Digital Help Line
Tip: Shifty restart for Windows 95
Open a file with un-associated application
Add destinations in the Send To menu
Win95 won't shut down
Disappearing icons
Disappearing taskbar
Tip: Make Windows 3.1 programs behave
Tip: Clean up open browser windows
Update Win95 registry without a reboot
Add a mail signature in MS Exchange
Changing default fonts in Word 6
To restart Windows 95 and bypass the machine shutting down completely, hold down the <Shift> key while selecting Shutdown-Restart Computer.
Q How do I open a file with an application other than the one that is associated with it's extension?
A Hold <Shift> while right-clicking on a file, and select Open With.
Q How do add items to the Send To menu?
A The Send To menu, displayed as an option when you right-click on a file in Win95, is simply a directory on your hard disk, usually C:\Windows\SendTo. Just drag-drop any folders, programs, or drive icons into this folder to add their shortcuts to the Send To menu.
Hint: if you drag a shortcut for the Send To folder into the Send To folder itself, it makes it easy to add new objects later on!
Q When I choose Shut Down from the Start Menu, my computer restarts instead of shutting down.
A A buggy driver that won't allow itself to be unloaded can be causing this. Check to see if all of your devices are compatible with Windows95, and contact the manufacturers of the various devices for the most recent drivers.
Q How do I recover desktop icons like Recycle Bin and Inbox that have "disappeared"?
A Right-click the file C:\Windows\Inf\Shell.Inf and pick Install, then log off and back on. This will reinstall all the standard shell gizmos.
Q My Taskbar has disappeared, how do I get it back?
A. Move the mouse to the bottom of the screen until the mouse cursor looks like you're about to resize something. Drag the Taskbar up, so that it is visible.
To do this with the keyboard, type <Ctrl>+<Esc>, <Alt>+<Space>, S, and then use the up arrow key to resize the taskbar.
Q I seem to have problems with Values and Keys reappearing in the Windows 95 registry even after I've removed the unwanted program files.
A This usually occurs with 16-bit Windows applications - try deleting the offending programs from your WIN.INI file.
If you're having compatibility problems with old Windows 3.1 programs under Windows 95 try using MKCOMPAT.EXE. Start it using the Run command.
Just choose a file in the file menu that you want to fix compatibility with and begin selecting options such as:
Lie about Windows version #
Delay comm handshake
Increase Stack Size
etc.
For more information, see on-line help.
To close Windows left open from browsing through "My Computer", hold down the <Shift> key when you click on the Close button of the first window you want to close. This will close any and all windows preceding the one you clicked on.
To update registry without a reboot, try this:
Press <Ctrl>+<Alt>+<Del> to invoke the Close Program menu. Click on Explorer, and then the End task button. The Shut down dialogue box appears. Choose Restart the computer, then click the No button. A message box informs you that Explorer is not responding. Click end task, and that's it!
Q How do I add a Mail Signature with MS Exchange?
A When using Microsoft Exchange with Word Mail running (Word Mail is
included with Office 95) an easy way to put a signature into your mail is
to use the AutoText option. Create your signature, highlight it all,
select AutoText from the Edit Menu and add it in. When you want to use it
just type in the first few letters and hit F3 and your signature will be
added to your E-mail.
Q In Microsoft Word for Windows 6.0, how do you change the default font settings used in new documents ?
A This setting is stored in the normal.dot (the template new normal documents are based on).
To make changes to the default font settings, click on Format-Fonts, then make the changes. Now click on the Default button.
Word then prompts you to confirm you want to make this change to the normal template. Click Yes, and it's done.
The 'Default' button found in many other dialogue boxes can be used in a
similar manner to change other default settings.