Why Didn’t I Know That Before?

A Windows Primer

Well you did it. You finally made the decision and got yourself a new machine. You have made it through the buyers’ remorse. You have convinced yourself it is time to see what this thing will do. Before you know it a certain frustration level sets in. In the back of your mind, you hear yourself saying, "Why can’t I do what I want to?" There must be an easier way.

There is. Once you understand the basic philosophy of our friends in Redmond. Naturally, we are dealing with the Current Operating systems from Microsoft. I say naturally, because we all know that only MS users are at places like this. There has never been a recorded problem with a Mac that I am aware of. Or at least that is what I hear from their owners.

So let's back up a minute. It wasn’t that long ago, in real years, that monitors glowed a single color. The thought that two programs could be running at the same time was the stuff dreams were made of. Today, you can easily have ten programs running, most of them talking to each other. We have come a long way in a very short period of time. If we use our historical timeline as an analogy, we are not even at the age of the dinosaurs. The point is the computer business is in a state of constant evolution. Market pressures bring the new product to the consumer, sometimes a bit early. Each release of new software or equipment is another event in the evolution. So, it becomes clear that the operating system you are using is a work in progress.

The philosophy, or mindset, of the designers of the operating system is to continually make it easier for everyone to use their computer. Seems reasonable. That is also where most of the frustration comes from.

Let me explain. The machine you now own is designed for every man...woman...and child on the face of the planet. It is one size fits all, out of the box. We all know how attractive those clothes are. So, the answer is clear, we need to make it fit. Now you see my problem. Since I am suggesting that the machine should be customized for each one of us, I can’t specify what should go or what should stay for each one of you.

I can give you a few hints though, and another key part of the philosophy to make your decisions a bit easier. Microsoft has planted a brilliant clue on all machines. That which they deem the most important features are repeated. The greater the number of ways to do something, the more important they feel it is. This holds true whether it is the number of methods that can be used to execute a function, the number of ways to access a link, or the number of ways to access an application. These are also clues as to what will be emphasized in future releases. Or, what will become automatic in future releases.

So let's look at some of the standouts. Windows Update, that must be real important, it is everywhere. The Favorites folder can be accessed from anywhere, another biggie. Internet Explorer, how many of those icons do we really need? Each of you has run across the same thing in the various applications you run, more than enough ways to do stuff, sometimes it just adds to the confusion.

Let’s get Windows Update out of the way. It is real important. If you want to have a smooth running machine without those annoying Illegal Operation and Fatal Exception dialog boxes, or our arch enemy, the Blue Screen of Death, then you have to get your updates. Remember, it is a work in progress. It has bugs in it. The updates help with the bug control.

It is relatively painless, and free. Hit one of those icons and let the home office give you a whirl.

After they look over the inside of your machine you will be presented with a list of suggestions. Basically take whatever is on the Critical Update list, look over the Recommended list, and then take a peak at some of the other goodies. Remember you can always go back for more. You don’t need to do this all at once. In fact, some of the offerings can only be downloaded and auto installed one at a time. You will be given an opportunity to read and print out the description of each file in the update. I recommend you do that. There is also an offering called "Windows Critical Update Notification". I recommend you do NOT do that.

Well I know I just opened our first can of worms. I just told you to put more stuff on your machine. When what we want to do is get a bunch of stuff off of it, or at least move it out of the way. It really isn’t a conflict. Remember, we are basically trying to figure out our priorities. We need to have the most important stuff.

I may as well get the other can of worms opened up as long as I am at it. Internet Explorer is real important. I mean real important. Having it up and running right is a key to new users, keeping their headaches to a minimum. Remember, we are trying to focus on new users in this article. We all know there are other browsers out there. Some are very nice browsers. Internet Explorer is much more than a browser. In effect, it is an integral part of the shell. Technically it is not part of the shell. That is some fine hair splitting. That’s the reason why Bill got to spend so much time with folks from the Justice Department.

Windows Update can always get you an Update or a copy of Internet Explorer. It can also be repaired, sometimes. I say sometimes because this option is not available on all versions of IE. It definitely is on IE 5.01, my browser of choice. The Internet Explorer Repair Tool lives in the Tool menu of the System Information dialog box. On a stock machine, you get there by hitting the Start button and chasing menus, first Programs, then Accessories, then System Tools then System Information. Just run the Tool. It will either help by fixing or let you know what the matter is.

New word: shell. Windows Explorer is your shell. It is joined at the hip to Internet Explorer. The shell is what really manages the running of the programs. If you ran Windows 3.1, the shell was called Program Manager. Most of you now have 98 or 98SE as your operating system. Naturally, what I am about to discuss, generally applies to the savvy users running the various flavors of Windows 95. To launch a program, you normally click the Start button in the lower left hand corner and watch the Flying Menus cascade across the screen. You can also use Windows Explorer to access your programs. It is on those Flying Menus, and it is available by right clicking the Start button. You got it. MS wants you to use the Start menus for your everyday launching of programs. They want you to do this so bad, that two extra keys have been placed on your keyboard, that’s why the keys outside of the Alt keys have those "Flying Windows" on them.

You have probably noticed that the order of the programs from the Start button is not in the same hierarchical order as that in Windows Explorer.

The programs in Windows Explorer are just that. They are your programs. That’s where you can touch them. That’s where they can be deleted from, on purpose or accidentally. You can do all sorts of things to your actual programs in Windows Explorer. If you highlight, or select, or click once on a program or a file or a folder, in Windows Explorer, then Right Click it, a whole menu of functions shows up. If you hold down the Shift Key when you Right Click a file or folder, a few more options show up. Of course, the functions you will use most in Windows Explorer are also up at the top of the screen, in the form of buttons on a Toolbar.

A significant caveat must be inserted here. With your newfound freedom, be careful what you delete in Windows Explorer. If you delete a folder here, everything in it goes to the trash bin too. Basically, in Windows Explorer you have folders with the stylized icon and you have files. Some of those files are programs!

If you want unnecessary programs off your drive, UNINSTALL them. DO NOT DELETE them, unless there is no other alternative. In fact sometimes you are better off, leaving the non-uninstallable programs right where they are.

The uninstall feature is found in the Control Panel applet. The two easiest ways to get there are: the Start button, then Settings, then Control Panel or by clicking the "My Computer" icon on the desktop and then Control Panel. With Control Panel open, select the "Add/Remove Programs" link. Scroll down the list you are presented with, highlight the offender and click Add/Remove, then OK.

The programs in this list have another little program in their Windows Explorer folder that correctly removes most traces of the parent application from your system. These files may show up in the Windows Explorer folder named Uninstall, or Unwise, or Unsomething. If you find the uninstall application in the folder, but not in the Add/Remove Programs list, you can run it from Windows Explorer. Just double-click it. Or you can run the uninstall program from the Run Command above the Start button.

Why all the fuss? Important information about the program is probably in the system Registry. If you just delete the program, the Registry information will stay intact. Proper care and cleaning of the Registry will become a natural part of running an optimized system. For now, realize the Registry is there. In future articles, we will devote the necessary time to learning its fundamentals.

Let’s get back to the Start button. If the programs listed in Windows Explorer are your program files, what are all those dudes on the Flying Menus? They are Shortcuts. They are NOT copies of programs. They are Shortcuts. They are tiny files, about 1K, that provide a link to, and launch the, program. Finally, now we’re getting somewhere.

Shortcuts can be deleted or spawned at will. You can make ‘em and you can break ‘em. Nothing bad will happen. You can duplicate them, just like Microsoft did and put them everywhere. You can MOVE them. Anywhere.

The Start menu is the quintessential "One Size Fits All". It must be tailored to your liking. It was designed for tailoring. It was designed to be flexible and comfortable. It was designed to keep folks from loosing the actual files. When we look at the Start Menu, we see that the most important stuff is positioned close to the button. Running up the left side is Shutdown, Run Command, and the main folders including Favorites and Documents and Programs. If you have no use for something in that column, you can select it, right click it, and delete it. Probably the best place to start is in the cascading menus that fly off the Programs folder shortcut. Study that for a while. Anything that you are routinely chasing four or five columns over, needs to be moved, or copied and moved, closer to the start button. Personally, I copy the short cut and then drag it where I want it. To drag an object, just highlight or select it, then hold the left mouse button down, don’t let it up, and slide the shortcut to where you want it. Or think you want it. Play with it. If you want to add programs to the Start menus that are not there yet, no problem. That is a "property" of the Taskbar.

The bar at the bottom of your screen is considered the taskbar. Actually, the usually blank center portion is the Taskbar. Right Click on that and a menu will pop up. It should say Toolbars at the top.Select Properties from the bottom of the list. The Taskbar Properties dialog box will appear. The second tab is what you are looking for. On the Start Menu Programs tab, find Customize Start Menu and hit Add. Follow the wizard.

Philosophy time: If you are routinely using more than one or two clicks to access something. You are doing too much work. This is true throughout the system. There is either an easier way, or you need a shortcut.

You can put shortcuts on your screen background or Desktop. One of the handiest Right Clicks around is on any blank portion of your screen. When you Right Click the desktop, the menu that appears has the word "New" near the bottom, highlight that and your choices spring from the arrow. In this case, choose Shortcut. A wizard will appear. You can now make a shortcut to anything at any time. The shortcut will live on your desktop. When it has outlived its’ usefulness, delete it.

Now you’re flyin’. Get rid of all the really unnecessary shortcuts, and move the most important ones to where you can get to them. This applies to the Start menu and the Desktop. That’s right, go ahead and delete all those messy icon shortcuts that the software folks stuck all over your desk to advertise there product. Here’s a hint. Decent software guys don’t dump shortcuts on your desktop without asking first. It’s rude. If they really believe in this virtual office thing, then they just virtually put their feet up on the desk.

So, your new machine has how many shortcuts from certain Internet Providers? But wait a minute. Each one is in a different place. There are the Desktop shortcuts, living on the background or wallpaper as they call it. Don’t ask. I don’t have a clue, why we have wallpaper on the top of the desk. There are shortcuts at the bottom of the screen in the Taskbar that the Start button anchors. Some of those are next to the Start button and others are over on the right hand side. That bar at the bottom of your screen is prime real estate. You really need to give some thought as to whose sign you want on that property. Look, if we can have wallpaper on top of the desk, I can mix metaphors.

The taskbar is divided into four main sections, the Start button, the Quick Launch tool bar, the Taskbar, and the Systray.

Quick Launch is for special stuff. It will launch with only one click, not two. It is intended for programs or applications that you routinely use, while you have an application already open. That way you don’t have to bring up your Desktop. Or you can bring up your desktop with the shortcut provided. Although it takes a little effort, you can add any shortcut you want to the Quick Launch toolbar. Time for a field trip, bring up Windows Explorer, find the Windows folder under "C:", open that, find Application Data, open that folder, now open the Microsoft folder, then the Internet Explorer folder, that’s right the Internet Explorer folder. I told you they were joined at the hip. You should now see the Quick Launch folder. Open that and make a Shortcut. If this is the first time to make a shortcut in Explorer, go to the top Toolbar and click File, at the New option, select Shortcut. Done deal.

To the right of the Quick Launch is the Taskbar. The Taskbar shows you the tasks that are open or running. If some thing is minimized in the taskbar it is running and using system resources. That’s fine. The new machines can handle it just fine, for most of the time. You can also add toolbars to the Taskbar if that makes your life easier. Right Click on the task bar and you will see some preset options and the ability to add a toolbar of your choice. I, for example, have a toolbar for my CD reader there. That way I can always see what is in my drive at a glance. I can browse a CD’s table of contents at any time.

The last area, the Systray is special also. Anything in the Systray is running. If it is there, it is running .The clock is there, your Anti Virus application is there, your system resource meter will live there when you choose to have it on. If you have more than that in there when you first boot up, you really better have a reason for it. Eliminating unnecessary operations from the Systray is a very good way to save system resources for the programs you really want to run. The thing is, a lot of operations are running all the time. It is often referred to as "in the background." The ones in the Systray you are aware of, there are too many others that may be pulling down your system at all times. Remember this is your system now, not theirs’. So, let’s take a look at what is going on.

From Start, go to Run Command: enter "msconfig", without the quotes. Click "OK". You are now looking at the System Configuration Utility.The last tab should be Startup. Bring that to the front. There is the list of all the programs that get started upon boot. Some have got to be there. Others are for the benefit of software companies. Now that you know how to Start all the programs you need quickly, you sure don’t need all that stuff auto loading. Take a look at the list. Each one of you will have a slightly different list. The programs can be checked off or turned on at will. Now is a good time to relax and be VERY CAREFUL. It is possible to turn off required programs.These are the ones I recommend you DO NOT touch: Scan Registry, System Tray,and both copies of Load Power Profile. I would also leave Task Monitor,and your Anti Virus Software alone.

The rest is fair game. If you only use a program occasionally, you should probably uncheck it. CAREFULLY double check your check marks. Hit the apply button on the way out, or it will all be loaded again on the next boot. The headache is, that sometimes it is tough to figure out what each of those entries really is, or does. That will just take a little time. You can follow the path given after the name. Open up Explorer and follow it. That will get you close. You can call the company that gave it to you, and see what that file really does. My guess is it won’t say in the documentation that came with the application. If you are not sure, leave the setting as it is. Or just uncheck one at a time, and let the system run for a week or two to see if you have any problems.

We started this last discussion talking about the taskbar. Before I let you go, let me show you a couple of neatos. First, place your cursor on a blank spot in the center Taskbar. Hold the left button down as if you are going to drag it. Then while you are still holding down the button, slide the cursor to the left side edge. It should jump when you get close. Some folks keep them on the side while they are writing long documents. You can put it at the top or the other side also. Next trick, place your cursor on the taskbar, as you move it toward the top edge, the double arrows for your cursor should appear. That is the sign that a move can take place. Position the double arrows on the edge of the taskbar and hold down the left button. Move the cursor up. You can add additional rows to your taskbar. I think the best application for this, is when you need a giggle to last until lunchtime. You know that dude at the office. Payback time. During his regular extended coffee break, grab the taskbar edge, but move the cursor down. The taskbar will disappear out of sight. There will be a slight border you can grab, to lift it back up. Repeat as necessary.

Until Next Time,

Renovator