(Windows 95-98) To make a new connection with an ISP: Click on "START". Click or go to "PROGRAMS". Go to the top of the list, to "ACCESSORIES". Go to "COMMUNICATIONS". Go to "DIAL UP NETWORKING" (yes, that is what it is called!) Click on "DIAL UP NETWORKING". Click on "MAKE NEW CONNECTION". Insert "user name". Insert "password". Check "SAVE PASSWORD". Be sure you put in the right phone number for your ISP! Many have two separate phone numbers, one for 28.8 and the other for 56k. You will probably have to fill in the other parts if this is the first time. Put in "dialing from home" where it asks. Add your area code. Tone or pulse dialing if asked. This should pretty much do it for you. Another option is to do a "screen dump" and send the print by snail mail to your ISP to show them exactly *WHAT* you are showing on your own screen. To do this, use the "PRINT SCREEN" key at the top of your keyboard and send a copy of your screen to the "clipboard". Use the "clipboard viewer" to see what your "picture" looks like. Shrink it down to a quarter of the desktop so you'll have room for Wordpad, which is where you are going to "paste" this picture. Just drag the Clipboard Viewer (drag entire objects by clicking on their shaded top panels and dragging them to where you want them. This may need a little practice, but it is extremely "handy" for putting photos into your letters and so forth, so practice some here. When you have Wordpad on the desktop, drag your picture on to Wordpad. Click on "PASTE" in the "EDIT" menu. This is just a bit "tricky" but with a bit of practice you should have a perfect picture of your screen display in Wordpad. Then print from your word processing program to your printer... To reproduce windows on your desktop, press ALT-PRINT SCREEN. This will save the window to the Clipboard. Then using the Clipboard Viewer, paste the picture into Wordpad to be printed out. Modems under Windows 95 and 98 Click on "MY COMPUTER". Click on "CONTROL PANEL". Click on "MODEMS". Click on "PROPERTIES". Check com port (usually #2 for internals, but externals can be either #1 or #2) If the modem is ISA, did you set the jumpers correctly? Set "SPEED" to 115k for 56k, 57K for 28.8 modems. Connection: 8 bits, no parity, one stop bit. Click on "PORT SETTINGS", set to "LOW" for best connections. You can try higher settings later if you don't have any trouble with connections. Click on "ADVANCED". Go to "EXTRA SETTINGS". Type in "%E1" (just as you see it) Use error control. Compress data. Use flow control, try "hard- ware" first. If problems, use "software" as the alternative. Click "OK" when you are done. WINDOWS 95-98 (DOS) Set "IDLE SENSITIVITY" to "LOW" on all DOS programs. You will find this setting under "MISC" in the box that comes up with a right click of your mouse. This helps with programs that need a bit of "help" with things. Also "check" the "PROTECTED" box on the memory tab. This will help you keep DOS programs from crashing Windows if they happen to misbehave... If you still have problems, trying running full screen instead of in a window. Generally Windows 98 will run most DOS programs without any trouble. The only exceptions seem to be certain "utilities" which can't tolerate FAT 32 and some old programs like Microsoft Flight Simulator 4, which while it runs, "flickers". I've also had problems with CSHOW, an older version, as it doesn't release memory when you alter graphic files. SHUT DOWN PROBLEMS Having trouble getting your computer to go to "sleep"? Try typing "msconfig" in the "run" box. (Click on "START", Click on "RUN"). Then click on "ADVANCED". Check the box "DISABLE FAST SHUTDOWN". This will give Windows a bit more "time" to shut things down properly. It may however also create a problem with shutting down your computer. You'll have to try it for yourself here. My own experience is that you should not expect perfect performance here from this system, my own Compaq 2286 at best being about 95%. If you experience too many "crashes", just set things up so that the monitor shuts down (it uses about 2/3rds of all the electricity that your computer system uses). Note too that Windows 98 when you get too many "crashes" from "standby", will delete this option from the menu... For shutting the computer off, do a "CTRL-ALT-DELETE", click on "shut down" instead of using the "start" button and "shut down". For some unknown reason this seems to work more reliably than the usual method. You can also bring up the standard "shut down, restart, etc" box by pressing "alt-F4" on your keyboard and going from there rather than by using the "shut down" box on the "start" menu. STARTING IN DOS INSTEAD OF WINDOWS You can start up in "DOS" instead of in Windows. To do so, go to the "ADVANCED" checklist you visited above, and check off "ENABLE STARTUP MENU". This will cause your computer to pause and ask you what you want to do when you start up. Note: This also will most likely cause your CD rom drive not to work, or your ZIP drive, but if you don't need to use these in DOS, this is one way to do it in- stead of using a "DOS PROMPT" under WINDOWS or going to "MS-DOS MODE". If you need the mouse, add "LH C:\MOUSE\MOUSE.EXE" (or wherever your mouse software is located) to your autoexec.bat file so that it will load every time that you start your computer in "dos prompt" mode... Windows 98 and 2YK Click on "My Computer" icon. Click on "Control Panel" icon. Click on "Regional Settings" icon. Click on "Date". Set "short date" to "m/d/yyyy" instead of "m/d/yy". This will supposedly help with 2YK. At least Windows 98 will display 1/1/2000 instead of 1/1/00, which might "confuse" things just a bit. Make 98 "look" like 3.x Right Click on the toolbar, select option to "tile", "cascade", or display "vertically" (one above the other). GPF in "USER.EXE" Put "FILESHIGH=100" in your config.sys file. OE or OD exception errors OE errors refer to bad memory, OD are video problems. If you are having these problems upon a regular basis, check to see if your memory chips are firmly seated in their slots. For video, check to see if your card is firmly seated. On integrated systems you are unfortunately probably looking at motherboard replacement... I would however first try reloading software, as corrupted files are always a possibility, especially after a major serious crash. To find out more about your computer Click on "start". Click on "programs". Click on "accessories". Click on "system tools". Click on "system information". Click on "hardware resources". Click on "components". Click on "software environment". Running MS-DOS programs in Windows 98 Usually a program will run under "DOS PROMPT" without a problem, but sometimes you will have to alter settings to get it to run properly. So try the following: Disable the "Allow Screen Saver" option on the MISC tab. Disable the Dynamic Memory Allocation setting on the SCREEN tab. Disable the Fast ROM Emulation setting on the SCREEN tab. Change the Idle Sensitivity to Low Select the Full-Screen option on the SCREEN tab. Obtaining an "Icon-Free" Desktop You can "hide" any of the desktop icons if you are running an "active" desktop in Windows 98. Right click on the desktop, select "effects" on the tab. Check the box to "hide icons". Note, if you need some of them, you can copy them to your list of "start" button programs by right clicking on them, making a copy, and then dragging the copy over to the start button list. Hold the start key down, and drag the icon you want to wherever you want it on the menu. This will still allow you to have the "recycle bin" available even if you don't have it on the desktop. Helping your computer boot up faster This is for desktops and all computers with fixed floppy disk drives. Click "start" Click "settings" Click "control panel" Click "system" Click "system properties" Click "performance" Click "file system" Click "floppy disk" uncheck "search for new floppy disk drives each time your computer starts". RIGHT CLICK INSTEAD OF LEFT CLICK I often find it "easier" to right click than to double click using the left mouse button. Also, you are given a list of options every time which allows you to do more than you could by left clicking. So get in the habit of "right clicking" in- stead of left clicking. You'll find it does so much "MORE"!! RUNNING MULTIPLE OS's Still have Windows 3.x, or 95 around? Are there times you'd like to be able to use them instead of 98? Or are you thinking of up- grading to 98 SE and you aren't sure whether or not its a good idea? Would you like to run OS/2, Linux along with Windows? Have need for real DOS (like MS-DOS 6.22) instead of a GUI? Did you hear that it can't be done? WRONG! It can be done! All you need is "PARTITION COMMANDER" from "V-Communications" (check the web for their page). I'm running multiple OS's using it, and you can do the same! I might note that PC works better than does "SYSTEM COMMANDER", which while more "automatic", sometimes won't work on your equipment. (Happened to me) PARTITION COMMANDER will make as many bootable partitions as you can use on your hard drive. (It helps to have a large hard drive, but even a 400 meg can hold Windows 3.1, 95, OS/2, and good old DOS without trouble.) You should read the manual over carefully first before diving in. This is powerful software, and you can get into trouble if you aren't careful. (Happened to me) Generally however as long as you avoid formatting your drive to FAT32 (only works with Windows 98 and 95b), you should have any trouble. I will note however if you are running QEMM that you should disable it before starting. The only problems you may encounter will be related to the fact that some of the latest computers are set up just to run Windows 98. The "winmodem" you have probably won't work under OS/2 or Linux. However, putting in a good "hardware" modem will solve a lot of these problems. And with a multiple boot system, you still will have good old Windows there ready to use whenever you need it. ***************************************************************** If you have any questions, or need further assistance, please email me at "jbigge@novagate.com" or at "JerBigge@aol.com". I am an A+ certified computer technician, and I will give you what help I can.