WIN98 TIPS FOR LAPTOPS

NOTE: These tips are designed to optimize a laptop's performance when running Windows 98 as the Operating System. Many of these tips are additions or revisions to the main body of Laptop Tips and take account of changes from prior versions of Windows to Windows 98.
NETWORKED NOTEBOOKS
If you have 2 [or more] laptops, they can be Networked to share files, printer[s] and one Internet Connection as long as one laptop runs WIN98SE. See Networking Notebooks

Special Hotmail/OE5.01 fix to kill THE AD BAR .
Special IE5.00 Fix for "Patch Overrun" .
IE5.5's Bad DLL & a Fix for "Show Doc Shame" .


  • A - PORTABLE DRIVE POWER: If you use a portable drive[s], Win98 has added a new feature that will speed-up that drive noticeably. This new feature is not the default setting, so it is necessary to select it. From SYSTEM PROPERTIES [accessed by right clicking on the My Computer Icon and choosing Properties from the Drop Down Menu], select the Performance Tab and then File System under Advanced settings. From the FILE SYSTEM PROPERTIES box, choose the Removable Disk tab. Place a check mark next to the option "Enable write-behind caching on all removable disk drives." If you regularly use a portable drive to run programs, keep large clip-art directories or store/use folders with many files, the speed-up in these drives can be quite dramatic.

  • B - SHIFT NO MORE: A common speed-up when restarting your computer was to hold down the Shift key when performing a reboot in Windows 95. This may not work on your system using Windows 98. In fact it can be down-right hazardous, causing freeze-ups and write protection errors.

  • C - REJUVENATE THE CACHE: The CACHE [deposited in the "Temporary Internet Files" folder] may appear to have lost the easy functionality of use that it had with Win95/IE4.x. When you try to open a cached file, a Security Alert may appear that "Running a system command on this item may be unsafe. Do you wish to continue?" You can ignore the Security Alert and read the file, but this gets annoying everytime you open a cached file. You could also set your Internet Security settings to Low and avoid the Alert, but this may have undesirable consequences if you do no reset your security settings before going online. To get the best results with a Medium security setting, it is necessary to enable the cache as follows:
       1. Open IE4.X, select Internet Options from VIEW on the Menu Bar. For IE5.X, Internet Options has been moved to TOOLs on the Menu Bar.
       2. Select the Security Tab, then choose the "Custom" option.
       3. In the Security Settings box, with "Medium" showing in the "Reset to" option, scroll down to "Launching applications and files in an IFRAME".
       4. Choose "enable" and close all boxes.

    Your Cache is now readable without Security Alerts with an added ease of use vis a vis Win95/IE4. With IE4/IE5 integrated into Win98, the "Work Offline" option has been added to FILE on the Menu Bar. So when you are ready to open Cache files, select "Work Offline". You will no longer have to open the file first and click off various notices to get to the "work offline" option.

  • D - LOST YOUR DLLS?: After installing Windows98, you may have lost the functionality of certain programs/peripherals, most commonly scanners. Windows98 over-writes certain "dll" files that you were using with OLDER dll files; the replacement dlls won't work with your existing programs/peripherals. But you can get your dll files back; Win98 has tucked them away in a program called "Version Conflict Manager". To get to the VCM:
       1. From the Start Menu, select Programs/Accessories/System Tools/System Information.
       2. From the "Microsoft System Information" window, select TOOLS from the Menu Bar and choose "Version Conflict Manager".
       3. A list of over-written files listing names and version numbers will appear. Select the one[s] you need for restoration.

  • E - MAIL WENT LIVE: If you use AOL and OUTLOOK EXPRESS, it is no longer necessary to open Internet Explorer separately to use a link in mail received via OE. With the integration of IE into Windows98, the links are now alive.

  • F - BMPS GONE FLAT?: If you are used to having your bmp files show as thumbnails in Windows Explorer, Win98 may have wiped out this feature and replaced the thumbnail with a generic Paint program icon. You may have forgotten how to make the "icon" tweak. Head for the Registry [Regedit.exe in your Windows folder] to restore the icon view of BMP files. [Back-up your Registry first if you have any qualms about making changes]. Go to: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Paint.Picture\DefaultIcon. In the right hand pane, click on [Default] and change the "Value Data" to %1. Close the box and Registry. Your bmp pictures are now icons again.

  • G - HI-JACKED NOTEPAD: If you had a favourite replacement for Win95's Notepad and had renamed your replacement program "Notepad.exe", then your favourite has probably been over-written by Win98's Notepad program. Hunt down your old favourite if you have a back-up, and re-install it into your Windows folder. You can rename the Win98 version "Notepad0.exe" before re-installation if you don't want to replace it.

  • H - FIX PATH ERRORS: Before installing Win98, you may have had to move programs off the hard-drive to a portable drive in order to make room for the installation. You probably got a "This may impact one or more registered programs" notice when the move was made. But you needed the room for Win98 setup so went ahead anyway. This can cause path errors to programs/folders/files in your Registry and unexpected problems may occur. Back-up your Registry first, then open Regedit.exe. Look for path errors by using the "exe" name of your moved programs with the FIND/FIND NEXT functions from EDIT on the Menu Bar. When you find a program listed in the Registry that you have moved, change the Drive Letter to the actual location of the program just like you would when re-targeting a shortcut. Be sure to do a complete Registry search with each mis-pathed program; don't stop after a single successful FIND. There may be multiple path errors in the Registry for the same program. Also, if you use "mlaunch.dll*" [which allows you to open a particular file extension with the program(s) of your choice from the right-click drop-down context menu or from FILE on the Menu Bar in Windows Explorer], you may need to delete some of the existing entries and re-do them to the new paths. [*Freely available at MultiLaunch]

  • I- POWER MANAGEMENT WOES:
    The WIN98 CD has a Power Management Trouble Shooter [in the Tools/Mtsutil/Pmtshoot folder] which helps resolve conflicts that many portable computers have experienced with Windows 98 when trying to use the "Standby" Mode. However, for many users, the trouble shooter fails to resolve the problems they are having with the various power modes on their equipment. Microsoft has issued a new program to fix these conflicts. It can be downloaded directly from Microsoft's FTP directory: Power Management Troubleshooter.

  • J- LEAN & MEAN: With WIN 98 and the latest IE browser [#5] plus a handful of IE addons, your system resources can drain fast. So don't start in a hole. Boot up to the maximum available resources that you can live with. Scour your Start-up [Start/Programs], Msconfig [C:\windows\System] and Registry entries [In Run and RunServices {both HKCU and HKLM} Software\Microsoft\ Windows \CurrentVersion Keys] that grab resources just on bootup. Even though "Sys Tray" is conventionally loaded, it can be dumped with no harm. You can always put shortcuts to items you might   need later on your Start Menu or Desktop.

  • K- INTERNET OPTION CHANGES: If you change Internet Option settings often, instead of opening the browser to do so, put a shortcut on the Desktop for fast access. To make a shortcut, open Control Panel, right click on Internet Options, choose "Create Shortcut". It will be placed on your Desktop.

  • L- ROCKY ROAD TO UPGRADES: If you are planning on upgrading to IE5.X, just getting and installing the necessary files can be a major issue. [The version on a CD is often replaced or patched before your order is received.] The latest IE5.X version and other MS updates are often found at: Windows Update. But this Microsoft Website can prove unworkable for many reasons. [If you know what you want try Direct Download for Windows Updates.] For an excellent source for solving Windows Update site problems, go to: Windows Update Trouble-Shooter. If you upgraded to IE5.X, don't toss out the saved IE4.x backup [that is made automatically] or the IE5.X installation files if possible. You may need them again. If these files are eating up too much space on your hard-drive, move them to portable disk in a "mirrored" location from where they came. Thus if you have to move them back to the hard-drive for later use, their original location will be obvious.
  • M- NO PAGE, NO PIX, NO JAVASCRIPT: The most common problems after installing IE5.X are that instead of webpages you get page missing notices, instead of pictures you get red Xs, and instead of script functionalily you get Javascript error messages. Sometimes a "refresh" will bring up the webpage successfully, but often there is a common cure for all these problems:
    Adjust the hardware acceleration lower in Display Properties. Go to:
    Display [Control Panel], select Settings Tab, Advanced Button, Perfomance Tab. Move slider to the left to "None". If your problems clear up, you can incrementally move the slider back to the right until similar problems appear.
  • N- IE WON'T WAKE UP: If you get the IE error message that a webpage can't be found especially after coming out of standby/sleep/hibernate mode and a refresh doesn't help, a reboot is often the solution. Close running apps first, then restart. For AOLers who were browsing under the AOL shell, in some cases a reboot can be avoided by opening IE [or Netscape] as a standalone browser and accessing the same webpage.
  • O- JPG AND GIF - NOT EITHER/OR: The two most common graphic types found on web pages are "JPGs" and "GIFs". Installing IE5.X often alters the file type association of one or both of these file types. If you open a webpage whether online or offline, that has both jpgs and gifs you may see only one type and get red Xs where the other should be. The usual solution is to change the association through accessing View/folder options on Windows Explorer's Menu Bar, selecting the "File Types" tab, scroll to the file extension of choice and edit the associated extension attributes. But, for some users this doesn't work or just isn't done properly. The Registry is where to check that your changes are correct and are "sticking". If you find that the Registry entry doesn't reflect the change you wanted, make a change in the Registry ONLY after backing up the Key that you are going to change. If the "GIFs" aren't showing up on webpages, go to ".gif" [no quotes] in the Registry. It is found at:
    HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.gif
    In the right pane, the [Default] string should show the Data as the program that is associated with gif files. The Content Type should show the Data as "image/gif". Likewise for missing "JPGs or JPEGs", go to ".jpg" and ".jpeg" [no quotes for either] in the Registry at
    HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.jpg and HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.jpeg
    In the right pane, the [Default] string should show the Data as the program that is associated with jpg/jpeg files. The Content Type should show the Data as "image/jpeg".
  • P- DON'T BE THE LAST TO KNOW: The debut of IE5.X was widely heralded on the net, but the issue of a complete new version, fixes and security patches seemed to be almost a secret. You can subscribe by email to: Microsoft Security Bulletins for information about new security patches. To find the latest updates see: Windows Update and select Product Updates. But be advised, what Microsoft deems as a "critical" or "recommended" update is from their point of view, NOT yours. Even though it takes extra time and even though it may have been a small "victory" just getting to the "Product Update" site, ALWAYS read the description of each item carefully to determine what it does and how it gets on your system. Use your own judgement; don't automatically default to that of others.
  • Q- JUST SAY NO: Microsoft has a "Critical Update Notification Feature" -- it's found on the Windows Update site mentioned above. BUT this service scans your system without notification at times when you go online to determine whether Microsoft thinks your system should be updated; before subscribing READ the description of Critical Update Notification ; what you see may not be to your personal liking.
  • R- AOL FAVORITES IN IE TOO: Websites that were accessed from AOL Favorite Places under the AOL shell can be added to IEs Favorite Places by opening the pages from the History or Temporary Internet Files folders. After opening the pages in IE [offline], select "Add to Favorites" from Favorites on the Menu Bar.
  • S- REPAIR TOOL - WHERE FOOL?:Internet Explorer 5 [and Outlook Express 5] have a "Repair Tool" [for Win95/98/NT], but finding it is far from intuitive. Even the HELP file is mute on the subject. To find the "Repair Tool", open Control Panel, click on Add/Remove Programs, highlight IE5 and select the Add/Remove Button as if you were going to uninstall IE5. There should be an option to repair IE5. See the KB article: Internet Explorer 5 Repair Tool for details and for a work-around if the Repair option isn't visible. The Repair Tool is a new feature; it often fails to work properly, work at all or only works after the program is removed and reinstalled. But you might get lucky.

  • T- RIGHT CLICK WAIT:
    With WIN98/98SE and IE5, many users experience noticeable slow down when right clicking in certain areas:
       1- Right Clicks on blank screen areas and selecting NEW from the drop down menu cause a delay in bringing up the New list. Some speed can be regained by reducing the number of items in this list. [Uncheck seldom used items from Control Panel/TweakUI, then select the New Tab]. Alternatively, select a Desktop or Start Menu shortcut to the application itself to create a new file.
       2- When running Internet Explorer #5, the Right Click context menu is slow to appear. One minor speedup: Don't wait for the Menu to appear if you know the Keyboard Letter such as B for Back. Just Right Click and hit the B Key. Or many of the Right Click choices are also available on the Menu and customizable Tool Bars which don't exhibit similar delays. As this Right Click problem is within IE5 and not your system, the ultimate solution is to use Netscape or another browser that is not built on the IE5 shell.
  • U - RECLAIM RESOURCES : Many users complain that their systems become sluggish, resources are drained and browsing slows down noticeably with WIN98 and IE5. Put a little pep in your step:
        1- Do a Ctrl+Alt+Del to close any open apps you are not using.
        2- Clear History folder.
        3- Clear the Cache. Note: If there are some pages you would like to reread from the TIF while offline, delete all the gifs, jpgs and other files. One method: Do a Ctrl+A in the TIF folder to select all files. Then while holding the Ctrl key, select the pages [htms,htmls, shtmls] that you want to reread/save. Now Delete all the remaining [blued] items.     (X)
        4- If you use Outlook Express for email, keep the Inbox empty after reading items. If you want to save read mail, create another folder and move read mail there. Empty the Deleted Folder and compact all mail folders regularly. Try out different free POP email servers testing for speed, reliablity and the absence of SPAM. Get a free email notification program, such as Magic Mail which notifies you when new mail arrives without having to run Outlook Express.
        5- If you use Outlook Express for newsgroups, do the "Maintenance" chores [compacting, deleting messages and deleting headers] often. Change the default download of messages from 300 to 50 or 100. If you are using OE5, delete the "folder.dbx" file in Windows Explorer when it reaches several megabytes. You will have to redownload the newsgroup list unless you know the newsgroup name; you can fast add a newsgroup without the newsgroup list as follows:   type in the name of the newsgroup preceded by the word "news:" [no quotes] in the Start/Run menu or the broswer's Address Bar.
        6- Because the database of email and newsgroups can grow quite large, consider maintaining your Outlook Express email and newsgroup folders on a portable disk rather than the hard-drive. You can move all existing folders to a portable disk in a mirrored location. [A mirrored location is the exact same folder structure as found on the hard-drive. The only difference is the Drive Letter.] After moving the folders, change the Drive Letter under the Registry Key: "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities\{GUID #}\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express\5.0" in the String: "Store Root".
        7- Avoid using the Browser and/or Outlook Express when a faster substitute is available. Some ISPs, such as AOL have native email, newsreader and FTP functions, that don't require opening additional programs and don't create large databases on your system.
    (X)NOTE: If you want to permanently save a file in the Temporary Internet Files folder, drag it out onto the Desktop before clearing the TIF. If you want to preserve the original location, before dragging the file out, right click on the file, select Properties and copy the address with a right click on the URL. Open the file on the Desktop in a text editor such as Notepad and paste the URL somewhere near the top of the webpage. If you know a bit of HTML, paste the URL as a live link.

  • V - POWER MANAGEMENT - 3 STRIKES? : A third Power Management Troubleshooter has been issued with the WIN98SE release which is designed to locate the problems which prevent a system from entering the standby [suspend] mode. [On the WIN98 CD, look in "tools/ mtsutil/pmtshoot" folder. Running the Troubleshooter is supposed to display conflicting devices/files in red which are preventing successful standby mode; be prepared to see no red and still not enter the standby mode. In some cases, it may be possible to enter standby mode, but the only way out is a cold boot down. In regard to the "Hibernate" mode [a deeper suspend where open data is written to disk], many older systems and some newer ones, will lose this mode when moving from WIN95 to WIN98.


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    Install Win98 on Older Computers
    If you have a computer that doesn't meet Win98's System Requirements, don't give up yet or spend on upgrade[s] you may not need. Here's proof that you too can have Win98 on your "golden oldie".