. In the Scheduled Task Wizard, use the Browse option and navigate to C:\Windows\Rundll32.exe. Click OK and finish the wizard including select the start time (time to restart your Windows). Once it's done, right click on the newly created task, click Properties, and add the following parameters in the Run line:

C:\Windows\Rundll32.exe shell32.dll,SHExitWindowsEx 0x2

Make sure the "Start In:" box contains C:\Windows. Also the "Enabled" box at the bottom of the dialog has checked. Click OK and you have finished the job.

Note:
If you want an automatic shutdown instead of an automatic restart, use the same procedure to locate C:\Windows\Rundll.exe file. And then add the following parameters in the Run line:

C:\Windows\Rundll.exe user.exe,exitwindows

Starting Sequence in the Startup Folder

Normally you cannot arrange the starting sequence in the Startup folder. To get around this situation you must write a batch file. For example you want to activate ScanDisk (minimized) and Windows Explorer (maximized) on Windows Startup. First run Notepad or other similar text editor applications and enter:

start /min scandisk.exe
start /max explorer. exe

From the menu bar select Choose File, Save As and give it a name using the BAT extension, for example Startseq.bat. Select a location and then click Save. Right-click Start and choose Open. When the Start window opens, double-click Programs to open it. You should now see the StartUp folder. Now, run Windows Explorer and locate your batch file. Use the right-mouse button to drag its icon to your StartUp folder and choose Create Shortcut(s) Here from the pop-up menu. In the StartUp folder, right-click the new shortcut and choose Properties. When the Properties dialog box opens, click the Shortcut tab. Click the arrow at the right side of the Run list box to expand the list and then select Minimized from the list. Click OK to close the dialog box and save your changes. When you restart the computer, ScanDisk will start first and then followed by Windows Explorer.

Install Logo as Startup Logo

Still remember with the logo that appears when you first booted into your freshly installed Windows? Now you can have that logo displayed as your Windows Startup logo. All you have to do is extracting the file called SULOGO.SYS from the WIN95_10.CAB cabinet file found in the \WIN95 folder of your Windows 95 installation CD. Or from WIN98_52.CAB cabinet file found in the \WIN98 folder of your Windows installation CD. Use WinZip utility to extract it into your hard disk, and then use “Edit Windows Logo” setting on WinBoost to put it as a Windows Startup Logo.

Express Shortcuts

Most people use their computers for several repetitive tasks, such as checking their e-mail boxes, read the latest breaking news or weather reports from Internet. Now you can save your time by placing these tasks shortcuts into a folder in Windows Startup folder. Just make and name a folder on your hard drive, for example 'Express Shortcuts'. Move all the shortcut icons out of the Windows Startup folder and into the 'Express Shortcuts' one. Then, place an 'Express Shortcuts' folder shortcut into the 'Startup' folder; it should be the only shortcut in there. From now on, when Windows boots up, you'll see a small window with all your 'Startup' shortcuts displayed. You can pick and choose which ones you want to launch at that time.

Automatic Power On with Double Click

The latest main board and BIOS support ATX facility, it means you can power on your computer with just a double click. To activate this feature: first restart your computer, press Del when the BIOS message appears to enter your CMOS configuration, and then select Integrated Peripherals from main menu. If PS/2 mouse power on disabled, activate it by press page up/ page down key it will became Double-Click. Press Esc key to exit, press F10 to save and exit, and then power off your PC. Now double-click the left mouse button to turn on your PC.

CD-ROM Access in Safe Mode

Some people think that it is impossible to access CD-ROM while they are in the Windows Safe Mode. Well, they almost correct. The secret is: depress the CTRL key to access the Startup menu right before your PC begins booting up into Windows. Select 'Command Prompt Only,' type "win /d:m" (without the quotation marks) and then press ENTER. Now, Windows should start in Safe Mode with your CD-ROM drivers. However please notice that if you still can't access your CD-ROM drive, it means you need to install the real mode CD-ROM drivers.

Adding More Files in Startup Disk

Some times you need to add several more files into your Windows Startup Disk, such as device driver files or customized batch files. Normally you need to do this by adding those files manually into the standard Startup disk Windows creates. Here is the quick way, first copy all necessary files or folders to the \Windows\Command\EBD directory. When you want to create a new floppy, run \Windows\Command\Bootdisk.bat. This will format the floppy and copy all the files in the EBD directory.

Tracking the Startup Process

Tracking the startup process is useful to find out why the Windows startup failed. To do so, use WordPad applications to open the BOOTLOG.TXT file in C:\. Click Edit, Find menu to open the Find dialog box. Type "fail" (without quotation mark) in the appropriate box and then click Find Next button. If the Find process stops on a sentence that has the word "fail", you have found the problem that caused Windows startup process failure.

The Secrets Behind Windows Startup Logo

What is happening behind the scenes while you're looking at the Windows startup logo? You can easily find out by pressing the Esc key when the logo appears. You will see the Windows boot process being narrated by a lot of rapidly scrolling text. You can temporarily stop the boot process by pressing the Pause key on your keyboard. Take your time to read the whole text. To get things rolling again, just press any key on your keyboard.

Speeds Up the Booting of the PC

To speeds up the booting of your PC, you can disable the scans for the presence of new floppy drives when Windows starts. To do so, right-click My Computer, click Properties, and then click the Performance tab. Click file system, click the floppy disk tab, and then uncheck search for new floppy drives each time your computer starts. Click OK and OK again.

Removing the Annoying Password

As you know, you can create two or more desktop settings, each one accessed by using a specific password. If this password is annoying, then you can perform these steps to delete the password:

First, open Control Panel, double-click Password icon, click User Profiles tab, and then click the All users of this PC use the same preferences and desktop setting option. Click Change Password tab, and then click Change Windows Passwords. Type your old password and leave the other boxes empty. Click OK, click Close, and then restart Windows 9X/Me

If the first step above fails to delete the password then open Control Panel, double-click Network icon. Click Primary Network Logon list, and then select Windows Logon. Click OK, and then restart your computer.

Showing the Welcome Screen

When you install Windows 9X for the first time, the Welcome dialog box that appears on the screen offers you to read the tips and Windows 9X tour. If you uncheck the "Show this Welcome Screen next time you start Windows" check box, then this dialog box will never shows up anymore. From now on, if you want to show the Welcome screen just click the Start-Run menus, type welcome, and then click OK.

Quick Warm Boot

Normally, if you choose Restart on the Shut Down menu, your computer will do the warm boot process. To save the booting time, hold down Shift key while clicking the Yes option.

Quick Startup to the DOS mode

If you want to enter the DOS mode on Windows 9X/Me Startup, usually you have to press F8 key when "Starting Windows …" message appears on the screen. From this menu then you choose "Command prompt only" option. To get faster process, try to press Alt+F5 when the "Starting Windows …" message appears on the screen.

Printing the BIOS Screen

Make sure that you have turned on your printer. Click on the Start button, click Shut Down, choose Restart the computer, and then click Yes. On the first screen after rebooting, press Del, F1, or F2 depending on what kind of computer that you use. When the BIOS information has appeared on the screen, press PrintScreen button on the keyboard. Your printer will print the information that appears on the screen.

Presentation at Booting

If you use PowerPoint as your presentation application, you may want to try this tip. First, create your presentation by using PowerPoint. When you have finished, save its file. Run Windows Explorer, go to PowerPoint folder, and then right-click on the POWERPNT.EXE file. Select Create Shortcut, right-click this new shortcut, select Properties, and then go to Shortcut section. To open the presentation in the slide show mode, in the Target column you need add the name of presentation file followed by /s. Move this shortcut into the C:\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup folder. From now on, your presentation will be automatically opened on Windows Startup.

More Choices at Windows Setup

If you want to reinstall Windows 9X/Me, type "setup" followed by one or more of these parameters:

/is to run setup without checking the system

/id to run setup without checking available free space

/IQ to run setup without checking cross-linked file and directory integrity

/in to run setup without Network Setup Module

/iw to run setup without copyright confirmation

Hacking the Forgotten Password

If you forget your Windows Logon password, all you have to do is press the Esc key when the Password dialog box appears on the screen. Windows 9X/Me will be opened on its default screen. Go to C:\Windows folder, and then delete the .PWL file that uses your name as the logon name. For example, if your logon name is John then delete JOHN.PWL file. Click the Start-Shut Down menu and then click Close all programs and log on as another user option. When the Password dialog box appears on the screen, type the same name but with the new password. This method is also useful if you want to break up another user logon.

Faster Shutdown

How long the time that you spend to end your Windows session? So much time wasted only to play the Exit Windows's sound. To get faster shutdown or restart, you can delete that sound. To do so, open Control Panel, double click the Sound icon, in the Events list find the "Exit Windows" item, and then choose None in the Name column.

Booting to the Command Prompt

As you know, you can use WinBoost to disable automatic booting to the graphical user interface (see the System and Booting Enhancements section). That is the easiest and the painless way, but probably you want to try another method. To do so, create a file with Notepad. Do not type anything in the file, and save the file to the root directory of the C: drive and name it WIN.BAT. When Windows boots, and finds an empty WIN.BAT file, it will boot the PC to the DOS command prompt. To get to the graphical user interface from the command prompt, just type WIN and press Enter.

Additional Trick!

Now, open Explorer and then rename file Win.com in C:\Windows with something else, such as yourname.com. Starting from now on, you can prevent other person to access your Windows, since you are the only one that can load it by typing yourname.com and then press Enter.

Ctrl+Alt+Del for Not Responding Applications

If you open too many applications on your computer, sometimes one of those applications will make your computer stop responding. To get around this problem, press Ctrl+Alt+Del. The Close Program dialog box will appear on the screen. Select the not responding application and then click End Task.