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Get the Most Out of Windows 98/METhese tips are provided as is with no warranty. Many tips require editing the Windows registry. It is recommended you backup the registry before making any changes.
General Facts for Windows 98/ME
+ How do I change the registered owner information in Windows 98?
You may at some point need to change the owner information in Windows. Start the Registry Editor Click Start --> Run --> type regedit Click the plus sign next to each Key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion In the right-hand pane find RegisteredOwner and RegisteredOrganization Change the values by double-clicking on them and entering the new information Close the registry editor. + How can I view my Windows product ID in Windows 98?
Start the Registry Editor Click Start --> Run --> type regedit Click the plus sign next to each Key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion Look at ProductID. Heres your CD key. Now write it down and put it in a safe place. + How do I remove Click Here to Begin from my Windows 98 start button?
Start the Registry Editor Click Start --> Run --> type regedit Click the plus sign next to each Key HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ Explore Create a Binary value by selecting New --> Binary Value from the Edit menu Call it NoStartBanner Double-click on it and give it a value of 01 00 00 00 Close the Registry Editor and restart Windows. + Is it possible to have a custom logo screenin Windows 98?
Dont like the boring Windows Logon and Logoff default screens? Heres how to make your own custom logos. There are two files in the /Windows directory, both are 320 x 400 bitmaps LOGOW.SYS is the Wait while Shutting down.. screen LOGOS.SYS is the You may now shut.. screen You can edit these files or create your own, they just have to be 320 x 400 bitmaps. If you have 640x480 images, heres how to make them 320x400 and keep their normal appearance when they are displayed at start up or shutdown: Open the desired image in Paint Choose Stretch/Skew under Image Select Horizontal and change the percentage to 50 Choose OK Choose Stretch/Skew again Select Vertical and set it to 104 Choose OK Choose Stretch/Skew again Select Vertical again and set it to 80 Choose OK Choose Attributes under Image and there it is - a 320x400 bitmap Remember to save it with the .sys extension. To create your custom Start-up Screen Create a file as described above, and name it Logo.sys. Place this file in the Root directory (C:\) Note: You may want to backup the old LOGOW.sys and LOGOS.sys for later use. + How can I remove all my desktop icons on Windows 98?
Start the Registry Editor Click Start --> Run --> type regedit Click the plus sign next to each Key HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ Current Version \ Policies \ Explorer From the menu select Edit --> New --> DWORD value Name it NoDesktop Double-click this entry and give it the value 1 Close the registry editor and reboot your computer To restore the Icons on the desktop, change the value of the NoDesktop Key to 0. Note: The recycle bin will be removed from the desktop as well. You may access it using Windows Explorer. + Why is an uninstalled program still listed in Add/Remove Programs?
Some program uninstallers fail to remove their entires in add/remove programs. Follow the steps below to manually remove these entires. Start the Registry Editor Click Start --> Run --> type regedi Click the plus sign next to each Key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Uninstall Right click the program name in the right pane and delete Close the registry editor and restart Windows. + Can I rename the Windows recycle bin?
Click Start --> Run --> type regedit Open the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT folder Open the CLSID folder Open the {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E} folder Open the ShellFolder folder Change the Attributes data value from 40 01 00 20 to 50 01 00 20 Once completed change the CallForAttributes dword value to 0x00000000 (double-click to change value). Note: You must change both of these values to get the rename to appear. After performing the above steps you will be able to rename the Recycle Bin by right clicking the icon on the desktop and choosing rename. + How do I Use Windows extract tool?
You may use the instructions below to extract single or multiple files from cdor Windows Cab files.. Click Start --> find --> files or folders In the Look Box, click Drive C. Click to select the Include subfolders check box. In the Named box, type .cab to search for cabinet files. Click Find Now . If the cabinet files do not exist on the hard disk, insert the Windows installation CD-ROM, and then repeat the search on the CD-ROM drive. When you find the cabinet files, note the location of the file (for example, C:\Cabs). This is your source path. In the Named box, type extract.exe to search for extract command program. Click Find Now . If the extract command does not exist on the hard disk, copy the Extract.exe file from disk 1 or the Windows 95 CD-ROM to the root folder of drive C. To copy the Extract.exe file from disk 1 to the root folder of drive C, type the following command at the MS-DOS prompt copy cd drive :\extract.exe hard disk :\ Where cd drive is the drive that contains the Windows 98 CD-ROM or disk and hard disk is your hard disk For example: copy a:\extract.exe c:\ Click Start --> Run. The general form of the extract command is: extract source path \ file /L c:\windows\command For example, if the source path is C:\Cabs, the extract command is extract drive :\cabs\ file /L drive :\windows\ path where drive is the drive on which Windows is installed (typically drive C), path is the destination folder for the extracted file, and file is the file that you want to extract. Type the following command, and make the appropriate substitutions as previously noted: extract source path \ file /L c:\windows\command Click OK. Note: If you recieve an Access Denied Error The Extract tool has only a command-line interface. That is, there is no graphical user interface (GUI). Because Windows does not allow you to delete or overwrite a file that is in use, you may have to restart your computer in Command Prompt Only mode before you can use the Extract tool. If you receive an access denied error message when you try to delete a file before using the Extract tool, or when you use the Extract tool to overwrite an existing file, restart your computer in Command Prompt Only mode and then use the Extract tool. + Why are all my desktop icons missing in Windows 98?
If all your desktop icons are missing you may have enabled Active Desktop. When Active Desktop is enabled the desktop is viewed as a web page and all icons are hidden. If you do not want the Active desktop you can simply click your desktop with your right mouse button, click on Active Desktop, and uncheck View as a web page. If you wish to view your desktop as a Web page, and still want your icons back click Start / Settings / Control Panel / double-click on the Display icon, click the effects tab and uncheck the option Hide icons when the desktop is viewed as a web page. + Disable Task Scheduler in Windows 98
To disable Task Scheduler, open it and click the advanced option from the drop down menu and choose the option to stop using Task Scheduler. Please note that Task Scheduler allows users to schedule events to occur at a specified time on their computer such as scandisk & defrag. It is also required for some auto updaters for anti-virus suites. + Bypass the recycle bin when deleting files and folders in Windows
Deleted files are sent to the Recycle Bin by default in Windows for easy recovery. If you prefer to permanently delete files you may use either methods below. Highlight the file(s) you wish to delete, press Shift + del. This action by-passes the recycle bin. Right click the Recycle Bin Select the Global tab, select the box which says Do not move files to the Recycle Bin. Remove files immediately when deleted. Then click ok. Note: Files cannot be recovered using either of these methods. Use with caution. + How do I Add/Remove the Windows Logon Password Prompt in Windows 98?
Please Note: The password setting allows the computer to have multiple users all with different settings, such as different desktops, mouse cursors, and more, while still allowing the users to have access to all the same files. This enables users to have a better customization of their computer. Also, if the user is connected to a Local network, this would allow the user to log into that network as well as have the capability of having multiple users log into the same machine and have different settings and permissions depending upon how the network is setup. Note:It is important to realize that passwords does not offer the local Windows computer any real security and should not be used as a way to keep a user from accessing the computer. Enabling the Passwords. Open Control Panel. Open the Passwords icon. Click the User Profiles tab. Select the second option Users can customize their preferences and desktop settings. Windows switches to your personal settings when you log on. Click Ok and then restart the computer. Note: If the above paragraph does not enable the password follow the steps below Open Control Panel Open the Network icon Under Primary Network Login be sure that Windows Login is selected. This option may not be available if no network protocols are installed. See How to install Network Protocols. Disabling the Windows Password Logon. Open Control Panel Open the Passwords icon Click the User Profiles tab Select the first option All users of this PC use the same preferences and desktop settings. Open the Network icon Under the Primary Network Login change the value from Client for Microsoft Networks to Windows Login. Click Ok Restart your computer + How do I install Network Protocols In Windows?
Not all protocols need to be installed. You may install those you need using the method below. How to Install Client for Microsoft Networks. Open Control Panel Open the Network icon Click the Add button Highlight the client and click Add, Select Microsoft and Client for Microsoft Network, and click ok. Windows may ask for your installation cd. Install the appropriate Protocol (TCP/IP, IPX/SPX, NetBEUI). Click Start --> Settings --> Control Panel --> Network --> Add --> Protocol --> Add and select Microsoft. Choose the appropriate protocol and click ok. Restart your computer. + The Windows Taskbar is missing. How can I get it back?
The taskbar has several options available. It can be moved, resized, hidden and more. Below youll find the most common issues and solutions. Missing Taskbar. This is caused by either the Taskbar being on Auto hide or the computer user accidentally hiding the Taskbar by dragging it down too far. Verify Auto hide is not activated by following the below steps. Press CTRL + ESC or your Windows key to make Start menu appear. Click Settings and choose Taskbar and Start menu. Verify that Auto Hide is not checked. If Auto Hide is not enabled move the task bar up by following the steps below. Press CTRL + ESC or your Windows key to make Start menu appear. Take note of where the Start menu appeared, normally, it will appear at the bottom left corner. Press ESC. You should now notice a small gray line at the location of where the start was. Move the mouse over that gray line, when in the appropriate position your mouse cursor will change. Once the mouse cursor changes, click and hold the mouse button and drag bar up. Note: If the above method fails restart your computer to safe mode. Restart your computer again which should restore the taskbar. Moving the Taskbar. Click and hold the mouse button down on a clear area of the taskbar, then drag the taskbar to its new location. Resize the Taskbar. Hover your pointer near the top edge of the Taskbar until you see a double arrow, click and hold your mouse button then drag up. Program shortcuts on the Taskbar. Enable Quick Launch. Access this setting by right clicking on a clear area of the Taskbar and selecting Quick Launch. Most newer programs will give you the option of adding a Quick Launch shortcut on installation. You may also add your own Quick Launch shortcuts by dragging program shortcuts anywhere on your computer to the taskbar. Note: Create a shortcut of any program you want to add to the quick launch. Dragging the original *.exe will result in the actual moving of the program executable and may cause the program not to function properly. Auto Hide the Taskbar. Click Start --> Settings --> Taskbar and Start Menu. In the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties window check the Auto hide the taskbar option if you wish to enable this feature or uncheck this option to disable it. + Remove the arrow from a shortcut icons in Winodws 98?
Start the Registry Editor Click Start --> Run --> type regedit. Go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \ lnkfile Delete the value IsShortcut Go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \ piffile Delete the value IsShortcut Close the Registry Editor and restart Windows. + Remove old or unchecked msconfig entries from Windows
Start the Registry Editor. Click Start --> Run --> type regedit. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run In the right pane of each KEY delete the program you wish to remove. Close the Registry Editor and restart Windows. + Stop start menu programs from scrolling in Windows 98
Windows adds installed programs to the bottom of the Start Menu in a long list requiring the user to scroll to the desired program. To display your programs in multiple columns follow the instructions below. Start the Registry Editor. Click Start --> Run --> type regedit. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion \Explorer\Advanced Right-click an empty area in the right pane. Click New --> String Value. In the name box that appears, type StartMenuScrollPrograms Double-click and give it a value of false. Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer. + Restore the Show Desktop Icon in Windows
Right click the desktop and choose create shortcut. Create a shortcut targeting: C:\Windows\System\Show Desktop.scf Drag it to a toolbar. Then delete the shortcut from the desktop + Backup and Restore the Windows 98 registry
You can backup/restore the registry using either of the options below.
From the Command Prompt Boot to Windows98s DOS Go to the \WINDOWS\COMMAND directory Run SCANREG /backup When completed, restart your computer. From within Windows98 Click Start --> Run --> type --> Run SCANREGW /autoscan When completed, restart your computer. Backups are located in the \Windows\Sysbckup folder in the RB0xx.CAB file. Where xx is replaced by the different backups. The default setting is to keep 5 versions. Restoring a Backup Reboot your computer, press F8 to enter Windows Boot options. Start your computer with Command Prompt ONLY. To restore your most recent backup. At the command prompt type --> scanreg /restore and hit enter. To choose a backup to restore. Go to the \Windows\Command directory. Run SCANREG /restore Select which one you want to restore. Note: If you restore a previous registry, you may need to reinstall any programs that were installed after the registry backup was made.
Performance Tips for Windows 98/ME
+ Why is my computer so slow?
There are many causes for a Windows system to slow to a crawl. Below are the most likely causes. Accumulation of dust in the fans and computer case. Heat retention can cause major system problems and lead to system failure. Disk Clean up and Defrag. These tools should be run on a schedule. Once every three months is acceptable. Temporary files are created by almost every program you install and use. Log files and old dll files from badly uninstalled programs also get left behind. Bad shut downs, installations and uninstallation of programs can leave the file Windows file system fragged. Defrag attempts to rejoin these files and this increases seek times. System Capabilities. Your computer may need an upgrade. Low disk space, system ram, and video can also be an issue. Todays new programs require more and more processing power and system ram to run properly. Viruses and Spyware. Malware can often remain undetected even with anti-virus installed. Run several types of anti-virus and anti-spyware software to rule out a computer infection. + Enable DMA for Hard drives and CD Roms in Windows 98
DMA is not enabled by default in Windows 98. To enable this option for better computer performance follow the steps below. Open Device Manager. Double click on the CD or Hard Drive. Click on the Settings tab Enable DMA if available. Reboot when prompted + Clear the Windows Clipboard
Those of us that use copy/paste for large projects may notice they have to save their documents and restart quite often. This is due to the fact that Windows assumes the user wants to keep everything they copied in memory in case they need it again. While in theory this is a good idea in practice it is not. The clipboard uses system memory until it runs out and you have to restart. To clear the Windows clipboard simply open any text document using notepad,. Press the space bar, highlight the space bar and select Edit --> Copy. Your clipboard has been cleared, replaced with just one character. + Disable Removable Floppy Check on Boot
Windows 98 has a setting to check for removable floppies which is set to ON by default. You can uncheck this for a faster bootup if you dont have any removable floppies. Click Start --> Settings --> Control Panel. Double click the System icon. Click the Performance tab. Click the File System tab. Under the Floppy Disk tab uncheck Search for new floppies every time your computer starts. + Remove unused fonts in Windows
Windows loads all installed fonts at startup. Many programs install their own fonts without your knowledge. This can be a heavy load on your computer. Removing unused or unwanted fonts will speed windows performance. Removing Fonts from Windows. To completely remove fonts from the hard disk. Click Start --> Run. Type %windir%\fonts, and click ok. Click the font you want to remove. To select more than one font at a time, press and hold down the CTRL key while you click each font. On the File menu, click Delete. + Stop Windows programs from loading at start up using msconfig
Many programs add a startup process when they install. Each of these background programs are using System Memory. This causes s steep decline in performance. Using msconfig to disable these startup entries will improve overall performance. Click Start --> Run --> type msconfig Choose selective startup. Click the Startup Tab. Uncheck programs you dont need starting when Windows starts Restart your computer. Note:It is recommended you never disable these. explorer: This is required for Windows. scanreg: This program scans your Registry at startup and makes copies. Useful for backing up in the event of a corrupted Registry. systray: Required for your clock and other items in the System Tray PCHealth: This is a part of Windows ME which is used to provide Restore functionality. LoadPowerProfile: This is required if you are using Power Management. + Run Scandisk and Defrag regularly for better Windows performance
Over time files in Windows become fragged, cross-linked and corrupt. It is recommended you run the included system tools at least once a month to maintain optimal computer performance. Youll find the Disk Defragmenter & Scandisk on the Windows Start menu . Start --> Programs --> Accessories --> System tools. Task Scheduler may also be used to schedule these tasks when your computer is not in use. + Using Windows Disk Cleanup
Disk cleanup can remove unused files that take up valuable space on your hard drive and can slow your computer performance. Access this tool from your Windows Start menu. Start --> All Programs --> Accessories --> Systems Tools --> Disk Cleanup Please note if you have never run this utility and you choose to delete old compressed files it may take a considerable amount of time to finish. + Tweak Windows Memory Management.
The Windows operating systems uses a swap file as virtual memory. While the default setting is fine in most cases you can increase system performance by setting a custom swap file size. Take control of your windows swap file using the instructions below. Right click My Computer and choose Properties. Click --> Performance --> Virtual Memory. Choose Let me specify my own virtual memory settings. If you have more than one hard drive, place the swap file on the fastest drive you have. Now choose a minimum size for the swap file, a good starting point is to specify at least 2.5 times your systems RAM. Setting a large minimum size means the swap file will usually be large enough for your needs. Restart your computer when prompted, and run Defrag to ensure the swap files all in one piece. After youre done, you should experience noticeably better performance. Please backup your Windows system prior to any major system changes like these. + Tweak your dialup connection speeds
Im sure very few people are still using dialup, but for those that are this little tweak may help you get the most of your internet connection.
Changing your MTU and RWIN settings for maximum connection speeds. Start the Registry Editor. Start --> Run --> regedit Open HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ System\ CurrentControlSet\ Services\ Class\ Net\ Locate the key (numbered, such as 0005) that contains has TCP/IP assigned to the DriverDesc value. Select New from the Edit menu, then String Value, and type MaxMTU for the name of the new value. Double-click on the new value, and type in the desired number - 1500 is the default. Then, open HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ System\ CurrentControlSet\ Services\ VxD\ MSTCP\ Again, select New from the Edit menu, then String Value, and type DefaultRcvWindow for the name of the new value. Double-click on the new value, and type in the desired number - 2144 is the default. Note: This will only work if you are using PPP (and not SLIP) with Dial-Up Networking. Using this method with SLIP will set the MTU to 58, regardless of your MaxMTU setting. If you are experiencing problems such as your browser stopping in the middle of a page, an MTU value of 576 might fix the problem.
Troubleshoot Windows 98/ME
Errors
+ What are invalid page faults and how can I fix them?
An invalid page fault is caused when the operating system or a software program attempts to store or call a segment or block of the computers memory that does not exist. Because the call is invalid, the program generates an invalid page fault error and terminates the program or process to prevent additional problems. Conflict, incompatibility or buggy software are the most common causes for page fault errors. Disable any unneeded start up applications and try the program that caused the fault again. Delete all temporary files. Run Scandisk and Defrag Check for program updates and or patches. Issues with the computer memory. It is possible you have a memory problem. If this issue presented after newly installed memory upgrades check to be sure the new memory is compatible with your system. Before replacing older memory be sure to try all available Windows troubleshooting options. + What are fatal exception errors and how do I fix them?
Windows and software generate fatal exception errors, often called BSOD, or Blue Screen of Death when access to an illegal software instruction has occurred. Invalid data or code has been accessed. The privilege level of an operation is invalid. Remove all non-needed background programs, delete program temporary files, update and or patch problem program, run scandisk and defrag. Disable External Cache in CMOS. If your CPU utilizes external cache, enter your computers CMOS setup and disable it. If this resolves your issue it is likely that you are encountering a heat related issue. Verify your computer has more than 200 MB of hard drive space available. Windows requires 200MB of available hard disk space for its swap file. Memory It is possible that bad or mismatched memory modules can cause a Fatal Exception error and may need replacement. + What are general protection errors and how do I fix them?
A general protection fault is caused when a program makes a call to memory already in use by another program. Disable all non essential background programs, delete program temporary files, update and or patch problem programs, run scandisk and defrag. Disable external cache in CMOS. If your CPU utilizes external cache you can disable it temporarily in CMOS. Disable Power Management and or Screen savers. If you are experiencing general protection faults when the computer is idle attempt to disable power management and screen savers to ensure that they are not causing the issue. + What are runtime errors and how do I fix them?
Runtime errors indicate bugs in the program or problems that the designers had anticipated but could do nothing about. They are often caused by background utility programs. Other runtime errors are also caused by add-ons, plug-ins, or software that has been installed and are associated with the program generating the error. Check for available updates for the programs or uninstall any extra software that is associated with the program generating the error. Note: Many viruses may also cause runtime errors. + What are illegal operations and how do I fix them?
An illegal operation, is a command to the operating system or an instruction to the computer processor that specifies an operation that is unknown to the operating system or processor and that therefore cant be performed.
Windows is unable to process the request and results in this cryptic error message. Disable all non essential background programs, run scandisk and defrag, verify and or replace windows or program system files using SFC. | ||
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