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My Computer

My computer is a Compaq Presario 7110US.
The Operating System(OS) is Windows Millennium(Me)
It has a 1.3Ghz AMD Athlon processor w/384kb on chip cache memory
256 Mb  PC2100 DDR memory
60 Gb UltraDMA harddrive
64 Mb nVidia GeForce 2 MX/MX400 w/TV out video card
Compaq A1500  Printer/copier/scanner/fax
16x DVD-Rom
8x CD-RW
Internet keyboard w/Smart Card terminal
56k ITU V.90 modem
Logitech I-Feel mouse
Magicvision USB webcam
Altec Lansing ACS-33 speakers & subwoofer
KDS 17" Flatscreen monitor: tube type not flat panel (I wish)
1280 x 1024 res.
75 Hz refresh
Large font size (125%)

My Startup Configuration
Clipomatic
StartupMonitor
Scan Registry
SystemTray
LoadPowerProfile
Norton Auto-Protect
ICONCLNT
EM_EXEC
RegProt
SRP Startup
TaskMonitor
UPS
AppSwat
dsostop2
htastop
ScripTrap
H_Menu 5.0
NetLaunch
TransparentW
Appman

    I then enable, or use Appman and AppSwat to close all programs but H_Menu, Explorer, EM_EXEC, NetLaunch, Norton Auto-Protect, Systray, RegProt, StartupMonitor, Clipomatic, and TransparentW.
With this configuration, I consistently start at 88% system resources and 122Mb free RAM.
 

Start NetLaunch: Normal Connection	Start NetLaunch: Proxy Connection
Launches Tiny Personal Firewall Launches Norton Internet Security Dials Internet Connection Starts Internet Answering Machine Starts DHCP Fix Starts eDexter Starts Spyware Guard Launches Internet Explorer Browser After IE is loaded, system resources are at 76%, free RAM at 89.6Mb.	Launches Tiny Personal Firewall Launches Norton Internet Security Dials Internet Connection Starts JAP Starts Internet Answering Machine Starts DHCP Fix Starts eDexter Starts Spyware Guard Launches Opera Browser

 
 
 
 
 

  The first tip that comes to me  applies to buying a new computer. DO NOT buy a new computer without  at least 128 Mb DDR memory (256 Mb much preferred). DDR memory is just so much faster than regular memory, that on a new computer it should be a deciding factor; along with proccesser speed (1.3 GHz min.) and hard drive space (20 Gb min.). Next is hard drive speed (5400 rpms min. 7200 rpms preferred). Take a CD-RW upgrade over a 16X DVD option. Most people will never play DVD's on their computer.

   Most people have their screen size, or resolution, set to the default of 800 x 600. (Some 15  inch monitors support only this setting.) I just cannot stand this archaic and clunky interface. I prefer 1280 x 1024, however, 1024 x 768 is probably the second most popular size after 800 x 600. These larger settings give you much more screen area. To change your resolution, find an open area on your desktop and right click. Click on Properties. Click on the settings tab and slide the screen area bar to the right. Now click on the Advanced button. On the General tab, you will change your font size. If your setting is 1024, then the Large fonts should be ok. I use 1280, so I click Other and set it to 150%. If you find that at 1024/Large fonts, the fonts are still too small for you, then click on Other and set it to what ever makes your viewing more comfortable. If  you click on the monitor tab you can (and should) reset your refresh rate. I have mine set at the highest available to me 75Hz. The higher the refresh rate, the less flicker you should see; less eyestrain.
 

    Windows has a  shortcut to get to System Properties. This can tell you your free resources . If  your resources get too low, your system will get sluggish and probably crash. Hold the Windows key and press the Pause/Break key. Then click on the performance tab. You can also create a shortcut for System Properties on the desktop. Click on the desktop, highlight New, click shortcut. Copy and paste this text in the Command line: box

C:\WINDOWS\RUNDLL32.EXE shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL sysdm.cpl,,3

          click next. Name it, I call mine System Resources, and click finish. Now drag it down to the quick launch bar, or to an H_Menu bar, and you'll  always have one click access to it.
 

Menu
Customize those folders!

You can make any folder have any background you want. It's easy. Just right click on an open area of the folder, click Customize This Folder...click next.

Check customize, check choose HTML template, and check modify background picture (all 3). Click next.

Pick the template you want, I like the simple view. You can see a preview in the small window to the right. Click next.

If the picture you want to use isn't in My Pictures, click the Browse... button to navigate to the folder you want, and choose your wallpaper. Click on the Text or Background buttons to change either color. When you are satisfied, click next, finish.

Note that if you pick too small a picture, it may be tiled; also be careful the picture you choose isn't too "busy", or you will obscure your files.

You can change the folder view by clicking on the Views icon at the top of the browser. Use the List setting to see more of your wallpaper in the folder.

 

There are some excellent tips byScott Dunn from the August 2001 issue of PC World magazine. You can read the entire article here.
  Some of the choicest ones are listed below:
(Description "quotes" are from the original websites)

Close Multiple Folders Quickly:
 "When you drill down through several nested folders, you open a window for each. You can close all or most of them with a single click by holding down the Shift key as you click the Close box in the upper-right corner of the folder window. Doing so closes the current folder and any open folders above it in the folder hierarchy."

Take Charge of  Hidden Applications:
"You can usually exit a running application by closing its main window or by right-clicking its taskbar button or icon in the system tray (the taskbar area with the clock), then choosing Close or Exit. Sometimes, though, applications may be running invisibly. How can you find out? And how can you shut them down? Press Ctrl-Alt-Delete (just once!) to see a list of running applications. (After doing this in Windows 2000, you must also click the Task Manager button in the Windows Security dialog box.) Select an application you want to exit and click End Task. Note: The Close Program dialog box doesn't show all hidden running programs or tasks; Some background programs must run continually and should not be shut down."

One Folder or Many?
 "Do your folders open in a new window or the existing one? If you'd like to change this setting, choose View, Options or View, Folder Options in Windows 9x, or Tools, Folder Options in Windows 2000 and Me. Make sure the Folder tab (Windows 95) or General tab (all other versions) is selected. If you're using Windows 95 with Internet Explorer 4's Desktop Update feature, or Windows 98 or 98 SE, click the Settings button. Now make your choice under 'Browsing options', 'Browse folders as follows', or 'Browse Folders', depending on your version of Windows. Click OK."

Instant Backtracking, Part 1
"Did you double-click one too many times? Maybe you really wanted to see the contents of the folder containing the current folder. If the Address bar is visible (click View, Toolbars, Address Bar if it isn't), press F4 to display the drop-down list, then climb back up the folder hierarchy. Or click the Up button on the Standard Buttons toolbar if you see it. But the fastest way to go up one level in the folder hierarchy is to press the Backspace key."
This tip also works to go back one page in Internet Explorer.

Menu
Quick Tricks for Mouse and Keyboard

  "You can often get from place to place in Windows faster by using key combinations and mouse moves that aren't apparent from looking at the screen. For a basic list of these techniques, choose Start, Help, click the Index tab, and browse the topics listed under 'keyboard shortcuts'. For even more power, try these often-overlooked tricks."

"Move forward through the items on a Web page, the Address bar, and the Links bar: TAB
Move back through the items on a Web page, the Address bar, and the Links bar: SHIFT+TAB"

"Scroll toward the beginning of a document: UP ARROW
Scroll toward the end of a document: DOWN ARROW
Scroll toward the beginning of a document in larger increments. PAGE UP
Scroll toward the end of a document in larger increments: PAGE DOWN
Move to the beginning of a document: HOME
Move to the end of a document: END"
 
 

"Open Find/Search Computer: Ctrl-Windows-F"  You can then click or Tab down to the Files or Folders to search your computer.

Prevent a CD from starting: Hold down Shift while you insert the CD. This only works with Autorun enabled, which I recommend be disabled to save on system resources, unless you play a lot of cd's.

Select (highlight) the Address bar entry in Windows Explorer: Alt-D

Toggle between full-screen and regular views of the browser window: F11

Display Internet Explorer Help, or when in a dialog box, display context Help on an item: F1
 
 

The Windows Key: A Fast Worker
" Most keyboards made in the last several years come with a Windows key, and sometimes also with an Application key. Try these keyboard shortcuts for extra speed and productivity. Warning: The Surgeon General has determined that these keystrokes may be habit forming."

Display the Start menu: Windows

Open the Run dialog box: Windows-R

Minimize all: Windows-M

Undo minimize all, tile horizontally, tile vertically, or cascade: Shift-Windows-M

Open Help: Windows-F1

Open Windows Explorer: Windows-E

Open Find/Search Files or Folders: Windows-F

Minimize all and undo minimize all: Windows-D

Cycle through taskbar buttons: Windows-Tab ( Enter opens task; Tab moves focus to system tray, desktop, Start button, and Quick Launch and other toolbars)
 
 

Sometimes it seems as though a page is not, or has stopped, loading. Windows has a nice built-in system monitor that you can use to check this, although you will have to configure it. Click on start, programs, accessories, systems tools, system monitor, to start it. If you don't find it there, then you will have to enable it in the control panel. Click start, settings, click on control panel. Double click on  Add/Remove Programs. Click on Windows Setup tab. Click on Systems Tools, then details. Check the System Monitor and the System Resource Meter. Click ok, ok. You may have to restart your computer. Follow the steps above to start the monitor. Click on the edit button, click Add Item... Click on Dial-Up Adapter. Hold the Ctrl key and click on Bytes Recieved and click on Bytes Transmitted. Both lines should be highlighted. Click ok. You can customize this any way you like. A "must monitor" is Memory Manager: Unused physical memory, this will tell you how much memory you have left to use (duh). The other ones I use are: Kernel Processor Usage (%), tells how hard your computer is working, and Memory Manager: Swapfile in use. Others to consider are:  Dial-Up Adapter: Connection Speed, Memory Manager: Swappable memory, and Memory Manager: Other memory. Click the 123 button to view as a numbered % as opposed to the default graph view.
    I use the 5 monitors above and stretch the box so that they are all on one line, as pictured below (Note: You can only change the display order by changing the order that you load the Add Item...).

I then shrink the box to this size,

Open link in a new window:  Hold shift + click on Link

Close an active Internet Explorer, Explorer, or folder window, or Excel or Word document: Ctrl+W

Enlarge/shrink the font size in Internet Explorer, Windows Help, Word, and Excel: Hold down Ctrl as you spin the mouse wheel (requires a wheel mouse, duh;-)

Open a new window:    Ctrl+N

Go to your Home page:   Alt+Home

Go to the next page:    Alt+Right Arrow

Go to the previous page:  Backspace  or Alt+Left Arrow

Refresh the current Web page:  F5 or Ctrl+R

Stop downloading a page:   Esc

Save the current page:   Ctrl+S

Print the current page or active frame:   Ctrl+P

Activate a selected (highlighted) link:   Enter

"When in the Address bar, to move the cursor left to the next logical break in the address(period or slash):  CTRL+LEFT ARROW
When in the Address bar, to move the cursor right to the next logical break in the address (period or slash):  CTRL+RIGHT ARROW"

Open the History bar:   Ctrl+H

Add the current page to your favorites:  CTRL+D

Open the Organize Favorites dialog box:    Ctrl+B

"Move selected item up in the Favorites list in the Organize Favorites dialog box:  ALT+UP ARROW
Move selected item down in the Favorites list in the Organize Favorites dialog box: ALT+DOWN ARROW"
Menu
 
 

One of the easiest and best bootup tweaks is to clean out your startup folder. Click start, programs, startup. You only want programs that you really need in it. Delete or move to another folder,  anything you don't need.  One idea is to create a new folder in My Documents, and put them in there;  I call mine "Disabled Startups" (I know, how original). To complete the startup tweak, run msconfig. Click on start then run.  Type "msconfig" without the quotation marks. Click ok.(Or if you have Powershell-me installed, just right click on My Computer,then click on configuration.) Click on startup and uncheck anything you don't need at startup. For instance, if you don't use Microsoft Money or Word, then you don't need them loading at startup. You don't need most programs at startup. As long as they are on your desktop, H Menu, or programs in the start menu (not startup), then they probably don't need to be loaded at startup.

In the System Properties dialog box, there are a couple of tweaks that you can do. To open it use your new shortcut as listed above or hold the Windows key and press the Pause/Break key. Click on the performance tab, click on the File System button. Click on the Hard Disk tab, Typical role to: Network Server; System Restore to min.; Read ahead to full. Click on the Floppy Disk tab. Uncheck the box; this will not disable the drive, but will save boot up time by having the computer not look for a floppy drive at startup. It also saves  on system resources. Click on the CD ROM tab. Set the Optimize to Quad Speed, I'm not sure about the cache size, so I have mine set in the middle. Click ok. To disable CD Autorun click on the Device Manager tab. Click the plus sign next to CDROM, click the device you want to use, and then click Properties. Click the Settings tab, and then clear the Auto insert notification check box. This will also save on system resources.

There are a couple of modem tweaks that I use. The first is to silence the modem. To do this, click on start, settings, dial-up networking. Right click on your connection and click on properties. Click on the configure button. Slide the speaker volume bar to off. Then change the max speed. I have mine at 115200 and have had no ill effects. Now click the connection tab, click advanced. Make sure: use error control, compress data, use flow control, and hardware, are all checked. Required to connect, and software (X on/X off) should be unchecked (clear). Modulation type: Standard. Type  s11=50  in the extra settings and check the  append to log box. Click ok, ok, ok.

Lots of good info & tweaks at this AXCEL216 site.

tweak3d.net - Another site with excellent tweaks; all windows OS.

aumha.org - Lots of good info and helpful hints.
 
 

   12/03/2002

My Intermediate  "Must Haves"

Mel's "Must Have" Freeware Guide

My Space Wallpaper  Links

My Flag Wallpaper Links

My Favorite Links

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