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| (W9X) Files that you can delete to gain HD space:
*.--- (backup files created by the OS),
*.bak (backup files from various applications),
*.chk (files created scandisk or chkdsk),
*.log (log files created by various applications),
*.old (older files that have been replaced by newer versions),
*.tmp (temporary files from various applications),
*.wbk (word backup files).
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| (W95) ERU: Inside the install cd exists the Emergency Recovery Utility.
You must find it and use it systematically and periodically. It automatically
saves all critical system files for quickly restoring things after a crash.
This approach works most of the times, but for a solution that works all
times see the "Hot ideas" list here.
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| (W95) RegClean: Excellent tool by the creators of the registry
that does exactly what its name says: it cleans the registry. Find
it and use it. |
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| (W9X) Safe mode: F8 at boot (after the beep) then start in safe mode, and then perform anything you like
to perform on your system files (like RegClean above). This is important.
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| (W9X) Play safe: If and when you install new software on your machine,
exit all programs or daemons that run on the background or on the foreground,
things like antivirus software, like internet helpers, etc. Then perform the install
and after the install, reboot. That's the safest way to do things.
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(WXX) Increase the speed of your system: It appears that a lot of memory is the
number one factor. Say 14MB-24MB for 3.1, 24MB-64MB for 95, 64MB-128MB for 98 and
128MB-256MB for 2k. Now, you can do some things to gain a little more. The first
is to assign your pc a "server" status. The next is to create a permanent virtual
memory file, something around 2.5 times your RAM. But be careful to create this file
in a defragmented disk, that has much more free space available than the extent of
the swap file (it's of no use to have a fragmented swap file!). Also, deactivate
the screen saver and put in use the "Energy Star" option of your BIOS/OS/VDU
combination (it needs the three of them to be active to work). Also, the office
users can deactivate the office bar and put aliases on their desctop. Any virus
scanners can be activated only once a day for example instead of being active
all the time. The same is true for any other system monitor.
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| (WXX) If you are going to defrag your disk make sure that your
screen saver is off.
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| (W9X) If you would like to deactivate the automatic
run or play of a cd when inserted, here is what you should do:
(a) right click on "my computer" icon,
(b) select properies,
(c) go to device control submenu and
(d) select CDROM and open the plus to see the actual cdrom player
in your machine,
(e) select properties (f) deactivate the "automatic notification of windows"
(g) reboot your machine.
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| (WXX) If you are going to upgrade your operating system to the current version, before you do anything, obtain any newer version of the BIOS of your motherboard. Then install it. This way you will be sure that your motherboard will work smoothly with the newer version of the system.
|
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| (W98) Put your own shortcuts into the gray status line of the desktop of w98: Here is what you do: (a) open the
"C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch" directory, (b) put here your shortcuts (or aliases) of executables.
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| Check other OSs, f.ex. linux, BeOS, macOS, etc. You may also like them. Check
other cpus, for example alpha, powerPC, etc. You may also like them. OK, things are
not so simple. What I am saying is that there exist an Eldorado out there. Find it! Explore it!
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| I am thinking ... Hey! If you have an interesting tip, why
not e-mail that to me at
cschassapis@acm.org, subject: win-list. I will put it in this list together
with your e-mail! Otherwise, put your idea on your web site and inform me to link to
you if you are good (check my web neighbourhood idea here).
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