Win95 Tips - Page 6

Page 6

Table Of Contents
How can I test programs and still keep clutter minimal?
Can I prevent a program from launching more than once?
Where, on my computer, can I find the CD-ROM drivers?
My Zip drive's icon keeps changing, why?
I've lost all sounds, help!
How do I get a start program folder to open as a window?

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I spend a lot of time downloading large files from the Internet. Many are entire programs in zipped format. I won't know if I will want to keep the programs until I unzip them and install them onto my drive. When I install the programs, they will often write files to strange places, especially to my Windows and Windows system directories. I want to purchase a whole new system with Windows 95 as my OS, but I am determined to keep it clean of clutter. How can I accomplish this?

Go to Ziff Davis' web site and get InCtrl3.zip (In Control 3). It does most of what you're asking for, and it's free besides. From it's Readme file:

ABOUT InCtrl 3
InCtrl 3 lets you track system changes made by Windows95 and Windows NT installation programs. It tracks file additions and deletions as well as changes made to .INI files. In addition, it handles long filenames and tracks
changes to the Registry. InCtrl3 is a 32-bit program and requires Windows 95 or Windows NT.

I've been using it for a few months now, works great and has allowed me to COMPLETELY remove those programs
I decided I didn't want to keep after installing. All in all, a great little piece of work. Available from:

http://www.zdnet.com/pcmag/pctech/content/15/13/ut1513.001.html

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How can I launch (via the START button or any other way) a win95 program (32 bit) once. When launching it the second, third, ... time the already launched program should be handed control instead of launching it a second, third, ... time. The way win16 application works ...Anybody have an idea?

Check out http://www.winmag.com/library/1997/0101/01htpow.htm and download PWOne.Zip It will do some of what you're asking. The program is Freeware and also requires 32-bit Visual Basic 4.0 Runtime VB40032.ZIP (This zipfile contains 3 other files (MSVCRT40.DLL, OLEPRO32.DLL, and VB40032.DLL) and is available at various shareware sites including: http://winweb.winmag.com/software/wmfiles.htm#misc . Note, check your Windows\System folder first, these files may well be already on your computer.

Unfortunately, in my experience, this program does not work or prevent a second instance of a program from opening when double clicking on a file associated with the executable, only the shortcut to the executable which you've altered as per PWOne's Readme file instructions. It does work well for the shortcut however.

BTW, it's another useful utility from Karen Kenworthy, a programmer who also has a column in Windows magazine. Her homepage is: http://www.winmag.com/Karen

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My system crashed and I can't get my CD-ROM to work when I boot straight into DOS. What do I need to do to make this happen? I can still get to Windows, but I want to reinstall, since I've been having problems for a while now.

Lucky you checked this out before starting. Here's what to do: Do a Find for Dosstart.bat, it is usually set up to load your CD drivers in DOS, and is generally found in the Windows folder. My command line to load the CD drivers reads: C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\MSCDEX.EXE /D:IDECD001 /M:12
Yours will most likely be different, though similar. Though the MSCDEX.EXE is the same for all CD-Rom's,
the command parameters are different for each manufacturer (and model) so everything after that will be specific to
your brand of CD-Rom. Then right click on Start, select Find, and do a search for *.* containing (on the Advanced tab) .sys /D It'll most likely be in your config.sys (if you have one). In mine it reads:
DEVICEHIGH=A:\CPQIDECD.SYS /D:IDECD001
You'll need both an autoexec,bat and a config.sys each with it's proper command line. It's a good idea to have setup,
(and have tested) a bootable emergency boot disk which loads the driver (put the command in autoexec.bat). I also have mine set up to load drivers allowing me to access my Iomega Zip Drive. FWIW, my emergency disk contains:

ATTRIB.EXE
AUTOEXEC.BAT
ASPIPPM1.SYS       (Needed by IOMEGA Zip Drive)
CHKDSK.EXE
COMMAND.COM (also, of course, io.sys, drvspace.bin & msdos.sys, it's a system formatted floppy)
CPQIDECD.SYS      CD ROM Driver
ED.EXE                     My favorite DOS ASCII Editor, select your own favorite
ED.HLP                     help file for ED
ED.MRS                    support file for ED
EMM386.EXE
EPSON.PRD
FDISK.EXE
FORMAT.COM
GENERIC.PRD        printer driver for ED
GUEST.EXE             (Needed by IOMEGA Zip Drive)
GUEST.INI               (Needed by IOMEGA Zip Drive)
HIMEM.SYS
MEM.EXE
MOUSE.EXE
MOUSEDRV.INI
MSCDEX.EXE
NIBBLE.ILM           (Needed by IOMEGA Zip Drive)
REGEDIT.EXE
SCANDISK.EXE
SCANDISK.INI
SMARTDRV.EXE
SYS.COM
XCOPY.EXE
XCOPY32.EXE

Autoexec.bat:
@ECHO OFF
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1
PROMPT $P$G
path=A:\;C:\;C:\windows;C:\windows\command;C:\windows\system;C:\PROGRA~1;
C: \PE;c:\OldProgs\fox;c:\oldprogs\newps
lh A:\MSCDEX.EXE /D:IDECD001 /M:12
A:\SMARTDRV
A:\MOUSE.exe
REM The following command loads drivers to allow recognition of the Iomega Zip Drive
GUEST letter=G

Config.sys:
DEVICE=A:\HIMEM.SYS /TESTMEM:OFF
DEVICE=A:\EMM386.EXE NOEMS
DOS=HIGH,UMB,AUTO
DEVICEHIGH=A:\CPQIDECD.SYS /D:IDECD001
FILESHIGH=80
BUFFERSHIGH=40,4
FCBSHIGH=10
LASTDRIVE=M

This will allow me to boot in DOS, and then use my CD (and Zip Drive) to re-install Win95.

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I have noticed that sometimes the My Computer Icon, and the Zip Drive icon will change for no reason I can think of. Only one will be changed at a time, so how do I fix this so it will not keep happening. This also happens in Explorer. Where is the control at for seting the icons in windows?

The icons are kept in a file named ShellIconCache in your Windows directory. It could be going bad. Rename it as OldShellIconCache and reboot. A new ShellIconCache will be created. If that stops the changes in your icons you
can delete the old file. Also, I've found that Iomega Disk Icons, which is what gives your Zip drive that cute little blue icon, is a flakey program at best. On my 2 computers (a Dell Lattitude LM and a Compaq Presario), running it caused numerous Explorer crashes. I can't begin tell you how frustrating that is, but if you've experienced them, you know what I mean. Took a long time to trace that problem down so I pass it along here.

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The kids were using my computer and now I have no sound. Where would I go to figure out how to get it back? The hardware is all ok and I hear sound when I use the modem but no sound otherwise. Also, Windows recorder will seem to record speech through the microphone, but playback yields no sound even though the progress slider is moving along. Any suggestions?

Check to see if the mute box is checked in your volume control on the system tray. If so, uncheck it. If not, double click on the speaker icon to open Volume Control (or go to Start, Programs, Accessories, Multimedia, Volume Control). Make sure the select boxes are checked for the items you want.

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Sometimes, but not always I would like my start menu folders to open on the desktop as windows. Like they sometimes do after installing a program. Is there a key combination or a quick configuration that will allow me to do this? Hell! I'll even greatly appreciate the

complicated solution, if anyone has one.

When you want to do this, simply right click on the Start button and select open. Double click on the Programs folder, then double click on the folder you want opened in a window.

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