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Q: * I love the long file and directory names in Windows 95, but I can't figure out how to use them from the Win95 command line.*
A: No problem. Just enclose the file or directory name in quotes. For example, use the command CD "\WINDOWS\START MENU\PROGRAMS"
to change to the Programs folder.
Q. *I read in another magazine that you should turn off 32-bit file access because it can cause problems with DOS. Who should I believe?*
A. First of all, why should you read another magazine? Second, why would you run a DOS app anyway? And third, you should believe *WINDOWS Magazine*, of course.
WFWG 3.11's 32-bit file access, which is a precursor to Windows 95's file-access driver, uses a 32-bit virtual device driver to replace DOS for file operations. This means you should never run a DOS program that's likely to try accessing the disk directly (using the system's BIOS) in a DOS box under Windows. Likely culprits of this sort of shenanigan include Norton's Disk Doctor and Central Point's disk-editing tools. If you want to run these programs, exit Windows completely first. Even if you don't exit Windows, the most likely happenstance is the program won't work, and the virtual device driver will generate an error message.
The benefit of using 32-bit file access is a tremendous boost in disk access speeds--up to eightfold. This is a performance difference you'll notice, and it makes it worth the upgrade to WFWG 3.11.
Q: *I have a three-year-old 486-33 without local bus. I've already added a 500MB hard disk, and I've thought about buying an OverDrive chip. But if I do, I'll still have lousy video performance for lack of a local bus slot. Is there anything I can do to improve performance short of buying a new system?*
A: Sure, but it's not for the faint-hearted. If you have a standard-size AT or Baby-AT case you can install a new motherboard (also called a system board). They're available with or without a CPU, so you can make this upgrade even if you've already bought an OverDrive chip.
If the notion of performing such radical surgery on your system makes your blood run cold, let the patient die and buy a new system instead. If the idea intrigues you, rest assured the replacement of a motherboard is a reasonably straightforward process. You'll find motherboard vendors' ads in the back pages of *WINDOWS Magazine*. Look for a motherboard with either VLB or PCI local bus slots--or both.
Keep in mind that modern motherboards typically use 72-pin SIMMs (memory modules). Your three-year-old machine probably uses 30-pin SIMMs, which aren't interchangeable. You can purchase a new motherboard that uses the old style chips. You can even buy one that lets you mix both styles. But you may want to consider moving entirely to the new SIMMs because they offer greater flexibility in the combinations you can use. Many companies will buy your old SIMMs back from you, so it won't be a total loss.
Q: *I keep seeing references to virtual memory. What the heck is virtual memory, anyway?*
A: Virtual memory, put most simply, involves using your hard disk to emulate RAM. This capability has been hardwired into all Intel CPUs since the 386 and is used by Windows in *Enhanced* mode. You'll recall Enhanced mode will run only on 386 and higher processors. That's why the icon in Control Panel that lets you configure Enhanced mode settings is a little chip emblazoned with "386."
The 386 chips introduced *memory mapping*, an extremely useful feature that enables the chip to map real addresses in RAM to assumed addresses. Among other things, this feature enables the chip to map hard disk space to RAM addresses. The operating system then treats these addresses as if they were actual RAM locations.
It's a neat trick, and it offers both advantages and disadvantages. The chief advantage is it lets your computer run programs that require more RAM than is physically installed in your system.
The *disadvantage* is it slows everything down--even the fastest hard disk is hundreds of times slower than the slowest RAM. That's why a system with 4MB of actual RAM seems so much slower than a system with 8MB of RAM. The 4MB machine can handle Windows, but it does so by constantly *swapping* information out to disk that it can't find room for in RAM. Windows keeps this information in its *swap file*, a special hidden file on your hard disk that locks in a large, contiguous area. This speeds up operations as much as possible, but adding RAM is always the cheapest, fastest and best way to speed up your system in a hurry.
To check your swap file's configuration choose the Enhanced icon under Control Panel, then select the Virtual Memory button in the dialog box that results. You want a permanent swap file, and you want it to be no larger than half the size of the RAM installed in your system. While you're there, make sure 32-bit disk access is enabled (unless you're using a notebook with power management features turned on). If you're running WFWG, ensure that 32-bit file access is activated, and that you have your cache size set at one quarter the size of your installed RAM--but no more than 2048KB, regardless of the amount of RAM in your system.
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