Copyright: © Copyright 1995 Imaginations UNlimited


TRUE&Imagine!~PopUpID(`REG95.HLP',`REGEDIT.JI_001')¸ Copyright 1995 Imaginations UNlimited
ImagnUNltd@aol.comREG95yesyesnoRegistry Editor FAQno&AboutE&xityesyesyesyesyes 3 0yes24/09/95


Table of Contents


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popup [1] Legal Mumbo Jumbo..

popup [2] Introduction popup

popup [3] Registry Architecture

popup [4] Customizing Windows 95

popup [5] Fine Tuning Windows 95

popup [6] Problem Solving in Windows 95

popup [7] Registry Tricks

popup [8] Short Cuts:  Windows 95 Productivity Tips

popup [9] Windows 95 Reference Materials

popup [10] Windows 95 Registry Binary Value Reference List

popup [11] Registry Editor Command Reference

popup [12] Five Essential Windows 95 Utilities

popup [13] Revision History

[1] Legal Mumbo Jumbo..

[2] Introduction

[3] Registry Architecture

[4] Customizing Windows 95

[5] Fine Tuning Windows 95

[6] Problem Solving in Windows 95

[7] Registry Tricks

[8] Short Cuts:  Windows 95 Productivity Tips

[9] Windows 95 Reference Materials

[10] Windows 95 Registry Binary Value Reference List

[11] Registry Editor Command Reference

[12] Five Essential Windows 95 Utilities

[13] Revision History

[1-1] DISCLAIMER:  Use this FAQ at your own RISK!!!

[1-2] Trademark Information:

[1-3] Copyright Notice:

[1-4] Suggestions, Contributions & E-Mail:

[2-1] A Word From Kent Daniel Bentkowski

[2-2] About the Windows 95 Registry FAQ

[2-3] Getting the Windows 95 Registry FAQ

[2-4] Adding to the FAQ

[2-5] The Win95-L Usenet Newsgroup Mailing List

[2-6] Acknowledgments

[2-7] Technical Support? Surely, you jest!

[2-8] Conventions Used In This FAQ

[3-1] What exactly is the Windows 95 Registry?

[3-2] Recovering Registry Data

[3-3] Configuration Backup

[3-4] The Registry Editor (REGEDIT.EXE)

[3-5] The six Hkey_ handles

[3-6] SubKeys of the six Hkey Handles

[4-1] Icons from the actual bitmaps

[4-2] Drag shortcuts onto Desktop

[4-3] Change the Desktop Folders Default.Icon

[4-4] A simple way to add the Control Panel to the Start Menu

[4-5] Control Panel Power at your fingertips!

[4-6] What you need to know to edit the Recycle Bin

[4-7] Removing unwanted items from the Desktop

[4-8] How to change the My Computer Default icon

[4-9] Renaming "My Computer"

[4-10] Dragging "Scraps" to the Desktop

[4-11] If you want to leave the Net 'hood

[4-12] Change the Desktop's default folder

[5-1] New design for the Start-Up screen

[5-2] Turn off the Windows 95 Start-up Logo

[5-3] New designs for the Log Off screens

[5-4] Edit essential folders

[5-5] Boot to MS-DOS 7.0 instead of Windows 95

[5-6] Quickly clearing the Recent Documents Menu

[5-7] To change font size on Taskbar buttons

[5-8] Recorder:  A Character Map Workaround

[5-9] What are the Windows 95 Tune Ups?

[5-10] My Two Favorite Features

[6-1] If an application cannot find it's Help File

[6-2] A tip for Multi-Boot users

[7-1] Speed up the Start-Menu!

[7-2] My city isn't on the time zone map!!!

[7-3] Editing the Windows TIPS at start-up

[7-4] Friendly "Short" Names

[7-5] 3-D Objects:  Highlights and Shadows

[7-6] Reappearing values in the Registry?

[7-7] Adding sounds to application events

[8-1] Add an item to the Start Menu

[8-2] What will dragging a file do?

[8-3] Where is that file?

[8-4] Change the name of that shortcut

[8-6] Short Cuts for Objects, Folders, and Explorer

[8-7] Shortcuts for a Selected Object

[8-8] Managing Folders and Windows Explorer

[8-9] Shortcuts in the Windows Explorer Tree

[8-10] Shortcuts in the Common Open and Save dialogs

[8-11] General Keyboard-Only Commands

[8-12] Accessibility Short Cuts

[8-13] Microsoft Natural Keyboard Keys

[8-14] Quicker font installations

[8-15] Create a "Print To File" print driver

[8-16] Quit Windows in a flash!

[9-1] Windows 95 Resource Kit

[9-2] Inside Windows 95

[9-3] Windows 95 Secrets

[9-4] Software Developer's Guide To Windows 95

[9-5] Windows 95 Programmer's Guide

[9-6] Programming the Windows 95 Interface

[9-7] Microsoft Developer Network

[10-1] Control Panel

[10-2] Printers

[10-3] Recycle Bin

[10-4] My Computer

[10-5] Dial-Up Networking

[10-6] Network Neighborhood

[10-7] Inbox

[10-8] Desktop

[10-9] Shortcut

[12-1] Microsoft PLUS!

[12-2] WinZip For Windows 95

[12-3] Microsoft Windows 95 PowerToys

[12-4] McAfee VirusScan 95

[12-5] Barry Press Utilities for Windows 95

[13-1]:  Pre-Win95-Release FAQs

[13-2]:  Post-Win95-Release FAQs

Just Imagine!

Launch Registry Editor

How To Use This DocumentConfig Backup


 [1] Legal Mumbo Jumbo..

Windows95 Registry FAQ

(95 Things You Need To Know About The Registry)

by Kent Daniel Bentkowski

Perfik Graphix - Buffalo, New York

e-mail:  KentDB9438@aol.com

August 11, 1995

Pre-release Version 0.95 ßeta

© 1995 Kent Daniel Bentkowski and Perfik Graphix

EPub Design & Construction by Imaginations UNlimited

© Artwork & Design Copyright 1995 Imaginations UNlimited

Daytona Beach, Florida

(904) 253-5192

ImagnUNltd@aol.com

[1-1] DISCLAIMER:  Use this FAQ at your own RISK!!!

This FAQ is to aid in informing the public about the Windows 95 Registry, and how to edit the Registry files. In no way should this promote your actually editing the Registry, and the information contained herein is offered without warranty and/or liability. In other words, if you use this information, you are on your own.

Additionally, Kent Daniel Bentkowski claims NO responsibility regarding ANY activities concerning this FAQ, either directly or indirectly. The information contained in this FAQ only reflects Microsoft Corporation indirectly, and questioning Microsoft Corporation regarding any information in this FAQ is not recommended.

EDIT THE REGISTRY AT YOUR OWN RISK!! Microsoft Corporation is not supporting the Registry as part of their Windows 95 end user technical support. Before you proceed, please have the good sense to read the section of this FAQ regarding the back-up and restoration of the Registry files.

[1-2] Trademark Information:

All rights reserved. This document is provided for informational purposes only, and neither Kent Daniel Bentkowski, Perfik Graphix, or Microsoft Corporation makes no warranties, either express or implied, in this document. The entire risk of the use or the results of the use of this document remains with the user.

Companies, names, and data used in examples herein are fictitious unless otherwise noted. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose, without the express written permission of Kent Daniel Bentkowski and Perfik Graphix.

All specific names included herein are trademarks and are so acknowledged:  Windows 95, Windows 3.11 For Workgroups, WFWG, Windows 3.1, MS-DOS 6.x, MS-DOS 7.0, Windows 4.0, Microsoft, DoubleSpace, Microsoft Press, MS, and Win32 are registered trademarks, and DriveSpace, Microsoft At Work, Natural Keyboard, SQL Server, and Windows NT are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the USA and other countries. Imaginations Unlimited and its logo are trademarks of Imaginations UNlimited.

[1-3] Copyright Notice:

This FAQ is Copyright 1995 by Kent Daniel Bentkowski and Perfik Graphix. All rights reserved.

You are granted the following rights:

I. To make copies of this work in original form, so long as

     (a) the copies are exact and complete;

     (b) the copies include the copyright notice and these paragraphs in their entirety;

     (c) the copies give obvious credit to the author, Kent Daniel Bentkowski;

     (d) the copies are in electronic form.

II. To distribute this work, or copies made under the provisions above, so long as

     (a) this is the original work and not a derivative form;

     (b) you do not charge a fee for copying or for distribution;

     (c) you ensure that the distributed form includes the copyright notice, this paragraph, the disclaimer of warranty in their entirety and credit to the author;

     (d) the distributed form is not in an electronic magazine or within computer software (prior explicit permission MUST be obtained from Kent Daniel Bentkowski);

     (e) the distributed form is the NEWEST version of the FAQ to the best of the knowledge of the distributor;

     (f) the distributed form is electronic.

You may NOT distribute this work by any non-electronic media, including but not limited to books, newsletters, magazines, manuals, catalogs, and speech. You may not distribute this work in electronic magazines or within computer software without prior written explicit permission. These rights are temporary and revocable upon written, oral, or other notice by Kent Daniel Bentkowski. This copyright notice shall be governed by the laws of the state of New York, and of the United States of America.

If you would like additional rights beyond those granted above, write to the author at "KentDB9438@aol.com" on the Internet.

[1-4] Suggestions, Contributions & E-Mail:

If any reader of the Windows 95 Registry FAQ would like to send to the author comments, corrections, updates, and/or suggestions, please follow the procedures listed below. It is the ONLY way that we can process the vast amount of mail that this FAQ may generate.

Any mail that relates to this FAQ must be sent to the FAQ's e-mail address, which is "regeditFAQ@aol.com". Any e-mail that is sent to the author regarding issues of this FAQ, cannot be answered. Please save us both some grief, and send your e-mail to the FAQ directly.

Depending on what the Subject line reads, will determine how your mail will be dealt with. Please follow these simple steps:

1. Send ALL MAIL to the FAQ at:  regeditFAQ@aol.com

2. Please place one of the following commands in the SUBJECT line, depending on the particular nature of the message:

COMMENT - If you wish to tell us how you like the FAQ.

CORRECTION - If you discover that information in this  FAQ is incorrect, please tell me. I am only human, and will make a mistake or two. If you are able to verify your correction, I will acknowledge your contribution in the next update of the FAQ.

SUGGESTION - If there is something particular you would like to see covered in this FAQ, send us a suggestion. If we incorporate it into a  future edition of the FAQ, you will become famous by seeing you name in print here.

TIPS & TRICKS - If you know of an undocumented feature or discover one of Windows 95's many well hidden secrets, please give us a holler! If your TIPS & TRICKS submission is used, you will receive our humble and most gracious acknowledgment in a future FAQ.

Any e-mail that doesn't follow these simple guidelines will be returned unread. I am expecting an extremely high volume with this FAQ, and this is the ONLY way to correspond with us.

NOTE:  Please DO NOT send requests to receive a copy of the FAQ to either the authors' or the FAQ's e-mail addresses. All such requests will be RETURNED UNOPENED. There will be a notice as to where and how to get a copy of this FAQ, so please follow proper procedures, okay?

Thank you in advance for your compliance


 [2] Introduction

[2-1] A Word From Kent Daniel Bentkowski

Try mentioning the word Registry on the Windows 95 Technical Support telephone line, and the support technician that you are speaking to will tell you in no uncertain terms that Microsoft isn't supporting that feature to end users. Besides, they try to convince you that you'll trash your entire system if you so much as attempt to edit one single Registry entry.

And yet, it is the one single feature in all of Windows 95 that brings total system control to the user. If only they'd tell us how it works! The Windows 95 Resource Kit, which is a powerhouse technical manual the size of a phone book, contains a scant eighteen pages on the Registry. Believe it or not, but the Resource Kit contains nearly as much information on their new online service "The Microsoft Network."

Accepting the challenge, I plugged in the Configuration Backup utility that comes with the Resource Kit, and began poking and prodding the various Registry entries. I discovered small and mundane techniques, like renaming the Recycle Bin, remapping icon files so that the corresponding bitmap displays instead, and the secret to removing the Exchange Inbox from the Desktop.

And still, no documentation to speak of.

Until now, that is.

Enjoy! But, be careful out there...

[2-2] About the Windows 95 Registry FAQ

The Windows 95 Registry FAQ is my attempt to fill in a fantastic void of information from Microsoft. This is just the first version of the FAQ, with much, much more to come. Among my future plans are to get a hold of the complete Registry API Command Reference, and rewrite it into english, so that people just like you and I can understand this stuff.

Be sure to read this entire document before you venture off and trash your system. There are plenty of warnings and instructions herein to prepare you for the task at hand. Take heed of my various warnings, as they are for your own good.

Updates to the Registry FAQ will be released approximately once every thirty days (give or take), or more frequently as I learn some killer stuff to do with Windows 95!!

As soon as the Windows 95 Registry FAQ Home Page is finished, I will post the URL everywhere you look...

[2-3] Getting the Windows 95 Registry FAQ

Until further notice, send an e-mail request to the following address, to receive the Windows 95 Registry FAQ:

regeditFAQ@aol.com

This document is freeware for the time being, until a book publisher can be located. Also, if anyone out there would like to post this FAQ to their World Wide Web home page, or to your FTP site or BBS, please do so, with my blessings.

However, PLEASE send an e-mail to the address listed above so that I can compile a list, and keep it up to date.

Fair enough?

[2-4] Adding to the FAQ

For complete information on how you can submit information to be included in the Windows 95 Registry FAQ, please refer to section [1-4] Suggestions, Contributions, and E-Mail. There you will find the procedures that you must follow to add your voice to the Windows 95 Registry FAQ.

[2-5] The Win95-L Usenet Newsgroup Mailing List

This group, in existence for about four months, has been a consistent source of general Windows 95 discussion. Because this was concurrent with the Preview Program and the final stages of ßeta testing, much discussion centered on the installation and configuration of the Windows 95 software.

As the users Windows 95 experience has developed, the level of intelligent discourse has risen dramatically. If you want to know if a particular software program is compatible with Windows 95, or how to configure Winsock for use with the Netscape World Wide Web browser, then this is your place!

One caveat is that because this is an unmoderated discussion group, the traffic is rather high, especially if you have an account that is billed by the byte! Another warning is not all discussion is entirely relevant, and certain members have been known to stray wildly off topic at the slightest prod.

But, if you still want to be an early adopter of Windows 95, this mail list is worth checking out. There is, after all, the occasional gem to be found here...

To subscribe to the Win95-List, send an e-mail message with the command SUBSCRIBE Win95-L in the body of the text. You may also receive the list contents in digest form, by adding the command SET digest Win95-L one line beneath the subscribe command.

Send your subscription request to the following address:

LISTSERV@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM

When you begin to receive your list postings, and you wish to post your own message to the list, you address your e-mail to this following address:

Win95-L@EVA.DC.LSOFT.COM

Sending to this address will allow your message to appear for all list members to read.

Also, some time soon after August 24th, you might wish to do a Web Crawler search for the locations of the newly forming Windows 95 Newsgroups. There are at least two that I have heard of; one pertains to the installation of Windows 95, and the other, day to day general operations.

[2-6] Acknowledgments

I wish to thank the following people for their assistance, help, and general all-around support in the creation of the Windows 95 Registry FAQ. I could have never completed a project of this scope without outside assistance:

Helluva Thanx To:

Bill Gates "billg@microsoft.com"

Thank you for having the dream of a computer on every desk and in every home.

Rob Maciok "Delphiwiz@aol.com"

For getting me started on this whole fantastic journey in the first place! My life hasn't been the same ever since! Thanks for everything, boss!

Andy Satori "KangaDru@aol.com"

Without a doubt, one of the most knowledgeable programmers that I have ever known. Answers all questions with a smile!

Glenn Stewart "s2156495@cse.unsw.edu.au"

My BEST FRIEND from down under! It is Glenn who actually gave me the idea to write the FAQ in the first place, by his listing a small list of Win95 tips on the Internet. Since he is busy at Uni, I had the time, so I did the work, and brought out this FAQ. Thanks for the inspiration, Glenn!!

Brian Livingston "brian livingstone@InfoWorld.com"

For the indispensible advice in his excellent weekly Window Manager columns, which I NEVER miss! A double helluva thanx to Brian for writing the excellent and also indispensible book, "Windows 95 Secrets" soon to be published by IDG Books.

[2-7] Technical Support? Surely, you jest!

Please be forewarned that neither Microsoft nor the author of this FAQ is offering end-user technical support on the Registry at this time. Don't waste your breath calling Microsoft Technical Support with questions regarding the Registry, they will REFUSE to offer assistance OF ANY KIND.

Please save yourself the time and effort, and DO NOT send any e-mail to the author of this FAQ asking for advice concerning technical support issues regarding the Registry and the editing thereof. Any such e-mail will go unanswered, and will be immediately discarded. Neither Kent Daniel Bentkowski or Perfik Graphix is offering Windows 95 Registry Technical Support!!!

Having said that; I will say that if you insist on venturing into the uncharted waters of the Windows 95 Registry Editor, please have the common sense to do the following before you begin each one of your editing sessions:

1. Take two formatted 3.5 floppies, and make floppy-based back-ups of the Registry files:

     SYSTEM.DAT    SYSTEM.DA0

     USER.DAT         USER.DA0

It is a good idea to update these back-ups immediately preceding each and every Registry editing session. That way, if a problem occurs, you have a safe back-up.

DO NOT USE BACKUP.EXE TO MAKE THESE BACK-UPS!!! Simply copy these files to a floppy directly from Explorer. That way, you can quickly and SAFELY return to the configuration that was last working properly.

If you have the Windows 95 Resource Kit, make sure you have the Configuration Backup installed in your system, and that it is used on a regular basis prior to each editing session.

Lastly, you are completely on your own!

Be careful and best of luck to you!

Enjoy!

[2-8] Conventions Used In This FAQ

In the creation of this document, certain abbreviations and symbols are used in place of the long form name. You should have little problem figuring all of this out. However, there are a couple commands which pertain to the mouse and keyboard where I have used an alternate form to save space:

Abbreviation	What it means
d.click	Double click the mouse
r.click	click the right mouse button
shift+click	Press the shift while clicking the mouse
shift+r.click	Shift and clicking right mouse button
Right-Shift	Shift and right mouse again
CTRL+D/r.click	Press CTRL, D, and r.mouse all at once
r.mouse	Right Mouse button
l.mouse	Left Mouse button
keypad	Refers to the numeric keypad on the side of the keys, not across the top of them.
ARROW keys	These are the directional arrow keys
parent	The main window or folder in a group
child	The window within a window in a group
Designer's Note: Some sections within this document are incomplete and are listed as "To be included in a future version of the FAQ." Also of note are the fact that, presumably because he intends to add more material at a later time, the author left the "Power Tips" unnumbered. They appear in this document as "Power Tip #xx" which is the way we received the original ASCII text file. With the exception of very few typos here and there that we ran across in the job process, and the obvious design enhancements, Imaginations UNlimited did not alter the contents of this document. Imaginations UNlimited makes no warranty to the accuracy or usability for any purpose of this file or its contents, and is not responsible for any omissions, errors, or misrepresentations herein. All disclaimers stated above by the author apply to Imaginations UNlimited as well.

--Imaginations UNlimited

For more information about Imaginations UNlimited's affordable multimedia, graphics, epub, Windows Help File, and developer enhancement services, click the Imagine! icon above.


 [3] Registry Architecture

[3-1] What exactly is the Windows 95 Registry?

The Registry is a central database that is created by Windows 95 during installation. The entries in that database consist of the hardware, software, users, and preferences data for a single PC, or any PC on a network. Whenever the user makes changes to the Control Panel settings, File Associations, System Policies, or installed software, the changes are reflected in the Registry.

These Registry settings can be viewed with the Registry Editor (REGEDIT.EXE), which is installed into the Windows\System folder when Windows 95 is installed from CD-ROM. The floppy disk version of Windows 95 will NOT install this editor.

By default, REGEDIT.EXE will NOT appear on any of the system's menus, or the Start button. So, you will have to add your own shortcut, or you can click on the START button, select RUN, and in the OPEN:  command line type REGEDIT and press ENTER. If the Registry Editor is installed on your system, it will appear on your Desktop, ready to use.

The Registry replaces the dreaded .INI files from Windows 3.1, and because the information is presented in hierarchical form, the Registry supports nested folders, which .INI files do not support. One of the many benefits of this is that in a network environment, users can log onto any PC in the network, just as it were the very same PC on their desk! In addition, several users can store configuration data on a single machine.

	You can add the Registry Editor to your system
POWER TIP # xx	by using the right mouse button to drag the
	file REGEDIT.EXE from Explorer to the Desktop.

Registry Editor displays the contents of the Registry in six subtrees called Keys. Keys can contain data strings, as well as SubKeys. Each of these six Keys begins with Hkey_ which indicates that it can be used by a program to access resources.

When you first look at the Registry Editor, this structure looks extremely complicated. Think of the Registry Editor as another type of Windows Explorer, only this explorer ventures into the uncharted waters of your systems' configuration!

[3-2] Recovering Registry Data

In Windows 95, data is written to the Registry only when a flush occurs  that is, when something happens after changed data has aged more than a few seconds or when an application intentionally flushes the data to the hard disk.

Each time Windows 95 successfully starts, the operating system backs up the Registry by copying the current SYSTEM.DAT and USER.DAT files to SYSTEM.DA0 and USER.DA0, respectively. If Windows 95 fails to start, the backed-up Registry from the last successful startup can be copied over the current Registry. This method recovers the last successful settings after a system failure.

If the Registry should ever become damaged, it can be salvaged WITHOUT reinstalling Windows 95. All you have to do is look for a hidden system file called SYSTEM.1ST in the root directory of the drive that hosts Windows 95. This file is a copy of the Registry that was created when Windows 95 setup was first deemed successful.

All you have to do is change the file attributes of the file by locating it in the Windows 95 Explorer, and right clicking on it. Choose properties, and then, the General Properties dialog appears. Change the file attributes from READ-ONLY and HIDDEN to ARCHIVE and copy it to the Windows 95 subdirectory.

Then, rename the file from SYSTEM.1ST to SYSTEM.DAT, copying over the corrupt file, and replacing it with workable system profiles.

	You can also maintain back-ups of the Registry
POWER TIP # xx	with the Configuration Backup utility included
	on diskette with the Windows 95 Resource Kit.

To put it another way:

To restore the Registry

1 Click the Start button, and then click Shut Down.

2 Click Restart The Computer In MS-DOS Mode, then click Yes.

3 Change to your Windows directory. For example, if your Windows directory is C:\Windows, you would type the following:

cd C:\Windows

4 Type the following commands, pressing ENTER after each one. (Note that SYSTEM.DA0 and USER.DA0 contain the number zero.)

attrib -h -r -s system.dat

attrib -h -r -s system.da0

copy system.da0 system.dat

attrib -h -r -s user.dat

attrib -h -r -s user.da0

copy user.da0 user.dat

5 Restart your computer.

Following this procedure will restore your registry to its state when you last successfully started your computer.

Additionally, there is a file on your hard disk named SYSTEM.1ST that was created when Windows 95 was first successfully installed. You could also change the file attributes of this file from read-only and hidden to archive to copy the file to SYSTEM.DAT

[3-3] Configuration Backup

It is sheer suicide to attempt to edit the Windows 95 Registry without backing up the necessary files before you begin. There is a little life-saver of a utility that comes with the Resource Kit called Configuration Backup (cfgback.exe). It not only lets the user backup the Registry data, but also allows the complete backup, restoration, and storage of up to NINE SEPARATE system configurations!

Besides, what I really recommend before you attempt to edit the Registry, is to first back up your present configuration, and name it something meaningful, so it can be recognized in the event that it needs to be restored at some point in the future.

Later, if a mistake is made in editing the Registry, or if your latest changes have achived some rather undesireable and disasterous effects, all you have to do is open up the Configuration Backup and select RESTORE. After you reboot your machine, the restored configuration returns your system to the settings BEFORE the disaster took place.

The end result here is that the regular use of this utility will minimize the danger involved in editing the Registry, and can always return you to an earlier configuration of your own choosing.

	You can save up to NINE separate backups with
POWER TIP # xx	the Configuration Backup utility, and any one
	of them can restored after a disaster occurs.

[3-4] The Registry Editor (REGEDIT.EXE)

The Registry Editor is a powerful tool that configures and edits your Windows 95 system settings. Registry Editor can be used to view or modify a Registry on a local computer or on another computer over a network. Both the administrator's computer and the remote computer require the Microsoft Remote Registry service to allow remote Registry access.

When you run the Registry Editor, it displays its' data in two panes. On the left side, you have the six Keys, which are shown as folders in "My Computer." Each key can have a set of values. Each value entry is comprised of three parts:  the name of the key, its' data type, and the value itself.

The Registry Editor stores this information in .REG files, which are essentially text files containing the data in a specific format. If there is a small plus sign next to a key, then, it will have further data below called a SubKey. These are more commonly known as nested folders, which simply means that folders can themselves contain other folders.

The value entries in the right pane are associated with the selected key in the left pane. A value entry has three parts:  the data type of the value (which appears as an icon), the name of the value, and the value itself. A value entry must limit itself to 64k or less, while the size of the actual total Registry is dependant on available hard disk space.

Data types can either be Binary numerical data or readable text. Most of the hardware information is stored as binary data, and can be displayed as either binary or hexadecimal information.

Right-click anywhere in the Registry Editor, and you can create a NEW Key (or subkey), string value, binary value, or DWORD value.

[3-5] The six Hkey_ handles

[3-5-1] Hkey_Local_Machine

Contains computer specific information about the type of hardware, software, and other preferences on a given PC. This information is used for all users who log onto this computer.

[3-5-2] Hkey_Current_Config

This Key points to a branch of the Key Hkey_Local_Machine \Config that contains information about the current hardware configuration.

[3-5-3] Hkey_Dyn_Data

This Key points to a branch of Hkey_Local_Machine that contains various bits of information regarding the System's Plug and Play configuration. This information is DYNAMIC, meaning that it may change as devices are added to or removed from the computer.

[3-5-4] Hkey_Classes_Root

This Key points to a branch of Hkey_Local_Machine that describes certain software settings. This Key contains essential information about OLE and drag and drop operations, shortcuts, and core aspects of the Windows 95 GUI.

[3-5-5] Hkey_Users

This Key contains information about the users that log onto the computer. Both generic and user-specific information is used, and each user who uses the system has their own Subkey.

[3-5-6] Hkey_Current_User

This Key points to a branch of Hkey_Users for the user who is currently logged onto the system.

[3-6] SubKeys of the six Hkey Handles

[3-6-1] Hkey_Local_Machine may contain the following Subkeys

SubKey	Description
Config	A collection of configurations for the local computer
Enum	Info. on the system's installed hardware devices
Hardware	Info. on the ports and modems used with HyperTerminal
Network	Info. Created when a user logs on to a networked PC
Security	Info. on network security and remote administration
Software	Info. about software and it's configuration on system
System	The database that controls system start-up, device driver loading, Windows 95 services, and OS behavior

[3-6-1.1] Hkey_Local_Machine\Config

The Hkey_Local_Machine\Config subtree contains information about alternate hardware configurations for the computer. For example, it can contain information about multiple configurations to be used when the computer is connected to a network, when it is undocked from a docking station, and so on. Each alternate configuration is assigned a unique identifier, and this configuration ID has a subkey under the Config key. Each configuration appears in the list of hardware profiles in the System option in Control Panel.

When Windows 95 checks the hardware configuration at system startup, one of three things occurs:

In most situations, the configuration ID is mapped to a unique configuration and Windows 95 selects the appropriate one automatically, and the settings for the related Config subkey are used for system configuration.

If the user is starting the computer for the first time with new hardware components, Windows 95 creates a new configuration for the new configuration ID, and a new Config subkey is added to the Registry.

If the configuration ID is mapped to more than one configuration (for example, because Windows 95 cannot distinguish between two configurations), the user is prompted to choose which configuration to use.

[3-6-1.2] Hkey_Local_Machine\Enum

Windows 95 bus enumerators are responsible for building the hardware tree. This includes assigning an identification code to each device on its bus and retrieving the device's configuration information, either directly from the device or from the Registry. For more information about the hardware tree and bus enumerators, see Introduction to System Configuration, and Windows 95 Architecture.

Bus enumeration information is stored in the Hkey_Local_Machine\Enum subtree. For all types of devices, subkeys contain information such as device type, assigned drive letter, hardware ID, and device manufacturer, plus driver-related information for network components.

The following table shows which devices are enumerated in typical subkeys.

Subkey	Device enumeration
ESDI	Fixed disk devices
FLOP	Floppy disk devices
ISAPNP	Plug and Play devices on an ISA bus
Monitor	Monitor devices
Network	Network protocol, server, and bindings
Root	Legacy devices

[3-6-1.3] Hkey_Local_Machine\Hardware

Information about serial ports and modems used with the HyperTerminal program.

[3-6-1.4] Hkey_Local_Machine\Network

Network information created when a user logs on to a networked computer, including the user name, primary network provider, whether the logon was validated by a server, and information about the system policies processor.

[3-6-1.5] Hkey_Local_Machine\Security

Information about the network security provider and remote administration capabilities.

[3-6-1.6] Hkey_Local_Machine\Software

The Hkey_Local_Machine\Software subtree contains configuration information about all installed software that can write information in the Registry. The entries in this key apply for anyone using this particular computer, and include definitions for file associations and OLE information. The software subkey contains, for example, the information you add when registering an application to use a specific filename extension and information added during installation of Windows-based applications.

The Hkey_Local_Machine\Software subtree contains several subkeys, including the Classes subkey, plus description subkeys for all installed software that can write to the Registry, as described in the following sections.

[3-6-1.7] Hkey_Local_Machine\System

The data in Hkey_Local_Machine\System is organized into control sets that contain a complete set of parameters for device drivers and services that can be loaded with Windows 95. All data that controls startup is described in the CurrentControlSet subtree under Hkey_Local_Machine\System. This control set has two parts:

The Control key contains information used to control system startup, including the computer's network name and the subsystems to start.

The Services key contains information to control the loading and configuration of drivers, file systems, and so on. The data in the Services key also controls how these services call each other.

[3-6-2] Hkey_Current_Config may contain the following Subkeys

To be included in a future version of the FAQ.

[3-6-3] Hkey_Dyn_Data may contain the following Subkeys

To be included in a future version of the FAQ.

[3-6-4] Hkey_Classes_Root may contain the following Subkeys

To be included in a future version of the FAQ.

[3-6-5] Hkey_Users may contain the following Subkeys

To be included in a future version of the FAQ.

[3-6-6] Hkey_Current_User may contain the following Subkeys

To be included in a future version of the FAQ.


 [4] Customizing Windows 95

[4-1] Icons from the actual bitmaps

Did you know that you can make the icons of bitmap files, from the actual bitmap? With OLE 2, they can also automatically update themselves, as they are edited.

Here's all you have to do:

1. Run the Registry Editor (regedit.exe)

2. Open the HKey_Classes_Root key

3. Open the Paint.Picture folder.

4. If there isn't a DefaultIcon folder, you will have to create one. You can do that by selecting the Key Paint.Picture, and right clicking on it. Select NEW, and then select KEY. What will happen then is a new folder will appear under the Paint.Picture folder.

5. Rename this new folder "DefaultIcon".

6. Open the new DefaultIcon folder that you just created.

7. Double-click on the "default" item.

8. Change the value from (value not set) to "%1"

9. Exit the Registry Editor.

That is all there is to it! And, now you have some KILLER .BMP icons! One caveat is that they may display a little slower than regular icons! But, to be honest with you, the effect is stunning, and makes the files a hell of a lot easier to identify when you are in Windows 95 Explorer.

Try it and see for yourself!

[4-2] Drag shortcuts onto Desktop

Any OLE 2.0 compatible application, that lets you drag text or other objects, will let you drag onto the Windows 95 desktop. These shortcuts appear as icons on the desktop.

Shortcuts can be dragged back into any OLE 2.0 application. The result is another way of cutting and pasting that is very easy, and very handy. You can have as many shortcuts on the desktop as you like.

You can have shortcuts to files, folders, disk drives, printers, help files, programs, just to name a few brief examples.

[4-3] Change the Desktop Folders Default.Icon

In the registry find the Key listed directly below:  HkEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\DefaultIcon

The default value should read something like this example:  C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\shell32.dll,3

This value points to the 4th icon (0,1,2,3) in the file Shell32.dll. To change this you need to replace this default value with the full path to the icon file. If the icon is imbedded in a dll like the current icon is, you need to know its placement in the sequence. The first icon in a dll is always 0, the next is 1, then 2, you get the idea.

[4-4] A simple way to add the Control Panel to the Start Menu

All you have to do is drag a shortcut to the control panel onto the start button. The result of that action is that the Control Panel will appear as a selection on the start menu. It is a very nice trick, but it is, as you will see when you read the very next tip, extremely limited!

[4-5] Control Panel Power at your fingertips!

While the above tip places the Control Panel on the Start Menu, you still have to go through the Start Button, select Control Panel, and click your way through any number of Properties Dialogs and Settings tabs. Not too convenient after all.

All you have done is created a shortcut to the Control Panel, a pointer that opens a regular folder window from which you still must choose a Control Panel applet.

Now, with the technique below, you'll get a cascading menu off of the main Control panel item. All applets are presented as choices in this submenu. In fact, where in the main Control Panel window, you cannot select which applets you'd like to display (or possibly remove), but here, the choices are completely customizable.

In fact, I'd suggest that you try both tips, and let the menu selections reside next to each other. Try them both and see which of the two is a better idea. I'm pretty positive that you will agree with me that the second idea is the way to go.

1. Right click the Start Button. Choose EXPLORE.

2. Explorer opens with a view of the Start Menu.

3. Right click in the right-hand pane.

4. Left click "New" and then "Folder".

5. This will create an icon called "New Folder".

6. Type Binary I.D. # for Control Panel to create a name for this new folder, including the period, braces & hyphens.

Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}

7. When finished, press ENTER.

8. Open up this new folder and copy the shortcuts to the Control Panel applets that you want to appear on the cascading menu. Place them in this newly created folder.

9. Close Explorer when finished.

10. The next time that you click on START, the Windows 95 Control Panel's applets appear ready to use in a cascading menu! Very cool!

You can also use this same technique to do the same with your My Computer, Printers, disk drives, and Dial-Up Networking folders. Just make sure that you have the proper binary I.D. for the cascading menu that you are trying to create.

Printers.{2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D}

The Control Panel is a special kind of folder in Win 95. Executables such as Control Panel and other resources have their own unique IDs in the Windows 95 registry.

To see these, click the Start, Run, type REGEDIT and click OK. In the Registry Editor that appears, click Edit, Find and search for 21EC2020. This takes you to a section that identifies Control Panels' ID number and that of many other resources.

[4-5-1] Still More Control Panel Power!

The ONLY problem that I ran into when I tried the tip above, was the menu choice that was created from that technique was that item's binary data string, instead of simply, Printers. But, I figured that at least the cascading submenu would indeed reveal what choices were available... until I was sent the true answer.

These steps below will create a cascading submenu off of the Start Menu. Try BOTH tips, [4-5] and [4-5-1], and see what I mean by the differences in the two:

[4-5-2] Start Menu Cascading Folders

1. Right click on the Taskbar Start Button.

2. The Context Menu appears. Select Open.

3. A window, displaying the contents appears.

4. Right click on any unoccupied area of window.

5. Another context menu appears. Select New Folder.

6. The name you give this new folder will also be the menu selection on the Start Menu.

7. Open up this new folder, and create new shortcuts or simply copy existing ones. You can also add folders, which creates another cascading menu off of the new submenu you are creating.

8. You'll know you're in business when you see that your new folder, along with its' right-pointing arrow appears on the Start Menu.

9. Close whatever windows or folders that are open.

[4-6] What you need to know to edit the Recycle Bin

Click on Start then Run type in regedit click on OK

This starts the registry editor.

Highlight the entry HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT Now use Find to find the recycle bin entry. To do this click on Edit then Find. For the Find what entry use recycle.

After it searches it will come up with an entry on the right hand side of the screen that looks like this:

NAME	DATA

[icon](Default) "Recycle Bin"

Highlight Default and right click, choose modify.

Where it says Value Data type in whatever name you want for the recycle bin.

Now Close the registry editor and and restart Windows 95. Your Recycle Bin will now show whatever name you have decided on.

Changing the icon

If you want to change the default icon for the Recycle Bin, just look for the Key DefaultIcon when you are at the SubKey above. There are two default icons for the Recycle Bin, one full and the other empty. The defaults are listed below:

Empty Recycle Bin - SHELL32.DLL,31

Full Recycle Bin - SHELL32.DLL,32

Default Recycle Bin - same as empty

When Windows 95 starts, the Default Icon for the Recycle Bin is briefly shown while the system determines whether the Bin is either full or empty. In either case, the value for the Default Icon is dynamic; meaning that the current status of the Recycle Bin (empty or full) is always written into the Registry to keep it up to date.

If you want to change the Recycle Bin icons, all you have to do is enter the path where the icon is located, as above. If the path is to an .ICO file, you don't have to have the number indicating the icons position in the .DLL file.

Please remember that the Default is always equal to Empty.

MAKE SURE THE RECYCLE BIN IS EMPTY BEFORE YOU EDIT THE ICONS. THAT WAY, THERE WILL BE NO CONFUSION AS TO THE VALUE OF THE DEFAULT.

[4-7] Removing unwanted items from the Desktop

When Windows 95 configures the system during install, it places several default icons on the Desktop. Among them are My Computer, Recycle Bin, Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft Network icons. When you right click on these icons, you'll find that there is no way to remove them. However, here is another undocumented trick that works every time:

1. Go to the following Key in the Registry Editor:

Hkey_Local_Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows

\CurrentVersion\explorer\Desktop\NameSpace

2. What you will find there are a list of items that were placed on your Desktop during installation. A few examples:  Inbox, Microsoft Network, and Recycle Bin.

3. All you have to do is remove the item that you want off of the Desktop.

INBOX - {00020D75-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}

4. If you want, the Recycle Bin can be removed this way as well, although why someone would want to delete this helpful utility is unclear to me at this time.

[4-8] How to change the My Computer Default icon

Change icon of my computer:

1. Search for My Computer - or what you have named it (This will be be a string's value and be on right)

2. Tab to go to the hex name of My Computer.

3. Under this hex name key, find subkey default icon.

4. This contains the "file, number of icon in file (starting from 0)"

5. Change this to any "icon file, number of icon"

6. BE CAREFUL (Not too hard for super power users)

[4-9] Renaming "My Computer"

Although nowhere near as dorky as Microsoft BOB, in Windows 95, there appears an icon on the Desktop called "My Computer."

Urrghhh-!

Couldn't this be something more realistic like "486/66 DX-2"?

The answer is YES!

There are actually TWO ways to do this; one is done right on the Desktop, while the other involves the Registry Editor:

Rename MY COMPUTER via Desktop:

1. Right-Click on My Computer icon.

2. Select Rename from Context Menu.

3. Type in your computer's new name, and press Enter.

-Rename MY COMPUTER via Registry:

1. Open up Registry Editor, and go to the following:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID

2. Locate the binary data string that identifies the My Computer entry:

My Computer {20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}

3. In the right pane, right-click on Default Name.

4. Choose MODIFY, and the Edit String dialog appears.

5. Type in the new name in Value Data, and choose OK.

6. Close the Registry Editor, and reboot your machine.

[4-10] Dragging "Scraps" to the Desktop

With Windows 95, you can drag "Scraps" from your documents to the Desktop, or to folders, to create Document Scraps. With these scraps, you can archive elements of your documents for later use or for sharing them with another person.

(Tested in WordPad only)

You might wish to experiment with this, and see if it works with other file types and applications. If you discover more about "Scraps," please feel free to submit the addition to this FAQ, for inclusion in a later update. The procedure for this is outlined in section [1-4]. If your submission can be verified for accuracy, you will be listed in the acknowledgements section of the FAQ!

[4-11] If you want to leave the Net 'hood

If Windows 95 installs the Network Neighborhood icon on your Desktop, and you cannot seem to find a way to delete it, and it is taking up space you'd rather have for something else, here are TWO ways to leave the Net 'hood!

1. You can open up the System Policy Editor (poledit.exe) and open registry-local user -Shell-Restrictions-Hide

2. The second method is described in section [4-7] Removing unwanted items from the Desktop. As described there, Windows 95 installs several icons on the Desktop by default  not everyone's needs are exactly the same, so just delete what you don't need!

NOTE:  I use PowerMail for America Online as my Internet e-mail shell. But, when I installed Windows 95, something that I didn't want suddenly appeared on my Desktop  the Exchange Inbox and The Microsoft Network icon!

Since I have no intention of ever joining the Microsoft Network, I didn't need either of these two icons! But, when I r.clicked, DELETE simply wasn't an option with either of these! (Is this Microsoft's way of getting us to join the Microsoft Network? They're going to have to do better than that for me to ever consider joining!!)

So, following the very same instructions as outlined in section [4-7] as mentioned above, I was able to remove these items from my Desktop that have no DELETE choice on either of the context menus that appear on the Desktop.

So, it can be done! Microsoft won't give you this information, but I WILL!

[4-12] Change the Desktop's default folder

1. Go to the following Registry SubKey:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\DefaultIcon

2. The current default icon points to the file SHELL32.dll in the Windows 95 System folder, and to the fourth icon in the series, which is actaully 3, because in .DLL files, the numbering starts at zero, and not one.

3. You can change the .DLL file and the icon to whatever you would like to see on your system. For example, PC Tools For Windows 2.0 has a DLL file called FOLDERS.dll which contains about 100 variations of the folder.

4. Make sure that you follow the following syntax:

C:\Win95\System\Shell32.dll,x

Whereas "x" is the number of the icon in the DLL that you wish to have replace the default.

5. Close the Registry Editor, and reboot your machine.


 [5] Fine Tuning Windows 95

[5-1] New design for the Start-Up screen

Tired of that blatant advertising come-on for a product you already own and have on your machine, every time you start your machine? Of course, I am referring to the "official" "You are now starting Windows 95" splash screen. Perhaps you might like your favorite spiritual quotation to appear in its' place? Or maybe Beavis and Butthead huh-huh-heh-ing your way into Windows 95 is more your style.

Well, in order to escape Microsoft's mighty corporate wrath yet again, all you have to do is the following:

1. Create an alternate screen using LOGOW.sys as a template.

You want to use this particular file as your template to assure that you are getting the color depth and aspect ratio correct. Otherwise, the system might not display the colors properly, or worse yet, crash.

2. Save it in .BMP format, and make a copy of it and call that copy LOGO.sys, placing the file in your system's root directory (i.e. C:\). Also make sure that the replacement logo isn't larger than 127k in size.

3. Go to the Start Menu, and select Shut Down.

4. Reboot your machine, and you will see your artwork instead of Microsoft's!

[5-2] Turn off the Windows 95 Start-up Logo

To remove the Windows 95 logo on start-up, you can do the following:

1. Open the file msdos.sys in the MS-DOS Editor.

2. Find the [Options] section.

3. Add the following line to the [Options] section:

Logo=0

4. Reboot your computer, and there will be no logo on start-up!

5. The default setting here is:  "Logo1" which adds the default animated Start-Up Logo.

[5-3] New designs for the Log Off screens

Quite a few of the Preview Program participants who have young, pre-reading age children have complained that the two Windows 95 Log Off screens look too similar, as to be confused by someone young who cannot yet read the words.

Well, these can be modified, by the user, to a design that is more suitable for use by young children. Perhaps, you just want to change these screens for your own reasons. It can easily be accomplished. Here's how:

There are two separate files involved, which correspond to the "Wait while shutting down" and "You may safely turn off" screens that are displayed during this sequence. Respectively, they are LOGOW.sys and LOGOS.sys (notice the W & S, for wait and safe?!) and can be found in the Windows 95 root directory.

Even though both have a .SYS extension, they are actually normal .BMP files. To edit these files, simply make backup copies of both of them, and save them into a separate directory, away from the Windows 95 root directory. The reason you are doing this, is so you have a back-up of the originals in case your luck with these things is as good as mine!

When you make the back-ups, rename both files so they have .BMP extensions. Now, you are ready to load them into a program like MS-Paint, or Corel Photo-Paint. Edit them in whatever way you like, but make sure that you change nothing with regard to the files resolution or color depth.

When you are finished, rename them (after making another separate backup of the new modified files) back to the original names of LOGOW.sys and LOGOS.sys and copy them back into the Windows 95 root directory, and reboot your computer. If all works the way it SHOULD, the next time you Shut Down, you will see your custom Log Off screens!

	If you have children that operate your PC,
POWER TIP # xx	you can change these screens to something
	like a stop sign, a green light, or even
	the child's favorite cartoon hero!

[5-4] Edit essential folders

To change the name and/or location of some of the essential system folders (such as:  Desktop, Fonts, Programs, Send To, Start Menu, etc.) open up the Registry Editor, and go to the following SubKey:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurtrentVersion/ Explorer/ShellFolders

Simply edit the data of your choice!

[5-5] Boot to MS-DOS 7.0 instead of Windows 95

If you would prefer that Windows 95 boot up in a MS-DOS session, instead of the GUI, you need to do the following:

1. Open up the MSDOS.sys file in MS-DOS Editor.

2. Find the line "BootGUI1" and change it to "BootGUI0"

3. If by chance, your system doesn't have this item in the MSDOS.sys file, simply add the line "BootGUI0" near the top of the entire file.

4. Save the changes, quit the Editor, and reboot your PC.

5. When your system starts, it will bring up the familiar MS-DOS session!

[5-6] Quickly clearing the Recent Documents Menu

The DOCUMENTS cascading menu off of the Start Menu is always filling itself up, and is usually twenty miles long. Then, if you want to empty it, you have to play click-click-click with the Start Menu.

Wouldn't it be easier if you had an icon right on the Desktop that did this?

Well, pull up a chair. And listen carefully...

1. Create a batch file with the following line:

echo y| del \windows\recent\*.*

2. Save file in a convenient directory, such as Windows\Command

3. Create a shortcut to that batch file right on the Desktop

4. Right-Click on the shortcut, and choose Properties.

5. Select the Program tab.

6. Under RUN, choose Minimized.

7. Check the CLOSE ON EXIT checkbox underneath the RUN box.

8. Click on OK, and close the dialog.

Now, to empty the Most Recently Used Documents Folder, all you have to do is double-click on the shortcut you just created.

This is a really cool undocumented feature, try it!

[5-7] To change font size on Taskbar buttons

1. Right-click anywhere on Desktop, context menu appears.

2. Select Properties, then the Appearance tab.

3. Select "Active Title Bar" in Item:  drop down list.

4. Adjust font size and select Apply to see what it looks like.

5. Select SAVE AS. Choose a name for your color scheme in the Save Scheme dialog box.

6. Select OK to close Display Properties.

Remember that this selection not only changes the Taskbar button font and size, but also the Active Title Bar in all of the programs that you run in Windows 95. So, choose a font that looks acceptable and readable in both places.

That is all that there is to it!

[5-8] Recorder:  A Character Map Workaround

Probably the most glaring omission in the entire Windows 95 Operating System package is the absense of a script editing language. Everything else from OS/2 Warp, Apple's System 7, and even PC Tools does, however. What were the Systems engineers in Redmond thinking, anyway?

I mean, Word 6.0 has it's own WordBasic, and Excel 5.0 has a Visual Basic subset called Visual Basic for Applications. So, why doesn't Windows 95 have its' own language, as well? I know that YOU cannot tell me, but I just thought that I would throw it out into the aether.

So, we are left with Windows Recorder; that poor replacement for a proper editing langauage. So, until Microsoft wises up, a puts a subset of either Visual Basic, FoxPro, or C++ into this or a future version of Windows, we are stuck with this most rudimentary macro recorder/player.

So, for those of you who have never really used Recorder, here are two tips for you; the first explaining how to use the Recorder to record a macro, and the second, explaining how to insert symbols (ANSI characters) into a Recorder macro for later playback:

To record a macro, first open a window for the application in which you want to record the macro, such as WordPad. Next, switch to the Recorder windows using Alt+Tab. Turn on all the options in the Recorder's Options menu (such as Minimize on use). Set the Preferences to Any Application, Fast, and Ignore Mouse. The click Macro Record and select a Hotkey (such as Ctrl+Alt+C) in the dialog box that appears. Once you have done this, click the Start button. The Recorder window should reduce to a blinking icon, which indicates that you are recording a macro.

At this point, DON'T TOUCH YOUR MOUSE!!! But rather, in the application window, type Space, Shift+Period (the greater than sign), Backspace, Alt+0169, Space. Then press Ctrl+Break to stop recording. In the dialog box that appears, press S to save your macro, then Enter to exit.

Now, try your macro by pressing the hotkey that you selected. You should see the © symbol inserted into your application.

Remember to click File Save in the Recorder window and save your macro to a file, such as MACROS.REC. then create an icon in your Start Up group with the command line MACROS.REC. That will load Recorder and the macro file.

In all my years with Windows 3.1, I could never figure out a way to insert special ANSI characters like the © copyright symbol into macros written with Recorder. Well, there is a major secret, here. Come a little closer, and I'll tell you all about it

the undocumented way to make the Recorder accept an Alt+ Keypad combination is to precede the combination with the following keystrokes:

Space, Shift+Period, Backspace, Backspace. Then, you type Alt+0169 or whatever. You could follow this special character with a space or other character to return Recorder back to its' normal mode of recording keystrokes.

This is a great alternate method of insterting those special characters you're always hunting for in the Character Map charts.

The Recorder icon should be found on the Accessories menu, off of the Start Menu. If it isn't there, go to the Start button, and select RUN, and type RECORDER.EXE into the dialog box that appears.

[5-9] What are the Windows 95 Tune Ups?

As we all have come to realize; there hasn't been, and probably never will be, an Operating System upgrade that doesn't contain at least a few bugs. With over 70,000 individual software developers writing Windows-based applications, there simply is too much out there for every single application to run perfectly. It just isn't going to happen in our lifetimes.

Windows 95 is no different. When Windows 95 went "GOLD" on July 14, 1995, Microsoft's engineers still hadn't completed their bug-stomping. But, committed to an August 24th roll out, it had to be sent to manufacturing to meet that deadline. The Microsoft solution to this will be something called the Windows 95 Tune Up packs.

They will be FREE add-on bug patches that will be released on a regular periodic basis, and are rumored to be available ONLY on the Microsoft Network.

NOTE:  As of the August issue of Windows magazine, these Tune-Up Packs are now rumored to be available as a quarterly subscription for a price yet to be determined! STAY TUNED!

[5-10] My Two Favorite Features

I'd like to consider myself to be a Windows 95 Power User. I have put in about ten to twelve hours each and every day since I received my copy of the Preview Program CD-ROM back on April 14, 1995. So, in just four short months, I have personally logged nearly two-thousand hours of Windows 95 usage.

During this time, I have learned quite a lot, grown to like some things about Windows 95 that aren't so great, and have come to love some features that are truly amazing, at least in my book.

There have been several published reports describing the "TOP 35" features in Windows 95. And it is amazing to me that my two personal favorite features were completely passed by. They are called Open With and Send To, and I think they are probably two of the top FIVE most useful features in the entire Operating System.

Allow me to tell you how you can make these two features work for you. They can do more than you might at first realize

Both of the Send To and Open With features enable the user to bypass file extensions and allow you to open a document in the application of your choice. But, that's just for starters. The real benefit occurs when you actually try them!

Double-Click on a file that has no associated extension, and up pops the Open With dialog, which is a menu of programs and their defined associations. To get this same menu with an associated file, simply press SHIFT while Right-Clicking on the file icon, then choose Open With from the Context Menu. Checking the box "Always use this program to open this file" will change the association for all files with the same extension.

Although it is very useful, Open With is restricted only to use with applications. Send To on the other hand, will work with practically everything on your system; applications, folders, disk drives, hard drives, printers, and FAX modems.

The Send To fly-out menu, which appears on almost all of the system's Context menus, is actually the contents of the Send To folder, which is a subfolder of the Windows 95 folder. This means that the menu is totally customizable. To add something to it, just create a shortcut and drop it into the Send To folder.

A Look Into My Send To Folder

I have customized my Send To menu so that the things that I do the most are right there for me, in that handy, Right-Click context menu. I am merely describing my set-up so that you can get some ideas of your own into the potential of this extremely powerful feature of Windows 95.

I have added my 3 and 5 inch floppy drives, the Desktop, PC Tools File Viewer (which is better IMHO than Windows 95's own QuickView), Media Player, MS-DOS Editor, Notepad, Paint, Printers, Recycle Bin, WinZip 95, Word 6.0a, and WordPad.

In addition, I have one further item; Any Folder  , which was installed from the Microsoft Windows 95 PowerToys freeware add-on. With Any Folder, I can send a file to any destination I wish. PowerToys is a must-have Windows 95 utility, and I tell you what it is and where to get it in section [12-3] of this very FAQ!

You of course, can customize your own Sent To folder anyway you wish as well. With my set-up as it is, with just a single mouse click, I can view any file format I can create on my system without launching the associated application with my File Viewer. I don't use QuickView because it won't let me cut and paste to the clipboard, export, or print right from the viewer, while the Viewer from PC Tools will let me do all of those things, plus many others.

I can send a file almost anywhere; from a floppy, to another directory, to the Recycle Bin, to the Desktop. I can also add to or create a new .ZIP file, or preview any multimedia file on the Media Player.

With my Printers, I have four choices to pick from. I have my LaserJet and my 24-pin Panasonic dot matrix. In addition, I have created a custom "Print To File" driver, and my WinFax Pro print driver is here also. This way, if I wish to send a fax, all I have to do is drag the file to the Fax print in Send To, and I bypass opening up the program, loading the Send Log, and activating the Manual Send command. It is that easy!

Adding the Desktop to the Send To folder requires a little trick to get it right. That's because the Create Shortcut command DOES NOT appear on the Desktop's context menu. To compensate, you will have to create a shortcut to the Desktop folder, which is hidden by default.

To locate the Send To folder, first select the Windows 95 folder, press F3 to start a search, and type desktop and press ENTER. When the Desktop folder appears in the Search Results window, right-click on it, choose Create Shortcut and click Yes to put it on the Desktop. Drag the new shortcut into the Send To folder. That's all there is to it!!

I hope that showing you these examples leads you to a few ideas for your own Send To configuration.


 [6] Problem Solving in Windows 95

[6-1] If an application cannot find it's Help File

If you have an application that is having trouble finding its' Help File, you can add its' file name and full path to the following key:

Hkey_Local_Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Help

There should already be several examples already listed. Just add to them!!

[6-2] A tip for Multi-Boot users

If you are tired of hitting F8 every time you boot your PC, here is a quick fix that will present a "Boot Menu" every time you start your machine:

1. Open up your MSDOS.sys file in the MS-DOS Editor.

2. Add the following line to the [Options] section:

3. BootMenu1

4. Save changes, and exit MS-DOS Editor.

5. Reboot your PC, and your new Boot Menu will appear!

In addition, you can add the following line to the [Options] section of the MSDOS.SYS file (as above):

BootMenuDelay(number)

With (number) being the number of seconds your machine will pause on the "Boot Menu." If the timer counts down to zero before any action is taken, then the BootMenuDefault is then loaded.


 [7] Registry Tricks

[7-1] Speed up the Start-Menu!

Create a new string value under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\desktop (of the Registry) named MenuShowDelay and set it's value to a number from 1 to 10. (1 is the fastest). This is an undocumented feature!!

[7-2] My city isn't on the time zone map!!!

Highlight the section on the world map that contains your city. Write down the string of cities, or whatever other wording.

Example "Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney"

Open Registry Editor, and search for that string Edit that string. You have very easily edited a string that was not meant to be edited, but of course with Windows 95 you are given the option to edit nearly all strings.

[7-3] Editing the Windows TIPS at start-up

You can edit those tips, and add you own tips.

It is under the H_KEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ CurrentVersion\explorer\Tips key of the Registry Editor.

Here's how to add new User Tips to the Welcome to Windows 95 Dialog Box that appears at Windows 95 system start-up:

1. Go to the above referenced Key in the Registry Editor.

2. Go to the very end of the list of existing User Tips. (Win95 comes with 50 Tips pre-loaded)

3. To add a new String Value, right click with your mouse at the end of the list.

4. Select NEW.

5. Type the next highest number from what's listed directly next to the ab.

6. Press ENTER.

7. Right click again on the number value just created.

8. Select MODIFY.

9. In the box marked VALUE DATA, type whatever new User Tip you prefer.

10. When you are 100% positive that what you just typed is what intended, select OK.

Congratulations! You just customized Windows 95! Now, close the Registry Editor, and restart Windows 95. You will see your new Tips the next time the Welcome to Windows 95 dialog box appears!

	At the very beginning of your VALUE DATA, you
POWER TIP # xx	might want to begin the Tip with something like
	"Kent's Win95 Tips:" This way, you'll remember
	which Tips you added to the originals!

[7-4] Friendly "Short" Names

One of my favorite features of Windows 95 are the Long File Names. At last, we can leave eight-dot-three in the dust!!! One problem though. I have Microsoft Office Professional 4.3, which is the 16-bit short file name edition.

So, when I am in Explorer, I can save a file such as "1995 Income Tax Returns". But, when I return to Excel to open that file, I will find something like "1995In~1.xls". Now, if you wanted to save several files with the prefix "1995 Income Tax" you would have a mess on your hands in a hurry, not to mention that you wouldn't be able to decipher the short names.

Complete the following steps:

1. Open up the Registry Editor.

2. Open the following SubKey:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\ Control\FileSystem

3. Right-Click the right-hand pane of the Registry Editor window. On the context menu, select NEW, Binary Value.

4. Type in NameNumericTail and press ENTER.

5. Double-Click the entry you just created, and then type zero (0) as the complete binary value.

6. Click OK, close the Registry Editor, and restart Windows.

Now, this undocumented technique will assure that the short file names will resemble the long file names as much as it is possible. Windows 95 will make sure that no two files will have the same long or short name.

[7-5] 3-D Objects:  Highlights and Shadows

1. Open up the Registry Editor.

2. Go to the following SubKey:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Colors

3. There you will find a list of various system items, such as buttons, and active title bar, etc. Actually, it adds to the information that is editable in the Control Panel's Display Properties dialog Appearance tab.

4. The information is presented as RGB data, which means that each color is represented by three values to simulate the various colors that will be displayed on your screen. The three values are Red, Green, and Blue. Each of the three can have values between zero (0), which represents black, and 255, which represents white.

EXAMPLE:  0 0 0 represents black 255 255 255 represents white all other colors are somewhere in between

5. The RGB Color Model is an additive model that is used to determine how colors are displayed on computer monitors.

6. RGB values for the various colors can be found in the following place on your system:

Control Panel, Display, Properties, Appearance, Color, Other

In this dialog, the RGB values are found in the lower right corner. Be sure to write down the values of your favorite colors, so they can be changed easily.

7. Knowing all this, you are ready to further customize the shadows and inverse colors of 3-D objects in the Windows 95 system.

[7-6] Reappearing values in the Registry?

If after several editing sessions in the Registry Editor, you suddenly discover that several entries and values that you deleted seem to be reappearing, it is NOT a problem with the Registry, the Editor, or your mind.

To keep that data from respawning, simply remove the offending items from your WIN.ini file!

[7-7] Adding sounds to application events

By now you should all realize that you can add sounds to quite a few system events. Those can be located in the Control Panel Sounds dialog. If you haven't been there yet, I'll wait a minute while you return. But, did you realize that with the Registry, you can also add sounds to APPLICATION events?

1. Open up the Registry Editor.

2. Go to the following SubKey:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\AppEvents\Schemes\Apps

3. You will find two SubKeys .Default and Explorer.

4. Right-Click on the SubKey APPS, choose NEW KEY.

5. The new value should be the name of the application that you wish to create event sounds for.

6. Right-Click on the SubKey you just created, and select NEW KEY.

7. An example to get you started:  Key:  Open Then, create another SubKey called Close.

8. Go to the Control Panel Sounds, and the Application Event SubKeys you just created will now appear in the list that is displayed in the Sounds tab.

9. Add whatever sound files you wish for these events.

10. The very next time that you Open and/or Close that particular application, the sounds will play.

11. For each and every application on your system, you can add sounds to all these standard events:

	Close	Open
	G.P. Fault	RestoreDown
	Maximize	RestoreUp
	MenuCommand	SystemAsterisk
	MenuPopup	SystemExclamation
	Minimize	SystemQuestion

There may be other events possible, but that depends on the particular application events that are used in any given Windows application.

HINT:  Button and Icon bars are NOT such events!


 [8] Short Cuts:  Windows 95 Productivity Tips

[8-1] Add an item to the Start Menu

Drag icon over Start button OR Right click on Start button. Select open. The Start Menu folder opens on the Desktop. Select File New Shortcut and the rest is easy!

[8-2] What will dragging a file do?

Drag files with the right mouse button.

This give you the option of copying, moving, or creating a shortcut.

[8-3] Where is that file?

Find in the start menu is powerful and very quick.

You can search for type of docs, for text in files etc. This search feature has been shown to be over 20 times faster and more powerful than the standard feature included with Apple's System 7.51. So there!

[8-4] Change the name of that shortcut

Windows 95 by default will update the shortcut. If the shortcut is not updated, it will be updated when you run the shortcut.

[8-5] Right Mouse Button and the Shift Key

After Windows 3.1, Windows users the world over have become very "leftbutton-centric." With Windows 95, the right mouse button is liberally implemented. It adds considerable power to the use of the mouse. In addition, the SHIFT key often adds even more power to that right-click!

Here's just a few "Right-Shift" tricks:

To format a disk drive, right click on that drive's icon in Explorer or in My Computer.

To minimize, cascade, or tile all windows, right click on the Taskbar.

To empty the Recycle Bin quickly, right click on its' icon on the Destop.

To close, restore, maximize, or minimize a window, right click on its' button on the Taskbar.

If a file has an associated application, but you would like to open it with a different application, hold down the shift key and right click on its' icon.

To restart Windows without restarting the computer, go to the shutdown menu and choose Restart the computer. When you click OK, hold down the shift key.

To launch Explorer on a drive or folder, right click on the icon, instead of double-clicking.

To permanently delete file(s) instead of sending it to the Recycle Bin, hold down the SHIFT key and press DELETE, or right click on the file(s) and then hold down the SHIFT key before selecting Delete from the context menu.

[8-6] Short Cuts for Objects, Folders, and Explorer

The following brief procedures and tables summarize the standard shortcuts for working with objects in the Windows 95 user interface, including folders on the desktop and Windows Explorer.

To copy a file
Press CTRL while you drag the file to a folder.

To create a shortcut
Press CTRL+SHIFT while you drag the file to the desktop or a folder.

To close the current folder and all its parent folders
Press SHIFT and click the Close button on the folder.

To tab through pages in a properties dialog box
Press CTRL+TAB or CTRL+SHIFT+TAB.

To switch between opening a new window and closing an existing window
Press CTRL and double-click a folder.

If you have more than one window open, this operation closes the active window. If you have only one window open, this operation opens a new window.

To bypass Auto-Run when inserting a compact disc
Press SHIFT while inserting the compact disc.

To quickly change Wallpaper
Drag the file name of a .BMP or .RLE file to the Control Panel's Desktop dialog box. This instantly installs the bitmap as Desktop Wallpaper, and saves you from having to type the file name and full path into the dialog box.

A shortcut to the Start Menu
Open Explorer, and open the Start Menu folder. Create a shortcut to the Start Menu, and place it on the Desktop. There, you'll have one click access to all that is in that menu

[8-7] Shortcuts for a Selected Object

Shortcut	Action
F2	Rename
F3	Find
CTRL+X	Cut
CTRL+C	Copy
CTRL+V	Paste
DEL key	Delete
SHIFT+DEL	Delete file immediately without putting it in Recycle Bin
ALT+ENTER	Display properties
ALT+d.click	Display properties
CTRL+r.click	Place alternative commands on the context menu (Open With)
SHIFT+d.click	Explore an object; if the object does not have an Explore command, this starts the default action (usually the Open command)

[8-8] Managing Folders and Windows Explorer

Shortcut	Action
F4	In Explorer, display the combo box and move the input focus to the list
F5	Refresh display
F6	In Explorer, move the focus between panes
CTRL+G	In Windows Explorer, choose the Go To command
CTRL+Z	Undo
CTRL+A	Select All
BACKSPACE	Go to the parent folder

[8-9] Shortcuts in the Windows Explorer Tree

Shortcut	Action
* keypad	Expand everything under the selection
+ keypad	Expand the selection
- keypad	Collapse the selection
R. ARROW	Expand the current selection if it is not expanded; otherwise, go to the first child
L. ARROW	Collapse current selection if it is expanded; otherwise, go to the parent
CTRL+arrow	Scroll without moving the selection

[8-10] Shortcuts in the Common Open and Save dialogs

Shortcut	Action
F4	Display the Look In list
F5	Refresh the view
BACKSPACE	Go to the parent folder if the focus is on the View window

[8-11] General Keyboard-Only Commands

The following table shows commands for completing actions from the keyboard:

General Keyboard-Only Commands

Shortcut	Action
F1	Start Help
F10	Go to menu mode
SHIFT+F10	Display context menu for selected item
CTRL+ESC	Display Start menu and move the focus to the taskbar
CTRL+ESC, ESC	Move the focus on the taskbar so you can use TAB and then SHIFT+F10 for context menu, or use TAB and arrow key to change tasks, or use TAB to go to the desktop
ALT+TAB	Switch to the next running application
ALT+M	When the focus is on the taskbar or desktop, minimize all windows and move the focus to the desktop
ALT+S	When no windows are open and no items are selected on the desktop, display the Start menu; then use arrow keys to select menu commands

[8-12] Accessibility Short Cuts

The following table summarizes the Windows 95 shortcuts for Accessibility features. For information about these features, see Accessibility.

Accessibility Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
Press these keys:
SHIFT 5 times	Toggle StickyKeys on and off
R.SHIFT for 8 seconds	Toggle FilterKeys on and off
NUMLOCK for 5 seconds	Toggle ToggleKeys on and off
L.ALT+L.SHIFT+NUMLOCK	Toggle MouseKeys on and off
L.ALT+L.SHIFT+ PRINTSCREEN	Toggle HighContrast on and off

[8-13] Microsoft Natural Keyboard Keys

The following table summarizes the shortcut keys available on the Microsoft Natural Keyboard:

Microsoft Natural Keyboard Keys

Shortcut	Action
WIN+R	Display Run dialog box
WIN+M	Minimize All
SHIFT+WIN+M	Undo Minimize All
WIN+F1	Start Help
WIN+E	Start Windows Explorer
WIN+F	Find files or folders
CTRL+WIN+F	Find computer
WIN+TAB	Cycle through taskbar buttons
WIN+BREAK	Hot key to display System properties dialog box

[8-14] Quicker font installations

You can go through the Fonts folder in Control Panel, and select Install New Font from the File Menu. Then, up pops the Add Fonts dialog, basically just like it did in Windows 3.1 and 3.11. But, in Windows 95, there is a new rub.

Font installation is fully supported by Drag and Drop, so all you need to do is open up your Fonts folder, and drag whichever font(s) you wish to install. The neat thing with this is that the font(s) that you have just dragged into the Fonts folder immediately appear in all of the applications that use True Type fonts!

No more tinkering with the [Fonts] sections of .INI files!!

If you have allowed Windows 95 to install the default FONTS folder inside the Windows 95 folder, then you'll need to hold down the SHIFT key while dragging the file into the Fonts folder. This prevents it from being copied into the Windows 95 System sub-folder, which would needlessly double the amount of disk space consumed.

[8-15] Create a "Print To File" print driver

To create a generic driver for printing text to a file, go to the Printers folder in Control Panel. Double-Click on Add Printer, choosing "Local Printer" and "Generic" from the Manufacturer menu, and "Generic/Text Only" in Printers.

Choose "FILE:" from Available Ports, clicking Next a few times to create the Printer. Right-Click on the new printer icon when it appears, choose Properties, select the paper tab, changing the Paper Source to "Continuous-No Page Break" and click on OK. You might also wish to change the name of this printer to "Print To File."

[8-16] Quit Windows in a flash!

Because of the Registry, Windows 95 is extremely methodical about shutting itself down. To make sure that it is done right, the GODS of GUI have even included the "soon to be infamous" Shut Down on the Start Menu. You have to click on the Start button and select Shut Down from the menu.

A dialog box appears, giving the user the choice of either; shutting down completely, restarting the PC, exiting to MS-DOS "mode" or, if you have a network configured, to log on as a different user.

The "restart your PC" option cycles completely through the boot process; self test, memory countdown, anti-virus scanning, CD-ROM drive configuration, well, you get the idea. You may as well go get a cup of coffee, with some systems you actually may have enough time to do so.

Well, fortunately, we have discovered some shortcuts for shutting down Windows quickly:

Hold down the SHIFT key when selecting the OK button to restart your PC, when selecting that choice from the Shut Down dialog.

This next one works even better (and FASTER!):

Press CTRL+ALT+DELETE to bring up the Close Program dialog box. In this dialog, select "Explorer" and click on End Task. Explorer is the Windows 95 "Shell" so the system assumes you are trying to quit and displays the Shut Down dialog. Click on NO. Then, another box will pop up, and there you select End Task. This will shut down the Explorer "Shell". But, what actually will happen is you will see your Desktop rebuild itself in a matter of a handful of seconds (literally). Windows 95 cannot properly run without Explorer, so it automatically restarts Explorer, rereading the entire Registry in the process.

So, this last "quickie" you may use especially if you are in the middle of a hot n' heavy Registry editing session, and would rather not waste an eternity waiting for the changes to take effect during all those endless reboots.


 [9] Windows 95 Reference Materials

[9-1] Windows 95 Resource Kit

Author:  None listed.

Publisher:  Microsoft Press

Phone:  1.800.677.7377

Pages:  1350

Price:  $ 49.95 (includes three 3.5 utilities disks)

ISBN # 1-55615-678-2

Summary:

Nearly 1400 pages of in-depth technical information on the planning for, migration to, installation of, configuration of and support of Windows 95; the brand-new Operating System from Microsoft. Written for the professional user, this is an invaluable resource, and is a completely worthy addition to your Windows 95 reference library.

The Kit includes detailed coverage of the following topics:

Installation * Networking * Systems Management * System Configuration * Communications * Windows 95 Reference * Troubleshooting * Windows 95 Registry * Command Reference

In addition, there are some pretty cool software utilities:

Resource Kit Online Reference * Log Viewer * Batch Script Editor * Enhanced Printer Troubleshooter * System Config. Backup Tool * Quick Resolution Changer * Emergency Recovery Utility * Animated Cursor Editor * Icon and .BMP Editor *

Anyone who's serious about Windows 95 should own this book!

[9-2] Inside Windows 95

Author:  Adrian King

Publisher:  Microsoft Press

Phone:  1.800.677.7377

Pages:  476 pages

Price:  $ 24.95

ISBN # 1-55615-626-X

Summary:

This is the Inside Story behind the development of Windows 95, and includes information on the philosophy, design, user interface, and system architecture, just to name a few topics that are explored in-depth.

Author Adrian King is a former Microsoftie, and because of that fact alone, his writing helps the reader to understand how Windows 95 will forever change the face of computing, and why Windows 95 works the way it does.

After a tour of the project goals, program features, and the evolving architecture of Windows, the book delves into the major components of this innovative new Operating System:

The Base System * The User Interface * Win32 API * Plug And Play * Multitasking * OLE * WinG * Applications and Devices *

If reading about the philosophies of the Graphical User Interface and Intel chip architecture is your thing, then have I got a book for you!

Totally worth owning just for the discussion of pre-emptive versus cooperative multitasking and multi-threading alone.

[9-3] Windows 95 Secrets

Author:  Brian Livingston

Publisher:  IDG Books Worldwide

Phone:  1.800.762.2974

Pages:  Not avail.

Price:  $ 39.95

ISBN # 1-56884-453-0

Summary:

Brian Livingston is the author of "Windows 3.1 Secrets" and "More Windows Secrets," and co-author of "Windows Gizmos" by IDG Books. He is also an editor and writes the weekly "Window Manager" column for InfoWorld.

I have had the opportunity to scan through all three of his books, and I came to the impression that, for Windows 3.1, these books would have been valuable resources. But, since the world of computing has moved on, we will have to wait until the end of August to see if "Windows 95 Secrets" is worth owning.

I will say however, that after reading the last years' worth of his "Window Manager" columns, that if the book is as informative as his column is, then this will be a MUST HAVE book for everyone's Windows 95 reference library.

Will ship at the end of August 1995.

[9-4] Software Developer's Guide To Windows 95

-Author:  Martin Heller

Publisher:  John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Phone:  Not avail.

Pages:  Not avail.

Price:  $ 39.95

ISBN # 047-107-6716

Summary:

Not available until the end of August 1995.

[9-5] Windows 95 Programmer's Guide

Author:  Not avail.

Publisher:  Microsoft Press

Phone:  1.800.677.7377

Pages:  Not avail.

Price:  $ 24.95

ISBN # 1-55615-834-3

Summary:

Not available until the end of August 1995.

[9-6] Programming the Windows 95 Interface

Author:  Nancy Cluts

Publisher:  Microsoft Press

Phone:  1.800.677.7377

Pages:  425

Price:  $ 34.95 (includes one CD-ROM Utilities disc)

ISBN # 1-55615-884-X

Summary:

For all you C and C++ Jockeys out there, here is a programming book to sink your teeth into! With this insiders guide, you'll be developing applications that sport all the new Windows 95 User Interface features.

Covers the full spectrum of User Interface issues:  the new set of common controls, interface extensions, shortcuts, long file name support, as well as changes to the common dialog boxes, just to name a few. Book and CD-ROM include sample code in both C and C++, and includes a sample application that combines many of the brand-new interface elements.

The author is a writer in the Microsoft Developer Network's Development Technology Group.

Available in August 1995.

[9-7] Microsoft Developer Network

If all this tinkering with the Registry and the Registry Editor has got you all excited, then, please be aware that there is something called the Microsoft Developer Network. This is an exclusive membership program that streamlines your access to all the Microsoft development information and technology.

The Development Library is a quarterly CD-ROM, which delivers all the technical information that you need to program for Windows, while the Development Platform is a set of CD-ROMs that contain the complete Microsoft Development Tools library; including software development kits and device driver kits.

The Development Library CD-ROM contains about 1.5 gigabytes of compressed information, all full-text search capable. It contains information on all of Microsoft's development products and system software. Just the fact that it contains the full text of all the Microsoft Press books makes this worth it alone.

Look at it this way:  If you purchased the books that have been listed in the Reference section of this FAQ, you could just about pay for the Development Library subscription in itself. The fact that all of those books (and all included software) will be on the CD-ROMs anyway, it made sense for me to get the CD-ROM subscription, because in the long run, it will be less expensive. And besides, it contains copious amounts of information!!

The Development Platform brings you a set of CD-ROMs containing the entire set of Microsoft Operating Systems and related Software Developement Kits and Device Driver Kits. Released quarterly, the Development Platform includes ßeta software as well, so you know that you are always working on the most current software.

The MSDN costs either $ 195 or $ 495 per year, depending on whether it's a Level One or Level Two membership. For more information, call the Microsoft Developer's Network at:  (800) 426-9400 ext. 11771.

Be sure to ask for The Microsoft Developer Network Overview brochure, MSDN Development Library Demo diskette, and a copy of the latest MSDN News.

If you already know that you want to join MSDN, just get your credit card out, and dial (800) 759-5474.

Note: This is NOT an attempt at blatent advertising for Microsoft. They certainly do not need my help! But, for this moment, the Microsoft Developer's Network is the ONLY SOURCE of complete Windows 95 Registry Reference documentation. This may change in the future, but until it does, I'll include this info. Just in case you might be interested.


 [10] Windows 95 Registry Binary Value Reference List

[10-1] Control Panel	{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}
[10-2] Printers	{2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D}
[10-3] Recycle Bin	{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}
[10-4] My Computer	{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}
[10-5] Dial-Up        Networking
[10-6] Network         Neighborhood	{208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D}
[10-7] Inbox	{00020D75-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}
[10-8] Desktop	{00021400-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}
[10-9] Shortcut	{00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}

As I was getting deeper and deeper into the Registry, I was beginning to notice more and more that quite a few of the data strings were listed in some sort of binary HEX mumbo jumbo. I also noticed that some of these binary data strings remained constant throughout the entire Registry, from Hkey_Local_Machine all the way down to Hkey_Current_User.

I orginally compiled this short list for my own personal reference. But, again and again, I was reading from the various newsgroups on the Internet, that people wanted to know the same information that was on this little slip of paper on my desk. So, I added this to the FAQ for general reference purposes.

It should save you from having to use the FIND shortcut in the Registry Editor to look up these very same values, which remain constant, no matter whose system they're on.


 [11] Registry Editor Command Reference

To be included in a future version of the FAQ.


 [12] Five Essential Windows 95 Utilities

[12-1] Microsoft PLUS!

Microsoft Corporation

One Microsoft Way

Redmond, Washington 98052-6399

800.426.9400 sales and info.

Microsoft PLUS! is designed to enhance the look and performance of Windows 95-based personal computers and includes a bonus Internet Jumpstart Kit. The software package is expected to ship simultaneously with the release of Windows 95.

Microsoft Plus! consists of System Agent technology and disk utilities that work behind the scenes to keep the user's PC running at peak performance; Desktop Themes that incorporate sounds, fonts, color schemes, wallpaper, screen savers, photo-realistic icons and animated cursors to improve the looks of a user's computer; and a bonus Internet Jumpstart Kit that provides easy sign-up and one-button access to the Internet; although you must be forewarned that the one button Internet access is via the Microsoft Network ONLY.

The Microsoft Plus! System Agent and disk tools automate PC maintenance, making it faster and easier to keep a computer in top shape. Microsoft Plus! includes DriveSpace 3.0, Compression Agent, and System Agent-aware upgrades to the Scandisk and Defrag utilities that will ship with Windows 95.

The Microsoft Plus! System Agent is a 'smart' assistant that works in the background to keep a system optimized for top performance. While the system is idle, the System Agent works with the disk utilities to compress data to free up hard disk space and to clean up the hard disk, correcting any disk errors and defragmenting the hard disk. Microsoft Plus! also can be configured to back up files automatically.

DriveSpace 3 is an enhanced version of the DriveSpace disk compression that will ship with Windows 95. DriveSpace 3 supports large compressed volumes (up to 2 GB) and greater compression ratios. DriveSpace 3 is also optimized for improved performance on Pentium processor-based systems.

The Compression Agent is an intelligent offline compression utility for DriveSpace 3 that automatically chooses the most appropriate compression algorithm for each file on a system. When used in conjunction with System Agent, the Compression Agent allows users to maximize compression levels as well as PC performance by automatically compressing data when their PCs are not in use.

Microsoft Plus! Desktop Themes provide sounds, fonts, color schemes, wallpaper, screen savers, photo-realistic icons and animated cursors. Each Desktop Theme sets more than 75 different desktop parameters for Windows 95, using a common theme to guide the choice of selections. Desktop Themes include Travel, Nature, Mystery, 1960s USA, Leonardo da Vinci, Science, Dangerous Creatures, Sports, Moderne, Inside Your PC and Windows 95.

Additional Microsoft Plus! features include Multimedia Pinball, a game that takes advantage of built-in multimedia support in Windows 95 to look, sound and play like an authentic pinball game, and full-window drag and font smoothing. With full-window drag, windows are dragged as solid blocks rather than outlines. Font smoothing is performed using anti-aliasing techniques and "hinting" of fonts, making them smoother and easier to read.

Microsoft Plus! Internet Jumpstart Kit provides easy sign-up and one-button access to the Internet via the Microsoft Network. Microsoft Plus! Internet Jumpstart Kit includes a Set-Up Wizard to assist customers in signing up with an Internet service provider; the Internet Explorer, which is Microsoft's Windows 95-based World Wide Web browser; which was licsensed from Spyglass, and an Internet mail reader for the Windows 95 Exchange mail client.

Microsoft Plus! requires a Windows 95-based PC with a minimum of a 486 processor and 8MB of RAM. Depending on which Desktop Themes are installed, disk requirements vary from 25 MB to 40 MB of disk space. A sound card is recommended for Desktop Themes and Multimedia Pinball. A modem or LAN-based connection is required to access the Internet. Pricing has been set at around $ 45.00 street. It will be available wherever Windows 95 is sold.

[12-2] WinZip For Windows 95

Nico Mak Computing, Inc.

P.O. Box 919

Bristol, CT 06011 USA

CompuServe:  70056,241

e-mail:  support@winzip.com

WinZip brings the convenience of Windows to the use of ZIP files. TAR, gzip, Unix compress, LZH, ARJ, and ARC files are also supported. WinZip features an intuitive point and click interface for viewing, running, extracting, adding, deleting, and testing files in archives. Optional virus scanning support is included.

Windows 95-specific features include:

Extract an archive to any directory via drag and drop without leaving the Explorer. Use the right mouse button to drag and drop a ZIP from an Explorer window to any directory, then choose "Extract to" from the context menu. Remember to use the RIGHT mouse button while dragging.

Add files to an archive without leaving the Explorer. Select files in the Explorer and drag and drop them on a ZIP file in the active Explorer window, in another Explorer window, or to a ZIP file on the desktop.

Add selected files to a ZIP directly from the Explorer with complete control over the options:  RIGHT-click on any file (or selected group of files) in the Explorer and choose "Add To Zip" from the context menu. This provides a function similar to Add in the WinZip File Manager extension.

Create archives in the Explorer (or on the desktop) by RIGHT-clicking on the desktop and choosing "WinZip File" from the "New" context menu entry. You can then add files to the new archive as described above.

Explorer-style mini-icons are displayed next to files in an archive to help identify the file type.

Explorer-style Add dialog box.

The Delete Archive operation moves archives to the Recyle Bin rather than permanently deleting the archive.

The Rename, Copy, and Move operations use the Windows 95 "overwrite" user interface.

ZIPs opened with WinZip are properly added to the Start Menu->Documents menu.

Explorer-style New and Open dialog boxes.

Extract files from a ZIP in the Explorer by right-clicking on the ZIP and choosing "Extract To" from the context menu.

Uninstall WinZip using Control Panel->Add/Remove Apps.

WinZip uses the correct colors if you change color schemes. The WinZip toolbar buttons and status line colors will match the rest of your desktop.

Windows 95-style tree-view help Contents window makes it easier to find help topics.

The WinZip Options/Explorer Configuration dialog box lets you add WinZip to the Start menu and Desktop.

Long filename support and U.N.C. support.

Additional Windows 95 features are under development...

Even though this "Must Have" utility is still in ßeta at ver. 5-6, it is a utility that should be a part of EVERY Windows 95 Explorer. You're a fool if you don't have this utility. It makes your life a whole lot easier, especially if you venture along the Info. Hiway. (Ugh - I cannot believe I just said that) :-)

[12-3] Microsoft Windows 95 PowerToys

Microsoft Corporation

One Microsoft Way

Redmond, Washington 98052-6399

800.426.9400 sales and info.

This freeware add-on for Windows 95 contains a series of "PowerToys"-- UI enhancements for advanced Win95 users-- that can be easily added to your installation of Windows 95.

These enhancements were developed by members of the Microsoft Win95 team, and are now being made available to Win95 users at no cost. Note that these are not part of any shipping retail product at this point in time, and therefore are not supported through any official support channels. Use "at your own risk".

The contents of the PowerToys folder will be updated over time as we make enhancements to the utilities you see here now, and as we add new utilities for people to try out. Stop back every now and then and see what's changed.

Here's what's presently available:

SEND TO ANY FOLDER

This utility adds an "Any Folder" entry to your win95 "Send To" menu. You can then right-click on any file or directory, choose "Send To> Any Folder" and type an MS-DOS path to move or copy the file into. High-end users who miss the File Manager's Move and Copy dialogs will love Send To Any Folder.

FAST FOLDER CONTENTS

With this handy-dandy context-menu extension, you can hold down the SHIFT key whenever you right-click on any folder, and you'll get a cascade menu that shows you all the contents of that folder, one-level deep. It works on shortcuts-to-folders, too.

QUICK CD

Quick CD is a taskbar notification icon that makes controlling audio CDs a breeze. When an audio CD is in your drive, Quick CD gives you convenient single-click play/pause control, a tooltip that tells you which track and time you're on, and a right-click menu that provides commands for starting, stopping, and moving around the tracks on your CD.

CABFILE VIEWER

You know those *.CAB files that you'll find on the Win95 CD and floppies? (These are files containing one or more compressed files.) Well, with the CABFILE Viewer shell extension, you can browse right into a CAB file and see all of its contents, and perform normal shell operations like drag/drop, etc. on the files inside.

ROUND CLOCK

This version of CLOCK.EXE takes advantage of win95's region windows, so your analog clock will be round, just like a real clock would. (Note.. you just need to copy this EXE to use the clock. No setup file is provided.)

The Microsoft Windows 95 PowerToys are easy to install, and because they're FREE, they are absolutely worth having on your system. I particularly recommend "Any Folder," "Cabfile Viewer," and "Round Clock" seems to "fit" the Windows 95 Desktop better than it's square Win 3.1 cousin.

Available where the better Windows 95 shareware is found.

[12-4] McAfee VirusScan 95

McAfee, Inc.	Phone: (408) 988-3832
2710 Walsh Avenue, Suite 200	Fax: (408) 970-9727
Santa Clara, CA 95051	BBS: (408) 988-4004 (8N1)

CompuServe:  GO MCAFEE

Internet:  support@mcafee.com

America Online: mcafee

McAfee's VirusScan 95 program detects, identifies, and disinfects known DOS and Windows computer viruses. VirusScan 95 checks memory as well as both the system and data areas of disks for virus infections. If VirusScan 95 finds a known virus, in most cases it will eliminate the virus and fully repair infected programs or system areas to their original condition.

VirusScan 95 is designed to check for pre-existing infections of known and unknown viruses on floppy, hard, CD-ROM, and compressed (DriveSpace, SuperStor, Stacker, DoubleSpace, etc.) disks on both stand-alone and networked personal computers, as well as network file servers. If you have a Novell NetWare/386 V3.1x or 4.xx file server, use the NetShield virus prevention software NetWare Loadable Module in conjunction with VirusScan 95.

[12-5] Barry Press Utilities for Windows 95

Barry Press Utilities

2494 East Cheshire Drive

Sandy, Utah 84093-1849

CompuServe - 72467,2353

Program Information

1. CalPop  A Simple Calendar for Microsoft Windows

CalPop is a small program which displays any month between January 1980 and December 2037.

2. CodeList  ASCII or Raw File Printing

CodeList is an application to print ASCII files under Windows. It supports drag and drop operation, making it useful as an icon in the taskbar, and is configurable for font, printer orientation, number of print columns, presence of line numbers, and other features.

3. Flipper  Simple Printer Orientation Control

Flipper runs as an icon in the taskbar, and displays the current orientation of the default printer. When double-clicked, it will change the printer's orientation, updating the icon in the process. A tool tip is displayed if you leave the mouse over the Flipper icon, showing the printer orientation as portrait or landscape. Flipper notices when you change the printer orientation, as well as when you change the default printer.

4. Match  Visual Text Comparison

Match is a text file comparison program designed to display the differences between two files in a window. A help file is included with the program which should tell you what you need to know to run the program. (Try Help Index after starting Match).

5. Runner  A Simple Command Line For Explorer

Runner adds the capability to run a DOS command line to the Windows 95 Explorer. When installed, Runner adds a "Run Command..." menu choice to the right-mouse context menu displayed by Explorer. Runner accepts any command line acceptable at a DOS prompt or as a command line if you use the Run command found under the Start button. Both Windows and DOS programs may be executed using Runner.

6. Time  Yet Another Digital Clock

Time is a digital clock for Windows. You can select the format of the display, and can choose where the window sits on the screen. The window does not force itself to the front when covered, so it's compatible with all Windows screen blankers.

7. Waver  Play Random Multimedia Files

Waver is a Windows application to play randomly chosen multimedia files at random times. It supports drag and drop operation, making it useful (or, at least usable) as an icon in the taskbar.

8. DLLMan  Windows Dynamic Link Library Investigator

DLLMan is a Windows application to help you discover relationships among executable (EXE) files and Dynamic Link Libraries (DLL's).

DLLMan is a bonus application sent to registered users of the Barry Press Utilities.


 [13] Revision History

[13-1]:  Pre-Win95-Release FAQs

v0.90 ßeta:  First release of the Windows 95 Registry FAQ. (August 1, 1995)

v0.95 ßeta:  Released August 11, 1995

[13-2]:  Post-Win95-Release FAQs

v1.0a:  Released August 24, 1995


Just Imagine!


[1] Legal Mumbo Jumbo..

[1-1] DISCLAIMER:  Use this FAQ at your own RISK!!!

[1-2] Trademark Information:

[1-3] Copyright Notice:

[1-4] Suggestions, Contributions & E-Mail:


[2] Introduction popup
[2] Introduction

[2-1] A Word From Kent Daniel Bentkowski

[2-2] About the Windows 95 Registry FAQ

[2-3] Getting the Windows 95 Registry FAQ

[2-4] Adding to the FAQ

[2-5] The Win95-L Usenet Newsgroup Mailing List

[2-6] Acknowledgments

[2-7] Technical Support? Surely, you jest!

[2-8] Conventions Used In This FAQ


popup [3] Registry Architecture
[3] Registry Architecture

[3-1] What exactly is the Windows 95 Registry?

[3-2] Recovering Registry Data

[3-3] Configuration Backup

[3-4] The Registry Editor (REGEDIT.EXE)

[3-5] The six Hkey_ handles

[3-6] SubKeys of the six Hkey Handles


popup [4] Customizing Windows 95
[4] Customizing Windows 95

[4-1] Icons from the actual bitmaps

[4-2] Drag shortcuts onto Desktop

[4-3] Change the Desktop Folders Default.Icon

[4-4] A simple way to add the Control Panel to the Start Menu

[4-5] Control Panel Power at your fingertips!

[4-6] What you need to know to edit the Recycle Bin

[4-7] Removing unwanted items from the Desktop

[4-8] How to change the My Computer Default icon

[4-9] Renaming "My Computer"

[4-10] Dragging "Scraps" to the Desktop

[4-11] If you want to leave the Net 'hood

[4-12] Change the Desktop's default folder


popup [5] Fine Tuning Windows 95
[5] Fine Tuning Windows 95

[5-1] New design for the Start-Up screen

[5-2] Turn off the Windows 95 Start-up Logo

[5-3] New designs for the Log Off screens

[5-4] Edit essential folders

[5-5] Boot to MS-DOS 7.0 instead of Windows 95

[5-6] Quickly clearing the Recent Documents Menu

[5-7] To change font size on Taskbar buttons

[5-8] Recorder:  A Character Map Workaround

[5-9] What are the Windows 95 Tune Ups?

[5-10] My Two Favorite Features


popup [6] Problem Solving in Windows 95
[6] Problem Solving in Windows 95

[6-1] If an application cannot find it's Help File

[6-2] A tip for Multi-Boot users


popup [7] Registry Tricks
[7] Registry Tricks

[7-1] Speed up the Start-Menu!

[7-2] My city isn't on the time zone map!!!

[7-3] Editing the Windows TIPS at start-up

[7-4] Friendly "Short" Names

[7-5] 3-D Objects:  Highlights and Shadows

[7-6] Reappearing values in the Registry?

[7-7] Adding sounds to application events


popup [8] Short Cuts:  Windows 95 Productivity Tips
[8] Short Cuts:  Windows 95 Productivity Tips

[8-1] Add an item to the Start Menu

[8-2] What will dragging a file do?

[8-3] Where is that file?

[8-4] Change the name of that shortcut

[8-6] Short Cuts for Objects, Folders, and Explorer

[8-7] Shortcuts for a Selected Object

[8-8] Managing Folders and Windows Explorer

[8-9] Shortcuts in the Windows Explorer Tree

[8-10] Shortcuts in the Common Open and Save dialogs

[8-11] General Keyboard-Only Commands

[8-12] Accessibility Short Cuts

[8-13] Microsoft Natural Keyboard Keys

[8-14] Quicker font installations

[8-15] Create a "Print To File" print driver

[8-16] Quit Windows in a flash!


popup [9] Windows 95 Reference Materials
[9] Windows 95 Reference Materials

[9-1] Windows 95 Resource Kit

[9-2] Inside Windows 95

[9-3] Windows 95 Secrets

[9-4] Software Developer's Guide To Windows 95

[9-5] Windows 95 Programmer's Guide

[9-6] Programming the Windows 95 Interface

[9-7] Microsoft Developer Network


popup [10] Windows 95 Registry Binary Value Reference List
[10] Windows 95 Registry Binary Value Reference List

[10-1] Control Panel

[10-2] Printers

[10-3] Recycle Bin

[10-4] My Computer

[10-5] Dial-Up Networking

[10-6] Network Neighborhood

[10-7] Inbox

[10-8] Desktop

[10-9] Shortcut


popup [11] Registry Editor Command Reference
[11] Registry Editor Command Reference

To be included in a future version of the FAQ.


popup [12] Five Essential Windows 95 Utilities
[12] Five Essential Windows 95 Utilities

[12-1] Microsoft PLUS!

[12-2] WinZip For Windows 95

[12-3] Microsoft Windows 95 PowerToys

[12-4] McAfee VirusScan 95

[12-5] Barry Press Utilities for Windows 95

[13] Revision History

[13-1]:  Pre-Win95-Release FAQs

[13-2]:  Post-Win95-Release FAQs