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The Unauthorized Guide to Windows 98
Introduction
‘Tis the good reader that makes the good book; a good head cannot read amiss: in every book he finds passages which seem confidences or asides hidden from all else and unmistakeably meant for his ear. —Ralph Waldo Emerson By definition, what people create using a computer is a unique expression of who they are. Whether it's a memo, a letter, a financial model, a presentation, an email message, or a Web page, the fruit of a person's labors is something that only they could have produced. On the other hand, how a person uses their computer—or, more to the point, how a person uses Windows—probably isn't unique at all. Most users follow the same Start menu paths to launch programs, use the standard techniques in programs like Windows Explorer and Outlook Express, and perform customizations that don't go much beyond changing the wallpaper. That's because most users find it easier to simply toe the Microsoft party line and follow the techniques outlined in the "Getting Started" booklet and the Help system. To be sure, this is a reasonable approach for novice users who are intimidated by Windows and so prefer to tread carefully to avoid upsetting any digital apple carts. However, what about those users who qualify as "post-novice"? By that I mean any person who either knows the basics of Windows 98 or who has some computing experience and is smart enough to figure things out without having their hands held. For those users, doing things the "official" way is slower, less efficient, and less powerful because Windows 98 was designed from the ground up so as not to confuse novice users (or, I guess, not to confuse them more than necessary). The result is default settings that restrict your flexibility, interminable wizards that turn two-step tasks into twelve-step sagas, and the hiding of powerful and useful programs behind layers of menus and dialog boxes. To get the most out of Windows 98, the post-novice user needs an "unofficial" approach that goes where the "Getting Started" booklet and the Help system fear to tread. Welcome, therefore, to The Unauthorized Guide to Windows 98. In this book, I thumb my nose at the standard-issue techniques sanctioned by Microsoft and parroted in other Windows 98 books. Instead, I offer shortcuts for boosting your productivity, customizations for making Windows 98 work the way you do, workarounds for known Windows 98 problems, and warnings for avoiding Windows 98 pitfalls. Along the way, you'll learn about all kinds of insider details, undocumented features, powerful tools, and background facts that help put everything into perspective.
So is this merely a collection of tips, tricks, and traps? Not at all. This is a guide to Windows 98. That means I teach you how to use Windows 98, from setup to startup, from performing system maintenance to maintaining system performance, from getting on the Internet to getting on your network. I also cover most of the features new to Windows 98, including Web integration, FAT32, Internet Explorer 4.0, Outlook Express, and much more. As a bonus, I also provide you with coverage of the new and notable features that come with Windows 98 Second Edition.
The Unauthorized Guide to Windows 98 is structured as a work of reference. This means that you can dive in to most chapters to learn just the facts or techniques you need now without having to worry that you missed some crucial information in an earlier chapter. The exception to this is Chapter 4, "An Insider's Guide to Three Crucial Configuration Tools." That chapter discusses the Windows 98 Registry, the System Policy Editor, and the Tweak UI customization accessory, and I use all three tools throughout the rest of the book.
The next few sections give you a synopsis of the book's structure.
The book begins with a half dozen chapters that discuss some Windows 98 basics with a beyond-the-basics approach. You get a critical look at the new Windows 98 features, a host of Windows 98 Setup tips and techniques, and an inside look at the Windows 98 startup process. I also discuss the Registry, System Policy Editor, and Tweak UI, as mentioned earlier, installing and uninstalling applications, running Windows and DOS programs, and using Windows Explorer for file and disk chores.
The three chapters in Part 2 offer loads of customization techniques that go beyond the standard wallpaper-and-color tweaks. You get an in-depth look at the Control Panel, behind-the-scenes coverage of Web integration and the Active Desktop, and powerful methods for customizing the desktop, Start menu, and taskbar.
This short section contains just two chapters, but it's jam-packed with practical and powerful tips and techniques. Chapter 10, "Powerful Techniques for File Types," discusses file types and file extensions and shows you how to modify existing file types, create new file types, customize Windows 98's New menu, and more. Chapter 11, "Taking Advantage of Shortcuts," teaches you about shortcuts and shortcut files, shows you how to modify shortcut properties, and provides a number of techniques for working with and customizing shortcuts.
Windows 98 is bursting at the seams with powerful system tools, most of which are hidden in the most obscure places. The chapters in Part 4 show you where to find these tools and show you how to make best use of them. You'll learn powerful techniques for optimizing memory, revving up your hard disk, taking advantage of FAT32, protecting system files, controlling viruses, creating an emergency boot disk, backing up your files, and recovering easily from a system crash.
The five chapters in Part 5 show you how to get wired with Windows 98. I begin by showing you how to install and configure your modem. From there, you learn how to get on the Internet and how to get the most out of Internet Explorer (for the World Wide Web) and Outlook Express, (for email). I close with a look at some important Internet security considerations.
Part 6 covers Windows 98's extensive hardware features. You start by learning some crucial hardware concepts, including device drivers, device settings—such as interrupt request lines and I/O ports—and Plug and Play. With that background, you then learn about installing device drivers, using Device Manager, creating hardware profiles, setting up input devices, and configuring graphics adapters, monitors, and other multimedia hardware. This section closes with a look at some notebook features, including power management, docking stations, Direct Cable Connection file transfers, infrared ports, and more.
The last four chapters of the book cover Windows 98 networking. You learn network fundamentals such as the difference between peer-to-peer and client/server, networking hardware, and networking architecture. I then show you how to set up a local area network, how to work with and share network resources, and how to connect to a network remotely using Dial-Up Networking.
The book finishes with a few appendixes. You get a glossary of Windows 98 terms, a selection of World Wide Web and Usenet resources for Windows 98, and a complete list of Windows 98 keyboard shortcuts. Special FeaturesThis book offers the following six special sidebars in the margins that were designed to help you get things done quickly, efficiently, and smartly:
We also recognize your need to have quick information at your fingertips, and, where appropriate, have thus provided the following comprehensive sections at the back of the book:
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