INTERFACE
ENHANCEMENTS
Boot to a Command Prompt:
Using 'Notepad' or another ASCII text editor, edit the MSDOS.SYS file in the root directory, and change BOOTGUI=1 to BOOTGUI=0.
You can also set this with 'TweakUI', available at the Microsoft Web Site or here at this site.
Manipulating and Using Icons |
Showing Thumbnail Icons of Bitmap Files:
Using the Registration Editor, RegEdit, find the following:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PAINT\PICTURE\DefaultIcon
Change to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PAINT\PICTURE\DefaultIcon "%1"
Making Icons from Bitmap Files:
simply rename a .BMP file to (name).ico; Windows 95 will resize it to icon size, and convert it to 16 colors. You can then use it as a new icon!
Turn Off the "Zooming" Windows
When opening, closing, maximizing, or minimizing windows, they 'zoom' with animations. This is not only annoying after a while, it also takes up valuable processor or accelerator time. To turn these 'zooming' windows off, use "TweakUI", available from the Microsoft Web site, or here at this site.
This can also be done with the registry editor, RegEdit, but it is simpler and safer to use "TweakUI".
Fixing General Irritants of the Interface |
Stopping the Bouncing Click Here to Begin Arrow
Use "TweakUI", available from the Microsoft Web site, or here at this site.
This can also be done with the registry editor, RegEdit, but it is simpler and safer to use "TweakUI".
Turning Off the PC-Speaker
Using 'TweakUI', available at the Microsoft Web Site or here at this site, turn off 'beep on errors'.
Hiding the Speaker Icon in the Tray
- Open the 'Control Panel'
- Double-click on 'Multimedia'
- Select the 'Audio' tab, and uncheck 'Show volume control in the taskbar'
- Click 'Okay'
Hiding the Modem in the Tray
- Open the 'Start' menu, and select 'Accessories', and then 'Dial-Up Networking'
- Right-click on the connection you want to change
- Select 'Properties'
- Click 'Configure ...'
- Select the 'Options' tab
- Uncheck 'Display modem status'
this must be repeated for each connection you wish to change
Turning Off Delete Confirmation
- Right-click on the 'Recycle Bin', and select 'Properties'
- On the 'Global' tab, check 'Use one setting for all drives', and 'Do not move files to the recycle bin. Remove files immediately on delete'
- You will still need to 'Empty the Recycle Bin' for any files waiting in it
Turning Off the Documents Menu
Although the documents menu is a neat idea, it is also a nuisance -- not everyone wants someone to be able to look at your computer and see what you have been working on (or playing with!).
The documents menu can be cleared temporarily by right-clicking on the taskbar, selecting properties, clicking on 'Start Menu Properties', and choosing 'clear documents menu'. However, it is only temporary.
To keep the documents menu from listing your recently-used documents in the future:
- Right-click on the 'Recycle Bin' on the desktop, select 'Properties', choose the 'Global' tab, and select 'Use one setting for all drives'.
- Turn on the option labeled 'Do not move files to the recycle bin'.
Be advised, that all files will now be immediately deleted!
- Using the Registry Editor, RegEdit, open 'HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Shell Folders'.
- At the right will be a list of special folders. If an entry named 'Recent' does not exist, select 'New' from the 'Edit' menu, and then select 'String Value'. Rename this to 'Recent'.
- Double-click on 'Recent', and under 'Value Data, enter 'c:\recycled'.
- Press 'Okay' and close RegEdit.
- Duplicate this entry in 'User Shell Folders', just below 'Shell Folders'.
- Exit, and restart Windows 95.
Permanently Disabling Autoplay
To prevent Windows 95 from automatically playing your audio CD's,
- Start Explorer
- Select 'View/Options/File Type'
- Scroll through the list until you reach 'AudioCD'
- Select that listing
- Press the 'Edit' button
- Select the action 'Play'
- Press the 'Edit' button
- Delete the command "/play" after CDPLAYER.EXE
- Press 'Okay'
- Press 'Close'
Or ...
Disabling Autoplay and Autorun of CD's
- Right-click on 'My Computer'
- Open 'Properties'
- Choose the 'Device Manager'
- Double-click on your CD-ROM
- Select the 'Settings' tab
- Uncheck 'Auto insert notification'
- Click okay until closed, and restart Windows 95
Customizing Your Win 95 Interface |
Replacing the Startup, Shut Down, and 'Please Wait' Screens
These files are simply 320x400 Windows Bitmap files, located in the Windows folder. Specifically, they are:
- Logo.sys - the startup screen
- Logow.sys - the screen that says "Please wait while your computer shuts down."
- Logos.sys - the one that reads "It is now safe to turn your computer off."
You can use Microsoft Paint, Photoshop, or Paint Shop Pro to create your new files. (Be sure to back up the originals to a safe location first.) While editing, work at 534x400. Then, before saving, resize them, (do not crop) back to 320x400. After saving, rename them to (filename).sys. Move them into the Windows folder when finished.
Making the 'Explorer' Appear in Lieu of Folders From 'My Computer'
- Run the Registry Editor (RegEdit)
- Open HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\
- Using Find ... from the Edit menu, search for "My Computer", or whatever you renamed it to. You can also open the key labelled {20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}.
- Right-click on "shell", select "New", and then "Key". Type "Open" and then press return.
- Right-click on "open", select "New", and then "Key". Type "Command" and then press return.
- Click on "Command", double-click on (default), type "explorer.exe" and press return.
- Close RegEdit
- Click on the desktop, and press F5 to refresh it. This will make your changes take effect.
Printing to a File
To print to a file instead of one of your installed printers:
- Open the 'Printers' folder in the 'Control Panel'
- Double-click on 'Add Printer'
- Select 'Add Printer', and then 'Next'
- Select 'Generic' from the manufacturer list, and 'Generic/Text Only' from the printer list, click on 'Next'
- Select 'File' from the available ports list, and then next until an icon appears
- Right-click on the new icon, and choose properties; change the paper setting to 'continuous, no page-breaks'
- When printing to this printer from a Windows application, you will be prompted for the filename when you print.
Access the Control Panel from the Start Menu
To have direct access to the Control Panel applets via the start menu, create a new folder in the start menu and name it precisely:
Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}
You will now have a cascading menu of all the control panel's contents.
Changing the Appearance of Shortcuts
Use "TweakUI", available from the Microsoft Web site, or here at this site.
This can also be done with the registry editor, RegEdit, but it is simpler and safer to use "TweakUI".
Using Iconic Preview of Bitmaps
- Run the Registry Editor (RegEdit)
- Open HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PAINT.PICTURE\DefaultIcon
- Change the (Default) value to "%1"
- Close RegEdit
Making Applications Launch on Startup
To add (or delete) applications from the startup folder:
- Right-click on the 'Start' button, and choose 'open'
- Double-click on 'Programs'; a series of folders will appear
- Open the 'StartUp' folder
- You can drag items in or out of that folder; items contained therein will be automatically launched the next time you start Windows 95
Adding a File Type to the 'NEW' Menu
This requires using the Registration Editor, RegEdit. Be sure to read the notes in 'Key Technical Information' before doing so!
- In the program that creates the file type you wish to add, create a blank document with any preferences you wish to use. Save it immediately.
- Copy this file to '\windows\ShellNew' -- it is a hidden folder.
- Using RegEdit, open HKEY-CLASSES_ROOT and find the extension for that file type.
- Add a new key called 'ShellNew'.
- Under the new key, add a string value called "FileName".
- Double-click on the sting, and modify it to be the filename of the blank template file you created, including the extension.
- Exit the Registration Editor and restart Windows 95.
Quick Access to Drives, Similar to Norton Desktop Under Windows 3.x
Norton Desktop, under Windows 3.x, allowed you to place drive icons on the desktop for easy file manipulation. There is a simple way to do that for each of your drives under Windows 95.
- Right-click once on the desktop, and select 'new shortcut'
- When the 'Create Shortcut' dialog pops up, click on the 'browse' button
- Go to your Windows directory, and select 'Explorer.exe', then press 'Open'
- Click on 'Next'
- Now choose a name for the shortcut, perhaps 'FDD A' for your 'A' floppy drive
- Click on 'Finish'
- Right-click again on your new shortcut, and select 'properties'
- Click on the 'Shortcut' tab
- Click the 'Change Icon' button
- Change the icon source file to 'shell32.dll'
- Scroll through until you find the icon you want; there are good icons for both floppy drives, hard drives, network drives, removable drives, CD-ROMs, and more.
- Select the icon you want, and click on 'okay'
- In the command line box, entitle 'Target', follow 'Explorer.exe' with:
/n,/e,D:\
where 'D' is the letter of the drive you wish to access
- Click 'Apply', and then click 'Okay'
- Repeat this for each of the drives you wish to appear on your desktop
- When complete, click and drag until all the new drive icons are selected
- Right-click once on the desktop, and select 'Line Up Icons'
- After the icons are lined up, and while still selected, you can move them in unison wherever you wish
If you wish to change the appearance of the shortcut, perhaps even deleting the arrow entirely, obtain TweakUI here, or from the Microsoft Web Site.
Showing All Files in Explorer
Select 'View/Options - the tab 'View' has an option for 'Show All Files'.
Using QuikView
On the CD-ROM version of Windows 95 is a handy utility called QuikView. (You can also download it from the Microsoft Site or here at this site.)
There are several ways to easily use QuikView:
- Create a shortcut on the Desktop -
- you can now simply drag a file onto it to be viewed
- Configure the registry to allow you to use it
- Launch the Regristration Editor, RegEdit
- Open 'My Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\'
- Find a key that reads "*" (if not there, add it with 'New', 'Key' under the 'Edit' menu)
- Under that key, add a new key called 'QuikView'
- Set the value of 'Default' to "*"
- Close RegEdit